Hello!

My name is Alim Lalji

I quit my 9-5 job and started a 6 figure coaching business within a year

When I was 17, I got my first job at Argos. It was my first real experience of what it’s like to work a 9-5 job — long hours, low pay and doing the same repetitive tasks every day.

But it taught me a lot. I realised early on that trading my time for money wasn’t the path I wanted long-term.

That job planted the seed — I didn’t just want to work in a business… I wanted to build one of my own.

At 20, I started working in the warehouse at World Duty Free.

I spent my days unloading tote boxes, stacking shelves and managing stock for products that would sell for hundreds — while earning barely enough.

I had managers above me who kept an eye making sure everyone got on with working. This made me realise that I am being controlled. As it was in a warehouse, there was no windows, it was depressing and on top of that, you weren't allowed to speak to anyone.

I knew something had to change.

At 21, I started working at Sky in a call centre. Every day, I’d take call after call — selling TV packages, fixing customer issues and repeating the same script over and over again.

It was 'stable' money, but deep down I knew I wasn’t fulfilled. I’d look around the office and see people who’d been there 10, 15 years — doing the exact same thing. That honestly scared me.
It hit me that if I didn’t make a change soon, I’d be stuck in the same cycle for the rest of my life.

The managers could see every little thing, for example even if we took 1 minute extra on lunch, we would get warnings. That was almost the final straw for me, that’s when I started thinking about business, learning skills online and building my escape plan.

Near the end of me being at the call centre, I had decided to start a YouTube channel. This was the start of something that would end up changing my life completely.

After 4 years in the call centre, I moved into a new role at Sky — this time as a Media Operator. It felt like a step up, but deep down I knew I still didn’t want to spend my life working for someone else.

I was already working on my YouTube channel at the time. During my shift, whilst keeping an eye on the broadcast screens, I'd open up my laptop — where my YouTube channel was slowly starting to grow. That photo you see — my work setup with my YouTube channel open in the background — sums it up perfectly.

I was living two lives: one chasing stability and one chasing freedom. Back then, I was only making around $500 a month online… but that $500 showed me it was possible. That small amount of money gave me more hope than my full-time salary ever did.

At 27, I finally did it. I quit my job, packed my bags and moved to Dubai — with no savings and just a dream to make it work.

At that time, I was making around $1,000 a month online. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to show me that freedom was real if I went all in. I still remember sending that WhatsApp message to my boss — telling him I’d secured my stay in Dubai. That was the moment everything changed. No more clocking in. No more asking for time off. Just me, my laptop and my camera.

I went all in on my YouTube channel — creating “make money online” videos and landing sponsorships that started paying me more than my 9-5 ever did.

That decision — to bet on myself — was the turning point of my entire life.

After moving to Dubai, things started to take off. I was making around $3,000 a month through sponsorship videos, creating content from home. But even though it looked like I was “living the dream,” I felt exhausted.

My income was completely dependent on my views — and in a way, it still felt like I was working a 9-5. The only difference was… my sponsors were now my boss.

That’s when everything changed. I decided to build something real — something that gave me control. So I started my own coaching program — teaching people how to build a personal brand and monetise their skills online. That decision changed my life forever.

I made $10,000 in my first month. It wasn’t easy — I hit a few rocky patches after that — but I eventually stabilised and scaled my business to over six figures a year.

Now, at 29, I look back at that kid working shifts at Argos… and realise this was all worth it. Freedom, impact and purpose — all built from one decision: betting on myself.

That's my story for now! I'll keep this page updated, but until then -

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