"As many educated women as possible in the world" - an idea came to the mind of a little girl and over the years, has spread to a couple of countries around the world. The fulfillment of the idea was not an easy thing, but the little lady managed to create an educational center “A-Level Educational Group”, which today helps students of different nationalities to make their dreams come true.“The road to success” - is a phrase that perfectly describes the life of Ayan Aliyeva from childhood up to the present, but you can not sum up everything in three words.There were numerous ups and downs, bordercrossing, barrierbreaking, frustration and victory, loss and gain. The result is success.

- What does the word “success”mean to you? How do you define it?

Personally, I believe the word “success” primarily means achievement of the goal.It would not be news to anyone to say that financial wealth and success are not permanent, however, they are interrelated, even thougha successful project brings you success, self-satisfaction and money, you still have to keep moving towards your goal.The impetusis a long-term mission.When a person sets a goal and a mission to which he or she aspires to accomplish, and he or she may fall many timesalong the way, although he or she still manages to stand firmly on feet and continue to move forward, such person can be called a successful person.I belong tothat category of people - a woman who sees success in overcoming barriers on the way to accomplishing the mission.That's my success - the accomplishment of my mission.

My mission is to develop the education system in Azerbaijan, Tbilisi and other regions as much as possible where my company has been introduced.My mission is to educate as many people as possible, because I believe that you can achieve a high quality of lifewith the help of education that, to ensure a happy childhood for the new generation and, of course, make this world a more comfortable, peaceful, happy place for people to live.The most important thing now is to educate as many girls as possible both in our region and across the world, because an educated woman is equal to the educated population of the earth, because a woman is a mother who is the educator of the future generation.An educated woman is the one who raises her sons and daughters in the right direction.Education has played an important role in my life to be a successful woman, so I want to develop an idea that means the cult of female education for each person.

- Let’s talk about the success you have achieved, which, for many, is a dream come true. Let's start the conversation about your childhood.Successful people are said to be distinguished from their peers from an early age.They have different visions, characters, dreams and different attitudes towards everything. Did the same happen with you?

I have looked through my past life and let me tell you that I completely agree with the wording of your question.The worldview of successful people and the perception of the world is non-standard. I have been thinking differently since childhood, I never admired the things my peers were obsessed with.Even when I was a teenager, my area of interest included achievements in a variety of fields, including sports. I used to write poems, study foreign languages, and every time I was awarded a diploma for my efforts and won various Olympiads, it motivated me to do more on my path to my dream - to study abroad, which I achieved:I have several diplomas from universities in England and America.

The way of thinking of a successful person is fundamentally different from the vision of an ordinary personfrom childhood.Personally, I have never dreamed about luxurious mansions, expensive things.I have wanted to get a decent education, travel across different countries of the world and ultimately, to have my own activity.I always knew I would never be a hired worker because nature rewarded me with leadership qualities.I have been seeking to carry out a lot of interesting projects myself, create jobs from a young age and I knew that only a decent education would allow me to do so.That is why I have related all my diplomas, all certificates to the field of education.The more studied in different countries, the more I wanted to introduce the same system in my region because I clearly saw that education is not just about graduating from university.I believe education is a living organism that requires constant development.That's why, evenat the age of 20, I had already had my own language school - a registered business, and my path started from there.

- Let’s talk about your business. How did you start, develop and what does it look like today?

I started teaching English at the age of 17. This is the time when there was no internet and no computer.It were the books that taught me everything and helped me to earn my own first salary.Then, I went to the United States to study, and at the age of 20, when I returnedback, with the money I collected and the credit I took, I bought a language course company that was, in fact, at the edge of bankruptcy.I cannot say that I was well aware of business and finances, but all I had I invested into my dream and this is how my journey into the world of businessbegan.I was the owner of the company, the teacher and the accountant simultaneously.At first, it was very difficult because I did not know how to run a business and I made a lot of mistakes.However, I believe that the most successful businessmen are those who have learned from their mistakes.No workshop, book, education or advice can give you what a successful person learns on the difficult path of his or her activity.

Today, my company, “A-Level educational group”, is one of the largest educational companies, combining 5 centers in Azerbaijan and a large language school in Tbilisi, where we teach English and German, mathematics, prepare students for admission to foreign universities, develop learning skills and we teach them all subjects in the languages they will have to study at the university in the future.We also assist them to select a higher education institution and even to obtain a visa.In a nutshell, we stand by our students within the process.

“A-Level educational group”also has its branch offices in Oman and the United States.Today, my educational business has more than 7,000 partner universities, schools and colleges in England, America, Europe, Canada and Australia, which means that “A-Level educational group” can send students anywhere in the world.

- A successful person has to have incredible guts once in a life. Have you taken steps in your life that would scare you or fueled doubt or may led you to crossboundaries that were difficult to cross behind but you were forced to risk? Tell us about your courageous move.

I have taken such a step many times in my life. When a businessman realizes that his or her work is fruitful, that his or her project brings not only material but also moral satisfaction, when the quality of service and product increases and when you become famous, then the business begins to grow geometrically. All this requires great financial and moral risk. The opening of each new branch office and language center, the expansion of the team, is often associated with great loss and frustration. However, I always say that when there is an idea, vision, mission, a properly selected team, the business is always successful. I can confidently say that my business, with the help of my team and my vision, has withstood the attack of pandemic in Azerbaijan as well as in Georgia and America. We overcame the obstacles created by the loss, switched students to the online learning, developed a unique online approach with the help of modern technology, and the business survived. It continues to grow and develop.

The word “courage” is fundamental in business.I believe that a person can not become successful without courage, because when you open a new company, or even a new branch office, he or she will either be successful or not. There is no business where there is less risk and more opportunity for it to be successful. The chance, in any case, is about 50/50. Maybe your business will yield a profit at one location, and a branch office opened with the same concept will suffer a complete collapse at another location, which is associated with a large loss. A lot of things depend on the partners. I have met a lot of reliable partners while running a business, however, I met some whom I would never wish to see again. I would call them very good teachers as well as all the downfalls, all the misfortunes. Every new partner, every new agreement is a new risk that a indecisive person cannot go for. We must always remember one thing: “Losing a fight does not mean losing a war” and every failure is a new opportunity.

As for my business, I mayproudly say that it has mainlyyieldedgreat success to me and today - especially, which is largely the merit of my team, that is motivated and work not only to make a profit, but also to use their own knowledge and resources as a whole.

- What role do trust and partnership play in building a successful business?

Only a reliable, loyal strategic partner can make a business prosperous. No successful businessman can say that he or she created the product alone. This is simply impossible. In my case, my partners are universities, colleges, schools both in our region and abroad. When a relationship is based on mutual trust, the company’s idea and mission take the most important place and each partner strives to make the business prosperous. The result of such an approach is financial profit.

I believe that the success of a business depends first and foremost on the good selection of team members, and then on trustworthy and single partners. This is the driving force of business. It is also necessary to have a common vision among business partners, because it is impossible to walk side by side and at the same time, follow different paths.

I personally open new branchoffices and create new businesses along with the partners. I have a business partner in Tbilisi, the CEO of “A-Level educational group”’’, Sabina Alekperova, with whom I am proud to work with and who I trust 100 percent and I thank her for that.

- Tell us about the people, family, friends who vouched for you, helped you, did not leave you behind on the difficult path to success. How important is the moral support of relatives for you as a businesswoman?

I am immensely grateful to the parents, whose constant support I felt when I was selflessly striving for the goal. On the one hand, there was moral support, on the other hand, when my little one was born, my mom and dad helped me a lot in raising him and that was exactly the years when my business developed. Also, I have a wonderful cousin who is engaged in business and who has made a great contribution to the success of my business. I have been very lucky also in the team members who have been by my side for 10 years now and have become irreplaceable for me.

We have such a unity –“A-Level family”, whose members are one large, friendly family. We have overcome many difficulties, we have overcome many challenging situationsover the years thanks to mutual trust. And today, I can proudly say that my team is my family. However, here, it is very important to separate business and friendship. And the people who did it were very successful today. I have given them complete independence to make independent decisions because I am sure none of them will damage the business.

I would like to mention that the members of my team are mostly women, very educated, strong, decent ladies who have created the “A-Level”empire along with me.

- Do you consider yourself a successful person? Are you satisfied with your own achievements, if there is something you dream about, or you strive to achieve?

I feel like a happy person. I am satisfied with the current achievements, however, in my experience, there is no peak of achievements. I have an interesting character: there was no achievement that caused the euphoria that lasted for more than a day. The next day, I can’t wait to start moving towards a new goal. I am happy with my achievements and the fact that I am an expert and professional in my field, however, this is not all I dream about. I have big plans ahead and new peaks are awaiting me. The path leading to these peaks and overcoming obstacles are what can make me a successful person. I deeply believe that successful people are those who are not satisfied with their achievements and constantly keeps moving forward.

- A successful woman is a separate phenomenon. After all, women are called the weaker sex and for many, it is difficult to imagine a woman in a high position. Why do you think this stereotype exists? Advise women how can they find the strength to succeed?

It is not true. A woman is not the weaker sex. Scientists even claim that a woman can endure much greater moral and physical pain than a man. Women are very purposeful; we have the opportunity to concentrate on several events at once. Even businessmen who own multimillion-dollar companies recognize that women have a much higher self-esteem and purposefulness than men. Thanks to this, women are able to carry the burden of family and business with dignity at the same time.

I want to tell every woman: do not stop, keep moving towards the goal and never listen to those who tell you that your gender is an impediment to success. There are many successful women around me who have good education, goals, ideas and most importantly, the desire to create, to win, to change the world! We have a mission to change the world for the better!

- Many women have families, children, but do not lose the desire to achieve something more than just cooking a delicious dinner. Do you think it is possible to be a good wife, mother, housewife and businesswoman at the same time?

If we look at the issue in terms of discipline and show good management skills, success can be achieved in any field. A businesswoman should definitely have a maid, mother, or even sisters in the family, since it is very difficult to concentrate on business and housework at the same time. In order to keep the hearth warm at home, the family should not think that you have no time left for them. Obviously a woman is not a super-robot who will be able to attend 10 meetings a day and at the same time, cook dinner, train a child, tidy the house. However, there is always a solution. If a woman is in a leading position, she must have a team both in business and in the family. Most importantly, career success should not deprive us of a family, a connection to our children. Raising children is a great mission. To do this, it is necessary to properly manage the time resource.

- What is your advice to those who are planning to start a business, realize ideas and make dreams come true? How can they reach the goal? Is there a general recipe for success?

Certainly, there is no general recipe, since each business is individual, including two different businesses in one area. The individuality of each business is determined by the vision, mission, ideas, priorities of its manager. However, it is necessary for all businesses to have the right discipline and priorities, to overcome difficulties properly. The most important thing is for the manager and the employee to believe in their own business, their own mission and to have the belief that their business makes our society better. Success directly depends on the vision and unconventional way of thinking of the leader, the discipline of the team and, of course, the correct