Sabiha Ansari and American Muslim Consumer Consortium

Sabiha and her parents migrated from India to the USA when she was one year old. It was another 8 years before she could visit India again.  While she enjoyed the visit she also noticed the vast difference between these two worlds.  

Much later when she was at the right age, she was introduced to her future husband during one of these visits. You may call it an arranged marriage, but for Sabiha and her father, it was uplifting and helping a community member similar to what her parents did. 

Even though it started with helping one more fellow human being towards a better life, this marriage ended up being much more productive. 

It turns out that her husband Faisal Masood is a serial entrepreneur and one of those Muslims on “fire”. Faisal and Sabiha are the co-founders of AMCC. It is a non-profit organization to empower Muslim startups and entrepreneurs. 

I am Muslim. I am an American. I am also an Indian.

–Sabiha Ansari

Show Notes

AMCC Website
www.americanmuslimconsumer.com

Interview transcript

Maruf: Assalamuwalaikum, this is Maruf. Welcome to Muslims On Fire. Today I have a sister from U.S. She’s a community leader and she’s also one of the cofounders of AMCC American Muslim Consumer Consortium. Is this correct Sr..Sabiha?

Sabiha: Yes. It is. Assalamualaikum,Maruf.

Maruf: Waalaikumasalam. Welcome to the show.

Sabiha: Thank You.

Maruf: I’m really honored to have you here. 

Sabiha: Thank you. Thank you for having me. 

Maruf: You’re welcome. So, we’ll get to know you better. So can you tell us, what do you remember from your childhood? Like what kind of family you grew up? Where were you born? Please share with us whatever you can. 

Sabiha: Yeah, so I was actually born in India in a small village in Northeastern State of Bihar and I came to the US when I was a little over a year old. And so my first visit to India was when I was nine years old. That was 1979 and up until then I had heard from my mom that we were going to India. That’s our home country, things would be very different there and as a nine-year-old that was very abstract what she was trying to tell me. She said the houses would be different. There’d be no carpeting, the bathroom would be different.

As nine years old, I was trying to okay, whatever. I didn’t really understand until I actually landed in India and got at the airport. I remembered going out and saying oh my God, everyone actually looked like me and I was 9 years old. I didn’t see myself as too different from anyone else. So my parents had taught me the language. Our food was different. I was always told I was a Muslim first. So I had all of that but I didn’t see myself as different than any other American until I actually went there and then I realized oh, there’s a whole country of people that looked exactly like me. 

Maruf: I see. I guess the question is that you said you came to the United States when your parents were migrating US that time.

Sabiha: Yes. My father came in 1970 just after I was born and my mother and I came over, just a little less than two years later.

Maruf: Like truly understand guys. When I see you at least personal. One of the very active many people in your system, not know you but I think you know some things you have done. I know you’re like one of those community leaders to get them together toward common good. I don’t understand when you look back to your childhood. What do you remember the kind of impacted you to who you are today? What would you say that is if you look back? Is it you know, you can be quiet? It’s new to understand. But what kind of memories you will remember and you say the shape you like?

Sabiha: So I always look at that first trip to India when I was 9 years old. I wasn’t mature nine-year-old. I did go and see that there was a different world where the rest of my family came from and got away from a very small village. I had gone before my father said it was just myself. My mother and my younger brother who went and my father was going to come later and I was kind of treated as a local celebrity and people wanted to talk to me, asked me about my life in America, people wanted to practice their English with me and then I saw him from the rest of my family lived a very different lifestyle from me.

They weren’t as well. Their lifestyle was so different from what I had lived in America. So I think seeing that dichotomy at such a young age really kind of grounded me and who I was. So I had to heritage this history of all my family is back in India and that I had my life in America and there was such a vast difference between the truth. As I was growing up, I always knew that you know, that was my part of my identity. So I think that really grounded me on who I was. Also my father’s earliest memories of my father were getting up in praying fudger loudly. 

Maruf:Okay.

Sabiha: So my earliest memories I would say is when I was about four so that memory of him always praying, you know, he prayed five times a day. And so my earliest memories were of seeing him to do that. So being a Muslim was always part of my psyche from the very beginning.

Maruf: I see. So you must be really wondering, why does my father wakes up in the middle of the night, wake me up. I guess.

Sabiha: And I was the oldest child and I would get up and put on my scarf for my dupatta and I would pray with him and I remembered when he was reading very loudly and I was trying to say my lips or had to myself and I stopped praying and I got mad and I sat down and I told him that he was reading so loud. I was missing up and go. Okay, then he said that he wouldn’t do that anymore. So for me, my identity is a Muslim goes back to when my earliest childhood memories. 

Maruf: I see. I mean that’s interesting for us. Okay, so you are the elder, you know other child, I guess so, I mean when you are that’s amazing. You said you’re just copying kind of fathered. Like how was it knowing some families as we see today, you know, they make sure the kids who pray sometimes buzzing form is sometimes but you’re suggesting but when your case, what was it, like did your father ever said? Sabiha, you should pray or if you just did it on your own.

Sabiha: Yeah, so parents were always there. They you know, children see and Learn by example. So both my parents were very prompt in their prayers. So I always saw them praying. I like we had immigrated to Chicago and that had its one of the most oldest Muslim communities there. The Muslim Community Center was established in the early 70s day. They actually just celebrated the 50th anniversary in Chicago  and so I’ll shout out to them over there.

And so it was a part of me growing up the mosque there, the Sunday school, I regularly attended that and it was really a bunch of immigrants that had just come and wanted to provide some kind of community for their children. And they were very forward-looking the mosque, there was no separation between the men and women, no separate entrances men and women regularly, you know, sat together and discussions with a lot of female Teachers that were great, you know role models and.

Maruf: Awesome.

Sabiha: So that was a part of my young childhood growing up in the 70s.

Maruf: So I mean, Most of it would like from different backgrounds or from various physical. Sometimes you will have this, you know, some Mosque better run differently. This is a sad reality right. Some mosque, for example, you know go around sometimes you could be Pakistani. You could be Indian. I don’t know if it was in a similar case it was.

Sabiha: I think I would say predominantly South Asian, but there were some Arabs some American converts. So there was a mix but I would say primarily South Asian.

Maruf: Okay. I mean that’s great. What I believe is inclusive which was open. And that’s what you don’t see I guess many even these days. That’s the reality. 

Sabiha: Yeah, and I think that’s really set the standard for me. We had an amazing mosque Community. We had no excellent Sunday school. So I always hold that higher standard which, you know, throughout my lifetime. It’s been hard to find them. 

Maruf: I see. I mean the other thing I guess it’s like growing up like I understand in the beginning as a child. You don’t see different but after your visit to India and while you’re growing up, I see probably Middle School. As of today, you know this track. Look like those times. Did you see any kind of backlash or some phobia for you growing up? Can you see? Can you say anything about that or maybe there was nothing?

Sabiha: No. No. I will so, you know, yes. I came to know about my identity when I first visited India. But even before then I had to live in an area that were predominantly white and I was probably like one out of three or four South Asians in the whole school. So I might not see myself as different. I saw that others did. So there was always that aspect of I was different and I always had my mom telling me that you know, where were Muslim or where Indian first and we sere different in terms of how we lived our life.

So, you know as a young child you’re trying to take all of that in and try to figure out exactly what that means. You had your parents something at home. And then you see, your peers in school and you realize you’re not exactly like them, but you’re at the heart you’re still a kid, right? You’re not understanding all these disparities.

Maruf: I see. I mean, I thank you for sharing that. Here’s another question one of the things that’s important for our listeners as well. Like I mean growing up especially when we come from different backgrounds and especially after school like when you were growing up like let’s say about your adulthood. Like how did you kind of figure out what you really would like to pursue your life and does make sense?

Sabiha: Yeah. So, you know, I was always someone that gravitated towards the art. You know, I loved my English classes and my social studies classes. And so and that’s inside that’s something that I excelled in. So, you know, I remember a memory I’ll share here. I remember that I wanted to learn a musical instrument in the school and I remember bringing, you know, the paper to be signed by my father and he said oh, why do you want to music? He was like go and do some math problems. Okay, and I just walked away but you know, I don’t think I need to explain this, you know in South Asian Muslim culture, it’s engineering or it’s a medicine.

Maruf: Medicine, exactly.

Sabiha: So here was that I connected with. 

Maruf: Okay.

Sabiha: Yeah, so I went to, you know, get my degree in psychology. 

Maruf: Cool! That’s very interesting. Okay, so this is where you did your major degree? I guess.

Sabiha: Yes. Yes. I did what I did. I don’t my degree in Psychology. Yes. I was actually in college. I just finished my junior year and we actually went to India. So just to give you a little bit of background, you know throughout my high school year. My dad has made it very clear that he wanted me to have an arranged marriage and you know, it was his wish that I marry someone back from India .

Maruf: Okay.

Sabiha: And so he had kind of put that out there to me as a young teenager. 

Maruf: So you were ready when the time comes.

Sabiha: And I remember what he said to me. I mean, you know, I used to attend Sunday school. And then once I graduated from Sunday school, I actually went on to teach there for four years.

Maruf: Okay. 

Sabiha: And it was a bit of a drive. It was about a 45 minute drive to the masjid and on those drives, you know, I would have conversations with my father. And I remember I would say probably 14 or 15. I remember him mentioning, you know that eventually I would have to get married and if I got married to someone in India specifically from region that I came from Bihar that you know, I would have the opportunity that through me whoever got married to be and who would come to America and that would be, you know, kind of like a source for uplifting another generation of factories. So he kind of put that into my head early and I was okay with it

Maruf: That was his picture on it, I guess so, what do you think?

Sabiha: I was okay with that because I had seen my parents come to America. I saw my family back in India and I saw how my father came to America supported us and helped to support his family in India. So I had been through this. I had seen it.

Maruf: So the generation for you.

Sabiha: So This is something new to me but at the same time my father had said, you know, once I got into college that would you know, if you do have someone in mind, you happen to meet someone. You know right? Yeah, just in case. But I also knew that deep down. 

This was something that he wanted. So I think that always kind of guided me and you know throughout college and I was young you know when my father first started talking to me about that. I was in high school. And you know what I knew somewhere down the line in college, you know, whether it was during college or just after college. I was going to get married. I mean that was kind of like a given. 

Maruf: Sounds good. So you study College like psychology and why psychology? I understand. You’re very into huge humanitarian sciences. Is this why you went for psychology?

Sabiha: That was the one major that had the least amount of you know, math and science. It was very easy to choose that subject and it was the subject of human behavior.

Maruf: Exactly why we study and what we do.

Sabiha: I really related to that. I had plans to go into counseling, you know, anything that had to do with people and you know, understanding their problems and their behaviors, you know, I was really attracted to that. 

Maruf: So what happened after college together? How did you wait?

Sabiha: So I have to tell you that, you know, after my junior year, we went to India and I met some guys during that six-week period and we had one week left to come back to the US and by this time I was tired of meeting people things weren’t working out and there was one week left and I said, okay, I want to enjoy the last week. I don’t want to meet anybody and not anymore people.

And you know, sure enough that one person showed up the next morning and we had believed he had been you know, staying with some extended family members and they had already invited him for breakfast the next day and I was upset with my father. I said no more guys, and he said well just one more, you know, it was not nice. We know they’ve already said yes, and I was really upset. I did not want to meet him and I went out there. They’re kind of with an attitude. Okay, I needed to get rid of this guy.

Maruf: As soon as possible. Just tell me this is he, our brother?

Sabiha: How did you guess?

Maruf: Well, we gotta give a shout as a you should listen to this part of you were just one minute away from getting a light this right, but I guess it was a destiny.

Sabiha: Yeah, so, you know, like I said, it’s you know, if it’s meant to happen it will happen some way. I think neither one of us. Neither one of us wanted to be there we go. We were kind of of met under family pressure And by that time.

Maruf: I just want to know if I just want to wait. I just want to know this. So when you get this cat you’ve seen a lot of guys and this is the last guy. So tell me honestly what what is different about him? You still can understand.

Sabiha: So it’s funny because you know, up until then I had been meeting guys that were a little bit older. He was much younger. He actually spoke very well and made eye contact with me, which was a lot of the guys. I would not do that because it’s you know, they were either shy or Not considered good manners. 

So I had a hard time communicating with them. They wouldn’t they just wouldn’t talk. So the first one he was young. He talked directly to me and I thought to myself. Whoa, this guy is really different. And so I asked him I said, so what do you do? And he tells me that I’m in sales and I’m like, oh crap. He’s in sales. This is cool. This is part of his job. 

Maruf: He sales himself? 

Sabiha: And I looked at my dad and I kind of you know, try to give him a hand. Oh, then we should be careful and you don’t know what no one else kind of paid attention to that.

Maruf: Until that point. 

Sabiha: So yeah, and he left that day I left and you know at this point they’re you know, there was really nothing that I could say that I didn’t like about him. And then we kind of left it up to our families and so that was August 20th the 22nd his family came. He didn’t come he was not there. He was working in Delhi at the time and his family came, you know did the engagement and then in there they decided that three days later we were going to get married so they went for the next time. I actually met Festival. We were already married. There was no in-between time. So we met for 20 minutes and got married in  5 days and 5 days later, and that’s our story. 

Maruf: That’s amazing. Well, that’s the beginning of the story, isn’t it? That’s the beginning of the story of a longer one. Okay. That’s very good. You see that’s something I don’t know about replacement. Yeah. I just talked to him as well. You get to his side of the story. But okay, so you went there you got married you finish school. And so like I just would like to know how you start your career to starting different companies what happened?

Sabiha: So, you know, I ended up staying in India for a couple of more months and you know, by the time I came back. I had a year left a few months later Faisal came and I tried I almost had about half a year that I had missed so I had fallen behind. And then during that You know Faisal came he got into the master’s program and we ended up we ended up moving to Dayton, Ohio and that’s what actually I finished my degree in Psychology. I actually had my son while I was finishing up my degree and he was actually born two months premature.

So he was only two pounds when he was born at the end of my seventh month on. Alhamdulillah, you know we made it to the hospital in time and you know, Mashallah, my son was okay. He didn’t have any serious health issues stayed in the hospital for about two months. And so I kind of you know, our lives changed drastically during that time. Yeah. So my plans to get a masters was put on hold and you know, and so the focus became, you know, my son at the time. 

Maruf: I understand. There’s a mother you want to focus on that. So okay. I mean so one of the things that I guess that like you mentioned you in when you were going out with you were part of the community and one of the projects you are involved in. This is I guess I know the most about your he’s American from pursuer because working so I just. Can you tell us a little back story about how you came to be your work the founding member. Founders against right? So tell us more about this what I’m this is I would like to know more. 

Sabiha: So just a little bit of background before that sure so you know after living in Ohio for four years, my husband was I think everyone who knew him knew that he wanted to start a business, you know, that was his dream. So we move wade made the move to New Jersey at the time. This was the during the.com era.

Maruf: All right.

Sabiha: And you know, I had my son was two years old. We moved here to New Jersey. He joined his friends as a partner in their business and literally he was gone for two years and during that time I had family my younger three brother-in-law’s emigrated to the US. They were all in the IT industry. I had one brother three brother-in-law’s and then I had my mother mother-in-law visit during that time and we had just moved from Dayton, Ohio.

And a brand new house two bedrooms small town house in New Jersey. So I had just gone. Yes, and I had just moved to a new. I had a younger brother. I had all these relatives who had come and are staying with me. My husband. I didn’t see him. He’s working seven nights a week. And you know, I think the brother code was the bro code what they were was that didn’t tell your wife what’s happening in the business.

So I had no idea what he was doing over there. And I was kind of oral overwhelmed with all my responsibilities. And so that was a very challenging time for me. But What happened after? That was you know, the .com bubble burst Wall Street the market crashed and all of a sudden, you know, my husband had to go, you know looking for a job and so things from there on kind of changed. I actually, you know had another son in between I had a couple of miscarriage. So there was a lot of change happening in our lives both personally and professionally, financially lot of challenges going forward and my husband continued to Be A Serial entrepreneur. 

Maruf: I know the type, right?

Sabiha: There’s always something there, right? Weather you have a job or you don’t have a job. It’s just innate in you and I think during that time. And I learned then you know I learned. Okay. This is how an entrepreneur is and how to be kind of the second half to an entrepreneur.

Maruf: To go do anything you want. That’s a full-time, right? 

Sabiha: So and, you know it was so when we first started out, you know, one of my husband’s projects was creating a net professional net for Muslim professionals. And you know, this was a post 9/11 and we started doing networking events in the area and I got really involved. So the way for us to spend time together, you know, I had these great management skills event planning skills, and I was able to kind of merge that into the events that we were doing.

And so I started out doing professional events at the massages said local restaurants there was really a need for that. I was also a way to elevate our community kind of you know come up with this platform of really connecting all the talent in our community and to elevate our community and that’s how it started up. You know, it was called the m-link kind of like a I kind of prefer you not Muslim LinkedIn, you know, and then Facebook came along. So I don’t think I need to say anything further.

Maruf: No, that’s okay. So as to what you were doing that of your life you understood that. Your husband’s an entrepreneur. Quality can’t do anything about it. I mean it would like instead of if you get a big them join them, right? So what you do is, you know, let me do something at least so I can see him more. 

Sabiha: Yeah, actually, yes, absolutely. 

Maruf: So I mean, look, how do you go from M-link to MCC to tell me this way you do what happened in between?

Sabiha: Well, so, you know Facebook came along right and all on a sudden, you know that took over so whatever we were trying to do in, you know within the Muslim Community just kind of Old from there. And so during that time we came across a study by JWT, one of the largest marketing agencies that transports markets and they put out a study that the spending power of power of American Muslims was a hundred and seventy billion dollars. And there was no response from any Muslim organization.

So in 2009, we were able to bring bring together everyone that was interviewed for that study for our first conference that was held at Rutgers University we had about 200 attendees. And there was you know various people across different sectors that were referenced in that study. There was a Adnan Durrani who was under oath American Halal company. He had not launched Saffron Road yet. There was Emma that from Crescent foods Shahid Amanullah from Zippy Hwy had her business businessweek, editor Paul Barrett, you know Carlos Alvarado from Time Magazine. So we had, you know various people that had been rough, fenced in that study. We brought them all together to find out what about this jacket, right and we really didn’t know where that was going to. 

Maruf:Yeah.

Sabiha: So the following year in 2010, you know, we moved to the Hyatt Hotel added the entrepreneur showcase, you know, which was startups pitching their products in front of seasoned entrepreneur. And we doubled our attendance to over 400 attendees. We had our Premier sponsor who was Ogilvy & Mather worldwide. They were just launching their Ogilvy newer which was specifically going to Market to Muslim consumers.

And we you know, we doubled our attendees we are over 400 people and we had an AP reporter that was there the whole day and the article she put out on our event was covered by 350 media outlets worldwide I’m also and I firmly believe that’s when the shift happened both here in the US and globally. Because now Muslims were now seeing for the first time as a consumer group with a significant spending power and and I always like to say it started with a simple conversation.

Maruf: It’s are you looking back? You know, as you said you had no idea what’s going to happen. Right? But then you guys do this and put those people together and you always mention a couple of people and I know all of those guys like Shahid could be suffering world or other companies. Yeah, multi-million companies as of today, isn’t it?  If You looking by? 

Sabiha: Yeah, absolutely and we’ve really and, you know, it’s been ten years now and Alhamdulillah, and you know, we had been able to develop this amazing group of this amazing network of amazing individual who I really trying to do something different in their fields trying to set a higher standard for Muslims doing business and some of the names I just mentioned are really great inspirational people and who were able to bring their faith and really, you know, combined it with their business and values and they had been successful at it.

Maruf:  Yeah, absolutely. I mean you are one of those people, you know, very well versed in the end of the Muslim Community. Especially in them so much prayers Community Andy, you’ve been running in MCC. You said it last 10 years. What are the inside you have learned that you can share with us analog top, two or three, you know inside we can learn and maybe there are you know listeners who want to you know, follow that route so they can learn, how would you say?

Sabiha: So, you know, I think in the last decade we had talked about who we were Muslim consumers, you know what this market comprises of who fulfilling their needs, right? We had gone from virtually seeing no awareness to Halal being available in mainstream, you know mainstream, you know stores Across America. We had seen the fashion industry awaken to the potential of the modest factor modest fashion sector globally and we you know, we heared from Islamic finance companies that they had a growing non-muslim clientele. So thus food fashion finance, you know had been really the forefront of what’s been happening in the last 10 years. 

We’ve seen an influx of these creative entrepreneurs developing, you know, these creative products and you know Muslims have been around in the US for a long time, but we had seen really in the last 10 years was this influx right being recognized by mainstream brands having, you know Halal at the local. Operates and Walmart’s and Costco’s, right? We had only seen a lot of that in the last 10 years or you know different mainstream stores recognizing, you know modest fashion, right? 

We’ve just had Macy’s, you know, an American such a large American Retailer for the first time ever have a you know from the Verilog Verona collection fashion, but not only online but now in there physically stores. And so that’s something huge and so we had seen this emergence in the last 10 years. And so I always say that’s it. This was not something that we went out and plant, right? It wasn’t something that we said. Okay. Well, you know, we were gonna do this. That it just kind of evolved right and we’d like to think that we were part of that conversation in providing the platform and providing resources and connecting people. And wherever that could be kind of give a helping hand we had tried to do that. Alhamdulillah and you know, it took a life of its own, you know. 

Maruf: Absolutely. Yeah, I mean, this is a great. I mean as I said, like people like yourself you’re not trying every day that you are but as I said if I didn’t know MCC probably I would even need probably, you know, what a twice to buy it will be difficult to have this for us to call because you guys work behind the scenes right and you want to put entrepreneurs, you know in France of the shine. Have to necessarily you want to know what type of credit but I think this show is all about more like getting the big story is you know, what makes the success not necessarily that when you’re in a top at the topic is so.

 Sabiha: And I know that it’s you know at the 10 year mark, I know you couldn’t make it out to our event. We had a small round table of all the major folks that we had come across in our Network Amazing individuals and all different various sectors, and we wanted to bring them together to kind of set an agenda for the next 5 to 10 years. And come up with a road map, you know, we’ve talked about who we are and what we need and who’s doing what and we really want to set the agenda for a higher standard. 

We wanted to change the conversation that as Muslim entrepreneurs from what we need to offer, you know on Muslims being significant contributors to the wider economy and how we can work collectively with mainstream companies to promote an ethical market economy. And I think that’s what our next conversation needs to be. And again, I’m not going to say what that looks like, you know that’s going to come through.

Maruf: No one knows.

Sabiha: But I feel like that we need to do we need to plant that seed again. We need to start that conversation. We need to set a higher standard. We need to have Muslim entrepreneurs for social good take that higher standard take out higher stands in whatever you’re doing and we’re seeing that. I recently came across someone or she got karani from sukoon active and what she’s doing is she’s creating modest athletic wear and she is not only using sustainable materials. She’s got transparent supply chain. She’s got factories in Portugal where she is exhibiting the best standards for her employees. And so that’s taking it to the next level, right? 

Maruf: Absolutely. I mean after the show I will share with you a couple questions for you know guest ideas. So you can mention some of the names and would like to talk to them as well and you know get their stories as well because I think we need that more often and guess so.

Sabiha: Yeah sure. I mean it’s like I can do that. We have a great list of people who are doing amazing things and and you know, they need their stories to be told and so what you’re doing here with Muslims on fire I think is so needed in our community.

Maruf: Yeah, thank you very much. I think Sabiha, tell me this either any questions I should ask but I haven’t. You know  Is there any question I will ask but I have and you would like to you would like to you know, deep dive under.

Sabiha: So, you know, I think the challenges of trying to combine our deen and dunya. I think that is a challenge. But for me personally and I can only speak for myself. My faith has played. A big part of who I am and that certainly has to do with how my parents raised me. But at some point, you know, when you’re young I would say as a young teenager. I love to read, I always read and you know, so I was an Avid Reader and whatever books that I could get my hands on and my father had a lot of Islamic books around me. So every night before I went to sleep, I would always read.

So Alhamdulillah, you know, I had read up on different. Tenants of our faith, you know. The theory of our profits that all peace be upon us. So all of that is always there and I think for myself at least, you know, it’s a part of who I am. So I am a Muslim. I am an American. I also am an Indian, I am very strong cultural ties, you know in my country of my birth. So my identity is an amalgamation of all three and I think sometimes it’s hard to, you would be able to say well I’m just one thing. I don’t think there has to be an amalgamation of all three.

Maruf: Sure. Absolutely. I mean it makes sense. So I mean can you tell us and to the listeners where they can find more about MCC or anything you would like to mention what you can follow up with you if you have questions for the whole thing about your project just mention their website name. And why do you think also put on the show notes, but would you say?

Sabiha: Yeah. Sure. Our website is American Muslim consumer.com. I’m quite active on Facebook. You know anyone can connect me to be there. 

Maruf: Well, don’t look to the north.

Sabiha: You know, that’s my next. I am not linked person. But that’s next on my to-do list. I need to get active on linked in. 

Maruf: I was just taking out there because I can see everybody about that. That’s all just got.

Sabiha: So yeah, I’m not active on LinkedIn or Twitter. I kind of stay away from that and you know, I whatever someone says about social media Facebook really helped us grow our organization, so I don’t want to knock. Facebook.

Maruf: It’s true. 

Sabiha: It’s I think the network that I have today and the way that we’ve been able to grow in CC, it has so much to do with social media, specifically Facebook. So I know a lot of people are kind of knock that. I want to kind of acknowledge, you know, the benefit that we have received from that.

Maruf: Sure. Sure. Yeah, absolutely. Having said that, I really appreciate your time for sharing your story and you have shared will do something to my small guess as well. And by having said that’s why I want to thank you. I’m so grateful. Thank you very much. 

Sabiha: Thank you for having me Maruf. It was a pleasure. 

Maruf: It’s a pleasure. Assalamualaikum. 

Sabiha: Wa alaikum Assalam.