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Abdullah Sharief arrived Canada in 2018 with $2,000 in his pocket and a steely determination to build a new life. He had just turned 21. Fast-forward to 2025. He’s co-founded Panda Hub, a Toronto-based mobile car-detailing company, with Reza Ahmadi. They’re valued at over $60 million, with operations in Ontario, British Columbia, and 11 U.S. states. It’s a success story that sounds neat and tidy in retrospect; immigrant arrives Canada, works hard, builds company.
But I think that trope simplifies Abdullah’s journey through Canada so far. It’s the story of an individual who adapts but doesn’t compromise on who they are and what they stand for. It’s a story about the opportunities Canada offers immigrants to rebuild their lives and the ripple effects these individuals have on our economy and communities.
In his episode, Abdullah and I chat about:
Giving up his medical degree
The door-to-door sales experience that changed everything for him
Starting a business during COVID
Why you shouldn't celebrate your wins too early
What he's hoping Panda Hub looks like by year 10
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Some takeaways:
Being honest in business is a practical and moral position. In the early years of building a business, when everything is messy and relationships are fragile, honesty and consistency is worth more than any short-term advantage a lie could give you.
"Extract as much as you can from the opportunity in front of you" seems to be a better framework than goal-setting. Goals are useful, but they also create a scorekeeping mentality where you either hit the number or you didn't. Abdullah approaches it differently. He looks at whatever opportunity exists right now and asks: what's the maximum value I can pull from this? That mindset kept him from stalling when COVID killed his agency and when door-to-door sales hit a ceiling It's forward-looking without being rigid because there's always more value to extract.
Survival jobs can be more than placeholders. Abdullah's door-to-door sales job was some experience; commission only, no base salary, and dealing with constant rejection. However, it taught him to connect with strangers, handle "no" without crumbling, and figure out quickly what language makes people trust you enough to buy. Those are skills that have come in handy today as he works on Panda Hub.
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