They say, all our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them. Publicist and image reputation manager Mona Jaswani’s life is a perfect example of that. From selling colas on the road and earning Rs 75 a day to turning an entrepreneur and owning her own PR firm, Monaa’s life journey has been nothing short of inspiring.

After trying her hand at various professions, including event management, working at an import-export firm, student counselling and being part of the Times of India medianet team, Mona realised that celebrity management was her calling. She worked at a leading PR firm in Mumbai and was the publicist and image reputation manager for stars like Ileana D’cruz, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sonu Sood, Ali Zafar and R Madhavan, among others.

It’s been over a year since Mona laid the foundation of her own PR firm, and she currently has several coveted personalities from across film, TV and music industries on her client list, including the likes of Satish Kaushik, PEN India Ltd., Freddy Daruwala, Darshan Kumar and composer Vishal Mishra, among others.

Talking about her journey, Mona says, “I feel that more than experience and contacts, you need to have the perseverance and confidence in your abilities to soar high if you want to make a mark as a publicist. This profession has taught me a lot at a young age, and I hope with my firm, I manage to not only help my celebrity clients, but also redefine the ethics of the new-age PR business. I want to prove that empathy and care is as important in this line of business as sharpness and objectivity.”