We recently connected with Hanieh Khoshkhou and have shared our conversation below.

Hanieh, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happy running your own firm? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I’m so happy to be running my own business! Any time I think about what it would be like to have a ‘regular job’, I quickly remind myself of the amount of flexibility, decision making power, and personal time I have to operate everything I deem fit! I think it’s natural to have flickering moments of doubt, especially because as a business owner you have to wear so many hats particularly in the beginning. You question your sanity, you question all the decisions that have led up to where you are now, but nothing is better than seeing how your own work is able to manifest into the goal you had imagined.

As a tech-start up, specializing in custom interactive learning, getting to a place where you can pitch a multimillion dollar company is SUCH A BIG deal! I was working on a deal for over six months! Lawyers were involved, so much time and energy. It was a half-million dollar deal! It would have accelerated us half a million steps forward!!! Near the end, it fell through. When I got word from the VP I was dealing with that they had changed their minds, I felt like my mind was going to explode. I allowed myself a week. Only ONE week to sulk, to feel bad about it, and to complain and be mortified for having lost this deal.

I still think about it. But here is the known truth: a set back teaches you so many things. I have gone through the process of what ’caused’ this to fall through so many times. Even though I always knew to NEVER assume, it has become so so clear, that even the simplest of things that you might consider “obvious” or “easy” might not be for someone who might not have the expertise to understand or comprehend your point.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

First I have a tech startup (e-Tree Group) where I create custom interactive learning for all training, professional development and onboarding. We use e-authoring tools, animation and instructional design to bring our e-courses to life. We will soon be launching our e-academy where we will be focusing on the following four pillars: physical health, finance, along with mental and emotional health. Something that people should know about me is when it comes to my work in this space, it is how transparent I am with them when it comes to money and profit. I have learnt a long time ago, that when you are able to be transparent with folks when it comes to money and especially profit sharing, it accelerates the trust building process for you and allows for folks to continue to want to work with you. For example, I have my ‘connectors’. These are people who introduce me to a company or organization that might need consulting when it comes to transforming their overall training. They know, that if I land a contract through ANY of their doing, they will receive a percentage from that introduction. I make sure, that once that contract is signed, not only I send my ‘connector’ a copy, but I follow up with transferring their connecting fee to them. It’s as easy as that. Transparency! They know they can trust me and they continue with making the introductions. I am proud of the long term connections that I create with my team. I am proud that any company or organization I work and consult with, has always been so very happy with what I have produced for them. I am proud that I have former team members who tell me they will come work with me again on a drop of a hat! They know I would be good to them and that makes me so very happy and proud.

Second, I am a co-founder of a publishing house (Peacock Press). We focus on Black, Indigenous, Women of Colour, people with disabilities and folks from the LGBTQ+ community when it comes to our authors. Our first book, written by yours truly, ‘Because I Can’ will soon be at Indigo Chapters! Canada’s largest bookstore chain. In 2021 I won a Toronto Arts Council writing grant for my second book. It was such an incredible honour to receive this because of the screening and selection process for this grant. It was even more validating because the piece that I had shared with them, is my first work of fiction. I am proud of how our publishing house is evolving. We are very intentional about who we work with and where we want to go with it and we are so so excited about all the incredible plans ahead.

We’d love to hear about you met your business partner.

We were both working at the same NGO. When I found out she had been the Editor in Chief for a major newspaper back in her home country, I started to share with her my love of poetry. I even started to share some pieces with her. She came back to me and gave me really positive feedback about how great she thought my writing was and started to encourage me to initially connect with publishers to potentially have my work published. I shared with her that at the time, I was knee deep in trying to start my tech company, and I had no interest in running after any publishing house. I told her however, that I was open to having her as my manager and editor who could potentially do this for me.

She outreached to couple of publishers and after only a month or so, she got word back from one of them telling her that they were interested in my work. When I tell you she was losing her mind about this response….she was losing her mind!! She was like: “do you understand THIS never happens!” She couldn’t believe the quick turn around response.

She convinced me that we should create our own publishing house where we could give life to stories that so often go unheard. This was a lot to take in, because at that time, we were both working full time jobs, while trying to launch a business (two for me!).

I’m so very happy we did. It hasn’t been easy to say the least! But the very fact that our first book will be at Indigo Chapters is validation enough to know we are making the right decisions together.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I have had to learn and unlearn about how to approach potential clients and connections. I have learnt the best way to connect with these ‘potentials’ is to align with what THEY value. When you are able to connect on what matters to them, then nothing is impossible.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://etreegroup.com/
• Instagram: peacockpressinc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peacockpressinc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/peacock-press-ottawa/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/peacockpressinc
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hearttoheartwithhanieh7236/videos
• Other: My publishing: https://www.peacockpress.ca/

Image Credits
I’ve taken all the pictures myself.