How Tahani Aburaneh Went from Refugee to Self-Made Millionaire

The following is an excerpt from Dave Crenshaw's interview with Tahani Aburaneh from The Dave Crenshaw Success Project, a new podcast. You can subscribe to Dave's new podcast?here.?

Tahani Aburaneh 's story of success is one of astounding perseverance, consistency, and courage. Today, she's a self-made millionaire and one of Canada's leading real estate moguls. She's also extremely humble and attributes her success to her parents and upbringing in a refugee camp.

Being Grateful in a Refugee Camp

Life in a refugee camp wasn't easy. However, it taught her many lessons she utilizes to this day. "First of all, even though I was in a refugee camp, I've never felt poor or not having enough," Tahani said.

She shared a story to illustrate how her mother instilled gratitude. She would go to restaurants and gather the leftover bread they tossed.

"We would dip the bread in tea and eat it for dinner; that's how much we didn't have," Tahani explained. Yet, her mother would make it fun, turning a potentially negative memory into a thankful one by saying things like, "We're lucky we have this bread and tea," when others didn't even have that luxury.

Tahani said, "I've always felt very lucky and thanked God for it because there were others that didn't even have this much."

"Always come from a place of gratitude, and you will attract more."?- Tahani Abudereh

Today, Tahani continues to instill gratitude in her children by sharing things in their life that they're grateful for on a weekly, if not daily, basis.?

As a child in a refugee camp, Tahani's options for a future career were also extremely limited. She considered being a doctor to help those in need. Then, as she got older, she recognized her love for teaching others. "I love teaching, and I thought, you know what, I could be a teacher," Tahani said.?

Little did she know, life had some surprises headed her way, as it often does, that would change Tahani's future dramatically.

"Gratitude is an important principle of success because it's a way to have more without getting anything more."?– Dave Crenshaw?

An Arranged Marriage

"I was coming home on a normal, sunny day, and as I approached my home, I heard a party happening in the house," Tahani said," and I wondered what all the commotion was about…little did I know [it] was my wedding happening!"

While arranged marriages were normal in her culture, she was still very shocked by it. " That was the day that changed my life forever because not only have I learned at the age of 15 that I just got married, but I also learned that I have to move far away," Tahani explained.?

Tahani found transitioning from living with her parents in a refugee camp in Jordan to being a married woman in Canada difficult.?

Tahani explained," There were a lot of cultural differences. English is a new language."

Rather than giving up, she chose to focus on finishing school to ensure a successful future. She attributes her driven personality to her parents, as well. They believed that a good education was the best way to avoid poverty.

Pursuing a Higher Education

"As a little girl, and nobody taught me this, I've always thought to bake cookies or sweets and give them to my brothers to sell since girls weren't allowed to sell in Jordan," Tahani shared.?

She recognized her entrepreneurial spirit and decided to pursue a degree in business management. Amid pursuing her education, she became a mother to two children.?

Tahani said," I had my first child in January, and I still had to go to school for four more months."?

She quickly became skilled at balancing her education with being a mother and wife. "I also had a part-time job as a cashier in a store so that I could make a little bit of money and send it back home to help my mom and dad," Tahani shared.?

Her determination to succeed kept her on track with her education despite all the odds stacked against her at such a young age.

Her teachers also provided much-needed support and motivation to push through and finish her degree.?

"They would say, 'In order for you to change and make a difference in your life, you need education,'" Tahani said. They cheered her on when her parents couldn't, and she is still grateful for it today.

"We have to continuously learn because when we learn, we grow, and when we grow, we have a better life."?- Tahani Aburaneh

Even after finishing college, Tahani pursued learning in many ways. She also instilled this passion for education in her children with weekly visits to the local library.

Balancing Family Responsibilities and Her Career

After college, Tahani faced even more challenges. "When I got my diploma at that time, I couldn't really go out and work because now I'm a mother," she said. "I wanted to work, but there were fewer options for me as a woman."?

Her first job after college was with an insurance agency while balancing her responsibilities at home. During this time, she and her husband also helped move her parents and siblings to Canada.?

Tahani explained how it wasn't too difficult back then to do. "They accepted them right away because they needed labor," she said.?

An Unexpected Opportunity

Her brother's small business venture became the first step toward her introduction to real estate. Tahani encouraged him to think bigger.?

She said, "It took me visiting many banks until I finally was able to get one of the banks to say yes!"?

The loan helped them open a retail location. With her education and knowledge, she helped his shop become one of the first dollar stores in the area!

It was one of their regular customers, a well-respected broker, that led Tahani to a new opportunity.?

"He would see me interact with clients, and he would say,' Tahani, I love how you are so passionate and love your clients. You should consider real estate,'" she said.?

He became like a mentor and opened the door to her real estate career, one step at a time.

Tahani emphasized the importance of being active. "It's important for them to be doing something to reach the next step," she said, "You don't just sit and expect someone to see the greatness in you. You have to be doing something. You have to really show up and do the work."

Continual Passion for Learning

The continued theme throughout Tahani's story is being willing to learn and open to new opportunities.?

"I don't know much about real estate investing, but I'm willing to learn it all," she said.?

She now teaches people from all walks of life how to utilize the power of real estate investments to grow their income and reach their own goals.

Tahani continues her love of learning today by listening to podcasts, taking courses on LinkedIn for Learning , and watching educational videos on platforms like YouTube .

Tahani shared how she stayed motivated against so many obstacles during the interview, as well.?

She said, "You just keep on going because it's the determination that you're gonna make it happen because that's something that you want to do."

When it comes to hearing the word "no," Tahani said, "Just remember it's not personal. It's not about you. It's just not the right time."?

"Thank God I did not give up, because if I did, I don't even know where my life would be."?-Tahani Aburaneh

When you feel like giving up, remind yourself of Tahani's story and keep moving forward. Every failure means you're that much closer to success!

Action Principles?

Choose one to do this week:

1. Embrace the power of gratitude.?Despite living in a refugee camp as a child, she never felt that she went without and was thankful for every day. She never let negativity stop her from progressing toward her goals.?One action you could take:?Start a daily gratitude journal.?
2. Maintain a hunger for knowledge.?Continuous learning is the backbone of Tahani's journey. She's always looking for something new to learn!?One action you could take:?Read one new non-fiction book per month.?
3. Determination is the key to success.?Keep asking! Every one-hundred noes mean you're closer to a yes. Tahani explains her ideology and how her determination made her who she is today.?One action you could take:?Keep track of every no, and a short lesson on how you could improve for next time.
4. "Just own it." Hold yourself accountable for your actions and your life. One action you could take:?Find a mentor that will help you stay accountable to your goal.

If you're interested in learning more about Tahani, you can follow her on?LinkedIn?and Instagram: @tahaniinternational. You can also visit her website,?tahani.ca, for more information and order a copy of her bestselling book,?Real Estate Riches.