Meet Mansi Bhatia | Writer, Musician & Creative Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mansi Bhatia and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mansi, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
At the core of our business is the mission to provide a platform that promotes unique thinking from diverse voices. We believe there’s a black sheep across races, orientation, gender, ethnicity, culture, national origin, age, or experience. If I had to describe what Blahcksheep Creative Lab is, I would probably say that it is an atelier for all kinds of outcasts. For us, this is community of misfits and rebels, who are proud to stand out in a crowd with our awkward sheepish identities. There are a lot of flagship projects currently running under our Creative Lab – a literary circle, a podcast for south asian rebels, a global translation team and even a project in the meta verse. As a social media agency as well as a policy think tank, we are making rapid cultural changes with leading and emerging brands, all whilst being under the radar.

We’re always on the lookout of making cool things cooler, bold people bolder and smart things smarter. We’re now expanding to a different chapter in our brand book – where we curate a series of exciting events such as networking sessions, film screenings, open mic nights, and even speed dating rounds! The first of this series is Feast & Flix – a unique and exclusive cinema and culinary experience. I would love to invite the readers of Shoutout LA on this journey with us.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
“A word after a word after a word is power…” These words by Margaret Atwood have shaped my professional journey. With an English Literature & Journalism Degree, I started out my career as a journalist and covered gender-sensitive topics with organisations such as Caravan Magazine and Diplomat Magazine. I also briefly worked as the In-House Researcher for France 2 Tv Network in 2017. The more I wrote, the more I understood the power of writing. And then I understood, that when you have some power, then your job is to empower another being. That’s what made me want to start The Blahcksheep – a new wave platform for change makers across the world.

My creative side is better articulated under my music name – Vyznn [pronounced vision]. I released my debut track Lemon Carpet recently across all streaming platforms and have honestly been taken aback by the response it received. There’s been so much love for the track and it even got published in Rolling Stone Magazine! My music persona is definitely in its teething stage, where I’m still trying to figure out the soundscapes and am trying to show my authentic side to the audience. I want to strip away the machines from my next track, and have as little voice tuning on it as possible. Pop is something that comes easy to me, but I want people to really get to know my jazz/indie side, which is what I think my forte is in.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m so glad you asked this, because I am the BEST guide to places in LA.

We’ll start the trip (hungover, obviously) at Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank and pig out on its big breakfast platters and all you can refill coffee. Next, we’ll try and be extras on a movie set (duh, we’re in Hollywood baby) – and if you don’t want to do this, we can’t be friends. There’ll be lots of shopping involved in Bev Hills followed by snacks at the Farmer’s Market. Half a day will be reserved for us either at The Broad or The Getty. Dinner will be at Elephante in Santa Monica, which is hands down my favourite place in all of LA for Italian. After that, we can do a round of drinks at The Bungalow, but we’ll have to end the night at No Vacancy – which is such a well-curated speakeasy. Speaking of secret places in LA, there’s also Laurel’s Hardware – a very litty joint behind a very dull looking hardware shop facade. If you don’t know about this secret joint, chances are you’ll miss it. And my last suggestion for this list is doing a fun night at Lavo’s in Sunset Boulevard followed by some ICONIC Prince St Pizza.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
While I’m talking about the thought process behind starting this company, it would be remiss of me to not mention my Co-Founder who also happens to be my sister – Pooja Bhatia, an all-rounder and an academic genius. Starting this business with my sister has really been a blessing, because we’ve not only seen each other grow in this company, but also share a shared vision for the brand. Pooja and I both knew that if we were doing this, we needed to do it ethically in order to keep the publishing industry free of dirty politics or money, and give power to talented individuals that actually matter. She is a Public Policy and Advocacy professional with experience in public health, gender, road safety and the agriculture sector. I truly consider her the backbone of our company because she is the Editor-in-Chief as well as manages daily operations. Even outside the realm of work, I would be nowhere near any of my goals if it wasn’t for her support. On the home front, I’d also love to give a shoutout to my fiancé, Pranit for being my rock. He’s the kindest, most passionate and dedicated person that I’m lucky to have ever met. He truly is my muse. Without his support, I would never be in the place I’m at. 

Website: https://theblahcksheep.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mansibee/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mansibee/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01nKSc_yuf4

Other: https://open.spotify.com/track/05OsXMvVAzSyfe3yIu0Txy?si=68aabfce5ebf42ff