Written by Shon Joy, Copywriter
Hello everyone! My name is Shon Joy and I’m a Copywriter working for a U.S. marketing firm and the author of a Malayalam coming-of-age novel titled “John.” Here’s something fun: can you guess what I studied in school or college based on where I am today? It might seem impossible, but take a wild guess anyway! Surprisingly, I wasn’t a literature student, even though I now write ad copy for an international audience. In fact, I studied in a Malayalam-medium school but now communicate and write in English daily as part of my job. Looking back, it’s been a journey full of ups and downs, enriched by incredible experiences and valuable lessons. I’m truly grateful to everyone I’ve met along the way. Though life remains unpredictable, its surprises keep things interesting. Let me take you back to my early years. Before the year 2000, when I was about to start school, my parents were deciding whether to enroll me in an English-medium institution.
They wanted me to study in English, but financial struggles made it difficult because the fees for English-medium schools were considerably higher than Malayalam-medium schools. As a result, I attended a couple of government-aided Malayalam-medium schools until my tenth grade. Interestingly, even in those early years, I developed a knack for learning English, better than some of my cousins in English-medium schools! I credit this to my love of English action movies, which helped me absorb the language naturally. I liked movies starring Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and above all, Bruce Lee. Initially, I focused solely on their action moves, but soon I started listening to what the actors were saying and reading the subtitles to understand better. So, in short, I liked movies, and they helped me understand the language better. While math was my weak point, language exams, whether in English, Hindi, or Malayalam, felt like a breeze. I didn’t stress about English pronunciation either; I knew my roots were in my native language and never felt the need to mimic a foreign accent. Language is for communication, not showing off your vocabulary. When I started my copywriting career, I realized how true this was. If I had tried to show off my vocabulary or write like the respected MP Shashi Tharoor speaks, the viewers of my ads or my target audience wouldn’t have found it appealing. A quick fact: in the ad industry, unlike in great literature, the goal is to use the simplest words to describe your product or service.
I remember joining story-writing competitions in school and winning a few times. I had a habit of writing stories in a notebook, and during breaks, some of my friends would listen to them. I can’t recall if they cursed me for taking up their precious break time, but I realized I had an interest in crafting stories. When I reached higher secondary school, my entire curriculum switched to English. This transition required me to adapt quickly, replacing Malayalam terms with English ones in math and science. I chose the biology science stream because, at that time, I dreamed of becoming a doctor. However, those two years made me realize that the medical field wasn’t for me, I lacked both interest and confidence. Also, truth bomb: I was lazy. Perhaps because I didn’t feel inspired to put in the hard work needed for something I wasn’t passionate about. So, what did I do next? I chose something completely different: Engineering!
There’s a funny saying: “If you haven’t decided what career path to take, join engineering!” I pursued Computer Science and Engineering, inspired by movies like Jobs starring Ashton Kutcher, The Social Network directed by David Fincher, Pirates of Silicon Valley, 3 Idiots starring Aamir Khan, and the sitcom The Big Bang Theory. These shows and movies made me dream of becoming an entrepreneur.
However, the reality of engineering education in India hit me hard. Most schools and colleges focus on rote learning rather than fostering innovation. I later thought that if I had chosen computer science in higher secondary school instead of biology, I wouldn’t have had to start from scratch. When looking back on past events or decisions, everything often seems much clearer and easier to understand than it did at the moment.
Yes, even if you have a great idea, it won’t reach its target audience without one...
I struggled with programming but still enjoyed my college life, making great friends and creating memories I cherish to this day. By the time I graduated, I knew I wasn’t cut out to be a programmer. Although I had an entrepreneurial spirit, I lacked the technical expertise to bring my ideas to life. I even tried convincing some of the smartest students in my class to start a venture with me, but they preferred secure employment over taking risks. I had attended a few campus placement drives and received an opportunity that felt great at the time. After college, I joined an EdTech company as a Business Development Executive. My job was selling educational products to parents. To be precise, this was a tablet installed with classes that promised to provide great educational assistance for their kids. Despite the attractive salary, I couldn’t reconcile my ethics with the company’s practices, so I resigned before completing one year there! Later, my friend and I launched an e-commerce startup with a modest investment of ?1,000 to ?5,000. While we managed to create a website and app, a lack of funding meant we couldn’t sustain it. Though the venture was short-lived, it taught me valuable lessons about entrepreneurship. What was this lesson, you might ask? A clear marketing plan! Yes, even if you have a great idea, it won’t reach its target audience without one.
I’m too shy to talk about our business, so let me make it clear with an example. Imagine if I’m creating an e-commerce website to sell books. First, I should have a plan that includes: who’s our target audience, can I create a buyer persona, what it costs me to host an e-commerce website, what my options are, how much it will cost to send a book to a buyer (including packing and delivery charges), which medium I should choose to deliver these books at a profitable rate, what I get after all expenses, and who my competitors are. Before all that, registering as a company and handling the formalities should be clear. These are nothing compared to the extensive list of preparations needed to start a startup.
We weren’t prepared. After a few deliveries, we realized we were losing more money than we were earning. So we shut that venture temporarily - that’s what I like to believe! While working on this venture, my friend dealt with the technical side of things, and I focused on communication and creativity. So the good thing that happened was this: I realized I know how to craft content for an e-commerce website, I know how to make the product appealing to the audience, and somewhere along the way, I discovered my talent for crafting information and stories that a large audience can understand. I eventually found my true calling - Writing. Like Chandler Bing in Friends, who discovers his passion for copywriting, I turned to something I’d always loved. Starting as a fresher in a small digital marketing firm in Kochi, I worked my way up. When I completely immersed myself in this career, I found other challenges. I thought I could write and write, and it would be a piece of cake. But that wasn’t true, not at all! When creating longer content, I made errors, spelling or grammar, things like that. I was doing this without a plan or process in mind. I had to figure out how to tackle these problems. So I discovered tools that helped me, like Grammarly, Hemingway Editor, etc. I started watching a few courses led by experts in this field on Udemy and Coursera. I realized there’s always an action plan. It’s not just writing; I have to follow some rules, some steps, which eventually make my okayish copy great! I learned a lot and am still learning, but each day, I’m sure I’m getting better than yesterday.
Today, I’m a Senior Copywriter with creative direction expertise, working for top clients across Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Singapore, the UK, and the US. In the midst of my career, I published my first novel, John. Though I write professionally in English, I chose Malayalam for my book to honor my roots. It tells a story about life’s struggles from childhood to adulthood and how the protagonist finds his passion, just like I did mine, capturing the essence of resilience.
Many people ask why I chose a career unrelated to my academic background. My answer is simple: it doesn’t matter if your job aligns with your degree; what matters is finding work you’re passionate about. When you love what you do, it doesn’t feel like work, it feels fulfilling. Life is unpredictable, and dreams evolve over time. Don’t fear change. Whether you succeed or fail, every path teaches you something valuable, guiding you to the destination where you truly belong.
