The Trailblazers Experience Podcast

EP64 Sairan Aqrawi: From Engineer to Empowerment Coach - Mastering Time, Personal Branding, and Breaking Boundaries for Midlife Success

• Season 4 • Episode 64

Share episode

Send us a text

EP64 Our next Guest is Sairan Aqrawi ,Engineer , Speaker ,Author and Coach
In this episode of the Trailblazer Experience podcast, Sairan Aqrawi shares her inspiring journey from being an immigrant engineer to a successful business coach. She discusses the challenges of pursuing the American dream, the importance of transferable skills, and the balance between emotional intelligence and technical expertise. Sairan emphasizes the significance of authenticity, mastery, and continuous practice in both coaching and public speaking. She encourages listeners to find their hidden talents and to be committed to their goals, while also sharing her aspirations for global impact and representation.

Chapters
00:15 Introduction
02:41 Navigating the American Dream
05:32 Transferable Skills in Engineering and Coaching
08:28 The Balance of IQ and EQ
11:29 Mastery Over Multitasking
14:35 The Importance of Self-Care and Commitment
17:24 Building a Business and Overcoming Criticism
20:21 Embracing Change and Continuous Learning
23:28 The Power of Networking and Self-Development
26:21 Confidence Through Competence
29:16 The Evolution of Public Speaking
31:48 The Art of Authentic Speaking
35:25 Passion, Practice, and the Path to Mastery
38:48 The Power of Words and Mindset
43:07 Finding Your Unique Voice
48:08 Vision for Global Impact and Representation
53:39 Trailblazer Tips for Success
54:43 Outro

Find Sairan
Linkedin :www.linkedin.com/in/sairan-aqrawi-m-sc-993bb61a3
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sairanaqrawi/?hl=en
Speakerhub : https://speakerhub.com/skillcamp/how-sairan-aqrawi-integrated-her-engineering-skills-speaking-career-breakthrough

This episode is a treasure trove of wisdom for anyone looking to pivot in their career, embrace new challenges, and craft a life filled with purpose and success.

Listen : to the audio version Apple Spotify .Amazon Music Google Podcasts
Watch and subscribe to my YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@Thetrailblazersexperience
Follow Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/thetrailblazersexperience/

The Trailblazers Experience:

Welcome to the episode of the Trailblazers Experience podcast, where we have candid conversations with women sharing their career journeys. Today, I'm really excited and I say this all the time, but genuinely excited to be talking to our next guest. She describes herself and is a business coach, an engineer, a speaker, an author, and one of the things that just stood testament to me is she describes herself as a business coach who is focused, who are empowering women and ensuring that they recognize and utilize their hidden talents. Sairan, welcome to the podcast.

Sairan Aqrawi:

Thank you so much, IntolaN, for having me. It's my pleasure.

The Trailblazers Experience:

It's such a wonderful thing, technology, isn't it? Because you're in the US of A, I'm here in the UK and we're connected through the powers that may be For the audience. I'm really just keen to understand and we've talked a little bit about it before we started just about your journey and who Sayran is and just where did this all start for you, especially as an engineer? Yes, thank you for the question.

Sairan Aqrawi:

The start was not as clear as I see myself right now, because I came to United States in my 20s. I was 26. I had a bachelor's degree in engineering and, of course, just like everybody who come to United States, we seek to fulfill our American dream. And that's American dream might be defined by people differently than how I see it. Back then I thought you know. Back then, you know, just because I'm an engineer, the road will be rosy and paid for me. Everybody welcoming me hey, come on in, everything's ready for you. Well, that's not the case here. You have to work very hard and you have to stand out in any skill or profession you decided to do, because it's very crowded. It's saturated everywhere, not just in engineering, in every profession, as you know. So, being an immigrant from north of Iraq, coming to a country starting from scratch, having only $300 with me, it was a rocky start, but I decided to make it happen and I had to prove to myself yes, the American dream does exist and I am proving it here. The job started by doing full-time engineering and I'm still in love with it. I'm still a full-time engineer with the Metro Authority, the Metro Authority, but then back when I done with my master's degree, I was pumped enough I guess I was crazy enough to start my doctoral. Only one semester while I was doing my doctor program, I was exposed to speaking engagement, not knowing that I have the passion or the skill to deliver a message to the younger engineers. Well, the fate or the universe telling me no, this is other things you are capable to do. Just think about it. So I decided to freeze my doctorate and I started a small business.

Sairan Aqrawi:

Before I had a different niche. Before I had a different niche, I used to coach and mentor women in technology who they come to the United States to find their American dream. So they're all engineering women. But last year I shut down that platform and now I'm a business coach. I just changed my niche.

Sairan Aqrawi:

I'm a certified coach with ICF, I'm ACC and my main target are midlife women who are seeking to find their hidden talent and hidden gem. And although I said midlife woman in my Instagram, believe it or not, I still get guys calling me, not because I'm genius or smart or anything, because they seek the niche in their ICF and they see me in my ICF directory. So they're asking about the mentorship, although there are guys. They said we just want to know if you think that we should change the niche or the niche on our coaching practice. So, answering your question, the start was not clear, but now I think I'm in a very solid foundation because I have clarity and focus on my business and I know exactly what I am aiming to and what is the target and what is the goal.

The Trailblazers Experience:

I mean it's really great that you've highlighted that way, because I think I was born in Germany but I was also raised partly in Zambia and there's always this misconception when you're coming from a different country that when you land in first world countries they call it that everything is just going to be all laid out for you. But you're right, it's very competitive. You have to be excellent, as my dad always says, in everything that you do to stand out, to stay ahead of the curve. It is a competitive market and if you are looking to achieve certain things in your particular sector, there's a lot of hard work that needs to be done. What are some of the significant milestones and achievements, would you say, in your engineering career that are helping you now in this next phase as a coach? Very good question.

Sairan Aqrawi:

A lot of people think, when they pivot or they change their career path from tech to something else, that they wasted those years doing something that they don't want to continue doing it. And I'm here to tell you none of those skills or years of experience you work. It's wasted, nothing's wasted. You might waste time by not doing something productive, but if you've done a work or a job even if you are any job you think a cashier, flipping burger, whatever it is it's preparing you for the bigger thing, this thing that you believe it's not your right niche might lead you to the right things that you meant to be there. So me doing engineering for all those years and I'm still doing engineering my brain wired in a way that everything is a strategy equation Same thing that I solve equation in engineering and math and the number has to add up everything black and white. To be precise and concise, 17.8 inch is not like 17.9 inch, which is the case in engineering, especially construction and system integration. When I came to coaching at the beginning, I thought I wasted that time. I said why I have not done this 20 years ago? Well, doing something else than pivoting and changing the niche to your small business will make you stand out and differentiate you from others and I'll explain how. When I speak in an event and people know that I'm ACC they know right away because of the style I deliver messages my engineering mentality pop up. I say numbers and data and they said are you only coach? I said no, I'm an engineer too. They said we figured because there is a fact in your talk. You talk about fact. You're always telling us don't make assumption, don't sit down and make calculating stories about old belief. That is not true. I always tell them which book say that, which manual? They said. But that's emotional intelligence. I said doesn't matter. When you said you are not able to start a business, who told you this? Well, I think I said which book, which manual, which Bible. So they were like oh, she go buy books. I said, of course, because if you don't have fact, like Renee Brown always say, when you are lack of data, who better than Renee Brown to say that when you lack of data, you make assumption, you make stories out of nothing. I mean why you come to me and telling me I'm a midlife woman and I have no confidence and I think I will fail. Whoa, whoa, whoa how many stories you just did in front of me. Fear. What have you even started? No, then how do you know you're going to fail? Well, I think you think so.

Sairan Aqrawi:

There is assumption in everything, like the four agreement book states that we always make assumption. Right, take things personally and make assumption. We women tend to set ourselves to fail Failure story. We haven't even started yet. And then we complained, said when we are in the room, the guys didn't take us seriously. Well, sorry, honey, they didn't take you seriously because you are not taking yourself seriously. You haven't even adding value to yourself. First you have to be competent and do your work and get your facts together. Then, when you go to that room, they have no other choice, just to take this up.

The Trailblazers Experience:

And as women, you are so right. We self-doubt, we self-sabotage before we've even started, you know, before we've even given it a chance. And we can learn so much from our allies in men, in that confidence and saying, well, you know what are the odds of failing. If I don't try, I won't know what's going to happen. And it's so interesting that you've I feel like you've connected the dots, because you talked about how you were mentoring women in engineering and then realized, well, actually there's a different calling. So transitioning to public speaking but still taking those skills from an engineer perspective, about facts, not making assumptions, how did you manage that transition from obviously a technical role, which you're still doing now, to a now more public and influential speaking position? Because public speaking and mentoring and coaching, it's hard, it's not easy, it's not innate, but how did you make that?

Sairan Aqrawi:

transition. At one event a guy approached me and he said you are a perfect example of a range marriage between IQ and EQ. My engineering is all IQ. I mean I have to have my number, I cannot make any mistakes and sometimes I sleep and thinking about the number that I just put in an email or in a documentation in my engineering job. The emotional intelligence, as you know, you are a businesswoman, you know it's a whole different era. It's you dealing with people. You have to master your communication.

Sairan Aqrawi:

I don't think that I balance it out because I don't believe in the balance work. To be honest with you, I believe in integration. You are a mom, you know what I mean. I mean we raise children, we cook, we clean. We still have to be a good wife, good sister, good friend and at the same time, because we are women and we always seek perfection, we want to be good also at the business and at the gaining more education and, you know, growing towards our self-development. So we want it all and sometimes we get to that wall saying I am tired, I got a fatigue, now I feel like I'm not able to produce or I'm not able to give more because I feel tired and that's because we put too much on our plate, I think, what has helped me between both the IQ and EQ, I think the one thing that I can not brag about it, but the thing that always my husband telling me oh, you are expert at that.

Sairan Aqrawi:

My time management is unbelievable, like I know how to manage my time. In a way, if I get to a certain day and my brain it's just go off, I cannot even solve one plus one. I cannot do a certain day and my brain it's just go off, I cannot even solve one plus one. I cannot do a podcast, I cannot talk with a client, I just shut down everything. I close my computer, I close my phone and I just take that day and I go to the spa. I spend the whole day at the spa, I pamper myself, I do massage and I do just relaxation, because I feel my brain is sending me a signal when I multitask. And this is why I don't believe in the balanced word, because when you do many things at one time in total, you're going to do each of those tasks. 20%, 30%, 40% add up to 100% human nature ability. But if I am today I'm scheduled to do two podcasts, all I'm going to do is the podcast.

Sairan Aqrawi:

I took off from work. I don't want to do anything with work, right, but if I am with you, I cannot pick up the phone and text my daughter at the same time. I will not be fully present with her. I might tell her something sounds rude to her. At the same time, I'm not giving you my full attention. So I'm losing the mastery with you and I'm losing my mastery being a good mom with her as well.

Sairan Aqrawi:

And Robert Greene talked about it in his book, the mastery book, and the skills that we have to master, the one things that we are really good at. People go to Bruce Lee they don't go to his student because Bruce Lee masters the game. People go to Tony Robbins to learn about public speaking or to Les Brown to learn this public speaking, because they master that thing. So by you to thrive and by you to stand out, you can tell the client I will see you at the event, I will give you my guiding coaching. But while I'm with you, can I contact a couple of clients? You are not doing a service to your client or to yourself or to your business. You can't balance them out. You have to master one thing and do it at one time, so you can give it all your 100%.

The Trailblazers Experience:

There's really something to say about mastery, isn't it? I think I was of the perception and maybe it's because you're. I think I was of the perception, and maybe it's because you're multitasking Women can do everything, but in order to perfect a skill, as you said, you have to actually decide. It's a bit like that urgent, non-urgent quadrant which I use a lot in work and projects and delegating and just sussing out. What is it we're trying to do here? What should we focus our attention on?

The Trailblazers Experience:

Because you can't do everything and, interestingly enough, that realization comes with maturity, but also the higher you rise within organizations, when it's the level playing field with your stakeholders you're dealing with. Those are the things where you realize everything is not possible. And the fact that you said, even from a work-life balance and a personal life balance perspective, it's picking the things that you want to focus on and doing that well, I've never heard that articulated that way, because every time I ask a woman about what does work-life balance and self-care mean to you, to articulate it in a way that even in your self-care and looking after yourself, you have to master that time that you're giving to yourself and also how you're taking care of yourself as well. This is really interesting.

Sairan Aqrawi:

Yes, you're filling, like you said. They say you're filling your cup right, my daughter's 20. Like you said, they say filling your cup, right, my daughter's 20. If I'm mentally tired and exhausted and she seek guidance or advice from me, I cannot give her that because I'm already exhausted. I need some therapist or some coach talking to me first. But if I am really well, you know, balanced and contained and you know I have the calm and the space that I can give her the advice. But if I'm already the one who needs help, how can I give her my advice? So first you have to work on yourself. In a way, when people point to you, they said and Tola is the only one who has the answers, and Tola can show you this they know for sure that you are in that space. You master your game. They're not going to send your name to everyone just because they like you. This is an era of business, right? There is no like here. Again, we talked about the EQ and IQ. You have to make the heart and the brain talk to each other. You can't put emotion and passion sending your client just because they like you. You really have to master your game. You really have to stand out Talking about speaking and coaching, and we talked about this before even we started recording.

Sairan Aqrawi:

This is such a crowded platform, right? You see, if you put the zip code of my house, there is a coach and a speaker just around every place in the block, right? But who's standing out? Who's those people who stand out Are the people who really have a message, a valuable message, and who are willing to leave an impact. Same thing with client. You are a businesswoman, you know this.

Sairan Aqrawi:

People come with a book and a long list of wishes. I want this. I want that. I want to get married. I want the best man. I want to get pregnant. I want to have my doctor. I want that. I want to get married. I want the best man. I want to get pregnant. I want to have my doctorate. I want to have a business.

Sairan Aqrawi:

What is that? Are you a? What is that? What do you call it? The wonder woman? Be real, right. Be logic here. I mean we are human beings, right? I mean you have to know how much you put in your plate, and if you are not having that clarity and if you are not committed to do what you are said to do, don't even come in and talk to me.

Sairan Aqrawi:

Sometimes I come across a little bit. People call it maybe rude or bold. I call it bold and that's come because of being doing engineering all my life. I cannot make mistake in numbers and calculation, even in my coaching. I come across sometimes both and I tell my client always the first and the second session I said you will hate me, but towards the end you're going to thank me. And that's exactly what's happened. When they send me their testimonial, they tell me it's true, we were kind of challenged by you. We were like whoa, she's really harsh on us. But towards the end, when we see the outcome and the result, you're right, we are thanking you.

Sairan Aqrawi:

They come to me with wishes. The first question I asked I said what do you want? What is your goal? Such and such? And I said are you committed? Well, I wish. I said are you committed? I say committed, like three, four times, and they think that I am Kukwala. Why she's repeating herself. I said because every time I tell you committed, you said wish, this is not a wish club. You dialed the wrong number. I'm not a coach. You come and have a cup of tea and we are best friends, chatting, talking about life. I am your change agent.

Sairan Aqrawi:

If you are not committed. Please don't dial my number. You are with the wrong coach.

Sairan Aqrawi:

You need a therapist, not a coach. Yeah, yes, I mean you are venting. I'm not a vent machine. I mean you are here to speak about your husband is not helping you around the house. What does that have to do with my niche? I'm a business coach. Why I care? Your husband is not helping you. Smack him.

Sairan Aqrawi:

I don't know why you are here. Telling me about something has nothing to do with the subject. And that doesn't mean that I am with no heart. I don't even listen if they have a bad day traffic. No, A couple of minutes, I give it to you. You're telling me that it took you 10 minutes more to get to the session because there was an accident on the highway. It's fine, but if you're going to make it a trend and every time you come to my session you complain about the traffic, who do you think I am? I mean, I'm not in control of the traffic. You are here for a purpose. You're paying me hourly a good amount of money to take you from A to B. So if you are not committed, don't contact me.

The Trailblazers Experience:

And also, I think that's your value add, isn't it? That's the reason why you chose to become a coach is because you know that there's something that you can add value to that woman's life that is going to be transformative for them in terms of the direction that they take. Okay, so, for the audience that's listening, they're probably maybe also at the crossroads and they're thinking I want to pivot and also become a coach. What are some of the things that you've learned, apart from obviously getting the qualification that have helped you navigate to become this powerhouse coach that you are? No nonsense, tell it like it is.

Sairan Aqrawi:

Yes, because it's a change and a pivot. Every time you do, even if you change your diet, it's always difficult in the beginning. If you change the gym, if you change a partner, if you change the place you live in, every time you change to something new, it's uncomfortable in the beginning. But what I learned? That from my experience, every time I tap in to something that scared me to death and speaking was one of them I was like I'm no speaker. Every time you touch that one thing that scared you the most, you come out of that thing a better person and a better version. And I'll tell you an example.

Sairan Aqrawi:

Let's say I attend networking and you call me. You say Sayran, there's a big summit in London, it's all about engineering. Oh great, I'm coming. So everyone is engineering, everyone is talking my language, everyone knows where I come from, I know which degree they got. We all talk engineering. Boring, boring, bridges, law, all of that contract.

Sairan Aqrawi:

Okay, whatever, I came out of that event still an engineer, right? I mean, what did I learn? Everything was repeated. I've been in the industry for 35 years. I'm not doing any. What else I can do beyond my master right? But if you throw me in the same network and the network is about AI, artificial intelligence or finance or other technology, or real estate or speaking or coaching, or small business or entrepreneur. I'll be scared. I'll be like Natala, please. I don't know anything. The language oh my God, this is no English for me.

Sairan Aqrawi:

He said just go and learn and call me after that. Trust me, after that two-hour session, even if I get one nugget or two nugget, I'm a better version of myself Because I went uncomfortable. I went only being an engineer, but I came out with certain tools and resources from AI or whatever subject it was. I tell it oh my God, it was in the beginning, uncomfortable, but I make new friends. I connect with other people on LinkedIn. I enjoy the AI summit. I'm attending another one.

Sairan Aqrawi:

So that's the thing I tell all the women answering your question if they were to pivot or, like me, keeping their job and starting a small business, try to be in those events that adding value to you. Don't go to those events that are all like laughing and drinking, taking Instagram pictures and go home. No, don't attend those events. These are wasting time and energy. The second thing I'll tell them cut all the noise around you. When you start a small business, you'll have a lot of criticism. People will critic you about your move, the way how you change, the way how you dress, the type of the friend you hang out. Cut that noise. If you are committed to succeed in your small business, cut that noise. That noise is just going to distract you from the real goal that you are aiming. That noise is not going to give you any favor.

Sairan Aqrawi:

Third, and the most important things keep going. Do not give up. The result will come.

Sairan Aqrawi:

I work, I work when I start man work hours, event, read book, talked with people. I purchased so many just for training. I have more than four coaches. I have one now that I still pay. I'm a coach, certified coach. I'm still having my coach and mentor and you don't see the result in the beginning and bam, one day, wow, that's the result.

Sairan Aqrawi:

It's like pile up, it's accumulation for all the sand and rock and blocks you put on each other on the top of each other's, and you turn around. All that work, work, work become a mountain right behind you and no one can break that mountain because it's built step by step. Don't, don't, don't ever aim to have it so quick, because when it's come quick, I always say it's questionable. You're giving me something so easy and you throw it in my lap. I said why, until I give me this, it's questionable. But when I know that I put my sweat and write my effort on it, I'm like I know this how this effort came. It's come from working, working, working. This is why now I see the result.

The Trailblazers Experience:

That is so true. It's about building those foundations, isn't it? And what resonated with me of what you said is about networking events. The first women's community that I felt really close to is one started by a lady who was a chief financial officer, and most of the women who I met through her were in finance. The women who I met through her were in finance. Now, within the various roles I've been with, I've always worked with finance, budgets, p&ls, et cetera. But it was so refreshing and also outside of my comfort zone, to meet with them and understand their lingo and the things that they're talking about. And also networking events, stepping out of my comfort zone. So attending networking events where it's all about investors and they're talking about pitch decks and things. You know something that you've never done before, but you learn and you build and you expand your circle. Now, who knows what that's going to help me with in the next five to 10 years? I think I'll connect the dots later. Yes, yes, but you're so right.

The Trailblazers Experience:

If you keep on hanging around with the same people doing the same thing, well, you're sort of all in the same club. So how do you rise above that? Yes, but to start a business and move forward as a coach or a speaker or other, you need to step out of that zone.

Sairan Aqrawi:

Yes, yes, yes, and you listen to people like Jeff Bezos and Warren Buffett. I hear Warren Buffett once. I'm not I can't quote him exactly, but he said he always encouraged younger people to work in their self-development and communication skills. Because you might have all kind of degree and credential and your LinkedIn looks fancy and you are a chief safety officer and you are whatever vice president, but if no one willing to do business and work with you, you are not a successful person. Nobody care about that title, nobody care about that degree. You are hanging on the wall, right.

Sairan Aqrawi:

If you are a good communicator and if you are a team player and you have your self-development fact and all that work, people see it on you. You can't fake it. People are smart. You can't go to a room faking that you have a self-confidence if you are not really self-confident, because it's so obvious in your body language and the way how you talk, the poise, the way how you represent yourself. Just like Les Brown said, the minute you open your mouth you're telling the universe who you are. Oh yeah definitely.

Sairan Aqrawi:

Yeah, it's the competent, my competence makes me look self-confident. I can't just go to a room and pretend, oh, I have a self-confidence, okay, but guess what? Your act, the way how you move your body, the way how you talk with others say otherwise. But if you are competent, if you work so hard on yourself, people will see it in your action. I can't come to a room and telling you I'm confident. You're like what?

Sairan Aqrawi:

Because word, like Robert Greene said, is very deceiving. It's fake. I can fake my word. I can say oh, you know, this sweater is so beautiful and I hate it. You can see it, you can sense it. It's a human nature. We read each other's but if I really, really inside I'm in love with this shirt, you're going to come to me and say I hate your shirt. I said I'm sorry, I love it because I believe on it. I have a belief inside that I love that shirt. You can take that belief away from me. So it's a competence and that one person is us. We tend to be diplomatic and willing to help, giving away to community, helping each other, building other women, and when the time has come to us, we are exhausted, like it's okay, I'll do whatever. No, give the full, the five-star service to yourself. When you give your five-star service to yourself, then you can serve the whole people who's depending on you. But if you're giving, you know, a minimum attention to yourself, you're not going to scale your game.

The Trailblazers Experience:

Yeah, they say you have to be your own biggest advocator. If you can't advocate for yourself, how are you supposed to advocate for others? And whether it's in your professional career or your private life, with your family, et cetera, if you can't advocate and you know, be confident in yourself and your abilities how are you going to do that? And, like you said, filling the cup for others when yours is empty even in physics it's very difficult to do, isn't it? There's nothing in one cup, but you somehow want to fill the other one as well. Loving this let's talk about your speaking, and we talked about it a bit just before we started recording is how did you get into speaking and how has that evolved? And tell me the story about the first time you spoke you mentioned about you forgetting your own name?

Sairan Aqrawi:

Sarah, why my hands were sweaty right. I never hear about a hand sweat right. I think it's happened to me because I was able to run a technology and engineering meeting and speak about design and numbers, no problem. But when they ask you to be on the stage to talk about women leadership or talk about self-development or talk about small business, it's a different game because you are not using your background as a technology or finance or being a physician, only talk about medical. This is a different path of knowledge. And not only I forgot my name, I forgot why I was there. I was looking at the audience. I was like okay, and now what?

Sairan Aqrawi:

The first time is always difficult because don't they say like speaking is one of the few acts that a lot of people compare it with death. Imagine in your mind the validation, the outside validation. What are they going to say about me? Do they understand my accent? Do they like me? Do they love me? Do I look good? Do I, you know, fit for this job? My dressing and my shoes? I'm going to fold down. All those negative connotation is going to come to your head All negative, all minus, all negative. But when you do it once and you do it twice and do it third or fourth time. Still, it's not going to be easy, as it's nothing, because you always have to be prepared for that talk, because not every audience you're going to address. Your audience in a big corporation is not like an audience at the church or a teenage or a new graduate in a university. So you have to know your audience very well.

Sairan Aqrawi:

And I happened to speak with Les Brown yesterday in a big summit here in Speaker Hub and I was honored and lucky enough to be interviewed by him or coaching me for a short time. He told me the best three things that I can put in my speaking is being genuine. Second, being inspiring, third, being bold. And the reason why we pick those three words together because when he said genuine, he said if I am trying to be somebody else, I want to mimic Oprah or Rene Brown or Tony Robinson or even him, les Brown, I'm going to come out fake. People will see the style oh, she's trying to be someone. But when you come out genuine and you are in your own skin, you say all the fault or all the flaws you have in the language or the way how you express yourself, it's still going to reach the audience because it's come from the heart. It's going to reach the heart. So first, you have to be genuine. Second, being inspiring.

Sairan Aqrawi:

What is in your story that inspires others? Always use stories, story stick. I mean I can come to the stage and telling you all kind of oh, warren Buffett said. Jeff Bezos said how about my own story? Why I don't use my own story to inspire others? Say listen, why you are scared? Look at me. Yes, you are younger than me, but I came to United States I was 26. I have $300. I was scared from everything. I did school here. I built a family. I got two. From everything I did school here, I built a family. I got two beautiful kids. Start, please, don't be scared. Use your own story.

Sairan Aqrawi:

Third, being bold. Always say what you have to say. Put the ego and the validation and people assumption aside. If I really invited to a session and you call me, you said Sayran, I need you to have a clear message. Those ladies who I wanted to talk with are a high school graduate and they don't believe in college. They just want to start working for $10. They don't want to go and pursue their education. I don't need to have any sugar statement here. I need to be bold in my message. I need to be very clear. You invite me for that platform. I need to be bold in my message. I need to be very clear. You invite me for that platform. I better to be bold. I better to have my message line up very clear, telling those younger girls or boys give me a reason why you don't want to go to college and pursue more education. I'm not saying be rude, be bold, be clear. Your message has to be clear. And again, just like any other profession, you will see everyone who wants to pursue speaking, because it's one of the professions that also pay well, I mean, if you become excellent at it. People are making their speaking their full-time job. I'm not yet there, I'm still in the beginning, right, but I feel like the people who thrive, those people who really make it to the good result with what they are loving to do, are the people who really want that thing so bad, not wishing for it, but they are really committed.

Sairan Aqrawi:

Again, we're talking about passion. To me, passion needs practice and skills. I can come to you and say, nutella, I have a passion in doing art. Okay, are you doing any art? No, I have the passion. It's just a wish, it's a dream. What is the action? If I really want something, I have to act on it. I have to take the action.

Sairan Aqrawi:

I used to be a swimming coach back in Iraq, professional swimmer. I forgot most of the stuff now or the technique which I was doing swimming. But I can come to you and say, intola, I'll teach you how to swim and I do the move in front of you and I give you like clips about other swimmers. That is not going to work. To teach you how to swim, you got to throw yourself in the swimming pool. You got to take action, even on sport. Same thing with speaking. I can't teach you to speak by giving you video and clips and say, oh look, how people speak. Okay, you're done with that. You watched them, you took the training, now you need to speak. So for me, the transition came by just doing it. Just do it. Don't wait to be perfect. No one is perfect. If you ask any speaker now, they will tell you they still get the butterfly and the excitement before they go to the stage. So nothing perfect here. Just do it and you're going to learn from it.

The Trailblazers Experience:

I mean that is so true and you're going to learn from it. I mean that is so true. And also, you know you talked about authenticity, being bold and being a person of impact, isn't it you want to? When you leave that room, your message comes across very clearly. It's like what is it you're trying to deliver and who is your audience? I remember someone telling me when you start your podcast, the first one is not going to be the best, yes, but you have to keep going. And she told me to actually go to this guy called Chris Williamson. He has a podcast called Modern Wisdom and he still kept the first ever episode he did in his apartment with his two friends. He didn't have a fancy microphone, no fancy background, etc. It is still to this day on his YouTube page because he wants to remind himself of how far he's come, but also remind those who are starting that sometimes you just have to start.

The Trailblazers Experience:

And there's a lot about even with podcasting. It's about active listening when you're speaking. It's about your story, the intonation of your voice, the message that you're trying to deliver, where your eye contact is going, what you're doing with your hands. There's so much. It's a spectrum, isn't it? And you learn that over time and you get comfortable. And only now doing the podcast, sarah, and have I just realized any skill to your point? You know, manifestation action needs practice. An opera singer is practicing all the time. They still go for vocal lessons. A sprinter is also practicing, before they run that nine second or whatever the world record is. You have to practice holding that skill over time and if you're really passionate about it it won't feel like work as you're holding that skill. Is that one thing that you find? Even when you're speaking to other women of people realize you have to do the work.

Sairan Aqrawi:

Yes, and then what you said is absolutely true about staying relevant. I mean, you stay relevant by not doing it perfect. Now I'll give you a perfect example. When we scheduled to record this podcast, I didn't know about the question, right? I didn't even want to know about the question why? Let's say, you give me the question. It's four questions. You say, sarah, I'm practicing and I'm practicing and I'm putting on the AI. Give me the best answer. Practice, practice, practice and I'm practicing and putting on the AI, give me the best answer. And I come to the podcast and I'm like this, like a robot. Yes, question number one and the reason why I'm doing this will not reach your audience. This is more genuine will reach your audience because I'm struggling with the word, because I practice three dialects a day. I speak Kurdish and Arabic and English, so sometimes the English word come in a Kurdish melody. You'd be like what did she say? The joys of being multilingual, isn't it?

The Trailblazers Experience:

What is?

Sairan Aqrawi:

that. What did she just say? She said what was that accent? I mean, it was an English word, but the way I said it it came out of Kurdish melody and music.

The Trailblazers Experience:

Oh, it happens to me all the time, yeah.

Sairan Aqrawi:

And I practice those three dialects every day. It's not only one day, it's like every day. I speak Kurdish and Arabic and English, right. So me coming out to your podcast platform not being perfect is even better, because for a younger girl let's say she's 30 or 31, she wants to be a speaker like me and she's an engineer. If she sees me stiff like this in front of you and I got it all and I'm perfect, she's not going to learn anything. But if I come like this natural and genuine she said oh okay, she is not perfect, I can do it. I'm sure she's better than when she done it five years ago or 10 years ago, of course, because it's practice make the mastery.

Sairan Aqrawi:

The more you practice on something, it makes you in a better place and makes you stand out. Just like all the successful people, like Warren Buffett and Oprah and the Speaker and Les Brown, those people didn't start like that. It took them years to get to the mastery and they claim it. And every time you hear Oprah telling you. The first time she was on the media, on the TV, she was not even able to put two sentences together because she was questioning herself am I good enough to do this job. There is a lot of other women and male who are better than me. They are doing this job anyway. Look where she is now Right. So it's believing yourself, and you talk about branding, and branding is very important, I think. I believe I hear Jeff Bezos one time say branding is basically what people say about you when you leave the room.

The Trailblazers Experience:

Oh, yes, it's that hidden PR. I call it yes yes.

Sairan Aqrawi:

So it's like when you leave, I leave you in this podcast. I said, oh, natalia's podcast, it stand out for these things and you are not in the room, I'm telling somebody else Because the one things, one component that I sense it in your podcast is different than in the podcast I did before you. They are both good, but each one of you stand out for their own logo and brand. You deliver the message. The nature of your question, the environment or the I would say the tone of your podcast is different than others and you don't want to lose that in total. You don't want to lose that than others and you don't want to lose that in Tola. You don't want to lose that.

The Trailblazers Experience:

You don't want to be similar to anyone, because that's going to last only for a short time.

Sairan Aqrawi:

It's a short time and you feel like I'm the next, whoever. Okay, that's not going to serve you. You want to be one time one DNA, one footprint, one fingerprint, one of your version. What you can do, excel and skill that version, make it better as you go. That's where you can control.

The Trailblazers Experience:

I think that's where the authenticity comes in. Isn't? It is in it, probably, when you're coaching or even mentoring is is. Is it the nugget or the gem? Is to help unleash that uniqueness in whoever you're coaching. Once they find that, then you know your job is done.

Sairan Aqrawi:

Yes, so it depends on the client. I had a. I had a client last week. She signed up through I think it was an Avena or something, so she got the one hour complimentary which I normally charge for. So she got one hour complimentary session with me and I'll give you an example.

Sairan Aqrawi:

Now she's in the real estate world so she deal with, you know, selling houses and property, and she was asking me about how she stand out. What is the hidden gem? What is that hidden talent? She's just a real estate like others. I said it's up to you. Are you buying a house for couples? She said yes.

Sairan Aqrawi:

I said whether you can change it to buying home and she said what's the difference? I said whether you can change it to buying a home and she said what's the difference? I said a big difference, house it's. When I say house, it's the construction, it's the door and the wall, it's the house, it's the structure.

Sairan Aqrawi:

But when you say I was able to find a perfect home to Natola, home is the. It has a psychology come with it. It's a home, it's the color you love, it's the kitchen, it's the backyard, it's the garden, it's the architect around it, it's the sensation that's come with home. But when you say house, I bought a house, it's very dry, right. But I said, if you come and telling people, I did a very successful month. I found the perfect home to a couple who fell in love in Europe and they decided to move to the United States and Europe and the United States are different environments but I was able and United States different environment, but I was able as a real agent, to find a perfect home for those lovely couple who just got married and they love it. And they said this is this home built for us. This is a real home, we really enjoying every corner of it.

Sairan Aqrawi:

So you see how the hidden gem change because you need to take people's story and people's statement and tweak it. And we learned this in the coaching school, saying that you always tweak the client dry statement or negative connotation, meaning you come to me and you said I have a very difficult, stressful job. I say I hear you, can we call it challenging job? You say what is it different? I still hate it. Yeah, you're right, you're still hating it. I'm not asking you to love your job. It's challenging, right, but let's just call it a challenge, because challenge it's less effect, it's not heavier as much as hate, and it also means it's insurmountable.

The Trailblazers Experience:

You can actually get over it, whereas if you've made that statement hate stress Thank you.

Sairan Aqrawi:

Yes, it's heavy on your heart, it's heavy on your brain. You're carrying it as a burden in your shoulder. But if you said it's an obstacle, or you call it a challenge or a block, like you said, we move that block away or just jump on the block. But if you call it all hate and stressful and I'm going to have a panic attack, these are all heavy and necessary words that I tell my client please practice to get rid of it. It does not give you any service.

The Trailblazers Experience:

And words have power, isn't it Very powerful?

Sairan Aqrawi:

Very powerful. I can wake up in the morning tomorrow I can say this is the worst day, because I look at the window it's gloomy and I love summer in Tula. I love summer, I love the hot right. And if it's gloomy and raining, then I decided it's a bad day. And I just wake up and I say to myself oh, this is a gloomy day, I hate it. Guess what? My day will be gloomy and no fun. I already declare, I already announce, I already put a banner in my house saying my day is a gloomy and not fun. So it will end up being a gloomy and no fun day. So not only the power is in our hand, our destiny, anything we do in life is our choice. Yes, things happen to you. Death, losing loved one, it's very hard. But other fact in life losing job, losing relationship, being with the wrong friend for so many years, being with the wrong partner for so many years the solution in your hand.

The Trailblazers Experience:

You can change that Everything is a choice, isn't it?

Sairan Aqrawi:

Yes, it's a choice.

The Trailblazers Experience:

So, circling back, you have, and still continue to have, an amazing career, whether it's as an engineer, a speaker, a coach. What's next for you? What's in your vision board.

Sairan Aqrawi:

I have a couple. Yeah, I have one in the bedroom and one in the office. I always wanted to be international. I always want my impact and my message to reach other women and men. We can't just exclude men. I have one of the best men, my husband. I don't want to exclude him, just being him a good person. But we all need help men, women, teenage, young, right. Being international for me it's a dream because, first, I speak Arabic fluent, besides speaking Kurdish, and I feel like I still have a lot to offer.

Sairan Aqrawi:

Being an engineer? Yes, great, I can teach you math, but there is a lot of people who are good at math, but not everybody is an effective coach. You have a lot of coaches. With all respect to them, not each one of them are effective and leaving an impact. Same thing with speaker. You have a lot of speaker, but you only have one Les Brown, one, tony Robbins, right. So you want your message to stand out, your story to stick with others. You want to make that impact. So, for me, writing, also writing books it's the best thing. That's how I'm thinking about it next year and just be global.

The Trailblazers Experience:

And my message reach more people. And also, it's all about representation, isn't it A woman such as yourself, from Iraq, but living there, who have built the American dream as well? I think giving representation that people can see women like us are doing different things and empowering is so important. I think. So you're already one step ahead, and I'm sure there'll be someone listening to the podcast who'll say well, I never thought about it this way and you've already displayed and talked about so many nuggets Just for the audience. Can you just show us your business card, because I love the story of how you created that. It's just so authentic.

Sairan Aqrawi:

So I thought about it a lot in attending those networks. Yeah, so I thought about it a lot. And attending those networks I mean, with all respect, there's wonderful people with beautiful business cards that I kept because they are very impactful on my life. But there is a high percentage that after a while, when you clean up your drawer, you're going to throw and toss those business cards. So I was like, nope, I'm not going to let anyone to throw my business card because I put so much effort and training and money on it. So I thought about it and, being an engineer again, I come up with this crystal. It's a gem, so it's like a sparkly crystal. It's two inch, the width is two inch and again ordered from Amazon. Thank you, amazon. So this is like seven somethings like $8.

Sairan Aqrawi:

Then I print my name and my last name is very difficult to a lot of people. So I was like, okay, don't even remember it, take this home. When I do speaking gig, I give this away. What I asked my audience? I said go home, connect with me in LinkedIn, connect with me in Instagram. And the reason why I said those two because I separate my consultation and engineering in LinkedIn is all tech. 99.9 is all tech in LinkedIn and my Instagram is merely about business coach. So I did not mix them together because I have the skill in both.

Sairan Aqrawi:

I said, when you connect with me now, peel it. Throw it in the trash. No, we still want your name. No, I'm fine, my ego is sleeping. Threw it in the trash. No, we still want your name. No, I'm fine, my ego is sleeping. So just throw it in there, I'm fine, I have confidence. Throw it, keep it clean. So when you throw it, it's going to come up like this so now my name is gone.

Sairan Aqrawi:

So I took that one and I want you to keep this beside your computer. That is 0.001. You're, that is 0.001,. You're going to throw this. It's beautiful, it's sparkly. You love to hold it. You can put it on the top of your notebook or on a paper.

Sairan Aqrawi:

And what I want from you every time you look at this gem, ask this question I'm in finance, I'm in IT, I'm a physician, I'm a dentist, I'm an engineer. Whatever your career is, think back when you were younger or when you were a teenage. What is that one hobby or skill that you really enjoy doing it? You might be a physician, but you used to do art, used to do things by your hand. You might be in finance, but you write very nice. You can be a writer. That is your hidden gem. Don't kill it. It's buried. It's still inside you. Each one of us have this inside us. Bring it to the service. Celebrate it. Monetize it if you want. If you are an IT guy and you make $200,000, but you draw very nice and that's your hidden gem, I'm not asking you to quit your job. I'm asking you to bring it, celebrate it. That's your hidden gem. And when your art will make that much money and when you retire, you will have something to call it a side business and entrepreneur. So that's my business card.

Sairan Aqrawi:

And it touched a lot of people. Yeah, they love the concept of it because they can keep it also, and very unique as well, because it's that constant reminder every day, isn't it?

The Trailblazers Experience:

Yes, we are always on our laptops in some form of technology. And just that reminder, that reminder to find your North Star. Yes, and we always end the podcast with asking our guests to give three trailblazer tips, takeaway tips for the audience. What would they be?

Sairan Aqrawi:

from you the three tips. I will give them in one word. Each one is one word. They're very powerful. Number one clarity. Number two focus. Number three consistency. Keep doing it, you will reach it.

The Trailblazers Experience:

Keep doing, keep grinding, keep grinding. Yes, thank you so much. I'm inspired. I mean I need to now go back and find what my hidden gem is. You are the gem. You are the gem.

Sairan Aqrawi:

yeah, I know you don't need to look for it, it's not hidden anymore. Yeah.

The Trailblazers Experience:

I love that. I love that, but thank you so much for your time. This is the reason another woman about the podcast and, as always, we ask you to follow, share, subscribe across all streaming platforms and see you next time. Thank you very much.