Anita Agrawal’s career is one of coincidences and connections, and, more importantly, her jumping into those opportunities when they appeared. An e-commerce expert, she’s the CEO of Best Bargains Jewellery (brand Jewels4Ever), an award-winning Canadian company that she helped advance using the knowledge she gained at Centennial College. That, and her advocacy for employment issues led to her being named one of Canada’s 100 most powerful woman entrepreneurs by the Women’s Executive Network. To her, college is about making connections, and that’s what she teaches, having come back to Centennial College as an instructor in classes aimed at helping students in their careers. Here’s the story of her own winding career, and what she’s learned from it.
Changing paths through Centennial
Anita’s Centennial College journey started out as a career change, when she realized her previous choice wasn’t right for her.
"I did my undergrad in Human Biology and Anthropology at the University of Toronto," Anita says. "And like a lot of other 21-year-olds, I was like, what am I going to do with my life? I had no idea, because I wasn't too keen on continuing in biology." Luckily, Centennial’s short, focused postgrad programs gave her an easy way to change tracks.
"At that time, Centennial College had a one-year postgraduate program in e-commerce," she continues. "It looked like something that I could work in, maybe get a job in, and not flounder around." And that’s where her first important connection was made, through the program’s practical component.
"We had a capstone project at that time," she explains, "And a person that I met in the capstone project was from a small organization called the Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT). We made their website, we made their marketing plan, we did all sorts of stuff for them.I It was so cool, because they had just registered that year as a not for profit. Fast forward to 2014, I ended up becoming their president."
"I wasn't the greatest student," she admits, "but building those quiet connections outside of the college while you're studying is just as important."
From bust to boom
Anita’s next coincidence involved turning a problem into a new career path, and it was all because of the end of the Dot-com bubble at the turn of the century.
"I worked for an IT graphics design company, where we built websites and such," she says about her post-Centennial career. "And then there was the dot-com bust. But all of these things are in cycles, right? So, there was a three-year bust, and I decided to work for my family business." That choice would set her future on a different path again, along with her Centennial College e-commerce skills.
"My parents had this jewelry business," she explains, discussing Best Bargains Jewellery, the company she would eventually become the CEO of. "So, I created a fully functional e-commerce website for them. I did have help, so I got coders, but I knew exactly what I wanted to implement in the website because of the things that I had learned at Centennial. I was able to make an amazing website, one of the first in our industry in Canada. To have an e-commerce website in 2001, 2002, it was really innovative at that time." And that’s where she still works today, having secured six international jewelry design awards since then in between her other projects, including her presidency at OWIT. Speaking of that…
The connection that brought her back to Centennial
“At every (OWIT) event,” Anita says, “I usually give away a pair of earrings or a piece of jewelry, because I run a jewelry business. The woman who won the earrings at an event held at Centennial College sent me an email later on, and she said, ‘I did some research about you. I noticed that you've been in a lot of articles, and you're a small business owner. Do you want to come and do a guest speaking session? I'm a professor at the College.’ That speaking engagement would lead her to also become a professor. As for what she now teaches students, it’s how to get a career, from someone who’s an expert in navigating employment.
"I teach Career and Employment Readiness for postgraduate students, a lot of international students," she says. "Basically, how do you get around in the workplace? How do you get a job? How do you connect with people? Because as you and I know, you get most jobs in Canada, just like the way that I got my job at Centennial, through referrals."
"It's been a bit of a juggling act since then," she admits, "But it's been really fun. I’ve managed to teach for the past 10 years, and one course ended up becoming three courses. I teach just one day a week, and we also switched to a four-day work week here at our office, after the pandemic, so it works out really well for me."
Continuing to make connections.
Both at Centennial, and out of it, Anita continues to keep her networking skills strong, by being a part of whatever events and organizations she can.
"One thing that I did get involved in was a TEDx talk in 2020," she says. "That was also on my bucket list. I had no expectation that I would be selected, because there was an application process. But it was such an amazing experience. And I'll tell you, having done the TEDx at the College and having talked to other people that have done a TEDx talks, I'd say the College provided way more coaching, and more involvement than other places."
"I am also part of this organization called the Better Way Alliance," she adds. "We talk about fair wages, and global wages. We're a network of small business owners, and we champion ethical business practices, including talking about how commercial rent impacts tenants who are renting, like I rent two offices. We talk about paid sick days; do you have a paid sick day policy in your office? And how does people being sick and coming to work, impact your business? We talk about those kinds of issues."
Recognized for her skills.
Entrepreneurship is all about making connections, so it makes sense that Anita would end up as one of Canada's 100 Most Powerful Women, even if it’s something she never thought she’d get chosen for.
"When it first started, I think it was 10 or 15 years ago, a lot of colleagues of mine said I should apply, but didn't think I was good enough to apply," she says. "And then this year, I did apply. And I was so shocked. I cried for like a full hour after I found out through email." At the awards event in Toronto, she’d be amazed by the caliber of women entrepreneurs she found herself surrounded with.
"I was just blown away, because the women there were incredible," she says. "Some were doctors, some of them were scientists. At the dinner table, I sat next to a woman who was literally an astrophysicist, and she was one of the top 100. And then I sat next to a 16-year-old girl who had created some kind of device. I met a lot of women who were in skilled trades, and that's something that we don't talk about a lot, women in skilled trades. It was just overwhelming."
Passing on what she knows
Ultimately, it all comes back to her equipping the next generation of businesspeople with the skills needed to jump at opportunities when they appear, like she did.
"I use a lot of real-life examples in my teaching," Anita says. "I talk a lot about experiences that I've had, or business owners that I know have had. And every semester, I usually bring in four guest speakers, they're usually other small business owners, or people from the corporate sector. I also bring in the Parkdale Legal Clinic every semester, and they talk about employee rights in the workplace. I especially want the international students to know what their rights are as employees in Canada." Another way she’s going to do that is to get her students out of the classroom and volunteering, to make sure they have solid work experience.
"Moving forward, we’re going to organize a volunteer activity for my classes," she says. "We'll go to a food bank, just so that they learn one avenue for getting a job in Canada is volunteering. And having volunteer experience is really important to just making you a fully rounded person, but also to gain skills that you might not necessarily have."
Words of Wisdom
Anita Agrawal has a lot of advice for her students.
"A lot of people say, follow your dreams, follow your passion," she says. "I would say be strategic, have a plan for yourself. Every year I set aside three to five goals that I want to accomplish in that year." But more importantly, you need to ensure you make connections, and take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves to you, like she did.
"There's been so many amazing success stories of students meeting people that you would not normally meet," she says. "Like people that are heads of Fortune 500s. Generally speaking, people are helpful, and they're nice. And I would say use that to your advantage."
"What I want to let students know is that the connections that you make at Centennial, when you're in these business programs, take them seriously,” she says. "Because you never know how you're going to be connected to those people in the future."
"Your experience at Centennial is valuable," she adds. "My experience at Centennial, the relationships that I built, have lasted a lifetime."