At just 16-years-old, Mohammed Shakaoat earned the nickname “Young Hustler” as he built a business reselling designer shoes, iPods, and even PlayStation 2 games. Some say the Bangladeshi immigrant could turn a pen into $100 by the end of the day. A natural entrepreneur was blossoming before the eyes of the students and staff of Hallandale High School in Miami, Florida.
After spending the profit he had accumulated to buy his own car in the 11th grade, Shakaoat knew he had the mind and heart for entrepreneurship. He stated, “Everyone is a salesperson, even the president of the United States has to sell himself to the people before passing a new law. Shakaoat believes having the right mentor and knowing exactly where to start is the biggest challenge when it comes to starting a business as an entrepreneur.
With a high school diploma in hand, Shakaoat enrolled in Florida International University to pursue criminal justice. Four years later, Shakaoat found himself with a university degree and a job as a state trooper in South Florida. Even though he had landed the job he spent four years at FIU working towards, Shakaoat felt like something was missing. He was missing the thrill of being that “Young Hustler” from high school and dreamt of being his own boss in charge of his own destiny.
Six months into his new job, Shakaoat quit to pursue a career as an entrepreneur. A YouTube video about the ins and outs of the ATM business caught his attention and sparked his drive to invest time and money into the industry. He makes money by mining a service charge every time people make a transaction, allowing him to expand quickly as he doesn’t have to micromanage each machine.
In an effort to help others follow in his prosperous footsteps, Shakaoat started his own YouTube channel sharing his personal knowledge about the industry. He quickly received a flurry of positive feedback, and followers encouraged him to create an online platform featuring in-depth information about how to be successful in the ATM industry.
He fulfilled their wishes, launching www.atmacademy.com, where more than 400 students access information and tips about the industry, private group chats, and personal video chats from Shakaoat himself. His students say they love the course and have followed in his footsteps, starting ATM businesses of their own.
Besides his ATM business, Shakaoat is the CEO of Project WiFi (@Projectwifi), an Amazon dropshipping management business that helps scale business’ and free up time for busy owners in return for shares in their companies. Along with fellow entrepreneurs Andy Ta Kong, Marcello Cantu, and Paul Parker, Project WiFi generates between $35,000 to $280,000 a month for each of their 55 clients. In only 9 months, Project WiFi has accumulated over $19,000,000 in share revenues.
Shakaoat plans to grow his businesses and help thousands of people from all around the world achieve the success that the “Young Hustler” has found since selling shoes in the hallways of a small Florida high school. He is definitely an entrepreneur to look out for in 2020 and beyond.
To keep up with Shakaoat, feel free to follow him on his Instagram.