Mahima Jalan

Sorted Brand

Building personal brand, online reputation, & PR of busy entrepreneurs/executives/startup founders. Helped over 100 clients from all over the world including unicorn founders, Forbes 30 under 30, and VCs establish a thought leadership profile on social media. Want someone who can voice your thoughts and take care of your online presence? Just drop me a message or email me at: info@sortedbrand.com

Founder

Seo Souq (World's First 700% ROI Agency)

Writing 5000-word blogs for the organization.

Social Media Marketing Intern

InfoEdge

Customer Service and Operations at InfoEdge (Naukri.com)

Executive

Hi everyone! Let me keep my intro simple and crisp:

- I am building a leading PR & personal branding agency: Sorted Brand (the name says it all)
- Worked with +200 clients from India, US, UK, UAE, Singapore, and Australia. 
- Our clientele also includes famous entrepreneurs, VCs, Forbes 30 under 30, family business owners, and unicorn founders. (If that's a flex) 
- We offer solutions to everything in PR and personal branding space. 
- Other than scaling my agency, I love content creation, networking (esp with Marwadi and Baniya folks), grabbing speaker opportunities at events, and reading books. 

Want to grow your personal brand? Or invite me to a panel/speaker session? Or simply network? 

Drop me a DM (I reply to almost everyone) or email me at mahimajalan.sorted@gmail.com

My client took me to one of the iconic Atlantis Hotels for lunch in Dubai.



When Vladan Pantelic told me, "let's meet at Atlantis", I actually double checked if I heard it right.

4 years ago, I was shivering before my first in-person client meeting. My biggest stress was not spilling coffee on myself lol.

Cut to last month, I was sitting at Atlantis (one of the most iconic properties of Dubai), discussing business strategy with one of my most favourite clients.

This wasn't even on my bucket list. I never dreamed this big of having client meetings at one of the fanciest hotels in Dubai. I was mostly offered just coffee during the 3 hours of the meeting. All I wished was some food along with it lol.

As much as I resisted for a month to not make a deal of this event, I finally posted this for people who have just started their careers, and maybe aspire to reach somewhere I have.

I started 4 years back from my home, taking every call on Gmeet.

Today, I get to meet some of the most inspiring leaders from the UAE and India that too at places which were once on my bucket list.

But I worked insanely hard for it. I showed up on days when I had no idea what I was doing. I took calls even when my hands were shaking. I said yes to opportunities that terrified me.

The version of me 4 years ago couldn't even dream of an office in Dubai. But the version of me today? She earned it.

Life doesn't always give you what you dream of. Sometimes, it gives you a lot more. So if you're trembling before your first call, your first pitch, or your first anything, I wanna tell you that's exactly where it starts.

Another post someday on some of the best business lessons he gave me, with a better picture! 🫣

Mahima Jalan ماهيما جالان

My $5,000/month client recently quit, and I thought my business was over.



He had to quit due to a funding crisis. 

Then, when my most experienced team member quit, I was convinced the agency wouldn't survive without her.

But today, here we are. Going strong in India and the UAE. 

New clients came in, the team adapted, some amazing talent got hired, and we kept growing. 

Turns out, I had been building my business around the wrong thing. I was attached to people, not the purpose. 

When you tie your business to specific people, be it your clients or team members, you give them the power to break it. One person leaves and suddenly everything feels like it’s crumbling down.

But when you build around a clear purpose, no single person can change the trajectory.

Clients will leave. Team members will move on. That's just how it works.

Your job isn't to hold on tighter but to build something that stands even when people walk away.

The moment I stopped holding on so tight and remembered why I started this in the first place, things got easier.

I wish someone had told me this 2 years ago. Would've saved me a lot of 3 AM spirals. :)

Are you scared of your biggest client or your most important team member quitting? 

#purpose

If your company hasn't given you a 2-day off in Diwali week, it’s failing.


Sorry if this sounds harsh, but that's what it is. 

Especially if you are running a service business in India, where Diwali is the biggest festival with multiple occasions like Bhaidooj, Bandi Chhor, Govardhan, etc., lined up, this week is significant. 

For me being a Marwari, this is the most special time of the year where I tend to devote maximum time to my family and friends. 

I’ve been running a remote agency for 4+ years, and my team’s work-life balance (and my own) is my top priority.

Here’s how I approach work-life balance in my agency:
- Flexible offs during festivals of different cultures. 
- No unnecessary meetings that waste valuable time.
- Transparent communication about workload and deadlines.
- Support systems for personal and professional growth.

When I started Sorted Brand, I was clear that I want a culture that I aspired as an employee. A culture everyone loves. 

It’s simple: happy employees create better results.

Did you give a break to your team this week? xD

#RemoteWork #WorkLifeBalance #CompanyCulture

My team might resign after reading this post. 



But after resisting for a while, today I will talk about "employee red flags". 

It’s been 4+ years since I made my first hire. And not going to lie, I have been a terrible leader (still improving).

There have been days I realised I should have been calmer, more empathetic, and wiser while making hiring & firing decisions. Gradually, I started feeling that it's only leaders who have "red flags". 

But thanks to some wrong hirings, who changed my mind. I’ve seen red flags in team members that no one talks about. And I feel it’s important to call them out.

Here are the team member red flags I’ve seen:

⚡ Shows up on time, leaves on time, and does just enough to get by, never taking any extra responsibility. The "highly professional" ones. 
⚡ Works only for the paycheck. Clients and outcomes don’t matter. 
⚡ Short-tempered or too fragile to handle tough situations. Feedback feels like a personal attack.
⚡ Refuses to grow beyond what they already know.
⚡ Produces careless, incomplete work and dodges accountability.

I’ve learned that building a strong team isn’t just about hiring the most expensive or talented people. You need people who care, who fight for the business, and who can handle pressure without breaking.

If your team can’t do that, no amount of “talent” will make up for it.

What red flags have you ignored in your team until it was too late?

P.S.: I am currently blessed with some of the best team members; these observations are based on my experience of hiring/firing over 100 people in the last 4 years. ;) 

#teamculture #redflags #founder #startups

Indians want to make money from Dubai, but don't want to invest a penny in it. 


Every week, at least 2 people ask me about setting up/expanding business in Dubai. My DMs are flooded with messages like, "How did you open an office in Dubai?", "How is the UAE market?", "How can we get clients from Saudi?" and so on. 

So I decided it’s time to address this topic. 

I opened my office in Dubai this year, and honestly, it was the biggest business move I have ever made.

It's a dream for so many people. And that's why I continue to share my insights on LinkedIn and X. 

But people look for personalised answers and attention. They look for a "quick call" to explore synergies aka get clients via me or custom advice.  

So the moment I ask them to book a consultation call, suddenly they get cold feet.

See, I have no problem sharing knowledge for free, but the reality is that unless you’ve invested in it, you won’t actually use it. It has taken me 3 years to reach here, to gather insights you get only after doing groundwork. If you really need it, why do you mind paying? 

In India, especially when people know you, they look for free stuff. Free food, free gifts, and free advice. Especially if something isn't tangible, they don't wish to pay for it. 

But here's a thing: If you really want to expand in the UAE or anywhere globally, first change your mindset. In Dubai, I have consulted +30 people for their branding and content. And not even once did anyone hesitate to pay me for my expertise. 

I hope now you know how it works. :)

Middle East clients are paying us a premium price to NOT write AI content. 



Funny but that's true. They clearly state to us on the discovery call, "We will only work with your company if you don't write the typical ChatGPT content." 

I've been noticing a pattern with Middle East clients lately, and it's becoming impossible to ignore. 

They all have two non-negotiables before they even talk about budget: no AI-generated content, and show them quantifiable results.

These aren't clients looking for the cheapest option or trying to negotiate rates down. They have real budgets and they're ready to invest in building their personal brands, but templated or AI content is a total dealbreaker.

What these executives actually want is original thinking. Content that sounds like them, positions them uniquely, and delivers results they can measure.

Gone are the days when "building brand awareness" was enough. The market's too competitive now. Results are everything, and clients are crystal clear about that from day one. 

You have to be aggressive and constantly on your toes to deliver that level of measurable impact, or they'll find someone who will.

Content isn't dead, but the lazy version of it is. 

The writers winning right now are doing strategic work, asking hard questions, and creating narratives that require human context.

The clients with money are still getting their branding outsourced; they're just very specific about what they'll pay for.

How much are you guys relying on AI for content? 

#ChatGPT #Personalbranding

My friend denied her employee sick leave, saying, “It’s not that serious.” 


She literally told him to take a painkiller and come to the office.

And the worst part? This isn't an exception. It's the norm at her agency, and sadly many other agencies too.

I run an agency too. We have high pressure and tight deadlines. Sometimes client comes to us with ad hoc requirements. But here's what nobody wants to admit:

- India has one of the highest employee burnout rates in Asia 
- We work 10-12-hour days, but rank lower in productivity than most developed countries 
- 57% of Indian employees feel overworked (according to recent surveys) 
- People don't quit jobs, they quit toxic managers


We need to change this, and only we can. Having my office in Dubai and working with clients from different countries, I’ve seen how people understand work-life balance. They maintain boundaries. 

And here’s the kicker: work still gets done. Often better work, actually. I’m trying to build the same culture in my agency Sorted Brand. 

Last week, one of my team members had a family emergency. I didn’t ask for details. Didn’t bring up deadlines. I just told her to take care of what matters.
Because that’s what we should do. 

When you treat people like humans instead of productivity machines, they actually perform better. The problem isn’t our employees. It’s the outdated mindset that equates suffering with dedication.

We can’t change every company overnight. But if enough of us start leading differently, maybe the rest will have to catch up.

What’s the most toxic work culture practice you’ve seen?

Walked 25,000 steps at the Beautyworld Middle East in Dubai. 🇦🇪


In just one day, I covered over 100 booths of fragrance and beauty. If they say this is the largest beauty event in the Middle East, they mean it. 

From global brands rewriting the rules to legacy names reinventing themselves, the energy was unmatched. The industry isn't just selling products anymore; it's selling identity, experience, and community. That's where branding becomes even more important! 

Had the best experience at Swiss Arabian Perfumes Group, Ajmal Perfumes, Armaf Perfume, and Lattafa perfumes! 

Imagine just the fragrance section took the entire day with so many booths still untouched. 

Also in Dubai this week for client meetings. If you're a leader or creator, let's connect over coffee for some work collaborations & chit chat. :) 

#MiddleEast #Dubai #UAE #BeautyWorld

The hiring process has been broken by AI. 

Today every writer & designer we interview is sending AI stuff by just polishing it to make it look original. But when they actually do the groundwork, they are doing worse than a fresher. 

We fired +5 people this year because we got fooled by thier assignments.

Does anyone know how this can be fixed? 

#AI #Hiring

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