DHEERAJ (DJ) RAMCHAND

Complicated question. I was born in the Philippines, lived in Mauritius for roughly half my life, and spent around eight years living, studying, and working in the Netherlands. My family is of Indian origin and I still have relatives there. Dual citizen, three continents, five languages, and no single place that feels definitively like home.

Code-switching is just second nature at this point: moving between cultural contexts, reading rooms, adapting without thinking about it. I’ve worked on projects for companies from Vancouver to Mumbai.

Yeah, I was pretty much thrown into it from a young age. It started out as a hobby, spending hours tinkering with Photoshop on the home computer. Whatever I taught myself proved useful at my family’s companies, where digital marketing was still finding its feet in Mauritius.

As an early teen I was making artworks after school every day. With time that expanded into more varied projects, and somewhere along the way I picked up a real interest in business strategy and operations too.

I started freelancing in 2020, right after my Bachelor’s. Companies were on a hiring freeze because of COVID. I figured I’d build experience working for myself instead of waiting.

The big question was always: with such a broad range of experience, how do you specialise? Debating the answers for a long time, it’s become more clear that I’m a pattern weaver – a generalist whose strength is drawing connections across different parts of a business.

I did both my Bachelor’s and Master’s at Erasmus University Rotterdam. I chose the Netherlands because I resonated with the culture’s practical, no-nonsense attitude.

My Bachelor’s in International Business Administration is where I first got into strategy, entrepreneurship, and neuromarketing. These interests led me to pursue my Master’s in Media & Business, where I explored media entrepreneurship — specifically within eCommerce and tourism.

Looking back, the common theme is a fascination with how people think and make decisions - and how culture, institutions, and commerce are constantly shaping each other.

I work across the full commercial side of a business — Facebook ads, website redesigns, conversion rate optimization, brand positioning, analytics, and implementing business management software.

The through-line is always the same: more customers, lower acquisition costs, better retention, or more control over your business numbers. I don’t take on projects that don’t connect to one of those four.

What I don’t do: content creation for social media, blogs, or emails.

Before anything else, I want to make sure your expectations are realistic so they can be met.

A lot of consultants and agencies pitch with tunnel vision - they've decided their solution is the right answer before they've understood the problem. I've burned my hands and my client's hands doing the same thing.

My approach starts with the numbers: objectives, budget, timeline, scope, and what success actually looks like for your business. From there, I give you options. Sometimes that means multiple strategic routes with different tradeoffs. Sometimes it means telling you that what you're asking for isn't the right move — and pointing you somewhere better.

I take ownership of strategy and project management on every engagement. Execution depends on what I can actually deliver on.

When I'm not working, I'm usually on the tennis court, at a karaoke bar, or planning my next trip. I love being in places with good nature, food, and people.

I also spend time building and participating in communities for entrepreneurs, creatives, young people, and anyone curious about how the world works.