Jade D’sa, a first-generation entrepreneur from Saligao is a passionate digital marketer as well as a food and travel blogger. From starting her blog in 2016 to setting up her own marketing agency in 2018, Jade’s journey reflects creativity, authenticity, and resilience. Balancing work, travel, and personal interests, she shares her life through “thatgoangirl,” captivating audiences with genuine stories, culinary adventures, and travel diaries, all while staying true to her roots and passions.
How it began
After graduating in Goa, I moved to Mumbai for further studies and work experience. Initially, the city felt lonely, with no friends outside of work and college. Living alone gave me free time, leading me to explore various cuisines and experiment with cooking, which I was new to. This is when I started a blog to document daily experiences, combining my love for writing and photography. I spent hours researching blogs and learning basic coding to enhance my site.
The early days
In 2016, blogging wasn’t as popular as today; I began on Google’s Blogger platform and later expanded to Facebook and Instagram in 2019. As I grew more confident, I explored Mumbai and beyond. During trips home to Goa or even abroad to places like Canada, I documented adventures and culinary discoveries. Initially my blog was read by family and friends; it gradually reached a wider audience. Today, it remains a digital diary capturing my experiences, emotions, and travels.
Finding inspiration
Starting my blog wasn’t inspired by anyone; it wasn’t until later that I came across other bloggers who started blogging around the same time or before I did. Being inherently creative from a young age, I found myself needing a creative outlet to counterbalance the monotonous nature of my job. The blog motivated me to seek new experiences to write about, keeping my curiosity alive. Content creation is open to all, but capturing people’s attention in a saturated space is challenging. Social media rewards flashy, trendy content, making it hard to engage audiences who have limited time. While many people praise my posts, their lack of visible engagement can feel disheartening.
Staying authentic
For me, social media is a playground for fun and authenticity. I avoid overthinking or forcing themes, instead posting content that resonates with my feelings. Before posting, I ask if the content will evoke the same emotions years later. My aim is authenticity—sharing experiences that are personal and memorable. For instance, when I wrote about Uttarakhand’s mountains, I wanted to capture the awe of seeing those mountains for the first time as a coastal girl, the exhaustion of trekking uphill to a cosy home stay in Nainital with heavy bags in hand, the smell of walking into an all-wooden cottage – or the frustration of not having network, the disappointments, the annoyances, the thrills. Audiences crave genuine connections and stories, which is what I strive to provide.
Work-life-balance
Running a digital marketing agency with a dozen employees means my weekdays are packed. I create posts on weekends and share them during weekday evenings. This routine doesn’t feel like a chore; it’s still my creative outlet. Staying updated on industry trends is essential for my work, but for my own content, I focus on individuality rather than fads.
I’ve never felt pressured to create or chase algorithms. Treating my platform as a hobby gives me freedom from trends and allows me to prioritise quality over numbers. Balancing personal life, travel, and content creation is something I enjoy. When travelling, I usually post about how I wake up early or stay awake until the early hours of the morning to catch up on work. Or how I go sightseeing and then rush back for a zoom call in the parking lot of a famous monument – I find it fun. My work involves clients across time zones, so weekdays are reserved for long hours at my desk. Evenings are for posting content, and weekends are for unwinding, exploring new places, and creating posts for the week. The balance between work and passion makes my life fulfilling.
Turning hobbies into a career
I’m lucky to have turned my hobbies into my career. Running ‘Digitally Scrambled’ fulfils my love for marketing and entrepreneurship, while ‘thatgoangirl’ reflects my passion for food and travel. Besides these, I’m passionate about animal welfare and reading. As for my future, I’m following a ‘no-plan’ plan. Social media started as a hobby, and as long as it brings joy, I’ll continue exploring new destinations. My growing bucket list keeps me motivated to create and share. If I could change one thing about my journey, it would be having a content calendar for my blog.
While social media is cluttered, my website is where people truly find value in my work. Posting on social media is quick, but blogging takes days and often gets delayed due to work priorities. I’m proud of the recognition I’ve received, including three Food Blogger Association of India Awards for Culinary Travel and Restaurant Review, Best Blogger in Goa by Indiblogger, and Best Food Blog – Restaurants by Panchamruta among others.
