S4 Ep 4: Reena Parekh on how to win at Instagram by discovering your voice

Cutting Chai Stories: Write copy that feels good

In the very first guest interview of this season, I speak to pre- and post-partum fitness coach Reena Parekh, who is killing it on Instagram. She doesn't think of herself as a writer, she doesn't use templates, and she abandoned the "rules" ages ago. How does she do it?

Key takeaways of this episode:

1. Have a purpose. Reconnect with who you're doing this FOR.
2. Representation matters.
3. When you become human, you become more relatable to people.
4. It's all interconnected; our businesses are political.
5. You have to be willing to have hard conversations, because when you're putting yourself out there, you're opening the door.
6. Even the best creators take a break.
7. Writing is a skill.
8. The more you share what feels right to you, the more it will resonate with people.

Best aha moments:

• “I had this pivotal moment when I was going through my feed, and I realized everybody I followed was a young fitness professional who was white, thin, able-bodied…they all had that kind of similar lifestyle—it looked nothing like mine.”

• “That was when I realized I had to diversify my feed. I had to find more people that looked like me, that kind of lived a life that I lived, aligned with my values and my beliefs – that’s when I started talking about why representation matters.”

• “When we start sounding like everybody else, and talking about the same things as everybody else, you just become part of the noise.”

• “The more that I started to share what felt right to me, that aligned with who I am and my values and my beliefs, the easier the words flow. And the more I find that resonates with others.”

• “We have to know what we’re putting out there, WHY are we doing it, what is the purpose, what is the impact that you wanna make, how do you wanna use your voice on social media? We have been given platforms to use our voices—that is a gift.”

About Reena:

Reena Parekh is a business owner, pre- and postpartum fitness specialist, speaker and mental health advocate. She is a proponent of change in this space, encouraging her clients and community to embrace their bodies and pushback against postpartum bounce back culture.

Connect with Reena:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/itsreenaparekh

Baby2Barbell™️ Core + Pelvic Floor Basics: https://www.reenaparekh.com/b2blevel1

Free Resources: https://www.reenaparekh.com/free-resources