Anisha Raghavan shares her experiences, leadership lessons for millennial women and tells why the No7 Unstoppable Campaign is important to her.
After completing her MBA from Harvard Business School, Anisha has held a variety of leadership roles within brand and marketing. Before landing her current role, South Asian-American Raghavan did stints in consumer giants like PepsiCo and Unilever. Anisha steadily rose through ranks and won several recognitions and awards through her journey including the Silver Effie, the Jay Chiat Gold and the Allure Best of Beauty Breakthrough Awards.
Anisha’s success stems from the belief that strong, capable women break boundaries. She inherits this quality from her mother who was the first in her family to become a doctor, then immigrated to the US in the 1970s, entirely on her own to complete her residency. Anisha’s mother challenged social norms by standing up to gender stereotypes that existed within both Indian and American cultures. “She is truly the Superwoman I’ve always wanted to be,” says Anisha.
Anisha’s message for women everywhere is simple, “We need to lift each other.” For her part, Anisha has surely positioned herself as an influential figure for women across the globe. Currently spearheading a project of No7 Unstoppable Together, her vision for supporting women is certainly grander.
The No7 Unstoppable Together campaign addresses stereotypes and challenges that hold women back. The No7 Unstoppable Together Job Summit is a free, virtual event for everyone – those who have left their jobs and those who want to help – whether in the corporate or service worker sectors. The No7 summit brings people together to help each other, including Arianna Huffington, Maria Shriver, Tamron Hall and Dr. C. Nicole Mason of the Institute of Women’s Policy Research.
Speaking on the No7 Unstoppable Campaign, Anisha said, “The topic of the SHEcovery is of particular interest to me as it affects so many of my colleagues, friends and family.” The terms SHEcession and SHEcovery were coined by the Institute of Women’s Policy Research (IWPR). While SHEcessions focuses on how pandemic-related job and income losses are particularly affecting women, SHEcovery aims to empower women to come back stronger than ever with new career options and opportunities.
When asked about biases and barriers in her career, Anisha said, “I am fortunate to have worked in industries with strong female representation. But biases still exist, particularly when women are direct, then they get unfairly labeled as being difficult. I don’t shy from expressing my point of view – and while that’s seen as an asset now that I’m at a senior level, at an earlier stage of my career I was told to tone it down.”
For millennial women, Anisha advises to seek the right mentors or career networks that can get you to the next level of leadership, she says, “People who can listen to your goals and help you build confidence or navigate the path to just go for it. In today’s world of connectivity and especially now in the Covid era, there are more ways to find like-minded people and connect than ever before.
“Women are known for editing themselves in their heads before speaking in a group, or for second-guessing a job application if they don’t meet every single qualification. In some boardrooms, we have to show up with twice the confidence to be taken seriously. We aren’t paid at equity and are pressured to be primary caregivers at home, so the battle to ‘make it’ often feels far too steep uphill. We have a long way to go still to get to true gender equity.”
Recognizing how the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected women – women lost 156,000 jobs, while men gained 16,000 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Jan. 2021) – Anisha aims to bring meaningful brand programs like the No7 Unstoppable Together to help women across the globe.
The No7 summit will also offer inspiration, practical tips and resources around topics, such as finding company cultures that support working parents, creating social networks and pivoting your career. The No7 Unstoppable Together Job Summit is being activated with powerful partners: Fortune, Hello Sunshine and The Female Quotient.
The No7 Unstoppable Together Job Summit is on Wednesday, February 24 2021, 4-8 pm EST. For more details and to sign up for the summit, click here. Share with friends using hashtag #unstoppabletogether and tagging @No7USA.
