Today we’d like to introduce you to Fred Parvaneh.
Fred, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started my work career as a structural engineer, but life took me in a different direction.
My ex-wife and I started one of the first mortgage brokerage firms in New York City. After a 30 + years career in mortgage banking, I decided to move to Los Angeles 2 years ago and I embarked on a career in social media marketing.
I’m currently the social media director for Kayhan Life (a digital media company based in London with a spotlight on the global Iranian community). I also have my own clients promoting individuals and companies on social media.
Has it been a smooth road?
Like any business, there are peaks and valleys. When we started the mortgage company, it was a learning experience for me as my ex-wife was the only expert. The industry, in general, was not known as it is today and it took us a while to prove ourselves. Later on in 2008/2009, the financial crisis took a toll even though we had no subprime loans in our portfolio.
Starting a new business (social media marketing) has its own challenges as I need to prove my worth but it has been a fun and enjoyable ride.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Kayhan Life story. Tell us more about the business.
In my capacity as the social media director for Kayhan Life, I manage/administer all of the social media pages of kayhanlife.com. I’m also a journalist for them and write articles and conduct interviews with celebrities that may be of interest to the Iranian diaspora.
For my own business, I have to learn about my clients’ business and try to come up with a creative ongoing and dynamic campaign promoting them on social media. I most proud of my contributions to Kayhan Life’s branding and gaining popularity for the site. Kayhan Life is only two years old but has rapidly become the go-to site for the Iranian diaspora.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Social Media is still a burgeoning industry and as technology advances, there will be both new challenges and exciting new opportunity ahead. I can only envision more and more businesses using social media as their primary source of marketing.
In addition to my paying jobs, I’m also the founder of “Inspiring Iranians” (webpages) where I highlight daily accomplished Iranians (mainly in the USA) as a way to giving back to our community. The feedback has been tremendous and I hope in a few years I can compile some of the profiles in a book.
Contact Info:
- Website: Kayhanlife.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @kayhanlife @inspiringiranians
- Facebook: @kayhanlife @inspiringiranians
- Twitter: @kayhanlife @inspiringiranis
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