ALUMNI STORIES: IS IT POSSIBLE TO WORK FOR YOURSELF AND FROM ANYWHERE?

What inspired you to study at Oxford?

Being around bright minds and feeling like I would somehow fit in more. I vaguely remember a school trip we did to Oxford when I was in Year 9. I didn’t go to a private school, so it was rare for us to go on a trip like this. Looking back, it definitely inspired me more as a young girl. I have always enjoyed studying and knew that Oxford would be an amazing place for that. Little did I know that many years later, I would visit again to become a full time student there! 

What do you miss about Oxford?

Many things. The sheer volume of curious minds, all together in one city; discussing The Saints Lives, The Book of Margery Kempe and other fascinating texts with my favourite tutors; being a part of the Cherwell newspaper and reporting on a range of interesting topics; hosting Oxide, the Oxford University student radio station; inviting celebrities to talk at the Oxford Media Society; and attending other interesting events and talks. There really was so much colour, energy and variety at Oxford.

How has your time at Oxford helped you in your journey?

Firstly, the ability to think critically. Oxford teaches you to formulate your own unique perspective on a subject and then discuss and debate that 1:1 with a world-leading expert in that field. Intense, but hugely rewarding. I’ve taken that critical thinking well into my career, both in consulting and in entrepreneurship. Secondly, confidence. Being surrounded by so many inspiring people really rubs off on you. You think: well, if I am here, with all these other smart people, I must be doing something right. Thirdly, the ability to dream big. It’s called the city of dreaming spires for a reason and I do believe it can make the impossible seem possible. 

Can you walk us through your journey from studying English language and literature to starting ImagineThat? What inspired you to launch it?

After I graduated, I followed a relatively 'traditional' route, working as a consultant at KPMG LLP in London for nearly five years. I had the privilege to work with some major global clients on interesting and varied projects. I enjoyed my time there overall. But at some point, I asked myself: is this it? The best way to describe it is that I wanted more from my career and my life. I have always been adventurous and I didn’t want to get to a point later in life where I regretted not trying something else. So I set out on an experiment and asked myself: is it possible to work for myself and work from anywhere?

Years later, I can say that the answer is yes. I have since worked on three different businesses (a public speaking coaching business, a tech startup and now ImagineThat) and lived in 14 places around the world. During this time, I had a lot of people reach out to me wanting to do the same, but not knowing how. I realised that I wanted to create a platform that I wished had existed back when I made the leap. That is what ImagineThat is. A place where professionals can combine career with travel, by learning how to start an online service and work from anywhere, as well as connect with other online founders around the world. It’s been brilliant to work on a mission that challenges how we traditionally perceive a career to look like. 

You’ve described ImagineThat as ‘the business school for nomadic entrepreneurs’ – how does it differ from other online business courses or programmes?

Firstly, I want this to be credible and professional. Unfortunately there are a lot of smoke and mirrors in the online business space and it’s hard to know what is legitimate. Everything I teach is based on my experience working with blue-chip corporate clients and then having my own businesses and growing a social media presence. I believe we should listen to people who have walked the talk and have the right experience. Secondly, I believe in the power of knowledge sharing and learning from others. That is why the ImagineThat Academy is interactive and cohort based (so people can learn and work on their businesses together) and why I recently launched the ImagineThat Club too (a community with a mission to connect 10,000 online founders globally). There is so much we can gain from learning from others. I think of ImagineThat as an alternative option to more traditional, in-person accelerators out there - an option for those who want to create businesses on their terms, ones that provide freedom and integrate with their lives. 

What has been your biggest challenge in setting up ImagineThat and how did you overcome it?

Students in the ImagineThat Academy don’t just want content and advice. They want connection, accountability, feedback and a way of feeling a part of something. I really needed to think about what else would make joining ImagineThat worth it, beyond learning how to start an online service. Another challenge I faced is the loneliness of running a business yourself, especially remote. In those early days you have no team around you and it can feel like you’re working in a silo – this took some time to adapt to, especially coming from a huge corporate firm. Funnily enough, this challenge later became an opportunity and is why I started the ImagineThat Club – so online founders around the world can be part of a support community and feel connected with others like them, as well as learn and grow together.

Could you share a moment or project from your work that you’re particularly proud of?

I always get a little moment of joy whenever I receive messages from those I have inspired or helped. You don't realise the impact you have until someone tells you 'Hi Niluka, I booked 10 days to work remotely in Valencia and finally sketch out this idea I have, thanks to you!' In addition, I am also really proud of how ImagineThat has become something bigger than I expected and positioned me as a leader in the future of work space. Becoming a professional keynote speaker with the Speakers Associates was a big moment for me – joining major business leaders around the world and even celebrities like Lisa Snowdon, Karren Brady and will.i.am. I’m excited to be able to challenge the status quo of what work looks like with a broader audience.

What’s one piece of advice you’d share with fellow alumni who want to make something meaningful from an idea?

Take action and start small. If you have an idea, rather than thinking 'how can I make this into a business?' find ways to first validate the problem and your solution. It doesn’t matter how great your idea sounds on paper, it won’t mean anything if the demand isn’t there. I would also add – don’t overthink it. Whether it’s a business or something else, a lot becomes clear when you start taking action and making it real. 

What’s next for you?

I would love to take ImagineThat to the next level and continue my work in the future of work space as a whole. The change that is happening right now is monumental: the advancements in Al; the demands and mindset of Gen Z; the ability to work from anywhere; and the rise of the creator economy, the gig economy and more. The whole concept of what we traditionally think of as work is being torn up. My mission is to help navigate this change and redefine what it means to work. I'm doing more speaking engagements and have recently launched a corporate arm to my business, The Modern CEO, which works directly with organisations to help them tackle the challenges faced – especially from a societal, cultural and generational perspective. I've also started to look at how organisations and leaders can harness entrepreneurial qualities within their existing workforce to drive better results. In short: I am on a mission to drive a global movement that looks at work differently. The more ways I can do that, the better.