The Tenacious , Resourceful & Driven – Zain Asher Beyond the Newsroom
– How She Rose to Become A CNN Correspondent
+ Her New Book About Her Mother
Zain Ejiofor Asher, is a British Nigerian anchor for CNN International based in New York. She anchors the new global news program, One World with Zain Asher, weekdays at 12pm ET on CNN . She is also popularly known as the younger sister of Nigerian British , Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations actor – Chiwetel Ejiofor. Despite being a famous journalist, Asher has maintained a low-profile when it comes to her personal life. In this week’s edition , Tribe and Elan editor in chief caught up with Zain during her recent brief visit to Nigeria . In this interview with MORIAM MUSA , she spoke on how she built a successful career in Journalism , Her Style and her upcoming book .
HER CAREER JOURNEY …
T & E – Could you please tell us how you rose quickly in your career as a journalist ?
Zain -As you know, CNN has a diverse team when it comes to their staff . In terms of my rise, I always give his piece of advice in journalism which is, ‘Have a specialty.’ Find something that you can offer that few people can also offer. I got my start from Business Journalism. I studied Business news. I largely taught myself and that really helped me because I had something to offer besides just being a general assignment reporter. I am personally very lucky because at CNN I have been given a lot of opportunities. I became an anchor after joining the company for about a year and half; which is unheard of.So have a specialty .
T & E- You worked as a receptionist before CNN, how did this career leap take place?
Zain– That was my first job out of university. I was a receptionist for almost four years and I did not want to remain a receptionist. I wanted to move up within this production company but that never happened, no matter how many times I asked for promotion, it never happened. So, when I realized the job was not for me and the promotion was never going to happen, I sat down and asked myself what I wanted to do and what I really loved and that for me was journalism. I studied journalism in Grad school. It was hard for me to get a job when I graduated. So, I decided to try my luck with this production company. When that did not work, I went back to journalism. And I really worked hard.
I would say I am a resourceful person so when I resigned, I got my roommate at the time to film me with a camera around California, basically pretending to be a reporter. I put together packages and visual stories, hoping that I could send it to a TV station and they would hire me. I didn’t have much experience then though but I had studied enough for what it took to put together an honest story and I could do it. So, I sent this to a station in the New York area. They agreed to bring me to an interview. I went to New York, did the interview and even when I didn’t have any experience, they were impressed that I had the tenacity and the drive to put together this tape myself, teach myself how to put together those stories and how to do stand-ups. So, they gave me a job on the spot.
T & E – What lessons would you say you learnt along the way and what would you give as advice to younger journalists ?
Zain – There are so many lessons in my journey for young people because I could have easily told myself that I didn’t have any experience, so it would be difficult to get a job at the station. But you don’t know unless you try. So my message is for people to just try.
HER STYLE STORY ….
T & E- you love dresses quite a lot. Why is this?
Zain– It is true. I do love dresses. I think that because of the type of job I have. Yes, of course, I want to look chic, and I want to look professional. But it’s also important to me that it’s simple and that it’s effortless as well. And I really think a one piece is a great way to do that. I love to make my dresses stand out in other ways. I love to experiment and explore using different textures, different fabrics, also patterns as well. But given the demands of my job as a professional woman, yes, I’m in love with one piece, especially at work.
T & E- How would you describe your sense of style?
Zain– Well, I would say that my style is constantly evolving. I love experimenting with new things. I think that if I was going to set up my style in one way it would be when I’m not at work, obviously. Elegant street style. I love mixing high and low. I love the idea because, you know-I’m from Nigeria, but I was born in London, I now live in America. So for me, I love the idea of incorporating different cultures into my style when I can. And so that might mean , having a traditional Nigerian blouse with a pair of jeans or whatever, , just just experimenting, exploring. So yes, my style is definitely evolving.
T & E- What would you say is your fetish?
Zain– Definitely, structured, tailored coats. When I buy a new coat, I really pay attention to the fit. I try to find something that is right for my body type that really suits me but I think that if you have a structured coat that can elevate any outfit, then that’s my fetish.
T & E- Who are the Nigerian designers that you admire the most ?
Zain– Oh my gosh, so many so many that I would love to work with as well but I was gonna list some of the many that are on my radar whose styles and designs are different but that I’m equally in love with it would be I would say Ejiro Amos Tafiri – I love her designs, Lisa Folawiyo is also wonderful as well. And Lanre Da Silva – Ajayi as well. So those are my three Nigerian designers that I’ve admired from afar.
T & E- What is Your beauty routine Like ?
Zain– I have a morning routine and a nighttime routine. The nighttime routine is much more involved because it includes really cleansing my face to get rid of the oils and the grime of being out and about in the city all day. It involves washing my face with a gentle cleanser. I exfoliate every single day I use a gentle exfoliator. I recently discovered this rice exfoliator and I’m in love with it . After that I tone and my toner contains witch hazel which is great for the skin and then I moisturize. which I have two of . So by the time I go to bed my skin feels so clean and so soft and smooth. My morning routine is basically a much shorter, abbreviated version of that because normally I’m rushing to get to work.
T & E- what are the key elements you look out for when it comes to your style?
Zain– Definitely accessories – jewellery, handbag, statement hat, shoes, accessories can completely and I mean, completely transform any outfit. Just find the right accessories to match the right outfit. It doesn’t have to be too many accessories. But the right handbag or the right pair of shoes and the right piece of jewellery. You pair it with the right outfit and you could end up with a showstopping stellar combination. So without a doubt the one element the missing ingredient for me, the hidden ingredient I should say, is always accessories.
T & E- How has your formative years affected you as a woman today?
Zain– Hmm…. So I didn’t have the easiest childhood. In fact, I would say that my childhood was actually quite hard. My father passed away when I was five years old, he was killed in a car crash. And, you know, despite the fact that my mother raised us as a single mother, we didn’t have much money. And, you know, her education had actually been interrupted by war in Nigeria. She’s an incredibly resilient person. She’s someone who can withstand absolutely anything. And despite everything she’d gone through, she really did carry us on her back for years to give us a better life. She’s my role model, She is my heroine. As I mature and as I navigate what it means to be a woman in the world today, she’s the person that I look to, and she’s the person that I continue to learn from. If I can reach the end of my life, having half , half the resilience that my mother has, I would have done very well. So yeah.
T & E- We hear you have a book in the works , what is your book about?
Zain– My book is called- Where the Children Take Us, and it is a memoir. And really, the question that I get asked the most, is- How did she do it? How was your mother who was this widowed immigrant from Nigeria living in South London? How did she manage to raise you as a CNN anchor? Your brother and Oscar nominated actor, your sister, doctor and your oldest brother, a successful entrepreneur? How on earth did she do that? So the book explores how she did it. It started on September 3 1988, the worst day in our lives. It was when my mother got a phone call. And the voice on the other end of the line, basically, you just said, your husband and your son had been involved in a car crash, one of them is dead, and we don’t know which one. And it sort of looks at how despite that gut wrenching loss, and that overwhelming sadness my mother felt at that time, how she really fought for us with every fiber of her being, you know, and in the book, I really tried to explore where that resilience comes from. And it comes from her heritage. There is a deep sense of determination and strength and a fighting spirit that is present among all Nigerians that I really do admire so much and using our family’s story, my mother’s story in particular, I really want to share that with the world. And that is what my book is about where the children take us, and it’s out on April 26 This year
T & E- Looking back at your own childhood ,what would you say reflects in your being a mum today ?
Zain -As a mother, my job is to expose my children as much as possible to everything, even though they are very young so they can pick what they are going to fall in love with. Because there is no point forcing a child to do what a child doesn’t love; nobody wins in this particular situation. I am a journalist and I have done very well. My brother is an actor and he is doing very well. If my mother had forced him to become a doctor, it would not have worked out. It worked out because my mother was very supportive of our dreams and because I grew up in that kind of household, I am going to do the same for my children.
