if I’m not mistaken correct me if I’m
wrong ten years old well two years
eleven you came to us so 10 years old I
escaped Iran
six weeks after how many died June 3rd
Khomeini dies I lived in Iran for ten
years six weeks later we escaped we go
to Germany at a refugee camp and in
November 28 1990 we came to the States
okay now when you say is it what does it
look like what does that mean well I’m
10 years old at the time and any boy in
Iran that turns 10 years old you cannot
leave because you have to serve the
military there so my family had to
escape in a way that yes we’re coming
back but we never came back this is why
I haven’t been to Iran since then and
although I’m thinking about visiting
that later on this year if I do there’s
a possibility of them keeping me because
I didn’t fulfill my obligation of
serving and their military and I served
in the enemy’s military which is America
Wow okay so you’re going to be back I’m
not going to go back with my kids and my
wife I’m going to take some of our
camera guys so if we get arrested we’re
all getting arrested here for making a
nice video what do you think Jessica
we’re gonna get arrested on that she
crossed her arms saying shoot we’re not
getting arrested
Wow so that’s what we’re very brave okay
so do you remember that time Molly you
were young and you saying escape so how
did that flimsy like okay it’s 12:00
midnight we have we have we have on our
back and we’re going to get on the truck
when what what was that night laughs
yeah let me tell you I mean I clearly
remember when we were we left everything
behind my mother owned a renault which
they call renault in america but a
renault a my dad had a G on my your
father stayed behind to try to sell
everything we snuck into the airport and
we were going through the entire gate
they were checking everything out with
us and we’re just I am just scared
because nothing is legit until you cross
the border and they let you drink
alcohol
the most beautiful lines were when they
said we have crossed the borders youth
we are now serving alcohol would anybody
like to drink oh come on that was the
magical line when you know you were free
so it was a I remember that last
conversation with my dad when we were
exchanging and giving giving jewelry
back the less jewelry you’ll have the
more they’ll let you go through because
they’re going to ask you why are you
taking all this it’s just a smaller the
things that doesn’t have a lot of
meaning but I remember those things
vividly when you came from America and
because I know before you came here he
said in one of your videos that you were
watching rocking you’re watching
American movie you were getting at mine
said what did she think at a place when
you arrived I was looking for Scarface
man I was looking for Sylvester Stallone
I was looking forward to gremlins I was
looking for the ghostbusters you know
because I landed in New York I was
looking for you know what’s-his-name
Godfather what was his name in the movie
with Cory oniy right I was looking for
all these guys because these are the
movies we watched and I didn’t see any
one of them you know I didn’t see any
one of them no I just kind of went to
the airport and I’m thinking everyone’s
a celebrity literally my initial
reaction was I thought every American
was a celebrity to me how crazy is that
I got every American was a celebrity we
landed in LA at that time in Glendale
they called us of folks or fobs which is
fresh off the boat you know so okay I
had I didn’t speak English very well so
certain words that a hard time with like
at that time to show that everybody
watch was Gilligan’s Island I don’t know
if you member yelling inside it I used
to call it Gilligan’s Island you know
because the S is you know silent and I
don’t know the difference
I didn’t say Wednesday I said weapons
day you know there were certain you know
government I would say government you
know I so I was entertainment for a lot
of the white kids men who were looking
at me saying who is this guy who doesn’t
know how to speak English so uh that
that’s that’s how the whole thing got
started you know when you recover this
is a kid will you pick the one where you
with language hard for you I mean let me
listen I’m I don’t want to sound like a
victim because
I’m not a fan of victims I don’t want to
feel like you know I was for me I was
the luckiest man alive because I can eat
banana and in Iran if you had one banana
every five years you were rich so you’re
trying to tell me everyday I can eat
banana that’s crazy I mean you’re out of
your mind I’m eating on us on Anastas
pineapple that’s a rich man’s fruit you
know you’re trying to tell me I can eat
a Kiwi a month no man I mean this is
this is heaven for me and I’m living in
California where the greatest sports
team in the history of mankind Los
Angeles Lakers you know and I’m able to
live in a city like that
no I I was I was in heaven for me it was
it was great because listen even the
worst day in America was still better
than the best day in Iran being bombed
on so it didn’t matter what was taking
place man I was just a happy kid Wow
okay so you’re learning the language
you’re doing the school year you’re kind
of you know thrown into this American
culture kind of school for you huh what
is that like I was a distracted kid the
only class I paid attention to was a
math I like math a lot I had a 1.8 GPA
and then I paid attention to my history
class in ceramics class because the
girls were drop-dead gorgeous and those
two classes and then outside of that I
did very little attention I had a
teacher named mr. Woods who really liked
me and I had a teacher named Miss
Sinclair who eventually was a major in
the army she was the one that encouraged
me to join the army
she was very good to me so you know I
wasn’t I wasn’t a kid in high school
that bad oh I’ve never played organized
sports in my entire life I’m six five to
forty if you see me I’m 6 5 to 40 I’ve
never played organized sports at 13 14
years old I lied on a job application
because my family needed money so I said
I’m 16 years old and they hired man
haagen-dazs and I started getting paid
out haagen-dazs I was you know making
what he called a banana splits and I’m
some ridiculous banana splits for people
at the mall my glendol yes you came and
had my banana split you’d remember til
today
it’s how good that banana split was well
we had a good time
so military we did before you what did
the gauge and discipline what was it
experience so I mean listen I graduate
high school I’m going to Glendale
Community College one night I run out of
money I asked my sister to let me live
with her so one night we this was in
Encino California Burbank Boulevard and
Havenhurst I’m in her apartment she has
a studio it’s not even a one-bedroom I’m
sleeping on the floor the jacuzzi
downstairs I had like eight friends
downstairs at the jacuzzi and we were
drinking a little bit we were
contributing to the stock of vodka
around the world that night and next
thing you know it’s three o’clock four
o’clock five o’clock this bad situation
and the management comes wants to Vic my
sister and you know I go to sleep I
don’t make it to my job in the morning
so I get fired by Burger King which out
of all the jobs in the world if you’re
going to get fired from one of them
Burger King’s not a bad one to get fired
from so I get fired and then that
morning when I go downstairs to go to my
car so I can make you to work in go to
school they stole my car the 1983 Toyota
Corolla that’s six months later we found
it in Tijuana when I got a police report
that the car in that I mean Tijuana so
that day I call my dad at 10 o’clock in
the morning when I woke up and the car
wasn’t there
I said hey Dad I need you to take me to
the recruiting station because I’m
joining the army
I didn’t call a friend I didn’t call my
girlfriends and I called anybody I just
said in and and my dad hung up came
picked me up he said that’s exactly what
you need to go I went to the recruiting
station I said if you can get me a job
that I leave tomorrow I’ll join today
but I need to wait three to six months
I’m not joining the army they give me a
Hummer mechanic position four weeks
later I was in the army Wow yep how do
you see on two and a half years they had
a delayed Entry Program at the time that
was two and a half year program I think
I got $25,000 of GI bill that they were
given at the time
but yeah I went to the army two and a
half years just the one of the best
decisions I ever made in my life is
joining the army why is it you have to
do laundry on your own
you had to fold your clothes you have to
clean the expectation was higher you had
to wake up early you worked 100 hours a
week I’m in an environment that people
are from Mississippi Alabama North
Dakota South Dakota they’ve never met an
Iranian before so taught me to learn
culture I learned about other cities
other states I learned how to handle
people that had a lack of education
about Iran and stereotypes and I had to
learn how to overcome that and
communicate that with them just a lot of
good good skills a lot of good things
that military offered lots of them what
we didn’t like the day you get out of
the military well let me tell you man it
was we I know the feeling and I only did
two and a half years when I ETS and I
got out it was June of 99 I got up
because I was also becoming a senior at
beaker becoming a citizen because at the
time I joined not being a citizen of us
I just had a green card so I want to
became a citizen and for the first month
I had no clue what I was going to be
doing like literally I had no clue what
was going to happen I don’t have a
steady job I want to become a hummer
mechanic for a Hummer dealership in
Camarillo they were going to pay me 1350
an hour but only needed one Hummer
mechanic and they already had a guy so
outside of that skill said I know how to
shoot a rifle it’s not like I’m going to
go around being a hit man you know
they’re just I look too much like a hit
man so that would be a bad job for me to
do so I went in I was a bodybuilder at
the time I said I’m gonna work at a gym
so I want to work that Bally Total
Fitness and got into sales got in this
you know so now you’re like what is it
like physical trainers my brother is
filling I never sell personal track sold
memberships is what I did I sold
memberships for you to become a member
of Bally’s yeah Tolu stated nine months
nine months until I met a girl from a
real beautiful african-american girl
named Jean Pierre we started dating and
she was an advisor at
Morgan Stanley Dean Witter we met at
Venice Beach she approached me we
started talking and we’d go out all the
time had a wonderful time with the
school and she says what are you doing
with your career I said I’m gonna be a
you know top gym membership salesman in
America she’s like what the hell is
disgusting I said I’m good at selling
these memberships I’m telling you she
said no you’re not going to be doing
that she says you need to figure out a
different products to sell so she
encouraged me to go into the financial
industry I applied I got a you know few
offers from Morgan Stanley Dean Witter
and that’s how I got started financial
industry baby for nine eleven so what
gave you the confidence to start PHP on
your own it isn’t
I believe that capitalism works
I believe capitalism is a mathematical
formula and the reason why I believe
capitalism works is because if you
figure out a way to treat people better
or do something better and then
differentiate yourself in an area or two
or and then you have a market and I knew
that’s exactly what was going to happen
I’m a firm believer that if you don’t
take care of your people somebody else
will I am a very firm believer of that
marriage works that way if you take care
of your girl you take care of your
husband what are you worried about him
leaving you her leaving if she does it’s
her fault it’s your it’s her loss it’s
his loss it’s not your loss I don’t
control if you want to do something
foolish I’m comfortable with the way I
treated you I don’t mind if I lose a
salesperson or an agent or an employee
because I’m going to do my part to make
sure this thing is going to be a great
opportunity okay so you wrote a family
we have PHP going on with a little bit
is it hard for you waking up in a day in
your stress like oh my god to have all
this or you might wake it up happy like
I’m fulfilling my dream what was yeah I
mean listen a big part of a lot of
responsibilities trying to calm yourself
down to not really overwhelm yourself
with all the responsibilities you have
because if you do that man you can have
a panic attack every day and that
happened to me back in 2012 when I was
like how am I gonna handle this I’m
gonna handle this for some I had kids
I’m like oh my gosh kids cost family
white business you know this is just too
much but you know it’s it’s a I believe
in a higher power
and when you believe in a higher power I
understand I’m not trying to be God some
people have a god syndrome they want to
be God I have zero desire to be God I
just want to make sure I got the highest
power around me protecting me and being
with me in spirit and my family and I’m
gonna do my part so because I have that
level of trust in it my confidence is at
the highest level because I know a very
very big calling is there and a big
responsibility is there and I want to
deliver simple as that [Music]
wrong ten years old well two years
eleven you came to us so 10 years old I
escaped Iran
six weeks after how many died June 3rd
Khomeini dies I lived in Iran for ten
years six weeks later we escaped we go
to Germany at a refugee camp and in
November 28 1990 we came to the States
okay now when you say is it what does it
look like what does that mean well I’m
10 years old at the time and any boy in
Iran that turns 10 years old you cannot
leave because you have to serve the
military there so my family had to
escape in a way that yes we’re coming
back but we never came back this is why
I haven’t been to Iran since then and
although I’m thinking about visiting
that later on this year if I do there’s
a possibility of them keeping me because
I didn’t fulfill my obligation of
serving and their military and I served
in the enemy’s military which is America
Wow okay so you’re going to be back I’m
not going to go back with my kids and my
wife I’m going to take some of our
camera guys so if we get arrested we’re
all getting arrested here for making a
nice video what do you think Jessica
we’re gonna get arrested on that she
crossed her arms saying shoot we’re not
getting arrested
Wow so that’s what we’re very brave okay
so do you remember that time Molly you
were young and you saying escape so how
did that flimsy like okay it’s 12:00
midnight we have we have we have on our
back and we’re going to get on the truck
when what what was that night laughs
yeah let me tell you I mean I clearly
remember when we were we left everything
behind my mother owned a renault which
they call renault in america but a
renault a my dad had a G on my your
father stayed behind to try to sell
everything we snuck into the airport and
we were going through the entire gate
they were checking everything out with
us and we’re just I am just scared
because nothing is legit until you cross
the border and they let you drink
alcohol
the most beautiful lines were when they
said we have crossed the borders youth
we are now serving alcohol would anybody
like to drink oh come on that was the
magical line when you know you were free
so it was a I remember that last
conversation with my dad when we were
exchanging and giving giving jewelry
back the less jewelry you’ll have the
more they’ll let you go through because
they’re going to ask you why are you
taking all this it’s just a smaller the
things that doesn’t have a lot of
meaning but I remember those things
vividly when you came from America and
because I know before you came here he
said in one of your videos that you were
watching rocking you’re watching
American movie you were getting at mine
said what did she think at a place when
you arrived I was looking for Scarface
man I was looking for Sylvester Stallone
I was looking forward to gremlins I was
looking for the ghostbusters you know
because I landed in New York I was
looking for you know what’s-his-name
Godfather what was his name in the movie
with Cory oniy right I was looking for
all these guys because these are the
movies we watched and I didn’t see any
one of them you know I didn’t see any
one of them no I just kind of went to
the airport and I’m thinking everyone’s
a celebrity literally my initial
reaction was I thought every American
was a celebrity to me how crazy is that
I got every American was a celebrity we
landed in LA at that time in Glendale
they called us of folks or fobs which is
fresh off the boat you know so okay I
had I didn’t speak English very well so
certain words that a hard time with like
at that time to show that everybody
watch was Gilligan’s Island I don’t know
if you member yelling inside it I used
to call it Gilligan’s Island you know
because the S is you know silent and I
don’t know the difference
I didn’t say Wednesday I said weapons
day you know there were certain you know
government I would say government you
know I so I was entertainment for a lot
of the white kids men who were looking
at me saying who is this guy who doesn’t
know how to speak English so uh that
that’s that’s how the whole thing got
started you know when you recover this
is a kid will you pick the one where you
with language hard for you I mean let me
listen I’m I don’t want to sound like a
victim because
I’m not a fan of victims I don’t want to
feel like you know I was for me I was
the luckiest man alive because I can eat
banana and in Iran if you had one banana
every five years you were rich so you’re
trying to tell me everyday I can eat
banana that’s crazy I mean you’re out of
your mind I’m eating on us on Anastas
pineapple that’s a rich man’s fruit you
know you’re trying to tell me I can eat
a Kiwi a month no man I mean this is
this is heaven for me and I’m living in
California where the greatest sports
team in the history of mankind Los
Angeles Lakers you know and I’m able to
live in a city like that
no I I was I was in heaven for me it was
it was great because listen even the
worst day in America was still better
than the best day in Iran being bombed
on so it didn’t matter what was taking
place man I was just a happy kid Wow
okay so you’re learning the language
you’re doing the school year you’re kind
of you know thrown into this American
culture kind of school for you huh what
is that like I was a distracted kid the
only class I paid attention to was a
math I like math a lot I had a 1.8 GPA
and then I paid attention to my history
class in ceramics class because the
girls were drop-dead gorgeous and those
two classes and then outside of that I
did very little attention I had a
teacher named mr. Woods who really liked
me and I had a teacher named Miss
Sinclair who eventually was a major in
the army she was the one that encouraged
me to join the army
she was very good to me so you know I
wasn’t I wasn’t a kid in high school
that bad oh I’ve never played organized
sports in my entire life I’m six five to
forty if you see me I’m 6 5 to 40 I’ve
never played organized sports at 13 14
years old I lied on a job application
because my family needed money so I said
I’m 16 years old and they hired man
haagen-dazs and I started getting paid
out haagen-dazs I was you know making
what he called a banana splits and I’m
some ridiculous banana splits for people
at the mall my glendol yes you came and
had my banana split you’d remember til
today
it’s how good that banana split was well
we had a good time
so military we did before you what did
the gauge and discipline what was it
experience so I mean listen I graduate
high school I’m going to Glendale
Community College one night I run out of
money I asked my sister to let me live
with her so one night we this was in
Encino California Burbank Boulevard and
Havenhurst I’m in her apartment she has
a studio it’s not even a one-bedroom I’m
sleeping on the floor the jacuzzi
downstairs I had like eight friends
downstairs at the jacuzzi and we were
drinking a little bit we were
contributing to the stock of vodka
around the world that night and next
thing you know it’s three o’clock four
o’clock five o’clock this bad situation
and the management comes wants to Vic my
sister and you know I go to sleep I
don’t make it to my job in the morning
so I get fired by Burger King which out
of all the jobs in the world if you’re
going to get fired from one of them
Burger King’s not a bad one to get fired
from so I get fired and then that
morning when I go downstairs to go to my
car so I can make you to work in go to
school they stole my car the 1983 Toyota
Corolla that’s six months later we found
it in Tijuana when I got a police report
that the car in that I mean Tijuana so
that day I call my dad at 10 o’clock in
the morning when I woke up and the car
wasn’t there
I said hey Dad I need you to take me to
the recruiting station because I’m
joining the army
I didn’t call a friend I didn’t call my
girlfriends and I called anybody I just
said in and and my dad hung up came
picked me up he said that’s exactly what
you need to go I went to the recruiting
station I said if you can get me a job
that I leave tomorrow I’ll join today
but I need to wait three to six months
I’m not joining the army they give me a
Hummer mechanic position four weeks
later I was in the army Wow yep how do
you see on two and a half years they had
a delayed Entry Program at the time that
was two and a half year program I think
I got $25,000 of GI bill that they were
given at the time
but yeah I went to the army two and a
half years just the one of the best
decisions I ever made in my life is
joining the army why is it you have to
do laundry on your own
you had to fold your clothes you have to
clean the expectation was higher you had
to wake up early you worked 100 hours a
week I’m in an environment that people
are from Mississippi Alabama North
Dakota South Dakota they’ve never met an
Iranian before so taught me to learn
culture I learned about other cities
other states I learned how to handle
people that had a lack of education
about Iran and stereotypes and I had to
learn how to overcome that and
communicate that with them just a lot of
good good skills a lot of good things
that military offered lots of them what
we didn’t like the day you get out of
the military well let me tell you man it
was we I know the feeling and I only did
two and a half years when I ETS and I
got out it was June of 99 I got up
because I was also becoming a senior at
beaker becoming a citizen because at the
time I joined not being a citizen of us
I just had a green card so I want to
became a citizen and for the first month
I had no clue what I was going to be
doing like literally I had no clue what
was going to happen I don’t have a
steady job I want to become a hummer
mechanic for a Hummer dealership in
Camarillo they were going to pay me 1350
an hour but only needed one Hummer
mechanic and they already had a guy so
outside of that skill said I know how to
shoot a rifle it’s not like I’m going to
go around being a hit man you know
they’re just I look too much like a hit
man so that would be a bad job for me to
do so I went in I was a bodybuilder at
the time I said I’m gonna work at a gym
so I want to work that Bally Total
Fitness and got into sales got in this
you know so now you’re like what is it
like physical trainers my brother is
filling I never sell personal track sold
memberships is what I did I sold
memberships for you to become a member
of Bally’s yeah Tolu stated nine months
nine months until I met a girl from a
real beautiful african-american girl
named Jean Pierre we started dating and
she was an advisor at
Morgan Stanley Dean Witter we met at
Venice Beach she approached me we
started talking and we’d go out all the
time had a wonderful time with the
school and she says what are you doing
with your career I said I’m gonna be a
you know top gym membership salesman in
America she’s like what the hell is
disgusting I said I’m good at selling
these memberships I’m telling you she
said no you’re not going to be doing
that she says you need to figure out a
different products to sell so she
encouraged me to go into the financial
industry I applied I got a you know few
offers from Morgan Stanley Dean Witter
and that’s how I got started financial
industry baby for nine eleven so what
gave you the confidence to start PHP on
your own it isn’t
I believe that capitalism works
I believe capitalism is a mathematical
formula and the reason why I believe
capitalism works is because if you
figure out a way to treat people better
or do something better and then
differentiate yourself in an area or two
or and then you have a market and I knew
that’s exactly what was going to happen
I’m a firm believer that if you don’t
take care of your people somebody else
will I am a very firm believer of that
marriage works that way if you take care
of your girl you take care of your
husband what are you worried about him
leaving you her leaving if she does it’s
her fault it’s your it’s her loss it’s
his loss it’s not your loss I don’t
control if you want to do something
foolish I’m comfortable with the way I
treated you I don’t mind if I lose a
salesperson or an agent or an employee
because I’m going to do my part to make
sure this thing is going to be a great
opportunity okay so you wrote a family
we have PHP going on with a little bit
is it hard for you waking up in a day in
your stress like oh my god to have all
this or you might wake it up happy like
I’m fulfilling my dream what was yeah I
mean listen a big part of a lot of
responsibilities trying to calm yourself
down to not really overwhelm yourself
with all the responsibilities you have
because if you do that man you can have
a panic attack every day and that
happened to me back in 2012 when I was
like how am I gonna handle this I’m
gonna handle this for some I had kids
I’m like oh my gosh kids cost family
white business you know this is just too
much but you know it’s it’s a I believe
in a higher power
and when you believe in a higher power I
understand I’m not trying to be God some
people have a god syndrome they want to
be God I have zero desire to be God I
just want to make sure I got the highest
power around me protecting me and being
with me in spirit and my family and I’m
gonna do my part so because I have that
level of trust in it my confidence is at
the highest level because I know a very
very big calling is there and a big
responsibility is there and I want to
deliver simple as that [Music]
Please follow and like us: