Crafting new paths

Yasha Darakhshanian’s daily schedule came out of the pandemic more flexible and efficient, allowing him to incorporate side hustles that stabilized his income and offset some of the lost revenue from the Boost Mobile stores he owns and operates.

Darakhshanian, a 32-year-old engineer, is the COO of seven locations for the telecommunications franchise. When the shutdowns and the subsequent economic fallout that defined 2020 hit last spring, revenues at the stores dropped dramatically, jeopardizing his business and sending Darakhshanian into survival mode. He applied for PPP loans and other small business support to retain his team and ensure that his employees could continue making a living wage. He also transitioned back-end operations remotely, a move he later realized saved him time, opening up his days to develop other revenue streams.