Close your eyes and think about this for a moment...  If Michael Jackson’s parents pressured Michael, at a young age, into being a basketball player, would he have been as successful in his lifetime? Or what if Kobe Bryant’s parents pressured him into being a pop sensation? Would he have accumulated such a large fortune in his life? 24-year old viral influencer and founder/CEO of Slay Media LLC, Amaan Surani, believes we were all meant to shine as children do, in our own unique ways. “Your life, your rules,” says Amaan. If you aren’t familiar with him yet, Amaan Surani is a college dropout, entrepreneur, and viral social media influencer who has been in the field of marketing and advertising for the past five years.

Completely disregarding everybody’s beliefs and opinions, Amaan stayed headstrong with his goals and focused on pursuing something he desired, and he has been quite successful in doing so. “Being untraditional and unorthodox, but having a vision, is not the same as being crazy or deluded. It’s an element that only the most successful people possess,” says Amaan.

As children, we all hope to someday become the next President of the United States, or be the next human to set foot on the moon, or own a sports car with nitrous oxide like that scene in Fast & Furious, maybe even become the next big celebrity. From an early age, we each naturally tend to gravitate towards something that sounds enticing to us. As we become older, we get a clearer vision on what we hope for our future. “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a

fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid,” is a powerful quote supposedly stated by Albert Einstein. According to Amaan, “you can’t ‘think’ you want to become a doctor when you grow up, or ‘think’ you want to get admitted into law school. A key component in being good at your job is enjoying your job. A man who enjoys his work lives a happier, healthier, and more productive lifestyle, as opposed to someone who doesn’t. The term ‘work’ doesn’t sound exciting at all. Being devoted and having a purpose to build something, on the other hand, is rewarding.” To Amaan, money has value, however, happiness is invaluable. “Pursuing something you have a strong passion and love for is a decision that requires courage and strength,” says Amaan. “Having the ability to stay true to yourself and follow your own path in life is difficult, but fulfilling.” Anyone can visit www.amaansurani.com, official website of Amaan Surani to know more about him.

“As a child, I was shy and reserved. I didn’t have the ability to say ‘no’. Growing up in a traditional Indian household, my family would nag me about growing up to become a doctor or an engineer. Breaking out of my shell was a decision that I knew would be difficult to make, but one that I knew was needed in order to live life. Honesty to oneself will always result in happy endings. It’s sort of a power, really, and with that power, you’re unstoppable.”