About this episode:

Fatima Zaidi, CEO and Co-Founder of Quill Inc joins Fintech Fridays host Manseeb Khan to understand why podcasts have grown 200% in the last 6 months, and how influencers and corporate brands are building authentic customer relationships and motivating prospects with them. They talk about inspiring stories of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, building trust, advice for female (under-represented) founders, and how to connect with affluent, educated millennial professionals. If you’re new to the power of podcasts, tune-in to learn why they are quickly becoming an integral part of a company’s marketing mix, today.

 

NCFA Canada · EP48 How to Connect and Resonate with Customers through Podcasting

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Fintech Friday Transcript of Episode 48: Fatima Zaidi

Intro: Welcome to fintech Friday's a weekly podcast brought to you by the National Crowdfunding and Fintech Association of Canada and partners. Covering all things fintech, blockchain, AI and alternative finance.

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:00:00] Hey everybody Manseeb Khan here. Thank you for tuning in to another fantastical episode of the FinTech Friday podcast. Fantastical is now a Oxford dictionary term. And I've joked about this before, but yeah, I did it. I made a request to make fantastical a word. Is my dad happy about it? Absolutely not. Fantastical is not a word at all. And it is something that I made up in these past 50 episodes. Anyways, moving on. This week's episode, we're doing something a little different. FinTech is something that I love talking about. I can talk your ear off and nauseam. But, aside from FinTech, there's another thing that like to I talk about as well. That's podcasts. And who better to help?  Honestly make this conversation that much more credible than my guest today, Fatema. Fatema, thanks so much for sitting down with today. Super excited to have you on the show.

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:00:53] Thank you so much. It's a pleasure to be here.

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:00:55] Awesome. So, Fatima, could you just for I mean, for the audience could just tell us a little bit of who you are and essentially a little bit of what your company does?

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:01:04] Yeah, absolutely. So I am the co-founder and CEO of Quill Inc., which is the world's first marketplace for podcasters. So, if you're an indie podcast or a company looking to start a show or even outsource elements of your existing show, we are your one stop shop. We work with brands and corporations to create their branded podcast. So, we do have a full service agency team. And for people who don't necessarily have those big brand budgets, we also have a marketplace where you can go on and hire freelancers curated by us who are all podcasting experts for a range of different services that you might need. We also won the Listen In Conference, which is the world's first enterprise podcasting event that's held in L.A. Of course, everything's been put on hold because of COVID this year, but we are looking forward to moving ahead as soon as there's a vaccine that's readily available and your guess is as good as mine. But yeah, I would say that we are a full service podcasting company, a one stop shop for anyone who wants to start a show or grow their audience.

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:02:08] Awesome. So how did you, I guess, get started? I mean, like podcasting is now, honestly, it's all the rage, all the craze. Pretty much because everybody's doing it. Everybody and their mothers doing it. My dad jokingly was telling me he wanted to do like a Bengali poetry one, which I was like, OK, I mean, my Bengali is not as strong as yours, but I guess I can edit that.

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:02:31] There's definitely a market for it so props to him.

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:02:34] Oh, 100%. I'm well aware. There's uncles calling me. I'm getting Facebook messages now about it.

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:02:41] Your dad sounds really cool. He sounds like one of those hip uncles that I wish my dad was friends with.

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:02:48] Hey, if it helps, he became a hip uncle because only I mean, as his son, I just keep calling out on like just like the Boomer stuff that he does. And I was like, hey, dad, you can't be on Facebook just talking about conspiricies with uncles. Like, you got to, like, write something, let's do something. Let's get creative. So, how did you get started in this whole space?

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:03:08] Well, you know, I run an agency for quite a few years, and one of the biggest requests that we started getting towards the end before the agency got sold was, you know, corporations and enterprise companies that we worked with, like the big banks, big tech companies wanting to move aggressively into the podcasting space. And I just really found it fascinating as a medium, because unlike other forms of marketing, like performance marketing, it's all about mass downloads and mass targeting. But podcasting, the more niche and engaged your audience is, the more impactful. And so, I just started as a consumer. I listened to ten podcasts a week. And so, I started really following the industry, you know, following a lot of studies that were being put out in the industry. And one that in particular really stood out for me. And I think was the turning point when I decided that I wanted to get involved in the space was Midroll, like they did a massive, I would say, interview process with hundreds of thousands of podcast consumers like myself. And they found that all of these people that they interviewed, sixty one percent of these people said that they purchased a product or a service after listening to a podcast, which is pretty incredible when you think about traditional advertising that only converts at one to two percent.

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:04:20] So I said, OK, it's really interesting that we're spending hundreds of thousands of millions of dollars, like performance marketing, that it's about mass targeting that converts at one to two percent. What if you spend a fraction of that budget for a smaller audience that's more niche and more engaged, where the conversion rates can be up to sixty one percent. And so just like really from that train of thought, I just started seeing an exponential growth trend. So I decided to productize our services and that's how I launched Quill. We started off as the marketplace because I wanted to make it accessible to anyone and everyone who wanted to start a podcast. It's a low barrier to entry. So who cares what your budget is? You should be able to put out really good content. And then, you know, all of those clients that we worked with came back to us and said, it's great that you have a marketplace. It's great for the indie podcasters, but we're a big brand. We need a full service team around us. And so launch another agency that lives alongside our marketplace where we work with corporations like CIBC, RBC, Bay Street, Microsoft to create their podcast and market them.

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:05:27] Yeah, that's very incredible. Yeah, it makes sense. It makes sense that, you know, you create a--companies definitely want a full service team like I mean I'm a one man army when it when it comes to this show. So I don't need a full team. That's more people than me.

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:05:43] What you would need is our marketplace that you wanted a logo or you wanted someone to edit your podcast files or convert the video into audio or distribute your show like you probably have one ad hoc services that you might need. And so you only want to spend like a couple hundred dollars to get something up and taken on. You just go to our marketplace and hire a freelancer.

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:06:04] 100%.Yeah, I totally would do that. So I mean, now that you talk about like listen to 10 podcasts a day, what I mean, how has that list changed now that you've transitioned from being like just a corporate girl to being like a female founder? Like just like how does that list change? Like, how is. Yeah, like how is that list changed and how is that mindset kind of changed?

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:06:25] Yeah. And when you just to clarify, when you mean how the is list changed, I mean in terms of priorities or in terms of..?

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:06:31] Yes, in priorities and I guess like what you're absorbing now, right, because like stuff, you know, coming from an agency like this, like the stuff you listen to, like something you absorb as someone that works an agency compared to the stuff that you absorb as a founder--the list. There's some differentials in that list? How has that list kinda changed I guess.

 

[00:06:52] I would say it's interesting because like as a CEO, my entire career, I've been a sales person so very much focused on contributing to the company's bottom line. And revenue has been a very core focus. As a CEO, you have to wear just so many different hats. And like the biggest hat, I would say that I have to wear is managing a large team. And you know, that is definitely, I would say, an experience for any early stage founder, because you go from becoming an individual contributor to having to manage the day to day productivity, motivation and retention of your team. And so there is a huge mindset shift in terms of your priorities day to day. What what matters to the long term success of your business? But I would say it's funny. I used to spend my days listening to podcasts like cereal and, you know all the junky sort of..

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:07:45] Oh, yeah, OK,

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:07:47] Awesome podcasts that have you on the edge of your seat, but the I think my list of of shows that I listen to are very much either in the mindfulness space to make me a better CEO or things that make me a better leader. So, Radical Candor is a show that I love all about supporting CEOs navigate through difficult challenges and becoming a better leader, an effective communicator. Another show that I absolutely love as a founder is How I Built This.

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:08:13] Great show.

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:08:14] So good, right? It's so good. And the reason I love the show so much is because they literally any time I have a bad day, I put on an episode. The one common thread between all of the success stories is that they had to go through all of the really difficult days. There was multiple failures before they iterated their business to a point where it was successful. And it kind of reminds me that even though being a CEO or a founder can be a very isolating experience, there's millions of people who are going through this entire process with you. And I think it's just kind of a comforting motivational podcast for me. And then there's just so many that I tune into week after week. But I would say those two are like my consistent--constantly coming back to any time I'm having a bad day.

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:08:55] Yeah, I know. You brought up a good point of I guess like the best analogy I could come up with is like being a salesperson. You're so used to being the quarterback of the team. You're like, hey, I'm the one, I'm scoring the points, I'm throwing numbers on the board and then being a founder, you're now a coach. You can't get run out as much as you love to just like run out on field.

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:09:16] I love that. I love that analogy.

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:09:19] OK, perfect.

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:09:19] And that's a very good analogy. That's exactly what it is. You literally go from like, you know, hustle, hustle, hustle to. Oh, my God. Now I have to worry about the day to day politics. Now, I have to worry about people being happy. And yeah, it's a humbling experience. I wouldn't trade the experience for anything in the world. And I think you have to sort of master the art. But hey, you signed up for it when you decide to start a company.

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:09:42] Exactly. And it just yeah...podcasting is just one of the many mediums where founders and I guess everybody can realize that, like, hey, you know, like you're not in this boat alone. There's like hundreds, if not thousands of people having just a shitty day as you are. It's totally fine. Everybody has it. Now, here's like little tips and tricks to make your day that much more better. And I think that's pretty incredible.

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:10:05] I used to be so naive before I launched Quill. And in a former life, when people used to ask me why I wanted to start a company, I used to naively tell them it was because I wanted to be my own boss and not be accountable to other people. And now I realized how far from the truth that statement could possibly be. I almost feel so foolish looking back, realizing that you are so much more accountable now to your clients or customers, your investors, your employees, your team, yourself, the amount of pressure. And I would say accountability is ten fold. And so if you're starting a company because you want to be your own boss, that is not a good motivation or impetus because it will not last on the scale.

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:10:46] Yeah, no, that's true. And like the crazy part is the realization of the accountability you have to have for yourself skyrockets. And it's like, hey, if I don't figure this out, there's nobody else. I can't go to a boss, I can't--There's no hierarchy. I'm the top of the pyramid. Where am I going to go? Ask the sky? What am I going to do? You can't do that. So switching gears, how do you think podcasting has now become important when it comes to running a business like do you--podcasts are popping out left and right. You're seeing it--it's like we're still very much in the early stages of podcasting. Do you see it later becoming more of an integral part of businesses later on?

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:11:32] I wouldn't say later, I would say it's becoming a very integral part of businesses today. I think podcasting or rather the pandemic has sort of shown us that marketing teams have to sort of re-imagine what their business is they're going to look like in the in the short term. And how are they going to continue communicating with their customers and their employees in a time where, you know, the face to face touch points are just no longer possible. And I think we you know, if you look day to day, we use so many brands like Slack, Amazon, Google, Facebook Donalds. But do we really have an emotional connection or relationship to them? No, absolutely not. Podcasting can really change that. An example that I like to give people is Ben and Jerry's. I love ice cream and I've never been particularly loyal to any ice cream brand like I'll literally, whatever's on sale, I'll grab it. Whatever tastes good, I'll have it.

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:12:22] But after I listen to the Ben and Jerry's podcast episode on How I Built This and then further saw their statement that they put out for the Black Lives Matter movement... I developed such an emotional connection and bond with the founders and their story and the inspiration behind Ben and Jerry's and what it took to get there that now I exclusively only buy Ben and Jerry's when I'm at the grocery store. And so I didn't--you know, it's just the perfect example of, you know, they become influencers. You end up trusting their product recommendations. You end up understanding their brand story. They become human. It's not just a brand far away in the distance that you have no connection to. And that is the perfect example of a story. Lush is another example. Now, I like, buy so many Lush products after hearing their story on a podcast. And so I would say in the 1980s, every company had a phone number for their business. In the 1990s, it was a website. In the early 2000s, it was social media and I think in the next five to ten years, everyone, every company will either have a podcast or be advertising on one. So we're still early in the hype cycle. But you know, in 2007, if you were one of the first people on Twitter, you're by default and influencer today. And similarly, if you're podcasting today, you will be an influencer in the next five to 10 years.

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:13:38] Yep, I totally agree with you. Podcasting--like you have the ability to build such an intimate relationship..

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:13:47] It is intimate.

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:13:49] Very much so because you get to...Because like people who have been like I mean, there's been so many situations are like, man, I wish I was a fly on the wall in that conversation. Now you can! You can literally sit--like I woke up and I forgot to turn my phone off and I was listening to like--I was listening to a podcast and I woke up and I was like four in. And I was like, oh, crap. I got I got I got to go back. So it's like, oh, wow. I'm like re-listening to old episodes. And I was like, oh yeah. Forgot about that. Or like this or that. It's...yeah you're right. Like brands have now they have the ability to build a very intimate relationship with their customers. Aside from...Hi, I'm Ben and Jerry's, here's my ice cream. It's like no, like this is the cool things that we're doing when it comes to Black Lives Matter. It's some amazing things that we're doing when it comes to like all these different kinds of food.

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:14:31] Here's our purpose. Here's our mission. Here are values. Here's how we treat our employees. Here's what we're doing for our philanthropic efforts. And yeah, it's just like they become--They go from becoming this like, powerhouse brand to just becoming, you know, it's just a human interaction or a human connection. And the cool thing with podcasting is, unlike events and physical touch points, that typically offline tactics have the power of forming stronger relationships with podcasting, even though it's an online tactic, you reach a global audience. And so you're not sort of confined by geographic boundaries. And yeah, I just I think if you're a brand that is targeting to affluent, educated, millennial professionals, which is typically the audience that tunes into podcasts, that's 80 percent of the workforce that has purchasing power, then it's a no brainer that you should be starting a podcast.

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:15:22] Yeah, I mean, you brought up a good point of like you have the ability like you have two abilities, like one, you know, like you're in between someone ears, like you in their head for a huge chunk of the time. So you have the ability to, like, not only get buy-in for your brand, but have buy-in for you as an individual. You as a CEO, you as a founder. And it's kind of amazing that you can take like the culture stuff that you spend so much time building within your company. You can share that with everybody and get more brand by it. That's always been like the biggest, I guess, issues with founders, like how do I share my culture? How do I share my message? How do I share my vision with everybody, not only investors, but the people. Well now you can with a podcast, you can sit down like. Hi, I'm Manseeb, host of FinTech Fridays. I'm a 25 year old kid that doesn't know anything about FinTech or anything. I sit down with people that do. That's my show. That's it. It's a really crazy, incredible journey.

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:16:16] It is. And you know what, like not forget brands for a second. I mean, even just like the barriers of entry are starting of a starting a show is so low you literally need to have a mic and an Internet connection. That's essentially it. And so...

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:16:30] You don't need a mic you can just use your phone.

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:16:33] I mean, I cringe when people use their phones, but yes, you could technically use your phone. All you need to do is have a story and content to share and there's something really cool about that.

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:16:44] So how do you think the space has changed due to COVID? I guess like podcasting space? And I guess it's like business as a whole?

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:16:54] So I would say that before the pandemic, when we had just launched in the New Year, a lot of people were saying that it was a huge risk because podcasting could still be a fad. I mean, I know it's been around since well before serial launched in 2014 I would say people were still very skeptical of its tactics. I think because of the fact that the pandemic has isolated people, people have been looking for new ways to consume content and people have been looking for new ways to stay connected. And we've seen like an exponential growth curve in the industry, not just with our own sales and revenue, but also just the amount of podcasts that have been created. I mean, I think before the pandemic, we were at something like eight hundred thousand podcasts and now we're at one point five plus million podcasts. Even in this short period of time, the amount of new shows I think get the stat is something crazy. Like five thousand new podcasts are launching every week. And so I think the pandemic is really shown us that we've been so reliant on physical touch points and human interactions, which is not necessarily a bad thing. But as soon as that would sort of put into question, people are thinking of new ways that they can allocate their marketing dollars, that they may have budgeted for conferences and events and videos and client lunches and team meetings. And now it's like, OK, well, how do we still continue to stay engaged with our audiences, our listeners, our followers, our customers or our families and people that we are typically just looking to shoot the shit with? It doesn't have to be some like a work agenda. It can literally just be a way to...I have actually some friends who have started a podcast just for their internal group of friends to talk about fantasy football all week. And, you know, props like what a great way to create content and have fun while doing so. You don't have to have some larger agenda for it. It can literally just be to have fun. So I think people are going to continue using it as a tool to stay connected with people. And it's like very similar to your phone. Zoom calls, Instagram. It's just another medium of a way that you will communicate. And I will say that everybody consumes content in different ways. For some people, it's visual. For some people it's audio. For some people it's written. And until this point, there has been no form of audio content that really can resonate. I mean, radio is real time, so it doesn't really count. But for someone like me, I consume content. The best way for me to learn is through audio while I'm actively engaged in other activity. And until podcasting became mainstream, there was like audio books. But that's pretty much it. Like where else can you tune in to hear really good content on the fly?

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:19:31] So yeah, no, I agree with you. I feel like if I'm not listening to music like I have in past episodes, I'd be listening to a podcast to prepare for my podcast. Which is very strange, but like it works like you're right, I mean, wow, that's now I think about it...I think I helped launch like two podcasts this week because, like, I have so many friends that are, that want to, you know, like they want to talk about their own little like X, Y and Z, like, you know, like what's it like to be like a founder, like in the mental health space? I was like, perfect, I can help you on the phone. So, I guess what would be, you know, now that now that like podcasting, everyone, everyone's launching a podcast right now that my dad might launch on probably after I've done this. What would be some, I guess, like tips and tricks that you can share dealing with so many brands, you know, like going all the way from a corporate level to just an indie one.

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:20:25] Well, I think really defining the whole of why you're launching your podcast is really the first step, is that like your dad just doing it to stay connected to his friends and have a touch point with them. Then great. Are you looking to go into it full time? So I think once you figure out the why, the how becomes a lot more clear. For example, if you're wise to bring in sponsors and monetize on your show, then I would say your production quality and budget should look very differently than someone like your dad who's doing it just to have some fun. We want to record off of your phone if your goal is just to have fun. And that's totally OK. But if you are, you want to use Zoom, that's totally OK. But if you're looking to bring in a sponsor or monetize on your show, then you really want to start thinking about your brand elevation in your position and you want to make sure that your audio quality is spot on. You want to make sure that you have invested in your cover art, that you are thinking about ways to market your show, that you have a really great mic and like, you know, using a recording software that typically doesn't distort the audio waves. So I would say typically like figuring out the why is the first thing. And then the second thing is figuring out your ideal listener profile. You can't be everything to everyone. So your dad's case, it would be like Bengali uncles who really enjoy poetry or it doesn't have to be Bengali. My dad is Pakistani and also loves poetry. So he would be like the perfect target audience for your dad's podcast. Yeah, we'll connect our dads for sure. They'll definitely like to jam out to some poetry sessions, but...Yeah, like figuring out your ideal listener profile I think is so key. And this is an exercise we do with all of our clients, like who are we looking to target with this content and with our marketing efforts. And then once you know who that is, everything should be revolved and tailored around that ideal listener profile. And then just, yeah, from there it's just about really going to the steps, which is the easy part, to be honest. Like everyone can purchase equipment, create episode plans, source guests, hire people to help you with all of those things off of marketplaces like Quill or Fiverr. And but yeah, I would say just like figuring out the why should always be your first step and then everything else will sort of fall into place.

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:22:40] Yeah. No, I agree with you. The biggest... Yeah, I mean, that's one of the biggest obstacle or hurdle of like figure is your why, right. Like granted like in podcasts, in life, in business, or what may have you, like, just figuring out why we're this, who we're doing this for is the biggest thing. You brought up a good point, podcast like profile. I don't think that's going to be a term that I think they're going to start using dramatically in the coming future of podcasting, because I don't think when people are launching a podcast, I mean, I don't think they're really keeping the end listener in mind. You know, like it's very similar to marketing, very similar to sales of like, you know, what's your customer persona? What's your customer profile or do they look like what are the sound like? What do they do? How do they shop? How do they buy? Very similar when it comes to podcasting. And a lot of people I think they make the mistake, which I've done personally of like they'll look at like really big podcasts like Joe Rogan or like Tim Ferris or what have you. And they have since there since a brand name so big, their audience is a lot wider. You have people like on Rogan, you have people that are fighters to hunters, to neuroscientists, to philosophers, to everybody. But they feel like an indie the podcast. Your stuff's really not for everybody. I think that and I don't think a lot of people consider that at all.

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:23:50] Yeah, I would definitely agree with that, and you're right, I think Joe Rogan's target audience for his podcast are essentially white males, like he's very clear on who his target audience is. And that's great. That's great that he has a very specific niche. I am definitely not listening to Joe Rogan, but I love podcasts like... Yeah, look, I love podcasts with a lot of diversity that include diverse programming, for example. And so I would say that those are more of the shows that I typically gravitate towards. But yeah, I mean, like I would say, again, being hyper clear about who it is that you're trying to target. And yeah, if you are looking to promote your products or services, doing it in a way that's extremely tasteful and doesn't come across as salesy and promotional because that's not what podcasting is for.

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:24:42] Yeah, no, not at all. You definitely you definitely want to have your podcasts to be a sales pitch because nobody likes big sales pitches. I'm a salesperson. I hate hearing sales pitches. Like leave me alone.

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:24:52] So the best way to be a salesperson is to not be a salesperson.

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:24:57] Yeah, it's everyone makes that mistake. I mean they'll learn. Everyone will learn and it's a matter of same. So, I mean, so you've got a good point. You know, you like to listen to episodes or so you like listening to shows that have more of that diversity. I mean, what do I mean by very diverse? What I mean, like what advice would you give to, like, female founders, I guess more specifically, like like diverse female founders? Like, is there anything that you, I guess, either listen to from a podcast that you kind of carry over into your business or something that you read in a book? What advice would you give to younger up and coming female founders?

 

[00:25:38] So I would say in typically when I look at my network, it's always the women in my network that are afraid of being too aggressive, too promotional, too opinionated. It's funny, I was on a work call this morning with a group of women in the tech community that I'm friends with. We have this like monthly standing meeting. And one of the women were talking about how she constantly suffers from imposter syndrome, where she feels like when she's in a room pitching to investors, she feels like she knows her product is good enough, but doesn't know how to articulate it and sell it and come across as super confident and aggressive and bold. And I would say that that that is something I find a lot of women struggle with. And so, you know, the system itself is flawed. Absolutely. I recognize that, especially for underrepresented founders. But we can counteract a lot of that by advocating for ourselves. At the end of the day, we are CEOs of our own brand. And so my advice is always take credit for your ideas. Don't act, don't get... Put up your hand, advocate for yourself, work on your personal brand, because if you don't, nobody else is. And then I think it's normal for everyone to suffer from imposter syndrome. But I try to remind myself whenever I'm sort of hearing those self-critical, self doubting moments that nobody else has more or less of a right to doing exactly what I'm doing. And the difference is just going for it. So that is actually probably my biggest piece of advice, because as a female founder and particularly one of colour, I would say that I have to be so over-prepared every time I'm in a meeting because there is no element of error and judgment. I cannot...There is no second chance, typically, I would say with us and we're already walking into the room with a disadvantage. We're already walking into the room where we don't look like the people who are giving us money and making the decisions. And so if there is going to be a clog in the pipeline and you're going to be so overprepared, then there's no room for imposter syndrome because you have done your preparation and with preparation comes confidence. So that would probably be my biggest learning lesson in the last few years that I would sort of pass on to other founders.

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:27:55] Yeah, I mean, you bring up a good point of imposter syndrome among a lot of a lot of women deal with it. Right, because it's I mean, I was as you're talking, like I got reminded of, like my negotiation skills course that I took a couple of years ago. And like one of the things a professor brought on, like women are not as aggressive as they should be. It's like if you want to raise, ask for a raise. Reason why guys get raises is they ask for a raise.

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:28:16] Your professor has not met me.

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:28:22] Yeah, clearly!

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:28:22] I would say I would say not all, but like...it's definitely something that I think a lot of women are now working on and being conscious of. We have a long way to go. But I think like for me particularly, I want to try to keep profiling female founders in my community and championing them so that we have more examples to look to.

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:28:44] Yeah, I mean, that's that's that's a huge part of the show of like having like female founders. You know, not specifically the financial tech space, but I guess now the podcasting space as well of, you know, having amazing people like you on the show just gives a chance for everyone else to kind of like, oh, crap, she's doing it and she's of colour, OK? Like, she's just as aggressive as me and she's very similar to my personal type. So why am I not doing it? Why am I think I can do. So yeah, it's incredible that what you're doing is to create that, you know, you're taking the traditional rhetoric of what it means to be, I guess, a woman of colour in business and like flipping it on its head and just running with it.

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:29:27] Thank you. Yes.

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:29:30] OK, so before we wrap up, is there any last minute tidbits that you want to, I guess, leave the audience before before we wrap this guy up?

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:29:44] Yeah, I would just say that, you know, this is an extremely difficult time...

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:29:50] Whatever however you want...

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:29:51] I would say that, like I know that, yeah, I would say that I know that this is a really difficult period as people are navigating the pandemic and reimagining in the short term what their lives are going to look like. And so, you know, just try to stay as connected as possible as you can with people and maybe podcasting is that medium. Maybe not. But offline tactics do have the power of forming stronger relationships. And I've built my entire network one handshake at a time.

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:30:17] Love that! One handshake at a time. That's going to be the....today's episode. For this. I'm calling it one handshake at a time. So Fatima will be the best way for audience members to either reach out to you personally, for business, to reach out to you will be the best forum for people.

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:30:35] Google me, I'm pretty accessible. My handle is @zaidiafatima across the board. Our website is quillit.io. I'm like very accessible if you want to find me. It's like not hard to so feel free to reach out directly on any platform.

 

Manseeb Khan: [00:30:52] I love it. Fatima, thank you so much for coming on the show today and I'm excited to have you back on.

 

Fatima Zaidi: [00:31:00] Thank you so much, thank you for having me. Really appreciate it. Happy podcasting!

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End of Podcast

 

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