Photo credit: (1) VARD/MOV (2+3) @alena_london_ (4+5) Kohar Avakian @kavakian9

For Armenians and members of the Armenian diaspora, April 24th holds significant weight. It’s the official date of remembrance for the Armenian genocide–the day that marked the beginning of the deportation of Armenian intellectuals in 1915 by the Ottoman Turks.

This lesser known genocide of the 20th century is said to have enabled Adolf Hitler, who thought Nazi Germany would be able to get away with the Holocaust: "Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?", he stated in his Obersalzberg Speech (1939).

This year–the 107th anniversary of the Genocide–stands out to me. This year, I’ve been building my own company with a client base outside of my homeland, Armenia–and thus, my identity has become more distinctly important to me than ever.

While April 24th tends to be a solemn day of remembrance for Armenians and allies, this year I want to take a different approach.

The saying goes: “They tried to bury us. They didn’t know that we were seeds”. So this year, I want to celebrate the beautiful flowers, trees and forests of the Armenian people. Today–April 24th–I want to share my beautiful culture–and the fruits of its labor–with the growing VARD/MOV community.

So here’s some background:

Armenia is a small mountainous country between Asia and Europe. From the Genocide, to Soviet rule to modern wars, Armenians have been through a lot–and as a people, they are beautifully resilient.

Throughout my travels, I still maintain that Armenians are some of the most generous, hospitable, welcoming people you will ever meet–and more importantly, they know how to enjoy life’s happy moments to the fullest. An Armenian will bring a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolate to every outing, even if it’s just to their friend’s house down the road.

As a Style Coach, I love bringing this philosophy to my work–teaching clients how to make a sweet event out of every moment you can. We can all learn a lot from the Armenian mentality, like seeing the beauty in everything and not sweating the small things. You can be tough and resilient without losing the softness and charm that make you YOU.

So this April 24th, let’s honor those lives lost in the Armenian Genocide by channeling the strong, vibrant spirit of the Armenian people who live and prosper today. And I hope that you will let me share all that I have to offer as a Style Coach with you, so that you can gain the tools you need to activate your goals and see the beauty in everything, too.