CEO & Founder - Social Sculpt | Personal Branding Strategist | Consulting | Entrepreneur | Growth Marketer | Meme Marketer | I help to grow your business through personal branding

Graphic designer turned growth marketer with expertise in branding and digital marketing. Started my career as a graphic design intern at Ignaid Media where I honed my skills and cultivated a passion for design.

Eager to take my creative talents further, I founded my own print-on-demand startup, Astogs. Ran Astogs solo for a year, facing the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. Exited to focus my efforts on establishing my career.

Joined Cape as a graphic designer, then rose to become a growth marketing manager, leading a 5-person team, within just 1 year 6 months. My curiosity and drive to learn propelled my quick promotion.

Now, I combine my creative eye with analytical thinking as Founder of Social Sculpt - a personal branding and growth marketing agency. Helping visionary entrepreneurs build memorable brands and grow their online presence.

With extensive experience in design, marketing, and branding, I offer a unique perspective. If you're seeking to level up your brand, I'm just a call away. Let's connect!

Arunachalam S

Your environment matters. Your circle matters even more.

Luck doesn’t magically find you.
You increase its surface area by the people you stay close to.

Knowledge today isn’t locked in books or courses.
It flows through networks, rooms, conversations, and proximity.

That’s why some people grow faster.
They’re not smarter, they’re closer.

What I’m most grateful for is this:
Travelling years with the same people,
and watching strangers slowly turn into family.

No transactions.
No pretence.
Just shared tables, shared failures, shared growth.

That’s the quiet power of showing up consistently
and being authentically yourself — nothing fancy, nothing forced.

You don’t build bonds overnight.
You earn them by staying.

P.C: From Arif O K’s wedding
Grateful to Mohammed Salman and Mohmed AbuBacker Samsudeen brother for the warmth, invite, and hospitality. 

People in picture : Sudharsanan Ganapathy Dharaneetharan G D Sankari Sudhar Sagarikka Sivakumar Savitri Sivakumar

If you’re reading this, choose your rooms wisely.
They decide who you become.

That's my reflection for today, on day 735 building in public.

#1000daysofwriting #personalbranding  #entrepreneurship

I’m excited to share a new chapter.

Starting today, I’m stepping in as
Co-Founder & CMO — Nebula Startup School 

This isn’t just a title update.
It’s a responsibility I’m deeply aligned with.

After working closely with founders, students, and early-stage teams, one pattern kept repeating itself: Too much planning. Too little building. Ideas are everywhere. Execution isn’t.

Nebula Startup School is being built for people like you. Builders who are done with theory and ready to get their hands dirty.

If we want to move towards the $1 Trillion Tamil Nadu economy vision, it has to be built together, founders, enablers, and operators.

If you’re tired of planning and ready to build, Nebula Startup School is for you.

More soon. Let’s build.

21,000 people chose to stay.
That still feels unreal.

No viral hacks.
No “follow for follow”.
Just showing up, sharing what I’m building, what I’m learning, and unlearning the myth that virality equals value.

Along the way, something else happened quietly, Postautopsy crossed 1,500 signups.

An idea that started as “Why do people fear posting?”
turned into a tool that helps creators and founders think better before they hit post.

What this milestone really tells me:
-Builders want clarity, not noise
-Feedback > motivation
-Tools that respect creators’ time will always win

To everyone who follows, reads, comments, disagrees, DMs, or silently applies something from my posts, this number belongs to you.

If you're a creator or founder trying to grow without losing your voice, you're in the right place. (This philosophy is exactly what drives Social Sculpt - Personal Branding and Growth Marketing Agency, and what we're now building with Nebula Startup School.)

What's ONE piece of advice you'd give a builder just starting their journey? Share it below, let's build a resource for them.

More building. More experiments. More honest work ahead.

That's my reflection for today, on day 733 building in public.

#1000daysofwriting #personalbranding  #entrepreneurship

This won’t be another AI based podcast.

Day before yesterday, we shot Sculptors Podcast – Episode 3. 

And I’m genuinely excited about this one.

Had a deep, no-fluff conversation with Harivikash Bakthavatchalam CEO of ZenVoice, someone who’s not just talking about AI, but actually building:
-AI tools
-AI voice agents for the real world
-And a powerful initiative around AI for Tamil Nadu and more.

This episode goes beyond AI trends.
It’s about how AI reaches people, languages, and real use cases that matter.

If you’ve already watched Episode 2 with Vishnuhari Harikumar bro, you know the depth and value we’re trying to bring through Sculptors Podcast.

If you missed it, this is a good time to catch up
My YouTube channel Link : https://lnkd.in/gN9JKbHS 

Watch Episode 2 & subscribe (So you don’t miss Episode 3 when it drops)

More builders. More honest conversations.
More signal, less noise.

Episode 3 coming soon. Stay tuned.

That's my reflection for today, on day 732 building in public.

#1000daysofwriting #personalbranding  #entrepreneurship

I went to Erode with zero expectations.

I came back with renewed belief.

We planned for 25 people.
40+ showed up.

But numbers weren’t the win.

The real win was this:
An audience that listened to understand, not to reply.
Questions that came from thinking, not insecurity.
Builders who weren’t chasing shortcuts, they were chasing clarity.

This wasn’t an another “personal branding session”
It turned into conversations around identity, leverage, clarity, and long-term positioning.

The session crossed an hour.
The Q&A didn’t feel like Q&A.
It felt like a room full of people saying,
“Help me see myself and my work more clearly.”

This is why I believe deeply that talent is not the problem in India’s Tier-2 cities.
Visibility, belief, and direction are.
Massive gratitude to Arvinth S and the Startup Foundrei team for creating a space that values depth over noise.

Thanks to Premananth S (fundraising expert) and Gowtham Krishnamoorthy for showing up, presence like that matters more than words.

And Erode your warmth, humility, and intent stayed with me long after the session ended.

Hosting this at the StartupTN Office, Erode felt symbolic.
The next wave of builders isn’t coming from where the spotlight already is.
It’s rising quietly and powerfully from places like this.

This wasn’t just a session.
It was a reminder of why I do what I do.

We’ll do more of this.
We should.

That's my reflection for today, on day 725 building in public.

#1000daysofwriting #personalbranding  #entrepreneurship

Power of Personal Branding Session - Erode 

4 meaningful things happened in one room. One evening.

Yesterday, I was invited to the SIEBEN Neupods launch a private, closed-door gathering of builders and entrepreneurs.

And honestly, it felt less like an event and more like a family reunion of people building.

First — Kudos to Dinesh Anandan bro for pulling this off.
Launching the world’s first customised cover integrated with electronics is no small feat that too from Tamilnadu.
The product quality, vision, and execution were top-notch.

Second — Truly happy to receive the product from Mohan K bro (IppoPay).
Someone who inspires many of us by what he’s building and how he’s thinking long term.
The closed-room conversations gave a sneak peek into what’s coming, exciting is an understatement.

Third — Finally met people I’ve known digitally for years:
-Raghav Venkat bro — great to meet in person after a long LinkedIn connection, and happy to receive his book from him. 
-Deepa Sai — long pending meet, incredibly humble. 
-Happy to meet Kiru Maikkapillai bro, Vignesh bro, Sriram Selvan bro, Aakash (AtumX), Janani Porkodi, Shivakami, and Dr. Vidhya Arumugam, great conversations.

Fourth (and unexpected) a beautiful Pongal surprise!
Thanks to Shyam Siddarth bro & the Tamilpreneur team (Surriya Narayanan) for the gesture to a trusted partner.
And special mention to Akhila Hari (Copper & Sage) for the thoughtfully crafted traditional goodie, it perfectly matched the Pongal vibe.

Events like these remind me why I love this ecosystem, people first, builders always.
Grateful for the time, the conversations, and the community.
That's my reflection for today, on day 727 building in public.

#1000daysofwriting #personalbranding  #entrepreneurship

Sieben Neupods launch Event

I’m done celebrating startups. I want to build founders.

Tomorrow is National Startup Day.
Everyone will post quotes.
Everyone will talk about “ecosystem”.

I’m dropping a teaser instead.

Because after working with founders, students, and early-stage teams up close, I’ve seen one painful pattern:
Too much planning.
Too little building.

Ideas aren’t rare.
Execution is.

If you’re tired of:
–consuming content but not shipping
–saving threads or tweets but not starting
–waiting for confidence before action

Then listen carefully.
Nebula Startup School is something I’m building for people like you, the ones who are done with theory and ready to get their hands dirty.

This is not a motivational course.
This is not a certificate factory.

This is for builders who want:
-clarity through action
-learning by doing
-momentum over perfection

If you’re ready to stop planning and start building, Nebula is for you.

I’m also really happy to join hands with Premananth S (fundraising expert) bro on this journey, someone who truly understands what it takes to build from zero and help founders move forward with intent.

One thing to be very clear:
We’re not competing with anyone.
We’re creating something where we clearly saw a gap that needed to be solved.
We’re open to collaboration, always.

If we truly believe in building, let’s do it together and work towards the $1 Trillion Dollar Vision of Tamil Nadu as one ecosystem.

Coming soon.
Quiet now. Loud impact later.

That's my reflection for today, on day 730 building in public.

#1000daysofwriting  #entrepreneurship #nationalstartupday #nebula

My college self would be freaking out right now. 

Yesterday, I shared a podcast mic with the man whose Photoshop tutorials got me through late-night design sessions: Valavan P bro.

Just a few years ago, I was hunched over my laptop at 2 AM, meticulously following his every click. 

Now, we were peers – two agency owners, discussing business, creators, and impact. The full-circle moment hit hard. 

His story resonated particularly deep: building a thriving agency from a Tier-2 city, proof that you don't need a 'metro' postcode to build credibility, create impact, or scale. 

This upcoming podcast episode is crafted for designers ready to:
- Think beyond just client work and scale their vision.
- Transition from solo operator to agency owner with robust systems.
- Build sustainable teams and long-term growth.

Has someone's journey unexpectedly shaped your own? Tell me about that 'full circle' moment in the comments. 

And if you're a designer looking to build beyond the brief, keep an eye out for this episode – it might just be the pivot you need.

This journey constantly reminds me: the mentors you watch today could be your collaborators tomorrow. 

Who are you learning from right now?

That's my reflection for today, on day 740 building in public.

#1000daysofwriting #personalbranding #entrepreneurship

Most podcasts chase guests. This one chased clarity.

Yesterday, I had a conversation with Priyadarshini K, bold, articulate, and someone who asks questions that make you pause before answering.

As a voice-over artist, her voice is powerful.
But what made this podcast stand out was her intent.

The conflict most founders face is this:
We’re always talking about what we’re building
but rarely about why, how, and what it’s costing us internally.

This episode went there.

We spoke about:
-What I’m building right now (and why it matters)
-The uncertainty behind building in public
-Decisions people don’t see behind the growth
-And a few uncomfortable but necessary questions every builder avoids

No surface-level motivation.
No packaged success stories.

Just an honest conversation that many builders need to hear at the right time.
If you’re:
-Building something quietly
-Questioning your direction
-Or feeling the weight of long-term vision

This episode will resonate.

Really hoping this one goes live soon and reaches the people it’s meant for.
Conversations like this deserve to be heard.

That's my reflection for today, on day 743 building in public.

#1000daysofwriting #personalbranding #entrepreneurship

Two brothers. One page. 150 million eyeballs monthly.

Most people think media pages are just for views.
Likes. Reels. Temporary fame.

But very few turn it into a real business.
Yesterday evening in Chennai, I met Noor Alam & Jameel Akhter, the brothers behind Startup Pedia and their journey quietly breaks that myth.

They didn’t start with a newsroom.
They didn’t start with funding.
They started with one Instagram page.

Fast forward today:
-30+ full-time employees
-150 Million+ reach every single month
-Multiple platforms
-Structured revenue
-An ecosystem, not just content

What surprised me the most?
They were incredibly grounded.
No “secret sauce” drama. No ego.

They openly shared how they:
-Built sustainable revenue models
-Their secret to profitable brand deals? They walked away from anything that felt like a sponsored post, focusing only on long-term partnerships that amplified their original mission.
-Launched Startup Pedia Academy
-Started podcasts with Shark Tank India–featured founders
-Treated content like a company, not a hobby
That conversation itself was a masterclass.

It reminded me of one thing:
-Content scales when systems replace randomness
-Media becomes powerful when knowledge is shared, not hoarded

A Sunday evening well spent, learning from builders who are actually building.

If you’re a creator, founder, or someone trying to turn content into a business:
Study people like Noor Alam & Jameel Akhter. Don’t just consume observe.

What unconventional strategy has a media brand used that truly converted eyeballs into enduring business value? Share your insights below!

Noor and Jameel proved that the most powerful media empire isn't built on virality, but on relentless value and an unwavering vision a lesson I'm integrating into day 742 of my building in public journey. 

#1000daysofwriting #personalbranding #entrepreneurship

Watch this space closely!

You saw the underdog rise.
You’re about to see what he’s really building.

If you’ve been watching my journey closely,
you already know this wasn’t luck.
It was consistency, courage and persistence.

I’ve officially registered the domain.
And this time, it’s bigger than what I have built previously.
It’s a direction.

Code word: Nebula.

This isn’t a “coming soon” announcement.
This is a signal.

A signal that something bigger is forming.
A signal to keep the trust, the hype will earn itself.

The journey ahead excites me more than the launch itself.

Open invite: Incubation Cells of colleges and teams working directly with incubators.

DM me or connect with me.
Let’s explore what we can build together.

More soon. Just inevitable. 

That's my reflection for today, on day 728 building in public.

#1000daysofwriting #personalbranding  #entrepreneurship

Most students think entrepreneurship starts after graduation.
I told them it starts the moment you take ownership.

Yesterday, at Saveetha Engineering College – National Startup Day 2026, I didn’t go in with slides full of jargon.

I went in with my story.
I spoke about where I started, no background, no safety net, no roadmap. Just belief, skill-building, and showing up every single day.

-Why personal branding is not about followers, but clarity & credibility and channels and frameworks to build one.

I told them how Social Sculpt - Personal Branding and Growth Marketing Agency wasn’t built overnight. It was built by learning in public, failing quietly, and fixing fast.

Then I showed them Postautopsy. Not as a product, but as proof that feedback can remove fear and clarity can unlock confidence.

Than I Spoke about Why Nebula Startup School exists, to bridge the gap between college and execution

The response told me one thing.
-Students want to start early
-Colleges want practical exposure for their students
-Incubations want founders who can actually execute

This is where Nebula Startup School fits in.

Special thanks to Saveetha Engineering College for the trust, warmth, and intent to build a strong startup culture within the campus.

-Dr. R. Senthil Kumar, Vice Principal, SEC
-Dr. N. Raja Rajeswari, Dean – Student Affairs, SEC

Thank you to Mr. Babu, District Program Manager, EDII TN, for anchoring the ecosystem perspective and reinforcing why early-stage exposure matters so much for students.

Also grateful to the SPARK Incubator team and everyone behind Idea Lounge for the seamless execution and for spotlighting student founders at the right stage of their journey.

-If you’re a college or university with an incubation cell / E-Cell / Innovation Council looking to give your students hands-on startup exposure, let’s talk.
-If you believe students should build before they graduate, we’re aligned.

Let’s stop preparing students for jobs alone.
Let’s help them build ventures.

This is a long-term play.
And I’m serious about it.

That's my reflection for today, on day 741 building in public.

#1000daysofwriting #personalbranding #entrepreneurship

 Saveetha Engineering College – National Startup Day 2026

Marketing is about to change faster than most people are ready for.

Not because of algorithms.
Not because of platforms.
But because the old playbooks are expiring.

Sculptors Podcast – Episode 2 looks at what’s coming next.

With Vishnuhari Harikumar bro, we unpack:
-Why AI agencies will define 2026
-Why ROAS is misunderstood more than it’s optimised
-How the right courses can accelerate you — and the wrong ones can quietly derail you
-How digital entrepreneurs are being created, not just marketers
-Why vibe will outlast virality
-The AI tools that actually matter

No theories.
No recycled frameworks.
Just real signals from the field.

The full episode goes LIVE today at 6 PM on the My YouTube channel.
Channel Link: https://lnkd.in/gN9JKbHS 

Trailer is here.

If you’re building, learning, or leading in this space, don’t miss this one.

See you at 6 PM. 

That's my reflection for today, on day 730 building in public.

#1000daysofwriting #personalbranding  #entrepreneurship

20M views a month.
1M+ followers across platforms.

Yet one of the most down-to-earth creators I’ve met.

In a world where most creators chase
views, virality, and brand deals, he’s quietly chasing impact.

This podcast isn’t content for the algorithm.
It’s content for people.

People who want to learn.
People who want to change.
People who are trying to rebuild their lives.

When he asked me if we could do this podcast,
I said yes instantly. 

But what followed was surreal.

No pressure. He made the entire conversation feel human. Safe. Real.

And I genuinely believe this for anyone who has lost someone, for anyone who feels life has paused or broken…
This podcast can save you.

Not motivate you for a day.
Not hype you for views.

But help you hold on and move forward.

Grateful for creators who still remember why they started.

Thanks Joshua P brother for this.

Impact > numbers.
Always.

That's my reflection for today, on day 739 building in public.

#1000daysofwriting #personalbranding #entrepreneurship

India doesn’t lack ideas. It lacks startup education.

Yesterday, I spent time at Crescent Innovation and Incubation Council (CIIC), interacting with students from Crescent School of Business and honestly, it left me both inspired and concerned.

Inspired, because:
-Students are thinking about startups early
-Ideas are ambitious and curiosity is real
-There’s genuine hunger to build, not just pitch

Concerned, because:
-Most ideas haven’t met the market yet
-Execution thinking is still missing
-Startup education is often theoretical, not experiential

I had the opportunity to validate ideas, give blunt feedback, and guide students on real founder questions:
-Who will actually pay for this?
-Why you over competitors?
-What will you do when things break?
These are not questions textbooks prepare you for.

My biggest realisation yesterday is Colleges don’t need more motivation sessions.
They need builder-first education.

An ecosystem grows when:
-Students learn by doing
-Failure is treated as data
-Campuses produce operators, not just presenters

There’s still a long way to go but the intent is visible, and that’s a great start.

What I’m currently building is designed to bridge this exact gap between campuses and real startup execution.

More soon. Stay tuned.

That's my reflection for today, on day 726 building in public.

#1000daysofwriting #personalbranding  #entrepreneurship

3 things. 3 companies. 1 intense day.

Some days test you.
Some days teach you.

Yesterday was the second kind.

The day started with a conversation that didn’t belong on LinkedIn, but needed to be said.
I met Arunmozhivarman Ramachandran. No surface-level founder talk. 

We spoke about loss of parents.
Debt that keeps you awake at night.
Betrayals that change how you trust.
And the silent pain of shutting down projects you poured your soul into.

Heavy stuff.

The conflict wasn’t money.
It was how loss messes with your mind.

One idea from that conversation stayed with me:
Don’t treat losses as failure.
Treat them as tuition fees for future wisdom.

That emotional detachment from financial outcomes completely reframed how I look at risk.
We also explored how Varma Consulting Labs and Social Sculpt - Personal Branding and Growth Marketing Agency could collaborate, grounded, long-term, and real.

Then life threw a curveball. A notification popped up. Our first European customer, from Germany.

Just a quiet moment of gratitude.

At the same time, watching Postautopsy grow steadily reminded me that consistency compounds, even when nobody is watching.

The day didn’t end there.

Met Premananth S (fundraising expert) bro next.
What was meant to be a short catch-up turned into a 2-hour deep brainstorm.

We’re gearing up to take Nebula Startup School full swing.

And if we execute this right, it will genuinely change how colleges around us operate, how students think about building, risk, and ownership.

Three companies. Three moments. One clear reminder.

Progress isn’t always loud. But it’s always honest. And those are the days that matter most.

That's my reflection for today, on day 746 building in public.

#1000daysofwriting #personalbranding #entrepreneurship

I spoke the same story twice. It sounded like two lives.

Yesterday, two podcasts I was invited to as a guest went live.

Same person.
Two very different conversations.
Two very different impacts.

In one, we spoke about something most people avoid on LinkedIn, losing both parents at 18, debt, breakdowns, and the dark thoughts that come when life feels unfair.

In the other, we spoke about design, entrepreneurship, building teams, building Social Sculpt - Personal Branding and Growth Marketing Agency, and how a “designer” mindset quietly turned into a ₹2Cr business.

Same story. Different lens. Different takeaway.

That’s when it hit me:
Your journey is not powerful because of what happened.
It’s powerful because of how many ways it can help someone else.

Your story changes meaning based on who is listening.

For someone, it becomes hope to survive.
For someone else, it becomes clarity to build.
Both matter.

If you’re figuring life out, building from scratch, or fighting silent battles this is for you.

The podcast links are in the comments.
Watch them and tell me which part stayed with you.

That's my reflection for today, on day 748 building in public.

#1000daysofwriting #personalbranding #entrepreneurship

Silence wasn’t absence. It was focused execution.

Yes, we went a little silent.
And a lot of people asked, “Why no updates?”

Here’s the honest truth, We consciously chose not to spam with daily updates.

In the early days, we used my personal brand as the rocket fuel.
We showed up, spoke loudly, built trust, and created initial traction.

But here’s an underrated entrepreneurial lesson
Once the rocket is up, you don’t keep holding it.
You let trust do the work, not constant tagging and noise.

So we went into the background.
Built quietly.
Pushed through other channels.
Focused on what matters at that stage.

And today, the results speak louder than updates:
-10,020 visitors
-2,070 signups
-5,046 posts autopsied by real users

That’s not vanity.
That’s usage.
That’s validation.
We’re sitting in a good position, and more importantly, a clear direction.

Happy to see this growing.
And this is just the beginning and much more this year.

-If you’re building quietly right now, keep going.
-If you’re curious about Postautopsy (www.postautopsy.com) , check it out and try it yourself.
-And if this resonates, drop a comment, I’d love to hear where you are in your journey.

Deepak Kumar 🔥 

That's my reflection for today, on day 744 building in public.

#1000daysofwriting #personalbranding #entrepreneurship

10 PM. 100+ people stayed back.

And that alone says everything.

I didn’t want this to be another “marketing gyaan” session.
I wanted it to be worth people’s time.

After the masterclass, a few things happened quietly:
-Got DMs saying “Time well invested.”
-People shared their own posts about the session.
-Some stayed back just to say thanks.

That feeling?
Pure fulfilment.

When people give you their time at 10 PM, they’re not being polite, they’re choosing you over comfort. And knowing they walked away with clarity, direction, and practical insights makes all the effort worth it.

Huge thanks to Tamilpreneur , Shyam Siddarth , Ajay Sampath↗️  Surriya Narayanan  and the entire team for the support and for making this happen.

This is exactly why I do these sessions.
Not for reach.
Not for vanity metrics.
But for moments where someone genuinely feels “I learned something today.”

Grateful for everyone who showed up, listened, asked sharp questions, and made it interactive.

More to build.
More to give back.

That's my reflection for today, on day 738 building in public.

#1000daysofwriting #personalbranding #entrepreneurship

Most startups don’t lose because the product is bad.

They lose because growth is confusing.

Too many tactics.
Too much noise.
Too little clarity.

That’s why I’m doing a Growth Marketing Masterclass for Startups (Tamil) with Tamilpreneur.

Jan 21 | 9PM – 10PM | Online

This session is not about:
-“hack this”
-“go viral”
-generic frameworks copied from others

I’ll share how I’ve actually looked at growth while building Social Sculpt - Personal Branding and Growth Marketing Agency  and working closely with founders and brands at different stages.

What we’ll talk about:

-How to think about growth before ads, funnels, and tools
-Why most startups burn money too early
-Distribution, positioning, and systems that compound over time
-Common mistakes I’ve made (so you don’t have to)
-I’m doing this in Tamil because clarity matters more than fancy words.

Big respect to Tamilpreneur  for building a strong Tamil-speaking founder ecosystem through their club.

If you’re a student, founder, or early-stage builder trying to figure things out, this will help.

See you there.

Let’s build patiently, properly, and sustainably.

That's my reflection for today, on day 736 building in public.

#1000daysofwriting #personalbranding #entrepreneurship

taplio

The Battle

Arunachalam S

Gowtham Sakthivel

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreArunachalam S's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Arunachalam S

Gowtham Sakthivel

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Arunachalam S's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreArunachalam S's LinkedIn Performance