The Booktopia Book Guru asks
Bahar Etminan
Author of Rescu Me!
Ten Terrifying Questions
1.To begin with why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself – where were you born? Raised? Schooled?
I was born in Nancy, France (famous for Baccarat crystal and bergamot) and moved to Iran when I was three. I then emigrated to Australia with my family when I was seven, fleeing the war and revolution.
I went to school in Perth and Canberra, finished High School in Atlanta, USA, completed my Bachelor of Commerce and MBA at Bond University in Queensland and enrolled at the Sorbonne in Paris for an intensive French language program when I moved to Paris for six months in 2002.
2.What did you want to be when you were twelve, eighteen and thirty? And why?
I always wanted to work in the cosmetics industry. I thought it was the most glamorous job in the world. When I was 12 I used to pretend I had a cosmetics company and play an imaginary game with my friend where I was the CEO. She was my assistant. I was obsessed with the TV show Dynasty and I think I had fantasies of being Alexis Colby Carrington!
When I was 18 I started university and still wanted to own and run a cosmetics company. I even got a part-time job working for Parfums Givenchy.
When I was thirty I was CEO of my first company which I started when I was 28. It was cosmetic distribution business!
3.What strongly held belief did you have at eighteen that you do not have now?
I believed that women could have it all — career, love, children and a beautiful life. I now know you can have it all but just not all at once!
4.What were three big events – in the family circle or on the world stage or in your reading life, for example – you can now say, had a great effect on you and influenced you in your career path?
Emigrating to Australia, naturally, changed my life completely. As a female I suddenly had every possible opportunity open to me. From education, to career and relationship choices, the world became my oyster.
My beautiful mother is and has always been a great role model for me. She’s had a successful and distinguished career in real estate and she still works in her 60s. In addition to being a powerhouse in business, she is an amazing mother, grandmother and wife. I learned firsthand that you don’t have to give up your career, looks or personal aspirations when you are a parent, business woman or a partner.
I’m also extremely partial to a good motivational self-help book. My parents encouraged both me and my brother to always read one book on self-improvement at any given time. I still love and refer to John McGrath’s You Inc and I am a fan of Wayne Dyer and Napoleon Hill. I also love a good biography. This habit led to me working with a life and business coach since my early 20s, and this has influenced my perspective on life, love and career.
5.Considering the innumerable electronic media avenues open to you – blogs, online newspapers, TV, radio, etc – why have you chosen to write a book? Aren’t they obsolete?
I’m a child of the 70s! Even though my core business is as an online publisher I love the written word and appreciate the permanence of books. To me books are a symbol of stability and still very prestigious. To be a published author was certainly on my bucket list.
6.Please tell us about your latest book…
Rescu Me! is my first book. It’s a makeover guide based on the premise that any day can be New Year’s Day and to be and feel beautiful, we need to look at the basic foundations that make life more fabulous. Most makeover guides focus on just hair, make up and clothes. I’ve also focused on the pillars of modern beauty — health and wellbeing, relationships and financial security as well as fashion and beauty.
Having met and interviewed some of the most ‘beautiful’ women in the world, I know for sure that no one feels beautiful if any of these essential pillars are out of balance. It doesn’t matter how pretty your hair or sweater is, real beauty only radiates from you when you feel healthy, strong, secure, supported and loved. I’ve shared the advice of experts from around the world (all of whom I know and have worked with) to help lay out a plan full of how-to tips to dial up the fabulous in any area of your life. Yes, I also give some excellent tips on sorting out your wardrobe, having wonderful hair, and choosing the best skin care.
7.If your work could change one thing in this world – what would it be?
Child abuse. I don’t understand it and I can’t fathom a world where any human could hurt a child.
8.Whom do you most admire and why?
My grandmother is a remarkably resilient and happy woman. Despite obstacles and pain, she has always lived a great life and has such a positive attitude about people and the future. She’s also my idea of a radiant beauty.
9.Many people set themselves very ambitious goals. What are yours?
I’d love to try my hand at producing a television series based around Rescu Me! A new type of makeover show.
10.What advice do you give aspiring writers?
Don’t be self-conscious, just write. Writing is a muscle: it gets better the more you exercise it. Also, get a good editor who is strong enough to put you through your paces.
Thank you for playing, Bahar.
Grab your copy of Rescu Me! here
Rescu Me!
Bahar Etminan
Not yo
ur average makeover book…
Everyone could do with a little more fabulous in their everyday life. Whether you’re looking for complete reinvention, or just to shake extra sparkle and style on your look, in Rescu Me!, Bahar Etminan, creator of the stellar online publication RESCU.com.au, brings you practical insight and advice from the best experts in health, relationships and wellbeing, finances and career, fashion and beauty.
Featuring a 360-degree makeover of two real women at turning points in their lives … Read more
Grab your copy of Rescu Me! here
About the Contributor
Anastasia Hadjidemetri
Anastasia Hadjidemetri is the former editor of The Booktopian and star of Booktopia's weekly YouTube show, Booked with Anastasia. A big reader and lover of books, Anastasia relishes the opportunity to bring you all the latest news from the world of books.
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