Exclusive Trusted Magazine Q&A with Annita Neshiri , Executive director at Girl Talk Zimbabwe
How could you describe your career path in few words ?
Unexpected but most welcome, Nothing but Grace! Everything l have today it is by the grace of God. My career path has always been atypical full of ups and downs. After graduating with my degree in tourism and hospitality management, l 1st worked as a Travel consultant, until l ended up in the corporate marketing. Coming from a country with high unemployment rate, entrepreneurship has always been the answer. Few years later l ventured into social entrepreneurship were l launched an organization that seeks to help young girls and women to become the best version of themselves, so they can become successful leaders in the community through our various initiatives such as engagement, mentorship, empowerment and leadership.
As l always tell people success is your own personal responsibility, all you need is discipline, determination and consistency to achieve your set goals. You can become anything you want as long as you work hard and remain focused. I have always been open to learning and unlearning certain things to relearn new lessons for growth. I view my failures as feedback to correct my mistakes and move forward. Giving up has never been my portion. Today l am a proud award winning entrepreneur, co-owner of Inkamic Private limited, board member at Young Women In Business Zimbabwe and the Chief Executive officer of Girl Talk Zimbabwe. I hope to achieve more in in future.
What was your most challenging experience and has it changed your mindset? My most challenging experiences are always paled in contrast with my personal challenges. Trust me life will always give you lemons, it is not a single experience but a serious of intertwined events which include losing friends, loved ones, relatives, getting let down by colleagues but whats more important is how you choose to react to certain circumstances.
Staying positive and remaining calm in a world that expects you to be enraged will always keep you composed. A positive mind set always assist me to move forward despite any obstacles. Knowing how to control your emotions will help you elevate in life. They say diamonds are formed under pressure, the challenges l faced built the diamond l am today.
When you get surprised by unusual or certain context what do you think?
Remain Calm! Uncertain surprises are always there in business, how you choose to deal with them will keep you going forward or drag you down. Being able to adapt to certain context, think and come up with solutions during difficult circumstances is what made me a stronger leader. For example covid 19 pandemic hit the world so hard that many companies had to shutdown, somehow we survived these phase of totally shutting down.
The pandemic taught me to be always more invested in the digital world, as it is the future of the marketing industry. Above all always have an innovative mindset.
Based on your experience, what’s the key success factor for a female leader/manager?
I would say be your self, be your own pilot. Do not let the society define you, or let others define success to you. What can be success to others can not be success to you. I believe that a female should always be ready to speak out, connect, learn and grow.
Success is more than maintaining balance, breaking barriers and achieving professional goals. Do not try to fit in, always stand out. Lastly keep an open mindset for continuous learning, network with others and make connections.