- Anisa Telwar Kaicker’s very first job was working at a McDonald’s in Bellevue, Tennessee when she was just 15 years old. Several years later she started working in her family’s import/export business, engraining her with international business experience from the get-go. By the time she was 22, Anisa had mastered many admin and executive skills, such as working a fax machine, negotiating a building lease, hiring employees, going through an IRS audit, preparing for banking meetings, traveling internationally, and entertaining clients.
- Anisa’s mother has been one of her strongest mentors. “These were very formative years for me and it taught me so much about what works and what doesn’t. Yet what I truly learned early on, whether it is a large customer or a small customer, they take the same energy and resources. So, it makes more sense to pursue the larger opportunity. That lesson has been immeasurable,” Anisa says.
- Anisa didn’t complete college and says outside of working for her family she really didn’t have an extended network to call on. “I had to create everything from the ground up. That’s why my relationships are so valuable to me.”
- Being creative was an early trait of Anisa’s. She was a lover of theater and creating dance and acting troupes in friends’ garages, and was also very active in sports, both of which she attributes to building confidence and leadership skills. “Early on I saw I had the ability to manage people. This has played a large part in how I’ve grown my business and created long-lasting relationships.”
- Growing up in Nashville and living there until she was 28 gave Anisa a great love for country music and dancing, as well as pool halls. Outside of work Anisa loves traveling with her British husband (she lived in London for six years) and the two go between New York, London, and Los Angeles often. “Since COVID we are finding our traveling paths again, and one of our new favorite places is Iceland.”
- As a big animal lover (she has several dogs) Anisa’s philanthropic work extends to the Lifeline Animal Project, which provides adoption, care, food, shelters, and clinics for animals. “The time I have left over, I love to work with my mentees to engage the next entrepreneurial generation. It’s truly invigorating and gratifying.”
