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The story of Shirin Behzadi charts a remarkable journey: fleeing post-revolution Iran as a teen, taking a job at a gas station in Los Angeles, progressing into accounting and finance, and eventually becoming CEO of Home Franchise Concepts (HFC).


"I was born in Iran, a beautiful country. I had parents who loved me deeply, saw my potential, and wanted me to have every opportunity possible. It was when the universities began to close that my parents made a tough decision— they sent me out of the country by myself…at 17, with little money and no one I knew. It was a very difficult journey, but they believed it was necessary for my survival.

I made it to Istanbul, Turkey, and then to the US at a time when Iranians weren’t allowed into the country. I arrived in the US with experiences unlike anyone around me. Yes, they were hard, but they also taught me that regardless of any adversity I faced, I could achieve any vision I set for myself. I was alone and needed an income, so I became a gas station attendant. 

But I was determined to change my circumstances. My vision was to run an organization like GM someday. So, I got to work.

I earned a scholarship to attend California Polytechnic and graduated with a BS in Accounting (while still working full time as a gas station attendant).

Afterward, I joined Ernst & Young as an auditor in the Financial Services Practice for a few years before joining mortgage bankers, The Hammond Company, as their Chief Financial Officer."

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