Meet Arezou Zarafshan | Startup Coach and Advisor, Founder and CEO, Mom

We had the good fortune of connecting with Arezou Zarafshan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Arezou, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk is the name of my second best friend; my first best friend is called grit! Joking aside, risk has been a constant companion of mine starting from the time I was 18 years old. I migrated to the US from Iran to go to university and at that time, I knew next to nothing about life in the US and I barely spoke English. I have changed jobs, states, industries, companies, and career focus time and time again. When the SARS pandemic hit Asia, I moved to Singapore on an expatriate assignment which was a wonderful step in my career. Some of those risks paid off, some didn’t but the learnings and the experience were all worth it. When I am faced with an opportunity, I say “yes” first and then I figure out how to make it work instead of the other way around. When things don’t go the way I had hoped, I give myself a day to digest, grieve and ponder but the next day is for action, learning, and moving forward.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I have two businesses. One is my consulting practice (AZA Consulting), through which I coach entrepreneurs and founders on taking their product to market, validating product-market-fit, and raising capital, and I have loved every minute of it. I have amazing clients, mainly women founders, who are unstoppable and relentless about their causes. My second company is a technology startup that I founded last year. It is called DispatchMom. I am a mom of a young boy, and before COVID, I found it incredibly challenging to maintain my professional identity while being a mother. I needed on-demand, safe, and reliable help to come to my aid and help me with childcare and chores. That is how DispatchMom was born. DispatchMom is the one-stop-shop providing on-demand or scheduled help to busy parents, especially moms. Everything is in a simple and beautiful mobile app and with a few clicks, you can get the service you need at your doorstep. These services are now more valuable than ever because countless moms are working from home and homeschooling their children at the same time. We needed help *before* the pandemic but now, getting help from a reliable and trusted source is almost a necessity. Currently, our services are babysitting, meal prep and planning, cleaning, home chef, and home organization. Later this year, we will add more services such as errands, and a few more. We are five months into our launch in Colorado, and I couldn’t be more excited. The path has been far from easy but I wouldn’t change a thing about it. The lessons that I have learned or been reminded of as I have launched and grown DispatchMom are: 1.0 Don’t try to do it alone. Get the right team in place early and rely on their help and expertise to grow your business. 2.0 As a founder and CEO, your job is to work on your business, not in your business. 3.0 Have patience and objectivity regarding growth. Experiment with a number of growth strategies until you find the one. 4.0 Be super-efficient and focused. Shiny new objects show up frequently; be ruthless about your focus on what moves the needle for your business. 5.0 Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you and ask them to constantly challenge your thinking. Staying in an echo-chamber is the fastest way to an epic failure.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The person who initially lit the fire in me to excel and go beyond my comfort zone was my father. Although I was born and raised in the middle east where women are treated as second-class citizens, my father was a staunch feminist and a big proponent of education and women’s independence. From before I entered elementary school, my father encouraged me to ask questions, take risks, challenge authority, be a free thinker, and never depend on another human being to provide for me. My father passed away in November of 2019 and I wouldn’t be who I am if it were not for him. His name was Mansour Zarafshan. Besides my father, I am always grateful for the support and advocacy from my tribe. Namely, Kami Guildner (my coach and friend), Kriss Kirchhoff (mentor and friend), Paul Speer (mentor and friend), Evan Tradup (my husband), and last but not least, my mom (Farah Zarafshan).

Website: https://www.dispatchmom.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dispatch.mom

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arezou

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/arezouzarafshan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dispatchmom

Other: email: arezou@aza.consuting