The Unexpected CEO: My Journey from Gas Station Cashier to Billion-Dollar CEO

Drawn from a remarkable personal journey of resilience and courage, this inspiring guide to navigating life’s challenges and emerging stronger from them offers a beacon of hope for aspiring entrepreneurs, leaders, and anyone feeling lost or overwhelmed or seeking to break through to achieve a dream.

After multiple arrests under an oppressive regime, Shirin Behzadi left behind everything she knew in Iran to build a new life. As a teenager, Behzadi fled alone to Istanbul and then to the United States, finding work at a gas station to make a living. Even then, she announced to those who would listen that she would one day run a big company and appear on business magazine covers.

Determined, Behzadi earned her bachelor’s degree, rose through the corporate ranks, raised substantial private equity funding, and grew her company to a billion dollars—all while experiencing countless setbacks, including everything from poverty to near terminal illness, which she overcame by relying on the survival skills and resilience she developed from a young age.

Behzadi shares her incredible story and all the hard-won lessons she’s learned in The Unexpected CEO, both an inspiring account of her journey and a guide filled with practical strategies to harness the opportunities nestled in some of life’s most difficult challenges. Readers will discover:

• Practical strategies and tools to turn challenges into opportunities
• Insights into resilience and how setbacks can catalyze growth
• Examples of authentic leadership that embraces empathy as a key strength
• Guidance on how to raise funds in private equity sector
• Lessons learned about to how to build a foundationally sound business and life
• Inspiring stories from Behzadi’s path from immigrant to billion-dollar CEO

Success isn’t merely about achievements but also how you rise after falling down. The Unexpected CEO is a powerful companion for all those seeking personal and professional growth, offering a real-life example of how resilience can lead to truly extraordinary outcomes.