“Don’t worry about comfort and luxury too much. Downsizing and making life as simple as possible, having your daily life revolve around the basics first and foremost, is perhaps the sine qua non of successful entrepreneurship.”__ Adam Azim
Adam Azim’s entrepreneurial journey is rooted in self-discovery and authenticity. Instead of taking a traditional job, he chose entrepreneurship to explore his passions while fulfilling personal aspirations. Traveling the world and indulging in new experiences helped him gain clarity before fully committing to business. His journey highlights that entrepreneurship is not just about financial success but also personal fulfillment and the freedom to create one’s own path.
In this exclusive interview with Business Upside, Adam talks about his mentors, different business aspects, and other things. For Adam, true mentors are those who leave a lasting impact. His professors and spiritual guides played a crucial role in shaping his mindset. Their wisdom and integrity continue to guide him, reinforcing that business success is intertwined with personal growth. He believes in seeking knowledge from the right sources and staying open to learning, making mentorship a key part of his journey.
Edited Excerpts from the Interview
Business Upside [BU]: What motivated you to become an entrepreneur instead of taking a traditional job?
Adam Azim [AA]: In truth, a lot of it had to do with taking as much time as I needed to figure out what I really wanted to do with my life, all while knocking out all the stuff I had on my “bucket list” per se. I had to be true to myself instead of being fake. For instance, there were lots of foods and restaurants I wanted to try all around the country and lots of places I wanted to travel around the world before I got tied down to any kind of serious work responsibility. And for the most part, I can say that I did everything I wanted to do before life got serious. I wrote the book I wanted to write. I developed the blog that I wanted to develop. All while knocking out all the other bucket list stuff, such as food and travel. Let’s just say I got to indulge to the extent that leaves me sort of content and satisfied before things get serious in the world.
[BU]: Who are your biggest role models or mentors in the business world?
[AA]: A role model or mentor would perhaps mean someone who exerts influence over you. Someone who is able to shape your thoughts and actions. Someone who you will never forget, even after they are gone. In this regard, I would have to say some of my undergraduate and graduate professors and then my spiritual guides were the biggest role models and mentors I have had through the course of my 36 years on this earth. Their character, their honesty, and just the sheer importance and significance of having such people exist on this earth, to give purpose to existence itself, is enough to bring me to tears sometimes, let alone come under their influence.
[BU]: How do you differentiate your business from competitors?
[AA]: They sometimes use the term “movers and shakers” in business lingo. That is the main difference if I had to choose one difference above all the others. I see this enterprise and venture as a “mover and shaker” in international society. As opposed to what are run of the mill, hackneyed sort of enterprises and ventures which you see quite often. Those that are more appearance rather than substance. In the end, appearance is nothing if you lose. Appearance does not amount to anything if you don’t win or if victory is not yours.
[BU]: What was the biggest risk you took in your business, and how did it turn out?
[AA]: I would say the biggest risk I took was turning down one scarce opportunity after another to either create or induce a better one. I wrote off all the scarce opportunities that did arise as not good enough. As not something that I would settle for. Even if I did not know what I wanted to settle for, I was not going to settle for what was being offered. I considered all the scarce, stingy opportunities offered to me as a scam. As a rip-off. And I upheld that view even until the present moment.
[BU]: How do you handle competition and market saturation?
[AA]: There is really no one as of yet who I have had to directly challenge or overcome as serious competition. As Rumi said, immature, but I am still searching for the one who actually knows.
[BU]: What’s your advice on finding a good business mentor?
[AA]: In my case, when it came to getting advice or mentorship, or when it came to the efforts in acquiring the advice and mentorship I needed or desired, I had to rely on my ability to get people to actually talk to me. What if people don’t want to talk? What if they prefer not being bothered by you and not having to answer your questions? But fortunately, in my case, all the individuals through the course of my life who I’ve approached for what are now golden nuggets of wisdom gave them to me without hesitation and without equivocating. Anyone I thought of as having mattered in terms of seeking their advice and mentorship, anyone who I thought of as having any sort of value, came through for me. I was blessed. I was fortunate. I do not know if others will be as blessed or fortunate. But I was blessed and fortunate to have such individuals cross paths with me throughout life and to be so liberal and generous in terms of their help and input.
[BU]: Have you integrated AI or automation into your business operations?
[AA]: AI is what makes my blog interesting. I will write something, prove my point, I told you so, and then AI will step in and bring up stuff to say, “hey, by the way, look at this.” Or “Do any of you remember this?” I think AI is wonderful; it is a helpful tool, and I don’t see any downside to it whatsoever. AI is the most interesting and amazing technological innovation in recent history, and it will remain so for the foreseeable future.
[BU]: How do you stay ahead in a rapidly changing digital landscape?
[AA]: You have to endure the pain and torture that comes with being able to stay ahead before you get to the point of being able to stay ahead. And that is what I accomplished. Or at least I think I did. Considering what I’ve done, I believe I did.
[BU]: What financial habits do you believe every entrepreneur should develop?
[AA]: Don’t worry about comfort and luxury too much. Downsizing and making life as simple as possible, having your daily life revolve around the basics first and foremost, is perhaps the sine qua non of successful entrepreneurship. Everything in the world goes through an eventual ‘devaluation’ of sorts. So why cling to everything? What is it that we are prioritizing? All of it requires deep introspection and contemplation. Muslims have a teaching in their faith tradition from the Prophet Muhammad, which says you must value five things before they are gone: time before getting swamped, youth before old age, wealth before becoming poor, health before illness, and life before death. It is a mindset we are developing above all else.
[BU]: If you could start all over again, what would you do differently?
[AA]: I would have valued my time with my late grandmother more than anything else. Her foresight and intuition surpassed that of any intelligence chief. It was a profound love and respect between two people which can never be replaced. So, if I could go back, that is perhaps the one and only thing I would do differently. Not having valued my time with my grandmother and not having expressed my love for her enough is perhaps the biggest regret of my whole life.
More Information
Company URL: www.adam-azim.com
LinkedIn URL: http://linkedin.com/in/adam-a-azim-94bb111b2
