[100 Emerging Women Leaders] Prerna Goel on building her influencer marketing agency WhizCo

When Prerna Goel co-founded Whizco with her sister Aastha Goel in 2018, many raised doubts over her decision, and some even suggested she drop the idea. 

“We had people saying ‘why are you wasting your time?’” Goel shares. 

She drowned out all the noise and started WhizCo in 2017 as an Instagram page. Today, Goel heads marketing in the company. 

The Goel sisters published creator content and slowly started to gain followers. “WhizCo started accidentally. We had never thought of getting into this space,” she shares.

The sisters had created a network of content creators for brands to tap into for assignments. 

“It is only after the ban of TikTok that a lot of homegrown short video apps emerged and many social media giants launched creator funds. And that's when WhizCo came into power. We are one of the early entrants in the creator economy,” Goel states. 

At present, WhizCo functions as a creative influencer marketing agency. Its services include creator management and social media marketing.

So far, the team has worked with global brands as well as micro-creators. These include Discovery Network, Josh, Moj, Maruti Suzuki, DishTV, and Cantabil.

Overcoming challenges

However, the journey has not been easy.

After studying English language and literature at Delhi University and pursuing an MBA from the University of Mysore, Goel wanted to explore different fields and support her parents. 

Upon starting WhizCo, she would often hear comments that she feels were rooted in gender bias. People would often ask her to look after her family instead of working. 

“There are a lot of barriers. Nobody would come and tell my husband not to go to the office because he had a child,” she says. 

However, her parents were her constant pillars of support. “They always supported us, saying that something good will come to us, eventually. even if we were making small amounts, they were very happy,” Goel shares. 

But she learnt how to deal with biases by setting a goal and focusing on achieving it. 

“You cannot really tell people that you're doing something; you can only show your work. You do not have to say anything; everything speaks for itself,” she says. 

The sisters are not just building their company, but also supporting women. “Over 50% of our workforce at WhizCo consists of women,” Prerna Goel says. 

Her advice to young girls is to stay focused, avoid distractions, and ensure that they are financially independent. 

(This story is updated with additional information from the company.)