Megha Malik.

My story with brands probably began before I even knew what a brand was. It was the Cable TV era. One television in the house, the entire family gathered around it, and everyone waiting for their favourite serial to begin.

Everyone watched the programme.

I watched the advertisements in between.

I was fascinated by the little stories packed into those few seconds — the words, the music, the colours, the characters and the way a simple idea could make people remember a product. I didn’t know it then, but I was already curious about the world of brands and communication.

My early schooling began in the beautiful city of Dehradun. Growing up around children from different cultures and backgrounds gave me an early lesson that has stayed with me throughout my life:

The same thing can be seen in completely different ways. A conversation, a situation, a problem or even a simple idea can have many perspectives. Understanding those perspectives became one of the most valuable skills I carried into my professional life. As the years passed, I continued to build my education and completed my BFA, MBA and CA qualification in 2004. Those years gave me something beyond academic qualifications. They taught me to look at businesses from both sides — the creative side and the commercial side. And that combination would become important later.

After getting married, I moved to Delhi — to a man whose dreams happened to align remarkably well with mine.

Anush and I shared a belief that businesses, especially small businesses, deserved access to thoughtful design, branding and packaging — not as decoration, but as tools for growth.

Together, we planted a seed on Indian soil.

We called it DesignerPeople. The idea was simple: help businesses build brands that could compete, communicate and grow. But India was still evolving.

At the time, many small and emerging businesses did not fully understand the value of brand development or professional packaging. For them, design was often an expense rather than an investment. So we kept going.

We explained. We listened. We experimented. We built relationships. And, most importantly, we stayed committed to the businesses that trusted us.

Years passed. People joined us. Clients became partners. Businesses grew. And in 2014, DesignerPeople was formally registered in India as DPPL Works Pvt. Ltd.

The seed had started becoming a tree.

Working with clients across India, the USA and Australia taught me another important lesson. Different countries have different ways of doing business, but there is something remarkably special about the way Indian entrepreneurs value relationships. Perhaps no business culture values the personal relationship quite like India does. A client relationship, for me, has never been simply about a project brief or a quotation. It is about understanding the person behind the business. Why did they start? What are they trying to achieve? What keeps them awake at night? What do they want their customers to believe about them? When you understand those answers, branding becomes much more than visual design.

It becomes storytelling with a business purpose.

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work with leading national and international brands including MDH, Haldiram’s, Romsons, La Opala, Tops, Aditya Birla, Grofers, Creambell, Cremica, Cornitos, Param, and many others.

My role at DesignerPeople has evolved across branding, client relationships, project management, business development, and financial management.

I have worn many hats — Brand Consultant, strategist, account manager, team mentor and business partner — because building a successful design business requires more than creative thinking.

It requires listening carefully, planning thoroughly, managing responsibly and finding practical ways to turn ideas into outcomes.

Whether it is brand positioning, project conceptualisation, client meetings, team management, social and digital strategy or ensuring operational excellence, I believe the best work happens when thinking and commercial thinking sit at the same table.

Even today, I find inspiration in people, their stories and the world around me.

I love travelling and discovering new places. I enjoy experimenting with different tones and combinations of colour. But perhaps my greatest fascination remains people.

I love meeting entrepreneurs and understanding the purpose and mission behind their businesses.

Because somewhere inside every business is a story waiting to be understood.

My job is to bring that story to the foreground — and turn it into a brand that people can see, feel, remember and connect with.

That is what I have been doing for years.

And that is what continues to excite me about DesignerPeople.

Building brands is our profession. Building meaningful business relationships is our strength. And helping brands grow is our purpose.