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Business influencers have a large impact on how businesses are conducted today. These influencers will inspire you to dream big and have faith in yourself. Knowing their stories and struggles can teach you a few important lessons for business success.
Just for you, we've compiled a list of the Top 5 Malaysian business influencers from various industries!
1. Shariffuddin Bujang - CEO of NASTY Worldwide
Source: Instagram @pakdinasty
Shariffuddin Bujang, or Pakdin as he was known, did not come from a wealthy family. He started small, with a printing business, then as a wedding photographer, and now has a company that sells tens of millions of ringgit per year, which is NASTY.
Pakdin and his business partner Azizul Ridzuan founded the NASTY Worldwide in 2015. NASTY is a vape product brand that has received international recognition for several years in a row. This brand has also successfully expanded across more than 70 countries. Although they are pleased with their success, they recognise that something is wrong.
He claimed that they are selling an alternative product to stop smoking, which is vaping. Yet, he still smokes, and it's hard to stop smoking. Pakdin and his business partner next thought was to develop another product to assist people in quitting smoking. They introduced NCIG, a new product designed by smokers for smokers.
Born in Negeri Sembilan, this business influencer has made it to the global market. NASTY Worldwide, which was founded and operated earlier in Tampin, Negeri Sembilan, has now quickly begun penetrating markets and garnering a large following across Europe and the Americas with its award-winning creations.
His company now designs, develops, and markets an entire ecosystem of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) solutions, with offices in Indonesia, India, the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and South Korea.
2. Amish Remmy - Managing Director of Pasta Panas
Source: Google
Amiesh Remmy is a food entrepreneur and the founder of Pasta Panas brand. This brand started as a tiny stall in a mamak restaurant in USJ 9, Subang Jaya, in 2016. Within six months of opening, the small stall was overwhelmed by a crowd that exceeded its capacity. Due to high demand, Amiesh and his business partner, Sharawy Iqbal have expanded their business by opening five additional stalls throughout Klang Valley within four years.
Source: Google
The stall business grew from a twosome workforce in 2016 to a food and beverage chain with a crew of 60 employees. Despite their rapid and steady growth, the founders ran into trouble when the movement control order (MCO) went into effect in March 2020.
However, now the brand has engaged with several partners to make the Pasta Panas menu more accessible to their consumers. With his catchy brand slogan ‘Endless Pastabilities, Amiesh managed to open a flagship store in Bangsar to offer locally-flavoured pasta dishes. You can also easily stop for a quick meal at any Pasta Panas outlet across Petronas stations nationwide, or you can buy their frozen pasta pack at Mesra outlets.
3. Lee Thiam Wah - Founder of 99 Speedmart
Source: Google
Known as the ‘King of Mini Marts Malaysia’, Lee Thiam Wah need no introduction of this 99Speedmart retail brand. He was born in 1964 and had a difficult start in life after contracting polio at the age of eight months. He lost the use of his legs, forcing him to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.
Lee's parents could only afford to support him until primary school because his father was a construction worker and his mother was a hawker. The secondary school was too far away, and the family couldn't afford the transportation fees.
He began selling small items outside his family's home on Jalan Kapar in Klang, Selangor, when he was 14 years old. In his spare time, he read newspapers and magazines and borrowed books from his neighbours to continue his education on his own.
With RM17,000 saving, he used it to open his first grocery store, "Pasaraya Hiap Hoe," in Tepi Sungai, Klang, in 1987, when he was only 23 years old. He eventually sold the company to a relative and used the proceeds to open a mini-market called "Pasar Mini 99" in 1992, and the rest is history. The company was rebranded as 99 Speedmart with over 1,000 locations nationwide.
4. Dato’ Seri Hasmiza Othman - Founder of Vida Beauty
Source: Instagram @datoserivida
Dato’ Seri Vida Hasmiza Othman, also known as "DSV," is one of Malaysia's most successful female entrepreneurs. She is well-known for establishing her own cosmetics and health-care empire, Vida Beauty, and its most well-known product, Qu Puteh.
She was born in Machang, Kelantan, and has faced numerous challenges since childhood. From losing her father at the age of eight to grieving for her two children who died in a tragic fire in August 2013.
She got a steady monthly income as a teacher after graduating from Universiti Sains Malaysia with a degree in education. She then took advantage of the opportunity to learn about the beauty and grooming industry and started her own business. She went through multiple highs and lows after that, including taking out a RM100,000 loan to open up a salon. Only after 12 years of teaching did she decide to change jobs and begin working at the National Vocational Training Council.
Vida Beauty was eventually established, and Vida even received a RM1 million government grant to help develop the business. However, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy when she invested half of her capital in advertising, which didn't seem to work until she advertised her products on the RTM Kelantan FM radio station.
That turned her company around. She has been more cautious about how she markets her products since then, frequently using herself as a brand ambassador.
These Malaysians proved that with determination and hard work, anyone can achieve their goals and be successful in what they love the most.
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