Mazen Albatarseh
Tacala
Irvine, CA USA
"Life isn’t intended to be miserable—life is intended to be fun. So discover what makes life fun and go after that. If you enjoy what you do, you’ll accomplish a lot more."
Career Roadmap
Mazen's work combines: Food, Numbers, and Working with Others
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Certification
Physical Therapy/Therapist
University of Medical Careers
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Chief Executives:
Bachelor's Degree: Business/Commerce, General
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
I moved to the United States from Jordan with $96 and the intention of starting my adult life.
2.
I didn’t speak any English, but luckily, a friend found me a graveyard shift at a gas station.
3.
While working there, I taught myself English by watching “Tom and Jerry” and reading "USA Today."
4.
I also played music on the side to help supplement my income—I still play the keyboard and drums.
5.
I moved to Portland and bought a gas station with my brother, but we struggled.
6.
A friend was working at Taco Bell, and he invited me to come work with him.
7.
I’ve since held 16 positions within the company—I guess once I ate those tacos, I never went back!
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Parents:
You need to go into a medical field.
How I responded:
In Jordan, it’s not what you want to do; it’s what your parents want you to do. My father wanted me to go into a medical field, so even though I loved music, I studied physical therapy. It wasn’t my passion, but I didn’t quit; I just moved to the U.S. to change my situation. In any bad situation, if you make a list of the things you like and dislike, you’ll see that the list of your interests is so much longer—you can’t let a few negatives get so big that they block out the things you love.