Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashkan Zahabi.
Hi Ashkan, 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 immigrated to the USA in 2005 with my wife and 4-year-old son with $3,000. The beginning years were very hard, and we had so many challenges, including language, job, education, and finding friends. Getting a job with your education from a foreign university, having foreign experience, and a language barrier was very hard. I was super lucky that I was able to find a job at a local bank through a connection I had from Iran. I started taking tax courses and was able to finish them in 9 months. Starting my tax practice as a side job was a challenge. in 2008, I was able to get admitted to Pepperdine University and finished my MBA with honors in 2010. At the same time, I had a second job as a security officer and worked over weekends to be able to take care of our living expenses. Then, life got easier when we purchased our home, and I was hired at Union Bank. At the same time, I expanded my side business and got my real estate broker license. My wife and I worked over 60 hours a week, and we had to take care of our son as well. In 2015, I decided to quit Union Bank and focus on our tax firm. Our core was to establish the business based on Good Thoughts, Good Words, and Good Deeds. It was successful. People like us because we were honest and helped them to reach their financial goals. In 2020, in the COVID era, I started making some videos to help people know how to get unemployment, SBA loans, PPP loans, etc., without any compensation. It was really just a favor to our community. The return was significant. Many came back to us and became our clients because we recognized their situation when they needed help. We believe that if we work hard and are honest, we can be successful financially and socially.
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?
No, not at all. Sometimes, we had to work and study days and nights, a few days in a row. However, the US is the land of opportunity. Hard work always pays off.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I started our tax firm in 2007 after finishing my tax course. I started with 3 clients, and every year, we could double our clients, and now, we serve over 1500 tax clients, including individuals and businesses.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Learning from history and successful people is very important. I always watch podcasts in these fields to find out what they did right or wrong.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.a2ztaxfinancials.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashkanzahabi?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/a2zmortgageloans
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashkan-sean-zahabi-mba-8a060312/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@a2ztaxmortgage
