Daily Inspiration: Meet Anjali Rao

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anjali Rao.

Hi Anjali, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started out pre-med — every Indian parent’s dream — and then horrified mine by switching to fine arts. My defense? There are enough Indian doctors. We could use more patrons of the arts.
I graduated from Berkeley with a painting award and no plan. After being rejected from MFA programs, I swung the other direction and became… an investment banking recruiter. I was ranked #2 in the nation but also gained 30 pounds in six months. That was my sign to chase creativity again.
So, I moved to LA, tried stand-up, won The Price Is Right (which I took as a cosmic sign I was destined for TV). It wasn’t. I blew the money on improv classes and laser hair removal. By the end of the year, I was hairless and broke — but determined.
That led me to Miami Ad School, then stints as an art director in Brazil and Berlin before “accidentally” staying in New York for eight years. I switched to copywriting, hustled my way up to Creative Director, and most recently worked at 72andSunny.
Now I’ve launched my own studio, Only Child, and the same week I quit my job, I met my boyfriend — and now we’re moving in together. So my life looks nothing like the plan, but it’s somehow exactly right.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Absolutely not! If anything, my road’s been paved with cobblestones — bumpy, uneven, and occasionally leading me into a ditch. But honestly, every wrong turn has somehow rerouted me to the right path. As eat-pray-love-y as that sounds, it’s true. The biggest struggle for me has been this constant itch: am I really living up to my full creative ability? I’ve got passions that pull me in every direction — painting, stand-up, TV writing, poetry, ceramics, cooking. Some days it feels like I’m spinning a creative roulette wheel.
But I’ve come to believe we get to live multiple lives in this one lifetime. So I don’t pressure myself to have it all figured out. As long as I’m creating, experimenting, and — most importantly — having fun, then I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I think of big, bold, juicy ideas for brands — the kind that make them part of the cultural conversation instead of awkwardly trying to knock on the door from the outside.At my core, I’m a conceptual creative who builds ideas on human insights so they feel alive, not forced.
What sets me apart is my background — I’ve been in sales, I’ve tried stand-up, and I bring the perspective of being a woman of color in a field that doesn’t always have enough of us. That mix gives me a different lens, and in creativity, different is the edge.
If I have a superpower, it’s getting people to believe in ideas as much as I do.
My proudest moment was an Adobe campaign that won at Cannes — mostly because I almost didn’t pitch it. I was mid-level, full of self-doubt, and it taught me a big lesson: we’re usually our own worst critics. Once you quiet that voice, you make room for the work to shine… and sometimes even snag some shiny trophies.
These days, I’m known for three things: breakthrough PR ideas, film that doesn’t feel like ads, and bringing positive energy. Because at the end of the day, we’re making ads. It should be fun. I should be having fun. My team should be having fun. The best work comes from kindness and play, not ego.

Any big plans?
I’m leaning into freelancing under my own brand, Only Child Studios — chasing big, bold projects that spark conversation. Outside of work, I’m making more space for painting, ceramics, travel… and I just moved in with my boyfriend, which is its own adventure. So really, the plan is simple: do exciting work, build a joyful life, and not worry if the road isn’t linear.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Anjali-rao.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/currypants/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anjali-rao-31988042/