“I didn't know they existed, so I couldn't even imagine it - I wasn't capable of even thinking of doing this kind of business.” Have you every collapsed at an event with over 500 people in attendance? Not because of fatigue, or dehydration - but because of inspiration? Mazen has. But let me back up, Mazen’s journey has taken many turns. From humble beginnings in his grandfather's store - where he would argue pricing strategy at the age of 8 - to selling Polaroid pictures to pilgrims in Medina as a teenager, and finally becoming an entrepreneur by necessity after losing his job and having to pay a triple mortgage... it's been a rollercoaster ride! Mazen Omair had been investing in and running franchises for over a decade (Subway Restaurants, and Sugarfield & Co) before he attended an event organized by EO. The theme of the event was "Purpose-driven Business.” Before this, he hadn’t put two and two together - CSR was just something large corporate did with leftover money, right? Charities were supposed to be non-profit only, right? From that time on, Mazen’s entrepreneurial journey changed forever. Mazen and his wife Rana Batterjee would go on to found their first purpose-driven business → EduPloyment. EduPloyment is a purpose-driven technology business that is helping to reimagine the ecosystem of blue-collar recruitment, on a global scale. The platform helps workers upskill their English language proficiency, and provides access to better job opportunities. Mazen and Rana have firsthand experience going through hiring cycles for their restaurants and stores. They understand the struggles of this segment of workers and want to give them a better chance at employment, so they can take care of their families. I was really touched by Mazen’s passion, and his wisdom, throughout our conversation. Here are some of the highlights! ▶️ Introduction 🤔 The good, the bad and the ugly of franchise businesses 💼 The difference between parallel and serial entrepreneurship 👩‍❤️‍👨Running a business with your spouse 🤯 Launching their MVP, and waking up to 100 downloads on day 1 💵 The stories we tell ourselves about ‘financial stability’ ✨ What Mazen cherishes the most about being in business ❗ The dangers entrepreneurs face when they haven’t worked in a job before I can’t believe I don’t have more people like him in my life. Mazen broke me, in a very good way, as you’ll hear in this episode. If this is the first episode of My First Business that you’ll be listening to, you’ve picked well my friend! And if you’re coming back from hearing other episodes, you will not be disappointed. -- Where to find the podcast: ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjrbr87_ZSPICaDoTcCebyw 🎙 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6B5JdkAWrGSd927rZquJz7?si=4802c936a51f418c⁠ 🎙 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/my-first-business-with-naeem-parvez/id1615535576 🎙 Google Podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xOTE1MjA1LnJzcw?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjk_8SnuPD5AhUBGRoKHZ-DAxMQ9sEGegQIARAC⁠ Where to find Mazen: 💼 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mazenomair/ 🌐 Business Website - https://www.eduployment.com/ 💼 Business LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/eduployment/ Where to find me: 📸 IG: http://www.instagram.com/the.naeem.parvez⁠ 📸 IG: http://www.instagram.com/myfirstbusinesspodcast⁠ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nparvez⁠ 🖥 Website: https://www.nparvez.com My First Business is a podcast based in Dubai, hosted by Naeem Parvez. In each episode, Naeem (co-founder of Digitalina) interviews successful, but under-the-radar entrepreneurs in the city. The guests share valuable lessons they've learned on their entrepreneurial journeys, making each episode feel like a conversation with a mentor you never had. Love From My First Business, a Dubai Podcast.