Shownotes
"Great things in business are never done by one person. They're done by a team of people."
I am joined by Anita Anand, the managing director at Brady Ware. Anita discusses the challenges of balancing work and personal life, emphasizing the support she receives from her family. The conversation touches on setting healthy boundaries, appreciating unexpected support, and the ongoing process of learning and leading with grace.
Anita and I also talk about the importance of building strong support systems, acknowledging the impact of mentorship, and vocalizing support for one another. We explore the significance of finding support in unexpected places and the value of prioritizing tasks to avoid burnout.
"And then sometimes we can learn from other people's, you know, mistakes and journeys and challenges, and, you know, we don't have to necessarily reinvent the wheel ourselves, so that's always encouraging."— Anita Anand
Top Takeaways
1. Building a support system is essential for navigating the challenges of work-life balance and professional growth. Anita Anand's advocacy for support from her family and community underscores the significance of surrounding oneself with a strong network.
2. Embracing change and self-discovery is a continuous journey. Anita Anand's career pivots and emphasis on being open to change and taking leaps of faith underscore the importance of adapting to new opportunities and experiences.
3. Setting healthy boundaries is crucial for maintaining personal well-being and managing professional responsibilities. Both Anita Anand and I stress the importance of prioritizing tasks and commitments to avoid burnout.
4. Learning to accept failure and make mistakes is a vital aspect of personal and professional development. Acknowledging the role of failure and accepting it as part of the learning process is essential for growth and resilience.
5. Support can emerge from unexpected places and individuals. Anita Anand's reflection on the impact of mentors like Beth Blake highlights the value of seeking and recognizing support in diverse forms.
6. Teamwork and collaboration play a significant role in business success. Anita Anand's emphasis on the value of building a supportive team underscores the impact of collaboration and communication within professional environments.
7. Recognizing the support available and vocalizing support for others is essential, especially within the context of women empowering each other. Both Anita Anand and I stress the importance of verbalizing and appreciating the support received and given.
8. Prioritizing tasks and commitments can guide professional decisions and personal growth. The emphasis on focusing on the 20% that will produce the 80% highlights the significance of setting clear priorities.
9. Being present in personal interactions and significant moments is crucial for fostering meaningful connections and maintaining personal well-being. Anita Anand's reflection on the importance of being present underscores the value of cherishing significant moments.
10. Self-grace and self-care are integral for managing personal and professional challenges. Acknowledging the need for self-grace and the emphasis on self-discovery highlight the significance of prioritizing personal well-being amidst professional pursuits.
Memorable Moments
05:40 Progressed from intern to senior manager.
06:20 Continued role growth at Brady Ware firm.
10:58 Values ground and define me, shaping my identity.
14:58 Appreciate global perspective, support, and understanding.
18:57 Balancing work and personal life for success.
22:15 Balancing family and work, focusing on presence.
25:16 Natural evolution, appreciating supportive people, building support.
26:11 Building an unexpected support system brings unexpected joy.
31:46 Setting boundaries is essential for personal success.
33:53 Brady Ware announces women's initiative
Anita Anand has dedicated over 17 years to her career in accounting, spending the first decade with a national firm before joining Brady Ware. She values learning from the experiences of others and believes in the power of sharing knowledge and lessons. In her years at Brady Ware, Anita has enjoyed her time and the challenges that have come with it, and looks forward to continuing her professional journey.
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This is THE podcast that advances women toward economic, social, and political achievement.
Hosted by Betty Collins, CPA, and Director at Brady Ware and Company. Betty also serves as the Committee Chair for Empowering Women, and Director of the Brady Ware Women’s Initiative.
Each episode is presented by Brady Ware and Company, committed to empowering women to go their distance in the workplace and at home.
For more information, Brady Ware and Company.
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Transcripts
Has anyone ever inspired you to create a more fulfilling and successful life for yourself? As a leader in your business and in your community, what are the questions that you ask yourself on a daily basis? What are the questions that keep you up at night? I am your host, Betty Collins. I'm a CPA. I'm a business owner, and I partner with other women, other business owners who want to have remarkable results for themselves and for their business and their community. And I am here to help inspire you to take positive steps forward for a better life. So over the next 12 episodes and kind of this season, we're going to focus on lessons learned. We're gonna hear from other women who have learned lessons, and they're gonna share with you. You know why? Because it's the right thing to do to help you navigate maybe similar situations that you're in, and you don't have to go through what they've gone through. And I hope to challenge you that you have lessons learned in your journey that other women need to hear.
Betty Collins [:Never underestimate that part of your life and that story because it will have impact. In my opinion, we're obligated to share those life lessons. In my opinion, we have a responsibility to each other Women to woman or women to Women, but I really believe what we've learned in our lessons over our journey are impactful, and they need to be part of how you give back and how you help others. Today, I have a very special guest, And she is the managing director, and her name is our 1st managing director in Brady Ware that is a woman. And she's gonna share some of her lessons learned, and and we're going to have some fun together. So Anita Anand is the managing director at Brady. She's out of our Atlanta office, and she definitely, I've known her. I don't even know how many years.
Betty Collins [:I'm gonna say 10 probably. And we've been on a journey together as women in a firm. And, boy, do we have lessons. We were learning them yesterday, actually. Right? So it's one of those things where we're gonna talk a little bit and share openly about Those things. So today, I just wanna introduce you to Anita. And, Anita, I would love for you to tell us a little bit about your life, you know, your personal life a little bit. Share what you love.
Betty Collins [:And then we're gonna go right into the day I walked in Brady Ware. You probably wanna go before that. It's all good. But kind of your journey that you've been on, to get to this role of managing director at Brady Ware?
Anita Anand [:Yeah. Well, thanks, thanks, Betty, for having me. I appreciate. I think that this is gonna be a great series that you're gonna have, and I'm looking forward to hearing some of the other tidbits along the way, because, to your point, it sure has been quite a ride. And it always is a journey. And, and it's always nice to learn from, from others that have gone through it. Number 1, sometimes it's just good to know you're not The only one. You know? There's some comfort in that.
Anita Anand [:And then sometimes we can learn from other people's, you know, mistakes and journeys and challenges, and, you know, we don't have to necessarily Reinvent the wheel ourselves, so that's always encouraging. So I appreciate you having me, Betty. Thank you very much. So a little bit about myself. So I I have been now with Brady Ware for just over 7 years. So it feels like 10, maybe even some days, it feels like it's been a little bit longer. Yes. We we really have some have had some fun along the way, but I've been with the, with the firm for over 7 years prior to joining Brady Ware, I was with a national firm For over 10 years, I kinda come at it a little bit different.
Anita Anand [:I am not your traditional CPA in an accounting firm. So I've I've been in Atlanta since about 98. I was born in New Jersey, raised in or born in New York, raised in New Jersey, moved to Atlanta in about 98 and then, you know, kinda went to college and, you know, did my undergrad in finance. I went to law school, which was a little bit of a deviation from what I was expecting. I was expecting to just kinda go for my master's and continue down that financial, path. And and I took an elective in undergrad with legal studies, and that professor was really inspiring for me. And so he got me to open my eyes to the world of law. And so, that really got me, you know, looking and going down that path.
Anita Anand [:So I went to law school. And, you know, you start to think about, okay, what's my Collins? And and I thought my calling was going to be to practice an immigration law. My parents were immigrants, came from India. So I I was like, okay. This is where I'm gonna make an impact. This is how I'm gonna make a difference. I got a position in an immigration firm, and learned very quickly that really wasn't my Collins. You know, and that's okay.
Anita Anand [:I had to learn that about myself and and realize I needed to to pivot. Sure. And so in looking through other is an opportunity in the world. The tax came along, which, you know, was, you know, it Ware surprising because for me to just do my tax return at that point was too much tax. Right? So for me to go into a tax role, I'm like, oh my goodness. I don't know what I'm doing, but they were looking for someone with a legal background to kinda do some, you know, technical tax research. And I said, well, let Give it a go. Let me let me see.
Anita Anand [:And, of course, years later, this is where I am. Right? I never left the world of tax, and I I really had the pleasure and the opportunity to work under folks that took me under their wing. I had some great mentors along the way. You know, some Some, you know, that that are blessings now. They they taught me some things the hard way, and you learn through them. Those are good things as well. But it it really has been, I think, my calling. And and so I I I haven't left.
Anita Anand [:But, you know, I worked my way, from intern All the way, to to senior manager at the national firm that I was at, and I was on partner path there. You know, but As I started to reassess where I was in that time, I also got married. We also had our daughter. You know, she was about 4 or 5, kinda got to a point of Ware I felt like we were at stabilization. We're not dealing with daycare issues, all things like that. So you get to a point where you reassess kinda where you are as a professional. Right? What do you want from life? And And, you know, just realized that, you know, maybe I needed a different opportunity, wanted to look for other things that were out there. And, the opportunity with Brady Ware came along, and and 7 years later, I would say it's been quite the ride.
Anita Anand [:Yes. You know, the the role here, was to really be a continuation of what I was doing in that, you know, kinda national tax type role. Yeah. But then had you know, with the firm that was growing, it was Great to be with Brady because it afforded me the opportunity to not only become director, but then also take on other leadership roles along the Ware. You know, whether it be international tax or tax as a whole, and then, of course, now managing director. So there's been a lot packed into 7 years. I feel like I always I joke and I always say, I feel like since I've been at Brady Ware I've been in transition.
Betty Collins [:Yeah. Yeah.
Anita Anand [:Which is always fun. Right? Yes. Always fun. In the path,
Betty Collins [:you you said something, either you had, you you really thought your calling was, hey. I'm gonna go in immigration. And it's personal to me. What what was the lesson Ware you look back to others who they're doing something where, oh my. This is not my calling because it's there's a brave thing to go. I've gotta now change and pivot. What lesson did you learn through that time, and what would you try to tell other people if you're that that as you are climbing and as you Ware moving forward. Because every all your in journey of life, it goes so fast.
Betty Collins [:You've gotta make the most of it. It does. What would you say you learned in the fact that you could make the change, you know, that you could do it?
Anita Anand [:I would say that and this is gonna sound very simple, But just the notion of it resonating with me that it's okay to not get it all figured out From the
Betty Collins [:get go.
Anita Anand [:That's okay. I feel like we forget to give ourselves some grace.
Betty Collins [:You
Anita Anand [:know? You know, you think about how we Decide what we wanna do in college. We move on. We have our careers. Those decisions are made really while we're still learning about ourselves, and we change as people. Right. And it's I feel like we sometimes I know I'm guilty of this. I almost feel like There's a path. I have to follow the path.
Anita Anand [:And if I veer off, that that's a bad thing.
Betty Collins [:Right.
Anita Anand [:And and I think Just, you know, realizing that that really wasn't for me, I think helped teach me the the, you know, earlier part in my career. It's okay when something isn't really working. It's okay. You know, and then having the courage to To take that leap of faith, to try something new is another part of that process. And Right. And you do find it in yourself. If you give yourself that grace, you'll find it.
Betty Collins [:Right. Right. Grace is a tough lesson in for people. You know, we're just way too hard on ourselves or you feel like, oh, I failed. Now I've gotta start over. So what? Yeah. You know, you got the journey's a long again.
Anita Anand [:We're supposed to make mistakes, and it's okay. But, you know, at the same, I say that, I would tell you, buddy, I fall into that trap myself every day where I still feel like there's a part of me that expects me to get it right all the time.
Betty Collins [:Right.
Anita Anand [:And it's hard. It's hard to sometimes remind yourself to remove yourself from that situation, say it's okay to fail. It's okay to make a mistake. You're human. It's gonna be okay.
Betty Collins [:Right. Good. Well, running the bet a business, as you know, we're business owners, and, it's it's stressful. I mean, There's a part of me who, you know, I when I first became a business owner, I always go, I don't want to sign the paycheck. I want to get the paycheck. There's a big difference. Right?
Anita Anand [:There is a big difference.
Betty Collins [:You gotta make sure there's money in the bank for that paycheck. Right? Yeah. And so running a business is a very Stressful thing. You know, being a top person in an organization like you are, you know, 42% experience burnout. They they but they have to have a support system in place. Mhmm. The team around you. I'm not talking about, you know, your executive assistant and necessarily I'm talking about the support team around you and the systems that are in place.
Betty Collins [:Those are just really, really crucial. So do you have a group around you that understands your challenges, yeah, and just helps you with the stress and helps you be resilient through that stress?
Anita Anand [:Absolutely. Absolutely. Hands down. I mean, I would I would say without that support, I would say that people have burnout even with a great support system. Right? And I would say I'm guilty of that myself where I feel like I've done that. And I I do believe I have a very good support system, but, you know, my support system you know, my core has always been my family
Betty Collins [:Right.
Anita Anand [:Throughout my life, they they've always been, you know, what kind of grounds me. My values continue to ground me. They They kinda hold me to who I am. They allow me to be me, be Anita. Let's not get lost in all this other stuff that's going on, and And I think that's important because you don't lose your identity along the way. Right. That that has been huge. I would say that, You know, I think, you know, before some of these these opportunities came along about being managing director or taking Women of these other leadership roles, You appreciate it.
Anita Anand [:It's going to be challenging. You appreciate, and you know that there's going to be difficult times where you do need A shoulder to lean on or someone to very openly with no filter vent with, or sometimes you just need to have a session where you View it out and get nothing back in return. You need you need those people and you need that support. Right. Family has been that my that core for me all along. I would say one of best things along the way was finding my support system in places I didn't know existed.
Betty Collins [:Mhmm.
Anita Anand [:And there have been pockets within Brady Ware, you know, in some other circles that, you know, you just, Once the opportunity comes up and you just connect, you start to realize that there are so many people out there supporting so many others. We lose sight of that because we kinda revert back to who we believe Ware our designated support people. Does that make sense?
Betty Collins [:Yes. Absolutely. Absolutely. Because there's a lot of lessons that we need to learn, especially as women Ware it comes to the support system. Mhmm. Because we think we are the support system. It's very hard to have truly because even, like, in my own life, when you talk about family, my husband has played a huge role in my success. Huge role.
Betty Collins [:He's a kind of a quieter guy. He's kind of he's he's an extrovert. He is not Betty Collins, he does not want to be Betty Collins. He does not want to, you know, do the things that I do, but he loves seeing me succeed. And he has been that support. And there have been times I have not leaned on him because I think I am the port system or I'm the majority of it or I got it. You know? Yeah. I know within Brady, we had a really amazing director in Beth Blake.
Betty Collins [:And she played, I think, probably a big role in that 7 year journey. She's not with us for last year or 2. But Talk to me a little bit about how she really was that person in your life. What was some things you really learned from her, if you could think about that?
Anita Anand [:Yeah. Betty Beth is amazing. Yeah. And I would say that she even though she's no longer with Brady Ware, she continues to be a mentor and part of that support system for me. In fact, just even during the holidays, we were Kind of, you know, going back and forth and
Betty Collins [:Sure.
Anita Anand [:And and Ware plan to connect, when I've been dating, here in the next couple of weeks. Hopefully, we'll be able to to connect in person. But Yeah. You know, from the very beginning, what I did appreciate about Beth was The directness, you know, where you get the good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between. And so it was really easy for me to trust.
Betty Collins [:Mhmm.
Anita Anand [:What she had to say and the feedback she had to give to me because I knew she I didn't have to, like, read in between the lines. Does that make sense?
Betty Collins [:Oh, absolutely.
Anita Anand [:You know? But then she took me under her wing, and I think she also helped me appreciate, you know, and and Just have a greater appreciation for the fact that, you know, it's okay to fail. It's okay to get things wrong. Just Just if you're gonna try to get it wrong or if you're gonna get it wrong, do so in a way where you're managing risk. Right?
Betty Collins [:Yeah. Yeah. And so Ware
Anita Anand [:needs to appreciate all of that global Perspective. Yeah. But Betty, you know, just don't forget that, you know, you bring a lot to the table. You're not always gonna get it right, and that's okay. It kinda goes back to, you know, when I was trying to figure out my journey on what my calling Ware, You know, I learned a little bit of it with trying to pivot from immigration to tax, but then this helped me at another phase in my life appreciated in a different way, Which is it's okay. You know, and we've gotta we've gotta we want to support. And just, I think, sort of vocal or being verbal and being so vocal about Supporting me, I think those were words that resonated with me and impacted me in ways I didn't quite appreciate Ware she would just say, Anita, I got your back, You know, type of thing or even, Betty, honestly, you've done you've done the same. How many times have you reached out at a time where you're like, Anita, you're probably Dealing with a 1,000 things right now, if you ever need to talk or you need an ear or you need a shoulder to lean on, call me.
Anita Anand [:And I I think sometimes just hearing it out loud
Betty Collins [:Yeah.
Anita Anand [:Goes a long way.
Betty Collins [:Well, I think that women you know, when we're talking about how how do we help Women, how do women help women? And part of it is we look at people sometimes ago. They're strong. They got it. Everything's right. What a perfect life. Nothing could ever be wrong. Blah blah blah. Yeah.
Betty Collins [:And so as women, we should be you make the call and say, I know this is not ideal.
Anita Anand [:Right. Right.
Betty Collins [:Betty me know. Now if you don't wanna talk to me and and tell me, that's fine. But at least you knew there were supports around you saying, hey. Let me let me get in. And so huge, huge, huge. But it's helped you get through these 7 years for Ware. You know? No doubt. And the next 7.
Betty Collins [:I mean, you're you you've got a long way to go. But do you set healthy boundaries for yourself? And I'm gonna see how she answers this because I I I know the answer, but what
Anita Anand [:she may
Betty Collins [:Betty, like, no phone calls, no text, no emails while you're on vacation. Can you truly shut down? And do you support those, you know, boundaries through intentional work policies And protect the staff as well from burnout, you know, when you see it. I know I was emailing Anita on the weekend knowing that she was on vacation. Shame on me. I could have just delayed the email and sent it. She immediately responded because that's just who she is. And I said, hey. You're on vacation.
Betty Collins [:Yeah. What are you doing? She goes back at you. Ditto, you are too. So but let's talk about healthy boundaries, and how do you do that to to make sure you're okay and that you can continue the journey successfully?
Anita Anand [:Yeah. I I would tell you very honestly and very frankly, Betty. That is a work in progress for me.
Betty Collins [:Mhmm.
Anita Anand [:It is something that I have, continue, DeeDee, you you kinda go through there's there's periods. Right? There's periods where you just run really hard and you're Women, And you're you're making some progress, and that gives you the the adrenaline rush to just keep going, keep going, and you don't realize You're getting to that level of burnout.
Betty Collins [:Right.
Anita Anand [:So I I will say I do struggle with setting those boundaries. Part of me is because I think and this is partly maybe me justifying it for myself, but because this is a new role for myself. You know, you're you're working to just instill confidence in the people around you. You want to let them know that you're there. You wanna be Available, you wanna try to be part of the solution. You want to know that they can rely and depend on you. And part of that is being available, Right? When they need you the most. Yeah.
Anita Anand [:And that's where I think I do struggle with the boundaries because I feel like Saying no or not responding to a phone call or an email is me not being dependable, if that makes sense. Right?
Betty Collins [:Yeah.
Anita Anand [:But then what happens is you're working crazy hours and you don't really get a Brady, and that's not healthy for you Right. As an individual. And then if you're not taking care of yourself, you can't take care of an organization. So Right. I completely get that, and I think that's something I'm going into 2024 as Part of my new year's resolution. You know, trying to figure out how I'm going to balance it. I don't have it all figured out, and I'm gonna make mistakes, but I'm giving myself grace. I'm as long as it's forward progress, it may be 2 steps forward, 1 step back, to me, that's success.
Betty Collins [:It's it's still progress. It's still progress. Healthy boundaries are huge. I mean, they really are. We're we're the women's conference is having a speaker this year, Peggy Zinger, And she's our keynote. Just I mean, the minute I started hearing her, TED Talks, I was like, wow. And she said of something so impactful. She said, I'm focused on the 20% that will produce the 80%.
Anita Anand [:Yeah.
Betty Collins [:And I thought, wow. I wrote that down. I listened to it several times because I thought, what a statement. Because as women, we the boundary thing is hard. And she's trying to put boundaries around the 20% because that's gonna produce the 80. And she calls herself, I think, the the doctor of flexology or something like that. But, I mean, there's there's a lot to that statement. One of the things that I'm learning as I have done, I've always my my support system is, of course, the biggest fan, like you're talking about your husband.
Betty Collins [:So what's really important to him is vacations that we shut down and go. So part of this And we when we got married, this is our 2nd marriage. One of the things was he worked 6 to 2:30. He worked for the post office. He went into work. He left work. There was no calls. There were no emails.
Betty Collins [:There was there was no this has now happened. Rearrange your schedules, all these things. So he said, the one thing I need from you is when we get home and it's 5 o'clock, I need you to be home. Yeah. And so we have to set those bound. It's hard sometimes because I'm like, I have you know? Now he works now 2 evenings a week. And what do I do? Oh, I can do emails. Why he's
Anita Anand [:got it?
Betty Collins [:Let's let's
Anita Anand [:caught up. Yeah.
Betty Collins [:It's like you're cheating. You know? But the healthy boundaries are So important. And one of the things that I really have determined is and I ask this whether it comes to new clients, new employees, organizations that want my time, please come and speak. Can you be a member? Blah blah blah. Is the juice worth the squeeze? Right. Is the juice worth the squeeze? And women need to think about that and not feel guilt when they go, not my juice. No. I don't need that.
Betty Collins [:It's not worth the squeeze. And we have to do that. Right? So
Anita Anand [:And and to your point, it's it gets even Harder. It becomes a bigger hairball because it's not just Ware. To your point, like, it's also personal. You know? So similar situation. My husband is my biggest Champion. You know? He continues to lift me up, even when everything is great and then lifts me up when I feel a little deflated. Right? He's he's that rock for me. My daughter is, like, my inspiration.
Anita Anand [:Right? Like, to just keep persevering because if she can see that mommy can do this, And, well, she can do much more. Right? Like, so
Betty Collins [:Yeah.
Anita Anand [:So so there is that, but then you wanna be involved in school and Curricular activities and want to be the present parent at a recital versus checking emails while the other kids are performing. Yeah. You know, I think, because, you know, isn't but at the same time, there are things that, you know, your family does want to your point. And I think one of the things that I The what I get and I realize for myself is to be present. It's like when I'm home and we're having dinner, To be present in that conversation versus running through my to do list of things that I still need to remember to do as soon as I get done with dinner type
Betty Collins [:of thing. Right.
Anita Anand [:Right. And and that's that's hard when you've got all these moving pieces.
Betty Collins [:It it is hard. And, you know, COVID as much as it became, hey. We're all home more. Hey. We're this. We all all of a sudden, everybody became Ware, though. Yes. And we still haven't really gotten away from that even though we're back to work, maybe or in a office, whatever it is.
Betty Collins [:So it's kinda like the lesson we have to learn is healthy boundaries are part of the support system. And if I want my husband to be in there with me, I have to hear his boundaries as well. Right. You have you have to be attentive to that. I know for me, I had one of those moments where my daughter played basketball. Ball. She played soccer, basketball, volleyball. She did all.
Betty Collins [:She was a very good athlete. And, I decided not to go to one of her games because it was A 45 minute drive in the middle of nowhere, and they were they were in a winning season. This was, like, a a really not a good team, all that. So I said, you know what? Can you just take her? I'm gonna stay. He goes, are you sure? And I said, yeah. Because I was always trying to be really good with that. It was the best game of her entire career Because they were they were losing to the worst team in the thing. They were now on the line to not be in that championship game, And she took over the court, and I missed it, man.
Betty Collins [:You know? And so from that time, I learned your boundaries, your boundaries. Those extra tax Returns and emails that you got done. Didn't mean anything. So when I think about boundaries and squeezing the juice and the squeeze and are they healthy? I go back to that moment and go, don't let that happen. I try to tell that story as much as I can, so I'm sharing the lesson. Don't do this. You know?
Anita Anand [:So It's it's, you know, it's kind of like I you know, with other team members, you know, when they Yeah. They're taking PTO or, you know, they're, you know, whatever not feeling well. Feeling well. I'm like, you just need to focus on yourself. You are most important. Everything else can wait. And they're like, well, it's funny coming from you. I'm like, just Do what I say.
Anita Anand [:Don't do what I do. That's
Betty Collins [:right. Don't watch me. Okay? Exactly. No. But it yeah. But but you you know, that leads into this next Question which is good, you know, on how do you build up that community around you to create the support system, you know, in your home, in the community, in the office, all of it, how do you participate in in in building a that and creating a good support system? How do you do that?
Anita Anand [:Yeah. I mean, I think for me, it's just It's really been a natural evolution as part of the process. You know? I think I've, I think I'm naturally, you know, a person who just appreciates people that fill my bucket, you know, with that that analogy. Right? So, you know, I'm I I hold them pretty close to me, and I make them feel appreciated because they Make me they bring me peace. They make me happy. You know, they're they're filling my bucket as much as I'm trying to fill theirs. And I think When when you communicate that to people and they start feeling the same way, that support system just naturally starts To build itself. You know, and and, you know, to that being to that same point, you know, as you're coming across other folks that maybe aren't necessarily filling your bucket, I think there's a lot of courage in saying, okay.
Anita Anand [:You know what? Maybe arms length because that's not a healthy right? That's not that's not helping the situation, And that's not a healthy relationship either. So Right. In kind of doing that little bit of a push and pull, I've naturally been able to build this, The support system and and, you know, I referenced this earlier. I think one of the best best things about this journey has been finding support In times and in people that I just didn't expect. You know? It it was a moment that I don't think I realized I needed it, But the person I was talking to saw I needed it and provided that support, and it's it's One of the most magical things, like, I I mean, just thinking about it and the different pieces, even just across offices with different team members, other places, you just, It's, almost like a divine intervention sometimes. Yeah. You're just like, oh my gosh. The stars are aligning.
Anita Anand [:I can't believe this. I'm experiencing this Women, Betty, it That I think has been the best. The best feeling is Women because you expect it from some, and then you almost hold them accountable to it. Right? So sometimes I'm, like, telling my husband, you just have to listen to me today. I know you don't want to, but you could because it's part of your job description.
Betty Collins [:Yes.
Anita Anand [:But others didn't have to, and they still listen to me. Yes.
Betty Collins [:Yes. Betty, you know
Anita Anand [:That's good.
Betty Collins [:Part Ware of that probably is, and I would love the audience to get this concept. The reason that happens to you Ware the unexpected come across to you is because you Ware doing that for others as well when they probably aren't expecting Deen that. And people see that. You know? They do. And so you Part of that is just that way. Some of it is divine intervention, and some of it is, oh my gosh. It's all aligned. Everything kinda came together
Anita Anand [:from God.
Betty Collins [:You know? But, so so those are good things. I mean, we we have to be part of building the community and creating the support systems, not just for ourselves or our support system making it better, you gotta you gotta do the whole deal and help others get there with you.
Anita Anand [:Absolutely.
Betty Collins [:You know, you're an inspiration to so many, for sure. Especially the women at Brady Ware they they just go, wow. You know? I mean, you you don't don't ever underestimate that kind of thing. But what would you say are the biggest lessons that you've learned, you know, from observe observing and reading and experiencing the work of other leaders, and and how has that impacted you?
Anita Anand [:Oh my goodness. So many lessons, Betty. So many little. And I think that they and I still continue on this path of learning more. Right? There's things and concepts that you think you've grasped and you understand, but then something else happens 6 months down the road, 2 years down the road, and you're like, oh, now I appreciate the same concept in a very different way. You know, you mentioned something that I didn't hadn't quite really thought Through is in this unexpected support system that the support is probably also being reciprocated because they felt they were supported. And I know I shared this in our partner retreat not earlier this year, but the year before that. It's one of my favorite quotes, which is, You know, great things in business are never done by 1 person.
Anita Anand [:They're done by a team of people.
Betty Collins [:Yes.
Anita Anand [:And, you know, Earlier, before all this, I used to go with my little basic analogy as no 1 person can make or break anything. Like, all a team of people can. And I think I continue to appreciate that here at Brady Ware is to your point is not just building your support system, but supporting others, Building the team, having everybody feel like we're all in this together. We're doing this together. I think that that teamwork element goes A long Ware. And it's not just about 1 or 2 or 3 or a handful of folks in any organization.
Betty Collins [:It's Right?
Anita Anand [:It's the whole organization that makes it the organization. Right. I think that that's been one thing that continues to resonate with me. The one thing we started off, I think we hit on a couple of times, is don't be afraid to fail. Don't be afraid to make a mistake. That fear It's so paralyzing. Oh. And as you can appreciate as as a business owner, Betty, you you know this just as well as I do.
Anita Anand [:Not all decisions are easy. There's not always a right or a wrong path. Right? There's, you know, different options and and, You know, our job is to try to find which path makes the most sense for the greater good. There's not always A manual to decide what that is. But, you know, I think I think Collins back to The values and all that stuff, that I think has helped ground me, and I I'm sure that that's the same thing for you in helping us make that Decision. Otherwise, you could be stuck in analysis. You know? Paralysis through analysis. We've all heard of many times.
Anita Anand [:Not not doing anything is worse Then doing something, it may not be the best thing to go back and correct it. And I think sometimes getting over that is it's a hard thing.
Betty Collins [:It it is. And, you know, the the the bottom line for it doesn't matter if it's your family. I mean, right now, I'm experiencing adult Children who just need more. You know? And at the same time, I'm like, these really are my boundaries. You know? Or my little grandchildren have no boundaries. Yeah. They're my babies. In fact, they were here today, and they loved Mimi's office, I said they just wanted to come in and destroy it, but but As they should.
Betty Collins [:Should. Yes. But I know when I don't set boundaries with really good people and really good things like my, Obviously, my kids and and, I I'm just not the best that I can be in the whole, you know, family or at the office or at your church or whether you're volunteering your community. Right. So one of the lessons that I think women need to learn, and I certainly learned this in running an election, was the team around me. And one of the things I learned was I was missing one really key player. I had people who were energized. I had people who you know, I had, the mayor of town was, you know, Supporting me.
Betty Collins [:I mean, I had this whole thing of of support, and I've never run a campaign. And do you think I hired a campaign manager? Right. The 1 person who would know these are the steps. These are the things. This is the stuff. I did I missed a really key support person.
Anita Anand [:Yeah. And I
Betty Collins [:had a great it wasn't that I didn't have some really great support around me. So I think, you know, we have to really look at the lesson lords of the support systems you have in play. And if you see women and men in your who don't have support systems and you see the burnout and you see them struggling. Yeah. My goodness. We need to jump in there and do what you you can, you know, for the greater good. Some people are never gonna learn. They're gonna be burnout all their lives.
Betty Collins [:They're Gonna choose these things. Right? But Betty if you can help him learn from what you've gone through and share that, man, we have we'd have a better organization. We have a better we'd have a better community, etcetera. So Oh, absolutely. Ware so appreciate you coming today and speaking with my audience and, just to the women
Anita Anand [:of It's been a pleasure, Betty. Thank you so much.
Betty Collins [:Well, you are my biggest fan sometimes. You're always supportive to me, and you're always you always put up with me as Everyone does in Brady Ware.
Anita Anand [:Oh, we love The Betty Collins. The Betty Collins.
Betty Collins [:Yeah. I do my thing. Right? I mean, nowhere else would anyone be going around saying that. Everyone thinks it's normal. So
Anita Anand [:You're awesome, Betty. You're awesome. It's it's an honor to be here.
Betty Collins [:Well, today, we we got to speak with, the 1st woman managing director of Brady Ware, And, my company is very proud. We have a great women's initiative. And this year, we're really gonna focus on lessons learned And what do the women in Brady wear? What are they learning? And they're gonna be sharing with you all year along with outside guests. So I hope that you join us, And I hope that this inspires you, and I hope that you're thinking of lessons that you've learned that you need to share. More about inspiring women can be found on bradyware.com, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
