What makes a successful entrepreneur? How do some people succeed and completely take off, leaving others watching their rocket launch from the ground? Farhaz Kheraj, Chief Executive Officer of TrustMySystem, quotes Elon Musk when asked what his secret is: “Work like hell. Put in 80 to 100 hours every week.”
It’s a daunting task. It’s not even manageable or sustainable for most people, and that’s okay. People have different goals and values. If one’s goal is to achieve financial freedom and run a successful company, then there’s no point in putting in only half the work or they’ll just hover near the ground and miss the takeoff.
Zain and Farhaz are two brothers who run a successful sports consulting and analytics company called TrustMySystem. 25-year-old Farhaz is an innate hustler. The young entrepreneur started with iPhones. He’d buy the devices, unlock them, and then sell them on Craigslist. He was just 16 years old at the time. His brother, Zain, who is three years older, worked at popular holding company Berkshire Hathaway for three years before leaving to become the Chief Financial Officer of TrustMySystem.
Both brothers credit their father as a key mentor. He made sure that his sons understood the importance of kindness, a quality that they practice daily within their business. “Your team is the backbone of the company, they’re just as invested as you are.” Each employee has different strengths and weaknesses. As a leader, one has to give people the freedom to flex their strengths, while working with them to develop and overcome their weaknesses. Farhaz mentions that as a leader, it’s important to find the right balance between expectations in one’s business, someone’s performance at work, and their overall character.
Despite their father being a mentor, the brothers battled with familial support when they first left their careers to focus on their company. They were expected to follow a certain path; one that was especially secure because their parents were immigrants who had made invaluable sacrifices to give their children a decent life and education. They leaned on each other and took a risk, which leads to the next snippet of advice. “People fear doing something they actually want to do. Why? Your real fear should be working 30 to 40 years for someone else.” Looking at your fears and inhibitions from a different perspective can help you realize where it really stems from.
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