Coming from a large and very harmonious traditional family with thirty aunts and uncles and over two hundred cousins from all different kinds of class, professions, personalities, and political views, acceptance has always been an important part of my upbringing, since "family" is "family" after all.

My family exists as both a huge social platform and also as an incredibly strong support. I think this fact has given me a very unique understanding of how to deal with and work within both small and large groups of people.

My mother once told me, "We don't have friends, we have family". Friends of my parents, as a child, were always addressed as " Uncle" or " Aunt", strangers addressed formally as "Mr. ....... " or "Mrs. ......". As my parents made new friends then also my family continued to grow.

This idea of creating "family", has played a very important role in my work method has a maker and how I try to work with people.