Asif Ali Gohar, Vegan Leather, and Old Friends

When he created vegan leather made from rice, there was no way for Asif Ali Gohar to know how quickly it would change his life. As the popularity grew and he developed a business that expanded quickly, there was more money coming in, more demand for his time, and less time for friends and socializing. This left people wondering if his high school friends or those that he knew at a younger age, are still reaching out and staying in contact or if they have fallen into the past.

During our conversation, he shared many stories of his closest friends about the things that they used to do. Even when he began creating rice leather, they shared an interest in his process and how he was spending his time, encouraging him to take breaks and to find alternative processes and solutions when he hit a difficult spot in the procedures.  Before that they had spent hours discussing books they read, working on homework together, and even studying for exams and assignments. These activities all brought them together and created strong friendship bonds.

After years of summers together and attending classes, they were set to be friends forever. A fast growing business can interrupt friendships like that, but it can also bring out those who were not really friends but who want to be a part of the circle of someone who is so successful. It seems that in this instance Asif Ali Gohar has not had many people from his past who were not close friends reaching out and trying to make bonds now, but his close friends have remained active in his life.

Communication has changed from seeing each other every day to interacting on social media, and meetings a few times a year to catch up and spend time together. Gatherings are centered around sharing life stories, catching up on families, and doing things that they love.

When the occasional acquaintance from school does reach out, it is easy to tell if they are looking for monetary support, to be connected to someone who is successful, or if they are simply wanting to network and expand their own business connections. Those who are reaching out for networking support are the most welcomed. Networking is beneficial for both parties and can help to find others that will help to increase connections for shipping, raw materials, end suppliers, and distributors. When building a network it is acceptable to reach out to old friends and people with shared experiences, bult it is key to be prepared to find mutually beneficial connections and conversations.

Asif Ali Gohar has a way of managing the connections and responding to those who are reaching out for whatever reason. Business connections are responded to quickly, requests to catch up are scheduled for lunches or short meet ups, while requests for supporting charity are forwarded to the proper department in the co9mpany while others are simply dismissed.