Hitting the coveted $100-million mark and beyond is always a rosy goal for every startup entrepreneur. But rarely do you hear them say, “I became an entrepreneur at 8”. This article presents an interesting journey on why you should never give up on your dreams, no matter the ‘raging storms.’
Muhammad Asif was born in December 1985 in Pakistan, a developing country. He came from a humble background where there was nothing to boast about. When he was eight years old, Asif had already figured out a business and started it out in school. He has currently grown to have investments in fitness and health, Education, Import & Export, Beauty, Tech, Consulting, and Hospitality.
Muhammad Asif At A Glance
Muhammad is a serial entrepreneur, investor, owner, and CEO of Main Course Associates International (MCA). MCA is a B2B business that provides finance, strategic, and operational advice to clients in the hospitality & retail sectors. It has just been awarded the prestigious accreditation for ‘Investors of People.’ Asif also sits on many boards as an executive and non-executive director.
Asif was recently chosen as the CEO of the year 2020 for the UK in Hospitality (Food and Beverage Consulting) by the CEO monthly UK magazine. In 2021, Asif intends to launch a charity foundation with his wife to focus on education for children and women empowerment. Asif is also working on a Private Equity fund to launch in 2021 to continue making a global impact.
Beating The Odds
“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: However, it is the courage to continue that counts. Asif’s journey to achieve his dreams has not been a walk in the park. He has experienced many challenges and failures, but that has not stopped him from fighting to achieve his dreams. When his first dream of wanting to be a cricketer as a professional sportsman was shattered due to an accident at the young age of 10, Asif decided to change tactics and study finance to impact the world positively. Muhammad immigrated to the UK when he was 17 years. He only had a suitcase and £2000, which were then stolen from him upon his arrival to the UK. He ended up sleeping in the streets and even doing four jobs to make basic ends meet – often walking for miles to save travel money or spending a whole month of Ramadan with just a pack of tic tac; he did not let his dream wane and always believed in himself and carried on persisting. At 24, he became a partner at MCA, and today he is taking the business to international levels, opening offices in the UK, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands. He intends to grow the business to 20 countries, including; Dubai, the USA, Australia, and the Far East. But what is propelling Asif to such heights?
Having A Dream & a Big Vision
Muhammad Asif is a man of dreams. When the year 2020 was beginning, he had written his targets for a whole decade, realizing that life takes shape in decades. His target for 2025 was at $100 million. And to achieve this target, Asif is working hard to grow his consulting business and investment fund. By 2030, Asif dreams of a net worth of $500m and a major force in Public Speaking. He takes his inspiration from the quote: It’s not the things you get when you are following your vision, it’s the person you become.
It is essential to have a big vision & a dream of what/whom you want to become. It is believed that whomever you dream of you become. We literally become what we think about, and if we think about nothing, we become nothing. Dreams also help you plan appropriately, and in case of a failure, you can recover as your vision will act as a compass.
Persistence & Perspective
For over two decades, Asif has been persistent in making his dream come true. Ever since he was 8, he has consistently worked very hard to ensure his dream comes true. And guess what? He is already achieving milestones in the industry and forging ahead to live his life dreams with his young family. Asif believes in making memories, not just hopes – that comes with having faith & persisting; in fact, faith is just another name for persistence.
The other thing to remember is to keep things in perspective. Our perception of a problem often causes us not to see the solution staring us in the face. Asif has never let go of this and always aims to keep things in perspective, which is a great trait in every entrepreneur.
Paradigms & Beliefs
Understanding the paradigms and their effect on your day to day life, along with Success, is of paramount importance. These are ultimately a set of habits, with often negative connotations of limiting beliefs; through his mentors, Asif learned the power of paradigms and how to shift them as they control everything we do. You want to replace any limiting beliefs with their polar opposite for skills, talents, ability & abundance.
The Desire To Make An Impact
Muhammad has always had a desire to influence. He does it with passion and love and has impacted both startups and experts in the industry. He wants to give more in “use value” to his client than pay him in “market value” and aims to create a company that never sleeps. When Europe is sleeping, Australia is working, when Australia is sleeping, the USA is working, and so on, this big vision helps him focus.
Mentoring & Empowerment
Mentoring is a key factor in scaling. Asif does a lot of founder mentoring. And guess what? He was recently chosen as CEO of the year 2020 for the UK in hospitality (Food & Beverage consulting) by CEO Monthly UK magazine. Also, Asif is a believer in the development and women empowerment of women. In 2021, Asif will be launching a charity with his wife, which will focus on education for children and women’s empowerment. The duo will be donating 5% of their profits from all their businesses to this charity. Ultimately, you only succeed by helping and empowering others.
Investing In Yourself & Great Business Ideas
Asif also focuses on investing in essential business ideas and people. This move comes with many advantages. It is one of the recipes for unlimited income that has propelled Asif to greater heights, which comes from his belief and affirmation of using his skills, talents & gifts to solve the world’s problems by investing in great ideas to advance the lives of others. Remember, someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.Every journey begins with a step. Are you dreaming of becoming a successful entrepreneur? Remember, Entrepreneurs are change agents; they solve real-world problems; it is never too late. You can still become that which you want to become. Hold on to your dreams. And when things fail. Don’t change the dream; change the approach. Be persistent and patient and grow to become successful no matter the challenges, remember you have to put the fuel in – do not be like the person who sits in front of a stove saying: give me heat, and then I will add the wood! Start now; you have nothing to lose but a whole life to gain. For more information on how to be a successful entrepreneur, you can connect to Muhammad Asif here.
