Erim Kaur, 29, is an influencer and the founder of ByErim, the renowned hair care brand. The London-based Punjabi influencer/entrepreneur has over 300,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok, showcasing her life as a South Asian influencer and businesswoman. In this short interview, she discusses everything from her influencing career to her brand ByErim.

How did you become a content creator? Was this something you saw yourself doing?

It started during my time in university when a photo of me wearing a shalwar kameez during my graduation just blew up and went viral! I never fully saw myself doing it until that moment, and I decided to take it on a serious career path despite majoring in business at university.

What gaps did you notice within the online community for brown women? Was this something you wanted to target and make a difference in?

I saw a lot! Whenever I came on the internet, there was no one I could relate to. Lily Singh was one of the OG creators, and it resonated with me, but my story was also unique. Growing up with no mum after losing her to cancer really shifted my perspective, and I wanted to make my page a safe space for women to share their struggles, speak about them and share the wisdom that some people would not have the privilege to hear from their mother due to various reasons.

What does a day of content creation look like for you?

I like to shoot all my content in one day. Being a business owner is a full-time job, and to manage my time better, I like to dedicate Sundays to completing all my content videos. I have a wonderful assistant who comes on the day to help set up and get all my right angles. It’s a fun day!

What are some challenges you’ve faced on social media?

I think one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced is online harassment and bullying.

You talk a lot about issues within the South Asian community. Is there something, in particular, you want to voice and make a difference alongside other brown content creators?

As a proud Sikh woman in the 21st century, I want to use my platform to its full capacity to consistently support and speak about our people and the injustices we have faced. Along with this, issues surrounding relationships, sisterly advice, and entrepreneurial questions are things I would love to cover.

The South Asian community is known for judgment and reluctance to speak on taboo topics. Has this ever been challenging for you, especially as a brown woman on social media?

Certainly, as much as the community is amazing, 90% of the time, it can be pretty flustering to deal with the 10% that’s negative. I’ve faced a lot of online hate, bullying and criticism that simply comes when you also keep growing and getting bigger on social media. As a human being, I do get upset, but I do my best not to respond or react to it because I believe it’s the best way to express my reaction.

What advice do you have for creating content or running a business?

Creating content would involve finding your niche and focusing on creating content that brings you and your audience joy. As for business, what are your ideas? Make it happen. You’re one business idea away from seeing it bloom and succeed, and if you never take the leap, you’ll never know.

Was the initial process of starting ByErim difficult? If so, how?

I knew I had a brilliant product and knew exactly what I needed to do. Still, the challenges I faced were things I did not expect, especially with how quickly they would sell out, how soon I could start making more and finding the right suppliers and warehouses to work with. Finding a strong team I could rely on also took time with trial and error to find the perfect matches. Overall, there will always be difficulties through all parts of the process, and you got to be willing to ask and get help when needed instead of doing everything yourself.

How did you decide to pick your products for your business?

ByErim first started with the hair oil, so I always knew it'd be the oil. The rest of the product line was based on the product's popularity and what I naturally knew were the next steps. ByErim was ready to be your complete hair care package from root to tip!

Hair is a protected possession for many South Asian women; do you believe it is a part of one's identity?

Hair is a big part of anyone's identity and gives you that added confidence boost. However, I did watch my beautiful mum have gorgeous long hair and then lose it all to chemotherapy, and it showed how fleeting life is. Right now, I have long hair, and I do that to honour my mother, and in a way, I feel connected to her through it.

Erim Kaur on content creation, social media and ByErim!