Expat Interview Series | Ep. 008 | Meraj Yahya Qurieshi, Founder of 365 Adventures
Channel: The Expat Bros
Date: 2024-02-29

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// EPISODE 008 - Interview with Meraj Yahya Qurieshi // https://www.instagram.com/365adventures.global/

Here is what we cover in this episode:

1:11 | Introduction of our special guest - Founder of 365 Adventures, Meraj Yahya Qurieshi 
2:43 | Meraj speaks
5:40 | Meraj growing up in a very religious household and his rebellious state early on
6:24 | Growing up in a Pashtun family in Qatar and not telling his friends that he was getting married 🤷🏻
8:57 | How does marriage and the uncertainty of entrepreneurship impact one another? How do you balance both demands?
11:26 | Meraj - “You just have to make peace with the hard times. This is the journey I have chosen.”
13:30 | His family moved to Qatar in 1950 after the Indo-Pakistani War
14:18 | Can you delve deeper into your experience in Poland and share how this event became a catalyst for forging your own route?
19:48 | Meraj - “No one wanted to talk to me on the way to the airport”
21:59 | Meraj - “I was banned from the Qatar national team, so I started looking for alternative routes”
23:36 | Meraj’s family encouraged him to pursue his interests back in 2011
24:21 | How did religion/faith help shape where you are right now?
26:32 | Meraj - “Before my entrepreneurship journey, I worked at …”
27:26 | Meraj - “Where has the religion gone? It’s not going away; it’s where you are”
28:53 | Meraj - “Entrepreneurship does take you away from religion in the beginning”
29:52 | Meraj - “CO(VID) is really a turning point in my life”
31:28 | What are the benefits of being a late-bloomer in life?”
33:13 | Can you elaborate on the leadership qualities revealed in you due to the departure of your business partner? How did this experience shape your approach to business and personal growth?
36:12 | The symbolism of his guitar as it relates to culture, religion and business
38:10 | 2009 was a mini epiphany; 2014 was a major epiphany (where Meraj started understanding how to run a business)
42:18 | The story of Messi, the passing of Maradona and how someone must fill the leadership vacuum
44:45 | When you stepped into a leadership role, what was your vision or plan for success?
45:50 | Meraj - “Tawakkul” is the secret to success
47:30 | Meraj - “I really hate being the center of attention as an introvert” and his crazy expedition in Saudi Arabia
49:34 | AB’s comparison with empowering student independence to Meraj motivating his employees to take action 
51:45 | How do you maintain your family, professional relationships, friendship circles and social connections?
57:20 | Meraj - “I realized that I am not a very ‘announcing’ leader and I initially doubted my impact to lead”
57:54 | Meraj - “The 2022 World Cup was one of the biggest turning points in the Arab World”
59:24 | Meraj - “I’m always a very honest person except when it comes to wife. Then, I become a diplomat” 😀
1:00:42 | Meraj - “This is going to be a very controversial answer” 😲
1:07:46 | How do you balance the demands of work and life as a husband and father?
1:11:22 | Meraj - “One habit that helped me was reading Quran at night”
1:14:49 | AB - “You should have tawakkul in Allah the same way the bird goes out into the world to find food and comes back to feed its babies”
1:16:30 | Meraj - “When you were speaking, I swear I was getting goosebumps”
1:17:32 | 5 Random Questions 
1:18:31 | What is the most important part of your morning routine?
1:19:47 | What is your favorite place to travel and why?
1:23:58 | If you were not an entrepreneur, what would you do?
1:24:59 | What three things mean “success” for you?
1:26:47 | If you could eat dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be?
1:27:03 | Meraj - “Man, give me $500,000!” 🤣
1:36:45 | Where can we find 365 Adventures? 📍🏕️ 

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