Anosh Ahmed

Dr. Anosh Ahmed is an internal medicine physician and thriving entrepreneur. As a self-driven individual, he has contributed to the re-development of various healthcare facilities in both Chicago and Houston. Despite his passion for the medical field, Dr. Ahmed has always been interested in the business side of the healthcare landscape. Prior to fulfilling higher education, he owned and operated multiple import/export businesses, nightclubs, and restaurants. He attributes his work ethic to having to care for his family at an early age. When his father fell ill, he worked several jobs to help his family maintain financial independence.

Dr. Ahmed obtained a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership before attending medical school. He eventually completed his Internal Medicine Residency at Mount Sinai Hospital.

Dr. Ahmed is currently focused on various entrepreneurial and real estate projects and is considered an angel investor in the industry. He takes pride in purchasing distressed properties and enjoys the process of locating suitable owners. He is also an active member of his community and continues to conduct free clinics in Chicago for those unable to obtain health insurance.

Where did the idea for your career come from?

I think the model of being a self-employed entrepreneur comes from the fact that as an employee, you are capped at a certain level and you can never show your full potential. However, with entrepreneurship, the sky’s the limit and you have the choice of where you want to go. I enjoy having the freedom to make my own decisions.

Right now, I am involved in over forty different business ventures. They range from hospitals to clinics, real estate investing, as well as being an angel investor. If someone needs capital and it is a good opportunity, then I do investments as well.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

I wake up between 4: 00 to 5:00 in the morning. It has always been a habit of mine to look at the markets, not in the U.S., but overseas because the international markets dictate the market here in the U.S. I will glance over the Wall Street Journal and then check emails. There’s really no set schedule. But I do have a group of people who are always sending opportunities on a daily basis on what’s out there in the market. I spend a few hours doing research and if the opportunity sounds good, then just go do some site visits to see what the opportunities look like.

How do you bring ideas to life?

At the end of the day, I can’t fall in love with just one industry. There’s a formula that’s created in my head in terms of how far my capital can get me to where I want to go. So, if an opportunity presents in real estate, or as an angel investor, or in healthcare, I may act on if I am getting the return that I need to get and if the opportunity is clear where it is going to lead me. I’m always on the road, always travelling, always out and about.

What’s one trend that excites you?

As of right now, I’m really invested into apartment complexes, the reason being is that there’s a lot of different emerging places in the U.S. right now. You have Austin, Texas, you have Dallas, Texas, Atlanta, Georgia, and then you also have a few places in Florida that are growing areas. Right now, there is a shortage in the housing market. People always need a place to live, so that’s why the apartment complex portfolios in those cities have done extremely well right now.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

I think waking up early in the morning really helps. As they always said to us in school and as a kid, the early bird gets the worm. For me, waking up early in the morning, seeing what opportunities are out there, and keeping myself in a set routine helps to keep me productive.

What advice would you give your younger self?

It’s always okay to slow down a little bit and take a little break.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

A lot of people say that money does bring you happiness, but I don’t think it does. I think it brings you comfort, but happiness should be created by you and not so much by the money that you make.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

You have to be persistent and you can’t give up. You need to still pursue the deals that you want to pursue. If you ever hear the word no, that’s not the end of it. You just have to continue pushing and pushing and pushing.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

I think the best thing that I’ve been able to do is for myself is to be able to diversify and just not be focused on one industry or one project. I am comfortable going into different sectors if needed when an opportunity is present.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

I have had a lot of failures as an entrepreneur. I think the key is to take the risks you need to as long as you’re able to mitigate the risk and you’re not putting everything into that one business. Even if you fail, you’re able to come out of it strong.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

I know everyone talks about this but owning some sort of real estate is not bad for any one at any age, or for any individual to get into. I think land is a key investment that people should go after because land values do appreciate. Even if someone wants to rent right now, if they made that extra focus to owning, it’s a great way to build assets after ten, twenty, or thirty years,

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

I think the best investments you can make are spending on the younger generation. My nephew recently turned two and even though I don’t think my sister-in-law and my brother wanted me to purchase him a little gadget, I think that technology is still the future. I think the way that we learned as kids is a lot different than how these kids are going to learn now and in the future.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

Being as busy as I am, Outlook is a great system for me to stay on top of things. My Outlook Calendar helps me to stay on task and stay organized.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

One that I really enjoyed is called How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big by Scott Adams. Every entrepreneur is going to fail at some point in their life, and this book gives you hope that you can still continue and still be successful.

What is your favorite quote?

So the quote that I always put up on some of the social media that I have is, “The test of success is not what you do when you’re on top, but it is how you bounce back when you hit rock bottom.”

Key Learnings:

•  Never give up on pursuing your goals.
•  Don’t put all your eggs in one basket when it comes to opportunities.
•  Always follow the market and trends to see what direction they’re going in.