We had the good fortune of connecting with Leyla Saghir and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Leyla, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risk taking: i’m a firm believer that you have to get out of your comfort zone in order to achieve your goals. There’s a point in life where everyone feels stuck, It can be professionally, personally, in many different ways. I’d rather take a risk now instead of becoming old and asking myself later on, what if or why didn’t I? And I also believe that we need to Reinvent ourselves constantly, Evolution is the key and a big component of evolution is taking risks and taking a leap of faith.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Wow…I don’t know where to start… I came to the US as an immigrant back in the late 90’s with my family, with a lot of dreams in my mind.
No..it was not easy…had to work a lot sometimes three jobs so I was able to pay for my university….but in the process I learned so much, and became stronger and more focused on what I wanted…never looked back at the obstacles.

I studied Fashion Merchandising and Marketing, and always wanted to have my own store.

I worked in the fashion business for many years, then got married and started working in real estate with my son’s father.
My marriage unfortunately had a lot of downs, so I decided to ride bike as a way out of my situation at home.
So I became addicted to cycling…it was the only way I felt free and started to be myself again….other than living in a house where I was being emotionally abused.

In the process of cycling, God put me in front of amazing people, wonderful women who I was inspired by, also gave me the opportunity to open my own store…cycling changed my life…not only mentally, but physically, and spiritually.

The store’s name was based on Velo Route road in Europe that unifies 7 different countries, and that’s what we are all about..we want to unify people from all over the world,, with different languages, cultures, and races…to be together, I am a firm believer that together we achieve more.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Miami is a hot spot to visit!! There are so many things to do…
Beach day
Kayaking
Surfing
Partying
Eating at great restaurants like:
KOMODO
OSAKA
PM
FILLIA
HACHIDORI

MIDTOWN AND DESIGN DISTRICT IS ALSO AN AREA I WOULD RECOMMEND.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I was raised by my mom, who was mom and dad at the same time. She thought me how to be strong and resilient just like her, and always told me: Leyla if you fall 30 times you can get up again 30 times or more in order to achieve your goals and dreams, she told me: don’t be discouraged by someone else’s opinion, fight for your dreams always.
She used to tell me: Don’t settle for less, and make sure You know your worth as a woman.
She also thought me to always be truthful to myself, be honest, transparent and never look around to see what other people do or have.
She thought me that the key to become whoever I wanted was to remain humble.

And my son, who is the motor of my life and inspiration to be a better mom, a better friend, a better human.

Also, I always try to surround myself with positive people, that lift me up..the ones that try to bring me down I get rid off.

Website: Www.veloroutecycling.com

Instagram: @leyla_saghir. @veloroutecycling

Facebook: Leyla Saghir. Veloroutecycling

Image Credits
@alexanderperezbelmonte @aboss2566

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