Immigrating to the U.S. on his own at age 16, with hardly any money and extremely limited English proficiency, Amir learned early on what it takes to survive--and thrive--in an uncertain environment. As a young Iranian in the ‘80s with no outside support, negotiating a foreign culture, attending school, and trying to make ends meet, Amir’s journey inevitably led to adventures (and misadventures) so various that they could fill a book! Then, not too long after he had settled into his new home, he set off to live and work in such diverse locales as Thailand and Germany, which each presented their own unique challenges and opportunities. All along, these experiences were teaching Amir valuable lessons about survival, resourcefulness, resilience, diversity, growth, determination, success, leadership, life and so on. In this often humorous, always insightful talk, Amir imparts the hard-won wisdom of a lifetime of cross-cultural navigation, and the fascinating ways in which he came by it, in hopes of inspiring others to build on his learnings, avoid his mistakes, and relate to themselves as capable of overcoming any obstacles that stand in their way.
Aimed at general audiences, this more personal talk, at once captivating, entertaining, and educational, employs Amir’s skills as a master storyteller to transport listeners back to specific episodes in his life as an immigrant and expat encountering the trials, tribulations, and trivialities of those times. Audience members will learn deep, insightful lessons, laughing along with Amir as he shares some of the most fascinating and surprising stories they have ever heard.
By sharing the adversity he faced and how he was able to overcome it, Amir aims to inspire others to see that they have what it takes to rise above whatever challenges they are facing and achieve extraordinary success and fulfillment. This talk will reassure audiences that, no matter where they are starting from, they have what it takes to overcome their circumstances to survive, thrive, and eventually become a source of inspiration to others around them to do the same!
Key Takeaways:
• Your life shrinks and expands to match the size of your commitments.
• Survival is the lowest form of commitment and bold declarations bring out the best in you.
• The difference between surviving and thriving, and how the focus on the former prevents us from achieving the latter.
• How our erroneous and limiting beliefs are survival tools that no longer serve a purpose.
• How to turn today's challenges into tomorrow's victories.
• Why stories with happy endings rarely feel like it along the way.
Note: Although the above represents the key message of this keynote, Amir spends ample time with each client in advance to understand their specific challenges and opportunities to customize the delivery in a way that resonates with their specific target audience.