How Identity Has Influenced a Managing Partner at Cedar Crest Capital's Career

Growing up, my dad always showed me successful Lebanese people who came from countries like Lebanon and achieved so much with what they had. He used to tell me, "I've given you a better life. I've given you all the resources you've needed."

In a way, that added a lot of pressure. Some people would definitely crack under the pressure put on them by, I'd say, Lebanese parents, especially immigrant Lebanese parents. They are very tough and expect a lot. They make you want to expect a lot for yourself. So I'm greatly appreciative for that.

The Lebanese community here in the US has done very well. It almost makes it seem like you can't really fail. If you fail, you think of so many others who came before you and didn't have the same resources or fortunate ability to be, you know, first-generation American, and they still made it.

So it definitely adds a different dimension of pressure, which is great. I love it. It's critical to what's led me to found Zero Press Capital today, and I'm very appreciative of it. You always keep that mindset and actually wear a necklace to represent it: the underdog mentality.

The way I used to see the underdog mentality is, being Lebanese, you're already a minority in this country. I was the youngest individual in all my college classes, so right there I'm also a minority in that sense. You go to New York City after college, and ASU is a non-target university, so you're already an underdog in that sense in New York.

So in everything in my career, I try to keep that chip on the shoulder underdog mentality. It keeps pushing you. Now I don't consider myself an underdog, but I still like to keep that mindset that I was an underdog. Here's where I went through ASU, was an underdog. What does being an underdog mean? You're young in your career, you're an underdog. So I would say that's kinda how to wrap it all up.