Meet Ryanna Quazi

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ryanna Quazi a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ryanna , appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

I think I get my resiliency from my parents originally. My parents have gone through significant challenges in their lives since immigrating to the United States in the 1980s. Whether it was adjusting to a whole new culture, raising children in a foreign land, or raising a child with special needs (my older brothers), I have watched my parents handle challenges with grace, grit, and positivity. They have never stopped showing gratitude for everything good that life has handed them. They raised me with the same virtues and that is why I am able to look at every challenge that life has thrown at me with positivity. I have a growth mindset, and I look at challenges as an opportunity to learn and improve in every aspect of my life, whether that is my education, my career, or my entrepreneurship journey.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Kahini Books is an online/pop-up bookstore that highlights South Asian fiction & other lesser-known fiction from authors from other communities. We have had the chance to work with the Smithsonian National Asian Museum of Art, Wolly Mammoth Theatre, Olney Theatre, and more great community organizations across the Washington DC area to bring our mobile/pop up bookstore to the masses. We also have a bookshop.org affiliate shop, where a percentage of each book purchase goes directly to support Kahini Books. If you are interested in supporting our bookshop.org shop, please go to https://bookshop.org/shop/kahinibooks

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I think I was able to translate a lot of the skills that I gained from working in public health nonprofits to fit the entrepreneurship world. For example, in the non-profit sector, I learned about the importance of member/customer engagement, effective communication (both oral and digital), and targeted social media marketing. I was able to utilize these skills when engaging with authors, potential pop-up partners, and customers in-person and online. My advice for new entrepreneurs is to be confident in the abilities that they already have, whether that is from an established career or formal education. If you are confident and believe in yourself, you will find that everything you need to start a business is already within you.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

Obviously as a bookstore owner and avid reader, books have played a major role in my development as a student, a public health professional, and as an entrepreneur. To name just one would be difficult, but if I had to pick one, it would have to A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum. I read that book when I was just beginning my life in DC and it taught me so much about breaking stereotypes, women empowerment, confidence, and the drive to live your life on your own terms.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bookshop.org/shop/kahinibooks
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kahinibooks/

Image Credits

Little Library Photo- Taken by Ryanna’s now husband Jason