Your Pakistani heritage is an important part of your story. What role did your family and cultural background play in shaping who you became?
I would imagine my parents influenced me the way a lot of children of immigrants are influenced; hard work over everything. My parents moved to a new country, worked blue-collar jobs, started businesses, learned the language as best as they could, and created a life for us. The work and sacrifice that it took shaped my entire approach to my job and my life.
Did your heritage ever influence a career decision, the opportunities you pursued, or even your desire to represent yourself differently in an industry where you may not have seen many people who looked or sounded like you?
My first full-time employment offer after college was from a radio station in a small Iowa town. I needed the job and when the head of the station offered it to me, they asked (not demanded) if I would be willing to use a different last name when I was on-air. My father was next to me when I said I would think about it. When I hung up, I asked him what he thought. “You can do whatever you want to do but think about how it’s going to make you feel in the future and how important you feel your name is to your identity.” I called back and said I would prefer to keep my name and the station was fine with it. I’m glad he was there to guide me in that moment.