Don’t Downgrade Yourself: Resilience, Leadership, and the Courage to Ask for Help
Some leaders rise because the path is smooth.
Others rise because they refuse to quit — even when rejection tells them they don’t belong.
Aytakin Aliyeva’s story is the embodiment of the second kind.
An immigrant leader, nonprofit founder, and tech professional, Aytakin is the visionary behind FIGR Grants, an organization dedicated to empowering immigrant women through mentorship, financial education, and community building. Her leadership journey is shaped by resilience, humility, and an unshakable belief that visibility creates opportunity.
For Tiffany Odutoye, this conversation is both powerful and personal — rooted in shared values of servant leadership, humanity in the workplace, and the responsibility to send the elevator back down.
From Rejection to Purpose
Aytakin’s journey to leadership began with rejection — and a lot of it.
After immigrating to the United States with a strong education and professional background, she found herself applying repeatedly to corporate roles and hearing nothing back. Despite her skills and experience, self-doubt crept in. Rejection began to erode confidence, pushing her toward roles far below her capabilities just to survive.
But those experiences didn’t break her — they clarified her purpose.
After eventually landing roles at major tech companies including Instagram, Aytakin saw firsthand how different leadership environments shape confidence. Supportive managers, psychological safety, and leaders who listened made all the difference. Those experiences became the blueprint for the culture she would later build herself.
Leadership Rooted in Humanity
Aytakin’s leadership philosophy is deeply people-centered. She speaks openly about the responsibility leaders carry — not just to deliver results, but to create environments where individuals feel seen, heard, and safe to grow.
Through FIGR Grants, she applies those lessons directly. Her organization exists to help immigrant women navigate systems that often feel opaque and exclusionary — from understanding workplace culture to building confidence, financial literacy, and leadership skills.
For Aytakin, leadership is a choice — one that determines whether people shrink or rise in your presence.
The Power of Asking for Help
One of the most honest moments in Aytakin’s story is her reflection on how difficult it has been to ask for help.
A self-described “doer,” she admits that independence once felt like strength — until it became a barrier. Over time, she learned that leadership doesn’t mean carrying everything alone. Asking for help is not weakness; it’s an invitation for community to show up.
That lesson now shapes how she mentors others — encouraging women to speak up, share their needs, and trust that support exists.
Advice to Her 25-Year-Old Self
When asked what she would tell her younger self, Aytakin offers two truths born from experience:
“Don’t downgrade your abilities and capabilities because of the rejections.”
“Ask for help. Don’t try to do everything yourself.”
It’s advice that speaks directly to women navigating uncertainty — especially those whose confidence has been shaken by closed doors.
Her SheRos: Strength in Many Forms
Aytakin’s inspiration doesn’t come from a single hero — but from many.
As a child, she admired a journalist from Azerbaijan who became a symbol of confidence, representation, and possibility. As an adult, her greatest strength came from her mother, who never gave up — even through war, scarcity, and loss.
And as a leader, Aytakin finds inspiration in Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA — an immigrant leader whose humility, transparency, and authenticity shaped how she defines strong leadership.
Together, these influences form a powerful mosaic — proof that leadership lessons come from everywhere.
Book Recommendation
Power: Why Some People Have It and Others Don’t — Jeffrey Pfeffer
A book Aytakin revisits often, this recommendation deepened her understanding of influence, leadership dynamics, and why power operates the way it does — especially in complex organizational systems.
Why Aytakin Aliyeva’s Story Matters
Aytakin’s story is a reminder that rejection is not a verdict — it’s often redirection. That leadership is built through experience, not perfection. And that confidence grows when we stop downgrading ourselves and start asking for support.
Her journey reminds us that rising isn’t about doing it alone — it’s about building communities strong enough to rise together.
🎧 Listen + Subscribe to How She Rises to hear Aytakin’s story in her own powerful words.
