Circumstances don't define us. "I always do anything I do as if I'm at stake and I have everything to lose."-Pejman Ghadimi The Cheat Sheet: The good is the enemy of the great. What are Pejman's three circles and why do they matter? The fear that holds most of us back: what is it? How he focused on making his life count for more than just making money. It's easier to accept failure than to seek success: true or false? How to start a business if you only have an idea and nothing else. And so much more... When most people think of entrepreneurship today they generally think of the glitz and glamour of making so-called "easy money" on the Internet and working for themselves. Rarely do they think of value creation, which is what our guest for today says is at the very heart of being an entrepreneur. Joining us for episode 335 is self-made multi-millionaire and value creator Pejman Ghadimi. Today he shares his personal story of how he became financially independent by 25 as well as "Secret Entourage" and third circle theory, the name of his company and the title of his latest book. Listen in for details on all of that and so much more on this episode of The Art of Charm. More About This Show: Pejman Ghadimi learned to face challenging circumstances at a very early age. His family was forced to flee when the Iranian ruler was overthrown; his family had been working for the Shah and had to leave or face persecution. Believing the US was the best place for her son, Pejman's mother tried in vain to be allowed into the States for the next year 10 years. She raised him in France, built a successful business and provided him with a stable, happy home. After 10 years of trying she was finally granted a tourist visa. She had a choice: either visit the US and come back to the life she had created for them, or sell everything and take a huge risk to settle in the US. Pejman's uncle lived in Los Angeles and said he could help her extend her visa and eventually settle there, if that was what she wanted. So she sold as much of their belongings as she could, basically left her business and moved them to the US just a few short weeks after being granted a visitor's visa. It began a new chapter for Pejman and his mom. They had no social security numbers and no way to be hired by the usual means. So Pejman hustled, he took whatever job he could find including delivering pizzas on his bicycle in the "hood"! But he learned what it meant to lay it all on the line and to look at every opening as an opportunity, often where others wouldn't. He found work with a telemarketing company, a job most people would hate, and he found a way to succeed after an initial struggle in the position. So much so in fact that by the age of 18 he was in a management role. He parlayed that success into the banking industry before going out on his own. In this episode he shares exactly how he approached a grocery store branch of a bank and landed his first banking job which would lead to being a branch manager before the age of 25. Along the way he started several other companies on the side which continue to be successful today. When he talks about all of these roles and his experiences, he explains how his perspective and his actions have determined his success and how he has not allowed circumstances to slow him down or defeat him. We also discuss his third circle theory, the name of his company and his most recent book. He goes into the theory in greater detail on the show, but in essence the three circles are circumstances, society and life. Each of them rely on mastery of the previous circle to advance to the next. When we learn circumstances can be overcome then we can advance to the level of society mastery, where we discover how to show society we have advanced. We succeed in our jobs, we become wealthy and show others circumstances haven't stopped us. At that point we can move to the level of life mastery, this is where legacy becomes important. We are concerned with mastering life by giving our greatest gifts to the world. One additional topic we discuss is what entrepreneurship is at its heart: value creation. All of us have a degree of entrepreneurial spirit within us, some of us choose to follow it and express it through our career while others don't. Yet all of us can create value for the world, and the byproduct of that value is monetary gain. Pejman explains that in more detail, along with so much more on today's episode. It was an honor to have him here on the show! Please join me in thanking him for sharing his personal journey and his sage-like advice, and thank you for being here too. Enjoy the episode and we'll see you next time. THANKS PEJMAN GHADIMI! If you enjoyed this session of The Art of Charm Podcast, let Pejman Ghadimi know by clicking on the link below and sending him a quick shout out on Twitter: Click here to thank Pejman on Twitter! Resources from this episode: Pejman Ghadimi's web siteSecret EntourageThird Circle Theory, Pejman Ghadimi's latest book Pejman Ghadimi on Twitter Try Squarespace (free) and support our supporters! You'll also like: -The Art of Charm Toolbox -Best of The Art of Charm Podcast Wanna leave a comment? Too bad! Email me instead (we read everything)! HELP US SPREAD THE WORD! If you dug this episode, please subscribe in iTunes and write us a review! This is what helps us stand out from all the fluff out there. FEEDBACK + PROMOTION Hit us up with your comments and guest suggestions. We read EVERYTHING. Download the FREE AoC app for iPhone Email [email protected] Give us a call at 888.413.7177 Stay Charming!