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Can Spiritual Capitalism Really Transform the Way We Do Business?
Discover the incredible true story of Payam Zamani in this review of Crossing the Desert. Follow his journey from escaping religious persecution in Iran to founding One Planet Group, and learn how his philosophy of “spiritual capitalism” balances billion-dollar ambition with ethical integrity.
Inspired to align your career with your deepest values? Read the full summary below to see how perseverance and faith can turn your biggest obstacles into your greatest triumphs.
Genres
Motivation, Inspiration, Mindfulness, Happiness, Personal Development
Introduction: A lesson in transforming adversity into triumph.
Crossing the Desert (2024) traces an extraordinary journey from religious persecution to entrepreneurial triumph. This gripping narrative follows a young refugee’s perilous escape through the desert, his subsequent rise in Silicon Valley, and his ultimate quest to redefine capitalism with a conscience. It offers a poignant reflection on the intersection of faith, business ethics, and personal transformation in the modern world.
From harrowing desert escapes to billion-dollar Wall Street victories, the life story of entrepreneur Payam Zamani offers more than just a gripping tale of perseverance. This summary will not only introduce you to the riveting details of his journey, but provide a blueprint for how optimism and faith can drive success and fulfillment.
You’ll gain insights on overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles, redefining capitalism with a conscience, and aligning your professional life with your deepest values. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, business leader, or someone seeking personal growth, this narrative offers practical wisdom for navigating life’s challenges and creating positive change.
Let’s get into it.
1979
In the 1970s, in the face of religious persecution, Payam Zamani’s family had to flee their home country of Iran. As members of the Baha’i Faith, a humanist religion developed in the 19th century, they faced hardship and discrimination in a predominantly Muslim Iran.
Payam’s parents, driven by their faith, had chosen to live in hostile areas in Iran to spread their religion’s message of peace and unity. In the town of Hashtgerd, where Payam grew up, they faced constant threats, violence, and discrimination. Windows were shattered by rocks, the family was denied basic services, and neighbors threatened mob attacks. Despite these challenges, Payam’s parents remained committed to their beliefs and mission.
Rather than preaching, Payam’s parents aimed to change hearts and minds through their actions and way of life. Despite hostility, Payam’s mother worked to establish a free clinic for women and the Zamani home became a gathering place for other Baha’is and open-minded individuals, a pocket of positivity in a challenging environment.
After the tumultuous period following the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, the family’s struggles mounted. As the new regime cracked down on religious minorities, the Zamanis faced increasing persecution and danger. At just 11 years old, Payam was forced to leave his parents and move to Tehran after a mob of schoolchildren violently attacked him for his faith. His family adapted by starting an underground business manufacturing cleaning pads, showing remarkable entrepreneurial spirit in the face of adversity.
But the situation for Baha’is in Iran continued to deteriorate, with many being arrested and executed. Payam’s brother eventually fled the country, followed soon after by his sister and her family. For a while, Payam was left to rely on his own ingenuity, starting side businesses selling bootleg music tapes and computer software.
At the age of 16, he made the difficult decision to follow his family and flee his home country. His escape was harrowing. First, Payam had to trek for five days to the Emptiness Desert, one of the hottest and most inhospitable regions on Earth. After crossing into Pakistan, Payam spent nearly a year in Lahore, joining his family as a refugee and waiting for their paperwork to be processed. During this time, he couldn’t work or attend school, existing in a state of limbo.
Finally, in 1988, at the age of 17, Payam received news that he had been granted asylum in the United States. With the support of Catholic Charities, which funded his flight, Payam made the long journey to America. He arrived in San Francisco with just one small suitcase and a bag from the International Organization for Migration, marking him as a refugee. This is how his new life in America would begin.
America 101
Payam’s journey of assimilation into American life is marked by both challenges and triumphs. Upon arriving in Modesto, California, Payam quickly embraced the opportunities before him, enrolling in Modesto Junior College and joining the International Club. His entrepreneurial spirit shined as he transformed the club’s finances through innovative fundraising efforts, allowing members to enjoy experiences like trips to Disneyland.
Despite working multiple jobs and carrying a heavy course load, Payam immersed himself in American culture. He bought and sold used cars, learned to navigate dating, and even ran for student body president. Though he narrowly lost, he gained confidence in the process. His experiences working at Pizza Palace and RadioShack provided him with lessons in American business practices and customer service. Payam embraced a strong work ethic and a commitment to his Baha’i faith, which helped him resist peer pressure and stay focused on his goals.
A pivotal moment came in his karate class, when he succeeded in overcoming his fear and breaking a thick wooden board. Breaking the board became a metaphor for breaking through his mental barriers, leading him to fully embrace the American idea that believing in oneself is the first step to achieving one’s goals. Payam also learned to balance his Iranian heritage with his new American identity, keeping his name but embracing many aspects of American life. Through optimism and determination, even challenges like language barriers and cultural misunderstandings became manageable.
His stellar performance at Modesto Junior College eventually earned Payam an automatic acceptance into the University of California system. He chose UC Davis, where he initially pursued a degree in chemistry with aspirations of becoming a doctor. But as his entrepreneurial spirit grew, he shifted his focus to environmental toxicology, believing it might lead to business opportunities in environmental cleanups.
But despite his academic achievements, Payam’s real education lay in the practical experiences he gained in business and entrepreneurship. The knowledge and skills he gained from working in sales and management alongside his studies would prove much more valuable for his future endeavors. By the time he graduated in 1994, his focus had shifted away from his degree field.
Instead, Payam found the internet. After his brother introduced him to the brand new technology, Payam combined his entrepreneurial spirit, sales experience and interest in cars into his first great venture: AutoWeb.
AutoWeb
Payam founded AutoWeb with his brother in late 1994, just as the internet was taking off. The pair realized that most major car companies didn’t have websites, and spotted a unique opportunity in the emerging digital landscape. So AutoWeb became one of the first online platforms connecting car buyers with dealerships.
Initially, the brothers struggled to gain traction, facing numerous rejections from dealerships unfamiliar with the internet. But Payam’s persistence paid off when they secured their first major client, leading to rapid growth.
By the time AutoWeb went public in 1999, investors were chomping at the bit. The company’s valuation skyrocketed to $1.2 billion, making the brothers instant millionaires, at least on paper.
But the rush Payam felt from his first big business success was short-lived. The venture capitalists who’d invested in AutoWeb brought in new management, pushing Payam out of day-to-day operations. The dot-com bubble burst soon after, causing AutoWeb’s value to plummet. Eventually, the company was forced to merge with its competitor, Autobytel.
Despite its tumultuous end, AutoWeb represents a pivotal chapter in Payam’s entrepreneurial journey. It taught him valuable lessons about the tech industry, the challenges of rapid growth, and the potential pitfalls of venture capitalist involvement. He also learned how drastically life can shift in a short period of time — from refugee to millionaire to failure — and the importance of maintaining optimism and adaptability at any stage of life. These experiences would significantly shape his future business endeavors as well as his approach to ethical entrepreneurship.
Success and failure
At the turn of the millennium, Payam hits rock bottom. AutoWeb and his subsequent venture, PurpleTie, failed when the dot-com bubble burst. He lost most of his wealth and went through a tough divorce. And yet, true to his resilient nature, he started again, buying assets from failed dot-coms and building Reply.com, a performance-based marketing company.
The company grew successfully, but Payam briefly stepped away from leadership in 2014. At the time, he was grappling with the ethical implications of the venture capital world and seeking to align his business practices with his Baha’i faith. When he returned to the company after his hiatus, he bought out investors, renamed the company Buyerlink, and implanted a new business model based on ethical and spiritual principles.
In 2015, Payam founded One Planet Group as a parent company for his various business interests. One Planet Group operates on a model of “spiritual capitalism” emphasizing service, diversity, and social responsibility alongside profitability.
One Planet Group’s approach has proven successful, with Buyerlink growing sevenfold since Payam’s buyback. The company has expanded into media production, real estate, and other sectors, all while maintaining its commitment to ethical business practices.
In a full-circle moment, Payam more recently repurchased AutoWeb, bringing it under the One Planet Group umbrella. Today, Payam continues to lead One Planet Group, advocating for a reimagined form of capitalism that balances profit with purpose. His life experience has led him to develop his unique ideas around business philosophy, which he hopes to share with other business leaders during his yearly One Planet Summit.
Leading with faith and heart
Payam’s experiences from refugee to entrepreneur underscore the challenges of aligning business practices with personal values. He learned the hard way that the venture capital system often prioritizes short-term gains over long-term company health. Yet his Bahai religion, his community and his resilience allowed him to rise to the challenges he faced in his early ventures. It also inspired him to seek purpose in the business world beyond financial success.
Through his trials and triumphs, Payam learned to balance his ambition with his values, striving to create businesses that not only succeeded financially but also contributed positively to society. His vision for ethical, spiritual leadership and making a social impact through business was fully realized in his company One Planet Group, which operates on principles of love, honesty, unity, and service to humanity.
The key to Payam’s approach is integrating the spiritual principles of his Bahai faith into everyday business operations. This includes fostering a culture of absolute honesty, even when it might be costly in the short term. Payam believes that truthfulness is the foundation of all virtues and that maintaining integrity will ultimately lead to greater success and fulfillment.
One Planet Group also prioritizes diversity and inclusion, with half of its employees being women and with a commitment to investing in companies led by women and people of color. The company also practices “sacrificial giving”, donating about 20% of profits to nonprofit causes — an amount significant enough to impact business decisions.
Payam also instituted “Days of Service” where employees engage in community service on Baha’i holy days and “Holidays with Purpose” that combine celebration with charitable activities. These initiatives aim to integrate service and spirituality into the work environment.
The success of One Planet Group demonstrates the viability of a more ethical, spiritually-guided form of capitalism. Businesses can be both profitable and socially impactful when guided by spiritual principles and a commitment to service. In fact, aligning business with higher values may lead to greater success and fulfillment for all stakeholders.
Ultimately, Payam’s journey is an incredible testament to resilience and a powerful inspiration for a reimagining of capitalism — one that measures success not just in financial terms, but in the positive impact a company has on its employees, community, and the world at large.
Conclusion
In this summary to Crossing the Desert by Payam Zamani, you learned that Payam Zamani’s journey begins in Iran, where he faces religious persecution as a Baha’i. At 16, he flees to Pakistan, eventually gaining asylum in the US in 1988. In America, he excels academically while working multiple jobs, graduating from UC Davis in 1994. That year, he co-founds AutoWeb, which goes public in 1999, making him a millionaire. After leaving AutoWeb, he starts PurpleTie, but both companies fail during the dot-com crash. Undeterred, he launches Reply.com in 2001, later renaming it Buyerlink. In 2015, he founds One Planet Group, implementing a model of “spiritual capitalism” emphasizing ethics and social responsibility. His ventures expand into various sectors, and he repurchases AutoWeb. Today, Payam leads One Planet Group, advocating for a more ethical and purposeful approach to business.