\u201cLeading with Purpose \u2014 An Interview with Aline Kamakian, Founder of Fig Holding\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI never set out to build something big. I set out to build something true. Growth came later as a responsibility,not an ambition.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I hope my guests leave feeling held. Like they\u2019ve eaten something honest, something that was made with care and intention. Wherever Mayrig or Batchig exists, I want people to feel a sense of home, even if it\u2019s not their home. Comfort, generosity, and sincerity translate across borders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It wasn\u2019t ambition; it was readiness. I felt that the values were strong enough to travel without being diluted. When you know your \u201cwhy\u201d deeply, geography becomes secondary. That\u2019s when I knew it was time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s a recognition of heritage, not just a restaurant. Armenian cuisine has always deserved a place on the world\u2019s culinary map. Authenticity, for me, isn\u2019t about copying recipes: it\u2019s about preserving intention. We respect the product, the technique, and the story behind every dish. That\u2019s non-negotiable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gyumri is resilient, talented, and often overlooked. I wanted to invest in people, not just places. Bringing international-level education there is about dignity and opportunity. My hope is to create professionals who are globally competent but deeply rooted in who they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I started in 2003, there were no Armenian chefs recognized on an international level. That absence stayed with me. Armenian cuisine is particular, layered, and deeply different; its own language, its own kitchen. I always knew it had to be included, protected, and passed on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My hope is to raise a new generation of professionals who are globally competent yet deeply rooted in who they are: carrying their culture forward, not losing it along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Discipline, values, and humility. Trends fade. What lasts is clarity of purpose, respect for people, and consistency. A business that knows what it stands for doesn\u2019t need to chase relevance; it earns it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For me, strong pillars are built when business meets systems and adaptability; when structure allows you to grow without losing your soul. A business that knows what it stands for doesn\u2019t need to chase relevance; it earns it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It means knowing when to say no. Purpose is built in the pauses; in choosing the right partners, the right timing, and the right reasons. Speed can impress, but intention sustains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Care and respect for the story, for the heritage, for the guest and for the team. If care and respect are missing, no design, no menu, no location can compensate for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That culture isn\u2019t a concept; it\u2019s lived daily. What works on paper doesn\u2019t always work with people. Listening is more powerful than planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both. Legacy is refinement but imagination keeps you alive. I don\u2019t believe they\u2019re opposites. One gives meaning to the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Success used to be about achievement. Today, it\u2019s about alignment; between what I do, how I do it, and who it impacts. Peace of mind has become a form of success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Success is not measured in numbers: of customers, locations, or revenue. It shows up when someone is genuinely happy with what you\u2019ve created, or when your story is being told without you having to tell it. That\u2019s when you know it\u2019s real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For me, success is always tied to the why, never to quantities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You don\u2019t need permission. Build patiently, trust your intuition, and don\u2019t confuse noise with progress. Your strength doesn\u2019t need to be loud to be powerful.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cLeading with Purpose \u2014 An Interview with Aline Kamakian, Founder of Fig Holding\u201d \u201cI never set out to build something big. I set out to build something true. Growth came later as a responsibility,not an ambition.\u201d I hope my guests leave feeling held. Like they\u2019ve eaten something honest, something that was made with care and intention. Wherever Mayrig or Batchig exists, I want people to feel a sense of home, even if it\u2019s not their home. Comfort, generosity, and sincerity […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":3063,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65,85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3047","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hospitality","category-special-interviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businessjurnalmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3047","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businessjurnalmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businessjurnalmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businessjurnalmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businessjurnalmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3047"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/businessjurnalmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3047\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3053,"href":"https:\/\/businessjurnalmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3047\/revisions\/3053"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businessjurnalmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3063"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businessjurnalmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3047"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businessjurnalmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3047"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businessjurnalmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3047"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}