From Tajikistan to the top

TMM talks to mother-of-four Zebunisso Alimova about how she went from speaking no English to owning a successful Mike Pero franchise and winning multiple industry awards.

BY KERRY MEADOWS-BONNER

Zebunisso Alimova left Tajikistan as a teenager and moved to New Zealand, which she initially hated.

“When I first arrived, I came to study in high school in the last year. That first year was really, really hard, especially having to learn English.

“I remember talking to my mom, saying I hate this and want to go home!”

That was 20 years ago. She persevered - and today is a mortgage adviser and franchisee owner of Mike Pero in the Wellington region.

“It’s gone so fast. I’ve spent more time now here than back in Tajikistan.”

Initially, Alimova wanted to become a journalist - her father was onebut had to find a more affordable option due to the high fees for foreign students.

After a degree in international studies at Palmerston North’s International Pacific United, she was offered a role at the campus in recruitment and marketing, attracting students to the institute and helping them adjust to life in New Zealand.

What fits best with family?

Four years later, she and her husband decided to start a family – and quickly realised the recruitment role would not be the best fit with motherhood, due to the amount of travel involved.

As the pitter-patter of little feet began, she embarked on a post-grad in counselling at Massey University while working part-time at the ASB bank as a personal banker and loan officer.

It was after baby number three that her brother asked her if she’d like to buy his Mike Pero Mortgages franchise, keeping it in the family while he went off to see the world.

“He sold me on the idea of being able to work from home - that it’s a family oriented business - so I said, ‘Ok, great!’ That was five years now.”

Many of her former clients from the bank followed her to the new company.

Initially she focused on refinancing, helping clients find better home-loan deals, but soon became passionate about assisting first-time home-buyers.

“As a mortgage adviser, I suddenly realised I had access to first-home buyer, home-loan deals like [those from] SBS bank, the Cooperative bank, and all these small banks that I didn't really know much about.

“There is a passion of mine to help as many first-time buyers as possible and get them into their first homes.”

Her personal experience as a firsttime homebuyer, and almost losing a house due to a visa-related issue, meant she could relate to the importance of helping people overcome obstacles to achieve their goals of home ownership.

“Hand-holding is absolutely how I describe my job, because first-time buyers are the ones that don't really know much.

“They are the ones that need the most help - and if you're able to help them, you win clients for life.”

Juggling career and parenting

Transitioning from banking to an adviser role meant Alimova had to adapt to different banking policies, learning about the various options available from each bank.

She also faced the demanding challenge of balancing work with family life, but highlights the importance of setting expectations with clients.

“Being honest to your clients is the key. Not having any family around meant sometimes saying to clients that if they need to see me at this time, I have to bring the baby.

“I grew enough confidence to ask those questions - and discovered, 99% of the time, people were fine with it; they didn’t care.

“Setting those expectations right from the start [is critical]; you can still be the best adviser, but I also have a family that needs me.”

Finding a supportive network was also key to making the juggle work well. Alimova didn’t have a mentor when starting out, and found being a franchisee was at times isolating - until she joined Venus, a female networking group.

“I found that very powerful. It is only women and you go in there and you’re representing your business, but at the same time, if you are having some life challenges, they are there to help and support you.”

Helping clients

Post-Covid, the 35-year-old has been in turn supporting clients, providing comfort and education, looking at their budgets and assisting them through tough times.

She says with house prices low compared to three years ago, it’s a good time to buy a property.

“A lot of people have no clue that it’s a good time to buy, [nor] what it all means because of high interest rates. With clients it’s important to keep up that education and transparency.”

Part of that education has included countering incorrect or incomplete advice.

“There was a lot of bad advice going around in the industry during Covid times, things like mortgage holidays with no repayments.

“That can be dangerous without context, so it inspires me to set things right with clients and educate them.

She runs monthly webinars and seminars, and posts “tips and tricks” on multiple social media platforms every day.

Recognition for success

It’s a formula that seems to be working.

Now a mother of four, she won the Mike Pero Franchisee of the Year Award in 2022 – the first woman to do so.

“It was mind blowing, because, you know, I’m a mum. Four kids at home. I do this part time.”

This year, she won an Excellence Award in the NZMA’s Adviser of the Year (independent and franchise category) and has made the NZ Adviser Elite Women list two years running.

She has expanded her Waikanaebased business, and now has eight staff working for her: three loan writers/ advisers, three as personal assistants, two in marketing.

“It was lonely working on my own and dealing with the workload, so now, it’s,‘Ok, what’s next?’

Currently serving on two boards as an independent trustee, she is in the middle of setting up the Waikanae Business Association with the support of Kapiti Coast District Council and aims to become a professional director, serving on larger boards such as Air New Zealand.

“There are some other things I want to achieve, maybe getting to $120 million in lending in business.”

Outside of professional life, Alimova has a passion for martial arts, particularly taekwondo.

“I’m a workaholic at heart, so my husband got me into martial arts and now the whole family is into it; I’ve got a red belt now in taekwondo.

“It’s a great outlet to get you through those stresses and the physical workload we have to put up with as mums.”

She also loves to read and listen to audiobooks, and has a newfound passion for drawing – something which started with a drawing app and progressed to art classes, thanks to a gift from her husband.

“I found I really enjoyed the art class membership I got for Christmas, so I kept drawing.”

She says she seems to be “really good at it” – a fact which somehow comes as no surprise. ✚