Ep 128 | Mona Vand

Written By Yasmin Nouri

Quitting Your Day Job & Living Out Your Dreams

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Mona Vand is a wellness expert and pharmacist turned entrepreneur who is passionate about making the world a healthier place.

After six years of studying, and only a short few weeks of work as a pharmacist, Mona quickly realized that she was in the completely wrong career. While medication and supplements can be part of the equation for leading a healthy life, Mona believes that food is the key for taking a holistic approach to wellness.

Since then, Mona has spent countless hours building a side hustle that would ultimately become her main focus. And while Mona has managed to build a highly successful wellness brand with millions of followers, the journey has not been without its challenges.

In our conversation, Mona shares what it was like building her personal brand from the ground up and how her passion fueled her through difficult times. We talk about the biggest business mistakes she made early in her career as a wellness expert and her advice to anyone looking to build a personal brand around their passions.

Everything worth building takes time — and a lot of hard work. But it’s important to remember that you don’t need to do everything alone. Mona shares the power of community & team and the importance of setting boundaries to avoid burnout. We also chat about overcoming perfectionism and negative self-talk, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at everything that goes into producing content on multiple platforms.

Lastly, we take a moment to reflect on the current situation in Iran and to express our solidarity and support for the men and women who are risking their lives for their right to live freely.

If you’re looking for ways to help create awareness and get involved, the Iranian Diaspora Collective (https://www.iraniandiasporacollective.com/) has gathered resources for you to review and use in a not-for-profit capacity to amplify and support Iranian voices. #betheirvoice

Show Notes:

  • The current protests in Iran and how Mona is using her platform to support them. [00:51]

  • Insight into Mona’s Persian culture and how it has shaped her identity. [03:57]

  • What Mona’s parents expected of her from a young age. [06:33]

  • The dissatisfaction and unhappiness Mona felt with her career as a pharmacist. [08:36]

  • How Mona first recognized that shifting her career was a viable option. [11:11]

  • How Mona was introduced to Marki Costello and learned how to build a personal brand. [12:28]

  • Mona shares how she entered the wrong business partnership early in her career and how she recovered from it. [19:22]

  • How Mona realized she needed to pivot into social media. [23:25]

  • The disappointment Mona felt when she had to return to her work as a pharmacist. [24:130]

  • How Mona was able to work as a pharmacist while also growing her social media following. [25:14]

  • How creating an online course and joining an agency helped Mona’s brand thrive and allowed her to comfortably quit her job. [30:05]

  • Mona’s journey on YouTube and how she found what resonated with her community. [32:29]

  • How using video allowed Mona to show more of her personality and capture a different kind of audience. [34:33]

  • Mona’s struggle with perfectionism and the work she has done to overcome it. [36:22]

  • How Mona explains her job in more traditional Persian spaces. [39:58]

  • The huge amount of behind-the-scenes work that goes into creating content for social media and being an influencer. [41:38]

  • The key players in Mona’s team and how they support her. [45:00]

  • Why Mona decided to take a break from social media for one year. [47:50]

  • What Mona gained from taking a break from social media. [49:59]

  • How Mona is setting boundaries to avoid burnout. [0:50:57]

  • The power of sleep and how the COVID-19 pandemic helped Mona learn to prioritize it. [54:30]

  • Mona’s final thoughts on the expectations that are placed on women and her advice to other female entrepreneurs. [56:42]

This episode is brought to you by Beeya:

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Yasmin Nouri
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Ep 127 | Candace Nelson