ML94 – Depression, Mental Health and Entrepreneurship with Parham Parastaran

Parham Parastaran is an Iranian-American entrepreneur and author with a passion for discussing mental health issues in the business community. After fleeing Iran during the Iranian revolution, Parham became the epitome of the American Dream. He built multi-million-dollar franchise business from a single store to 16 locations. Although he enjoyed entrepreneurial success, he had a secret: He suffered from severe depression and addiction. A rock-bottom moment led to signing himself up for psychoanalysis. Now, over 15 years after that first session, he chronicles his powerful story in new memoir, Perfect Pain.

Parham Parastaran

Top Takeaways: Depression, Mental Health and Entrepreneurship with Parham Parastaran

  • Nature versus nurture in entrepreneurial growth and success
  • People with grit, determination and perseverance is definitely a factor of entrepreneurial success
  • We should always be asking “why” we do the things we do
  • Awareness of self-sabotage in business growth
  • Self-sabotage often occurs as your business grows to and through $1,000,000
  • Surround yourself with achievers and get coaching- 2 ways to overcome self-sabotage
  • Be around people you want to become- they will live you up
  • Why do we lose our curiosity?

Listen to the Audio

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Learning From Leaders: 

Current Book: Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell

Leadership Superpower: Confidence

Motivational Mantra:

[shareable]You get what you think about[/shareable]

Book Most Often Gifted: The Drama of the Gifted Child: The Search for the True Self by Alice Miller

Additional Items Mentioned

Parham’s website: perfectpain.com

About the author

Jake Carlson is a popular speaker, accountability partner, and host of the Modern Leadership podcast. Jake built his business while traveling with his family around the world. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn. Read more about him here.