One thing I’ve learned in my years of working with entrepreneurs, small business owners, and the organizations that support them is that a mismatch in perception is almost guaranteed in every scenario.

“Working with entrepreneurs and leaders I understand that they don’t always want to wait for something to happen. They want to make things happen right now. But some things need persistence and repetition.” -Faris Alami

“My experience in repeated pitching taught me the importance of practice and arranging the ingredients, the pieces of your presentation, carefully. The order in which you mention details is key to the audience to which you are pitching.”

“As we move into the new year, I encourage you to think about taking a moment to celebrate the successes.”

“From Michigan to San Francisco, from Oman, Jordan, Belarus, and so many others countries, I’ve learned that individuals supporting small business owners and entrepreneurs also need a support system.”

“I’m also thankful for those who told me NO, they don’t want my service or business. As I reflect on the situations, I realized that in most cases, it would have been a disaster to move forward.”

“While you can and should get a formal education, it is good practice to continue to learn on your own. I could not initially take the traditional route due to my situation.”

“A business without sales is a dying business unless you have enough money to keep going. Focus on the sales. Stop worrying about the big picture.”

“What the last two years of COVID have taught us is that how business was done in the past is no longer the only way. The world has shifted.” -Faris Alami

“These new ecosystem communities all over the world — some in cities you would never expect — are moving fast and the entrepreneurial world in terms of Angels, VCs, and community builders is paying attention.”-Faris Alami

“Most new or young entrepreneurs are hungry for a network of professionals with which to share insights and stories, grow their knowledge and understanding, and garner support for their work.”

“Working with under-served, under-represented, or under-resourced communities for several decades now, I say that most of the time the last thing you need to start or grow a business is experience.”-Faris Alami

“The minute we start looking at others and comparing/judging ourselves against them, we become victims of the misconceptions of success.” -Faris Alami

“The key from this discussion is to understand that good questions coupled with experience can help us create new opportunities.” -Faris Alami

“Somethings you cannot control and must let go of. But there are things you can control and should think about.”

“There’s always a better moment to share a story. Part of it could be your stage of personal, professional, or community growth.”

“Getting to know your competitors allows you to expand your network as well as enhance your everyday work.”

“Stop doubting and start questioning — it will allow you to think about answers and solutions, whereas doubting will only leave you sitting there feeling unable to do anything.”

“None of us expect a crisis to hit, but when it does, the question becomes What can we do with what happened?”

“If you choose to think about your attitude, you can keep your thoughts and ideas positive, and make an impact.”