My journey began in 8th grade when my dad lost his business, leaving our family in $50,000 debt. I had to drop out of school to help support us by finding work. 

Living in Pakistan, I faced harsh odds. My skills in design and advertising were dismissed as worthless, and I was constantly told I was "too young" for meaningful job opportunities. The best I could find was a dead-end job paying just $100 a month, which I refused.

Instead, I landed a remote sales role with a UK-based company, earning only $200 a month—barely enough to survive. 
But for me, the real value was learning sales. I chose long-term growth over short-term gain, which is why I later named my company Lixue, which means, standing for your values even in the face of adversity.

It wasn’t easy. Many nights, I questioned my choices, doubting myself as family and friends urged me to take the $100 job just to get by. I know what it feels like to face constant uncertainty, sleepless nights, and the pressure of having no connections or backup.

I threw myself into learning everything about sales and business. Though I was struggling financially, I treated each deal as a step toward something bigger.

Within two years, I scaled that UK company to six figures, went from closing $500 deals to $6,000+ deals, and earned multiple promotions—though the money didn’t reflect the responsibility. 

At the same time, my side hustle—my design business—was failing due to a lack of time and focus. These setbacks, however, became the foundation of my future success, teaching me lessons I still carry today.