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The Unexpected CEO: My Journey from Gas Station Cashier to Billion-Dollar CEO
Drawn from a remarkable personal journey of resilience and courage, this inspiring guide to navigating life’s challenges and emerging stronger from them offers a beacon of hope for aspiring entrepreneurs, leaders, and anyone feeling lost or overwhelmed or seeking to break through to achieve a dream.
After multiple arrests under an oppressive regime, Shirin Behzadi left behind everything she knew in Iran to build a new life. As a teenager, Behzadi fled alone to Istanbul and then to the United States, finding work at a gas station to make a living. Even then, she announced to those who would listen that she would one day run a big company and appear on business magazine covers.
Determined, Behzadi earned her bachelor’s degree, rose through the corporate ranks, raised substantial private equity funding, and grew her company to a billion dollars—all while experiencing countless setbacks, including everything from poverty to near terminal illness, which she overcame by relying on the survival skills and resilience she developed from a young age.
Behzadi shares her incredible story and all the hard-won lessons she’s learned in The Unexpected CEO, both an inspiring account of her journey and a guide filled with practical strategies to harness the opportunities nestled in some of life’s most difficult challenges. Readers will
Practical strategies and tools to turn challenges into opportunities Insights into resilience and how setbacks can catalyze growth Examples of authentic leadership that embraces empathy as a key strength Guidance on how to raise funds in private equity sector Lessons learned about to how to build a foundationally sound business and life Inspiring stories from Behzadi’s path from immigrant to billion-dollar CEO
Success isn’t merely about achievements but also how you rise after falling down. The Unexpected CEO is a powerful companion for all those seeking personal and professional growth, offering a real-life example of how resilience can lead to truly extraordinary outcomes.
After multiple arrests under an oppressive regime, Shirin Behzadi left behind everything she knew in Iran to build a new life. As a teenager, Behzadi fled alone to Istanbul and then to the United States, finding work at a gas station to make a living. Even then, she announced to those who would listen that she would one day run a big company and appear on business magazine covers.
Determined, Behzadi earned her bachelor’s degree, rose through the corporate ranks, raised substantial private equity funding, and grew her company to a billion dollars—all while experiencing countless setbacks, including everything from poverty to near terminal illness, which she overcame by relying on the survival skills and resilience she developed from a young age.
Behzadi shares her incredible story and all the hard-won lessons she’s learned in The Unexpected CEO, both an inspiring account of her journey and a guide filled with practical strategies to harness the opportunities nestled in some of life’s most difficult challenges. Readers will
Practical strategies and tools to turn challenges into opportunities Insights into resilience and how setbacks can catalyze growth Examples of authentic leadership that embraces empathy as a key strength Guidance on how to raise funds in private equity sector Lessons learned about to how to build a foundationally sound business and life Inspiring stories from Behzadi’s path from immigrant to billion-dollar CEO
Success isn’t merely about achievements but also how you rise after falling down. The Unexpected CEO is a powerful companion for all those seeking personal and professional growth, offering a real-life example of how resilience can lead to truly extraordinary outcomes.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published October 28, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 28, 2025
This memoir follows the author’s life journey from Iran to the U.S., beginning with leaving her home country due to safety concerns and adjusting to life abroad as a teenager. She shares her early working years in Los Angeles as a cashier, going to college, studying accounting, landing an internship, and steadily climbing the corporate ladder to become a CFO—eventually transitioning into entrepreneurship as a CEO. Her work ethic, intelligence, and ambition are undeniable, and those achievements are absolutely respectable.
That said, I think it’s important to add context for readers going into this book. This is not the story of a typical Iranian immigrant. It’s the story of a woman from a wealthy, educated, upper-class Iranian family who was sent abroad for a better and safer future—an opportunity that the vast majority of Iranians simply do not have access to.
While I fully acknowledge and validate the real difficulties she faced, I don’t want readers to come away assuming her experience represents the norm. She grew up in a very sheltered and privileged environment: private schools, exposure to music and acting, and most importantly, a deeply supportive father—himself a successful CEO—who encouraged and affirmed her constantly from birth. When she moved to Los Angeles, she wasn’t alone or starting from zero; she lived with her sister and had cousins nearby. That kind of built-in support system makes a significant difference.
To me, it was clear that much of her confidence, ambition, motivation, and resilience were nurtured by growing up in a stable, loving, and financially secure family. A daughter of wealth and education becoming wealthy and educated in another country is admirable—but not particularly surprising.
The book also touches on how her relentless ambition came at a cost, including serious health consequences and multiple autoimmune diseases, which adds an important layer to her story and serves as a cautionary note about success at the expense of well-being.
Overall, this is an inspiring memoir in many ways, but one that should be read with an understanding of the privilege and structural advantages that shaped her path.
Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for the advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
That said, I think it’s important to add context for readers going into this book. This is not the story of a typical Iranian immigrant. It’s the story of a woman from a wealthy, educated, upper-class Iranian family who was sent abroad for a better and safer future—an opportunity that the vast majority of Iranians simply do not have access to.
While I fully acknowledge and validate the real difficulties she faced, I don’t want readers to come away assuming her experience represents the norm. She grew up in a very sheltered and privileged environment: private schools, exposure to music and acting, and most importantly, a deeply supportive father—himself a successful CEO—who encouraged and affirmed her constantly from birth. When she moved to Los Angeles, she wasn’t alone or starting from zero; she lived with her sister and had cousins nearby. That kind of built-in support system makes a significant difference.
To me, it was clear that much of her confidence, ambition, motivation, and resilience were nurtured by growing up in a stable, loving, and financially secure family. A daughter of wealth and education becoming wealthy and educated in another country is admirable—but not particularly surprising.
The book also touches on how her relentless ambition came at a cost, including serious health consequences and multiple autoimmune diseases, which adds an important layer to her story and serves as a cautionary note about success at the expense of well-being.
Overall, this is an inspiring memoir in many ways, but one that should be read with an understanding of the privilege and structural advantages that shaped her path.
Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for the advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
September 6, 2025
Thanks to #MattHoltBooks and #Netgalley for providing me access to an early copy of The Unexpected CEO by @Shirin Behzadi for a review.
Frankly I had not heard about Shirin till this book showed up on Netgalley. But the moment I read the brief about the book and a sample of her ardous journey, I was sold and I wanted to read and review the book. I was pleased that the publisher approved my request within a day and I just rolled into the book taken in by Shirin’s lovely storytelling to eventually complete the book in probably 3 days including breaks.
The book is titled with the word CEO but the book starts with a lot of detailed backgound of her early days in Iran and how those days imprinted her with courage, resilience, problem solving and the drive to be kind. Her way with words creates the imagery in the reader’s mind of her reality of Iran from the era of the Shah to the islamic regime. The vivid details of the revolutionary guards and her arrests including her sister’s actions makes one aware of how much impact it would have had on a young girl’s mind. The tragic situation where parents have to forego being with their child and taking the drastic step of leaving her alone in another country while trying to get her to safe and secure future is heartbreaking. These episodes are needed before actually understanding how Shirin could overcome hurdles in her corporate journey and reach executive levels at a very young age and that too while being in a male dominated level.
Thereafter the book dives multithreaded into her corporate journey to becoming a CFO, and then CEO, and being successful while taking care of her children and also dealing with a severe health crisis along the way. She clearly shows how being kind and empathetic and the belief that there is always a different way to solve a problem that seems unsolvable, helped her towards this success. In the later part she highlights how she worked in building a unique franchise template in the housing industry that was unique and also provided for flexibility to keep adding brands and scale the franchise.
I think the book is a great blending of understanding personal and organizational growth and achieving success on both fronts -the trials and tribulations that come with it. I would highly recommend this to wannabe leaders and also anyone wanting to learn how one can do well by doing good…
Frankly I had not heard about Shirin till this book showed up on Netgalley. But the moment I read the brief about the book and a sample of her ardous journey, I was sold and I wanted to read and review the book. I was pleased that the publisher approved my request within a day and I just rolled into the book taken in by Shirin’s lovely storytelling to eventually complete the book in probably 3 days including breaks.
The book is titled with the word CEO but the book starts with a lot of detailed backgound of her early days in Iran and how those days imprinted her with courage, resilience, problem solving and the drive to be kind. Her way with words creates the imagery in the reader’s mind of her reality of Iran from the era of the Shah to the islamic regime. The vivid details of the revolutionary guards and her arrests including her sister’s actions makes one aware of how much impact it would have had on a young girl’s mind. The tragic situation where parents have to forego being with their child and taking the drastic step of leaving her alone in another country while trying to get her to safe and secure future is heartbreaking. These episodes are needed before actually understanding how Shirin could overcome hurdles in her corporate journey and reach executive levels at a very young age and that too while being in a male dominated level.
Thereafter the book dives multithreaded into her corporate journey to becoming a CFO, and then CEO, and being successful while taking care of her children and also dealing with a severe health crisis along the way. She clearly shows how being kind and empathetic and the belief that there is always a different way to solve a problem that seems unsolvable, helped her towards this success. In the later part she highlights how she worked in building a unique franchise template in the housing industry that was unique and also provided for flexibility to keep adding brands and scale the franchise.
I think the book is a great blending of understanding personal and organizational growth and achieving success on both fronts -the trials and tribulations that come with it. I would highly recommend this to wannabe leaders and also anyone wanting to learn how one can do well by doing good…
October 9, 2025
When I first opened The Unexpected CEO, I thought I’d be reading another standard success story, but it turned out to be much more. Shirin Behzadi takes us from her childhood in Iran, through the revolution, exile, and survival in a new country, all the way to her rise as the CEO of a billion-dollar company. It is part memoir, part leadership guide, and part testament to resilience. The book moves from deeply personal family stories to the cold realities of business, weaving them together in a way that shows how character and conviction are built over a lifetime of trials.
The writing surprised me. It isn’t polished in the glossy, distant way you sometimes see in business memoirs. It feels raw, often intimate, as if she is telling you the story over a late-night coffee after years of holding it in. Some chapters hit hard, especially when she recounts her experiences during the revolution and the losses that came with it. Others feel like a quiet conversation about values, leadership, and how to carry empathy into places where profit usually reigns supreme. I found myself moved, sometimes even shaken, by how open she was about trauma and recovery. The sections on illness and learning to walk again made me pause, close the book, and just sit with my own thoughts.
Some sections gon on longer than I expected, while others fly past events that I wanted more detail on. Life is messy, and she doesn’t try to iron out the wrinkles for the sake of a neat story. Her ideas about leadership resonated strongly with me. She refuses the cutthroat style so often celebrated in business, insisting instead that culture, trust, and compassion drive success. I believed her because she lived it, not because she wrapped it in fancy management speak. It’s rare to read a business book that makes you tear up, and yet this one managed that more than once.
I walked away feeling inspired. This is not a fairy tale of overnight success. It is a story of grit, survival, and the slow shaping of a person who carried her scars into the boardroom and refused to let them harden her heart. I would recommend The Unexpected CEO to anyone who has faced adversity, to entrepreneurs who think they have to choose between kindness and profit, and to readers who want to be reminded that success is possible without losing your humanity.
The writing surprised me. It isn’t polished in the glossy, distant way you sometimes see in business memoirs. It feels raw, often intimate, as if she is telling you the story over a late-night coffee after years of holding it in. Some chapters hit hard, especially when she recounts her experiences during the revolution and the losses that came with it. Others feel like a quiet conversation about values, leadership, and how to carry empathy into places where profit usually reigns supreme. I found myself moved, sometimes even shaken, by how open she was about trauma and recovery. The sections on illness and learning to walk again made me pause, close the book, and just sit with my own thoughts.
Some sections gon on longer than I expected, while others fly past events that I wanted more detail on. Life is messy, and she doesn’t try to iron out the wrinkles for the sake of a neat story. Her ideas about leadership resonated strongly with me. She refuses the cutthroat style so often celebrated in business, insisting instead that culture, trust, and compassion drive success. I believed her because she lived it, not because she wrapped it in fancy management speak. It’s rare to read a business book that makes you tear up, and yet this one managed that more than once.
I walked away feeling inspired. This is not a fairy tale of overnight success. It is a story of grit, survival, and the slow shaping of a person who carried her scars into the boardroom and refused to let them harden her heart. I would recommend The Unexpected CEO to anyone who has faced adversity, to entrepreneurs who think they have to choose between kindness and profit, and to readers who want to be reminded that success is possible without losing your humanity.
November 4, 2025
I had the honor of attending Shirin Behzadi’s book signing this weekend, and it was an experience I’ll never forget. The Unexpected CEO isn’t just a memoir, it’s a masterclass in resilience, reinvention, and leading with heart.
Shirin’s story, is as humbling as it is empowering. She brings raw honesty to every page, showing what it truly takes to rise through adversity while staying anchored in empathy and integrity. As someone who has had the privilege of calling Shirin both a mentor and a friend, I can say with absolute certainty that her wisdom on these pages is every bit as genuine as the woman herself.
This book is a reminder that leadership isn’t about titles, it’s about courage, compassion, and the willingness to keep going when everything around you tells you to stop. Whether you’re a CEO, an entrepreneur, or simply someone navigating change, Shirin’s journey will light a spark in you, like it had for me!
If you’re looking for a book that will move you, motivate you, and remind you that the most extraordinary success often begins in the most unexpected places, this is it! And it’s so well written, I was able to finish the entire book in 3 days! Trust me, get the book!!!
Shirin’s story, is as humbling as it is empowering. She brings raw honesty to every page, showing what it truly takes to rise through adversity while staying anchored in empathy and integrity. As someone who has had the privilege of calling Shirin both a mentor and a friend, I can say with absolute certainty that her wisdom on these pages is every bit as genuine as the woman herself.
This book is a reminder that leadership isn’t about titles, it’s about courage, compassion, and the willingness to keep going when everything around you tells you to stop. Whether you’re a CEO, an entrepreneur, or simply someone navigating change, Shirin’s journey will light a spark in you, like it had for me!
If you’re looking for a book that will move you, motivate you, and remind you that the most extraordinary success often begins in the most unexpected places, this is it! And it’s so well written, I was able to finish the entire book in 3 days! Trust me, get the book!!!
November 16, 2025
Yes of course it sounds like a story that needs to be told about struggle overcoming adversity, sheer luck, hard work etc, but I just felt it was too long, the writing style was terrible, the authors voice just wasn’t working for me, wanted to give up on it many times, but I decided to keep going in the hope it got better. Never want to hear the word franchise/franchising/franchisee ever again.
It was just too self indulgent for me and a huge lack of self awareness. Great real life story, just poor execution
It was just too self indulgent for me and a huge lack of self awareness. Great real life story, just poor execution
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2025
Shirin Behzadi delivers a powerful and inspiring memoir that traces her extraordinary rise from a gas-station cashier to the CEO of a billion-dollar company. Her story is told with honesty and emotional depth, capturing both the brutal challenges she faced and the resilience that carried her through. This book blends gripping personal history with practical leadership wisdom, making it both a compelling narrative and a valuable guide.
November 3, 2025
Currently reading The Unexpected CEO after attending the book signing. I’m deeply impressed by Shirin’s story and the way her words inspire growth and confidence. Her message offers guidance that applies to everyday life, no matter where you are in your journey.
December 17, 2025
This book was very unique. I loved hearing a little bit from the author's family in the beginning. The author has led a fascinating work and got to where she was through hardwork and heartbreak. I would have loved to get this in audio format.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews