A real estate professional, entrepreneur, and author—Farrah Ali is an overall success story. But her journey to success has been anything but smooth. From a difficult divorce to being a single, working mother, she’s overcome several challenges to get to where she is today, making her success that much sweeter.
For Ali, the early 2000s were a time when she faced some of her toughest challenges. After a difficult divorce, she was left with debt and two young children and had to find a way to move forward, care for her children, and get over the divorce itself, all with her head held high.
How did she do it? She focused first on three tenants, which were, at times, all she had to fall back on—passion, perseverance, and professionalism. With these in her pocket, she started on her journey to redefining her life’s vision and to becoming the success she is today.
Taking the First Steps
While Ali found a way to throw herself into her career, she says it felt like something that was easier said than done. It was a challenge, but she had the tools she needed to rise above what she saw as a “temporary hardship.” “I tried to keep that as my focus,” she said.
Working in underwriting in insurance and continuing to raise her children posed enough of a challenge, but that’s not all Ali dedicated her energy to during those difficult times. She also gave herself another challenge—to get her undergraduate degree.
It was challenging to do this at night after a long day juggling work and children. Still, she had the most critical tools in her belt; a dedication to self-improvement and a drive to succeed. And, after successfully completing her MBA at Northern Illinois University in 2013, she set out to achieve more than even she had initially set out to do.
Finding Her Groove
Ali was no stranger to the corporate world. She’d already climbed the corporate ladder once, so the most natural step for her would have been to go ahead and do it again. But she wanted to do more, not just for herself but for the sake of her children. “I knew there was more to making money and building that financial security than just working a day job and bringing home a paycheck,” she said.
She did build this financial security, and how! Starting small in 2015 by investing in real estate, it was initially to ensure that there would be no unpleasant financial surprises for her family. It’s become so much more as she expanded her portfolio, eventually holding investments in over 35 properties across Chicago.
Because of what she went through, it seems only natural that Ali decided to use her experience and expand her reach for the sake of others. With the organization she co-founded in 2019, called WE WIN LLC, she set her sights on helping other women who may find themselves in similar positions.
With her real estate knowledge and investment acumen in hand, she set things in motion. It was all based on a simple principle—no woman should ever feel like they’re alone when they’re trying to get a foothold in entrepreneurship or investment.
She took this one step further recently with the launch of her new book, Diaries of a Female Real Estate Investor. In it, she once again imparts her pearls of wisdom to those who want the same sort of financial security and independence she’s managed to gain over the years.
Building Bridges Together
Ali has achieved financial security and gets the luxury of time with her family as she does it. Still, she’s also managed to gain one more important thing. One of the most crucial aspects of any entrepreneurial journey is looking beyond resources, career, and finances and finding the people who will support you on your trip to the top.
Whether this is mentors, mentees, or a combination of both, it’s a valuable thing to have on your side. Ali used her experience of going through an entire education, career, and relationship by herself to help ensure other female entrepreneurs have a different, easier experience.
She does this by building long-lasting partnerships, valuable additions to her social and career circle. For Ali, partnerships are the cornerstone of success, and she’s found so much more support through networks of like-minded women.
“I want to keep building resources and assets for women to take control of their futures and financial freedom,” she said.
Recognizing how important it is to have this, she believes that partnering with as many women as possible is the best way forward for her and the women she forms partnerships with. With her bestselling book and work with WE WIN, she’s already come so far. However, this is still just the beginning of what promises to be a long and fruitful journey forward for Ali.
About Farrah Ali
Farrah Ali is an author, real estate professional and entrepreneur with more than 18 years of professional experience. She has been featured in Business Insider, Yahoo News and on the Let’s Talk Real Estate Investing podcast. To get a copy of her book and access to her free masterclass to learn how to start investing in real estate, click here farrahali.org/
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