"Don’t let self doubt come in the way of your venture" with Marjan Najafi

Marjan is the CEO and co-founder of Qyro company. After 14 years of international experience in private banking, financial services, and wealth management catering to high and ultra-high net worth clients, she decided to merge her lifelong passion for mental wellbeing and business success by co-founding Qyro. Born in Iran, raised in Canada, educated in London, she gained all her work experience in Singapore, Dubai, and Zurich. All throughout her international journey in life, she understood the importance and relevance of mental wellness, especially in the workplace, and hence decided to dedicate the rest of her career to this cause.  

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I was born in Iran originally and grew up in Canada where I received my bachelor’s in gender studies. I then received my Master's in London in “gender, development, and globalization” studies. Given that it was the financial crisis when I graduated, the only job I could get at the time was with a British bank. That´s how I started my career and ended up in Banking for 14 years after that!

What inspired you to start your business?

Given that I worked in the banking industry for 14 years in 4 different countries, the one thing that I noticed was how prevalent stress was, and how most people did not know how to handle it, or take measures for their mental wellbeing. When we are feeling overloaded, burned out, or exhausted, we usually don´t know what to do. We feel lost. We start making errors. Our decisions become rash and impulsive. Sometimes all it takes is a silly mistake to jeopardize our whole career. And then we become a liability to our company. Over the years, I saw myself or many of my colleagues experience sleepless nights, hair loss, weight gain, chain smoking, regular drinking, and new health problems popping up.

There was this void between all the great solutions out there in the world, and how much corporate bankers know about them. Let alone, practice them. This void convinced me to take measures and create practical solutions to help business professionals with their mental wellbeing.

Where is your business based? Switzerland.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

I of course started it with myself. I was experiencing high levels of stress and was looking for practical and effective solutions out there to manage it. What I noticed was how inaccessible these solutions were (e.g., either you had to go on a long retreat or take months long meditation classes). Who has time for that? So, I decided to create practical and easily digestible relaxation solutions for busy professionals who do not have so much free time but are interested in boosting their mental wellness.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

Personal contacts/network first and foremost. I think nothing is more effective than someone who knows you and your work vouching for you. So, it starts with words of mouth. And then grows slowly and organically this way.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge of all was self doubt, especially in the beginning when I was starting. I had never started a business before and was always employed by a big company. So, this whole world was very new and foreign to me. Luckily, I did it with a business partner whom I have full trust in. I think if you are starting a business all on your own, it can become a very lonely place. In my case, it was always very helpful to have someone to constantly exchange ideas with, and together come up with solutions to various problems that popped up left, right, and center!

How do you stay focused?

I practice the techniques that we offer at our company on a regular basis. In particular, I am a big fan of the “Affirmations” technique which I find very, very powerful and effective. It literally takes a few seconds to remind yourself of what is important and what your priorities are in life. It is a beautiful technique which works wonders!

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

Most competitors of our business offer apps where people are expected to continuously pay every month/year to receive their services. Our approach is completely different. Our philosophy is “if you give yourself a day off to rest, you will rest only for one day. If you learn a relaxation technique, you will rest well everyday.”

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Social media. This is something that I was never active on before starting the business. I used to be quite skeptical of it. However, now I can totally see the value in it.  To give you a better idea, I never posted anything in my life on any of the platforms before I started with Qyro. And now, I am engaging our audience on LinkedIn, for example, on a daily basis!

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Don’t let self doubt come in the way of your venture. This almost stopped me from even trying with Qyro. The negative voices in our head can become quite powerful and debilitating. However, it is important to bounce your ideas with trusted people around you and receive honest feedback from multiple people. This way you can have a much more realistic opinion of your idea, as opposed to just sitting and listening to these negative thoughts.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

App: Audible (I just love going for walks while listening to quality content)

Blog: I love reading Medium articles.

Book: Noam Chomsky´s “Manufacturing Consent”. It is quite old however it really opened my eyes when I read it many moons ago! It gave me a great insight into society, one that I still use until today.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

Canva – because it has made my life incredibly easier! I am not a graphic designer by any means however, with Canva I am able to create beautiful designs and artwork which I use in the business everyday. It is a fantastic tool and I highly recommend it!

Who is your business role model? Why?

My first boss – she asked me to do a Gallup Strengths test before starting my job. This was so that she could understand what my top 5 strengths were. And then she tried to only give me tasks which were aligned with my strengths. I really liked her approach and appreciated her effort in helping me not focus on what I was “bad” at, but rather encourage me to nourish my skills and become better at my strengths.

How do you balance work and life?

I take small breaks in between all tasks, instead of working during the day and then resting in the eve. So, for every hour of work, I take a mini break of 10 – 15 minutes. This way I end up working longer hours, and yet do not get tired so easily.

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

One of the most popular techniques that we offer is called “autogenic training”. This technique is a very powerful one when it comes to decompressing and relaxing your mind and your body. And the best thing about it is that it just takes a few minutes! I try to practice it everyday.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

Many things! However we are trying to keep our expectations as realistic as possible. The most key achievement will be to onboard 2 new companies who will use our offerings.

How can our readers connect with you?

The best way would be to shoot me an email: Marjan.najafi@qyro.io

They can also visit our website: qyro.io and let me know if I can support them in any way with their wellness journey!