Get All Access for $5/mo

2020, The Year That Was: Rejani Cicily Joseph, Co-Founder And Director Of Analytics, Anavizio "With businesses going through their worst months, it was vital for us to refocus and recuperate."

By Aby Sam Thomas

You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Anavizio

As the co-founder and Director of Analytics at Dubai-based analytics and technology consultancy Anavizio, Rejani Cicily Joseph's experiences during 2020 would possibly mirror those of several of her fellow counterparts in the MENA startup ecosystem.

For those of us looking from the outside in, Joseph (who's better known in her circles as "CJ") looks to have been keeping quite busy through the course of the COVID-19 crisis- her company (which bills itself as an enterprise that was "founded by communications and marketing professionals for communications and marketing professionals) has been consistently tracking trends on social media over the last couple of months, and putting together stats and studies that businesses could make use of in their digital marketing strategies amid this period.

Related: The Year That Was: Mudassir Sheikha, Co-Founder And CEO, Careem

But the work Joseph has been doing in 2020 is only one aspect of the year she's had- there's also been lots of other things that's been happening behind the scenes, so to speak. "2020 was a rollercoaster ride for Anavizio with a handful of highs and lows," she says. "My biggest highlight was having the time to pause, take a step back, and evaluate the overall business. With businesses going through their worst months, it was vital for us to refocus and recuperate. We repositioned ourselves by focusing on our strengths, and identified partners to help amplify those strengths. This had a tremendous positive impact on our business." Curiously enough, from a personal perspective, what's kept Joseph going through this year has been a result, in part at least, of the crisis itself. "Working from home during most of the year, and being able to spend quality time with my family, helped me to remain focused, stay grounded, and plough through the lows," Joseph concludes.

Time for introspection: Rejani Cicily Joseph reflects on 2020

1/ Collaborate
"As Gary Vaynerchuk would say: "The pie is big enough for everyone.' Instead of competing with everyone around you, take the time to find the right partners with the right skills to collaborate with."

2/ Adapt
"The market has changed tremendously, and businesses have had to realign, strategize, and adapt to these changing conditions. As an entrepreneur, you have to keep emotions, ego, and pride aside, focus on your end objectives, and adapt to the changes around you."

Related: The Year That Was: Haleema Al Owais, CEO, Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Real Estate

Aby Sam Thomas

Entrepreneur Staff

Former Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur Middle East

Aby Sam Thomas is the former Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur Middle East. Having started working on the brand in November 2014, Aby was responsible for leading the publication on its editorial front until September 2024.

In his nearly-decade-long tenure at Entrepreneur Middle East, Aby played a key role in its growth and development across the MENA region, with him developing and executing events, programs, and other initiatives under the brand's banner, while also personally representing it through his appearances in conferences, media, etc.

Aby has been working in journalism since 2011, prior to which he was an analyst programmer with Accenture, where he worked with J. P. Morgan Chase's investment banking arm at offices in Mumbai, London, and New York. He holds a Master's Degree in Journalism from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York.  

Side Hustle

'Hustling Every Day': These Friends Started a Side Hustle With $2,500 Each — It 'Snowballed' to Over $500,000 and Became a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

Paris Emily Nicholson and Saskia Teje Jenkins had a 2020 brainstorm session that led to a lucrative business.

Women Entrepreneur®

How Huda, Mona, And Alya Kattan Built The Billion-Dollar Huda Beauty Brand Out Of Dubai

The Kattan sisters on building the Huda Beauty megabrand out of Dubai (and no, they aren't done with their ambitions just yet)

Science & Technology

5 Automation Strategies Every Small Business Should Follow

It's time we make IT automation work for us: streamline processes, boost efficiency and drive growth with the right tools and strategy.

Growth Strategies

Huda Beauty's Mona Kattan And Apparel Group's Sima Ved To Headline Dtec Forum, Powered By Entrepreneur Middle East, In June

Huda Beauty co-founder and Global President Mona Kattan and Apparel Group founder and Vice Chairperson Sima Ved will be the key speakers at the second edition of this year's Dtec Forum series, powered by Entrepreneur Middle East.

Living

10 Movies All Entrepreneurs Should Watch on Amazon

From original films to Prime movies, here's what you need to watch.

Side Hustle

8 New Ideas for Making Money on the Side

There is no better use for spare time than turning it into spare money.