19-year-old Franchisee Finds Business in the beans

As a freshman in college, I spent my days studying physical geography in Mr. Simpson’s class, and my nights tossing pizza dough at a local restaurant. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday I sat, I listened, and I studied; I stretched, I tossed and I sauced. As I sliced up fresh pies I would think to myself, “Someday I will own my own business.” Little did I know that when you are a freshman in college, you can own your own business. That is exactly what Saxbys Coffee franchisee Hamad Mazhir decided to do. “As a freshman at Georgia State University, I was drawn toward entrepreneurship,” Mazhir said. “One of my family members was very successful in the franchising business.  I sought out their advice and attempted to replicate their success model.” Being a young entrepreneur takes guts. You have to be able to take the gamble, bet on yourself and go all in. The decision to push in the chips isn’t as easy as sliding them across the felt, especially at a young age. “Persuading landlords and franchisers to take a 19-year-old boy with no experience seriously, and working with general managers who were twice my age was no easy task,” Mazhir noted. “I was also a full-time student, which made for a challenging start-up phase.” As a young entrepreneur, Mazhir knew that it would be a long tough road, but he never thought of juggling school and business as a bad thing. Sure it may be tough at times, but a challenge worth taking. “I enjoy challenges. Being an entrepreneur means constantly facing difficult situations and for me finding solutions to new problems never gets old,” Mazhir said. “More importantly, creating a road map, accomplishing goals and setting new ones always keeps everyone motivated and striving for more.” With many years of experience and different business ventures to reflect on, Mazhir may not have reached the end of the road, but he knows now that he has made the right decision. “With anything in life, there’s a chance of facing failure, but I'm optimistic and determined to face whatever comes my way,” Mazhir said. “I knew what I wanted to do and just ran with it.  Now that I think about it, I get to do what I'm passionate about for the rest of my life.”