When Bhavya Bhatt talks about her career journey, you hear the sound of a determined mind choosing curiosity over comfort.
A lawyer by training in India, Bhavya’s path wasn’t a straight line—it zigzagged through freelance writing, legal tech startups, recruitment and finally into Clause Play, her own business in Bangalore focused on thought-leadership amplification for legal professionals.
Her story isn’t just about a career pivot; it’s a hopeful narrative for women entrepreneurs globally who want to turn their expertise into credible, marketable services.
The early spark came from a simple, human need: to run an organization the way she envisions. “The only thing that drove me towards running my own company was the fact that I wanted to run an organization the way I wanted to.”
Learning To Embrace Experimentation
Bhavya speaks from experience about the fear of imposter syndrome—she still feels it, and that honesty is part of her magnetic appeal. Instead of pretending to have all the answers, she leans into her energetic youthfulness with an inclination towards experimentation, trying new roles and learning by doing.
She says she is inspired by her father. “Coming from a small household that had to make ends meet by farming in a remote village by the hills of Uttarakhand, to him becoming one of India’s leading space scientists, his story is what keeps me going. When he could do things for himself at a time when things and resources were so meagre, I can do a lot more with what I have.”
Personal Branding For Law Professionals
Her evolution into personal-branding for the legal industry in India is rooted in a simple principle: in a noisy world, authenticity is your most scalable asset.
Bhavya learned that great branding is about telling the truth of your experiences.
In one of the pivotal moments of her journey, she says, “In starting, you don’t need to have somebody to be with you throughout your journey of building your personal brand. Get somebody who understands the platform.”
The idea is liberating for many lawyers or any business owner who feel they must outsource their entire narrative. Bhavya’s approach is to be a confidant who helps a client find and polish their unique voice, not to replace it.
The pandemic became a watershed moment for Bhavya. Having graduated but facing a competitive job market, she used LinkedIn not as a megaphone but as a lab where she could experiment with thought leadership and know-how.
She traveled a winding road—from law firm business development to legal-tech startup —learning what resonates with audiences and building up visible, credible experiences. She emphasizes that the human story remains indispensable; AI is a tool to shape and refine content, not replace it.
Thought Leadership Amplification
In personal brand building, one must strike a balance between independence and collaboration.
Bhavya’s stance on thought leadership amplification—“to let people know that we exist to help you climb up the ladder so you don’t have to climb it up yourself”—speaks about empowering others to share their expertise without getting overwhelmed by the logistics of content strategy.
Her work shows that even seasoned law professionals benefit from a partner who can craft a calendar, shape topics and ensure that the client’s voice remains intact.
Bhavya’s Three Recommendations
First, your lived experiences are a powerful differentiator. Bhavya’s recommendation is straightforward: write about what you’ve learned, not what you think you should say. Second, you don’t need to be a “tech expert” to leverage AI; you need to start with content that reflects your own voice, then let technology help you package it. Third, always be intentional about credibility. Bhavya’s own trajectory—combining legal know-how with marketing and thought leadership—illustrates how credibility is earned through consistent, authentic sharing of expertise.
When she’s not working with clients, she takes pride in cooking and baking. She also enjoys playing the ukelele and singing.
Bhavya says she is “very drawn to North Korea and curious about life there, so much so that I’ve read many books written by North Koreans who’ve escaped the country.”
She reflects that she is proud “to stand up for myself, to believe in myself and my risk-taking appetite. It hasn’t been easy, first choosing humanities in high school to become a lawyer, only to walk away from my dream profession later.”
If you’re to take one practical step today, start with a single post that captures real learning from a recent project or client conversation. Don’t overthink it. The goal is to begin building a narrative that you can refine over time, not to launch a perfect launch.
As Bhavya says, “The best LinkedIn strategy is for you to just go out there and write, share your thoughts.”
This episode is a must-listen for professionals who are sitting on valuable expertise but haven’t found a way to share it effectively.
This episode is sponsored by Redbox Studio.
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