We were lucky to catch up with Parham Shariat recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Parham, so happy to have you with us today and there is so much we want to ask you about. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others developed certain skills or qualities that we are struggling with can be helpful. Along those lines, we’d love to hear from you about how you developed your ability to take risk?
When I was a young child of about 7 or 8, during the Iran-Iraq war, my parents faced a monumental decision. Despite their usually cautious nature, they made the bold and life-altering choice to leave Iran and start fresh in the United States. This decision meant leaving behind everything familiar and taking a leap into the unknown. Their courage to embrace such a significant risk brought about a transformative change in our lives. From this experience, I realized a crucial life lesson: sometimes, it’s the risks we take that pave the way for positive and profound changes in our lives.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I love helping startups overcome challenges, such as product development, marketing and funding. As a startup consultant with over two decades of experience, I have helped numerous startups achieve success by providing guidance on strategy, operations, and marketing. I have worked with various multinational organizations and have owned, operated and successfully exited my own startups. I have also assisted multinational organizations in expanding their operations by creating teams, launching new markets, and improving processes. I have been fortunate to have gained extensive hands-on experience in chief executive roles.
My resume includes work at companies such as Inova Healthcare, Sooren Global, JBF Industries, and Marcus & Millichap.
Areas of expertise include:
-Strategy, vision, and mission planning
-Sales, traditional and social media focused marketing, and PR strategy
-Financial strategy planning
-Information technology optimization strategy
-Strategic alliances
-Policy and procedure development
-Team building and performance improvement
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
First and foremost, Stay up to date. Continue educating yourself in your industry and learn the latest technologies. In today’s world, technology has an impact on almost every business, so don’t just read the new about new tech like ChatGPT, spend time and truly learn how it works and implement it in your daily business.
Second, find a good mentor. Someone that has the experience with the track record of success as-well-as failures. In my professional life, I was lucky to learn from good mentors. In many occasions, learning from somebody else’s mistakes saved me time and money.
And finally, believe in yourself and do not doubt your decisions. Being indecisive in business is dangerous. It leads to missed opportunities and people around you will think you can’t make a decision, because you don’t possess the knowledge to perform the task at hand.
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?
For overall business strategy: The Art of War by Sun Tzu For sales: Sales Dogs by Blair Singer
For strategy: How the mighty fall by Jim collins
Self and Business strategy: Life is Not a Game of Perfect by Dr. Bob Rotella
Contact Info:
- Website: www.parhamshariat.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/parhamshariat
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parhamshariat/
Image Credits
Nami Pictures
