You can't help but be impressed by Sonita when you meet her. She has such a presence and confidence. She really knows who she is. A colleague of mine has a phrase, "comfortable in her own skin', that describes Sonita perfectly. No power dressing or six inch heels, she makes an impact without any of that.
Sonita believes in projecting her desires ahead of herself. She knew that she wanted to go into jazz, and set things up as though she were already a jazz journalist.
"From this time on doors began to open. If you say something it will become real. I call it an imposter moment. I decided I wanted to work in jazz. I came out of Cambridge with a degree in philosophy and decided to work in what I liked, which was jazz."  |
You run a large Media Company. What is media?
Telling stories; I've always told stories, we've always told stories, from early /African cave paintings to African oral history. All cultures have oral histories, but they are particularly strong and living in Afro Caribbean culture. |
Have you ever been aware that you got different treatment as a woman?
What I find the hardest thing is being a woman, a mother and a CEO. People's expectation is that you will have the same emotional commitment as a man. People expect you to be a man. There should be more flexibility in work. |
My most memorable event:
Giving birth. A time when you don't feel so in control, and inevitable, you don't know who's coming out of it and you're a different person after it.
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Are you aware of the relevance of cultural or gender equality issues in your work?
But we're doing this interview the day after the American Elections, (America had just elected the first Afro -American President) and there's a different feeling. It feels like there's a line been drawn.
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What was the most serendipitous turn your life took?
Breaking into Jazz FM. I went to a Cassandra Wilson gig one night, and next night Jazz Against Apartheid and the same guy was there. He said "you look like a journalist, come for an interview." It's your choice, many paths, your life is full of so many different paths.
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If you were speaking to young women starting out what advice would you give them?
I am a seizer of opportunities, and making the most of them. Grab the moment.
Advice to young women starting out:
- Don't set a limit on your ambition.
- Realise that your ambitions will change as you achieve things; as you do more, more things will become possible.
- "Yes" is a better word than "No".
- There will be some impostor moments. Just opens up more doors. So I pretended to be what ultimately I became. If you say something, it makes it real
- Don't be afraid to network; meeting interesting people and saying: "Can you help me with this?"
- Ask lots of questions constantly. Don't' be afraid to ask for help.
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