BEE 455 How to Exit Corporate & Earn $25K/Mo with Azgari Lipshey

Summary

Podcast Summary: Black Entrepreneur Experience – Ep. 455 Title: How to Exit Corporate & Earn $25K/Mo with Asghari Lipshey
Host: Dr. Frances Richards
Guest: Asghari Lipshey
Date: January 14, 2026

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Episode Overview

This inspiring episode features Asghari Lipshey, founder of a business consultancy that helps professionals transition out of their 9-to-5 roles and start profitable, service-based businesses, with many clients earning $25,000+ per month. Asghari shares actionable advice, life lessons, her approach to client success, and her personal entrepreneurial journey—from launching her first business at 16, through corporate detours, to her current mission-driven work. The conversation decodes not just the “how” of entrepreneurial success, but touches on purpose, mental health, social impact, and the heart of the Black entrepreneurial movement.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Asghari’s Backstory & Entrepreneurial Genesis

• Early Start & First Business:

  • Asghari started at 16 in consumer packaged goods, creating products like handmade soaps and lotions.
  • She attributes her resourcefulness to having no startup capital:

    “Not having money…helped me. I ended up talking to my potential clients, figuring out what they wanted, and creating products based on what they told me.” (01:44)

• Learning from Failure:

  • Early success led to overconfidence. She expanded rapidly without proper market research, resulting in business failure.

    “Crawl before you ball. It absolutely applies to business as well.” (03:41)

  • Lesson: Prioritize market research and client focus.

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2. Core Lessons for New Entrepreneurs

• Key Lessons:
  • Timing matters as much as the idea:

    “Doing the right thing at the wrong time is guaranteed to bring you failure.” (04:05)

  • Understand sequencing: what should be done first, second, and third.
  • Deeply understand your market—even more than your product or service.

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3. Ideal Client & Client Process

• Who Asghari Helps:
  • Professionals facing career stagnation or fear of layoffs; anxious high performers with little room for promotion (senior managers eyeing a single available director position).

  “Anyone who has a 9-to-5 job and is on anxiety medication…constantly thinking they’re going to get laid off…that’s an ideal client.” (04:36)

• Working with Clients:
  • She’s a “straight shooter,” helping narrow focus to one business idea.
  • Provides full market validation, competitive analysis, helps secure funding (SBA or private loans), and supports operations—including recruiting managers for clients who want to keep their day jobs for the first year.

    “We are involved end to end…figuring out the right business, getting them a loan, actually helping set up, operate, employ whatever roles they need…” (09:16)

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4. Funding and Growth Strategies

• On Business Loans:
  • Encourages SBA loans for service businesses despite high interest rates, explaining:

    “Within three to four months, your business is going to generate enough revenue to make those payments…” (07:40)

• Transition Support:
  • Advises clients NOT to quit until their loan disperses. If already laid off, prioritizes rapid launch strategies to generate side income.

    “We recommend you keep your day job or your nine-to-five until the first loan disbursement is in your bank account.” (22:20)

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5. Entrepreneurship, Mindset & Personal Advice

• Mental Health & Burnout:

  • Warns against sacrificing health for business:

    “You eventually get to a point where your body just gives up on you...putting your health and mental wellness first…has to be a priority.” (12:38)

  • Practices nature immersion and “empty space” for clarity and wellness.

    “Allowing myself to have empty space…makes a world of difference.” (24:45)

• Overcoming Fear/Analysis Paralysis:

  • Honest, sometimes “brutal” conversations about what will (or won’t) change if action isn’t taken.

    “Scared is good…that means you’re alive, you’re smart, you’re thinking…this is scary…but it’s going to stretch you into a different, better reality even if you fail.” (21:24)

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6. Social Impact & Purpose

• Mission-Driven Consulting:

  • Asghari feels her work now is a “life purpose,” not just a business adventure (05:21, 33:27).
  • Long-term goal: Help at least 1,000 people launch companies by 2030.

    “I am on a mission to help at least 1,000 people by 2030 start their own companies.” (26:44)

• Community Project:

  • Plans to establish a nonprofit supporting foster youth in Texas, offering technical training, jobs, and stability as they age out of care.

    “They’ll be able to stay, learn technical skills, and we would get them employment…but they would continue staying…until they’ve saved up five to $10,000.” (31:04)

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7. Memorable Moments & Personal Side

• Biggest Wins:

  • Client loan success after a challenging five-month process (17:33).
  • Selling 5,000 products at age 21—a moment of youthful triumph and pride (18:28).

• Reflection on Fun & Family:

  • Balancing entrepreneurship with love, family, and relationships took time and led to personal growth after early mistakes.
  • Shares that she’s “actually quite goofy” and known as “spider monkey” among friends (26:18).

• Legacy:

  • Wishes for 1,000 people at her funeral, each with a story about how she helped them (28:59).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Purpose:

  “What motivates you? …For me, it feels aligned to purpose. That’s why I keep doing what I’m doing.” (27:57)

• On Client Focus:

  “Keep what your clients want as your North Star at all times. If you give your clients what they’re wanting—not what you think they want—you’ll always have clients to serve.” (11:08)

• Advice for the Afraid:

  “Do it afraid. Just do it. Execute...Scared is good.” (21:11–21:24)

• On Failure and Resilience:

  “I’ve seen my father almost go into bankruptcy three times and then recover. So I’ve seen the other side of failure even before I was able to fail myself.” (20:30)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Asghari’s background & first business: 01:19–02:23
• Lessons from failure & market focus: 02:41–03:41
• Ideal client description: 04:33–05:07
• Client process & offering: 06:09–09:16
• Loan & funding approach: 07:40–08:24
• Mental health & entrepreneurship: 12:38–13:35
• Overcoming fear & analysis paralysis: 19:09–21:24
• Social impact plans – foster youth initiative: 31:04–32:24
• Goals and legacy: 26:44, 28:59

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Host & Guest Contact Info

• Asghari’s firms: asghari.com, Live180 Inc.
• Free resources and contact: Reach through asghari.com for resources, consultations, and more (37:56).

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Tone:
Asghari’s approach is practical, honest, upbeat, and compassionate—combining directness with heart and a drive for social good. Dr. Richards keeps the conversation grounded, positive, and focused on empowerment, opportunity, and the real stories behind Black entrepreneurial brilliance.

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Summary prepared for listeners seeking the entrepreneurial blueprint, inspiration, and tested wisdom for breaking free of the corporate grind and building generational impact.

Transcript

[Asghari]

Foreign.

[Podcast Announcer]

Welcome to the Black Entrepreneur Experience podcast. Inside the business buzz and brilliance of Black entrepreneurs. Here is your host, Dr. Francis Arlene.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Innovative thinker. Episode number 455, Innovative Thinker. Thank you for joining us as we elevate the Black Entrepreneur experience by interviewing CEOs, thought leaders, innovative thinkers and black entrepreneurs across the globe. I'm your host, Dr. Francis Richards. Are you tired of the 9 to 5 grind and dreaming of real freedom? Our next guest has helped professionals walk away from corporate life and build profitable businesses. Earning 25,000 or more in just 90 days. She has a proven system that's changing lives and creating generational wealth. Welcome Asghari.

[Asghari]

Thank you. Thank you. It's such a pleasure to be here and have an opportunity to speak to you.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

I've given our audience such a brief bio. Why don't you fill in the gaps. Share with our audience what you'd like them to know about you and your business.

[Asghari]

So we are a business operations consultancy firm and we specialize in helping individuals launch service based businesses within 90 to 120 days. And most of the businesses we help our clients launch make between 300 to 700,000 the first year of being in business.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Tell us your backstory.

[Asghari]

So I've been a serial entrepreneur most my life. I opened my first company when I was 16. Being a kid didn't have a lot of money, but I think that actually helped me not having money because what I ended up doing is talking to my potential clients or customers and figuring out exactly what they wanted and creating products based on what they told me they wanted.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

What was your first business?

[Asghari]

It was in cpg. So consumer packaged goods, creating handmade soaps, face wash lotions, things of that nature.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

As a serial entrepreneur you've had a lot of ebb and flows. Talk about a moment in business that was an opportunity for growth, for learning. And what was your life lesson from that and how did you overcome when.

[Asghari]

You get a taste of success early in your years, when you're young, I think it's a bad thing because it makes you very cocky. It makes you cocky, it makes you take risks that are a lot less calculated. And it was the same for myself with my first company. I started very slow, you know, I didn't have any money. It was more focused on figuring out what my customers wanted by talking to them, by getting their feedback, then coming up with the products. But as I progressed a few more years into my early 20s, I just got so cocky that I know my customers, I know what people want. I Know what to do. And instead of following the process that made me successful in the first place, which is focusing on the clients, I decided to expand rapidly without actually stabilizing the market. And that was a huge failure in every aspect. So I would say taking your time, I guess. What is that famous term, crawl before you ball? I think it absolutely applies to business as well.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Speaking of business, tell us three life lessons you wish you had learned in business before starting your business.

[Asghari]

Doing the right thing at the wrong time is guaranteed to bring you failure. So understanding the sequence of what to do first, second, third is super important. So I would say that's the lesson two. And lesson three would be understanding your market is more important than even the product or service that you want to provide.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Who's your ideal client?

[Asghari]

Anyone who has a 9 to 5 job and is on anxiety medication because they're going to lose their job or they're constantly thinking they're going to get laid off because the company EBITDA last quarter wasn't great. That's an ideal client. Anyone who's reached senior manager level and they're realizing that for them to get to director, they have to compete with 12 of their colleagues and there's only one director role, so there isn't any more upward mobility left for them.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

So out of all, as a serial entrepreneur, out of all the businesses that you have been involved in, why this industry, why this particular market and that specific client?

[Asghari]

It's actually, for me, it feels more like a life purpose at this point because I've started things for myself since I can remember, you know, 16, all throughout my 20s, 30s, and I'm at a point now where it's become very formulaic for me. I know how to start things. I know what to do first, second, third. So coming to a point where now I want to help other people seem like a natural progression.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

What is your zone of genius? Understand client needs and someone's listening and they're saying, I would like to connect with you. Take us through what they would experience working directly with you.

[Asghari]

Well, first of all, I'm very much a straight shooter. So most of the time I get people who come to me and they have 10 different ideas of 10 different things they want to do, maybe even do five of them all at once. So step one is getting them to narrow down their focus to one thing and then actually doing validation to make sure the idea that they have is actually going to do well if it's launched as a business. So even before you launch their idea as a Business doing a full competitive analysis, market research, validating the idea. And then from there we would look at funding options. More times than not, one of the biggest challenges for people to even start a business is, well, I don't have the money for it. Right. So helping them figure out whether to get an SBA loan or a small private loan or even if they want to do a robs rollover. So that would be step two. Yeah.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

And when you think about getting a loan, especially in the environment we're in today, interest rates are up, people are a little bit cautious about borrowing. Even the lenders are very cautious about who they're lending to.

[Asghari]

Correct.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

What other strategies would you suggest if that person is feeling a little bit uncomfortable with the market right now and interest rates?

[Asghari]

So even with the interest rate, if you're thinking for a business in the long term. Right. For example, let's say we get a 250,000 doll SBA loan at 10% interest rate. Within three to four months, your business is going to generate enough revenue where you're able to make those payments on that loan from what you generate in the business. So even before you start, it sounds kind of scary taking on a loan, but you're able to service that loan through the revenue of the business. Does that make sense?

[Dr. Francis Richards]

It does. And with the ideal client, they're still generating this revenue, but they also working their 9 to 5.

[Asghari]

So we have, we get half and half, we get some clients who are just ready, they're ready to start. We get them a loan and they draw as an owner salary from the loan for their personal expenses and they start their business full time. And then we have clients who, who are a little more reserved, so they don't want to do that. At which point we help them run their operations, hire team members, managers to run their business for the first year so that by the end of the first year they're able to see what type of revenue the business generates and they feel more comfortable to then make a decision now to either quit their job, take over their business full time, or continue running it with managers.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

And are you helping them find the managers to actually run the business? You're doing all of that?

[Asghari]

Absolutely. We are involved end to end, from figuring out the right business to getting them a loan, to actually helping them set up the business, operate the business, employ whatever roles they need filled everything.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Askari, you used the word success. What was that aha moment for you when you knew this business was going to be successful?

[Asghari]

So the business actually started as a friend Coming to me because she knows I've started so many of my own companies and you know, expressing how she's overly stressed. Every the last three quarters they've had huge layoffs and she thinks she might be next and she wants to do something else. So just helping her start with her own company and fast forward three years from now. We've helped to over 170 clients so far. Seeing the transformation with her, starting with her where she was completely anxiety ridden to yes, business ownership is scary and it's chaotic. But that sense of pride in her seeing that for me was the aha moment that this is what I was born to do. This is where I have been led to with my entire life's journey, is helping other people now experience the same joy of entrepreneurship.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

And how do you define success?

[Asghari]

Doing what you want to do with your time and having the ability to generate whatever income you want for yourself and your family, Being in a position where you have control over that, that is success for you.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Advice you wish you had followed.

[Asghari]

Focus on what your clients want. Keep that as your North Star at all times. If you give your clients what they're wanting, not what you think they want, you'll always have clients to serve.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

And that goes back to when you talked about understanding your client, understanding your market, which is, is key.

[Asghari]

Yeah.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

What problem exists in the world today that you would like to solve?

[Asghari]

People not having control over their own time.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Let's talk about artificial intelligence. Tell us your take on artificial intelligence and how are you using AI?

[Asghari]

Five years ago, four and a half years ago, I actually launched a mental health AI company. The company didn't do well, huge loss. But at that time I got to be a lot more involved with working with large language models. I think it is absolutely fascinating and how much time it's able to save us from redundant work. It's incredible. I am a huge proponent of it. But as like anything, there's always negative draws. But I would say the positive definitely outweighs.

[Guest Supporter]

Absolutely.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Speaking of mental wellness, talk about mental wellness and entrepreneurial ship.

[Asghari]

It's not great when you start, I would say for any, anyone wanting to start a business, as exhilarating, exciting, all the positives that come with entrepreneurship, that roller coaster is also there. And when you have everything involved in a business, you put that first and you put your health second. And in my earlier in my career, I've had many a time when, you know, I was just like, I know it's been 18 hours I've been working, but I just need to work two more hours and then you eventually get to a point where your body just gives up on you. Your body's like, goodbye, you want to do this? Good luck. I'm out. Putting your health and mental wellness first, regardless of, you know, what you're trying to accomplish in your business has to be a priority because when that asset fails, it doesn't matter. You can't do anything else.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

And what do you personally do to maintain your mental wellness?

[Asghari]

I make this my office.

[Guest Supporter]

That's beautiful.

[Asghari]

Being out in nature, that's awesome.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Let's talk about your mentors. Tell us two of your mentors. Some call them influencers. What lessons did they teach you?

[Asghari]

My biggest two mentors have been my father and my brother. They're both entrepreneurs. I have, I've learned from them. Not from them sitting me down and teaching me, but watching and being a witness to their life, seeing how they operate, seeing how they behave. And I think that that type of mentorship was far more valuable than having one on one conversational coaching, if that makes sense.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Did you ever take on a 9 to 5 job or have you always done entrepreneurial ship?

[Asghari]

I have. So I most of my career and companies I've started in Bangladesh. That's where I'm from. And when I first moved officially back to the US about five years ago, I wanted a break from business ownership. So I did go into the corporate world. And within a year all the things why I'm I wouldn't want to be in corporate were became very obvious. At which point I launched my next company, which I currently have.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Thank you. And tell us the name of your company.

[Asghari]

Live180 Inc. So that's a construction company based out of Austin, Texas and my consultancy firm.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Is Asghari.com and Live180 Inc. Tell us about that.

[Asghari]

It's a high end renovation farm. We do design, renovate, remodel, primarily for high end residential.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

And why design? For residential.

[Asghari]

I personally like home decor and design. So combining what I love to do with a business that financially made sense just worked out for me.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

And so you're running both companies. Guess that's awesome.

[Asghari]

Thank you.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

I want you to have a monologue. I want you to name this person, living or not. They've impacted you so much. Who is that person and what are you saying to that person?

[Asghari]

My grandma. Grandma, I wish you were around to see what your rambunctious, overactive, creative granddaughter has become.

[Guest Supporter]

Awesome.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

What inspires you and keep you going?

[Asghari]

Knowing that what I'm doing genuinely makes an impact in people's lives, their families, and their future trajectory.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Let's talk about love, managing love and relationships and entrepreneurial ship.

[Asghari]

I have been terrible at that in my early 20s, which is why I'm divorced. I focused all my attention and time in building my career and my businesses, and I've fallen short quite a bit in my marriage and family. So now at this point, on the other side of that, that is a priority. So when I'm talking to family, friends, loved ones, I make sure the phone's put away, I make sure I'm paying eye contact and actually listening to what someone I love or care about is saying, which is a new skill I had to learn.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Let's take a snapshot of the last 30 days. What was your biggest win?

[Asghari]

We had a client who came on board with us five months ago. And as you were saying, it's become progressively harder now to get people through a funding process with the sba. So even though they were supposed to have their first loan disbursement in three months, it took us five months. But that happened two weeks ago. So I would consider that one of my personal biggest win.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

How did you celebrate that win?

[Asghari]

We just had a great phone conversation. She's in North Carolina. And I mean, for myself, it's just sitting in solitude here without the laptop. To me, that's, that's how I celebrate, just having a conversation with myself in silence.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Talk about your most memorable moment in life or business First.

[Asghari]

Most memorable is when I sold my first batch of 5,000 products in one go. You know, being an early 21 year old kid, that was huge. And I still remember that feeling of, I'm the best. You know, when you're, when you're young, you're like, damn, I'm the shit. Yep, that was definitely it.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

That was that moment. What would you have done differently, if anything, starting your company start early, even earlier than you started. You started at 16.

[Asghari]

I don't mean from an age perspective, but from a. You know, you get stuck being scared, so you just. Research is important and necessary, but then there is such a thing as research paralysis, which is just another way of you to just avoid what you need to do next because you're scared to take that step. So you just keep researching, consuming more information and not actually taking action or just delaying it.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Absolutely. So you're talking about analysis to paralysis. You have clients like that. How do you help them overcome that fear and anxiety of taking the next step?

[Asghari]

We have very honest conversations like, okay, let's not do it and let's say we have this conversation in six months, what's going to change? Okay, let's say we don't do it in six months, we don't do it in a year. What's changed? Are you able to buy that thing that you've wanted or that you want for your family? Are you able to send your son to that school that you wanted? Is that happening for you if you don't take these steps? It's very honest and brutal conversations to walk them through outcomes, I guess.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Did you have that analysis to paralysis in any of your entrepreneurial journeys?

[Asghari]

I have, but I would say I've been fortunate because I've watched other people in my family go through these processes from the time I was young. So I've seen my father almost go into bankruptcy three times and then recover. So I've seen the other side of failure even before I was able to fail myself. And I think that was greatly helpful because I think that is the biggest problem. People are scared they'll fail, but they don't have what it looks like on the other side that you'll still be okay. You just have more learning that you can take with you and do something else. That's the fear, right? The unknown.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Absolutely. So talk to that person in the audience. They're sitting right there. They're right there with that fear. And I would say do it afraid, Just do it. Execute. What would you say?

[Asghari]

Scared is good in something like this, Scared is good. That means you're alive, you're smart, you're thinking through this. This is scary, but this is scary. That's going to stretch you into a different, better reality even if you fail. Because the learnings you're going to get from that failure you can't buy with the PhD.

[Guest Supporter]

Absolutely.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

I want to go back a little bit to the client and only share what you can share. And I'm going to give kind of a different scenario. That person, you said it was a three month window that went into a five month window. And so depending on where a person is financially and talk to that person that leaped expecting those funds and expenses continue.

[Asghari]

Right. So the way we structure it is you don't quit your job when we apply for the loan. If you're someone who wants to start running your business, you know, from day one, we recommend you keep your day job or your nine to five until the first loan disbursement is in your bank account.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

That's awesome. And do you get. You were saying 50, 50. What about those clients that They've already have quit the job.

[Asghari]

So we don't get people who've quit the job and now wanting to start. We get people who've been laid off. So they've already been laid off from their work. Their choices are either go back into corporate or start something of their own.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Okay.

[Asghari]

And usually I try to prioritize those cases because obviously, you know, they're running through savings.

[Guest Supporter]

Absolutely.

[Asghari]

A lot of times, what we're able to do. For example, I had a client, she had a background in healthcare, so we launched her with a B2B company supporting the same clients that she was working with in her corporate job. So that way we were able to launch her a lot faster unofficially, just to start generating side income as her SBA loan funding cleared.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

That's awesome. How do you make impact daily?

[Asghari]

By helping people realize their potential. Because most people want to do something, but they need that friend. They need that extra support to actually execute. And I feel very fortunate to be someone in that space in that role to be able to do that.

[Guest Supporter]

Absolutely.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

What is your best discovery?

[Asghari]

I think I would say my biggest discovery is realizing most people are inherently good. When there are negative things that happen, it is a direct causation of something that happened. It doesn't necessarily mean that that human being is bad or their actions might be negative, but people inherently are good. And I think in my 20s, I wasn't sure about that.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Is there a daily or a weekly habit that you do consistently that has given you the greatest success?

[Asghari]

Empty space. Allowing myself to have empty space. Because you're. As soon as you wake up, there's 50 things on your to do list and your trello board. But taking a step back, turning everything off, sitting in nature, and just allowing your higher power or higher self to speak to you and give you guidance before you start the day for me, makes world of a difference.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

I like that empty space.

[Guest Supporter]

I like that.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

What is working well for you now in business?

[Asghari]

Not rushing things. I think when you're very entrepreneurial, I think everyone can relate. You just. You want to get shit done. But I think now I'm at a point where you take a breath, you think things through more, you measure twice, cut once.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Okay. If someone wrote a book about you today, Askari, what is something they would learn about you that they don't know that they should know?

[Asghari]

Ooh, that's an interesting one. I think most people see me more in a professional setting, but in my personal life, I'm actually quite goofy. If I actually wrote a book and all the silly things that I do on a day to day basis that would probably surprise people.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Tell us one silly thing that you do that would surprise people.

[Asghari]

So my friends from younger years, college friends, high school friends, they know me as spider monkey because as soon as I see them, I will, you know, I'm small, five one and a half. The hair gives me another half inch, so I immediately go and jump on my friends.

[Guest Supporter]

That's cute.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

What is the goal for the future with your brand or your business?

[Asghari]

I am on a mission to help at least 1,000 people by 2030 start their own companies.

[Guest Supporter]

Okay, Absolutely.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

If you had to do over again, if you had to do do it all over again, would you do the same business in the same industry? And if you yes. Why? And if no, why not what I'm.

[Asghari]

Doing now, I would absolutely do this. You know when, when people talk about figuring out your passion, it would be something that you would do if no one paid you. For me, it's this because I started with people not paying me to help them start a business and I absolutely loved it.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

And speaking of that, if you lost everything and you had to rebuild in full 30 days, what industry would you rebuild in and why?

[Asghari]

Same this. I would redo this, but probably faster.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Okay, we're going to switch roles. If you conducted this interview, what is the one question you would have asked yourself? And answer it.

[Asghari]

What motivates you to continue doing what you're doing? And I think for me it feels aligned to purpose. That's why I keep doing what I'm doing.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

And what brings you joy?

[Asghari]

Honestly? Working. Working. Because my job involves talking to people in their most vulnerable states. Someone going through the transition of being an employee where they're told what to do to now they're going to have ownership over their destiny. How well they work, what they do is going to impact their income. It's no longer, oh, my boss told me to do this, so I have to do this or this is part of my job. Wreck everything becomes your job when it's your business being part of that process. I absolutely love.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Let's talk about legacy. When it's all said and done, how do you want to be remembered?

[Asghari]

I want at least 1,000 people at my funeral who can have a story to tell my family of how I have helped them, how I've helped them change the trajectory of their career.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

And you've shared some amazing stories about a few of your clients. Is there one particular story that stands out right now that you'd like to share? About a success that you've had with a client.

[Asghari]

I've had one client. He was very, you know, when someone, when you're a kid and someone comes in like tags you and then runs off like they want to play, but they're playing hard to get to play. So he had reached out to us. He wants to start his own business. But it was almost like he wanted us to convince him for it. And you know, I was like, I, I'm not going to talk you into making the most important decision of your life. And he, you know, he didn't come with us. He went with a coaching program that's going to help him learn how to start a business, not actually launch it for him or with him like we do. And then four months later he calls us again like, ah, it was total waste. I learned some stuff. But you know, I don't, I don't think it's working. But what can, can you guys guarantee that this is going to do well? It's like, well, we can make certain guarantees based on your, certain things that you have to do because it's your business. Long story short, doesn't do anything again and comes back almost a year later. Now he's finally ready.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Awesome.

[Asghari]

And that was a year and a half ago and he's doing really well. He made around 375 his first year in business.

[Guest Supporter]

That's awesome.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

That's a great story. Thank you for sharing. Is there a social cause that is connected with your company?

[Asghari]

Yes. So I'm in the process of buying about 5 to 10 acres of land in Texas where I'm going to house underprivileged at risk youth that are aged out of foster care and weren't adopted but now they're, you know, over 16 years of age there. They'll be able to stay, learn technical skills and we would get them employment but they would continue staying on the property until they've saved up five to $10,000 and then they can go off on their own.

[Guest Supporter]

That's beautiful.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Are you doing it as a nonprofit? Do you have a nonprofit or.

[Asghari]

Yeah, it would be a non for profit that we're doing. But the idea is to also provide jobs in the service based industries to the clients that we're launching.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

That's awesome. And why foster care? Aged out of foster care. Do you have a backstory for that?

[Asghari]

I love teenage kids. You know, I think especially kids in foster care or who weren't adopted out. They don't have that many people advocating for them. That's why they're in that situation in the first place. So I guess advocating for those who don't have people to advocate for.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Thank you. That is a, that's an angel centered, heart centered mission. Thank you for that.

[Asghari]

Thank you.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

What do you need right now that you don't have to move the needle forward?

[Asghari]

Probably need to hire more client advisors.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Okay. And what can we as the audience, what can we do right now? What is your ask? What can we do to support your business?

[Asghari]

If you have people who are, who feel stuck in their nine to five and are aren't fully ready to even start a business, we would like to be a resource for them. Our website offers a ton of free resources for people to start looking into that journey of entrepreneurship. We would like to be a resource for that. If there are people who are ready, give us a call. We would love to walk you through that process.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Let's talk about your consulting role. What toll has that project taken on your soul, if any?

[Asghari]

I would say it's been for the first time in my life, it feels like a life purpose rather than a fun adventure or venture to start.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Finance. How did you finance your business?

[Asghari]

SBA loan.

[Guest Supporter]

Okay.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Would you recommend that for everyone, an.

[Asghari]

SBA loan for service based businesses? It's easier to get an SBA loan and if that is the business you're wanting to launch, then absolutely.

[Guest Supporter]

Okay. Absolutely.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

What have you not done in life that you dream about often that you would like to do?

[Asghari]

I still have left to go to Dubai and bungee jump over Palm Island. That's on my bucket list. How about you?

[Dr. Francis Richards]

For me personally, I don't call it a bucket list. I call it a dreams list.

[Asghari]

Okay.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Is to go to Argentina to do the Argentina tango. Now I can definitely find some place in Vegas to do the Argentina tango, but I absolutely want to go to Argentina and do and learn the Argentina tango. So that is on my dream list.

[Asghari]

I can I actually immediately visualize you doing it too.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

I love, love, love to dance. Let's talk about work, life effectiveness and how do you handle that in life and business, especially running dual companies.

[Asghari]

So I think leading with empathy when dealing with whether if it's family members or staff, starting from that point has helped me be more effective because I first start with okay, what are they feeling? Where are they coming from? And then go into more of a. Are we on the same page? Is the encoding and decoding of information. What I'm saying is that the same you're hearing. So focusing on, on those parts of communication, I think has helped me be far more effective as I've gotten older. Okay.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

And I've heard someone say your why should make you cry. Why do you do what you do?

[Asghari]

It's that inner compass, that sense of this is the right thing for me.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

And someone watching this video and you were saying, when I'm younger, when I was younger. And they're saying, oh my gosh, she looks so young, so amazing. And I want to ask you this question, are you still having fun?

[Asghari]

I think I am. I think I'm having more fun now than I've ever had. Right. I think once you reach a point in life where you're able to see things more of a bird's eye view, you're able to appreciate things more. You have more contrast of what bad looks like, so you appreciate the good and life just feels more full.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Thank you for that. We've come to the part of our interview. It's called a rapid round of fun. I'm going to ask you a series of questions and I'd like you to give me very quick answers. And if it's something you desire not to answer, feel free to say pass. Are you ready for the rapid round of fun?

[Asghari]

Okay. Let's go.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Your favorite comfort food, tacos. Your favorite holiday Christmas.

[Asghari]

Your ideal car, Maserati, Quadroporte.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Your favorite singer or rapper.

[Asghari]

There's a few of them. Jay Z is on the list. Your favorite dance song, Justin Timberlake. I've got the feeling.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

What food you eat every week, no.

[Asghari]

Matter what avocados and salmon, brain food.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Workout or hit the couch.

[Asghari]

Hot yoga, hot vinyasa yoga.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Love it. Thank you so much for joining us on Black Entrepreneur Experience podcast. Before we let you go, share with our audience the best way for them to connect with you to do business with you. Feel free to leave all your social media handles.

[Asghari]

You can reach me on asghari.com and there there's plenty of free resources for entrepreneurs to learn and all of our contacts. If you want to get on a quick call with us, you're able to book a call right from the website.

[Dr. Francis Richards]

Thank you so much. That's a wrap.

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