Longtrepreneur continues to bring the best-in-class tech and business leaders to get their take on long-term thinking in the world of Commerce, Technology, Leadership and Entrepreneurship.
This week’s “Take the L” series guest is a personality who needs no introduction: Anna Ratala.
Yawar: What is the meaning of your name?
Anna Ratala: That’s an interesting question, as no one’s ever asked me that. My father’s mother(grandmother), whom I didn’t get to see, her name was Susana and Anna comes from that. My parents wanted an international name which resonated with more people.
Yawar: What was your childhood like growing up?
Anna Ratala: I grew up in Finland. My dad is Finnish, and my mother is Russian. I had a happy childhood growing up, but I don’t come from a family of financial means.
Since I knew that my parents didn’t have a lot, I never insisted on my parents for the latest toys, watching movies at theaters. Unlike other parents who fulfilled every possible need of their kids, my parents were different in that they told my brother and me that we needed to figure things out by ourselves – we didn’t get things handed to us.
I have always been outdoorsy and love being out and playing while enjoying nature. Playing with dolls was never my thing growing up. I loved playing “The Office,” I had my typewriter and would act as the CEO. In hindsight, I always had leadership qualities.
Yawar: If a writer or journalist wrote a biography or news story on you? What would be the title or headline for that?
Anna Ratala: I have always been a risk-taker, from packing two suitcases and moving to the USA,having done the same 8 years earlier when I moved to Singapore; both times, I started my life from scratch, having little to no connections or comfort in the places to where I moved. I could say that my life is a “wild adventure.” There’s a method to madness.
Yawar: Amongst your parents, who had more sway over you?
Anna Ratala: I was close to my mother growing up and always had a close relationship with her. Until I was 6 years old, my father was a sea captain and was away most of the time. So, when he’d come home, I didn’t recognize who he was in my early years.
However, I have picked up certain personality traits from both my parents. My mother is a great communicator and an empathetic person. I got grit and determination from my father.
Yawar: When did you catch the entrepreneurial bug?
Anna Ratala: Looking backwards – when I was 9 years old and wanted to become a writer. I wanted to start a little newspaper, and I used to cut up newspaper clips from different magazines, put them in my magazine and rent out my only magazine to my fellow students for a few dollars a week.
My entrepreneurial bug came in full swing when I lived in Singapore for 8 years. That’s when I was working a corporate job, and I thought, why not try something more entrepreneurial instead?
I started advising companies that wanted to expand their business into Southeast Asia. My business advisory work led me to launch a Singapore-based conference, Slush Singapore.
Yawar: What is your favorite cuisine?
Anna Ratala:
- Thai cuisine
- Chinese cuisine
- Indian cuisine(especially – Palak Paneer)
Yawar: Since you are an extrovert, can introverts become effective founders?
Anna Ratala: Absolutely! There have been studies that introverts make for better founders and leaders. They are good listeners, read the room, and respond once everyone around them has had their say.
I am the opposite of an introvert, but I can pull people toward a big vision and persuade people to follow a common goal.
Yawar: Which brands do you think possess impressive branding?
Anna Ratala:
- Nike – None of their ads or commercials are about their products/services. They sell people a sense of belonging, a dream their audience can achieve with full potential.
- Barack Obama – He has built an amazing personal brand.
Yawar: What gaps did you see in the market to launch Zvook?
Anna Ratala: I started Zvook from a personal pain point. Me and 3 of my founder friends wanted to start a podcast where we drink wine and chat about founder life, leadership, women in business and tech.
I thought to myself, who wouldn’t want to sponsor such amazing content? But It wasn’t easy to find a relevant sponsor. That’s where I got the idea for Zvook – a platform that helps brands find the most relevant podcasts to sponsor and helps podcasts monetize, all with just a few clicks.
We have built the MVP (minimum viable product), and validated it with dozens of brands. Now we’re preparing to go to market!
Yawar: What do you want your legacy to be?
Anna Ratala: I can look back at my life and say, “I built something which other people found to be valuable and beneficial.” I want to focus my legacy on leadership and culture because that’s where today’s companies are lacking, mostly because of the still prevalent “tech bro” mindset that catapulted many tech startups to success but sadly also had them struggle hard with culture and leadership. I want to be a leader everyone can say they loved working for.
Yawar: Which 3 people would you want to nominate for the “Take the L” interview series with me on Longtrepreneur?
- Maria Wlosinska – Co-founder & CEO at Unlock
- Daniela Alpert – Founder | Alignment Coach | Mentor @ Techstars Miami | Startup Ecosystem Development
- Serena Dang – Founder & Builder | ex-IB | ex-VC | Pushing the frontier of human happiness
