Interview with Anwar ‘Anweezy’ Ahmed, Founder of Aktiv Social

I had the pleasure of interviewing Anwar ‘Anweezy’ Ahmed, Founder of Aktiv Social, who enhances social profiles internationally for Influencers and businesses. Also, the Founder of Humble Burgerz, which is a Food truck in Los Angeles.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

Thank you for having me here. Life is pretty crazy, before coming to Los Angeles and starting up Aktiv Social, I was in Corporate America working a 9-5 as a Software Engineer. When coming to California, I took a course from Product School, which helped Software Engineers transition into Product Managers. When completing the course I realized that I have the skill-set to do both develop and market a digital solution. So, I took the risk in not continuing the Corporate 9-5 and aimed at open markets in Los Angeles. Music, Theatre, Food, and Marketing. So, I decided to run a Digital Marketing Agency earlier this year and tried out the Food truck market.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your company?

When people would come to my Food truck and say “Hey I follow Humble Burgerz on Instagram.” It would make me smile because Humble Burgerz is being blessed Aktiv Social, which is my own social marketing agency. So it goes hand to hand.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

The first mistake I made was trying to mimic the competition rather than implement a method that would work solely for my business, allowing it to stand out from the other trucks. Leaving your truck on the side of the street and hoping for foot traffic is the traditional way of selling on a Food truck. Aim for being Innovational over traditional.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

What makes Humble Burgerz different is the pairings it has compared to other Food Trucks. For example, it has a social media agency (Aktiv Social), which helps enhances my companies social media presence. Aktiv Social builds personalized scripts enhancing the flow of your profile, allowing it to receive more reactions. More reactions mean more money. It also has several delivery outlets, allowing the truck to have a delivery option

Marketing is the most important part of a business. You need to receive a heavier reach in order to receive more clients. There are ways you can build up companies by connecting with Marketing Agencies. There are agencies that do the direct mailing for ad’s, social media enhancing, canvassing, and door-to-door flyers. They will help you in doing the dirty work allowing you to just work on your business product or services.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

I had/have several successful mentors that would contact me if they had tips that would be useful for my businesses. My mom, Zeineb Bushra, is the reason I’m the entrepreneur people see today. None of this would be possible without her. Growing up, my mom would have three jobs and would tell me daily “You don’t want this to happen, make sure you’re an A student”. When I was in college I wanted to be a nutrition major. My mom made sure that didn’t happen(*Laughs*). She pushed me towards Computer Science and that’s when I got to exercise a different side of my brain. I ended up graduating with a Computer Science and Mathematics background from Penn State University. Blessings to all the Moms out there. The world appreciates you.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way.

Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

I’ve received the chance to connect people with tech positions, so this allows people within the field to exercise what they’ve studied. I’ve also helped over 100 people enhance their personal/business pages on social media. They’ve received more connections/clients and business flow. Also, I’m looking into more philanthropy work. I came back from help building a skatepark in Hawassa, Ethiopia.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

“Positivity, confidence, and persistence are key in life, so never give up on yourself” Throughout my young life I’ve been blessed with individuals to trust my judgment on certain life scenarios. This is due to my track record in business and my confidence. Remember… Whatever you are today is due to the reactions you’ve received in the past. You’re past allows your judgment on certain scenarios to be stronger due to the lessons you have learned on the way. In high school, I got cut from the team three out of four years. I ended up playing college basketball though… If I listened to what my high school coach said, I wouldn’t have two degrees(Computer Science and Mathematics) from Penn State University, I wouldn’t have had a job that paid me 6-figures at the age 22. I wouldn’t have owned a Digital Marketing Agency or a Food Truck. Remember you know best about yourself and your future. It’s up to you to get what you deserve.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me before I started my company” and why?, Please share a story or example for each.

Don’t do business with someone who can’t put anything to benefit the situation the company is currently in

1. Make sure all paperwork is done before doing any work in a company

2. Be real with your ideas.

3. How long would it take you to get your first milestone done and what’s your true limit with your service or productct

4. How much money does it cost to fully run it, who is your audience, where is your audience, and what’s your strategy on getting a heavier audience due to that being your income

5. Marketing your service or product is what’s key to moving towards your next milestone

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

Aktiv Social is going to be the movement that brings interconnectivity among the people who deserve it.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Instagram: @anweezy

Twitter: @anweez_

Humble Burgerz Instagram: @humbleburgerz

Aktiv Social Instagram: @aktivsocial

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!