I didn't skip any steps. I started my career in customer support and operations in Karachi, managed a single store in Dallas–Fort Worth, then a district, then a region, and today I oversee ALPA Insurance across Texas. Each step taught me something the next one needed.
Learn the floor before you lead it
My first management job in the U.S. was running a Metro by T-Mobile store. I was responsible for everything: staffing, budgets, sales goals, and every customer who walked in. That job taught me what a leader's decisions feel like on the receiving end. I still think about it whenever I roll out something new across many offices.
Consistency beats intensity
As a district manager, I learned that results come from doing the basics well every day in every store, not from a big push once a quarter. Training that fits each store, clear expectations, and regular visits did more than any one-time campaign.
Keep studying while you work
I earned my MBA in Project Management from LSU Shreveport while working full time, and in 2025 I completed a Harvard Business School certificate in Strategic Financial Analysis and Design Thinking. School didn't replace experience, but it gave me better tools to explain what I was seeing and to plan the next move.
Bet on yourself when you can
In 2020 I co-founded a small wireless business, Let's Connect Wireless. Owning the decisions on finance, purchasing, and marketing taught me to think like an owner. That mindset is what I brought to insurance.
Change industries, keep the fundamentals
When I moved into insurance in 2021, the product was new to me, but the fundamentals weren't. Customers still wanted to be treated with respect and helped quickly. Teams still needed clear goals and a leader who showed up. I moved from regional sales manager to director of sales to vice president by applying what I'd already learned to a new industry.
What grit really means
To me, grit isn't about working the most hours. It's about staying with a hard problem long enough to solve it, and doing the unglamorous parts with the same care as the visible ones. That's what I look for in the people I hire and promote.
More on how I lead today in Leading multi-location teams.