"Slow your thoughts down and try to live in the moment and focus on yourself and your goals."
Imran Khan Tweet
Imran Khan, Founder & CEO of TechNerds Inc, has 10+ years of experience in sales, business development, & tech. He helps businesses, investors, startups, and entrepreneurs successfully design, develop, and deploy digital products to the market. He educates and mentors students + aspiring entrepreneurs to achieve business mastery & success through his lectures, seminars, and online courses. Making a difference in clients’ lives by inducing a success-oriented mindset that aids their life and business through his course – “The Winning Mindset”
Check out more interviews with entrepreneurs here.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET FEATURED?
All interviews are 100% FREE OF CHARGE
Table of Contents
Thank you for joining us today. Please introduce yourself to our readers. They want to know you, some of the background story to bring some context to your interview.
Imran Khan: Hello, my name is Imran Khan and I am the Founder & CEO of TechNerds Inc. We are a multi-national digital agency with offices in the United States, Dubai, Geneva, and Lahore. I have been working in the tech and business industries for about ten years. Previously, I worked as an accountant for 6 years in the corporate world with companies like Aryzta and Boeing. I started my entrepreneurial journey about 10 years ago when I came up with the idea to start a fitness company. The company was called Monsters in Training, back when social media and fitness brands were in the process of booming and the competition wasn’t as saturated as it is today. To cut a long story short, I was able to build a warehouse in Denver and fill it with merchandise and supplements (proteins, pre-workouts, fat burners, bcaa, etc). I knew I had hit a gold mine and that I was going to build something significant with more than 5,000 ambassadors worldwide in less than eight months.
Due to my lack of diligence and research as a rookie entrepreneur, I got hit with cease and desist notices from Monster and UFC for trademark infringement. Having met with several attorneys, I was shocked to find out there was no way to battle these “trademark bullies” – I call them that since they are notorious for this. You can google “Trademark bully monster” to see what I’m talking about. However, I was traumatized since I had no income and no job, and I was at a severe loss and in serious debt. Despite these challenges, I held firm in my resolve to find a solution. After reflecting, I realized that I enjoy putting things together, networking, and creating, and TECHNERDS was born. A technology and marketing ecosystem designed for startups, entrepreneurs, small and midsized businesses, and enterprise organizations. Since then, I have built this company with my business partner and now we have over 100 employees.
You are a successful entrepreneur, so we’d like your viewpoint, do you believe entrepreneurs are born or made? Explain.
Imran Khan: Both. Some come with an “in-born” nature of survival which is naturally stronger than the average, and others can be made from failures and experiences in their environments. There is no one way to be built into an entrepreneur.
If you were asked to describe yourself as an entrepreneur in a few words, what would you say?
Imran Khan: My entrepreneur identity is characterized by patience, discipline, and resilience.
Tell us about what your company does and how did it change over the years?
Imran Khan: We build technology platforms and offer digital marketing solutions. We’ve changed over the years by studying markets and businesses and aligned ourselves as a hub for digital needs by listening and understanding critical gaps that need to be filled from cost, value, and relationships. By offering more for less, we continue to cultivate our organization on long-term relationships built on results.
Thank you for all that. Now for the main focus of this interview. With close to 11.000 new businesses registered daily in the US, what must an entrepreneur assume when starting a business?
Imran Khan: From my personal experience, have sufficient confidence to succeed, be willing to take personal responsibility and sacrifice. Have enough determination to work alone. Dedicate as many hours as needed to the work. Understand things that may appear right can go wrong and 2 of the most important factors that this journey is designed to test your patience and gratitude.
Did you make any wrong assumptions before starting a business that you ended up paying dearly for?
Imran Khan: Yes, in my fitness business I didn’t cross-check any of the logo work made for my company and I didn’t trademark anything, so after 6 months of operations and raking in more than $450K I started getting cease and desist letters from Monster Energy and UFC for trademark infringement with a $2.5M lien against me. I had to forfeit. Very expensive lesson learned.
If you could go back in time to when you first started your business, what advice would you give yourself and why? Explain.
Imran Khan: Do proper due diligence, speak to mentors and professionals and properly set up a company, and speak to attorneys about marketing and trademarks.
What is the worst advice you received regarding running a business and what lesson would you like others to learn from your experience?
Imran Khan: To just focus on cash flow and make money. The real focus needs to be the end-user – the customer. Making sure the customer has a world-class experience increases retention and LTV.
In your opinion, how has COVID-19 changed what entrepreneurs should assume before starting a business? What hasn’t changed?
Imran Khan: They should assume things are more flexible now with remote work and digital experiences, so invest further in bringing that experience to life. What hasn’t changed is providing excellent client-focused experiences and listening to your customers.
What is a common myth about entrepreneurship that aspiring entrepreneurs and would-be business owners believe in? What advice would you give them?
Imran Khan: A common myth is you need to have all the answers and have funding before you start. My advice: You have everything you need already inside of you, you must believe it to manifest it, and appreciate each day and enjoy the moment. Slow your thoughts down and try to live in the moment and focus on yourself and your goals.
What traits, qualities, and assumptions do you believe are most important to have before starting a business?
Imran Khan: Patience and Gratitude are very important traits. Patient when things are difficult and grateful when things are smooth, keeping a healthy balance. Compassion and kindness are also important to help nurture relations. Assume that you are going to win and you are going to get tested and it is going to be tough. You will get tested and rocked emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, but it will bring the best out of you ultimately.
How can aspiring leaders prepare themselves for the future challenges of entrepreneurship? Are there any books, websites, or even movies to learn from?
Imran Khan: Aspiring leaders should take on mentors, read books on money, investment, personal development, psychology, watch videos on success and motivation, learn as much as you can so you can grow beyond your belief. The can consult me at TechNerds.com for FREE. I’ve helped more than 1,000 people bring their visions to life and I offer free services and provide an ecosystem to grow ideas and nurture them.
You have shared quite a bit of your wisdom and our readers thank you for your generosity but would also love to know: If you could choose any job other than being an entrepreneur, what would it be?
Imran Khan: A speaker.
Thank you so much for your time, I believe I speak for all of our readers when I say that this has been incredibly insightful. We do have one more question: If you could add anyone to Mount Rushmore, but not a politician, who would it be; why?
Imran Khan: A Prophet – humanity has lost its value due to the distractions of technology and entertainment. Real people were born before the advancements in tech, today loss of empathy and character has created negative impacts and made people resort to drugs and alcohol and other bad addictions. To have a face or an identity of someone who is righteous and displays good character and light, without money and power is the most respectable face to place in Mount Rushmore.
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Imran Khan for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Imran Khan or his company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
Did you enjoy this article? Check out similar stories:
Jocko Willink: From US Navy Seal To Millionaire Coach And Best Selling Author
Andy Frisella: An Inspiring Story Of Grit
Allison Stokke: How A Single Photo Made Her The Famous Internet Sensation That She Is Now
Disclaimer: The ValiantCEO Community welcomes voices from many spheres on our open platform. We publish pieces as written by outside contributors with a wide range of opinions, which don’t necessarily reflect our own. Community stories are not commissioned by our editorial team and must meet our guidelines prior to being published.