Anna Nooshin opens up about what she earns

If you're talking about a role model, Anna Nooshin is definitely one of the best. Smart, attractive, and she has a plan. Not only does she know where she wants to go herself, but she is especially determined to help other women rise. She does this with the podcast How To Get The Job (Done) that she co-hosts with Yeliz Ciçek and the platform the Female Initiative Business Academy, which is an extension of that. And oh yes, in the meantime, she also has a beautiful baby: Nala.

Dear Anna, congratulations on your motherhood. I already miss your pregnancy outfits, but Nala and her outfits fortunately satisfy my hunger. How are you doing?
‘Very good, very grateful and happy.’

How is motherhood for you?
‘Very special to experience, I learn every day and I love her more every day.’

There was also a second baby: your platform. How did that come about and how do you find time for it?
‘Time is a mystery to me as well, but so far we are managing to plan everything well, haha. FI was born out of the need to share our knowledge from the past 14 years and to help the younger generation of entrepreneurs. We want to do this in the form of online video masterclasses (given by the best experts), the podcast, and really cool lectures and events.’

What should I imagine about the platform? How does it work?
‘On fibusinessacademy.com you can find all sorts of online masterclasses in video format that you can follow at your own pace. These masterclasses contain various chapters and very practical assignments to guide you exactly to where you want to go with your business dreams. In this, the best experts provide very practical tips on how to create the best social media content or how to earn money with your personal brand. We also share weekly entrepreneur tips in our podcast called How To Get The Job (Done) and you can find all sorts of handy tools on the website such as free templates for CVs and brand books.’

How many hours do you work per week?
‘I find that very difficult because my personal life blends so much into my work life.’

Did you imagine as a little girl that this would be your profession?
‘Maybe not as it is now, but something creative and being my own boss.’

What education have you followed and did you benefit from it?
‘Communication science at the UvA. I didn't necessarily gain anything specific from it, but it made me realize that I really wanted to work in the media.’

What advice would you give your younger self?
‘Everything will be fine and will go exactly as it should.’

With a job like yours, you can't really speak of an average day. But take one that is reasonably representative and tell how it looks.
‘As you say: that's almost impossible. I'm so lucky that every day is different. One day I have all day recordings for FI, the next day consists of meetings, and another day I'm at the office. So very different.’

Are you the type that separates work and private life or does everything flow together?
‘Everything is mixed up, haha.’

Always reachable or type ’two phones and Monday you're the first’?
‘Always reachable. And if I don't feel like it, I always say: ‘I'll get back to you.”

What do you wear on a workday?
‘I often enjoy playing with outfits. If I know I don't have to film or photograph, I prefer comfy and no makeup.’

Do you think about perfume and hairstyle? I can imagine that you occasionally want to make a strong statement with your look.
‘Perfume yes, hair no. My hair is usually loose and I let it be blow-dried so it stays nice for a long time.’

We know it’s true: talking about money isn’t chic, but it’s nice for the next generation to know what it’s roughly like in this work. So can you give a rough indication? Are we above or below the salary norms?
‘In the FI masterclasses, we will discuss exactly this, so you will find the answer there.’

And another point of attention: being a woman. Have you experienced a glass ceiling? The idea that you had to prove yourself more?
‘I have to say: no. But that’s also because I enforce it. What I do notice is that 99 percent of the companies I deal with are run by male CFOs or CEOs at the top, and I certainly think that should be different.’

Has there been a moment in your career that has been decisive for your career? Something you were quite proud of in hindsight?
‘I am actually proud every day of the fact that I have been able to do this for so long. It took a long time, but now after all these years, I can look back on it with a lot of pride.’