By: Allon Raiz, an EO South Africa – Johannesburg member, a Special to Overdrive
As a consultant, I’ve had the privilege of helping countless entrepreneurs achieve growth and greatness over the years. Along the way, I’ve seen many instances of what I call “The False Start”— companies that seem to be getting off the ground and taking their competitors by storm, only to quickly fall short.
On the heels of President Barack Obama’s fourth State of the Union address, I’m pondering the power of huge, if seemingly unattainable, goals. Before both chambers of Congress, the President renewed calls for increased gun control, immigration reforms and making a solid deal on deficit reduction. He also offered proposals for job creation, reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil and promoting education. And though some of these ideas have bipartisan support, many of them also sounded a bit like pie in the sky or too far-fetched to ever really win support.
Have you ever launched a business with the expectation that it would run itself? It sounds pretty foolish when you see that sentence in print, but a few years ago I believed it. When I launched my online business, ServiceSeeking.com.au, I thought I could take a hands-off approach. No staff, just a website where customers can list their jobs and compare quotes from interested businesses. It seemed so simple— just build the site, sit back and wait for the business to take off!
One entrepreneur went from finding her voice in Uganda to starting an award-winning design firm. Watch the video.
Another entrepreneur set a Guinness World Record by traveling to five capital cities on a motorcycle continuously. Watch the video.
What do they both have in common?
They’re a part of the Entrepreneur’ Organization (EO), a global community of nearly 9,000 leading entrepreneurs who are changing the world, one awesome experience at a time!
A special interview with EO Calgary’s Zahra Al-harazi, founder of Foundry Communications
To be successful in business, you need to stand out. That best practice is especially true when it comes to entrepreneurship. No one understands the power of uniqueness more than Zahra Al-harazi, an EO Calgary member who’s making her voice heard in business and beyond.
In many ways, Zahra’s entrepreneurial journey is like most others— it’s filled with a thousand and one stories, memories and lessons learned that have helped shape her into one of today’s most innovative entrepreneurs. And yet it’s remarkably different, a journey colored by challenges and cultural experiences: She’s a Yemeni woman born in Uganda. She was raised in places that tourists rarely visit. She grew up during two civil wars. She married at age 17. She had three children by age 25, and later immigrated to Canada, a land as foreign as she was. From being a stay-at-home mom with no degree or career to finding an entrepreneurial spirit she never knew she had, Zahra is a perfect example of what can be achieved when passion meets purpose.
In this special interview, Octane sat down with Zahra to talk about finding her entrepreneurial voice, the magic of marketing and defining her future. (more…)