“For me, charity and community service go hand in hand, because the more you give, the more you receive.”
“I have always believed in the dignity of labor and hard work.”
-BY ZARA DURRANI
Inam has become more of a family member over the years of our association in our business dealings; his structured and disciplined approach is something that always stands him apart. I must admit that if he believes in a Client, he will ensure that he stands by them throughout all times. I would like to thank him for all his assistance over the years and look forward to many more.’’ Dennis Bosa
Inam Qureshi’s story is that of a young man living the Canadian dream, which came through continued effort and perseverance on his part. He runs a boutique mortgage brokerage in Vancouver, focusing on secured lending with commercial lending as one of their specialities along with residential mortgages. Inam has made a name for himself in the finance industry over the last decade. He has worked with esteemed financial institutions in Canada.
Mr. Qureshi was awarded Top 55 under 35 in Canada by CMP Magazine, and last year was awarded Dominion Lending Centres’ Platinum Award for being in the top 10% in Canada. Over the decade, he has had the opportunity to work on mortgages more than over a billion. Quite an astonishing feat for someone who just recently turned thirty. Oh, and did I mention he moved to Canada by himself in his teens with only two suitcases?
What was it like to move to Canada by yourself when you were just a teen?
I moved to Canada against all the odds, at the age of nineteen. My first job was as a cashier at the gas station. I have always believed in the dignity of labor and hard work. This is one thing I have learned over the years whether you’re a carpenter or a cleaner, if you’re the best in your trade, then you will always do well and succeed. Soon afterwards, I started working in credit card sales, and from there, I was fortunate to land a job with a local bank. That’s how my finance career kick-started leading to where I am today.
So how does a medical student go into the world of finance and find success?
I did a semester of medical schooling with the full intention of becoming a physician and following what my parents would have liked me to do, but I decided to challenge myself and forge my path by doing what I enjoyed and was passionate about. What we also do is offer financial counselling which I often tend to relate to medicine as a physician would advise his patients about their health. And in financial matters, we try to achieve this by helping clients move towards their dreams and goals with as little stress as possible. My utmost goal is to make my clients feel comfortable and at ease without any judgement.
What inspired you to start your own company?
I’ve been in the finance industry since I was nineteen. My goal was to create lifelong partnerships with my clients. While working with various financial institutions, the challenge I continuously encountered was that I would always cradle a relationship up to a certain threshold only. Beyond that, I could not go past as an employee. Hence, I could just support my clients only up to a certain level and then lose them to someone else. That’s when I decided it was time to help every client from the very beginning and to work with them for life by providing them with an array of options. In 2015, I decided to take a shot and moved to the ‘Gray side’ as it is a phrase in our industry. Syndicate Lending Corporation was born and moving fast forward to present, we have surpassed our targets, and we are now an emerging leader in the industry. Currently, we are in the process of growing our mortgage investment corporation and have been lucky so far. We are blessed to have an established clientele from all walks of life. Eventually, if our clients grow, we grow as well.
What advice would you give to young people wishing to start their own business?
Three things are imperative if you wish to make it big in life: Patience, Perseverance, and Persistence. Patience—because good things take time and don’t necessarily happen overnight. Perseverance—because you have to dedicate yourself to what you are doing adequately, and you can’t give up at last minute just because of some obstacle. Persistence—is vital, because as long as you have perseverance, you will be rewarded for it. There have been instances where you are working on a project, and that last bit of hurdle tries to dissuade you at times, but persistence tends to help at the end. If you believe in these three principles, any business will succeed. Being a first generation immigrant to Canada, I had to work my way up and build the foundation to get ahead in life. I was swimming in a new world altogether, so I had to get creative because it was either I sink or do my best to go afloat. Being an immigrant always gave me an opportunity to excel. I came here in 2006, by myself in my late teens with a meager sum.
How important is it to listen to your instinct in business?
I call it my inner voice which I have followed always. And I believe when you make a decision, you must stand by it and in the end, reap the fruit of your labor and enjoy your success. The happiness I see on someone’s face when I support them by financing their first home is profound, and the hope and twinkle in their eyes are priceless.
Is there a book that has influenced or shaped your life?
My busy schedule has taken me away from a lot of reading which I did in my younger years. ‘You Can Win’ by Shiv Khera which I read a few years ago, had made an impact in my life. I make it a point to read biographies as I believe in the old saying; “A smart man learns from his mistakes; a wise man learns from others mistakes.” It always enriches my life to hear of others’ experiences.
How do you create a work-life balance in your life?
I’m up at 5:30 am and my day starts with a workout at the gym. An exercise daily gives you the right amount of endorphins as a business owner to put out the daily fires.
It sounds like you have lived a pretty global life.
I used to be on a plane every few weeks in my younger days as I did develop a passion for travelling. I must say seeing the world and experiencing different cultures gave me a holistic approach, a spectrum of knowledge and real-life experience. One of the things we have done as a family was travelling with my siblings, something I have always cherished.
How important is it for you to give back now that you have found success in Canada?
We are so blessed to live in this beautiful country, which has embraced us and given us every opportunity that we accord to prosper. I must admit that it is our responsibility to take care of our guests, our new immigrants who come here daily with the same dream as I came back then in 2006. When I came here, if it weren’t for people who shared the same mindset, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Hence, one of my biggest focuses over the last few years is to grow the act of giving. We are fortunate to have a small charitable foundation under my grandmother’s name Mariam Abdul Razak Moloo who did make a big difference in my life as a child. We mainly support educational initiatives and are always looking for opportunities. For me, charity and community service go hand in hand, because the more you give, the more you receive.
