Today we’d like to introduce you to Ramin Jahedi.
Hi Ramin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I came to the United States as an immigrant from Iran in 1993 with $475 in my pocket, a gym bag with some belongings, and without knowing a single word of English. I found a job in Austin, Texas as a dishwasher at a pizza place, and from there, I moved up to cook, delivery driver, and finally to store manager before opening my very own restaurant in 2000. Under my leadership, Piccolo Italian Restaurant became a thriving upscale eatery in Austin, Texas — even during the recession that followed the dot.com bust and attacks of September 11, 2001.
After five amazing years, I sold my restaurant to give corporate America a try. I worked as Chief Operating Officer for Carey International and then as a corporate consultant in service, management, and sales for Jack In The Box, Bennigan’s, and Blockbuster Corporation. I currently serve as the founder and CEO of OpticTour, a Google Trusted Agency, and Restaurant Black OPS, a digital marketing company that specializes in helping restaurant owners navigate the waters of the digital marketing world. I also enjoy interviewing experts and thought leaders within my community on my podcast channel, @Talk2Rami.
During the course of my career, I learned a lot and became well aware of the effects of “tunnel vision.” Corporations tend to focus more on the bottom line than on the people who are managing it. By neglecting their lower-level employees, many large businesses miss out on the wellspring of potential that exists within each individual.
But I strongly believe that there is a story behind every person that we can all learn something new from.
Many years later, the place I now call home has blessed me with working alongside incredible, talented, kindhearted individuals. The things I’ve learned through listening to their stories have made my life even more whole, and I feel a sense of honored duty to help others to achieve the happiness I feel every day.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The minute you enter this world, you start crying. That’s the first sign that life is not all sunshine and rainbows.
My road has certainly been tough, but all anyone can ever do is keep moving forward. It’s always worth it to keep going in the face of adversity, because once you make it through to the other end… sure, you’ll look back on all your trips and stumbles, but you’ll also see all your accomplishments, the friends you made along the way, the people who helped you, and the people you helped in return.
Struggles I’ve faced in my life:
– Like it did with everyone, COVID absolutely affected my business — we lost lots of clients, but we kept pushing, working hard, and are rebuilding what we lost even stronger.
– Scaling a business in a competitive world. With so many businesses out there, how do you differentiate yourself and scale? If you don’t scale your business, you don’t have a business, you have a job. I want to deliver the best quality service, give my team what they need to succeed, and help my clients understand the power of how much we care and how much we can really help them.
Personal struggles:
– Learning to speak English, overcoming the language barrier, trying to improve my life while supporting myself and my family.
– Cultural differences, understanding people and their values, understanding and overcoming biases, adapting to a new perspective of life.
We’ve been impressed with OpticTour, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
At OpticTour, our small yet experienced team of skilled creatives is ready and willing to help you with any digital marketing endeavors you’re trying to undertake.
But instead of immediately throwing things like SEO, Google 360 Tours, and advertising campaigns your way, we like to start by learning all we can about you, your company, and your audiences so we can cater those marketing tools specifically to your growth.
Think of us like doctors: They need to analyze and identify your issues before they can prescribe you the correct medicines. You simply won’t become healthy if your doctor doesn’t do this — and the same goes for successfully marketing your business.
We more than understand how hard it is to start a successful business — we were there at one point, too! That’s why we’re not going to nickel and dime you by trying to offer you services you don’t need. We value transparency and honesty over everything, and when you work with us, we do everything in our power to provide you with the best possible marketing plan at a price that won’t break the bank.
With our high levels of personal involvement, immense care for our clients, and a gung-ho group of specialists, we’ll work together to not only help you take your company to the next level but keep that growth going for years to come.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
– COVID brought the face of reality right to my front door.
– It allowed me to understand the value of the people who stood by me with no expectations, even when things looked particularly grim.
– Bad things (and good things, too) are always gonna happen. How you react to those things happening is what matters.
– Living and doing business in the post-COVID world taught me resilience and a new way of thinking.
– It also made me to turn my focuses on what I could do with what I had at the moment — not waste my time wishing things were better.
– Taught me to appreciate the value of my existence and the existence of those around me.
Contact Info:
- Email: rami@talk2rami.com
- Website: talk2rami.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talk2rami
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/talktorami
- Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/talk2rami?lang=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpyt2yoS_zQXdGLokRTiA2g
- Other: optictour.com
