The Force Behind Profits

Meet Shafaat Hashmi & Amna Razzaq , The Powerhouse Pair Leading Stalliongates Investments & Brandbeat Global, Turning Around Businesses To Profitable And Investible Ventures.

With over 25 years in business, 17 exits, 28 board seats and operating across 32 different business sectors with a global footprint of 14 international offices, their firms have served over 250 brands and invested in over 40 projects and companies. As the driving forces behind Stalliongates Investments & Brandbeat Global, this power couple mastered the art of turning complex equations into simple profitable solutions, all while balancing the demands of rapidly changing market conditions and expanding their empire. In the following interview, we have taken a deep dive into the genius of these extraordinary business leaders.

"Always chase gratitude and forgiveness over the material world." -Shafaat Hashmi

Shafaat, being a 4th generation entrepreneur, how have the lessons of the past shaped your vision for the future?         

The fundamentals of business always remain constant and they require consistent calibration ahead of time. The moment continuous innovation, creativity, communication and improvement halts, the heartbeat of any business stops. My vision has a central theme, which is never to break hearts and always join them, be it my partners, customers, stakeholders, vendors or competitors. The magnetic force which joins them has to be love, a brand everyone loves and the success everyone desires.

Amna, raising 5 children and leading 14 offices is no small feat. What’s the secret?         

Motherhood is the secret sauce! Motherhood taught me some hard truths: embrace full responsibility with no turning back, teach and train but don’t expect overnight maturity whether its teens or teams, do your best and have faith that it will all turn out good at an unknown point in the future, and last but not the least patience, patience, patience.

"Value people and relationships, before profits and fame.” - Amna Razzaq

Shafaat, you have an uncanny ability to assess any founder's or venture's potential instantly. What do you look for in a deal or a founder?         

I split the weightage given to the business idea and founder equally. Within a business idea I evaluate demand, urgency, innovation, efficiency, brand marketing, strategy to scale and how independent is the product from the power of suppliers, buyers and competition. When evaluating a founder, I always look for strong values, ethics, integrity, honesty, emotional intelligence, creativity, presentation skills, humility and learning aptitude. At the end, it’s not about the deal on the table but how the deal is executed.

Amna, you talk about systems a lot. Why is a system more crucial than a plan, and how do you ensure it's foolproof?         

You said the magic word! ‘Foolproof’. In my dictionary that is a synonym to perfection or zero risk – It does not exist. We can keep on planning to take out all risk while convincing ourselves for guarantees and KPIs, or we can roll up our sleeves and adopt a system that has worked in business, tweaking on the go. Project too grand? Break down the task into manageable sub-tasks and apply your system on that. I do spend a fraction of my time in what I call ‘feeding my innovation FOMO’. I love learning how successful ventures have innovated/scaled and what was their team structure like, how did they bootstrap and their GTM. The idea is not to reinvent the wheel but continuously figure out how this wheel can run more efficiently

Amna, you’re known for your giving nature, always keeping your founders and clients under your mentorship wings. What's the most rewarding part of this journey for you?        

The position of mentorship is not demanded, it is gifted by others to you because of your giving nature, empathy and wisdom. I still remember Shafaat’s words early on in our partnership, “Amna, always race towards giving first but never without measure. This is the secret of creating value.” The most rewarding part of my journey is the journey itself. The knowledge and experience I accumulate over time, I leave it as an open source for others to invest their time and money and leverage their success. When I see my contributions as a catalyst and an element of someone’s success, I feel blessed.

Shafaat, with a goal to create jobs, how do you ensure that the businesses you invest in are sustainable and job-generating?         

There is a general sentiment these days that AI will be a job-eater, but the flip-side is that if people invest in themselves and learn AI or how to leverage AI, they will be high in demand. So every innovation brings job opportunities and jobs are sustained if the businesses are profitable. Businesses are made sustainable through diversifying risk, which can be achieved through new brand lines, new markets, new customer segments or targeting a new niche while staying ahead in creativity and innovation with a laser focus on your star brands. One has to make its customers fall in love with the brand and turn them into brand advocates. This is exactly our focus when we launch or acquire businesses and startups.

Amna, do you believe in push or pull strategy when it comes to marketing and advertising?         

A brand is actually a beautiful balance of a magnetic pull and a subtle push but prior to this comes a solid foundation, the composition of the brand itself. A brand is your idea presented in a way that is immediately understandable, memorable, resonates and attracts the right investor/team/customer. In my books, the first step is vetting the idea and second step is creating that star brand. My advice is to be careful who’s advice you seek as we live in loud, chaotic world where everyone is selling something. Personally, I always seek and invest in a professional advice which is a smart business decision.

Shafaat, with your vast experience, you've mentored countless founders. What's the one piece of advice you find yourself giving again and again?         

Focus on delivering real value wrapped in emotions, the brand will sell profitably. If a business is not profitable in 3 to 4 years of operations, its not investable. I advise founders to build a life-long learner mindset and understand the cycle of markets. If you are not obsessively in love with your customer, soon you will embrace failure. Small innovations or strategy adjustments make a huge difference just like completing small tasks help you to achieve the bigger vision. Always position yourself as a contributor to the universe and community, do not become a liability. Pursue excellence, so your reputation precedes your name. Business is all about building credibility and dependability.

Shafaat and Amna, how do your individual strengths complement each other, and how has this synergy led to your combined success?         

SH: We leverage each others’ perspectives and respect each others' wisdom, intelligence, logic and emotions. Frankly, it takes courage and strength to always keep a united front on the outside and every evening untangle it to start our next morning with a fresh, crisp, positive canvas.

AR: Many of my strengths were unknown to me before I met Shafaat. Him and I are equal partners in many ventures but he will forever be the mentor, teacher and the genius who cracked my code. To really grow at a fast pace you need the right environment, support and encouragement and I got all that in this partnership.

Clearly Shafaat Hashmi and Amna Razzaq stand as beacons of calculated risk, giving first mantra and visionary leadership. Their journey is a masterclass in how to navigate the complexities of entrepreneurship, all while maintaining a harmonious balance between professional aspirations and personal commitments.

Global Trend Monitor is a monthly publication featuring Business and luxury lifestyle topics providing a comprehensive guide for individuals who like unique, bespoke and extraordinary elements that sets them apart from everyone else. Editor: Shereen Shabnam