Exploring Life’s Uncertainties And Overcoming Adversities Through Faith With Md Faiz Yusuf
How do you feel at peace with yourself even when life feels like a complete mess? During this pandemic, many of us have experienced anxiety, loneliness and other uncomfortable emotions because we need to brave the unknown. Join Chad Burmeister as he talks with Md Faiz Yusuf about exploring life’s uncertainties and learning from mistakes. Md Faiz Yusuf shares personal experiences that shaped him to be the person he is now. He highlights how his passion for writing, reading, and music have become avenues to channel his emotions during difficult times. They also discuss the role of AI in our everyday lives and how it makes huge impacts to our society. Are you in an extremely low moment in your life? Tune in and get the encouragement you need to keep going.
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Exploring Life’s Uncertainties And Overcoming Adversities Through Faith With Md Faiz Yusuf
I've got a cool guest with me. He's from the other side of planet Earth. Denver, Colorado is where I am and Faiz Yusuf is from India. I believe it’s close to Kolkata, where I once visited several years ago. Welcome to the show.
Thank you so much, Chad, for having me.
I'm excited. When I did some research on our conversation, it looks like you did a talk at the World Economic Summit.
It's a surprise how it came about. World Economic Summit has been something that I always looked up to in YouTube videos. You got all of these big speakers from different fields of economics and world leaders coming over there. It happened that I was able to apply for being one of the students’ speakers. You have to put it in your name if you want to be one of the student speakers. Apparently, they like the work I had done with Dr. Raghuram Rajan. He was the former Chief Economist Officer of IMF. He's been like an RBI Governor and he's in Chicago.
In 2019, I had this wonderful summer to intern for HarperCollins. I didn't know then that it was the same time Dr. Rajan was releasing his book, Third Pillar. My manager was sweet and kind enough to change my life and ask me, “Come on this book tour with me. Let's just try and get the media set up arranged, all the event management, marketing, publicity and press relations.”
I got to do it with Dr. Raghuram Rajan. His book went on to become the number one bestseller on Amazon for quite a few weeks. We were happy for that. Fast forward to this now. They liked the work. They asked, “Do you want to speak about your experience as a marketing person and a person who's already done economics honor at Ashoka University?” I also got to talk about some of my own writings and how I was able to write, publish and market my latest book, Midnight Sun. I cannot be more grateful for this opportunity.
It was quite funny, to be honest. I signed up for this program or session with Dr. Muhammad Yunus. He's a Nobel laureate in Economics. He had this training session and people were supposed to go to Bangladesh and learn about S&G, Grameen Bank and everything. I wasn't able to because of the Coronavirus. Life comes full circle. At the start of 2021, I speak alongside with him, which is crazy. It was surreal in every sense.
I like to go back. A lot of things in our life when we're younger is when we are most passionate about the world because we haven't been impacted yet by teachers, friends or whatever. I'd love to have you share when you were a child growing up in India. What were you passionate about? Some of your first memories, what can you think about?
It’s in contrast to what I am now. I love speaking. I'm an outspoken person and I like socializing. I was a complete introvert person who was sweet and obedient to his parents. My parents missed that version of me now. The version that I've always loved the most in my world who happens to be the inspiration of my writing of my first poem was my grandmother. I remember looking at her birthday and I wrote this poem, which was clichély tiled in my heart from the start at the age of twelve. She liked it.
Everybody keeps talking about that, “You have this one gift where you realize and then you've got to monetize on your work because that's what going to define you.” I was never able to find it because I always have my hands full on different things. I love music, movies, a lot of different things, to be honest. People appreciated that, “Your writing was good for a twelve-year-old.” I was like, “I might as well keep writing,” because it was a very good way to channel my emotions. The thing about adolescence is that you don't know where you're going when you're thirteen years old. Everything that's been taught to you scrapes away.
You're left with all of your own experiences and mistakes to make and learn from them. There's a lot of ambiguity and complexity in everything that you go through. The writing was a tool that kept me going and driving into that tunnel where I felt like I didn't know where I was going. It was that light. It helped me channel my emotions and put them into words better. I read it later and realize, “This is what I was feeling.” Emotions can be very deceptive.
It’s interesting because I look at myself as an introvert when I was younger as well. Nowadays, nobody would ever think or know that. I even wrote poems. One of the poems was very fluid. My grandmother also inspired me. I remember it was published in a book and it was simple. It said, “The challenge of life you thought you'd won but without love, life's just begun.”
Overcoming Adversities: The good aspects of AI are never to be doubted because AI is being used everywhere, even in farming.
They were powerful words. At what age did you write that?
I was very young, under ten, probably 8 or 9. I made one for my grandfather at his funeral, August 6, 2005. That one was fun. I dusted it off to put it on a different blog and website. I'll have to share that with you afterwards. Think about the music and the poetry that was inspired by your grandmother and now you're doing economics. I wonder, what's the commonality? How did you go from there to what you're doing now?
That's a question that everybody asks me, to be honest. I have never been able to explain what I feel other than saying that you can have two interests at once and two passions at once in life. You don't have to have the button goal. For example, writing was never a career for me, even though I got the greatest opportunity to get my books published. First of all, it was never meant to be a book. The story of how my first book came about is quite long but I'll just sum it up by saying that it was unintentional. I got an opportunity because some guys saw it and they publish it.
My thirteen years old version saying, “Sure thing.” What harm can it do? The harm being that I’m ashamed to read my first book because that’s very childish. The commonality. As I was growing up, I always hear, “If you make something work, you did not enjoy it.” I always wanted to keep having writing as my baby, something that nobody knows about. It's like my midnight secrets, the door's closed and curtains are out there. I'm sitting alone at the dark, taking out a treasure box and I'm striving.
It wasn't much later when some of my friends, I started showing my poems. They started telling me that, “You write good poems. You have something else.” My friends are supportive of that. The whole writing thing happened. With economics, I was in eleventh grade and I had the best economics teacher. One of the coolest one is I can live in a world where I love the value of emotions and feelings and how powerful that can be but also wanting to hold onto the fact that there are facts and Science. I’m not saying that feelings are not Science. That's another debate that I wouldn't be getting. I wanted numbers, contributing, be productive and not just being out there but creating cultural relevance. For example, the things that people said that, “If you're a corporate guy, you are not going to create change. You're a part of the system.” I differ on that.
For example, the storyline writer of Friends, the TV show that you all heard of. I'm sure he must have been like this corporate guy who does content writing and scriptwriting. Fast forward to now, he has saved millions of lives. He's a cultural phenomenon in popular culture and in the rooms where people are feeling lonely and they want to feel attached to someone. That's the thing. You can make money and still have a purpose in life. I got to enjoy the best of them during my stay at HarperCollins, which is a publishing house but I was also a marketing intern. They are combining this literature, publishing house, and the economics of doing data analytics, marketing and being out there.
I can never be grateful enough for what HarperCollins did for me. Later, I go for Penguin Random House, which is always a treat for me. I worked at UN for some time then I attend LSE for the summer semester. These experiences taught me. Since writing had a big part to play in all of these works that I did, it only complimented. It was never something that was separate or existed in isolation. I'd never intended to it, but it has complemented my career up until now. It's good to say in an interview that I'm an author or something.
Let me ask you a tangential question there because I've been around artificial intelligence for salespeople for the last several years. I'm seeing that AI will have a bigger impact on the world than the internet did because the internet is the transport layer to get things out. AI, intelligence sitting on top, could have a bigger impact. In your studies in economics and with the work at the UN and all these different places, what are your thoughts on AI? Could it get to a point where it could help us feed the hungry? There are many big problems that need to be solved, curing cancer, much less the COVID situation. Will that that changed the world and when?
I was watching The Social Dilemma on Netflix. You have an idea of where I'm going. For the first part of your question, “Do you think through AI you are going to be able to feed the poor?” Yes, because AI is everywhere. Your iPhone, that’s as AI that it gets. Siri recognizes my voice. It's like a cat or a dog who would at first not recognize me, but then the more I spoke, the more they got my accent, they can understand clearly what I say and that's just AI.
The good aspects of AI are never to be doubted. It's something that's always been brought out. Some of it has been likely brought out because AI does the wonders and has been doing wonders and keep doing wonders. However, we should not forget that everything comes with the other side of the coin. For example, in marketing and social media, there are a lot of ethical questions that come in. If I'm handling Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, I am making people spend more time on the screens than they should.
It's going to be like, “You're speaking to yourself. Are you lying about what your products are?” For example, the targeted marketing, personalizing that I'm going to know which company you work for or which university do you go to. If you live in UK, you might be able to attend this conference in London and you're working for a good company. There are even more chances. I'm going to push my agenda on you. That's a loss of privacy. I’m not making any big statements about the big techs or anything. It's just that things have need to be regulated.
In the meantime, what we can do as individuals is obviously to create pressure on it but also make sure that we're creating money through marketing, sales and using AI to a very large extent. For example, if you Google something with the exact same keywords, they're going to give different results. The reason being they know about what I like and what you like. This is also a little bit creating a lot of information bubbles. These information bubbles, you’re like, “What is wrong with these information bubbles?” It leads to segregation and you’re thinking that you only do it right.
Overcoming Adversities: The thing about adolescence and growing up is you don't know where you're going. Sometimes it would seem like everything that's been taught to you scrapes away.
I'm thinking I'm only right. This creates a huge difference of opinion. That's something that you need to read hard copy magazines because people do not know that you're going to read it. That's why they've made it particularly for you. Everybody else is going to read it. That forms a commonality. If we want to live in peace where the world is getting divided each day, AI should be able to at least not worsen it, which it has been.
I talked to a managing director from a company who is building a news app. Imagine if around CNN, Fox or BBC, if you had the ability to crowdsource fact-checkers that could say, “This one has 98 thumbs up and 2 thumbs down,” and they're all legitimized fact-checkers, that'd be a pretty cool thing while I'm watching a newscast speaking about a certain topic. I love your idea about buying physical magazines. For time purposes, I want to make sure we get to the big question and that is, we all experienced something that's a challenge in life. It might feel like a gut punch or a slap to the face sometimes. Is there one you're comfortable sharing where you said, “This sucked at the time but now looking back, it was something that needed to happen and I'm better for it?” What's that for you?
I skip that part every night, to be honest. A little context, I did a lot of extracurricular and academic work in 11th and 12th grade. You might think that how can a high school get too much into stuff but it does. You have a lot of social life. You don't know how the world's going like trauma in high school. I dropped out. I remember I was not able to give my exam because my hands were shaking. I stayed for a year, tried to get myself back and figure things out.
You have all of these notions like, “Are things forever? What are people? How do you define friends? Are best friends supposed to be forever?” It’s all a question. If you ask me, it still remains a question mark but I've accepted the fact that I will never have the answers to these but rather have to experience these. That's the wisdom that over the years, I've been able to get. I was diagnosed with clinical depression and anxiety. That caused a lot of troubles during my college life. I loved my college. It was my dream university, my undergrad, Ashoka University. However, in the second semester, I needed to drop out to concentrate on myself. I was at an extremely all-time low.
I didn't know that if I wanted to go back to my university or get up from bed. Fun fact, full circle to this interview, I mailed HarperCollins. They said that they were looking for an intern and that changed my life. If that version of me sees this version of me saying that, “I'm happy, I went through that.” I'm sure that version of me would build a time machine and kill this because it was so much pain.
I'm still happy that fact when I say there's so much pain, the pros were so big that that pain feels worth it. I'm very grateful for all the pain, enthusiasm, late nights, sad cries, breakouts, shouting, screaming, and all the happy moments and confusing moments where you don't know where you're heading. You have to be grateful for every moment in your life if you are happy with what you are. I'm proud to say that I am. If one thing changes, it's a butterfly effect. You would have not been where you are now.
What helped me the last several years is that I've got a mom and a dad. They love me. We went to church when we were a kid and my grandparents went to church when they were kids. It was always brought up, read the Bible to realize that my creator made me for a purpose. All the painful stuff that you go through, every single thing that happens in your life, all that leads me to where I am now. Now you're in the moment. If you didn't know pain, then you can't know joy. You have to go with it, smile and go, “This day sucks but at least I'm alive. I can drive my car and play iTunes on my earpiece. That's a profound share. Congratulations for making it through that. The last question is, what role does faith play in your journey?
Faith has played a lot of roles in that as a Muslim who's living in India. First of all, none of my friends are Muslims. That's the best kind of environment that I have been. Growing up, I was able to experience a lot of cultures because in India, let alone the Muslim religion, even if you go from one stage to the another, you're literally like changing countries. Getting back to faith. If you see me now, I do not read Quran every day but there isn't any night where I do not sleep reading a few Duas and Surahs if you say they’re small excerpts from the Quran. I'm thanking God for everything he has done for me because not a lot of people didn't say that they are happy during a pandemic.
Their immediate family is safe. When I was born, I had eyes and my legs are intact. Even when there were moments where I could have died, God gave me the strength or allowed me to survive and be where I am right now. That's the basic. He gave me so much more. I think of it as my privilege. If you are privileged, you have to make sure you stand responsible for it and you try to make the best out of it. If you're not, then you're ignorant.
Everything that I do makes me believe. I am a scientific person who's communicating or speaking in strict sentences. Everything has to be a premise, inclusion and problem solution. A business school student. I still say to people, “Whatever happens, happens for the best. Every bad thing leads to something that is even better. You don't know that it's bad but two years from now, you're going to be on the same fold with me. You're going to be telling me that, ‘You’re right. I'm happy for you right now.’”
They’re like, “In that moment, how do you know that everything's going to be fine?” I’m like, “It doesn't happen to me repeatedly. I cannot choose not to believe it.” That's what spirituality and religion have done for me. It has made me feel peace within myself that if I have a problem, if there's a cloudburst, I’m like, “That's sad.” I've got to do all my own best efforts to make sure that I try to avoid any of these tragedies or realities. God has always chosen the best for me. I'm pretty sure he is still choosing the best from me.
Thank you for coming on the show. It's been a pleasure. I always like to talk to someone on the other side of planet Earth every once in a while.
Overcoming Adversities: Writing helps channel our emotions because when we put our thoughts into writing and read it, we gain realizations about life and make our feelings make sense.
Thank you so much for having me here.
It's fabulous talking with you. Thanks for being on the show.
Thank you so much for having me here and to the noble cause that you are doing. Please know how inspiring it is to read your blog and the faith that you have in people. It's endearing.
I appreciate that. I see so much of me in other people that I talk with. It might be only 1/100 but there are similarities. It's almost like we're all one person and it's pretty amazing when you look at the world in that lens. I appreciate you coming on the show. If people want to get ahold of you, what would be the best way to reach you?
Instagram, my handle is @Faiz.Yusuf. You could do the Google search, LinkedIn or whatever you want.
Everybody, thanks for joining the show. We'll catch you on the next one.
Important Links:
@Faiz.Yusuf – Instagram
LinkedIn – Faiz Yusuf
About Md Faiz Yusuf
In addition to being an Author Academy Award-nominee and author of four books, I am a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, being awarded the title, ‘F.R.A.S.’ for my contribution to Asian literature. I have had the chance to work at a range of leading organizations, including the publishing giants, HarperCollins Publishers and Penguin Random House, Times of India, the Silicon-Valley startup, Milkie Way, the United Nations Global Compact, and corporate titan Mukund Rajan’s ESG Fund in their respective marketing and public relations departments. Additionally, being a part of the former International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Chief Economist, Dr. Raghuram Rajan’s marketing campaign of his latest publication, I accompanied him over three cities for the promotional book tour.
As a recent Economics graduate from the leading Indian liberal arts and sciences institution, Ashoka University, I was felicitated for my creative accomplishments at the Annual Merit Awards and Dean’s List for excellent academic performance. I also had the opportunity to attend a semester abroad at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Furthermore, I hold a Letter of Appreciation from the Education Minister of India and have written for various news enterprises, including LiveWire and The Pioneer, besides volunteering for the Harvard Business Review and UNESCO. I have had the chance to appear on numerous TV, Radio and other media platforms such as Google Cameos, All India Radio, Ted Circles, YourQuote and DD National.
Currently working for the award-winning Columbia Business School Professor, Dr. Hitendra Wadhwa, for the corporate training firm, Mentora Institute, as a Marketing Associate, I have had the opportunity to strategize and perform end-to-end execution of social media marketing, database management, paid ad campaigns and public relations. During my tenure, I have also delved into client development and content creation to enhance the organization’s brand awareness.
Recently invited as a Speaker at Warwick Economics Summit '21, I had the chance to discuss my professional experiences and learnings alongside world leaders, including Deputy Director-General of World Health Organization (WHO), Nobel Prize Winner Muhammad Yunus and Queen Rania of Jordan. Additionally, having scored the ninety-ninth percentile in the international standardized test, TOEFL, I look forward to joining the grande école, ESSEC Business School, later this year for the triple-crown accredited program, Master in Marketing Management at the Asia-Pacific campus.
