Planning and Passion: The Path of New York Entrepreneur Mehreen Zahid

BY STORY KUMMER, GRADE 10

New York businesswoman Mehreen Zahid quit a job that most would kill to have. After growing up in Pakistan and moving to the United States, Zahid started work in advertising at one of the world’s most admired companies: Apple. However, she realized her job lacked the freedom and creativity she was searching for in her career. After careful planning, she left her job at Apple and pursued her passion for art and design by opening a small business, Footnotes, where she sells self-designed greeting cards and stickers. Over the past eight years, her business has grown to include not only an online store, but also a brick and mortar shop in Brooklyn, New York. Zahid has important advice for everyone from high school girls to successful business women looking to start a company: Do not jump blind. Set yourself up, through planning and work, to be able to take the leap that entrepreneurship so often requires. 

Footnotes’ cards. Footnotes Paper

Zahid grew up in a family of entrepreneurs but was encouraged to pursue a “steady” career like engineering. Although she was always interested in art and design, she graduated college with a double major in psychology and political science and a minor in economics, subjects that she felt were more likely to result in a stable job and a secure future. It wasn’t until her journey to business school that she switched paths and attended an advertising-focused art school in San Francisco. From there she took a job at an advertising agency. Her creative hunger, however, wasn’t satisfied. Zahid continued to cultivate her love of art and design in her free time by exploring different mediums, eventually developing a passion for graphic design. 

Although Zahid’s art career began at the advertising agency, it grew when she switched her work to product launches at Apple. She started with doodles on her commute to and from the office. After uploading these drawings to Instagram and receiving interest in her work, she started creating and selling greeting cards that she designed online. This laid the groundwork for Footnotes, which later expanded to selling stickers as well. Although the company was a success, Zahid was cautious: instead of taking a complete leap of faith, she continued her job at Apple while nurturing her small business on the side. She highly recommends having a steady income before building a business – it is important to know your rent will be paid should you fail. According to Luisa Zhou, an esteemed online business mentor, the reality is that 65% of businesses never reach the ten year mark. In the end, it took seven or eight failed business attempts for Footnotes to succeed due to poor timing or slow starts. It wasn’t until she had saved about three years of rent and expenses that Zahid was ready to quit her job at Apple and devote herself to her business full-time. 

Footnotes’ new releases. Footnotes Paper

There are a number of things that made Footnotes a success. Although Zahid stresses using your head, she recognizes the necessity of following your heart. “Do what you love, and money will follow,” she preaches. Although practicality is necessary, passion is what allowed Zahid’s business to truly thrive. She further explained that people can tell if you are passionate about what you’re doing, including buyers, customers, business partners, and employees. “The only thing we can’t teach our employees is how to have passion for our company,” she explains. Zahid also believes in following your gut. She advises young entrepreneurs to follow their gut, even without solid proof.

Zahid’s experience demonstrates the necessary balance for those interested in business: follow your passion and your gut, but make informed decisions with your head.

This article was written during the GWS Summer Writing Workshop. Taught by the GWS Publication Team, the workshop hosted young journalists in grades 1 through 12, each with a passion for writing and learning. Over five weeks throughout the summer, students brainstormed, researched, outlined, drafted, revised, and ultimately produced an article about a topic related to women in business. Learn more about the workshop here.