How to cope with grief while running a business<\/h2>\n\n\n\nKate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Welcome to season two of Sound Advice: Entrepreneurs Unfiltered, brought to you by Sage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m your new host, Kate Bassett, and this season we\u2019re going to dig deeper than ever before to bring you raw emotive stories of resilience, loaded with business advice you can take away and try yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our first guest of the season is Sunny Araf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunny dreamed of studying politics at university but ended up flipping burgers and cleaning toilets to provide for his family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He went on to join West Midlands Police before starting his security company, ISA Support Services, in 2011.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Four years ago, Sunny lost his young daughter Khadijah to sepsis. It changed his life, and it transformed him as an entrepreneur. This is the inspiring story of how he\u2019s giving back after grief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hi, Sunny. Thank you so much for joining us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunny Araf:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Thank you, Kate. How are you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m good, thank you. How are you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunny Araf:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m very well, thank you. Thank you so much for having me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s an absolute pleasure. Let\u2019s dive straight in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So you started ISA Support Services more than a decade ago and worked really hard to build up that business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then in 2018, your daughter passed away. Can you talk us through how you coped with that grief?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunny Araf:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, absolutely. I think, for anyone that\u2019s suffered grief, I used to always think, Kate, that the day my parents passed away would probably be the worst day of my life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I just had this understanding, and I\u2019d often ask myself, \u201cHow am I going to cope with that day? What\u2019s that day going to look like for me when mum and dad go?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But I was wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Actually, losing a child is probably the worst day of your life, and I hope no one has to go through that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Khadijah, she was a poorly child. She was born with a congenital heart defect, which meant that the two short years of her life, she spent at Birmingham Children\u2019s Hospital, and she was pretty much in and out of hospital all the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I believe that it was almost like a training programme for us. I believe, God was preparing us for that day when we were finally going to say goodbye to our daughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But having spent the two years at the hospital and having seen all the hurt and pain that she had to go through with all the various surgeries that she went through, it was just our faith that got us through it, if I\u2019m honest, Kate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m a practising Muslim, and we believe that children go to heaven, and they\u2019re in a better place. As a father of a daughter, I have three beautiful boys, and I was extra protective over Khadijah because she was my daughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019d always worry, \u201cWhere is she going to end up when she gets married? If she gets married, what\u2019s her husband going to be like?\u201d And I was having these thoughts when my baby was a couple of months, that\u2019s crazy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But ultimately, after she went, I realised that I no longer have to worry about Khadijah because she\u2019s a child of heaven, and she\u2019s in a beautiful place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I suppose having an amazing team around me that really supported me on this journey, and a very supportive family and a wife that, again, is the strongest person that I\u2019ve ever met. It all kind of helped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
But Sunny, I mean, I have two young daughters. The grief and devastation must have been unimaginable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There must have been days where you didn\u2019t even want to get out of bed in the morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How did you find the resilience to do that and carry on and run the business?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunny Araf:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, absolutely. There were days, there were weeks that I didn\u2019t want to get out of bed. I was very fortunate because I had a fantastic business and an amazing team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So my worry really wasn\u2019t, is the business going to survive? How are we going to pay the mortgage? How are we going to pay bills? How are we going to pay for parking? That wasn\u2019t my worry. So I was so blessed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What I would often do is I would often focus on my \u2018why\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And that\u2019s the message really, that\u2019s really important, that when we go through times when things aren\u2019t going to plan, and we\u2019re suffering, whether it\u2019s with grief or whether we\u2019re suffering because the business isn\u2019t doing well, we always need to focus on our \u2018why\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And why is it that we want to become successful? Why is it that we must become successful?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For me, there is no second chance, there\u2019s no second choice. This is the first choice, and it\u2019s plan A. And there\u2019s no plan B. Sorry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So I always focused on wanting to help other people because initially we started off helping families in the hospital because what we found was that families were struggling with, I mentioned, parking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Birmingham Children\u2019s Hospital is in the middle of the city centre, and often when your child\u2019s rushed to hospital, you don\u2019t plan anything. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
People just leave their homes in an ambulance, or they drive their children to hospital, and then they realise that they will be staying in hospital, some of these parents for a very, very long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So we started helping families in the hospital with food and parking and just little things that when your child is poorly, the last thing you want to worry about is money. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You want to just spend all your time and energy on your child and be there for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So for me, it was just focusing on my \u2018why\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had to get through this because I said, if anything like this ever happens again to me, and if I want to help people, the only way I\u2019m going to be able to do that is if I have a successful business and I have the financial freedom to allow me to do that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019d come into board meetings, Kate, and I\u2019d literally walk into the meeting and my whole team would be sat around the boardroom table. I\u2019d sit down, we\u2019d start the meeting, and I\u2019d just break down and my team would just sit there in silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And I\u2019d have a cry, and they\u2019d have a cry, and I\u2019d look up, and I\u2019d be like, \u201cAll right, should we crack on with this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And they were like, \u201cYou sure you want to carry on?\u201d I\u2019m like, \u201cYeah, that\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was great because they almost knew exactly what to do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That was our intimate moment, and it really brought us together as a team because they knew that I needed some space, I just needed to let it out. I just needed to have a cry. And that\u2019s exactly what I did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Again, some of the team members would be having a cry with me, and then I\u2019d say, \u201cRight, let\u2019s get on with it.\u201d And that went on for months and months, but we got through it, and we\u2019re here today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Changing your definition of success<\/h2>\n\n\n\nKate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
So I mean, losing Khadijah really did change your why, and you really channelled that grief into better causes. I know you set up the ISA Foundation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can you tell us about your goal with that and some of the projects that you are supporting?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunny Araf:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
So the foundation was set up because we wanted to help vulnerable people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Initially we wanted to call it the Baby K Foundation, but I didn\u2019t want people to think that it was just a foundation that supports babies, for example, and that\u2019s the only thing that we do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The idea behind the foundation really is that it\u2019s an avenue for us to give back to the world and not just here in the UK, but internationally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our focus with the foundation is supporting vulnerable people. When I say vulnerable people, initially we started working with refugees. We\u2019ve worked with refugees from Syria for a very, very long time in neighbouring countries like Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, and Jordan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So I started visiting the refugee camps, and I did this even before Khadijah. I was working with the refugees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So people like refugees, children that are poorly, I started working with a charity called Muntada Aid, and they\u2019ve got an amazing project called the Little Hearts project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I would travel with surgeons from all around the world to countries where children similar to Khadijah were suffering, and their parents couldn\u2019t afford to have surgery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So these surgeons blessed them, would give their own time, and would just conduct surgeries. It\u2019s like a week intense of just conducting cardiac catheters, conducting surgeries for these children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And that was the most, I think, I\u2019ve been on many, many aid missions all the way around the world. And the foundation works with partners in a lot of countries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the Little Hearts project, like emotionally, I was an absolute wreck because I was spending a whole week in a hospital, and I was just surrounded by children that reminded me of Khadijah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everything made sense to me. All the terminology, the feelings that the parents were feeling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But at the same time, it was the most amazing experience because standing with a mother and a father outside an operating theatre and the doctors coming out and telling them that their child\u2019s going to be okay now because they\u2019ve done the surgery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And the look of relief on their face was something that for me was just unbelievable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Khadijah had a purpose when she came into this world, and I believe that we\u2019re fulfilling that purpose. So it\u2019s just great. It\u2019s just amazing being able to give back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is no other feeling, I believe in this world better than giving back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve been very fortunate and very successful in my life. And that used to excite me, that the success used to excite me. I\u2019d get really excited about hitting targets, about increasing revenue and sales and profits every year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But actually after Khadijah, I feel that there\u2019s more to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So it\u2019s about becoming successful and then giving back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
She\u2019s almost changed your definition of success, hasn\u2019t she?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunny Araf:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Absolutely. I think success is different for most people, but for me, success is contentment. It\u2019s being content with what we have in life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If we can really focus on that and be happy with what we have, and what I always say to people is, focus on the things in life that money can\u2019t buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So when you\u2019re having a bad day because you\u2019ve got out the wrong side of the bed, or because again, talking about business and business isn\u2019t doing well, I want you just to look around and look at the things in life that money can\u2019t buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your partner, your parents, your children, your family, your friends. The fact that we are fit and well, and we are healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If we start focusing on all these things, then we start becoming less reliant on these materialistic things in life that money can buy, and life becomes a lot simpler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Building a business to give your kids a better life<\/h2>\n\n\n\nKate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
And talking about that simpler life, I mean, it was quite a struggle for you growing up, wasn\u2019t it? I know your parents found it hard to make ends meet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can you just go back to why you started ISA in the first place? Some of those early struggles, getting the business off the ground, and what really inspired you to start it in the first place?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunny Araf:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, you\u2019re right. We had an amazing childhood, Kate, but it was full of poverty. I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any way we can really sugar coat it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Look, we were very fortunate that we always had a roof over our heads, and we were always in a loving family. And my mum and dad, God bless them, did an amazing job. But it was a struggle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I remember that struggle. I remember that when times were really, really hard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I remember when dad\u2019s car would break down outside school, and we\u2019d always dread driving up the hill because we always knew that the car would literally break down right outside the school when your friends are waiting for you outside school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Seeing that from a very early age and seeing the struggle that my mum and dad went through, I made a decision very early on in life that I never wanted to be that person, that I didn\u2019t want my kids to go through what I had to go through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I didn\u2019t want them to see what I saw as a child. The only way I was going to do that was through financial freedom. So I knew from a very early age that I really had to work my socks off and become somebody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So the mission started very, very early. But after I left the police, it just felt like a natural progression for me to go into security. And that\u2019s what I did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve never looked back, and I\u2019m thankful for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Adapting your business to stay relevant and needed in a pandemic<\/h2>\n\n\n\nKate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
And in terms of getting to that stage of financial independence, for those listeners who haven\u2019t heard of ISA Support Services, tell us a little bit more about what it does and give us a snapshot of the business now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunny Araf:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
So ISA Support Services is a professional support services provider. So we provide security officers, we provide receptionists, we provide concierge staff, we provide cleaners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And of course, over Covid for the last three years, we diversified our business, and we were providing Covid testers and paramedics, and sometimes nurses and even doctors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So we are a professional support services provider, and we operate across the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The best way for me to describe it is if you have an office building, often you walk into your office building, you have personnel sat at the reception desk, you may be greeted by a security officer in the car park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That could be one of our members of staff, and then you have a reception person that sat there, or a concierge that could be someone that we provide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You may walk past the cleaner or the cleaners that again, could be someone that ISA provide. So that\u2019s what we do as a business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
So actually you are responsible for all those unsung heroes who are in businesses keeping the organisations ticking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunny Araf:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Absolutely. I\u2019m super proud. We played a huge part in ridding the country of Covid, let\u2019s just say, or bringing the curve down, as good old Boris [Johnson] used to say in his time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We had thousands of staff members out in the field working when everybody was at home, because we didn\u2019t have the luxury of being able to stay at home. We had to go out and do the job that needed to be done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So we had staff working in the quarantine hotels, we had staff working at the Covid test sites, we had staff working at hospitals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I believe that we played a huge part in helping the country get back to normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Share your journey with your friends and family, so they can understand your mission and your struggles<\/h2>\n\n\n\nKate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You talked a little bit about work-life balance, in those early days you were working crazy hours and really running on empty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now you have a great team around you, financial independence, and I think I\u2019m sure the experience of losing your daughter has really shifted your priorities as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What pointers do you have for other business owners on this? How do you prioritise? What are your tips?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunny Araf:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
I think the first thing is that when you are alone working all hours of the day and night, know that you\u2019re not on your own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s really easy to think that you are the only person that\u2019s doing this, but the reality is that there are millions of entrepreneurs out there that are working day and night to make ends meet and to grow their businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But just remember that if you work really hard, and you know maintain that passion and that drive that you have in the early days, it won\u2019t always be like this. It\u2019s really easy to think that you\u2019re going to spend the rest of your life working 24 hours, never seeing your family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have to make the sacrifices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As entrepreneurs and business owners, there is an expectation that we have to make the sacrifices. So make the sacrifices, but at the same time, always share your journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Share your journey with people around you, so they understand why you are doing what you\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We know that a lot of marriages, for example, break down, Kate, because either the husband or the wife are out working trying to build a business and the other partner doesn\u2019t understand that, and it creates this divide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I got married, my wife\u2019s from Pakistan, and the first day that she came over from Pakistan, you can imagine the whole family around my home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And we were having dinner, and then I went upstairs to start getting changed, and she followed me, and she said, \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d And I was like, \u201cI\u2019m getting changed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She was like, \u201cWhat? To go to work?\u201d And I was like, \u201cYeah, absolutely. I need to go to work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And she was like, \u201cBut it\u2019s my first day here and can you not take the day off?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And that\u2019s when I sat my wife down, and I had a really serious conversation with her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I explained to her that I was trying to start a business and that if she sticks by me, and we do this together, I said, I promise you it won\u2019t always be like this, but we have to make the sacrifices today and I have a job to go to, and I really need to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I just said that I really need your support and if you support me on this, I promise you it\u2019ll be worth it in the end. I\u2019m so glad that I had that conversation with my wife at that point because she\u2019s supported me ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ve never had to argue about why am I working so many hours. So it\u2019s always a means to an end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Share the journey with those that you love, make sure that they understand, share the journey. If people don\u2019t understand, don\u2019t waste your time trying to explain it to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m talking about friends and family. Just move on, surround yourself with a team that has brought into your vision and reward people, reward them before they ask to be rewarded. That\u2019s the main thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Love it that you\u2019re giving us marriage tips on this podcast as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunny Araf:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, absolutely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Show appreciation to your family who support your business day in, day out<\/h2>\n\n\n\nKate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
But you\u2019re absolutely right because so often when there\u2019s an entrepreneur in the family, it\u2019s the partner who also bears the weight of the stress and the responsibility. And that often goes ignored, doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunny Araf:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
I believe that partners don\u2019t get the credit that they deserve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is why I always try and mention my wife, whether I\u2019m on a podcast or I\u2019m on an award ceremony or whatever I\u2019m doing, because I could not have done this without my partner. That\u2019s the reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is no way that I would be able to give my business or my businesses the time that they require if I didn\u2019t have a solid wife behind me. So they don\u2019t get the credit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Having a supportive family or for people that don\u2019t have a big family, I\u2019m very fortunate that I have a big family, but for people that don\u2019t have a family, having a supportive friend structure is really important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Share your dreams with them and people will laugh at you, and sometimes you\u2019ll share your dreams and your vision, and your aspirations and people won\u2019t get it. They won\u2019t understand. And that\u2019s when it becomes a very lonely place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I always say this to my staff too, that if they do something wrong, I\u2019m here to coach them, to counsel them, to tell them off and to make sure that we get it right the second time. But if I get it wrong, then who is there to support me? There\u2019s no one to tell me off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I mean, I\u2019ve got a business partner, but he doesn\u2019t really tell me off to be honest. But there\u2019s no one really to tell me off to show me that I\u2019m not doing things. So it can become a really lonely place and that\u2019s when you have to share your goals and your dreams. And for me, it\u2019s with my wife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But I\u2019m good because everything that I promised her, I\u2019ve been able to deliver. So that has probably gone in my favour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Outgrowing your mentors<\/h2>\n\n\n\nKate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Other than turning to your wife, have you ever thought of getting a coach? Or who else do you turn to in those really tough moments?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunny Araf:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
So I\u2019ve had mentors, Kate. I\u2019ve had mentors in the past, and I\u2019ve had people that I look up to, but I\u2019m probably in a position now where this is going to sound so bad, but I\u2019ve outgrown my mentors in that sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s funny because one of my quotes used to always be work so hard where your mentors become your competitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So I had mentors, and I\u2019ve outgrown my mentors in terms of how the business is doing and how I\u2019m performing. And they\u2019re actually contacting me now saying, \u201cSunny, it\u2019s great that you\u2019re doing so well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve always said this, I take a lot of inspiration from my mum and dad, because I remember the struggles that they went to. To me, that generation, they are the real entrepreneurs. We were fortunate that while we were building a business, I lived at home with mum and dad, so I had that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I didn\u2019t have to worry about paying a mortgage for example, so I could really focus on my business, but they didn\u2019t have that luxury. So people that came over from other countries and had to work really hard, they for me are my inspiration, and they\u2019re the true entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But I have people that I look up to, and I follow a lot of journeys of people online, social media or on YouTube. I try and keep in touch with what\u2019s happening in the business world, for example. I take inspiration from, it doesn\u2019t necessarily have to be somebody that\u2019s doing really well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I can take inspiration from anyone. People inspire me all the time. I can have a conversation with a 10-year-old child, and they can give me inspiration because I\u2019m constantly learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I learn from my children too. I pick up so many amazing things from speaking to my boys. I have a daughter, another daughter I\u2019ve had by the way, just for the listeners, so Rene is two years old and as you can imagine, she\u2019s my best friend, and she\u2019s my buddy, and she looks just like Khadijah, and she does things that Khadijah used to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She is my biggest fan like Khadijah was. And she really is my why, Kate, to be honest. That\u2019s my reason to get out of bed every morning to make sure that I can give her the opportunities that she deserves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The absolute apple of your eye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunny Araf:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Oh yes, absolutely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Using your business to give back to people in need<\/h2>\n\n\n\nKate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m sure there\u2019s nothing more motivating than actually seeing first hand the difference that your money\u2019s making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunny Araf:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s the best feeling in the world, and it drives you. When I\u2019m away, it\u2019s really weird because I will start pinging emails, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ll be like in the middle of Africa somewhere, and I\u2019ll be emailing the team saying, \u201cI\u2019ve had this idea and I think we should work on this kind of project.\u201d And they get ready for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I come back, I\u2019m super excited. Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because what enabled me to go to, let\u2019s just say, for example to Ethiopia, what enabled me to go to Ethiopia, to fly to Ethiopia, to pay for the flights, to pay for my accommodation, to pay for, and then deliver a project that\u2019s worth \u00a330,000, \u00a340,000, \u00a350,000, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was the success that we have from the business. So if I want to go back to Ethiopia, to Africa or to anywhere and do that, the only way I\u2019m able to do it is if my business is doing well, and we are earning money. That\u2019s the reality of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The minute the business stops doing well, and I have no money left, Kate, I can\u2019t go out, and I don\u2019t want that ever taken from me, because we don\u2019t fundraise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The foundation is completely self-funded. So we have to, we have no second choice but to do well, so we can focus on the things that we love. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eventually I\u2019d like to become a full-time volunteer for the foundation where I can go out and just focus on projects and then get my kids in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I took my wife out with me maybe a year after Khadijah passed away. We went out, I took her to Lebanon and there was a girl called Zainab and I met her when she was literally a five-month-old baby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I walked past this refugee camp, and she was sat outside, and she has Down\u2019s syndrome, but at the time her family didn\u2019t realise that she had Down\u2019s syndrome and I just connected with Zainab. It was just the weirdest thing that I had this connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And for those that follow me on social media will know who Zainab is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So we spoke to her parents, and we try to do what we could. And every time we\u2019d travel back to Lebanon, we\u2019d always take gifts for Zainab and her family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then last year, they moved into some accommodation, and it was terrible because they were alienated as they were no longer living in a refugee camp, so they no longer had the support from the other NGOs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So then when I went to Lebanon, I went to visit them and I took the team, and I was like, \u201cThis is the famous Zainab\u201d, and she\u2019s probably about five or six now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And then we were then able to move Zainab and her family to better accommodation and to help their dad start up a business or get him into employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So for me, when I took my wife out, it was an amazing experience because I said, \u201cThis is Khadijah\u2019s legacy and these are the kids.\u201d I often think how proud that she would be of what we are trying to do here in the world. I can almost hear her saying, \u201cWell done, Papa. I\u2019m so proud of you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And every time I do go to these deployments, I can hear a voice in my head telling me, and I can see her face in the face of all these other children, regardless of who they are, where they come from, whether they have a disability or they don\u2019t, or whatever religion or colour or race that they belong to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For me, children are just so innocent, and they\u2019re so vulnerable. If we don\u2019t have people like us that support them, then they are completely on their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Khadijah had me and her mum and her loving family. There are children that don\u2019t have parents, and we want to look after them kids that don\u2019t have a family like Khadijah did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Khadijah would be so proud of you, Sunny. And you are right, the bigger your business grows, the more people you can help. So it\u2019s an extraordinary and powerful mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs<\/h2>\n\n\n\nKate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
I also wanted to ask you about how you are inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I know you are mentoring a lot of people, but it comes with a contract. Can you tell us a little bit about that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunny Araf:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
So I\u2019ve recently launched the Global Entrepreneurs Fund, and it\u2019s a fund that I\u2019m funding myself, and it will invest in entrepreneurs that come from underprivileged backgrounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We launched the first project in Pakistan. I went to Pakistan recently to help with the flood victims, and we launched the first projects of the Global Entrepreneurs Fund in Pakistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What we did was we sponsored 20 guys that came from very poor families that were historically having handouts from charities, and they were relying on handouts from locals and other NGOs. We set them up with businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So they got fruit carts, and we set them up with their fruit carts, we set them up with the stock. The idea is they no longer have to rely on handouts, and they can provide for themselves and their family. And that\u2019s the way we\u2019re going to break them out of the circle of poverty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But my contract with them and others that I mentor is that we will give you the tools to become successful. We will try and teach you how to become successful, but you have to give back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our deal with you is that we will try and help you on that journey, but when you make it to that stage, when you are earning enough money where you can provide and take care of all your own needs, but also provide to others, then you have to give back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The mentoring programme that we\u2019re about to launch will be a contract in that way. People have to sign the contract that if they\u2019re going to come on to our mentoring programme, then they have to agree to give back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Inspired by this small business story?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Wherever you\u2019re listening or watching, subscribe to Sound Advice on Apple iTunes<\/a> here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We are also on Spotify<\/a> and anywhere else you get your podcasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Join our community to share your insights and stories on Twitter @SageIreland<\/a> using the hashtag #SoundAdvicePodcast, on Instagram @SageOfficial<\/a> or in the comments below!<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can check out ISA Support Services on their website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also find Sunny on Instagram<\/a> or Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n Get your free guide, business plan template and cash flow forecast template to help you manage your business and achieve your goals.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Join 1.5 million subscribers and get the best business admin strategies and tactics, as well as actionable advice to help your company thrive, in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Sunny Araf suffered the pain of losing his daughter but instead of giving up, he used his grief to build a better business and help others.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1612,"featured_media":13155,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"audio","meta":{"_sage_video":true,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[162],"tags":[130,332,153],"business_type":[5],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[232],"imagine_tag":[230],"coauthors":[479],"class_list":["post-13154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-audio","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-growth-customers","tag-grow-business","tag-sound-advice-podcast","tag-startup-stories","post_format-post-format-audio","business_type-small-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-ie","author_name":"Kate Bassett","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2023\/01\/Blog_S2_Ep1.jpg","imagine_tags":{"230":"Small business"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice Ireland","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13154","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1612"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13154"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13154\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/13155"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13154"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=13154"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=13154"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=13154"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=13154"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=13154"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=13154"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=13154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Want to know more about ISA Support Services and Sunny Araf?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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