Sami Baki always knew he wanted to build a successful business. At the age of 16, he recognized he needed to get started if he wanted to reach his goal. Feeling that the conventional education system was not for him, he turned to self-education. Sami believes that education is a lifelong process that he cultivates by reading books, talking to experts, working with consultants, and gaining real life experience. Starting with an Amazon FBA business he launched 5 years ago, Sami, now 22 years old, and his business partners make millions helping companies rapidly scale with digital marketing and sales strategies. While he may have set out initially to build a business and make money, Sami is now more motivated by the value he offers to the people he helps every day.
It all started when Sami was 16 and decided to begin his journey as an entrepreneur. He got a job at a local restaurant where he worked to earn money to start his Amazon FBA business. By age 17 he was making just a few hundred dollars per month from the business, but he was so proud of his accomplishment, it felt like a million dollars. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, he had to close his Amazon store. But Sami made a personal commitment to start over and make the next big idea work, no matter what it took. In 2018 at the age of 19, seeing big opportunities for himself, Sami dropped out of college to go full throttle with his business, and that’s when things really started to take off.
Sami believes you are your own biggest challenge when trying to succeed in life. Limiting beliefs create obstacles and make the road harder. For years, Sami listened to business gurus give their testimonials. They talked about how they hustled non-stop for decades, neglected important relationships, and suffered through tremendous stress to be successful. Hearing that “business is hard” made him believe his road would also be hard. He spent 3 years earning less than minimum wage from his business for the time he put in and there were times he got very frustrated. It wasn’t until he opened his eyes to see that there are people who work smart and find the same success without the same trials and tribulations.. “Looking back, there were a million things I could have done to get to where I am now much sooner. I didn’t see these things for the longest time because my beliefs did not allow me to,” he says.
In order to be successful, you need to have clearly defined goals. Sami knew he wanted to be a successful entrepreneur, but he says money as a goal isn’t enough. Of course, you need to know how much you want to make, but you also need to know how you want to do it, what are you willing to sacrifice, what is your purpose, and what do you want your life to be like as a result. “Above all,” he says, “you need to be motivated by things other than money.” Sami’s business experienced massive growth when his focus turned to helping people over acquiring wealth. And he has his circle to thank for it. Without his business partners, team, coaches, mentors, and customers, none of this would be possible.
Despite common beliefs, Sami rejects the idea that fear is necessary or beneficial. He used to be afraid of so much (most of those things are laughable). But by bringing awareness and reframing your fears, Sami believes you can eliminate the fears that once held you down. He doesn’t bother with comparisons or join in the rat race of competition. Instead, he knows he has something unique to offer the world and only wishes that he and his team had enough time to help everyone that they want to help. Building businesses is fun, but adding value to people’s lives takes it to a new level.
What’s next for Sami? He is working on some non-profit science projects he is excited to get off the ground. You can follow Sami on Instagram @sami.baki.