Reviewer: Behdad Khazaeli
Hi
Now that I have the chance to start over...
I was 24
I had a beautiful 4 year old daughter
I went to college when I was 17
and I thought it all will be done until I’m 21
and then I can make a big change!
But it all blew off!
I married to a young musician
who fired from university
and I didn’t know what to do anymore
One day I saw a friend
who had a 5000 Tomans salary each month
and I just asked myself is it possible for me to have 6,000 Tomans salary one day?!
This was my question
I was dreaming about flying high
but I was scared
I didn’t believe in myself or the things that I actually loved
In the last year of university
I was interested in two subjects
Packing and advertising
The things that those days was completely useless
And what was my potential? And what was society’s need?
Well, my suggestion is
whenever we want to move this balloon
we can make a checklist with two important questions
What is potential?
I was a housewife and a student
but I came from a family who was famous in publishing and packing industry in Isfahan
That’s true which women were just designer back then and no one went to the factory
but because I carried my family name “Esfarjani”
I went to factory for the first time and I had to pass from a line
which was full of working men and industrial machines
I died until I finally reached to the end of the factory
And just because of the manager who was my father’s friend
I had the courage to pass this hallway which was like "Green Mile" for me
Choosing packing subject was so strange back then
I traveled a lot
and asked a lot that what should I do?
I went to one of my teachers for a consult and he throw me out of his office
and told me you are nuts and so are all the people who encouraged you to do this
And I clearly remember how much I cried
and told myself that I’m probably wrong
But in the last disappointing days
I suddenly met a great teacher
It was the most important meeting in my life
and I realized that when you are looking for your way,
you will find a good source to help you. Thhe source will find you
I always thought the opposite
I looked for the source so hard
But suddenly I found out that if you are curious enough,
the good teacher will find you
His suggestions changed the way I thought
When I was a student, I thought if Akbar is a good illustrator
and he takes the works to publisher
and publishes the calendars
and all his works are be done automatically
He is the winner!
While the day that Akbar came and sold calendars to my boss for 500,000 Tomans
My salary 25,000 Tomans those days. When he was leaving
he did like this! Means "looser!
I just got your 5 years payments in 1 month!"
But those 5 years that I was a student to my teacher
I learnt a lot I was young and without any experiences
My work, My mood,
Was changing every day
It wasn’t acceptable not go to work
because I wasn’t in the mood The boss is waiting
Your daughter needs to be at kindergarten
So the daily decisions, changed into multiple level decisions
Try and error system changed into a trustable system
I was a smart rabbit but after all these, I became a turtle
Totally turtle But this turtle made me strong
It gave me a strength which I finally could make the balloon ready to fly
And let go all the things which was on my way
I quit that company
with my boss’s agreement
but I was scared
I couldn't believe in myself
Until the day that I loaned money from 6 people 300,000 Tomans from each person
and I bought a professional Macintosh PC
Because one of the things that I learned in that company, was working with apple
After that office director came and asked: “Do you know what did you just bought?”
-Yes
+Do you know how to use it?
-Yes
+The boss would like to see you next week.
The things were gone out of my way.
But what were they?
What was the things that hold me back?
I’m a woman, I can’t, They’re better, I don’t have enough resources...
And our profession was for men
Advertising didn’t have any rooms for women those days
My license serial number is 13
I’m the 13th person who could have a
path in television for advertising
But still I was afraid
and I wasn’t sure. Little by little I could believe in myself
and do my work and just focus on getting success
I always believed in partnership and I still do
We need to do team work these days otherwise we won’t success
So one of my talents and strengths is doing team work
Put me wherever you want, I will work with that team
or I will lead that team
One of these two
So I create teams
and encourage them
Then I do the marketing and find costumer for the company
Little by little I could ease my way
But the thing was which way should the company stick to?
Creating something new
It’s easy, yes!
Or it sounds so creative!
But selling that thing is as hard as creating it
So was finding a way in market for it
And I didn’t believe that a marketing expert could sell our new product
I and couple of colleagues were in charge for marketing
So we chose
What made our product different and valuable
The values that made our product qualified
And so we could get a new project Do a good work, next one will come to you
So I imagined
When my goal is just about having a big company
With good qualities and high efficiency
By quality I mean
something that you like
You like to keep
And you won’t let that off the table to reach your goal
This is value
You have to choose this and write it down
Because if you don’t write it down and compare these two,
you won’t reach the end
You will go back instead of moving forward
But when you keep your values high
and be clear with costumer
and be honest in
finding real and gold opportunities
and long term work relationships
caused that in 12 years
we became the pioneer of advertising in Iran
and being the first company who sold 40% of his stock to international companies
This sale caused something in our company
I’ve been trained a lot
But still it wasn’t the complete satisfaction and happiness
Why? Because it was a big disagreement between me and my partner
I believed in sharing the happiness
and my partner believed in keeping the happiness for himself
So we separated
I put two limits for myself
One, efficient values for myself and the world
Two, if my knowledge and experience can help with products
It can also help with charities and non-government organizations
So I started
When I felt so down I did three things
First, I found a school
So I can teach what I know to others
Second, I did volunteer works in charities and nongovernment organizations
and something really cool happened in few years
Third, it was the environment and separating the trashes
It was my concern for almost 9 years. Still what you receive
اis from my notes which I gave them to the government
Goals for myself and efficient values for me and my world
It all gives you unlimited facilities
and that’s where we call it a "miracle"
If we believe that my situation today is yesterday’s result and changing mind
Then, for sure, tomorrow’s situation depends on today’s changes and works
There is no other way
Being loyal to your values
This loyalty helps you success
When all the world is dark you will be the flame
For sure, you will be seen
So you enter to somewhere new
Somewhere you had no idea that it existed
So our finish line is never specific
Today’s world is full of colors and everything
I am an interdisciplinary product
There was a day I thought I’m insane since I was in graphics
and then in literature. I write and read poems all the time
I used literature in my work
but in a hidden way
Literature, phycology, anthropology But why?
Then I thought why on earth I go after these things!?
But the truth was I found out the sell and buy structure and good friendships
Telling brand’s stories, started from here
So today I suggest youths
to use your knowledge and interests
In condition of making your work valuable
New colors can be create Exactly the thing that world needs
Math can’t do anything by itself these days
But math and IT and animation all together can create something new
Every day I see people who found themselves in between majors
This is not insanity
It’s the exact thing that we need Be honest and diligent
Be flexible
Be careful
Be creative and thankful
And for sure you will reach your goal
Thank you!