Let me begin by saying how excited I am to be here with you. This journey has been in the
making for a very long time; however, my awareness of it is a lot more recent! Bear with me as I
tell you the whole story.

First I would like to dedicate this magazine to the memory of my beloved late father, Abdollah
Samandarizadeh. He started “Golchin Publication” twenty years ago in Houston, and
singlehandedly managed to publish 121 issues. He was the happiest person alive and I contribute
most of that inner contentment to his love of his magazine and to his ability to serve the Iranian-
American community. He put his heart and soul into his beloved Golchin and in return, Glochin
became his vehicle to staying alive. My cherished father passed away on December 19, 2009
and as we spread his ashes in the river and said goodbye to him, Golchin was also put to rest
alongside its creator. As far as I was concerned, there never was the question of “following in his
footsteps” despite all the encouragement I was receiving. What, with my own busy life, running
a business and raising a family, etc……. So what was this inkling of regret (not guilt, he would
never allow guilt) in my heart?

This is when the universe rearranged itself to help me figure it all out! I started getting more
involved with the Iranian-American community to pick up where my father had left off. He loved
Iran and Iranians and now it was time for me to pay my dues! Meanwhile I had begun my
own “soul searching,” and though I was blessed with a beautiful family and a thriving business,
there was something missing! Something bigger than myself—a purpose. I was restless and
totally on edge. Something big was happening but my analytical mind could not grasp it. Things
began to turn around after my joining the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) and
working in the Houston chapter. The realization of a movement, a shift, in the Iranian-American
community shook me.

I had been so busy proving myself within my mainstream American society, that I had
unintentionally ignored my core and the love and pride for my Iranian culture. Astonishingly, I
noticed I was not alone. For the last 30 years many of us have been franticly building up our busy
lives, attempting to “fit in” in our new home, with little time left for anything else. It felt like I was
coming out of a haze, waking up from a long dream!

I attended “Pathway to success 2011,” the Iranian-American Women‘s Leadership Conference in
Irvine, California in support of a dear friend! Suddenly, I found myself among 600 accomplished,
dynamic, and down to earth women. Having opened myself up to this new perspective, I was all
of a sudden in the company of the most wonderful people imaginable. Oh, these dynamic women
just took my breath away! I finally let myself get submerged in this pool of sweet serenity. I had
never in my life been more proud to be a woman AND to be an Iranian! At this point, opening
up to and gravitating towards our amazing community became inevitable. As a result my sense
that “something is coming” got stronger, more powerful ……until…….

I went to bed one night after a very long day of soul searching to fall into this journey of tangled
but vivid dreams and conscious thinking. I saw my father’s passage through the maze of creating
his magazine, I felt his excitement, and his joy. I traveled with him through years of putting his
heart and soul into his “PURPOSE” in life. It was like watching a suspenseful movie. Even in my
dream the anticipation was killing me, as if instinctively I knew the conclusion was going to be
shocking and utterly unexpected. So with butterflies in my stomach, I kept on watching for hours.
Was it really hours? And there it came; like a bolt of thunder! A huge light bulb went off in my
head and I jumped out of bed, tears running down my face, barely able to catch my breath, and

I just bowled! I had seen it so clearly in my dream— was it a dream? It had always been there.
Right in front of my eyes. But I had not been ready to receive it, and now, I had finally seen my
purpose.

So here it is dear reader, right in your hands! With the help and support of my dear family, and
the superb women (and a few men!) of my visionary team, Zan Magazine has set out to explore
the world of “out of this world” Iranian-American women. We are committed to serving our
community openly and whole-heartedly and we aspire to inspire, enlighten, and entertain. We
will always embrace the truth, strive to celebrate our glorious culture, and yet we will strive to
acknowledge and break through cultural barriers.

To the young generation of Iranian Americans—our pride and joy—we promise to create and
maintain a safe and positive space for freedom of self- expression. In this new era we are
reaching out to our young readers, offering our devotion in promoting their growth, recognition,
and success.
Please join us on this enchanted journey, and let's create "our own destiny" in this new modern
multi-cultural world!