Creator Avni Barman’s journey is a testament to the power of passion and purpose in driving change and fostering community. How so? Well, with a mission to empower women in entrepreneurship and leadership, Avni has built Gen She, a vibrant digital platform designed to educate, inspire, and connect ambitious women across the globe.
Avni’s story began during her final year of college, when an internship in a male-dominated tech environment sparked a realization: that there needed to be more women in leadership roles. The experience fueled her desire to create a platform that would not only address gender inequality, but would provide tangible resources and support for women in tech and entrepreneurship. From there, Gen She was born. Since then, the platform has evolved from sold-out conferences at major tech headquarters to a thriving digital media company reaching over 300,000 women globally.
We sat down with Avni to share her insights on fostering gender equality in the workplace, as well as growing a large subscriber base and growing Gen She into a massive media company. Here, Avni also delves into her unique approach to content creation, community-building, and sustainable business practices.
What inspired you to focus on demystifying startups, entrepreneurship, and making money doing what you love, and how has this niche influenced your growth and engagement strategies?
Focusing on this stems from my passion for fostering true gender equality in the workplace. Company culture is shaped by leadership, and to cultivate gender-positive environments, we need more women as founders and leaders.
This belief drove me to start Gen She, with a mission to spread awareness and education on these topics. By empowering women with the knowledge and tools to succeed in entrepreneurship, we can inspire a new generation of female leaders who will champion inclusive and equitable workplaces, ultimately driving societal change. This niche has influenced my growth and engagement strategies by prioritizing inclusivity, education, and community-building, ensuring that our message resonates and creates lasting impact.
How has Gen She evolved since its inception, and what are some key milestones you’ve achieved with this community?
Gen She has evolved significantly since its inception. Originally, it began as a nonprofit, hosting sold-out conferences with hundreds of women at prestigious venues like Snapchat and Lyft HQ.
However, when COVID hit, I took a break for a few years. Last year, I reignited my passion for Gen She and quit my job to focus on it full-time. Like any tech enthusiast, I started a venture-backed software company, built a product, and launched it to 4,000 users within a few months. Despite this success, I realized that this path wasn’t the most impactful way to solve the problem, so I returned the money to investors and pivoted towards media.
I discovered that media was the most effective way to spread my message and impact the masses without having to charge the same people I wanted to help. About a year ago, Gen She transitioned into a media company, and it has since grown into a community of 300,000 of the smartest and most ambitious women in the world. We’ve only just begun, and now we have more money and resources than ever before to make a lasting impact and provide true resources and programming to our community.
Your newsletter has grown to over 75,000 subscribers. Can you share some specific strategies or tactics you’ve used to achieve this impressive growth?
One of the key strategies was creating viral social media content that resonated with our target audience. Each piece of content included clear CTAs directing viewers to free, valuable, actionable resources that I created. These downloadables were carefully curated to align with the topics covered in our newsletter, ensuring that subscribers were genuinely interested in the content and reducing unsubscribe rates. (View a full list of resources here.)
Click here to start building your email list with The Leap today, for free.How do you balance content quality and frequency to ensure your subscribers stay engaged and look forward to your emails?
I achieve this by gathering feedback through polls on our newsletter and Instagram Stories to understand what our audience values. We send emails biweekly to avoid being spammy, maintaining a consistent schedule so subscribers know exactly when to expect our content. Data analysis is crucial — we monitor click-through rates, open rates, and other metrics to continually improve our content.
Given our large subscriber base, I ensure our content is relevant to all subscribers by thoughtfully curating broadly appealing topics. I also make it relatable by sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of my journey and offering exclusive opportunities and resources available only through our newsletter. This approach keeps our subscribers engaged and excited for each new email.
Despite offering your templates and digital products for free, how do you monetize your content and sustain your business as a creator?
I monetize my content solely through B2B brand deals with high-budget brands in fintech, software, and similar industries. I efficiently repurpose content across multiple platforms, ensuring enough variation to provide unique value and give people a reason to follow me on different channels. With more platforms, I can sell more ad “space” and make more money.
I’ve only been doing this for about a year, but there are many exciting projects in the pipeline that I can’t wait to share, so stay tuned for what’s coming next!
Can you walk us through any partnerships or sponsorship deals that have been particularly successful for you?
Partnering with companies that I actually use to run my business, such as Mercury, Adobe, and Wix, has been particularly successful. These partnerships are authentic because they highlight practical applications of products I genuinely rely on, making the content relatable and valuable for my followers.
This approach not only drives engagement but also builds trust with my audience, as they see firsthand how these tools contribute to my growth, productivity, and overall success.
As the founder of Gen She, what are some key steps you’ve taken to foster a strong and engaged community around your brand?
I personally respond to every Instagram DM I get, creating direct and meaningful connections with my audience.
I also host in-person brand activations where the community can meet me and each other. At these events, I will invite powerful individuals from the tech and media industries to the same room, providing invaluable networking opportunities that my community wouldn’t otherwise have access to.
Additionally, I lean on storytelling through long-form content on my podcast and YouTube, which helps create an emotional attachment to me and my brand so my audience feels invested in my journey and long-term success.
How do you encourage interaction and collaboration among your community members, both online and offline?
I host in-person events such as community meetups, networking events, fireside chats, panels, and recruiter events provide opportunities for members to meet and interact. These events are always free for the community and are typically announced exclusively through my newsletter, incentivizing subscribers to stay engaged.
Additionally, Gen She offers programs to help members advance their careers and achieve long-term financial goals. Our Scout Program, for example, provides hands-on experience, insights, and exposure to venture capital investing. This program allows participants to receive equity in deals without investing their own money, helping them build both their startup network and investment portfolio with real equity in these deals. Gen She scouts get to connect and build relationships with each other, fostering a supportive and collaborative community.
What challenges have you faced in building and maintaining a community, and how have you overcome them?
The biggest challenge I’ve faced is maintaining consistency. I often get burnt out from creating so much content across all social media platforms.
To combat this, I’ve adopted a four-day workweek, but it’s not the typical schedule you might imagine. For four days, I work non-stop from sunrise to sunset, with no breaks. Then, I take the remaining three days completely off. This approach keeps me super focused during my workdays, allowing me to achieve more productivity and efficiency than a traditional schedule would.
The long three-day break rejuvenates me, so I start each work sprint with extreme stamina and excitement. This cycle helps me stay consistent and avoid burnout.
What are some common misconceptions about startups and entrepreneurship that you aim to debunk through your content?
Don’t raise money unless you have to. Many believe that raising capital is a necessity for success. However, I advocate for not raising money unless absolutely necessary, as it can often lead to unnecessary pressure and loss of control.
There’s a misconception that entrepreneurship is a casual endeavor. In reality, it requires a deep, unwavering commitment. I stress that you should only pursue entrepreneurship if you are incredibly passionate about it, and can’t imagine being in a corporate job.
Another myth is that wealth, status, or a vast network are the key determinants of success. I emphasize that the person who cares the most and is willing to be the last one standing will always win in the end, outpacing all competition regardless of their initial resources.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Photo: Courtesy of Avni Barman
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Further reading
- What Is a Creator Educator? (And How To Become One)
- Beyond Influencing: Why Creator Educators Are Making Bank
- Instagram Money Calculator: Estimate How Much You Can Earn as an Influencer
- 12 of the Best Ways To Make Money Online as a Creator
- How To Build an Email List in 6 Easy Steps (+Free Mini-Course)
- 20 Simple Ways To Grow Your Email List
