Aashna Hegde on being real in the digital world: ‘Authenticity becomes easier when you stop trying to be relatable’ - Exclusive

In a world that runs on online filters, it is hard to maintain authenticity. However, it appears digital content, Aashna Hedge, has the key to this dilemma. While speaking to us in the special segment of TOI Women, she shared, “I think authenticity becomes easier when you stop trying to be ‘relatable’.”

“As I have grown, I have become more intentional. I only say yes to things that fit my lifestyle and the kind of woman I’m becoming,” she said before adding, “I have also accepted that sharing your life publicly sometimes means evolving publicly and that’s okay. I allow myself the space to evolve!”

Maintain mental wellness amid the pressures of content creation

As the conversation moved ahead, we covered several topics. She also weighed in on the subject of maintaining mental wellness amid the pressures of content creation. She mentioned, “Content creation looks glamorous, but it’s constant. There’s always something to post, conceptualise, track, or improve. For me, mental wellness comes from separating performance from self-worth.”

“A reel doing well doesn’t make me more valuable, and one flopping doesn’t make me less talented! And I prioritise living in the moment more than living for the camera, which has also helped with constantly feeling burnt out,” she expressed.

Having said that, maintaining mental wellness isn’t the only challenge when it comes to content creation. Remembering her initial days, Aashna Hegde said, “When I first wanted to start a YouTube channel, the biggest challenge was simple - no one knew who I was. I didn’t have an existing audience, and building long-form content from zero felt intimidating.”

She continued, “So instead of forcing it, I experimented. I started casually posting on TikTok, without overthinking it, and unexpectedly, it gained traction. That became my entry point. I used that momentum to redirect people to my YouTube channel and slowly build a more intentional community there.”

Learning came out of every challenge, Aashna said that it taught her that “sometimes the path isn’t linear. You don’t always start where you want to; you start where the opportunity opens.”

Walking the runway at New York Fashion Week

From the begining to the present date, Aashna recorded several milestones, one of which was gracing the runway at New York Fashion Week. Sharing her experience, Hegde said, “As an influencer, it felt validating. It felt like digital creators are no longer just attendees - we’re contributors.”

“But personally, it was a dream that I hadn’t even dreamt! I didn’t know that was something I could do; it was such a special experience for me, and it definitely pushed me to think bigger,” she concluded.