When Annette Zinky was in her early 20s, she got in trouble. She does not remember for what, and she does not remember with whom, but she does remember the epiphany that followed: “Getting in trouble was no big deal.
You’re always going to upset somebody, but if you don’t, maybe you’re not trying hard enough,” Zinky said. “I stopped caring if people get mad at me, and incidentally, very few people get mad at me.”
Zinky’s independent ways belie the fact that she is also completely approachable in her position as CEO of NACET. Above all, she values kindness and creates thoughtful action. “I do the stuff that I would like to do. If I have a dream, and it seems tangible at all, then it becomes the mission,” she said.
Zinky joined NACET in 2011 and became CEO in September 2014, cultivating that culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. NACET, which was formed in 2001 as a non-profit organization, moved into the current building on Gemini Drive in 2008. The Accelerator, a 28,000 square-foot facility, which will house office space, bio labs and conference spaces, is located next door and is scheduled to open July 21. Both buildings are owned by the city.
Zinky’s passionate personality mirrors the growth of her organization and her clientele. “The excitement, energy and enthusiasm of entrepreneurs is really contagious because they are passionate, they are driven, they are resilient. It’s a great, infectious culture to be a part of,” she said.
Zinky is an only child, born in Kansas City, Missouri. She moved to Arizona when young, met her husband in the Phoenix area and moved to Flagstaff in 1999. “We were allergic to Phoenix,” she said jokingly. She studied linguistics, education, business, philosophy, psychology and Spanish at Arizona State University, ending up with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish.
The real education, though, began 18 years ago when Zinky and her future husband started their own business while still in college. Zinky Electronics began by selling Smokey Amps (a rock-and-roll amplifier) and then added speaker cabinets, tube amplifiers and PA amps. Bruce, her husband, was (and still is) the engineer, designer and inventor. Annette ran the management of people, money and sales for 10 years.
After operating the business for a decade, Zinky made the tough decision to separate her work and personal life. She started helping other people with their own start-ups at the Small Business Development Center at Coconino Community College.
“It’s hard to have that kind of double-relationship where you are partners in work and partners in life,” Zinky said about working with her husband. “Some people are really good at setting boundaries so when you go home you aren’t in work mode. I wasn’t good at it though, so it was better for us to have that one great relationship.”
Two years ago, the Zinkys sold off the manufacturing and sales of the big products of Zinky Electronics, while still offering the popular Smokey Amps. Now they have two boys and run a successful family together.
Zinky calls herself an “instigator” and thinks of herself as a creative problem-solver. “I can’t stop my brain from working out solutions to things. If you tell me your idea, I try to figure out a hundred ways to get there and then think of the 10 best ways to get something done,” she said.
Zinky loves the creative environment and often talks about “sparking,” “serendipitous collisions” and the “secret sauce.” In her profession, she helps entrepreneurs map out a plan to bring their brilliant ideas to fruition. In a casual conversation with her, you cannot help but get excited from her energy as she shows you the way to achieve your dreams through practical advice.
“You can really make amazing things happen by using momentum that’s already there,” she said. “Tenacity and resilience are definitely the calling cards of an entrepreneur. You can’t give up and you have to keep getting up.”
Her advice for entrepreneurs and for everyone who wants to keep evolving is to be just a little bit uncomfortable, “because that’s where growth happens, on the edges, where you’re stretching a little bit.”
She also wants people to think of the value they are bringing into the world. “Remember to say to yourself, ‘I’m making the world a better place,’” she said.
Zinky is a person who is bold yet kind, takes risks, yet includes everyone. She believes in working to people’s strengths, and has the self-confidence to be genuine and authentic in her dealings.
“The older you are, the more like you you become,” she said. “It’s something I say all the time.” FBN
Written by Elizabeth Hellstern