Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Hifa Maleki. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hifa, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I have always been an under-dog. While like many people, I work hard, put everything I have into driving results and making an impact, I have always been in professional situations where there has been little to no room for error. Through my career, I have been the youngest, only minority, the only female leader, executive and often, all three. Throughout my professional journey, I didn’t just face business challenges and hurdles, I was directly and aggressively challenged.
Instead of pushing my way through the barriers, I critically aligned with my core values and put forth the best version of myself in every room and situation I was in. I learned two things.
First, to stay true to my character and maintain my core values to a fault. I pride myself on being a true professional. I am calm, maintain a positive tone and respectful etiquette, no matter the situation or interaction. That no matter how hard I was pushed, I had to make a choice to manage myself around the chaos and noise so that when I left a negative meeting, heated conversation or disrespectful interaction, that my character was never in question. Over time, this made me stronger, more resilient, confident and made gave me razor sharp instincts. I learned how to navigate even the most challenging situations feeling absolutely in full control, which without a doubt, made me a better leader and executive.
Second, while I view my overall path as always heading in a positive direction, the journey down the path itself was often dark. There were a significant volume of instances that I would tell myself ‘I can handle this’, ‘I can deal with this’, and that ‘It didn’t bother me’. Often what I was handling or dealing with that I would not let bother me, was the noise caused by others due to ignorance, ego or poor character/judgement.
To find my purpose, I checked back into my journey to listen for what contributed to my professional DNA. I found that my relentless pursuit towards excellence, my drive, unwavering work ethic, values and strong positive character were a result of the challenges I faced as an ‘individual’ in my journey. This is where i found my true purpose. As a leader, entrepreneur and executive, my core purpose and focus is built around growth. I found that, the stronger all people connected to my business, the stronger the business. As I invested in their personal development, we always saw an ROI in business development.
I have spent the last 15 years working in aggressive business development, with much of my years working to build franchises. My purpose has become to support others through their professional journey, helping them reach their goals in positive environments that want to see them win. While I am grateful to have gone through everything I did, because it made me who I am, I communicate and coach the values I learned to give people the insights and edge they need to be effective and successful.
My purpose is to be a light on someones path, brightening their way towards success. You are more confident to run faster and reach your destination when your path is well lit!
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a dynamic leader who is known for my impact in the strategic growth of some prominent brands across Canada. Specializing in franchising, I have a passion for helping people open their first business. Spending a year or longer with an individual, supporting them along their journey of opening a business, then seeing them reach that milestone is an emotional moment that i do not take for granted.
After helping over 200 groups of people open businesses across Canada, I was ready to venture and open my own businesses. Along with my business partner and best friend, Percy Wiredu, we opened our first restaurant, El Corazon YEG April 7th, 2022. Since then we have opened our 2nd, El Jardin YEG summer 2023, with a 3rd restaurant opening this summer. Building a portfolio of businesses in my hometown has always been a dream of mine. Coming from building businesses across the country, it feels good to invest in a community and city I love so much and Im proud to call home.
In early 2023, I met Lexi Miles Corrin, the Founder + active CEO of Waxon Laser + Waxbar. Hearing her story and her passion for supporting women in leadership and helping people find financial freedom, not only inspired me, but aligned with my purpose. I joined Waxon as Head of Development, along with Lexi and the incredibly talented and driven team, we are working hard to fulfill our mission by opening our First 50 Waxon locations across Canada in the next 2 years with our next milestone of 100+ being shortly after.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Training – When there is a clear, well thought-out and airtight training plan and path for each role, initiative and process, the understanding of expectations will impact the number of resources you need. It will increase your team and company’s bandwidth, supporting quicker growth and movement. It all begins with training and proper onboarding to ensure that everyone in your organization have the knowledge and information as well as the understanding of what is expected of them.
Select Based on Capacity For Growth – Be selective! Ensure the individual you hire, franchise partner you select, vendor you work with, have the capacity to (1) carry out their responsibilities (2) have a capacity for growth. Often we hire based on what our business needs are, but as we know, many businesses need to adapt to grow. You will limit (stunt) your growth if your selection isn’t growth focused. I always say that a resume got them to the interview. The interview is where I evaluate if they can run the marathon. Who they are now and their skills, is just the starting line.
Care – If you hire people that don’t care, you or your team will have to manage them. If you select vendors that don’t care about the details, you or your team will have to manage them. You cannot teach care. You will always have to manage yourself, your team and business around it. This is very often over-looked.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.elcorazonyeg.com
- Instagram: hifabulous
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hifa-maleki-8013591a/
