I once thought that being successful meant that I would be whole, without setbacks or disappointments, where everything in life would be as I had imagined and carefully planned in my youth. I’ve come to love and accept that the pieces of my past are what makes me whole as a person. Outspoken and sometimes to my disadvantage, I have no interest in just fitting into a mold. I believe that being different, learning differently, and expressing myself differently is why I have excelled in business ownership (though I struggled in school).
My forte is being a connector. I thrive on connecting people, which is why I accidentally stumbled into recruitment.
10 Things You Would Have Never Guessed About Me!
- My real first love are horses. Don’t tell my wife!,
- Swimming, rock-climbing and Muay Thai are how I re-charge,
- I was a mentee to a Traditional Doctor / Herbalist / Entrepreneur who happened to be my grandfather,
- In my leisure time, I trained to be a cupping specialist (traditional medicine),
- I’m a high school dropout and to my surprise, a college graduate,
- I’m an owner of two businesses,
- I’m a father/Step-Father to 4 children,
- I’m the first born,
- My longest employment history has been in self-employment, and,
- I love dates. As in the fruit… date fruit. You know medjool, sukkari…
Somewhere in middle school, I sat in a class where we discussed what we wanted to be when we grew up. I thought I was going to be a lawyer and spend my entire life working as that! As I look back, I see my life and my career as a winding road up a mountainous path, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. My successes and setbacks are what made me who I am today. And I’ve come a long way.
My forte has always been entrepreneurship. I’ve spent the past 15 years of my career in the real estate industry honing my skills, perfecting my craft and finding my next niche.
10 Things You Would Have Never Guessed About Me!
- I’m a Syrian refugee who was accepted into Canada in 1982,
- I graduated university at the age of 20,
- I am a mother of two teenagers and two toddlers – Enough said!
- AGENTC is my third business,
- I’ve worked as a Creative Director for over a decade in marketing and graphic design with no educational background in either field,
- My leisure reading is in traditional medicine and healing with herbs,
- I was fired only once in my life, and swore never to work for anyone again,
- The hardest years of my life have also been the best years of my life,
- I have moved (homes) 13 times in the past 20 years, and
- I’ve written and published my first e-book on Traditional Medicine and Nutrition.
Growing up, I believed my path in life was to help people. Actively involved in youth groups and community organizations, I always envisioned a career in community service. Then I discovered the world of travel. The places that I have been and the things that I have seen have helped shape who I am today. It is a small world and no matter where we live, we all strive for the same things – peace, security, love and laughter. As my focus in life changed, my love of humanity naturally led me to real estate where I could continue to feed my desire to help people.
5 Things You Would Never Have Guessed About Me!
- As a child, I competed in singing competitions, but couldn’t carry a tune if my life depended on it today!
- I can’t swim, but actively pursued sailing, waterskiing, kayaking, white water river rafting, parasailing and even scuba diving
- I have been on 2 safaris, climbed the Great Wall, sailed the Nile and trekked through the Amazon
- I love creativity and can spend hours, even days, wrapping and decorating gifts
- I believe that there are 3 sides to every story: yours, mine, and the truth
When I was young, I never really had a clear path of what I wanted to be when I grew up. I’ve always been the type of person that has been able to connect with people easily and I knew that I wanted to help people, but didn’t know in which direction to go. I have learned that it is okay to not always know where you’re are headed. Through my yoga and spiritual practices, I have learned that if you focus on the present moment, you will always end up where you need to be. I try to give my full attention to the present and take comfort in knowing that whatever is meant for me will come. When you find something that stirs enthusiasm, know that your subconscious is saying ‘this is the way.’ Follow that path, get better at whatever is making you feel that passion, and watch the universe begin to open up to you.
5 Things You Would Never Have Guessed About Me!
- On a pre-lockdown trip to Costa Rica, I fell in love with herbal medicine and am now studying herbalism part-time for fun!
- I grew up in Northern Ontario which attributes to my love for nature. I love to travel and experience different cultures.
- I started reading at a very young age and was reading John Grisham and Dean Koontz at the age of 10. I continue to read daily and usually have 3-4 books on the go at once.
- I have worked in the hospitality industry for over 20 years and have a passion for food and bringing people together.
- I love documentaries and learning of any kind. I am very curious and often end up researching the most random subjects that cross my mind.
I’ve explored many different career paths in my life! From working in the hospitality industry, to concierge, to working in real estate and now recruitment. I can tell you that all these experiences have taught me a lot about the importance of good work ethic, professionalism, and transferable skills. But I’ve also learned a lot about myself in the process. I understand what it’s like for candidates to soul search in their career development, and I’m here to facilitate that journey for them.
5 Things You Would Never Have Guessed About Me!
- I I love Sci Fi alien movies/shows/books. Watching reruns of Star Trek: The Original Series with my Dad is what got me hooked. Don’t get me started on the Kirk vs. Picard debate!
- I crochet A LOT. I want to eventually write my first crochet pattern.
- I like to try new recipes and recently got hooked on Pickle Pizza!
- If I won a million dollars, I’d open my own artisanal cheese shop/cheese delivery service.
- I am slightly obsessed with true crime podcasts, but not in a creepy way, in more of a “Dang, that was a crazy way they solved that!” way. The investigation and problem solving is always so interesting.
As a child I dreamt of being an architect, conjuring up floor plans for houses, restaurants and yachts and drawing them on graph paper. I then changed direction and pursued an education in Clinical Nutrition, only to end up on a totally unrelated career path, from foodservice management to real estate, to recruitment. While my path has been bumpy and full of twists and turns, there’s been a pervasive theme of supporting teams and serving clients. I am driven by a boundless curiosity, a passion for continuous growth and learning, and a desire to help my fellow humans and make a positive impact.
5 Things You Would Never Have Guessed About Me!
- I love the outdoors, the beauty of nature feeds my soul
- I got my boating license when I was 11 years old.
- I’ve written nutrition pieces for fitness magazines.
- I enjoy fixing things and getting my hands dirty – I’ve been known to pick up work as a house painter on the weekends.
- I love travelling, getting immersed in different cultures and exploring new places.
Are you tired of working in the fast-paced grind of brokerloading, showings, offers, paperwork and 100 things to coordinate in a week? Maybe you’re ready to work in real estate but from the outside in. If you love real estate, people and thrive of great accomplishments, perhaps AGENTC is your next work-from-home opportunity!
5 Things We Would Never Have Guessed About You!
- You thrive on getting things done, with little supervision and lots of autonomy.
- Technology is your friend – like really, really close friend.
- You love variety, challenge and constant growth.
- You believe that AGENTC Super Heroes are much needed in the real estate industry.
- You live a dual life, Super Hero by day, and have a completely unrelated to office or real estate passion that drives you by night..