Anjali Sud: the woman who embraced rejection and failure only to write her success story
Anjali Sud has become the CEO of one of the most fascinating organizations in the country which is Vimeo. After being rejected from various investment banks for about a dozen times, instead of failing her heart, she kept on trying. After trying for a long time, at the age of 34, she finally gained what she deserved all the way through. Finally, people recognized her skills and the intellect she had, and she became the CEO of Vimeo due to her talent, courage will, and perseverance along with determination.
In an interview with Yahoo Finance’s Breakout Breakfast series on Wednesday she said about her journey, ‘I was really shy as a kid. Acting, dancing, and singing were a really nice outlet for me, I had always hoped to one day be in a position like this. I couldn’t have imagined 10 years ago or even 3 years ago that I would be where I am today. It’s been a series of strategic choices and fortuitous events, and a lot of hard work and support from my team. “I saw an opportunity to champion the creator-side of the platform. So, I just started doing it. That really opened up a path for me to do that formally. It was a major catalyst for why I’m sitting where I am today. You just have to give yourself permission and not wait for formal permission to do it.’
About her becoming of CEI, she remarked, ‘One of the things that I’ve tried to do in my career is looking for opportunities even if they’re not formally given to me — to drive results and grow the business. First and foremost, become indispensable. Think about what your boss and what your boss’s boss is trying to solve for. And help them solve it. Become so integral that you have a lot of leverage. And then when you have that, don’t be afraid to use it. But you have to pair the ambition and the boldness with substance. I never raised my hand or threw my hat in the ring for the position, which, by the way, I think others should. You should never be afraid to throw your hat in the ring. But I did pitch myself implicitly.’
When asked about her inspiration, she spontaneously took her dad’s name and said, ‘He raised me with this idea that businesses can help create jobs and have a positive force of influence on your local community. My dad was an entrepreneur and I wanted to be one, too. But, at some point, you have to be honest about where your skill set lies. And for me, it wasn’t starting my own thing. I don’t think I would be great at that — or maybe I just haven’t found the idea that I’m crazy passionate about. The lesson here] is to be self-aware about your intrinsic motivations and strengths. The earlier you can realize that, the better.’
When she was asked about her journey in Vimeo she said, At Vimeo, I’m able to marry my creativity with the business side. It’s such a wonderful balance of two things that I’m really passionate about.’
After being rejected for so many times, a normal person would lose hope. However, as extraordinary as Anjali is, she chose to keep trying till the day she got what she had aspired of. We all have a lesson to take which is that despite failures, we must never stop trying. As a wonderful person once said, failure is just a way to understand your mistakes and understand that this is one way you will not succeed. You always have better ways to go for it as long as you have the will and motivation to pursue your dream.
