Today we’d like to introduce you to Mehdy.
Mehdy, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’m an Iranian-American, first-generation son of immigrants, and my journey has never followed a straight line. Growing up, I was fortunate to be exposed to different cultures, perspectives, and ways of thinking, which sparked a lifelong curiosity about people, places, and personal growth.
Professionally, I built a career in technology, cybersecurity, and risk management, eventually becoming an Associate Director of Risk Management. At the same time, I felt a strong pull toward creativity, storytelling, and exploration. Over the years, I founded a media production company, traveled to more than 80 countries across all seven continents, and worked as a travel writer and content creator. Those experiences led to opportunities ranging from collaborations with tourism boards and global brands to recognition as one of the Obama Administration’s Top 100 Most Influential People in Travel Media.
While travel allowed me to see the world, the deeper journey was inward. Through experiences in nature, mindfulness, sound healing, fitness, and self-reflection, I became increasingly interested in the question of what helps us grow—not just professionally, but as human beings. That exploration eventually inspired me to write Roots to Sky, a book that uses the metaphor of a tree to explore personal development, resilience, identity, connection, and purpose.
Today, I continue to balance the corporate and creative sides of my life. Whether I’m leading risk management initiatives, speaking about personal growth, traveling, or connecting with readers, my goal remains the same: to help people cultivate deeper roots, grow with intention, and create meaningful connections with themselves and others.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I wouldn’t describe it as a smooth road, and in many ways I’m grateful for that. Some of my greatest lessons came from the challenges and detours along the way.
Like many people, I’ve experienced periods of uncertainty, self-doubt, and feeling caught between different identities and expectations. As the son of immigrants, there was a strong emphasis on building a stable and successful career, which led me into the corporate world. While I found success there, I also felt a growing desire to explore my creative side through travel, storytelling, writing, and entrepreneurship. Learning how to honor both parts of myself rather than choosing one over the other was a challenge that took years to navigate.
There were also moments when plans didn’t work out the way I expected. Projects failed, opportunities disappeared, relationships ended, and there were times when I questioned whether I was moving in the right direction. Travel taught me that uncertainty is often part of growth, and that some of life’s most meaningful experiences happen when we’re willing to step into the unknown.
One of the biggest struggles was realizing that personal growth isn’t linear. We often think progress should be constant and predictable, but life moves in seasons. There are periods of expansion and periods of reflection, periods when we feel confident and periods when we feel lost. Learning to accept those cycles rather than resist them became one of the central lessons that inspired my book, Roots to Sky.
Looking back, the challenges were not obstacles to the journey—they were the journey. They helped me develop resilience, empathy, and a deeper understanding of myself and others. Many of the ideas I write and speak about today were born directly from those experiences.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My work sits at the intersection of leadership, personal growth, storytelling, and human connection. Professionally, I serve as an Associate Director of Risk Management, helping organizations navigate technology, cybersecurity, and operational risk. At the same time, I have spent years building creative ventures focused on travel, media production, writing, and wellness.
Over the course of my career, I’ve traveled to more than 80 countries across all seven continents, produced travel content around the world, worked as a writer and storyteller, and collaborated with organizations ranging from tourism boards to global brands. Those experiences have allowed me to explore not only different places, but also the universal themes that connect people across cultures.
More recently, I became the author of Roots to Sky, a personal growth book that uses the metaphor of a tree to explore resilience, identity, connection, purpose, and lifelong growth. Through speaking engagements, writing, and community conversations, I enjoy helping people reflect on their own journeys and recognize that growth is not something we achieve once—it is something we continually cultivate.
What I’m most proud of is not any single accomplishment, but the ability to build a life that integrates seemingly different worlds. I’ve learned that we don’t have to choose between being analytical and creative, ambitious and reflective, successful and authentic. Throughout my career, I’ve worked to embrace both structure and curiosity, both professional achievement and personal development.
I believe what sets me apart is my perspective. As a first-generation Iranian-American, a corporate leader, a world traveler, an entrepreneur, and now an author, I’ve had the opportunity to view growth through many different lenses. Rather than focusing solely on external success, I’m deeply interested in what helps people live meaningful, connected, and intentional lives. Whether I’m leading a team, writing a book, traveling to a new country, or having a conversation with a reader, my goal is the same: to create understanding, inspire growth, and help people feel a little more connected—to themselves, to others, and to the world around them.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
There are far too many people and places to thank individually because my journey has been shaped by communities rather than any single person.
My parents laid the foundation. As immigrants, they taught me resilience, hard work, and the courage to pursue opportunities they never had. Beyond my family, I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded by incredible friends, mentors, teammates, colleagues, and fellow travelers throughout every stage of life.
North Carolina played a significant role in shaping me. My years in high school and at Appalachian State University introduced me to lifelong friends and a deep appreciation for nature. The Appalachian Mountains became one of my earliest teachers, showing me the value of patience, perspective, and growth.
Graduate school at the University of South Carolina expanded my worldview even further. Swimming teammates, Ultimate Frisbee friends, classmates, professors, and colleagues all helped shape who I would become both professionally and personally.
Today, I continue to draw inspiration from communities wherever I go. Whether it’s friends in Jacksonville gathering at Flamingo Coffee, creative communities in Miami, readers of Roots to Sky, colleagues in the corporate world, or friends I’ve made across continents, each has contributed something meaningful to my journey.
Travel has perhaps been my greatest classroom. I’ve learned from local guides, indigenous communities, entrepreneurs, artists, monks, fellow travelers, and countless strangers whose paths crossed mine for a moment and left a lasting impact. Some of the most important lessons I’ve learned came not from a classroom or a boardroom, but from conversations shared across cultures and around the world.
And beyond the people, nature has been one of my greatest teachers. From the Appalachian Mountains to the Himalayas, from deserts to oceans and forests, I’ve been reminded again and again that growth happens in seasons, that resilience and flexibility can coexist, and that we are all connected to something larger than ourselves.
If Roots to Sky has a central message, it is that none of us grow alone. We are shaped by our families, our communities, our experiences, and the people and places that leave an imprint on our lives. I am grateful for all of them.
Pricing:
- 24.99
- 18.99
- 9.99
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mehdyghannad/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MehdyGhannad/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mehdy-ghannad-34b7a1b/
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/Roots-Sky-Cultivating-Connection-Presence/dp/1597153044/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0
