Q&A with Shirin Behzadi

Shirin Behzadi has lived a remarkable life. As an immigrant to the U.S. at a young age, Shirin went from working at a gas station to serving as CEO of one of the nation’s leading corporations that she helped grow to nearly one billion dollars. She currently works with leaders to create, build and successfully implement an authentic vision that generates massive growth. As CEO, she organically grew her organization-wide sales by $350 million in 3.5 years, doubling the value of the company in the process.

Betsy Schwartz: I would like to talk to you about adversity, throughout your life you've coped with real adversity and overcome it. You have interviewed and worked with a lot of successful people who've also overcome adversity. I was so struck by your comment: “living with a vision of what could be instead of what is has changed everything.” But when you have this vision and standing between you and the vision is real adversity; how do you move forward? What characteristics do you think have brought you and other people that you've talked about to a place where they have the ability to overcome adversity and stay true to that vision?

Shirin Behzadi: What a good question – it led me to ponder and reflect. What were the reasons that I could even come up with a vision and pursue it, regardless of what was coming my way? It takes me a bit back to the idea that having had adversity in smaller doses showed me ways that I was able get through them and learn. That it was possible to get through adversity and be on the other side of it and grow from that experience. Reflecting on it, I believe it is important to consider the idea that adversity can be an advantage; to look at it as a negative isn't as productive. I believe that I even came up with a vision because I had the past experience of getting through smaller obstacles successfully. Encouraging people to grow through adversities on a smaller scale helps them build the necessary muscles to get through harder ones. In my opinion, that is what builds the ability to create and pursue a vision.

When I was in some of the most dire situations in my life, I was able to mobilize myself around a North Star, a vision that mobilized me. I drew upon previous experiences that had shown me what I was capable of. Those small wins had created the foundation for loftier visions. How do you reconcile working full time at a gas station, when your North Star is someday running a big company? It is a very big North Star for someone who's an immigrant working at a gas station. Having had those past wins, I had come to learn that I could expect to achieve. I have repeatedly told people, including my children, that instead of just talking and dreaming about something great, I encourage them to expect it. I expected it. Expectation of success brings with it a high level of energy and optimism. It wasn't a dream that I was trying to reach; it was a vision. It was a vision I expected to achieve because it was authentic to me. It is important that the vision did not come from anybody else's point of view. It came from an authentic place of understanding where passion made me feel alive. It did not seem extraordinary to me. All of my experiences gave me the tools to hold on to all the optimism that I needed to get through those tough times. I knew it was going to happen, so I was just taking the steps to get there.

Schwartz: Can you talk about overcoming adversity when it was life threatening – your brain tumor?

Behzadi: I was at the risk of sudden death. Doctors were trying to figure out ways to save me. I had had two brain surgeries back-to-back for a total of 15 hours and I had lost substantially all of my spinal fluid in my skull. I had to rebuild my spinal fluid. The doctor said he had never seen anybody lose all of their spinal fluid to the extent that I had and live. So, this was another miracle. When I was in that state with all of the tubes and all the pain, I wasn’t thinking much about running a big company. Instead, I was focused on the reality that I was going to live. No question. In fact, I remember in one of my episodes I closed my eyes and I saw these beautiful, brilliant flower fields, and a message came to me: “You’ll be fine. You're going to be fine.” Therefore, that became my mission. “I'm fine. How do I bring that fine to life?”

I had never asked for this difficult health scare; but it ended up being a valuable gift. I've talked to many survivors and have spoken at women's survivor groups since; what I’ve learned is that there's a common theme for those who survive through terminal illness. A terminal illness can be a tough but valuable teacher. After my second surgery, I realized that because of the work done, my balance was off and that I could not really walk. But that I could get up, take one step and lay back down. So, that’s what I did. I would get up and take one step and rest. I realized that my recovery would have to be literally one step at a time. So, when people say one step at a time, there is absolute truth to that. And, Betsy, I would create ways to stay aware about what my vision was at this point in my life: that I was going to live through this. The question became how I would reduce my mission into small actionable steps, which is true about any vision, anytime, in my opinion. My small, actionable steps were that I was going to walk one step and rest. Then plan on two steps for tomorrow. Some days I would just be stuck with the two steps because that was all I could muster. But then, the day after I would make three. My dream was that if I could make it upstairs, I've made it. There wasn’t a lot of celebrating but small victories. Most importantly, it was the sense that I could. I knew that progress may be small and slow but that it was coming. Because of the risk of loss of spinal fluid, I wasn't allowed to move my neck for a few months. I decided that since I could not move my neck, I would focus on moving my legs. This gave me hope. Though there were many setbacks, I was able to keep my vision of healing alive. It was through these efforts while keeping hope alive that in nine months I was able to show up to the gym.

My life-threatening ordeal was indeed a tough and valuable teacher.

Schwartz: You have an inner core that's just remarkable. There's something in you that gave you that kind of strength.

Behzadi: The point of telling this story is to encourage people that no matter how we’re built, we can each find ways to grow our inner strength. This also applies to people, to businesses and to nonprofit organizations. Whatever challenge and obstacle there is, don't resist, don’t run away from it. The best way to deal with adversity is to go through it and learn from it. I promise you, it’s going through challenges that creates resilience. If you look at my past history, it’s been about many wounds and challenges that have over time made me even more resilient. So, you know how they say: “what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger” – that is true as long as your challenge doesn’t kill you!

You have to find the sweet spot that allows you to go through the challenge without creating harm; if you land on your feet, there is an opportunity for growth. It will make you that more resilient because the memories will carry you through.

Schwartz: Have you seen certain characteristics in other people that you think are common markers of resiliency?

Behzadi: I don’t know if they had these qualities before, or if the qualities were developed as a result of their experiences; if it is innate skill you’re born with or if those skills are developed over time. One characteristic I have seen commonly is an understanding of people, empathy. It certainly helps to have an understanding of where other people are in life and connecting with them.

Most of what humanity has created has been built through cooperation and collaboration. Our very survival has been based on our ability to depend on each other. To me, the ability to create with others is one of the most important strengths that human beings have. When we’re sick, injured or in distress, we seek and receive assistance from other people. So, the person that can understand other people well with empathy can find ways to cooperate, collaborate and create with them. They can also lean on others as needed. All of this creates the support and confidence in a person to find their way through difficult times, to be resilient. Empathy is a powerful tool.

Schwartz: Can you talk about channeling that persistence in the business world when you're knocked down?

Behzadi: In order to get through challenges in business, you have to have a solid foundation. Understanding the core of who you are and what it is that you're offering as well as where you’re headed are keys to creating that solid foundation. Whether the business sells products or provides a service, you must understand why consumers or clients are interested in what the company has to offer.

There is truth to the idea that you must know why you do what you do. When you have a hard time getting through external forces, you have to be able to go back to your core and ask how to still pursue the desired outcome. If you know who you are as a business and why people buy your product or service, and you have clarity as to where you want to go, then you can navigate choppy waters of challenge. Now, you may have to adjust your vision a bit to take into account the changes in the marketplace, consumer behavior of over-arching trends. Your vision may have to take a different shape. But the essence can remain and can guide you through challenges.

We have been talking about vision a lot, and many companies and people are talking about vision. And that's great. I'm a little bit concerned that there isn't as much clarity about what it really means. I think that’s probably at the heart of many questions including this one. For a vision to help guide an organization in both good times and bad, it has to be authentic to the company; that's why I call it “authentic vision.” An authentic vision isn't something that's created by an outsider. Often times, when companies define a vision, it is created by a marketing company, or the CEO comes up with it, or the Board directs it. As a result, that vision is often not authentic. Authentic vision has to be found by looking internally to the essence of the organization. I think it is important to take the time to genuinely understand who you are and what you do. We need to have conversations with employees, stakeholders, partners, and customers in order to create a vision that's aspirational for the long term. It's not a number we want to achieve or what we want to sell or how large we want to be. I don't think those are, at least in my definition, authentic vision. Authentic vision is something that people can aspire to become. If you think about that long term, it's an aspirational objective. Then turbulent times are just in the passing.

For instance, I advised a company who was dealing with some major market demand headwinds. Stress levels were high, and nerves had caused management to make a lot of reactive pivots. One of the first steps I took with them was to have discussions around what they offered their customers, who they were as a company, and where they were headed. We learned quickly that what they had considered their “vision” was a goal to achieve a specific financial objective. It was to be “the largest” in their space. But as we explored the topic, we learned that the company stakeholders were much more aligned with and focused on the quality of their product and offering. They believed what made them special and why customers chose them was about quality. The vision as it was stated wasn’t authentic to the organization. With an updated and genuine vision that reflected what the teams in the company were energized around, and with clarity as to why customers bought their products, the company made adjustments to their offerings that better spoke to their customers. All efforts including marketing, sales and operations were organized around this new North Star. As a result, creative and innovative solutions were arrived at to right size the company.

Sure, challenges and changes could extend the timeline for reaching the company’s vision; they could make the organization, or the individual has to change the course somewhat. At the end of the day, it remains your vision because it's so authentic to you and to the organization. It's actually your saving grace. It's the thing that's going to get you through the day; it is the thing that's going to help you make decisions and plans – it’s your compass.

Schwartz: So, let's shift our discussion to taking a risk. You have taken many huge risks. What advice would you give? How do you help clarify that North Star in a way that balances risk?

Behzadi: I can say with confidence, you're definitely going to make mistakes. As I was navigating entrepreneurship, I had to make all these decisions by myself. I hoped I made good decisions, but I knew the bad ones were coming. The bad ones are where good lessons are learned. If you try to avoid them, it will paralyze progress.

A bit of what has been wrong in the past few years is that a lot of investors base everything on the performance of the company, worrying that any bump will hurt the performance. The question in their minds is: “where is the trajectory?” Any potential setback is therefore projected into the future and often considered a detriment to delivering expected results. That's not how life works; you can’t stay too tightly closed. If we don't make any mistakes, it is a sure way to either fail or never really grow. We have to make decisions and we have to take measured action steps. Growth, new ideas and innovation need room for some risk. Of course, it’s wise to make decisions that mitigate the worst of the risks but allow you to take some action steps.

To answer your question about how to clarify a North Star that balances risk, I would say your North Star would have to be based upon the understanding of what it is that you want out of life and what your mission is. This is true about a person and about an organization.

You have to weigh your options and understand which one is more consistent with who you are and where you want to be in life; then do your very best to navigate as you start going down that path, knowing and accepting that the path is going to be zigzagged. Hardly ever the path to your North Star is a straight line.

Schwartz: How do you advise people to find their authentic North Star?

Behzadi: If the question is regarding individuals, I firmly believe that it requires an intentional, methodical approach. The true North Star is developed day by day, much like how I learned to recover from my health ordeal: taking one step at a time and progressing step-by-step. The same is true when you want to develop an authentic life. It's a lifelong pursuit. You have to be intentional.

First, take the time to honestly assess what you’re good at, what excites you, and what your strengths are. Everyone has strengths, likes and dislikes. They are great guides as to what motivates you and what energizes you. Understanding your own strengths and desires will gradually highlight your ultimate destination. When you first start this journey, you may not be clear as to the exact destination. As you remain focused on finding your North Star, the road will become clearer and illuminated.

Then the question is: Should I do it now or later? When do I do it? There's no real perfect timing – ever. You just have to do it.

Schwartz: Can you think of that time in your career when you felt especially challenged and how the challenge helped you rise to a higher level?

Behzadi: Franchising was a male dominated field and there weren't many women in home improvements. There were a lot of places that I was just not understood. I brought in private equity in 2015 because the company had grown quite a bit. Many of the stakeholders were ready to live out their dreams and sell their stake. However, in order to complete the transaction, I was asked to stay on as CEO. With many of the C-level executives gone, in the beginning, I had to serve as CIO, CFO, CMO and COO. In time we would recruit, but at the time, I was the one person that was holding all of those roles.

We had thousands of franchise owners. It really mattered to them who was leading the organization. It was their livelihood. Right after the transaction was completed, we explained the news to our franchisees. They were aware of our new private equity partners and of my role as CEO under the new ownership. Luckily, only a couple of months after the transaction, we had a chance to get in front of our franchisees at our national convention.

I remember I was about to get on stage to give an important presentation about what to expect and our new plans. The room was filled with thousands of people seated with anticipation. I was backstage waiting for my cue to go on stage when one of our consultants ran up to me and said: “Shirin, they’re gonna hate you. They're going to be really nervous even though they had heard the news. They may not like a woman like you on stage telling them about private equity.” The consultant was projecting her own concerns onto me. And you know the voice of God was about to come out and announce my name. I put the negative thoughts out of my head and went on stage. Two hours later, I got a standing ovation. I spoke for two hours because as a franchisor, there is often a lot to explain. You really have to communicate well enough that franchisees want to follow your lead. Franchising is a different industry. You can't really make people do anything; you have to find positive ways to encourage them to want to follow you. I knew that I was going to be authentic and tell them the truth.

The essence of my personal commitment that I delivered in those two hours was this: “I promise you that I will always care about you and that I take my responsibility seriously – knowing that this business is how you send your children to college, how you create the life you desire, and how you plan your retirement. My goal, and that of my team, is to make sure that YOU are as successful as you want to be. I promise you that I will do my best to make the very best decisions. But as much as we try, we will make some bad ones. Please know that no matter what we do and decide, that it always coming from care and concern.” We grew by leaps and bounds the next few years. Talk about a good lesson. It was the authenticity and the clarity of the North Star that carried us through.

Schwartz: You sold the company and had to transition to a new identity and life; giving up the identity of CEO. Now that you have shifted to a different stage in your life, can you talk about how you experienced that transition.

Behzadi: This kind of transition is not for the faint of heart, as you well know. Talk about “it’s easier said than done!” It was not easy. The American dream is to build something, sell it and walk off to the sunset. Well, this is certainly not true in a lot of cases. Luckily, I have never been married to my title or position. I enjoy being a part of people's journeys and trying to do good by them. I had never really lived for an identity of CEO or having the position or the power. That is why not having the title didn’t faze me much.

But the adjustment to a new life took some time. What I tell people is that it's kind of like when people go racing. When they get to the finish line, they don't come to a sudden stop. They slow down gradually, whereas we are often expected to step down as the CEO and just stop. I found ways to structure my days. I would make my daily schedule so that I felt like I wasn’t completely free falling, I was also lucky enough to be invited to be on a couple of boards and that provided me some consistency.

After I left the company, I took on a motto which was something I used to say all the time: “Doing well by doing good.” I had always said that I wanted to grow up and do more charitable work. I had done a lot of charity through the company, but now it was my time to do it on my own. I quickly got involved with the board and work of our local Orange County United Way and several other nonprofit organizations.

After a short adjustment period, I started really taking my own advice: “What's your vision Shirin? What's your authentic vision. Who are you?” I had time to process a lot that had happened in my life. I had never told the story of my life and it just naturally came out more and more. People and organizations invited me to keep telling the story.

I realize now that I am in the next phase of my life. I was in the middle phase when I was actively building a career and a company which brought with it a lot of experience and wisdom. It's so rewarding to be in the place now where I can take advantage of all those years of experience and lessons learned to help others. When problems come up that you have seen before, not necessarily in the exact same shape or form, you know that there's a way out and you can give others that confidence. By asking the right questions, you can help them navigate it to the right places. It's a really nice place to be now.

Today, my passion is to help others. I’ve learned that by sharing my story and my experiences I can offer insights and hope. Through speaking engagements, writing and mentoring, I continue to do my best to reach as many people as I can. I know many people deal with adversities of all kinds. I want them to know how to use those adversities to their advantage. I want them to not feel defeated. I want them to believe that they can achieve a life filled with goodness. With my advisory and philanthropic work, I hope to guide people and organizations to build and grow on fundamentally sound principles. I do my best to guide others that they can succeed by “doing well by doing good.” 

About the Author:

Betsy Schwartz is a 2021 Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative (ALI) Fellow who currently serves as Director of the American Psychiatric Association Foundation Center for Workplace Mental Health and previously led Mental Health First Aid in the U.S.

This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.