I had the pleasure of interviewing Arman Noor, Esq. Arman is a branding and social media attorney based out of Los Angeles, California. He’s worked with multiple high profile clients and has won awards for his work as an artist. He’s also worked on the hit MTV show Ridiculousness.
Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for my father. Without a doubt. To this day I still consult him for advice and wisdom. All throughout my childhood I remember him sharing simple, but profound life lessons like “think big, it doesn’t cost anything.”
I remember hearing those words as teenager. Sitting at the dinner table with a pile of rejection letters from Universities. Not one of them said yes. I was devastated. To be fair, I didn’t have good grades, and I just couldn’t seem to focus in class. It bored me to death. Nonetheless, I was still crushed. Both my mom and dad went to UC Santa Barbara (UCSB), and deep down I felt like it was my responsibility to continue that tradition.
My dad told me I needed to think big. He shared how he felt when he graduated UCSB with a PhD in electrical engineering and couldn’t get a job. He too had a pile of rejection letters. His friends all got jobs at big companies like HP and IBM. My dad could have let that discourage him, but instead he decided to think bigger. He used that negative energy as a catalyst to think bigger. He decided to become a doctor. He ended up doing research for Stanford University as an engineer, which eventually led to him being accepted as a medical student. Now my dad owns one of the largest and most successful medical imaging centers in Ventura County. All from thinking big.
I could have let all the college rejection letters discourage me, but instead I decided to think big too. While I was at community college, I started a small website that ended up generating $50k a year. Not exactly a fortune, but it was a lot for a 19-year-old kid. I remember staying up late studying for finals while simultaneously checking my website stats. Constantly refreshing my browser to see how many people were coming in. After a couple years I was able to by my first car, a Lexus IS300, and more importantly I had a mailbox full of acceptance letters. I ended up getting accepted to every University of California school. Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD, UCSB, they all accepted me. I was floored. I felt like I was on top of the world. I got accepted to all my dream schools and I was making money in my sleep with a website. This was the beginning of my journey as an entrepreneur.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
You have to manage your stress. Sounds obvious, but it’s so easy to get caught up and keep grinding when you know you shouldn’t. There’s always another deadline to meet or goal to accomplish. Even if you love what you do, it’s important to take some time to recharge. It may feel like you’re being less productive, but the opposite is true. You can accomplish a lot more, in less time, when you manage your stress. I personally find that scheduling short breaks throughout the day is extremely effective. I set an alarm to remind myself to take a short 5 or 10-minute break. Go outside, get some fresh air and let your mind take a breather. Works wonders.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story of how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Success occurs at the intersection of different disciplines.” I remember hearing this quote as a kid, I’m not sure who said it first, but I took it to heart. Something magical happens when you take two seemingly unrelated things and join them together. Steve Jobs was able to do it with the mobile phone and personal computing.
That’s what I hope to accomplish with social media and law. Old institutions like the law aren’t fast to adapt. Part of what I’m doing is accelerating that process. Bringing law to our social media consumed world, and more importantly, bringing it to social media influencers.
Too many people on social media have no idea the legal risks they’re taking, or their rights. My job is to help them navigate the uncharted waters.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
Instagram: @armanesq
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!