I would always talk to myself and convince myself every day that I will accomplish what I’m going after and no one will stop me. It’s very important to be mentally sharp and self-disciplined.
Watch motivational videos on a daily basis and stay physically strong. Those two things build a strong character and self confidence. I had to sacrifice a lot of fun just to be where I’m at and I’m not even close to where I want to be yet. I’m still hungry for more.
I looked at it like I had no other choice than to be successful because I needed to take care of my parents just like they did when I was young.
As a part of our series about “dreamers who ignored the naysayers and did what others said was impossible”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Said Alievich.
Said Alievich was born in Dagestan, Russia and moved to Amman, Jordan as a child. By the time he finished high school in Jordan Said had one dream: to come to America to become a Petroleum Engineer. Fast forward to today, Said has his degree in Engineering and is a serial entrepreneur. He’s the owner of Platinum Transport luxury car service in Southern California as well as the Founder & CEO of a health & wellness CBD brand called VVENERA.
Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to ‘get to know you’ a bit better. Can you tell us your ‘backstory’?
I was born on November 10th, 1991 in Dagestan, Russia (located in the North Caucasus region). When I was 10 years old my parents got divorced. A few years later my mother got married and moved with my stepfather to Abu Dhabi. At first, I couldn’t go with them because I had to stay in school. I also didn’t know any Arabic language to adjust accordingly to the middle eastern culture.
By the time I completed 6th grade, my mother and stepfather moved to Amman, Jordan and decided to bring me with them. It was a difficult transition in my life that included a strong culture shock. However, I didn’t let that stop me from progressing. I was very determined as a kid to adjust and adapt to a new environment and culture. By the time I finished high school in Jordan, I had one dream to come America and become a Petroleum Engineer and to come back to work with his stepfather in the Oil & Gas industry.
I first arrived at the U.S. in January 2011 at Palm Desert, CA to attend community college to follow my dream to become an engineer. My life’s story would repeat itself as I was walking into a new culture and having to learn a new language. However, this time it was different because I had no parents around and was facing a lot of pressure from school.
I was grateful that my parents were able to support me financially throughout my first year in college, but after that it was all on me. Aside from trying to learn a new language, adapt to the culture here in the U.S., and complete my engineering degree with good grades, making ends meet was tough. From working in construction to other various side-jobs to pay my way through college, it felt like a never-ending struggle. However, I was always a self-motivated person that used my struggles as motivation to keep going and to not give up on my dreams.
Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? How do you think that will help people?
Yes. I started a health and wellness company called VVENERA. My mission is to create a healthier, happier life for millions of people that are struggling to make it through a productive day due to their stressful and anxious minds. In addition to their battle with stress and anxiety, those people more than likely suffer from a poor quality of sleep which lends itself to a rough day the next day. Unfortunately for many, this cycle never seems to end.
A twice-daily dose of CBD helps me relieve a lot of stress and anxiety that stems from a busy schedule. After discovering CBD and how it’s helped me sleep better, I’ve been able to wake up feeling more rested, relaxed, and focused for my entire day ahead. With that said, I was inspired to craft my own premium CBD products that help regulate and finetune the physiology of our body’s systems without having to succumb ourselves to the harmful side effects of pharmaceutical drugs. I’ve built VVENERA to share my “secret” with the world and to help others achieve a healthy life balance with themselves.
In your opinion, what do you think makes your company or organization stand out from the crowd?
My background and my personal journey are what have instilled a tremendous work ethic within myself which has led to the dedication, the vision, and most importantly the quality of VVENERA’s final product that we deliver to those who use our products.
VVENERA strictly oversees the entire manufacturing process of our products to produce the nation’s premier line of industrial hemp derived Phyto Cannabinoids to use within our products. To attain this, VVENERA has partnered with subject matter experts in every vertical within the industry to ensure the delivery of perfectly sourced CBD products to its consumers. Our 3rd party testing and full compliance ensures that we’re not just keeping up with the standards but raising the bar.
The mindset I have is I’m either “all in” or “I don’t waste my time.” With VVENERA, I’m all in every single day.
Ok, thank you for that. I’d like to jump to the main focus of this interview. Has there ever been a time that someone told you something was impossible, but you did it anyway? Can you share the story with us? What was your idea? What was the reaction of the naysayers? And how did you overcome that?
I have always had people tell me that I couldn’t do it. Lots of people have doubted me along the way, sometimes making it seems impossible.
For example, a few of my friends heard that I was planning to move to the U.S. to achieve my Engineering degree, and they’d constantly tell me how difficult it would be, and that I wouldn’t be able to make it. Every day, their voices would be in my head saying that I won’t make it and that I can’t make it, but that only made me stronger and I only used it as a motivation to prove them wrong.
In the end, how were all the naysayers proven wrong? 🙂
Now, I’m in the U.S. and officially an Engineer and I’m involved in multiple business ventures. Those people that didn’t believe in me at the time are actually friends of mine now, and they are very proud of my accomplishments and they give me a lot of credit for how far I’ve come.
My advice for anyone that is going through a similar situation is to not give up no matter what, and to keep pushing and believing in yourself. Use those naysayers as motivation for yourself.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
My parents always believed in me and they were always there for me. Especially my mother, she had to sacrifice a lot, and I would not be anywhere near where I am now without her. I’m very grateful for that.
It must not have been easy to ignore all the naysayers. Did you have any experiences growing up that have contributed to building your resiliency? Can you share the story with us?
I would always talk to myself and convince myself every day that I will accomplish what I’m going after and no one will stop me. It’s very important to be mentally sharp and self-disciplined.
Watch motivational videos on a daily basis and stay physically strong. Those two things build a strong character and self confidence. I had to sacrifice a lot of fun just to be where I’m at and I’m not even close to where I want to be yet. I’m still hungry for more.
I looked at it like I had no other choice than to be successful because I needed to take care of my parents just like they did when I was young.
Based on your experience, can you share 5 strategies that people can use to harness the sense of tenacity and do what naysayers think is impossible? (Please share a story or an example for each)
- Be confident
- Use the naysayers as motivation by proving them wrong.
- Keep small goals and stay with them until you accomplish them.
- Talk to your self, believe in yourself, and believe in that voice inside of you.
- Work on your mental endurance to build up will-power and self-discipline.
- Focus on yourself and don’t worry about what others are doing.
- Educate yourself. Knowledge is power.
What is your favorite quote or personal philosophy that relates to the concept of resilience?
“TOUGH TIMES NEVER LAST, PAIN IS TEMPORARY”.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
Do what you love, be passionate, start your own business, and work like hell. However, you need to remember to enjoy the journey. While you’re on that journey:
- Don’t complain, just keep pushing
- Eat healthy, exercise, and learn new skills.
- Travel and explore new places
- Be yourself.
- Surround yourself with successful people and manage your time wisely.
Can our readers follow you on social media?
Yes, My Instagram is @Saiiid_alievich
Thank you for these great stories. We wish you only continued success!
Dreamers: “They told me It was impossible and I did it anyway” With Said Alievich was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.