Explore the lessons learned and the battles fought by Tina Tehranchian, who has recently been appointed to the Order of Canada.

Tina Tehranchian’s career is a master class in resilience and reinvention. When she received the call from the Governor General’s office informing her of her appointment to the Order of Canada, she was in a meeting. Her assistant assumed it was a prank and told them to call back at 10:30 a.m. When the phone rang again, precisely on time, Tehranchian picked up.

The weight of the moment hit her instantly. She had won many awards throughout her career, but this was different. “It meant the world to me,” she says. She recognized the profound significance of the moment when her son, who seldom boasted about her achievements, proudly announced the news on LinkedIn.

Born and raised in Iran, she was a prodigy, graduating from high school at 15 and earning a coveted spot at Tehran University’s medical school. But her father had other plans, urging her to study in the United States. So she enrolled in pre-med at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, only to realize that medicine was not for her — she couldn’t stand the sight of blood. Pivoting to political science and commerce, she later earned a master’s in communications from the University of Portland at just 20 years old.

At 29, she and her husband moved to Canada with their young son, eager to build a future in their new home. But the timing could not have been worse. The country was in a deep recession, and, despite her credentials, opportunities were scarce. The CBC and communications companies were laying off thousands of employees, and, without Canadian experience, finding a job proved impossible.

A newspaper ad promising a career with unlimited income potential caught her eye. She applied, thinking it would be temporary. Instead, she found her calling.

Tehranchian built her career from the ground up, earning every professional designation she could. Today, as a CFP ® professional and Senior Wealth Advisor at Assante Capital Management Ltd., she is known for her deep expertise and the long-term relationships she cultivates. Some of her clients have been with her since the beginning, and she now advises their children, ensuring seamless intergenerational wealth transfer.

Her passion for financial security stems from her upbringing. Her father, a hematologist, and her mother, a nurse midwife, instilled in her the values of hard work and financial discipline. “Money was never an issue, but saving and planning for the future were everything,” she recalls.

That lesson became painfully clear when she and her husband lost everything. Shortly after arriving in Canada, they had invested their savings in a real estate project recommended by a well-respected CPA. The project went bankrupt, wiping out everything they had.

“That experience shaped how I advise my clients today,” she says. “Understanding risk is everything. Markets fluctuate, but if you make decisions out of fear, you lose.”

The financial industry remains male- dominated, with only 20 per cent of advisers being women. But Tehranchian never saw that as a barrier. “I never thought of myself as a female adviser. I was just an adviser,” she says.

She credits her parents for instilling that mindset. Growing up in a country where women had few rights, she was never told she could not achieve something. “My parents raised my sister and me to believe we could do anything,” she says.

“POWER IS THE ABILITY TO CREATE A POSITIVE IMPACT. IF YOU ARE NOT USING IT TO HELP OTHERS, YOU ARE WASTING IT.”

That confidence allowed her to navigate an industry that many women hesitate to enter. “The early years are tough, especially for young women,” she says. “But the first battle is in your own mind. If you see barriers, you will find them. If you do not, you will not.”

For Tehranchian, success is about impact. “Power is the ability to create a positive impact. If you are not using it to help others, you are wasting it.”

That belief fuels her philanthropic work. “If I can inspire others to give back, then I have done something worthwhile.”

Her commitment to giving back is not just about financial contributions but about using her influence to create opportunities for others. Whether through mentorship, charitable initiatives or community engagement, she believes real success is measured by impact.

As for retirement, she has no plans to slow down. “I love what I do. I thrive on it,” she says. “If you love what you do, it is not work. It is life.”

For Tehranchian, la dolce vita is not about leisure, it is about purpose. “I am living my sweet life right now,” she says. “Doing work I love, making an impact and leaving a legacy that matters.”

INTERVIEW BY MARC CASTALDO

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@tinatehranchian