March | Aline Zafirian
In honor of International Women’s Day,
Her vibrancy & energy are contagious and you cannot help but be drawn to her.
JETELOVE had the pleasure of meeting up with Aline for a candid conversation.
We asked Aline what inspires her on the day to day? She replied:
“Kindness mixed with hard work, people that do great things with great intentions.”
“What are you most proud of in terms of your accomplishments?”, we asked.
“ Remaining down to earth, positive, and not becoming cynical, or bitter, due to difficult challenges that I have overcome. And certainly, restarting a brand-new career in an unknown industry in my 40’s.”
JETELOVE asked: “In this primarily male dominated industry, have you faced any obstacles due to your gender?” “ Of course” she says, “Just like many industries. In a certain way, women have to work double as hard to be valued or recognized. They need to earn the respect, they need to make their place, whereas for men, it seems like it’s a given.”
“What advice do you have for women wanting to excel in their career, who are hesitant and who currently feel stuck? “You need to follow your gut”, she says. “If you feel stuck, it is because you’re listening to the outer world, follow your instinct, your intuition and your gut and you’ll be on the right path. And mostly, you must GO FOR IT!”
Your days are full, yet you seem to balance it all with a smile while making it look effortless. What’s the key to your abundance of energy and positive mindset? we asked. “ For me, the key is making sure you have enough alone time and quiet time to ensure balance. Read inspiring books, spend time with positive people, long walks with my dog Bailey. Meditation is a crucial part of my daily routine, and just a general attitude of being present. I make a conscious effort to try to not be affected by chaos in our world, I try to stay grounded and have faith that all is unfolding for my greater good”.
JETELOVE asked: “In addition to the many roles you play; entrepreneur, real estate expert, broker, business mentor. Which is your favorite role and why? “ I would say being an entrepreneur is at the source of everything. I’m resilient, creative, visionary. I have a strong sense of leadership, and I really enjoy mentoring others to rise them and guide them towards their greatness. In an ideal world, we would all collectively elevate each other. Philanthropy also takes up a huge part of my life and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Imagine if we each collectively helped one another in any way that we could, wouldn’t the world be a better place?”
“With International Women’s Day fast approaching, what are your thoughts on women in business?”. “Women are incredible, I was raised by a single mother. My mother Viviane inspires me every single day. This makes me emotional just saying it. Women juggle many roles and feel pressured to balance it all, it almost seems inhuman; mothers, caregivers, businesswomen, wives, sisters, daughters, it can be overwhelming. There’s an overflow of responsibility laid on us from a young age. In addition to all of these roles, we as women are determined to also excel in our careers and we do, this is remarkable. I am in awe of that.”
“Despite your busy schedule, you make it a point to make time for numerous philanthropic causes which are near to your heart. You have said that your mother Viviane has inspired you to follow in her footsteps, she leads by example and spends her days helping the needy and hundreds of Montreal refugees settle in when their arrive. Why is this so important to you?” we asked.
“ We are very privileged, I come from a middle-class family, we realize how fortunate we are. I keep repeating that if everyone in the world did a small part and offered help with the goal of improving the lives of others, no doubt of what a huge difference this would make. I want to elevate the world and make things better for everyone in any way that I can. This is why I make a point of donating my time and my effort to numerous foundations throughout the year. Several of them make empowering & helping women their mission, I’m very proud of that.”
JETELOVE asked : “Where should we expect to see you in the next 5 years?” Aline replies: “I have only just started to scratch the surface , I want to create an innovative real estate empire, services geared towards investors and developers and continue to contribute positively to society. I want to go beyond brokerage and offering clients turnkey solutions in real estate and on the philanthropic side create a foundation for our youth.”
Thank you Aline for your dedication, abundance of good energy and for leading the path in showing women how they can be driven, successful and inspiring all by making it look absolutely effortless!
#ONTELOVE
Aline Zafirian is an award-winning licenced Commercial and Residential Real Estate broker affiliated with Royal LePage. She offers mentorship to new and upcoming commercial brokers who are looking to elevate & accelerate their results in Commercial Real Estate. Details can be found on her website at www.alinezafirian.com
Should you wish to look into offering your help or donate to some of the charitable organizations that Aline works with, please see list below:
100+ women care Mtl https://100womenwhocaremtl.com
Auberge Transition Women’s Shelter https://
Royal Lepage Shelter Foundation www.royallepage.ca/
Moisson Montréal www.moissonmontreal.org
Batshaw Foundation www.batshawfoundation.ca