We recently connected with Anjali Nair and have shared our conversation below.
Anjali, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
In some of the past job titles I’ve held, I was among the minority or perhaps the only one in the room who looked or sounded like me. I’m an Immigrant, brown girl who is a senior Marketing professional and an entrepreneur. There were several biases and barriers to entry for me given that I was basically a foreigner who had very little cultural and socio economic reference to how things worked in America.
In order for people to start taking me seriously and entrusting me with responsibilities I’ve had to prove myself and my skills multiple times. I feel humbled and proud at the same time when I look back and see how far I’ve come. My proactiveness, willingness to continuously learn and surrounding myself with kind people only accelerated my learning. Though the start was rough, I’ve been successful in all my roles so far – from running the B2B marketing team for an ad-tech start up to leading go-to-market plan as a Product Marketing Manager and now as a full time entrepreneur of the first Immigrant mentoring platform. It all starts with undying belief in yourself and passion for what you do.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I was 25, newlywed and naïve when I moved to the States. Over 1 million immigrants arrive to the United States every year and it takes them several years to feel ‘settled’ and acclimated to the people, processes and culture. The Immigrant Academy was born out of necessity as a mentoring and skill development platform for immigrants in North America. Our mission is to connect immigrants with career mentors, professional experts and learning modules that makes it possible for them to achieve their #AmericanDream
Within the first 2 years of launching TIA has supported over 1500 immigrants to restart their career, communicate with locals and acclimatize with American culture. We did this organically by creating educational content, courses and mentoring programs. Our biggest win is building an Immigrant community of over 17k people and getting messages like ‘I wish The Immigrant Academy existed when I newly moved to the States’. It’s reassuring to hear we’re positively impacting our Immigrant community.
In addition to career mentoring we are excited to cultivate a holistic platform offering something for immigrants in every phase of life – be it as a student or job seeker or a new parent or a newcomer to the States. Become a member of TIA community and snag access to masterclasses and resources that you’ll use for a lifetime.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Resilience – Your capacity to withstand and overcome any curveball thrown at you will bring you closer to your light. Don’t lose hope or give up when the going gets tough.
Relationship building – Your network is your net worth! You can single-handedly grow your knowledge, contact base and break barriers if you know the right people. Remember, this is a 2-way street. So you give, give, give before you ask.
Decisiveness – I strongly believe that you’re wasting time and opportunity if you get stuck in analysis-paralysis mode. If your heart says yes and your brain says you won’t die from it, you should give it a shot!
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Yes absolutely! At, The Immigrant Academy would love to collaborate with Immigrant owned or Immigrant friendly businesses. We also partner with brands and service providers who have expertise in finance, real estate, insurance, health and fitness, styling, recruiting, networking etc.
You can contact us via Instagram DM @theimmigrantacademy or email us. If you’re a 9 to 5 professional who wishes to make an impact on early professionals, you can sign up to be a career mentor with us.
Contact Info:
- Website: theimmigrantacademy.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/theimmigrantacademy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theimmigrantacademy
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-immigrant-academy
- Twitter: @theimmigranta
