Moving from one country to another is a challenge, especially for people looking for a better life. This is true for many Middle Eastern people who flee their homes to escape war and death. Moving to another country is often an escape and a decision to pursue better opportunities. Fortunately, there are many stories of people finding success when they found a new life abroad.
One example of a success story is Bilal Khoja, who moved with his family to Denmark when he was only six years old. During his childhood, racism was rampant in his city, making life even harder for the young Bilal. Even as a child, Bilal knew that they were at the bottom of society partly because of their ethnicity.
Despite the obstacles he faced early in his life, Bilal remained determined to make a better life for himself and his family. He understood that education would open doors for him, so he pursued a college education despite his poverty. He went to Aalborg University, where he studied computer science and started an online business at the same time.
When his online business started gaining steam, Bilal decided to give up his studies to run his brand. Quitting college was a hard decision, but he decided that his business could support him and his family. In addition, he had accumulated a heavy debt on student loans, which was a huge responsibility for a 19-year-old. Bilal worked seven days a week and ten hours per day to scale his company called Flexter.
Bilal was able to hire 20 people from all over Europe and the United States and three people within Denmark. As a media network builder, the company connects clients with their passion using various content on different social media platforms. Flexter offers search engine optimization services via Bing and Google and advertising on major social media sites like TikTok and Snapchat.
Through Flexter, Bilal settled his debts in only three months. During the company's early years, he did almost every task, like creating and correcting content and by gathering feedback from Reddit. Bilal started using a project management application to ease some tasks requiring too much time and attention.
Today, Bilal owns four brands, namely GamingScan, which has its distinct YouTube channel, DisplayNinja, GPU Mag, and PC Strike. These brands generate significant revenue for Bilal, allowing him to pursue other endeavors. One of his plans for the future is to launch a media company with a vast network of content creators, editors, writers, and managers.
The biggest lesson Bilal learned from his journey to success is that relying on a sole source of income is not a good idea. People should have a side hustle that will give them passive income while staying focused on their primary jobs. Also, he learned that being your own boss goes a long way since you have control over how and how much you earn. Bilal adds that learning is vital to succeed regardless of your goal.