Not everyone is born with a silver spoon in their mouth. For them, life is all about struggle, hard work, and survival. But with persistence and perseverance, some people can change the fate of their lives.
Never being vocal about my struggles and battles, but it's time to share them with all of you. I wish to motivate others through my story that you will always find the light at the end of the tunnel.
Even when the world around is pitch black, a shiny star will definitely come your way! Sharing my journey of hard work, patience, and determination, that made me who I am today! It is a real story of a son who appreciated every effort of his father – a bull cart owner!
Childhood
Every child deserves to have a childhood filled with memories. I am lucky enough to have a childhood that's filled with memories. However, they aren’t all gold and glitter! It's all about the struggle with dedication and courage.
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| This is probably my first ever picture 🙂 |
My father is not a literate person and therefore doesn’t know how to read and write. Even with dreams to study and become a successful man, my father had to let go of this wish. He became an orphan and lost his father at a very tender age. To make both ends meet, my father started riding a bull cart.
I started my education at Government Primary Scholl Chak No. 66/D (located 20 km away from Pakpattan). Like every father, mine also dreamt of giving a beautiful life to his kid. Therefore, he decided to do whatever it takes and provide me with a good education. To pursue this decision, my father migrated to a small town in the district Okara; where we live to date. He got me enrolled in another Government School which was much better than the last one and tried to provide me with everything possible. However, to keep the flow going, my father did different laborious and strenuous jobs.
Growing Up and My Contribution
After my matriculation, it was time to secure admission to a college. It was like a tradition in our town to send kids to Lahore for further education if they secure good marks. In spite of this, such an option wasn’t available for me. I had to give up on the idea of going to Lahore. And instead, took admission to a nearby degree college.
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| Would head straight to the fields right after I was done for the day in College |
I knew my father was helpless and guilty about the situation, where I had to study in a local degree college, instead of going to Lahore. But I never let him think that way and thanked him for his endless sacrifices and labor. However, this was the time to step in and become a helping hand for my father. I started helping him to make sure there is food on the table.
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| Working and helping in the fields continued, whenever I would get back from Lahore |
The biggest disadvantage I faced was during my college time. The local educational institute had teachers from other cities who rarely came to take classes, you know how the Government institutes work in rural areas. Even with such a drawback, I continued to struggle. After all, something is better than having nothing at all!
Every day, I attended college for a few hours and would sit in my family’s small kiryana shop. This would help us in running day-to-day expenses. I continued helping my father in other laborious jobs as well. We, father and son, used to purchase larger blocks of ice, cut them into smaller pieces, and keep them in our small shop to sell.
To be honest, I don’t remember any sort of small work we haven’t done to survive. My father always appreciated my efforts and praised me for the hardships I was going through. To make him proud, I passed my intermediate with flying colors and secured 80% marks in computer science; my favorite subject. I still remember the tears of joy and satisfaction in the eyes of my father. It truly motivated me to continue my struggle and make his life better.
Continuation of Adversities and Higher Education
Education had always been my priority! Even my father encouraged me to continue education, as he knew its value and edification in one’s life. However, continuing education in the local Government College was not possible anymore. For further higher education, I had to think of better opportunities.
Amid the darkness of managing finances and education, my cousin Shoaib Ahmad who is like an elder brother to me proved himself as an angel. He helped and guided me in looking for scholarship opportunities. A man can achieve anything with a positive attitude! And hence God helped me in scoring a chance to get admission to International Islamic University, Islamabad.
I appeared in the written test and aced it with perfection. Got selected in the final top 7 candidates for the scholarship. However, God had other plans for me and got rejected during the interview phase. Losing the chance of a scholarship to such a reputed institute disheartened me. But my father stood by my side and encouraged me to continue. I applied to Forman Christian (FC) College, Lahore, and secured a scholarship for myself.
Though my dream was to get enrolled in the Computer Science department. But the scholarship for it wasn’t 100% and I was supposed to pay PKR 36,000 per semester. For a person like me who was already struggling, managing such an amount was not easy in 2006. Therefore, unwantedly I gave up on my dream and took admission in Economics, and availed 100% scholarship.
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| My childhood friend Mazhar and I were living in Lahore in a rented room |
I took admission in the FC College hostel but left it within one month. The reason was simple! I was unable to pay PKR 5,000+ monthly. To make sure I complete my 4 years degree, I started living in a rented house along with some friends, which cost me much less. Affordability has always been a serious concern for me. That’s why during my higher education tenure, I had 2 pants and 3 formal shirts with me only.
Home Visitation During Struggling Period
I love my family a lot and therefore, tried my best to keep visiting them and give them love. During the initial period of my studies, I visited my home every weekend. The major reason was that I was not used to living away from my family. At that time, a one-way bus ticket cost PKR 120 which was high. But family comes first and therefore, I endured these expenses happily.
However, after a while, my father asked me to visit them occasionally instead of regularly. It was a hard decision for a father to ask his son not to visit them. He wanted me to save money for my educational expenses and pay attention to my studies. During this time, my father took the job of a van conductor to support the family and when this job was no more, he also worked at a restaurant. It was heart-wrenching for me to see him struggling and working from dawn to dusk at such age.
My mother would never cook any special food at home and embraced eating simple meals only. This way, she also started saving money from groceries and start contributing to my education. These sacrifices still prick my heart!
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| With my father in our native home, we moved out once I started to do well |
Conversely, I was also struggling surrounded by extreme pressure. To continue my scholarship, I had to maintain a good CGPA throughout. With little budget, struggles, and exertions, I thought to find new ways to earn as well. During my higher education time, I and my friends Naeem and Mazhar woke up one morning with only PKR 10 in our pockets. I still remember we visited a friend of ours to borrow PKR 500 to survive the last days of the month. On many occasions, I spent the night at bus terminals while traveling to other cities as I was not able to afford any hotel to stay.
Life was continuously giving me lemons but somewhere in my heart, I knew good days will come. I was preparing myself for better days without losing a hint of confidence in my God and His will.
Era When My Patience Started Giving Benefit
Finally, the day came when my patience got rewarded by God. I was becoming a bit depressed but my motivation level was still high. My parents stood by my side like solid support, never allowing me to feel alone. My cousin Shahid Rasool came as a savior in my life and helped me come out of my challenging days. He introduced me to the phenomenal Digital Marketing world.
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| Brother from another mother - My cousin Shahid Rasool played an important role in shaping my life, introduced me to the Digital Marketing world, not only helped me securing my first client but also let me use his computer because I have none at that time |
Shahid taught me all the ins and outs of the digital marketing world and helped in scoring my first client. Slowly and gradually, I started earning PKR 12,000 a month in 2009. For many, this amount isn’t big but for me it was huge. I was able to bear my expenses on my own and share a good amount of money back home. I finally found the light at the end of the tunnel.
I found another job paying me PKR 6,000 a month. Initially, I thought it would be good to earn PKR 6,000 along with PKR 12,000 a month making PKR 18,000 easily. It was an Urdu typing job for a semi-government project. But within 6 days of working, I realized it was not worth my time. My passion for computers was not getting satisfied this way. That’s why I left the job during break time on my 6th day at the job.
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| Convocation Day at Forman Christian (FC) College Lahore |
I finally completed my B.Sc. (Honors) from FC College in 2010. My association with the digital marketing world helped me in earning far better than the previous struggling phase. Once I completed my degree, the door for new opportunities opened for me. Secured my first full-time job at a small software house located at DHA. Worked there for a month before getting an exciting opportunity at ESP Interactive Solutions for PKR 15,000. I was working with an online client as well side by side. However, I bid farewell to the company after 6 months after receiving a much better offer from another one.
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| Got hired as SEO Expert at ESP Interactive Solutions |
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| With colleagues from ESP Interactive Solutions |
Since I already understood the importance of the IT sector and had an interest in the field for ages, I got enrolled in the Master in Information Technology (MIT) program. Unrelentingly started working as a full-time employee, continued working as a freelancer, and began supporting my education.
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| Worked at Velorium as SEO Analyst |
Tried starting some ventures back then but they never turned successful. This never undervalued my confidence and helped me shine brighter each time. I continued grabbing bigger and better opportunities offering better remuneration and incentives. My freelance profile started getting a 5-star rating. This helped me in acquiring clients who were willing to pay me more!
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| Got hired as PPC Executive at InvoCode |
This was the stage I was dreaming of for ages. I asked my father to leave his hardships behind and enjoy retired life. It was my time to take the responsibilities and make sure they get everything. My family struggled way too much and it was the phase where I wanted to provide them with rest and happiness. Something we all longed for years!
At the beginning of my career, I preferred switching companies in order to get better chances. Since I am a fast learner and can adjust to any environment conveniently, looking for good opportunities became a motive for me. However, in 2014 I finally settled down and joined Extreme Commerce (known as Net Solutions Sdn Bhd in 2014), the first organization where I literally gave my blood and sweat. For 6 years, I remained in the same organization and worked with confidence and dedication.
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| On an official tour to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) in 2014; few months after joining Net Solutions Sdn Bhd, now known as Extreme Commerce |
When I was hired in Extreme Commerce, my salary was PKR 80,000 along with some promised incentives. It was a lucrative opportunity that I loved and appreciated. But after a while, the financial position of the business started declining. When they were on the verge of shutting down, some of the employees came to the rescue. I and a few other colleagues surrendered half of their salaries to bring the business back to its glory. We worked day and night to stabilize the financial position of the company.
Within a short span of time, we launched some fascinating products to sell online, initiated a new project in Pakistan, knows as Extreme Commerce now. Things started getting back on track and I saw an impressive future for myself in EC. Though it took me nearly 2 years to back to my initial PKR 80,000 salary, the wait was worth it!
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| King's Palace (Malaysia) 2019 |
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| During my time at Extreme Commerce (Jinnah International Airport, Karachi) |
New Opportunity for Betterment
I did leave Extreme Commerce after 6 years and this has bugged a lot of my friends. When I was part of EC, I started receiving different offers, among which many were too lucrative to decline. But I remained loyal to my employer and continued giving my best. However, with time I realized that the corporate world is a temporary place. In such a world from the smallest thing to an employee, everyone is replaceable. Some changes in Extreme Commerce didn’t adjust as per my personality. This pushed me away and finally, I decided to quit.
In November 2020, I became part of another project called EG (E-Commerce Galaxy). This project was launched in collaboration with the City of London College. This was the first of its kind institute in Pakistan that was offering opportunities everyone dreams of.
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| In November 2020, launched another project called E-Commerce Galaxy. This was the first time I stopped being backstage. I took the stage. (Alhamra Art Center, Lahore) |
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| Bahria Auditorium, Karachi |
My Life Today
Prayers made by parents in favor of their children can indeed change the world. This rightly happened with me and changed the fate of my life. After years of struggle, doing laborious tasks, and enduring hard times, my life took a 360o change. I witnessed the real ups and downs of life, endured tougher times with patience, and never complained to God.
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| Sending my parents to perform Umrah was the first thing I did after getting financial stability |
Today, I am co-founder of E-Commerce Galaxy. Running a successful private label brand on Amazon in the USA. Part of a web service agency and just recently set up an app development firm in the UK as well. My hard work paid off and today I am the son of the proudest parents. The patience taught by father has finally changed everything for us.
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| Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok (Thailand) |
If I look back, I do see a life full of lessons. Luckily, I had the opportunity to learn and grow from my mistakes, grew stronger after facing each crisis, and became a man I never dreamt of. By the grace of God, today I own a few commercial and residential properties and drive a nice car.
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| My childhood friend Mazhar used to sell boiled eggs during our hard days. We faced those days together, it was time to party together. Phi Phi Islands (Thailand) |
Today I am grateful to everyone who helped me during my hardships. I can never thank enough my cousins and friends who stood by my side. Tough times help you in finding true friends and real cousins. Luckily, I found the greats gem whom I am proud of.
Always remember, get freedom from the doubt and find the light and spark in yourself that keeps you awake! Never judge yourself! Keep your head up and continue fighting with the same fire and energy!
