Today we’d like to introduce you to Arya Farahmand.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Where I am today is somewhere I never should have ended up, I am my parent’s living nightmare. I attended public school at a well-regarded school district; I even finished a year early; following that I went to a well-known local university, once again finishing a year early. I’m 20 years old, I have a finance degree, I have reputable work experience, and my GPA is near the top of my class. The worst thing I could have done, in the eyes of many, is to give up the stability that was in my future with a corporate job and give up my benefits and my health care in order to venture off on my own and create a company.
Stability was the problem, stability is something I have never been a fan of. I believe in order to be successful you need to constantly challenge yourself by placing yourself in uncomfortable situations. Through my passage of high school, I wanted more but also felt like I was capable of more. High school is a time where making more than minimum wage means you struck the lottery and the only real expense you have is buying Whataburger after a football game. I wanted more; I wanted Outback. I realized the secret to achieving more is not working hard, but rather working smarter. Everything you do has an opportunity cost, the cost is sometimes material, or often it is monetary. However, time is almost always an opportunity cost. It’s just a matter of how much time are you willing to give you up in order to get what you want. If it’s too much time, what is left to do? The options are simple, outsource it and pay someone else to do it or learn to work smarter and reinvent the process.
I reinvented the process and decided to start my own company in high school; I began buying and selling any electronics I could get my hands on. Kids were constantly upgrading their old phones, laptops, and gaming consoles and I used that to my advantage. Knowing my audience was huge, and among my age group, immediate gratification always wins over delayed gratification. Using this to my advantage I knew I could buy these used electronics below market value by providing quick cash and then quickly turning them around online and selling them for a profit. Negotiation went from a skill to a hobby for me. The social interaction with people was my favorite, but the fine line involved with negotiation is what made me fall in love with it. When two people are negotiating there is always a winner and a loser, but it does not have to always go that way. The real challenge is both the buyer and seller coming out a winner; that is where I thrived. Sales was no longer work, but rather play, and I ended up not having to work a single day in high school.
With the extra money I had made I decided to finally pursue a new hobby – photography. I began photographing cars and over time the cars I was photographing were becoming the higher end and at the same time, I was also upgrading my gear. This is how I met my business partner and one of my best friends, Timothy Hoang. From day one Tim wanted me to do more with photography, take it further than a hobby but rather turn it into a business. Tim gave me all the tools I needed and made himself available as a resource should I choose to use it. Nothing ever came of it, however. Tim continued to pursue freelance photography while simultaneously creating a name for himself locally while I continued to pursue my education.
Life happened and me and Tim did not talk much over the next three years, with the exception of a few exchanges here and there. However, one exchange changed both our lives; we both saw talent and potential in each other that we could not discover within ourselves. I discovered Tim’s vision for creativity, for storytelling, his desire to be unique. He saw a different kind of thinking through me – I analyze everything immediately seeking a best-case and worst-case scenario, I view life through formulas and data, and I’m always seeking a trend or pattern to explain something I do not understand. This has brought me to where I am now. Seeking something different yet better, through the support of my friends, and the birth of a dynamic duo that lead to a business. I’ve committed my life to constantly growing myself and refusing to ever get comfortable or to ever settle.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Contrary to what everyone believes, it has not and is still not and will not be for a while. The biggest struggle is what others perceive of you and how you are treated differently because of it. Working in the creative space has blessed me with opportunities to travel and attend various prestigious events as well as nights out. That’s all that’s ever seen – the people, the “bottles,” the cars, the planes, the food, but not the work.
Very few people bother to realize that there is work behind every trip or every night out. As a result, some people’s perception and attitude towards you changes. It’s suddenly assumed that you’re an “in” to events, clubs, or parties happening. No one wants to climb this ladder of success with you. Instead, they want an elevator ride to the top.
For every fun night out we probably have ten rough nights of editing, filming, planning, or just strategizing our next move.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Stories By Tim – what should we know?
Stories By Tim is a creative consulting agency that specializes in producing PREMIUM visual assets formatted for social media. We mainly work with luxury brands in hospitality, food, and lifestyle concepts to tell their stories in an authentic manner to provide stronger brand experiences. We also have a hand in consulting and media production for thought leaders and influencers.
I’m mostly proud of me and Tim’s progress in such a short time. We’ve stuck true to ourselves and incorporated our passions and our personalities into every single aspect of the company. The company is a product of us and as cliché, as it sounds, everything is made with love at Stories By Tim.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Refusing to ever be comfortable is what I believe to be the most important characteristic of being successful. When you stop trying to challenge yourself, you stop growing, and you become limited on what you are capable of and ultimately end up left behind. As long as you’re always willing to learn and to adapt yourself to new environments and new trends, anything is possible.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.StoriesByTim.com
- Email: Arya@StoriesByTim.com
- Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/AryaF_Photos/
- Facebook: Facebook.com/StoriesByTim
- Other: Instagram.com/sbtagency
Image Credit:
Timothy Hoang
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