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Azrah Manji-Savin

@azrahm

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⭐️Turning recipes into profitable businesses
👩🏽‍💻 Co-Founder @syzl.io
📣 Keynote speaker
🏆 @globeandmail Top 25
👇Test your food biz idea

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It took me 10 years and hundreds of events to learn this. Here’s my exact playbook step by step👇

1️⃣ Walk in like you’ve been there before.  Scan the room with confidence, and this way you’re not looking lost you’re simple observing. It feels more awkward than it looks.

2️⃣ Go straight to the bar and get in line. Use the wait to casually scope the crowd without being obvious about it. The bar line is the easiest place to start a conversation because everyone’s just standing there and you have an easy opening line to the person behind or in front of you.  
3️⃣ If it’s not busy, chat up the bartender.  Ask them how the event’s been so far or what they’ve noticed. Bartenders see everything and they’re usually happy to talk and share insights. Plus it helps to ease the nerves talking to someone in a friendly environment.

4️⃣ Now look for one of two groups:  a mid-sized circle that seems like they just met here (they’re almost always open to one more person joining) OR the person standing alone on their phone. That person isn’t busy. They’re feeling awkward and don’t know how to approach someone. Be the one who does. 
5️⃣ Find the organizer and introduce yourself.  Ask them to connect you with a few people. That’s literally their job and their entire goal is the event success and yet most people never think to do this. 
6️⃣ Put the phone away. Put the business cards away. Only take them out if someone asks or the conversation has a natural close and you want to stay in touch. Nobody wants to be pitched mid-conversation. 
7️⃣ Stay for the wave switch.  There’s a moment when the first round of people who came straight from work start leaving and a second wave rolls in. The energy in the room completely resets. Don’t leave too early and miss it. 
8️⃣ Follow up within 48 hours.  Reference something personal from the conversation, not just “great to meet you.” That’s what makes you memorable.

Networking isn’t about collecting contacts.
It’s about reading the room and being a human in it. by @azrahm

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2 months ago

Them: “Maybe I should sell my hot sauce”

Me: “you wanna?! Ok so let’s break down your market research, and how many customers already would be interested and wait have you thought about COGS? No? Ok I’ll come over on Sunday and we can make a business plan”

Them: “I mean. For fun”

Me: “Oh. Right.”🙃 by @azrahm

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3 months ago

Hi I’m @azrahm 👋 founder of Syzl

We started Syzl to make booking kitchen spaces as easy as getting a hotel.

Now we’re bringing that same energy to business planning and finances. An accessible solution that doesn’t require an analyst or an MBA to get your numbers right.

We’re looking for 10 motivated food founders and dreamers who want to break through and build with confidence.

Send DM or share with someone who could benefit by @azrahm

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3 months ago

Going from corporate to startup was a major decision

But no one ever grows when they’re comfortable by @azrahm

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3 months ago

You are what you eat

Food is beyond nutrients and macros. It’s the single point of connection embedded in our memories and culture.

Food is joy
Food is self care
Food is love by @azrahm

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3 months ago

Go. Eat the cheese. Change your life.

I was onstage at SocialWest talking to professionals about why in person networking is your Last Unfair Advantage.

It’s your reason for standing out amongst AI slop and automated “personalization” but often our biggest obstacle is just deciding to get out the door.

Go. Your future self has never said that was a bad idea. by @azrahm

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4 months ago

The same people laughing at Temu getting into food laughed at Amazon

Temu’s parent company didn’t start with fast fashion and knockoffs.

They built their foundation on food by connecting farmers directly to consumers, cutting out middlemen and making food cheaper.

Now they’re doing it in America.

U.S. inventory. Shopify integration. Ribeyes.

And we happen to be in a recession
where people aren’t loyal to platforms
they’re loyal to their budget.

This isn’t a pivot.

It’s an origin story finally playing out in a new market.

👀Are you watching this or ignoring it? by @azrahm

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5 months ago

🛑Your cold outreach is getting ignored and it’s probably not your product’s fault.
I’ve spent years as a startup founder, pitch coach, and SMB sales lead, and I keep seeing the same three mistakes over and over.

1.Making it about you. Most founders open with what they want: “I’d love to grab 10 minutes” or “I’d like to show you our product.” But the person on the other end is thinking one thing: what’s in it for me? Before you ask for anything, give them a reason to care. Frame your outreach around their problem, not your ask.

Burying the value. Whether it’s a DM, a cold email, or a call if the person can’t figure out what pain you solve within the first two sentences, they’re gone. Don’t build up to it. Don’t save it for a followup. Lead with the value immediately.

Faking personalization. “I see you’re also based in Toronto” is not personalization. It’s a Google search. Real personalization means you’ve looked at their business and can point to something specific: a challenge they’re facing, a gap in what they’re doing, a reason your product actually fits their situation. That takes five extra minutes of research and it’s the difference between a reply and the trash folder. taken in Toronto, Ontario by @azrahm

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7 months ago

Is the viral strawberry worth $15 dollars?!? ⬇️

Every food blog, magazine and newsletter in Toronto has been blasting me with ads for the Oshii berry.
So I was so disappointed when it wasn’t just mid, it was kind of bad? More like an unripe berry than a flavor forward specialty. Stick to Costco taken in Toronto, Ontario by @azrahm

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7 months ago

October round-up for the month that felt like two 🍁 by @azrahm

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a year ago

Join our Co-Founder @azrahm on the Main Stage at the @canadasbakingandsweetsshow this Saturday at the Mississauga International Center, 4:30pm

For home bakers, baking enthusiasts and those who want to get to the next level, this is for you !🍰🧁 by @azrahm

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a year ago

Had a fantastic time last week sharing stories about food, tech, food tech and the investor landscape with the Canadian Food Innovation Network taken in Toronto, Ontario by @azrahm

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a year ago