From Fudging Exams To Property Portfolio

Mauritian property mogul Vijay B shares how he went from fudging his exams to building a multi 6 figure business with his management and maintenance business, it wasn't as easy as it seems with curveballs changing his life completely from a young age.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
1.   To where we were from back then with one red suitcase to where are now

2. I  knew I wanted to grow. The only person I would speak to would be you. 

3. You actually helped me realise now isn't the time



BEST MOMENTS
"We are all a freshy"

"Continually reinvest in the business, so I can continue to grow and serve"

"Probably having the backing of your partner, you know, they have to understand it"


VALUABLE RESOURCES
www.reeanimate.com


ABOUT THE HOST
Ree aka @b16ree is a normal hard-working guy from East London who started off pushing trolleys in Tesco and lived his childhood dream of owning a Lamborghini, not 1, but 5! He has worked in investment banking for many years and created profitable side hustles during this work, multiple properties and now trains others in business and e-commerce, his also worked with the likes of Rihanna and been featured in the fast and furious movie.


CONTACT METHOD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/b16ree
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ree.hurakan.5/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/b16ree
Clubhouse: @b16ree
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@b16ree


ABOUT OUR GUEST
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vijay1980/

CONTACT METHOD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/b16ree
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ree.hurakan.5/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/b16ree
Clubhouse: @b16ree
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@b16ree

Transcript

Ree  0:02  
Hey guys and welcome to the entrepreneur hero show today we have got Mr. Vijay backory.

Vijay  0:09  
Thanks, bro. Nice to Good afternoon. Hope you're well, bro.

Ree  0:13  
I'm good man. How you doing?

Vijay  0:14  
Yeah, good, good Friday. No another day, you know, but no great to be great to be on here. Thank you for having me

Ree  0:22  
now. Thanks for coming in man. And so for anyone that's tuning in today, where you from?

Vijay  0:30  
Born in Born and bred in London parents are really originally from Mauritius. So yeah, yeah, born born and bred, born and bred London boy.

Ree  0:39  
So if there's any musicians out there listening, we're Bassam rushes you from originally,

Vijay  0:44  
mum from Port Luis and my dad originally from cuttlebone.

Ree  0:51  
Also Molson. So I had someone on the show in the week and as your Freshy then we know you're definitely not a freshie

Vijay  1:02  
Yeah, no, no, I've been you know, my first visit was like, was like 11 It's a as you know, it's it's difficult because it's so far away. But the yes that's what makes it so magical. Yeah. You know, fantastic place to go to visit got many loads of family out there. Just, you know, but you know, a magical place to go and been, you know, tough couple of years and not being able to get it. Look, we've been on lockdown here. But not as severe as say like malicious malicious mad. Yeah, it was a you know, it was a proper it was a proper it was a proper lockdown. I don't even know the real situation how it is at the moment. But yeah, it'd be lovely. Hoping this year.

Ree  1:52  
Especially was bad. And especially the old tanker and everything is like shit man at your country. This is like, one of those most viral shots. You know, like, if you look at the remember

Vijay  2:00  
that? Yeah. Wow. Yeah, go remember it. I can see like, feels like ages ago. It got ignored. It's like, I talk to people now. And it's like, you know, Black Christmas has just gone. And it's today, and then Happy New Year. And I'm like, Oh, yeah. But like, on like the fourth of June. It was like a distant memory for me already. It was it made that that's that old tanker one. That easy? Because COVID Come in. Everything seems like a million miles away. But it wasn't that it wasn't that long off. But yeah, that was a that was different.

Ree  2:37  
I was mad man. So I'm just just to rewind maybe a couple of minutes. Anyone that might have been offended by me saying Freshy Listen, when I come to Mauritius, I'm the Freshy Yeah, we are, you know, like, we potato ying yang, right? We're, we're all fresh in somewhere else. That's all good. So when did your family come over them?

Vijay  3:00  
My sister mines 61 in 1964. And she came over here on her ninth birthday with my mom and my dad. And from what I know, I think my dad, my Nan would have come out here first, then my dad would have followed lift my mum and my sister like back home then obviously, difficult then this took, you know, they just took the plunge and you know, you know, set one hell of a foundation. You know, very, I probably only know, a very small percentage of what they went through. Yeah. Because it's, you know, but it was hard. And that's just an understatement to say when it was hard, because I'm only told a percentage. And, you know, to where we were from back then. It was just like one red suitcase. Yeah, to where they are now and what they've achieved. It's it's incredible. It's really, really incredible.

Ree  4:04  
When you think back, and then you see that journey. So obviously, it was a while ago. And like you said, it's just a sense of what what was like, maybe a period where you specifically can go back to and think you know what, man, this was, this was bad. How did we do this? How do we get through this?

Vijay  4:22  
I think when I started like, when I started like when you're younger, when you're working you start, you start having stuff you start saying materialistic things. Then when you get materialistic things, you start valuing people more, you kind of realize materialistic things are really good. But then within five minutes, it's like, oh, I want the next thing but then you kind of realize that your friends and family are what's very important. Working in property very young. And then you kind of start thinking, then things make a lot more sense as you get older in that just little things like you know, being able to run a boat off. Yeah, but when they come over here that it was that was like a luxury bro. That literally was and when you beat it, it was literally one generation back to where we are now. I'm not talking to a free generation, this is my mum and my dad and my sister. Yeah. You know, to some days public buffs, you know, and it's, um, it's real life stories and you know, probably, you know, again, they probably only touched on it a little bit, but you could imagine that possibly the racism that would have that that would have gone on back in them days goes on now,

Ree  5:36  
you're stopped? You're right, yeah,

Vijay  5:37  
it has nothing, nothing stopped. Everything, in my opinion, is the same old, you know, it's just more documented now. Could be a little bit worse. But you know, they just kind of moved on from place to place to place, rented somewhere. And then I think it was in then I was born in 1980. So shout out to any baby babies out there

Ree  6:01  
it is a list we can easily make.

Vijay  6:04  
You don't appreciate the 80s and 90s. Until, but it's like the younger generation when I see and speak to them. Now. I make them understand, like, how important it is to have that phone and take those pictures and videos. Yeah, because we've got the memories in our head. But to be able to, could you imagine now being able to watch those, but we couldn't afford video cameras. And back then. So we Yeah, it kind of makes me sit back and appreciate things, a lot of things that we take for granted now. But yeah, you know, it would have been very, very tough for them. Very, very tough. Just like it was so many other probably parents come in through, you know, be it from whatever country UK appear next review it, it took a lot of bollocks. You know, like, imagine that you go, No, you know, we're going to leave everything we know, to go and live in another country. It takes a big set of bollocks to do that big, you know, husband, wife, kid, most people fail. And but they just carried on and carried on. And I think with me, I'm not the most educated person in the world. But I think that's where I get my consistency from, where it's just about battling through day in day out, making your notes hitting your targets. Just just daily things that I've got to be done. But no, it's been a you know, they've certainly instilled that work ethic into me. My dad passed away when I was 25. To be my mum, that's quite a bit as this. My sister's she's listening She's gonna kill me for this stuff is about 50 I don't even know the number of it is about 15 years. So we're not born. My mom and dad will go work. So my sister would actually practically prove me up like her own. I'll always remain you know, eternally grateful for that. And she had a big part in you know, who I am today. Then, you know it just from there, bro. And then you just people along the way work. My, my wife and er, you know, big shout to any is out there. Listen. I know you're a huge fan.

Ree  8:17  
I'm a big fan of yours. Thank you actually, Anita. Say she actually not an eaters. Live View. So you mentioned some some good stuff. So like, obviously, they came over. He left everything now that's like saying it's a ballsy decision. Because, like, imagine us, right this point. Someone said, look, you've got to leave the UK, like, difficult in it. So they lived everything. You've seen that you've come your your older sister, pretty much, you know, helped, you know, raise me raise you. Yeah. And obviously you dealt with the racism. At that point when you came, obviously, then another curveball, you know, you lost a dad. And you're behind all of this. You've got this work ethic, which you've seen them. You've seen them do it day in day out and it's instilled something in you. You also mentioned again, you maybe you weren't the best in school, things like that. And but you can see clearly, you know, your entrepreneur heroes show that it's led you to a journey and you mentioned briefly about property. So how did you get involved in it in the beginning? And did you know at that point, if this was the right journey or the right path for you?

Vijay  9:40  
No, you don't you wing it, if I'm honest with you, like going back going back on what we just spoke about, like they come over here, but when my sister was nine, I was born in 80. So then we were living in they just been given a place in clock and well, and that's when I was born. State Little Five, then, you know, kind of moved on kind of move on from there at school, it just wasn't, I just didn't get it. It just wasn't for me. But then like, back in the day, we've got a job in Super drugs. When I was 15 it was same kind of thing that's kind of gone around. It's not what you do. It's who you know. And you just become my mum become friends with like the manager, the staff in their son's looking for a job, bang, you know, went and all of a sudden, I was like, You know what, I quite like this, I quite haven't quite like having a bit of money. I'm then GC just back then GCSE is we're done. But I left that just before because I kind of knew the school wasn't going to let me go back into my A levels. Okay. I knew that wasn't, I knew that wasn't I knew your grades

Ree  10:52  
are up to scratch for you to be. Yeah.

Vijay  10:57  
I'm very much like, you know what, if ain't going to happen, there's no point trying. It's just leave it as it is now. Because anything that I do is going to kind of be a waste of my time, waste of your time. If my heart's not in it, there is no there is no point.

Ree  11:13  
So if we just go back to the sort of, if it ain't gonna happen, don't don't kind of fight. So what do you think happened during school for you to kind of think, you know, the same for me. I mean, was it like, teachers, just friends or

Vijay  11:29  
no, you know, how to fortunately had a very, very good crowd of friends around me very, very good. Love my music a lot. So music was a big thing, then. It is a huge thing now, but it was just like, it enabled me to make some good lifetime. Friends that you know, I consider to be good lifetime friends. And it wasn't the teachers, I just didn't enjoy learning. So many different sight that I kind of looked at it and maybe suspect but I was learning things like probability and algebra. At a young age, I was looking at it and I was like, I'm never going to use any of this stuff. I don't really care how many socks they're robbing a draw. Like, yeah, I just want to, I just want to kind of, but then I remember when we had to do what's called a dissertation. And it was like a huge assignment. And I chose about why there's racism in football. Very, very, I was only about 1314 or something. Yeah, it was two year project. It was in a it was on a subject called humanities. I remember that. Yeah, it's one thing put is when they put quite a few I think it's geography history religious Yeah, I think they put it liquid it all together. And in that, I ended up getting my top grade which was a D. And, and the teachers were like, You know what, you didn't get a grade you want it but if you worked that school as hard as you did for that subject, you would have done something and but I just wasn't very I just wasn't very interested. I'd go there. I just kind of it was like monotone like I just kind of did it because I had because I had to do it. But as soon as like I was like just before the JCCs because you get like a time period off. And I was like you know what, just before that, but then they were like you should just come back and sit them come back and sit in there. Done the GCSE has got my results I could spell fudge Yeah. From the grades I remember a lot yeah. A lot of people telling me that and then from there went on to college then a couple of cool black because you couldn't do the A Levels didn't have the grades didn't want done what's called a gym BBQ. Obviously parents in the background like everyone else has done this and like you and it was quite funny. Remember, like the mum saying, you know, people come back from like other countries have come in and they've got better grades than you. But then I started working in Superdrug then worked, worked my way up there a little bit. Then I started working in property when I was 19. Okay, and I just, I didn't know property was gonna set me up to be where I am now. I'd be lying if I did not. But I just knew I want it to work. Yeah. And what was really nice about it is one of works. Everyone was like 2025 years older than me. So they already had that mindset of it was almost like having your parents at work kind of thing. And maybe, you know, some of them are still no now and there's a couple of them that probably saw something in me that thought you know what, we're going to keep him on the straight and narrow and yeah, like working early on a Saturday I'd start at nine and it'd be like No, you will come in at eight.

Ree  14:47  
Bill our mentors basically in the workplace.

Vijay  14:50  
Yes. Then I was like, Why do I need to come in so early? They're like, No, you don't need to come in early. But I know you won't get the night before because my parents always had this huge thing about timekeeping you You have to be. So from a very young age, I had loads of stuff instilled in me. That wasn't to do with education. Not that I don't believe in education, who believe in it. But to me, it was all about manners. Respect, being polite being on time. Yeah. Because to me, that's gonna get you far more further in life, then, what the reason? What not you have yet unless you're very specific, and you work in those things. But my

Ree  15:31  
takeaways Oh, like, he is important, like just these things that you can learn whether it's at home or in your circle, like 100%, agreed, agreed to that. And like you said, you're being compared to other people that have come with grades. And how did you feel about that?

Vijay  15:52  
You know, what, I didn't know how to feel quick. Because I've always kind of been, you don't realize it at the time, but you are. As a child, you're just like a very young adult of how you're going to become later on in life. But you don't realize it? Yes, you can change. But I didn't feel embarrassed or anything, but I just kind of felt bad for my mum. Because like, it was like, Oh, you've done this, you've done, you know, and obviously, you're hearing like, it's the same with anyone in any parent, you know, you're hearing stuff about other kids. Yeah. And then you're looking at your own butt. And I'm like, you know, what, as long as your kids happy, healthy, seven, you know, whatever else goes on, you can't control what goes on anywhere else. Yeah, just control your own stuff, happy and healthy. All that matters. And it's become more and more true. As I've got older. It's all kind of made sense more. For my friend, my family circle of people that I've got around me as well, which has been a blessing.

Ree  16:56  
Yes, good man, and living his life. I always say like, you're not misdirected, you're redirected. And like, all these paths, however you felt, it took you to a place where people like your work, parents, mentors, also in giving you so you were saying they made you come to work early. So how did they push you? How did they kind of help mold you or give you that? That that mindset to want to push more? And how did that next part of the journey continue for you?

Vijay  17:28  
I think, I think because they were just genuinely nice people. And there are a lot of nice people around. But a lot of people don't give them the opportunity. But they were just genuinely nice people. And they must have seen something in me which like I said, I didn't see. But they just genuinely cared. But I didn't realize it at the time. And these are people now that I'm still in touch with quite a few of them. Some of them not you know how life is looking over 20 years ago, you don't fall, as I've got older, I just realized you don't fall out with people. There's just no point because it's such a small world. Never ever know, when you're going to need that person or it's amazing. When that person pops out again, it's always been nice. That's how that's how I've kind of seen it. But it's always kind of like, made me think in different ways. But I just feel as though because I was so young, and I started and everyone was older. I think it would have been really different. I would have liked to have seen it. Imagine if I was 20. And I started with a load of 20 year olds as well. Yeah, it would have, it would have been a totally different path. But I think me in my I think I met Anita when I was 2021. Okay, wife. So it was kind of like, you're kind of like you've got lovely home life and began to work. You're enjoying it, obviously that, you know, at that stage. You're doing it, you're earning money. You know, my friends went a lot. Most of them went to uni, went to college and all that. So then it's a Friday night, it's tough. They're like, can we go out? And I'm like, I can I can financially afford to do it. But I can't because I've got to be doing this the next day. So when there was that then obviously date in the knee or do you know, going out with her so there was always something to do. And before you know it, life becomes very routine, but in a really nice way. For me, for me especially, it was just in a really, really it was a really, really nice way. And it just kind of grew and kind of blossomed on just kind of grew and blossomed on from there really.

Ree  19:38  
So these these kind of opportunities, this path that presented itself to you. You literally just made this decision. You could have gone here and you call you could have gone there. Sounds like

Vijay  19:49  
sometimes things just happen organically and you just Life can be so regimented sometimes, and it's nice to sometimes have a vision have a plan like every day or I have my diary. But I'll get my diary ready the night before. But my friends and my family know what I'm like my diary and my timekeeping. It's like, the other day was like, tonight we're going through the diary about what we're doing. You know what, bro, you're booking stuff in for like, February March. With with with kids and all that looks like we booked a couple of holidays. You know, we didn't go away last year. We booked a couple of holidays this year, but it will just, it will just go it just and it's true what they say when I was younger, as you get older, the years go quicker. And 41 there. So yeah, it is starting to speed up. But you're right, though. It could have been different paths. But you know, working at the first place I did, which was in Edmonton. Then I went to another place, another estate agents in Edmonton. And that was a little bit older. When I started working, I've been I've been headhunted. Yeah, to come back, you know, good. And you kind of go there with with expectations. And those expectations over the next seven, eight years were matched fulfilled, but not just one year, because you know, you do it for the first year. Everyone's like, Yeah, but then you do it for the second year, the third year, the fourth, but just consistently, yeah, just consistently enough that you gain the respect of everyone, people leave you alone. And in from there, you met more boys and girls. But you know, who just stabbed you in the right direction, you know, whether it's buying, whether it's buying this business, or buying that property, or, let's do this, let's do that. I've just been I don't know how I've done it, but I've just networked with the right people, my whole life. But I haven't planned to do it in that way. But it's just I've got different varieties of friends and family around me, who I can do stuff with. It could be me, singularly, it could be mean to me, it could lead me to the kids, it could just be the kids. So very, very grateful for you know, sometimes we're so kind of concentrating especially on other people and what they're doing. Yeah, you can just concentrate on yourself. Some I don't know, we've made it's just kind of happened organically. And I say

Ree  22:17  
that I mean, just listen to you. Now you can't say just happen because you I'm sitting here listening to your story, I'm sure other people listening to this and said, Hold on, you've already had an ethos, you've gone through stuff in life. You've you've made decisions, you've taken kind of action, small steps, you've gone with the flow a bit, but you still have to decide what to do. But your fundamental things what I can think is like, you know, you're grateful. You've got you said, you know, people need to be thankful be nice, don't burn bridges. So you for me by doing that, by consistently doing those things, has led you to these things. So as organic as you say it, you as a person as paint in this path. Yeah, you're right, what you are, you know, like the law of attraction, you know, what you're thinking attracts, right? So you're doing that people can see like, you know, I'm not going to get spiritual, but people can see auras, they can feel energies and stuff like that. So yeah. If this is how you are, you're going to get these people come to you.

Vijay  23:18  
Yes, yes. You know, but the thing is, I don't do

Ree  23:22  
just do minus man and humble. So you don't want to say it's I'm telling saying,

Vijay  23:26  
Yeah, you're right. But I just, I just feel as though you know, if you're good to people, good things, you know, good things. Not always. But you know, you try. You try, but it's been my life's been good. You know, Life's been good. Blessed with two boys. Yeah, the twins and who are eight now, you know, to keep us. They keep us busy. Very, very, very busy. But no, it's it's all good. It's all good, as they say,

Ree  24:00  
as good. It's good to hear man. So you've gone through this journey. Now. It's quiet. Was it 10 years? Or do we say you're in that property market? But then obviously, you've you've ventured on your own within that time? Or did you decide to venture your own I?

Vijay  24:17  
I ventured, I need to feel pregnant. Then I think a lot of boys and girls think you know what, I'm going to have a month off gonna have a two month off, then I'm gonna go hell for leather. Yeah, provide for my family. Because I was with a need for such a young age. I kind of knew I was going to get married to this girl. Yeah. When I was younger, I would always do stuff be an investment. I'd always do that. I didn't want to be that dad looking at the pictures. I want you to be the dad that was in the pictures with the kids. I didn't. All I wanted to do was have financial security. Not so I could give them the best things in a world and all that kind of stuff. It was just financial freedom to be able to do what I want to do on my terms that could be take them on a holiday. That could be, you know what, I want to pick them up from school only. It kind of it kind of goes from everywhere. But then when then, on the property side, things started to change in like, we had the crash in 208. I think it was yet. Because I was always more on the rental side. It was kind of like, years and years and years, people had bought properties, and I'd rented them out. So when the market crashed, it didn't affect me firsthand, but it was like, No one's buying. So where do I rent these properties from now? Yeah. And what happened was, is that people were still moving. But then that person that was moving realized they didn't have to sell their property to move, they could be almost become an accidental landlord. Yeah. So they didn't have to sell. They could go and buy their home that they wanted, but rent at this one. Yeah, then that's when it but then, you know, then I started doing that, then the boys were born, then a little while after, stop, just kind of stopped that way to be at home. Spend some time with an eater and the kids then then he went back to work. She went back to work part time a little bit. Okay. Then we started on a property, then we started doing that property maintenance side. Yeah, it just kind of followed on from there. And it's just been the same. It's just been the same kind of, it's just been the same kind of thing. It's just kind of the same journey that I took on the estate agency side. The same thing happened on the property maintenance. Yes. Where people like Avi, could you do this? Could you do that? Then we, you know, we we've done that for a few years. Again, it was really good, because we've done it small scale, but remained really consistent. Okay, mind really, really consistent with our feedback with our clients. Just enjoying the process along the way, we cover the whole of London, in London. And it's just kind of grown from there. Like, funnily enough, next week, we're going out for dinner. All of a sudden, like was inviting people up from smokeless like, 1516 of us coming out. Yeah. And it's just like, wow, from like, where we were to, like, I probably say we've been on it hard. 20 since 2017. Okay, to where we are now. It's just, it's just a really nice place to be. And again, it's just really nice, just really cool people. But Oh, fun. Fun, fun. It has been for sure.

Ree  27:40  
Yeah. So you can go that portfolio up now. So from doing the journey, to become a dad, now most people take their foot off the gas and go, I'm going to do this come back to later. And we know, probably people procrastinate and they don't get back to it you carried on continually doing these small steps. So so. So I can see, like, from from before, you're continuing these patterns of you know, small, consistent steps. And then it came to 208, you had to pivot the business a bit, you realize, okay, this was happening in the market. A few years later, you're ready, you reacted, and you've grown your business. You've grown your business to such a big level now that you can go at a whole table full of people in a restaurant, if it can ship man. Yeah, then it's, you

Vijay  28:32  
know, quite funny, like, it does hit you and you're like, wow, when it's just like, some of the companies that we work for, as subcontractors. It's like they're like, any, it's just quite funny from where we are. But it's always the case of it's not what you do. It's who you know, yeah. The like, where the boys go school. You know, it's networking, networking there. It's just constantly networking and knowing the right people in like, say, for example, I want to know about such a subject. I'll find that person. If I want football ticket, I'll go to that person. If I want to find out how we how we met when I was talking about taking my business from one end, and putting it online.

Ree  29:22  
Yeah. And I wanted to put steroids on that. I was like, Come on, man. Let's just do this.

Vijay  29:26  
Yes, I just, I just I just wanted to, I just wanted to kind of but but then it was like, You know what? This has got legs. Let's do it. But then there was something you know what, when you're just so laziness, but it's just like when you're so contempt with where you are, and grown it so much and where we don't work as such for like the general public. It's basically companies that we work for. Yeah, it's just there's just more than enough there. to kind of be like yeah, We're at a very, very good place. Yeah. Just like how we met, you know, the amount of, I suppose the amount of negativity there is online, I think we'll use it as a place where they just but you know, like our relationship now look where we are now. A couple of messages. And I've met you through social media. I've met other boys and girls through social media. So but no one will ever talk about the good. Green, it will always be negative, negative, negative, but so many, so many good things. So many good things happen.

Ree  30:38  
I mean, you even I've been read this, like after hours and hours of combos and deciding what we can do your business in the end. Like, we're like, you know what, maybe it's not the right fit for us. Maybe it's not the right time. And in life, I've dealt with people where that's happened. And that's it. You don't see them again, they're gone.

Vijay  30:55  
This was the thing, because for me time is money. Yeah. And for me, time is money. And it's just the case of what sorry, by one minute.

Ree  31:14  
Yeah, nice. As you were saying, like, you know, you meet people and we kind of met you could have been my client turned out wasn't a good fit. And I could have just said, you know, forget you man. Like you're not paying me what I need to talk to you.

Vijay  31:30  
But where you didn't where you had and after, after advise as well. The other gentleman do is another two guys that I spoke to Adam sugar that there was another couple of gentlemen that spoke to as well. And they were just so you talk about myself, it's the same for you as well, you know, good attract good. The guys. were so nice. I remember that. Even when I spoke to you. It's been quite a lot of time on the phone to you if I'm honest with you, bro. You know, it wasn't fit in and I was talking to my missus not you know what, this guy's really cool. He's helped me out so much, because as much you could have helped me out to do it. He kind of helped me out to kind of realize, you know, what? Maybe not doing it now is it was a very genuine answer from you. And it was very genuine from your end. Because as much as you could have helped, you actually did help a lot. But that's why I was like, You know what, I've got to do something for this guy. Yeah, say thank you.

Ree  32:30  
And then the way I work is like, when I looked at like some people, like I'm not a sales person, I don't like doing that. But when people see businesses, especially sales people, and you know, I've got a lot of salespeople on this podcast, and the way they sell is different, right? It's serving people. And that's how I think like, I don't see someone with a pound sign or $1 sign. I'm like, you know, how can we actually help this person? Because there's something broken, there's something that's not fitting. So how can we do that? And, you know, we're not going to have everyone in sometimes the whole purpose of, of the calls, or me doing a workshop or something inviting people to come is to say, You know what, maybe what I have to offer isn't what you need. So congratulations, you come in here today is made you realize this ain't something for you.

Vijay  33:15  
Yeah. And that's what I liked. That's what, that's what I like, Excuse me, that's what I really, really liked. It was under no pressure. It helped me make my mind up about so many different things. And no, you know, it was a, it was a good decision. But it goes back to me as a person about having the right people in the right places. Like if I knew I wanted to grow. Yeah, only person I would speak to would be you. Yeah, I know. When you do things, you can speak to others and maybe get three or four opinions and all that. But sometimes it's like we're in a building, like in a maintenance. Trade. Get three or four opinions is good, but then get mixed signals from people. But I just know if you if I had to grow, I would just be like, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang on the tin of baked beans. Right? Let's just make it happen. Yeah. And yeah, just execute.

Ree  34:10  
I appreciate that, bro. Appreciate that. Because you're right, like the people we talk to, they'll go and talk to other people and their other people's negativity will experience in life will kind of potentially misguide someone into doing something and it's no fault of their own. They just there's just a lot of noise. And sometimes you need to ask people but you got to think of like, you know, if I'm going to talk to you about certain things, that's not your experience, of course, I'm going to get a different answer. Exactly. So I need to have the right energy in you know, guidance that guide you. So when we speak to when I speak to the cell, they need to speak to their partner, okay, would you respect as a partner got experience in this? Have they done this? No. So you know, let's have a conversation or together because cuz maybe she doesn't understand something or he doesn't understand like,

Vijay  35:04  
you know, you're right. If you've got to go back and speak to people, all that kind of stuff should be done. Or that person should be there at a time to basically crunch those decisions. There's nothing to really think, you know, it goes back to the property thing when people want to buy a property, you know, you've got back in the day was a lot better. Because before you looked at the house, you knew how much money you had. Yeah, it was like Tescos. But like, now it's so different. You know, back then it was like, right, I can afford up to this. Here's my decision, in principle, let's get in a car and go, Yeah, but now it's now it's now it's just different, completely different.

Ree  35:40  
So it's, it's great to hear the journey. And the other thing, maybe people don't know, I'm Russian videos in Russian. And you know, when he's came up on the corner, ma, ma, ma, not another another Russian guy is like any musicians listening out here, take it as you want, like, most musicians are a complete waste of time when it comes to talking with business. And that's because most people will just talk, talk, talk and not take action. And then they'll go and talk to other people. That ain't even on the same journey as him. And then before, you know, it's a waste of time. And I've had them and experiences with this. This is why my circle immersion is small. So I'm having nationalities as well, exactly. But you know, experiences. Yeah, you know that. And then like, obviously, I've spoken to you, my previous beliefs of emotions, and whatever being a waste of time is changing that, because you've changed that for me. Oh, thank you so much. It's like, it doesn't mean that every version is going to slide in my DMs. I get it. Santa Claus.

Vijay  36:48  
No, you got to go through the same process that I did, bro. No one can just go straight because I'd be annoyed if they did. They got to go to go through that immersion Alan Sugar.

Ree  37:00  
But no, it's, it's really good to hear the journey, man. And like, I think, for people that maybe haven't got the right grades in school, you know, you're looking at an example of a property entrepreneur, you know, you've got, you know, I don't want to embarrass him and put him on the spot to how many properties he's he's got in his portfolio, but it's a lot. And it keeps him busy. And it's allowing him to live the life that he wants. And he mentioned the key thing, right? He doesn't want to just look at a picture. And you know, what his life is without him being there, right? How many people do you know where their parents or whatever, they're working hard, you don't have the memory. So he's part of that. And the main thing is freedom to give him time, because when you've got the time, you can enjoy the stuff. And people go financial freedom, all of this bollocks or whatever. But I asked you guys a question like, what is better for you to have the freedom of choice or to be so time? Heavy that you have no choice at all? You know, and that's the thing is like, that's what this allows you to do. So if you're interested in property, you know, here's another guy that you could speak to. And if, if you are in the boat where you feel, you know, I didn't have the grades, or you didn't have the grades. And you kept going.

Vijay  38:21  
Yeah, you just, you just have to keep on going, you know, everyone kind of like, you know, that X factor story of you know, but you just have to keep on going. And I think nowadays, if you've got, could you imagine, like 20 years ago, bro, you can see mom and dad or want to be a YouTuber? Like me, Dad, can you imagine? But I think now you've got to let kids be kids. In my opinion, they got to have some fun, they've got to do. You've got to be there. You've got to be there for them as opposed to just telling them telling them what to do. And you know, there is no path. You kind of make your own path throughout, you know, you kind of make you kind of make your own path as you kind of go along. But yeah, it's it. For me. It's all about consistency. Everyone wants to life but no one wants to put in the hard work. No one. You know, remember that there's like little scenes that people do like, obviously that there was there was the Molly Mae one that the

Ree  39:30  
Molly may want. Oh, yeah. Same, same political hours. And

Vijay  39:33  
when did when did he said about 22 is all it is? Yeah, we do have the same 24 hours. That's the fact of it. But everyone's 24 hours, he's different broke. Maybe, you know, everyone's that. It was like Richard Branson when he was like, he was asked a question about his How does he run all these businesses? And he was like, I don't run them. I look after my staff. Yeah. I was like, No, there's certain things that, that there's certain things that click within me. And I was like, You know what, if I can take a little bit of all of this, that I've learned, I wasn't the greatest, you know, I wasn't the greatest at school. But if you can just learn the basic foundations of it. Yeah. I honestly do believe that. One of the things I do believe is, if you enjoy what you do, you never have to work another day again. Yeah. And it sounds a bit cliche, but I can relate. Because I work when I want to work. I've worked for who I want to work. I don't if I don't want to do a job. I don't want to do it, because it's just, but sometimes, though, it is good that I put myself under pressure. So a client might be a bit not too sure about this one. But you know what, I'll do it because then it makes me realize how grateful I am. On a day to day basis. Yeah. So sometimes it is good to put yourself out without come. You got to put yourself what's it like say you've got to get uncomfortable?

Ree  41:06  
Yeah. get uncomfortable to get comfortable? There you go. Because

Vijay  41:09  
too much comfort is, you know, too much comfort is no good.

Ree  41:13  
No progress. Yeah. growing companies.

Vijay  41:17  
You just got to keep on going, you know, through the properties we've been able to invest in, you know, other businesses spread your bets, as well. Don't always. You know, you could be you know, if you look at footballers, for example, football is on a wage, but they earn probably more of sponsorship deals. Yeah. And, you know, they'll they'll, they'll have a good thought I'd hope they'd have a good, and some of them that don't, but they'd have good advisors random of where to put money. Yeah. And it's the same thing. It's the same thing with us. I know, like cyber, like in football is like 18 to 35. But our working career is from the age of say, what 18 To what was the government that

Ree  41:58  
6567? Now, seven months?

Vijay  42:00  
You can't be doing it, you can't be consistent for all them? Yes. In my opinion, so just pick, you'll know when the moments right? To work at your best, your ability. And if you see something you like, just capitalize and go for it. And don't worry what other people say, as mad as it sounds, just keep on going.

Ree  42:23  
It's brilliant man. And yeah, that was a, it brings me to my kind of main question that I asked everyone in this. I think I know the answer. I think everyone else is going to know the answer. But I'm going to ask anyway. What is the number one secret to your success?

Vijay  42:38  
For me? For me? It's consistency. And hard work. Maybe we have good days, we have shipped days, like everybody else. But you just need to be consistent. Don't be like 10 o'clock in the morning. The ship morning. Oh, you know, tomorrow's another day? Yeah, tomorrow's another day. But 11 o'clock another hour? Yeah. Just just but. But you've got to be so strong yourself as a person. Because all of a sudden, if you've got negative people around you, and it does draw you in? Yeah. And kind of thinking oh, you know, it's like, what does everyone do? first of January? Let's go on a diet. Yeah. But like, just do it on the 23rd of December. But just, you know, you don't need a diet, you just need to change your lifestyle. What you're doing, it's the same. I just kind of think that, especially from when I was a kid to my kids now that my kids are probably a lot more freer. Then I was back then because obviously parents were stricter. But on the flip side, what is it now? Four o'clock? Lay school finish. I'm on my bike. I'm outside till the light comes on. Yeah, can't do that now. So when they're like, What do we, you know, I've got the twins. They take care of each other kind of thing. Yeah. What do you want them to do? You know, they can't exactly go and play outside on the road. Yeah. So, but just consistency and hard work. We just just keep on doing that. And honestly, I think the rest will take care of itself. And don't be afraid of I think also change. Yeah, don't be afraid of change. Like people say to me, I've got no time. And I've had this conversation with you many times. Just get up, just get up five minutes earlier. Just get up five minutes earlier than the following week. Get up 10 minutes earlier. Then before you know it in about six months, you'll be getting up an hour earlier. Yeah, you might not do what you want to do or what you set out to do. But you've got an extra hour. And you know, some days just want to but I suppose if you do that and you achieve your goals, and those days you do want to roll over, roll over and go back to bed. Yeah, exactly. It's just,

Ree  45:02  
you've made progress. Yeah, he's committed to, to change, and you've implemented it. And, like, another thing to add is with that people say, I don't have time. It is, I don't even think it's a matter of time. anymore. I think it's a matter of your priority. Yes, if you don't make it, if you make a priority, you make the time. Just like, you know, you

Vijay  45:24  
have to be important, if it's important enough to you, you know, we've we shedule, this podcast, and it was important, put it in a diary. And it stands, if someone asked me to do something, I can't, I'm busy.

Ree  45:39  
Yeah. And he's taken the time out of, you know, your life, you know, to give back talk about your journey, because, you know, everyone thinks that entrepreneurs does something really, really special about but a number I want to the whole point of me doing this is to prove that I think there's only about five single things. That is, that's all it takes. Most people have one, one thing, and it drives them. And I think there's a pattern, I believe there's a pattern, and I want to show that there is a pattern, so it doesn't matter. If I'm speaking to someone that's just got started, which I will be having people that's just got started or somebody that's, you know, worth, you know, eight, nine figures, makes no difference because there's one, there's only one thing that separates, you know, entrepreneurs and people that just talk and that's, that's, you know, what I want to do on this course. And you're still working, you've been consistent and you've showed us all your success ingredient. Obviously, your Mauritian, it's difficult because there's so many around, and you want to help people from your own country as well. And a lot of it is probably just a mindset shift that people need to make not just from riches, but you know, maybe your you know, wherever you're from you got family or friends from that country that come here, there's a there's a mentality, this thing, and there's a lot there's a hate as well. But don't, don't hate, don't let it fuel you embrace it. Just keep doing your thing, educate. One more thing I wanted to ask is, so are you doing this journey? Were you married man, with kids? What can you say to people that will say, it's too difficult, man, I'm married? I got kids, I can't do it. I don't have time. I know, we've touched on it before. But what has really helped you do this, why you've had all of that?

Vijay  47:43  
Probably having the backing of your partner, you know, having that they have to understand it. Like, you know, they have to understand it, they have to get you. I think it's about priorities. It's just about prioritizing that with me, my calendar will be ready the night before my list of notes will be ready from the night before. Yeah, I have to do that. Because I know the next day, another 1015 jobs are coming in. Yeah. But if I wake up, and I'm still catching up from the night before, I know I'm in trouble, I won't be able to catch up. Because it's just the nature of the beast, I won't be able to do it. But then, but when I say getting prepared, you know, funny for such a long time, and I'm only talking 10 minutes. And if people can make these little adjustments, just these little adjustments in their life, you can be anything, you know, you can be anything you want to be. But again, you know, in a nutshell, if you're not educated, especially, I'm going to be honest, I think it's probably easier now. Not to be everyone's going to think differently. I think it's easier now to be non educated. And to really make something of yourself yeah, was back then to make something of yourself. Because back then it was the same pattern. GCSE is a levels, degrees, marriage, kids, and debt, funeral, done, work worked. But now and what COVID kind of taught us is you don't need a shirt and tie and you don't need to go into the sea zoom and underpants. They go. And I think, you know, especially like the way the music scenes blown up the car scene, like the other day, my kids are watching something on YouTube. And all I can listen to is people chewing food. And I'm not. But it's just the sound that people are just listening. I'm looking at some thinking, watching. The guy's got over 50 million followers. Most so. So life has changed and I'm all for change. And I'm like you know what kids, you know, you're going to go to school, you're going to do what you got to do. I'm not going to put pressure on you to be something that you don't want to be. If it's the case that they want to do this, this this this isn't it is about the finances? Yes. Because they're going to have you have to earn. But if you can earn and enjoy what you do, then how many people? Can you say that now? I'm sure most people now probably just exchanging their time for currency. Yeah, that they don't like and they don't want to. They don't want to be there. And before you know it, like, I'm sure you can remember, I can remember 20 years ago like that

Ree  50:36  
affects everything, man, it's the wrong formula. Like whether you're good at maths or not, we know that one plus two equals three, right? So if you're going to have these numbers, like you just said, the the time trading time for money, it just leaves you with less time to do things you want. And that less time you have the thing you want. You're constantly running for something in between that behind all of this is leading to some kind of unhappiness, some unfulfillment, which is going to affect your life, boom, like, whether you want to accept it or not. It's going to affect you in some way. You're working longer, you're going to have to stress what stress you're going to bring home. What's that going to do? To your relationship with your, your, your loved ones?

Vijay  51:19  
Yeah, yeah, it's just,

Ree  51:21  
yeah, have energy to play with your kids. You know, it's, it's already everyone likes it. It's a matter of priorities easy. People can say it's easy for you guys to sit here. Yeah, it is easy for us to sit here and tell you because we've had to do this shit. And we're still doing this

Vijay  51:34  
stuff. Or doing it day in No one will stop the iceberg. The iceberg picture. Yeah, one sees the tip, but no one's seen. But again, you know, on the flip side, this isn't for everyone. Some of my good friends, they're happy working there. They're at their happiest working a nine to five. But then I look at it and I think isn't a nine to five, you're getting up at seven. You know, paying a lot of money to get on the tube. Yeah, to go into a job. You're not getting back home. But do you know what I've just kind of realized as long as it works for them. And they're happy.

Ree  52:10  
Yeah, you can't eat you know, we're not trying this isn't a OSFI them argument. It's not about you know, entrepreneur versus an employee. And then you can be entrepreneurial in your role. Yeah, 100% you can do that. But if you're the type of person that's going to be complaining about everything, moaning about everything in turn, why is everything happening to me, then you need to have a good look at yourself in the mirror. Accept it. It doesn't matter what you see, accept it, and commit to some kind of change man and

Vijay  52:41  
most Republic I think the problem is, most people don't I know a couple of one of my mates might love watching this, but there was someone on New Year's Day put something on, you know, if you're new on New Year's Day, everyone's putting up posts. Yeah. Someone put I can't remember who it was someone put this post up. No one gives a fuck about your problems work harder. It was just so simple. And I was I was just like, wow. Yeah. Spot on. Like, no one cares about your problems, right? Yes. Just work harder. And you know, the beat be the best you can.

Ree  53:19  
And that's the thing is like, if you, you think about the problem, you look at the problem, say Okay, and how you're going to fix it. But if you've already started to think how to fix it, that problem doesn't exist

Vijay  53:30  
yet. Because it's, it's, it's, it's done. Yeah, it's done. It's past tense. You've already kind of worked out in your head. It's just about executing, and you move on, you know, you move on. life's gonna have so many obstacles that we don't know what life's gonna throw ahead. Yeah, you know, you we don't know what all you've got to beat though is be prepared. That's

Ree  53:52  
it and react or respond.

Vijay  53:56  
You know, react, respond, if you make it through, you make it through if you don't shake yourself off,

Ree  54:02  
and you've learned something you've learned and off you go again. Yeah, this is coming from a geezer that got fudge grades is great, or bad. You could fudge so now I know I know, you probably got some of your, your cousins nephews needs. They want to know what you're going to talk about. It doesn't matter if you fudge it up yet because he showed you it's all good. It's good, but

Vijay  54:24  
it's having the right circle of people around you for sure. But even to this day, now, I have a good amount of friends family around me that have kept me very, very grounded. Very, very grounded. And I'll always be grateful. I will always be grateful for that. Because you know what? You can have a few bits and pieces arranged but without your friends and family. Yeah, it's

Ree  54:50  
pretty pointless. You can't pick them. Sometimes you don't like them but family you don't need to eat or you don't need to follow hang if there's bad Energy and stuff. Just do you have to man?

Vijay  55:02  
Yeah, you have to learn friends and family as well. If they're no good, you have to and this is where people hold on sometimes for too long, in my opinion. You mustn't be afraid. And it goes back to the thing I said about change earlier on. Just let go. Yeah, just change that. There's nothing wrong with it. And you'll feel so much better in my opinion.

Ree  55:26  
Because it's like a bowl of fruit you know, you've got a bowl of fruit maybe that tangerine is starting to get moldy. You leave it in there a few days everything can have real bowls of moldy.

Vijay  55:35  
There you go. It so but you need to be strong enough to take that tangerine out. Yeah, effects we've seen it is doing but saying it is the easy bit but doing it is the hard. You know, not everyone has it in them. Not everyone, not everyone has it in them. But now it's been a journey than what the you know, whatever holds a head. You know, we take it as it comes in,

Ree  56:02  
as well. Thanks. Thanks for being here. I think it's been been insightful. I think everyone,

Vijay  56:09  
you know, thank you, thank you for you know, the opportunity of being on here was mad how we met, you know, in a circumstances, but no, it's been. You know, it's been an honor to be on here. Thank you very much, bro.

Ree  56:22  
Yeah, great having you, man. And I'm sure you know, there's people listening and they can gain something, you know, so if there's anything you know, you need to watch again, there'll be transcripts, there'll be links if anyone needs to contact Vijay for you know, for his property business, wherever that, you know, whatever he does, there'll be links in the descriptions feel free to message asked and you know, if you've got properties as well and you feel like you are an accidental landlord, someone that you can always help

Vijay  56:54  
out and all that kind of anti anything just just shout always good to help people bro. Always.

Ree  57:02  
Okay, man. Well, again, thank you once again, and we will we will get you back on the show. When we when we're going to scale your business up,

Vijay  57:11  
man. You know what? It's going to get to that stage where I'm just going to think you know what, this is the right this potentially is the right time maybe someone else would do it on my behalf and I just do little something Kelson but you know all it's all about timing. I've got to get Yeah, we've always got to get the timings. Sometimes there isn't a right time. You just got to, you know, you just got to get on we're gonna

Ree  57:36  
decide when the time is right. For you. Yeah, actually, no, ignore what I said because that's wrong. If you wrote for the time is right for you. You might not ever do anything. Yeah. So you just got to put a date in the diary and commit. And as you said, be consistent.

Vijay  57:56  
Yeah, yep, be consistent.

Ree  57:58  
Are bro Well, thanks again for your time and catch up soon.

Vijay  58:02  
Pleasure, Bubba.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai