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TRANSCRIPTION WITH SPEAKERS
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[00:00] SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Canada's podcast.
[00:05] SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Canada's podcast. Great to meet you.
[00:10] SPEAKER_00: You have a very interesting background, which we've just been talking about.
[00:16] SPEAKER_00: So why don't you let everyone know a little bit about who you are and your entrepreneurial slash life journey date because they can overlap.
[00:28] SPEAKER_00: So why don't you do that?
[00:30] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, thanks for having me fill up and you know thrilled to be here.
[00:36] SPEAKER_01: You know, in the short version of you know my entrepreneurial journey is that I'm someone who has always followed her own path in life.
[00:49] SPEAKER_01: And that's led me through you know working in different industries from you know fashion to to finance to you know experience with with nonprofit and the thing that the common thread and all of those things has been you know the human aspect I love.
[01:10] SPEAKER_01: You know telling stories in any of the different jobs I've had have been in you know one way or the other you know telling stories whether I worked in finance, you know, I was giving an update on on the money that we were managing you know for various clients, how their investments were performing.
[01:29] SPEAKER_01: You know in fashion I you know tell stories about the products that I design and you know the women that we name them after you know back if you go back all the way when you know for my postgraduate thesis you know I wrote I wrote about getting people with disabilities into the job market and really looking at them as intentables that that we can.
[01:56] SPEAKER_01: You know sell in the market so and you know in all those different jobs have been telling stories one way or the other.
[02:05] SPEAKER_02: So you know you from Iran as you said to Dubai to New Zealand Australia Canada.
[02:21] SPEAKER_00: What does that do for you in terms of you know being an entrepreneur building a business in in the new land if you like but what's that kind of you know what's the what's the gem that you like that makes it go that makes it work.
[02:44] SPEAKER_02: Yes.
[02:46] SPEAKER_01: The thing if you and it's built it's helped me build a lot of grit you know being a an immigrant and outsider so many times you know over it's built you know given me a lot of experiences that I've grown from and you know when you are an entrepreneur the if you are the kind of person that needs motivation you're never going to do it.
[03:14] SPEAKER_01: You know because motivation is the last thing you'll be getting you have to get up whether you feel like it or not and you have to you know go out and you know work on whatever it is that you know you want you want to work on and everything is all the odds are against you so you know for me.
[03:35] SPEAKER_01: I think going from Dubai to New Zealand you know that was my first culture shock you know the Middle East where you know as a you know I moved to New Zealand when I was 13.
[03:50] SPEAKER_01: You know this was a time where there wasn't as much multiculturalism in New Zealand as it is now this is early 90s and you know as a 13 year old I remember like my first day in class I had a you know a student asked me if I was black I mean they'd never seen.
[04:13] SPEAKER_01: I mean this person it was a very I guess you can say Caucasian neighborhood and it was a you know particular school but they had never seen and I was really kind of confused because you know surely they must have seen you know black people on TV and you know so that that was kind of like the first you know culture shock and and just getting even though I spoke you know perfect English but understanding that.
[04:42] SPEAKER_01: You know that you don't unlike you know Dubai you don't worship your teachers and it's not you know cool to add to like you know have like perfect attendance I remember and I was such a nerd in school telling you know another student that you know I'm so proud I never missed a day of school and she's turned around and looked at me because you were such a loser and so she was this you know cool girl.
[05:11] SPEAKER_01: You know it's it's those those things that build you know grit and life I was a you know at school I was a librarian and I played soccer and I was also in the debating club so if you look at it none of those you know even in today's you know today's high school none of those groups will will be interacting with each other so and none of those groups.
[05:38] SPEAKER_01: You know concerted me as one of their own in fact they just thought like you know the librarians thought you know why why you like very many playing soccer with those you know people the people in the debate class didn't understand why you know I would be a librarian so I just you know didn't understand the you know those kind of like cultural nuances and even later on in life when I did understand them I just
[06:07] SPEAKER_01: learned to to tune them out you know then when I came sounds like you like the crossover boundaries and I was just you know now now I say walking how you want I mean at that time it was you know it wasn't you know comfortable and you know did I wish that I was accepted by anyone of those groups absolutely
[06:30] SPEAKER_01: but I just learned to become more of myself and that's really helped me in my entrepreneurial journey.
[06:41] SPEAKER_00: So you know you're now in the fashion business specifically you know in shoes and bags I would say high style type of thing.
[06:56] SPEAKER_00: What are you most excited about in that business today I mean what's what's changing okay you know you I mean you have a showroom but I would imagine online is a large part of your business what what's what's changed in the last three years I mean it's been three years I just just interested on that.
[07:18] SPEAKER_01: Yeah I mean geez wow how much time do you have like what what hasn't changed you know in in 2020 when the you know pandemic burst hit and you know I saw the the changes happening because we manufacture everything in Italy
[07:39] SPEAKER_01: and you know all our factories are in Italy we work with specialized factories so you know and and factories are like like restaurants they're very good at making you know specialties we don't work with the factory that does all but because we have a dedicated team in Italy I saw you know COVID before we experienced it in Canada and I just decided that you know when I was in Canada
[08:08] SPEAKER_01: COVID first happened that that was going to be the the first year of our company and doesn't matter what we had done before it doesn't matter you know what's worked in the past before that we are in this new world and you know this is this is the third year and I'd say that every year I look at it with you know a fresh set of eyes and I don't expect this year to be like you know the past two years.
[08:35] SPEAKER_01: What I'm excited about is that you know and what actually attracts me to this kind of business you know as long as we are you know human beings of this nature you know we need to all of us it doesn't matter who we are we want to you know feel good we want to look good and we want to you know take care of ourselves
[09:00] SPEAKER_01: so that's why I like you know CPG type of businesses you know consumer products and you know for us right now we're in the fashion space and you know even though we're in zoom and none of us have really kind of you know been going out or hopefully I you know I want to say we have hopefully we're staying at home and staying safe but you know we still want to feel good after a while there's only so many you know sweats that you can wear right there's a
[09:29] SPEAKER_01: stretch pants will take you so far but even with stretch pants you know if you just decide that that's going to be what you want to wear for the rest of your life you want to you know you're going to have a shower you're going to want to you know do something to your hair because we have I mean we are human beings and we have visual senses so that aspect of you know the business still excites me we've never you know been a company that specializes in trends so
[09:59] SPEAKER_01: and anything that I you know designed three years ago you can still buy it today and it would still look fresh and you can you know still wear it you know five six years from now
[10:11] SPEAKER_01: you know the aspects that have changed are you know how we source products you know how we look at you know retail like I
[10:22] SPEAKER_01: the space that we have now I made a very smart decision and I signed on right at the start of the pandemic of course you know I didn't know that the pandemic was going to be
[10:32] SPEAKER_01: shut and we're you know we have this storm it's in our you know third year this year but the first year was only open you know for a few weeks the second year which was last year you know maybe you know a couple of months at the most
[10:50] SPEAKER_01: so we haven't really been able to you to utilize it at all and you know yes I think that it doesn't matter what business you're in you know if you're not online right now it's very hard not just to survive but actually to you know to service your customers because
[11:10] SPEAKER_01: and you know customers want convenience and you know we're not an Amazon kind of business but you know as you say you know we make specialty products you know luxurious you know handbags and shoes and you know our customers require that white love service
[11:29] SPEAKER_01: and whether it is you know they come into our stores or whether we do you know online you know styling appointments with them and we have to have that you know white love service across all channels
[11:58] SPEAKER_00: click the link in the description to learn more about creating an effective compliance program we've all gone through this challenge in the last two and a half years so let's forget that one but typically you know how do you deal with challenges I mean is there is there a process that you you evolved over the last you know
[12:26] SPEAKER_00: X years that says when I hit a wall yeah this is how I will come is there a process that you've developed like that because it's you know there are various ways to do it I think
[12:42] SPEAKER_01: it's a very good we very good question and I you know I don't I haven't written the process but I always you know one thing that I'm always asking myself is you know what is my why you know what is and you know your why is really your purpose your mission you know what is my why so by the challenge in my company I have to you know remind my
[13:11] SPEAKER_01: yourself you know why on earth and I I did this one the pandemic had you know and we we're selling shoes and backs you know why do we exist do we really need another you know
[13:22] SPEAKER_01: bad company do we really need another shoe company not really but the way that we do it with Zavelle does it yes I do believe that that we need it so depending on the problem you know I really get close to to my why and
[13:38] SPEAKER_01: and the one benefit of you know going older is is that you know you realize and especially now with the you know the pandemic is that we've all seen loss we've all seen you know we've all experienced loss and trauma and you know good things and bad things and I like to put things in perspective so
[14:04] SPEAKER_01: what used to you know really bother me like say you know the early challenges may not bother me as much now because I know that they're you know they're not big enough to kill us so I like to put things in perspective and you know also being someone who has never really had a safety safety net so you know it's I have to work
[14:33] SPEAKER_01: for you know everything I have and so if this doesn't you know if I can't make payroll there's no investor that's going to you know wire me money and I can you know kind of do it so I try to make sure that
[14:49] SPEAKER_01: those kinds of problems you know I don't get myself into often but how I how I get through it is just you know what is the worst thing I have to ask myself what is the worst thing as with entrepreneurs I would say like the worst thing that we're always dealing with is that fear is that shame factor because and that's not something that most entrepreneurs talk about but the thing that
[15:19] SPEAKER_01: you know whatever the problem is most often is that shame factor oh my god if my company fails and I'm going to have to and someone is going to Google my name you know they're going to see that this happened and you know I
[15:36] SPEAKER_01: have to explain to the world why it failed well a lot of companies failed just simply because you know they run out of money or you know things happen or you know with restaurants or something it's knowing you know just
[15:52] SPEAKER_01: trying to get yourself in a frame that it's like okay if the worst thing happened and it's because you know I don't want to be embarrassed or you know be ashamed then really like you have to look yourself you know in the mirror and say who cares like like you know it's kind of like who cares so that's
[16:18] SPEAKER_01: something that I would say that my biggest you know challenge is always like okay if I'm if I've done right by my you know customers my employees and you know my my suppliers and if the only thing I have to work on is my
[16:36] SPEAKER_00: I know ashamed then then so what I can overcome that so now we're moving into kind of advice mode yeah what's the best piece of advice that you've received you know we'll get
[16:51] SPEAKER_00: advice but remember you there's always like two or three things that I've carried around with me yeah and I you know I go back to kind of thing and they're they're sort of in there ingrained in my personal process kind
[17:07] SPEAKER_00: of yeah what's the what's what's what's what would you say the best piece of advice you've received that you keep on using basically yeah and you know the best piece of advice that I've received is actually is in a
[17:21] SPEAKER_01: book is is in Victor Frankl's book the he wrote man's search for meaning and that's my one of my favorite books in the world and it he you know writes about you know having you know survived you know Auschwitz and the concentration camps is where
[17:43] SPEAKER_01: when you have a why you can endure anyhow so for me it's you know when you have that why and your why has to your purpose has to be bigger than you know then that
[17:57] SPEAKER_01: monetary because then material you know that's the biggest thing you know why on earth are you doing something
[18:04] SPEAKER_01: and if you don't have a good reason then you should really stop and ask the the second you know piece of advice is you know years years ago I heard you know someone saying or run your own race
[18:23] SPEAKER_01: and in it's what we call eggs of all you know the mission of our company walk how you want it's there's so many you know conflicting advice on you know how to be the
[18:34] SPEAKER_01: perfect this how to be the perfect that but at the end of the day I think that if we want to experience and we only have you know where in life there's only two things that are guaranteed you you're born and you die you know and then after that apart from that there's you know really no guarantees so if you don't you know live life
[18:59] SPEAKER_01: according to your own path and you know according to your own you know inner bliss following your own inner bliss then it's a wasted life you know I have no trouble following my inner bliss but that's okay
[19:11] SPEAKER_01: that's when it's yeah and and and I and I don't think of like following inner bliss is is kind of for you know a lot of people say well that's great like I've got
[19:23] SPEAKER_01: responsibilities and I want to follow my own inner bliss I'm not talking about you know and putting your job and just watching TV all day long because that's your inner bliss
[19:33] SPEAKER_01: if it is and you figure out a way how to you know get somebody to pay for everything let me know I'm talking about you know how are you going to you know like use your life you know if
[19:46] SPEAKER_01: are you here to eat to drink suck air and die because I think that's a wasted life but
[19:55] SPEAKER_01: if you're here and you do something with it then I think it's a meaningful life so let's have some
[20:00] SPEAKER_00: fun questions just kind of tailing off you based on the amount of books behind you you're really
[20:06] SPEAKER_00: looking at what some of those are what you currently reading or what book would you recommend to our
[20:14] SPEAKER_00: audience you've read recently that might be a better way yeah um with the literally the last book that I read
[20:23] SPEAKER_01: that I just finished is um it's by Michael Dell and uh it's I should know what the name is called but it's
[20:31] SPEAKER_01: it's plain ice but win or something like that uh the founder of uh yeah yeah of Dell um and it was
[20:40] SPEAKER_01: it was a very interesting book um and he you know essentially talks about like he's very competitive and
[20:46] SPEAKER_01: but he you know he wants to you know he wants to win um the uh other book um that I just finished is um so I
[20:58] SPEAKER_01: name a lot of things after um and a lot of my products after um you know people whose books I've read
[21:05] SPEAKER_01: or people who are interested and somebody mentioned and boy um because I love uh Victor Frankl
[21:12] SPEAKER_01: another psychologist and his his book was uh becoming myself and I should know his name he actually
[21:20] SPEAKER_01: is a um he's a really good psychologist so um and the third book is a strong it's about using strong
[21:28] SPEAKER_01: language to tell stories um so it and I've always got three or four different types of books um I love
[21:36] SPEAKER_01: founders books I love um you know storytelling books and books about um you know managing your own
[21:42] SPEAKER_01: psyche which I think is is very important as an entrepreneur so if you have to pick one word to
[21:47] SPEAKER_01: describe yourself what would it be and why who um let's say passionate I have a lot of uh you know
[22:01] SPEAKER_01: passion and love for for what I do you know if I do something yeah I'm fully in like I have two
[22:07] SPEAKER_01: mode on and off I don't have any in between that's good are you a morning or a night person
[22:15] SPEAKER_00: I'm a morning person yeah okay okay all right you know we'll come to the end so um uh I always ask this
[22:24] SPEAKER_00: you know you've thrown up quite a few interesting perspectives how can people get a hold of you if
[22:31] SPEAKER_01: they want to kind of have a chat with you sure um well I'm on uh I'm on uh LinkedIn um I think my
[22:40] SPEAKER_01: username is L a Zadeh um I'm on um I'm Twitter um you can also uh under the same name
[22:49] SPEAKER_01: those are the two best places if you you know also look up any of um Zavelle's um social media
[22:58] SPEAKER_01: platforms and send me a message there it will eventually get to me okay well great meeting you
[23:06] SPEAKER_00: very interesting story and some good advice actually we'll enjoy
[23:10] SPEAKER_01: thanks so much for having me Philip
