Disclaimer: This blog post includes quotes from my interview with Anuja Mehra, with some sections edited for grammar. Check out my YouTube video to watch the full interview.

“I think I have had more sales in the past three months than I did in a whole year before. If I were to extrapolate, I’d say I’ve already crossed the ceiling or plateau I was hitting before.” – Anuja Mehra, Tinted Heritage

Feel like you’ve tried everything to grow your shop, but it’s still not going anywhere? 

Or maybe things were going great for a while, but now sales are starting to dip? 

You’re not alone. That’s exactly where Anuja Mehra found herself in.

She’s one of my A Sale A Day students who was working hard to grow her shop on Amazon. 

Then she decided to shake things up and do the exact opposite of what most of us think we should do. 

The result? It totally transformed her business and opened the door to incredible opportunities!

“I was featured on the Food Network website in their Diwali gift guide in October. Then in November, BuzzFeed included me in their list of 40 South Asian businesses to look out for Diwali gifts. In my head, I was like, ‘I’ve made it!’ I looked at my brand and thought, ‘Oh my God, I’m really there!’” – Anuja

From Setbacks to the Right Track

Anuja Mehra is the founder and owner of Tinted Heritage, a brand that creates custom gifts and home decor with a South Asian Twist.

She moved to the U.S. in 2005 to get her master’s degree and spent some time working at a university.

Anuja’s always been creative, always juggling some kind of side project. After having kids, she took a step back to be a stay-at-home mom for a while.

But she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was meant to build something of her own. She thought to herself…

“I need to do something, so I started doing local fairs and consignment stores at the indie shops, and I found some traction. And you know what? Maybe I can do this. I just put a little something on Amazon Handmade, and it clicked” – Anuja

Anuja started making sales, and her products took off  on Amazon Handmade. 

She had an amazing holiday season and thought, “This might actually be the path I’m meant to take.”

So, she kept going.

But then things took a turn.

She hit a rough patch—sales slowed down, and nothing she tried seemed to work. 

And as if that wasn’t bad enough, even more challenges started popping up.

“I don’t know what it was, but I could never get past that, and I was getting frustrated. Then, the next holiday season, Amazon Handmade had a back-end issue with my product. I lost my best-seller rank, and my products weren’t searchable” – Anuja

And if you’ve ever dealt with Amazon seller support, you know it’s like a black hole. 

No matter how many times she reached out, nothing worked. She was left with a ton of inventory and felt completely devastated. 

“That was the point when I hit my lowest, and I didn’t know what to do.” – Anuja

Even though it felt like she’d hit a dead end, Anuja kept pushing and tried to make something work.

“In January of 2023, I launched my website — Creations by Anuja. I had been following you for a long time and thought, “I should join A Sale a Day.” I started going through the course, but I already had a business set up. 

In the initial stages, you were talking about business creation and finding your USP. I got confused, thinking, “I don’t know what I want to do, I’m not sure what’s going on.” I think within a couple of weeks, I had the live call. That was my first live call, and I jumped right in.” – Anuja

Anuja wasn’t sure what to expect or how to move forward. She shared her website with me, and I gave some feedback. 

Everything looked great, but I had to ask the big question: Who’s your target audience?

She said, ‘everybody’. She was selling a ton of stuff—Christmas, Hanukkah, home decor, kids’ items, and South Asian products. 

They were all amazing, but I suggested she consider narrowing her focus, leaning into a niche that was more tied to her roots. 

“My husband was like, ‘I think you need to rework this,’ and I was like, ‘No, I just made my website. I just launched it. I can’t do all of this. Not happening.’ It took me a couple of weeks, with him telling me, ‘You need to think about it. Look at it. If you’re following this course, listen to the coach.” – Anuja

When I coach students, I don’t want to push them into anything. I have some strong opinions on what could make a big difference, but they need to be on board first. 

If they don’t believe in it, they won’t take action. So, I have to thank Anuja’s husband for helping her see that.

A lot of my students in A Sale a Day aren’t exactly newbies. Like Anuja, they’ve been at it for years. 

I get how hard it can be to hear you need to change things after you’ve put so much time and energy into it.

Trust me, I don’t love saying it either. But sometimes, that’s exactly what you need to break through and level up.

“So, then I restarted the course. I was like, if I’m going to focus on South Asian products, let me restart and go through everything. Then things just kept falling into place, and it made so much sense by the end of it. All the modules I went through were amazing, and that’s how I got to where I am with Tinted Heritage.” – Anuja

I’ve been really focused on helping students find their niche and make it easy to understand.

Anuja had a ton of options, her products had a common thread, but there were so many different customer groups to go after.

It was a bit all over the place. And that’s where marketing gets tricky, if your niche isn’t clear, it’s hard to know who to target.

That’s why getting that niche figured out is so important. It’s a tough call, but I’m super impressed with Anuja for taking the leap and going for it! 

“But I have to tell people out there that even though I was hesitant at first, thinking, ‘No, I can’t narrow down my market, I’m selling everything to everyone‘. Going through the course made me realize that I wasn’t reducing my market. I was just being laser-focused on it. 

I now know exactly who my market is, who my audience is, and where they’re going to hang out. Your coattail brand idea was a total eye-opener. And, believe me, that made everything so much simpler. 

For example, when I decided that South Asian products would be my niche, I didn’t have a name yet, my website needed a complete overhaul, and my branding and coloring were all over the place. But I just knew that this was what I was going to focus on, and I was going to follow through. 

As I started looking at other South Asian businesses in this space—not necessarily competitors, but businesses like tea or coffee brands or clothing lines, I added them to my coattail list because I knew that’s where my customers were going.” – Anuja

Anuja took the time to figure out where her customers were hanging out. 

She even made a brand board, added websites of other South Asian businesses, and started paying attention to things like colors and fonts.

That’s when it all clicked—the patterns started to stand out. 

She realized this was the space she wanted to be in, and everything just fell into place: the vibe of her website, the colors to use, and even how her logo should look.

“Everything from branding to packaging to color just flowed through so easily. It became a step-by-step process, and I didn’t feel stuck or unsure of what to do. 

It was like, “This is right here, I just need to put it in place.” And then the community, the forum—it’s amazing! I would post my brand board there and ask, “Hey guys, here are three logos, can you help me choose which one?” 

The coaches would comment, and it was so much fun. I truly enjoyed the whole process of getting from where I was to where I am now. – Anuja

Anuja’s journey has been such a rewarding experience. It really shows how important it is to have the right support and guidance to make everything fall into place.

Trusting the process and taking that leap of faith can truly be the game-changer in getting your business where you want it to go.

“It opens up so many avenues. Literally, when you’re everywhere, you’re nowhere. But now I know exactly which path to take, and things just fall into place. I can’t thank you enough for telling me, ‘Your South Asian products look so much nicer. Would you like to lean into that?’” – Anuja

A lot of creatives aren’t exactly fans of the business side of things, right?

But here’s the thing: running a business can actually be fun.

The goal is to make business feel like a game—something fun and rewarding. 

I’ve worked with so many creatives, especially those thinking about joining A Sale A Day, who were in the same position as Anuja. 

They were making whatever inspired them at the moment, with no clear direction, because, well, that’s the creative life, just like when Anuja started her first business, Creations by Anuja.

But when she narrowed in on her ideal customer and built her brand with her niche, everything started to fall into place. The coattail idea was a game-changer for her.

Niching down can feel like you’re limiting yourself, but honestly, it’s the exact opposite. It opens up a whole world of more ideas and a focused path.

Overcoming Self-Limitations

I asked Anuja if there was anything else that made her realize, “Okay, I need to change this and stop worrying that niching down will limit me and hurt my sales.”

“If I were to look back at what I would do for myself, if I were to make something for myself, I’d say I loved doing mandalas and coasters, and I realized that’s what I really love.

I love my culture, and I love doing all of those things. Then, I started researching the South Asian market on my own, and I was like, ‘Okay, what’s going on here?’. That’s when I saw that it’s a booming market, a growing business. 

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Diwali is the biggest festival for South Asian Indians and Hindus. There were things in Nordstrom, Target, everywhere—Diwali stuff. 

That was the first time I saw them selling it, and I thought, ‘That’s a sign’. If big retailers like Target and Walmart are doing it, that says something. 

But being Indian and Asian, I knew I could bring so much more to this field.” – Anuja

It really gave Anuja the boost she needed to know she was on the right track. 

She realized niching down was the way to go, and honestly, it was the best decision she made. 

“I’ve seen it during calls when you gently guide people by asking, “Who’s your ideal customer?” and there’s resistance. But I’m like, “No, she’s right.” You can’t be everywhere.

You have to figure it out. Honestly, that first part of your course where you focus on figuring out who you are, what you want to do, and who your customer is, is extremely important.

Once you have that, everything else just falls into place.” – Anuja

Anuja saw the proof that this wasn’t about limiting herself—it was an opportunity. That’s when she decided, “Alright, I’m all in on this.”

Business Breakthrough

Anuja didn’t just make this happen overnight—she took action and committed herself to the course and making it all work.

“I’ve done everything. Like the thing about your USP, like you said, how will you define your business? If you were to ask me, I make personalized stuff for everybody. I didn’t know it at the time, but now when I say it, everyone gets it. 

What do we do? Tinted Heritage makes gifts and home decor, bespoke for everybody, with a South Asian twist. 

It’s not just for South Asians, it’s for anyone who appreciates South Asian design and culture. It just makes so much sense. That was a huge key for me in defining my business and my customers.” – Anuja

Other than that, Anuja was all about the email automations. She loved the welcome series, abandoned cart emails, you name it. 

They worked perfectly for her and were super simple to set up.

“You just add a little bit of your own touch, and it’s amazing. I love it. There’s this email in your list. There’s one you write, and I swear, I get 90% of people to respond back.” – Anuja

The coattail brand concept really clicked for Anuja, but it was the PR strategies that took things to the next level.

In the three years running Creations by Anuja, she never thought about reaching out for PR because she didn’t know who to target. But with the coattail brand, she finally figured it out.

She knew exactly who to connect with—targeting influencers, PR companies, and media outlets that had worked with businesses like hers.

Of course, it’s not all smooth sailing—rejection happens. But the thing about Anuja? She keeps pushing forward!

“Rejection is part of the game. You said, ‘Just keep going,’ so I did. I sent emails and if they didn’t respond, no big deal. But you know what? Three people did respond, and I got exactly where I wanted to be.” – Anuja

Anuja finally launched Tinted Heritage at the end of September 2023.

Things are going so well, she’s already being featured by a media outlet in October 2023 alongside the big names after a month of launching!

She checked out the brands she’s always admired, and guess what? There she was at number 32!

She’s definitely off to a strong start!

“I was so proud to be there, knowing that I’m on my way. Plus, I got to interact with so many South Asian influencers I didn’t even know existed before. 

I didn’t know who to reach out to on Instagram, but now it’s easy. I see all the coattail brands working with these influencers, and I’ve been able to approach them too. My Instagram following has grown a ton. 

It’s not huge, but the people who follow me are all in—they’re invested in my brand and what I do. They’re like my cheerleaders, not just random people. So even though my list might not be massive, the followers I do have are committed.” – Anuja

Here’s the thing—while Instagram influencers and magazines are great, there’s still so much more Anuja can do!

I suggested she start doing interviews in her niche, jump on podcasts, get involved in YouTube interviews, and just connect with people who are passionate about her culture.

The progress she’s made really brings everything full circle. She’s built a loyal following that’s all in on what she’s creating, and that’s what truly matters.

An Unexpected Discovery

Media mentions were a big help for Anuja, but she felt like the timing was a bit off. 

Diwali was on November 12th, so the bulk of the buzz came toward the end. 

She couldn’t help but wonder if it had happened a month earlier, it could’ve been an even bigger boost. 

But honestly, she still thought the whole experience was amazing. Food Network featured one of her products, which was a huge proud moment for her. 

But here’s the real surprise: She always thought her audience was mainly South Asians or Indians celebrating Diwali. 

Turns out, she was way off!

“When I saw others coming in, I realized people from all walks of life were interested. It’s not like I have to belong to a particular culture to enjoy that item—if I love mandalas or coasters with a design, I can definitely buy it for myself. It’s not limiting. I was the one limiting myself to a particular style of products, but anyone who’s into that style can enjoy it.” – Anuja

Here’s the thing—it totally puts to rest the worry that you’ll only attract one type of customer. 

That’s just not the case. What it really does is help you get clear on what you’re doing.

Because if you don’t know what you’re doing or don’t have a plan, how are you even supposed to make things happen?

It gives you focus, and Anuja’s success is solid proof that niching down really works.

“You know exactly where your field is, and there’s a lot of people in that space you couldn’t reach before because your marketing efforts were scattered. You were all over the place, trying to do everything. 

Now, you can market so much better and are seeing more sales. Honestly, in the past three months, if I were to extrapolate, I would have already crossed my ceiling, the plateau I was hitting. 

It’s only been a quarter, three months, and I haven’t even gone through the whole cycle of other festivals and occasions that come with South Asian culture. 

So, just after three months, I can say, I’ve crossed my ceiling, I’ve gone beyond my plateau, and I’m super happy I’m on my way to the top.” – Anuja

It’s amazing to see how Anuja started her business as a personal project, and then as things picked up, her dreams and goals just kept growing. 

It’s a great reminder that once you start making progress, your vision expands, and you really start to see how much potential your work has.

The Vision for Growth

As Anuja’s business grows, so does her vision for expanding. 

I can totally see her products landing on the shelves at places like Target or Nordstrom someday—she’s definitely heading in that direction!

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out now, how can I get into different stores, not just my website? I did a little bit with local stores. I showed them my South Asian-specific products at an indie store, and they loved them. 

They placed a wholesale order for Diwali with the two products I had, and I’ve had multiple orders from them since then. 

So that just proves that it’s not only South Asians buying these things. It’s a store that’s open to everyone, and the owner told me her clientele isn’t all South Asian, but they love the products.

I feel like now I just want to expand more, and I’m trying to see where else I can go, who else I can approach. PR will always be part of it, and I’m going to keep doing it.” – Anuja

It’s All About Commitment

In A Sale A Day, we touched on some key strategies Anuja’s been using, like niching down. 

She’s been super committed, always showing up to the group calls and diving into the material. 

That dedication is what really counts!

“You can buy a million courses, and if you don’t implement them, it won’t matter. For me, this year, my word of the year is “action.” I’m like, you can’t be on the sidelines. 

I put it on my desk because you need to act on things. Passively sitting by and buying courses is not going to do anything. Even sitting on a coaching call and not really absorbing or understanding what you’re trying to tell us isn’t going to help us. We really need to introspect and make it happen.” – Anuja

For Anuja, the group coaching call can be super helpful too. When someone else asks a question, it often sparks ideas for her. 

“I think that’s also very helpful because we are all in the same boat, building our businesses. So, something I may not have thought about, someone else did, and I’ll jump on it and work on it.” – Anuja

I get asked a lot by people who’ve been in business for a while, especially when they’re considering joining a program. 

They wonder, ‘Is this just for people who are still figuring out their product, or can it help if I’ve been in business but my sales have slowed down?’

And my answer? It’s good for all but you have to be open-minded to make some changes. If you’re not, then it’s going to be very difficult.

“I think that’s the main thing—we put limits on ourselves. Like, I actually used to think, ‘I can’t do that, this is just where I am.‘ But the minute I said, ‘No, nothing is limiting me,’ I realized I could grow. So, I feel like it’s a huge game of mindset. – Anuja

It All Starts From Within

One thing I always say is that running a business has been the biggest thing that’s helped me grow as a person. 

You really learn a lot about yourself along the way. Anuja’s done an amazing job of believing in herself, and that’s played a huge role in her success.

That’s not something I can give you, or the course, or anyone else— it has to start from within.

“I think that’s the first step because we engage in so many self-sabotaging behaviors out of fear of success. You know, like, ‘What if I become successful? If this happens and that happens, I won’t be able to do this‘. And you don’t even realize you’re putting limits and barriers on yourself. 

If you let those barriers down and actually go for what you want, you’ll get it. But honestly, especially as women, we put those barriers around ourselves. 

For example, I used to think, ‘If I become too big, maybe I won’t have time for my family. Maybe I won’t be able to do this or be the mom I want to be.’

But that’s not true. I can still be everything I want to be and achieve what I want. Once you believe that and start working toward it, things will happen.” – Anuja

Anuja pushed through all of it, and now she’s seeing better results than ever.

“Another thing is, even for people who think they’re already in business and it’s difficult to pivot, I didn’t make a 180-degree pivot, but it worked. 

You need to have faith in the system and follow it. There’s nothing set in stone, just because I’ve been doing something a certain way doesn’t mean I should keep doing it that way. 

I thought my customers might be like, ‘Huh? She’s totally changed.’ And there were some customers I think may not be relevant to me anymore, but it didn’t matter. 

They dropped off, and I got like a gazillion more who are more interested in what I’m doing. That’s where you have to have faith. Nothing is set in stone. Just go with the flow, have faith, and do the right thing. I think that’s how I feel.” – Anuja

We’ve seen a lot of people struggle with being too scared to change. 

They don’t want to change their website or their name. It’s this idea of holding on to something because you’ve already invested so much time, effort, and money into it. 

And that’s what keeps a lot of people stuck. It happens to all of us, even myself. 

It’s really about recognizing when it’s happening and then realizing, “Okay, if I want to do something different, if I want to grow or reach a new destination, I have to choose a new strategy.” 

The sunk cost fallacy is all about looking behind you and focusing on the past. But if those things no longer serve you, you have to make that decision for the future. 

It’s really about simplicity. Because niching down and focusing on one idea is really about simplicity. 

Something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately is, especially as women of color, I think many of us grew up believing that the harder something is, the better the outcome. 

But that’s not true at all. 

“You don’t always have to struggle to get there. There are simpler ways if you just do the right things at the right time” – Anuja

I’m seriously impressed by what Anuja’s been able to accomplish. It’s all about rewiring your brain to see a simpler path, despite what we were taught or how we grew up thinking.

“Mindset is huge. People get so stuck in their ideas, and they hold on to them so tightly. I think the first thing you need to do is be open to changing your mindset. Be willing to accept new things and believe that it’s going to happen for you.” – Anuja

What’s Next

I asked Anuja what she was working on next.

“I am working on expanding my product line within my South Asian niche because I did one big festival. I’m very close to New York City, I’m in New Jersey. My husband worked with City Yamaha in New York City for Bloomberg, and we are in New Jersey. 

There’s a lot of press, and what I’ve found is that there’s such a strong South Asian influencer group. Everybody’s there. So, niching down has opened so many ideas in my head, and suddenly I really know where my people are. 

I’m planning out my entire year, thinking about what’s coming up, how I can come up with newer products, and how I can approach PR in a more structured way. 

Because right now, I’m still not structured, I’m more ad hoc. Like, one day I’ll email 20 people, then for 15 days I’m like, ‘Okay, I’ve done it,’ and then I’ll be like, ‘Oh no, let me just send something.’” – Anuja

Anuja is really stepping up her PR game! 

She’s focusing on reaching out to more platforms, websites, and reporters to get her brand in front of the right people. 

She’s also exploring opportunities with national chain stores and websites. 

On top of that, she’s collaborating with a chef and sending over some of her products. 

She’s doing whatever it takes to expand her reach, and that’s seriously impressive!

Breaking Out of Her Silo

Anuja came up with a new product and just followed the proven path of what works. 

I’m always encouraging people not to develop products in a silo. You have to start somewhere and that’s what Anuja did. 

“I made a Christmas ornament based on a cookie we call a “biscuit” in India—a glucose biscuit. It takes me back to childhood memories of dipping it in tea. 

Every Indian would have grown up doing that, so I actually made an ornament with the glucose biscuit and chai, and that became one of the top sellers for that ornament.

Then, I saw another coattail brand—there’s a bigger brand in New York that makes ice cream. They actually had an ice cream flavor with masala chai and had a whole post about how Parle G and masala chai go together. 

I thought, ‘Okay, that’s cool!’ So, I said, ‘Hey, I have the same ornament,’ and sent it to her. She said, ‘Oh, I love it! This is so nice.” I was like, ‘Great!’ I told her, ‘Right now, I just want to build relationships and find commonalities.‘

There’s another South Asian chocolate brand based out of Texas. I saw they made a chocolate for Diwali with chai and glucose biscuits, just like the biscuit I used. They crafted it into a masala chai glucose biscuit. 

I was like, ‘Oh my God!’ It’s amazing how that niche is working. Everyone of us is thinking along the same lines—one’s in ice cream, one’s in chocolate, and I’m doing home decor.” – Anuja

It’s crazy how niching down can really open up a whole world of creativity. I’m already seeing so many cool ideas from what Anuja’s doing. 

When you create products with your customers in mind, you’re basically setting yourself up for best-sellers, and that’s how you guarantee sales.

So, I asked Anuja if she’s having fun with all of this:

“Yes! I love it, I’m enjoying it because I love doing all that, so it’s fun. My holiday ornaments were the most fun thing I’ve done in a long time.” – Anuja

Anuja’s Takeaway

Looking back at everything she’s done after committing to A Sale A Day, Anuja shares her key takeaways:

“I actually think my whole mindset has changed because of the way things have happened.  And that’s my aim—to know where I want to be, where someone is looking at me as a coattail brand. 

I love that my children see me working, and I want to give them that entrepreneurial spirit. Do what you love and make your life out of it.  You don’t have to follow the route of ‘Oh, I need to get a good college degree, I need to get a job.’ No, follow your passion, and you will find success as long as you stick to it and work toward it. 

So, that’s become my sole aim. I really feel like I want to make it big now—I don’t want it to just be a side gig. I want it to be our business. They’re still young, they’re 13 and 9, and I can still be at home with them and achieve my dreams. 

I’m ready to take it big now because they’re older, and believe it or not, they help me too. ‘Okay, what can we help you with? Packing and stuff?’ And if I’m doing photography, ‘Okay, I’ll hold the light, I’ll do this.‘ It’s fun to get them involved in all of this too.” – Anuja

It’s pretty amazing to see how far Anuja has come. And honestly, this whole journey shows that sometimes we just need to trust the process, even if it feels counterintuitive. 

We might think that niching down will limit us, but really, it’s about focusing and doing things the right way.

All about taking that leap—just trust it, and let it work.

I asked Anuja who she’d recommend A Sale a Day to

“I think for Sale a Day, anyone who is starting out or any business that is just getting off the ground, it’s a wonderful platform. You get to start right from finding your niche, figuring out what to do, and then you go through the whole process, from building your website to PR—you have everything you need. 

But it’s also for people who have established businesses and feel stuck, like I did, not knowing where to go. You have to bite the bullet and take action, but I think it’s great for people who are stagnant or stuck. There are so many parts of your course that speak to different things. 

I may be doing everything well, but I wasn’t great at email, and we just tackled email, and that alone will be worth it. There’s also the community, the forum, which is so active, and the coaches who are there answering your questions. But for me, the biggest thing is your live calls. 

That’s where you can really get the coaching, ask questions, and really stay connected. I’ve actually been on calls with you for three hours, and you’re always there. 

It’s very difficult to find a business course that offers this kind of interaction, like one-on-one chances to speak every month. I think that’s what really sets this apart—this is amazing.” – Anuja

Anuja’s journey shows just how powerful resilience, dedication, and the courage to change direction can be when chasing success.

She hit some serious setbacks along the way, but instead of letting them stop her, she used each one as a stepping stone to refine her vision and eventually build Tinted Heritage.

Her big breakthrough came when she fully leaned into her South Asian roots and focused on her niche. It was a game-changer, helping her connect with a new customer base and grow her business like never before.

Anuja’s story proves that success doesn’t happen without a few bumps along the road—it’s about pushing through the tough times, being open to change, and trusting yourself to grow.

Believe in yourself, push past the fear, and just keep doing it.