In this six‑question, seven‑minute interview on the Winning at Business and Life podcast, host Professor Pete Alexander talks with Ahmad Imam, a presenter, host, edutainer, and consultant. Ahmad explains that his work revolves around giving people permission to be themselves through performance, content creation, and consulting. He shares what makes him smile—family and the buzz of performing live. When asked what chapter of a fictitious business book every company should read, he emphasizes "Be kind to yourself," arguing that self‑kindness is essential for sustainable high performance and for leading teams effectively. Ahmad then advises leaders to adopt a personal mission that is greater than themselves, one that serves humanity and guides long‑term strategic planning. He recommends his co‑host Michael Lane as a guest, highlighting Lane’s 20‑year entrepreneurial experience and collaborations with figures like Tony Robbins and Gary Vaynerchuk. Ahmad recounts his first job as a pizza maker and dishwasher, drawing lessons about humility and pride in any work. Finally, he provides his social‑media handles—@TheAhmadImam across LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Clubhouse—inviting listeners to connect.
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This is Professor Pete Alexander with the Winning at Business and Life podcast, where business leaders share their insights. It is 6 questions in 7 minutes because successful business leaders are busy and rarely have more time to spare. So let's get to it. Question number 1: In a few sentences, please tell me who you are and what you do.
My name is Ahmad Imam. I'm a presenter, a host, an edutainer, and also a consultant. I love giving people permission to be themselves, and I currently do that through my content and hopefully through my example.
Well, Ahmad, it is an absolute pleasure to have you on the show. Question number 2: What is something that makes you smile and/or laugh about working in your industry?
Well, it may not be in the industry, but my family makes me smile. And in the industry, I love, love performing. And so that can come in a number of different ways. It can come in a form of presenting, hosting, creating content, being creative with my clients. I just get an absolute buzz from it. And so for me to be able to do that every day and get paid for it is brilliant.
Well, and you know, all the people that are watching all the different episodes that you do are smiling just watching you perform. And so you're doing a great thing for everybody. So thank you for that. Question number 3: I have a fictitious book with all the answers for business. What chapter would you think most companies should read?
Wow, what an incredible question. All answers for business. Okay, I would, I would pick up the chapter that is titled Be kind to yourself. Hmm. I think often we take on the stresses, we take on the responsibilities as leaders, we take on multiple different projects at the same time, we don't give ourselves breaks, we work for 12 hours a day, and we forget to be kind to ourselves. And the person that suffers at the end of the day is us. And if we want to perform at our best, if we want our teams and businesses to perform at their best, We have to be at our best. Uh, and so it's something that I remind myself of often. It's something I also remind my clients of often. If we want to be kind to others, we have to first be kind to ourselves. And I'm not just talking about your health. I'm talking about any negative thoughts. I'm talking about opinions of others. You have to have some self-respect, be kind to yourself, and make sure that's a priority if you wish for this to be in the long term.
It is so insightful that you say that. It really is, you know, when you say that making it a priority, it is so critical because our inner critic can just attack us with those thoughts. And if we let that beat ourselves up, you know, it's hard enough as it is to be, be successful in this world, and you need to be able to support yourself. So I love that. Great, great insight. Question number 4: Other than the generic work harder, have a great attitude, and care for customers, what advice would you give to other business leaders?
And that is very cliché advice. But look at some advice that I would give is something that we were actually speaking about on one of my previous shows. And that is the idea of a mission, but not just a mission, a personal mission that is greater than yourself. Okay, so having a mission that is much greater than you, a mission that is in service to others, a mission that actually impacts humanity will help you make your decisions and help you take your plan to the absolute next level. You know, so if you're a business leader, if you're a business owner, if you're an entrepreneur, ask yourself, what is my mission to impact humanity? And you'll find that it takes you to a whole nother level of the game. It'll make you think far bigger. It'll help you develop a 5, 10, 20-year plan. And that is a plan that is in service to others that will actually positively impact on humanity. So for me, that was a very powerful one to learn.
And hearing you describe that, it actually gives me goosebumps because thinking about something that really is impactful and creates that plan for 10, 20 years, it really is something that you can get behind. And so I think that our audience is going to really appreciate that. So thank you. Question number 5: What other business leader like yourself would you like to acknowledge and invite to be on my podcast?
I highly recommend my co-host Michael Lane. We co-host a couple of shows together, Level Up TV and Unleash. He is an incredible entrepreneur. I've personally learned a lot from him. He's been in the game for the last 20 years and he wears many, many different hats. He's also a master of innovation. He is a speaking master in the sense that he understands the industry like the back of his hand. And he also works and partners with a lot of the most incredible talent on the planet, like people like Tony Robbins and Gary Vaynerchuk and Richard Branson and Robert Kiyosaki. So plenty of, plenty of, plenty of stories he can actually share with you.
Oh, he sounds like a great person to have on the show. Thank you for that referral. And our final question, question number 6, please tell me about your first job.
You might be surprised at this one. My first job was actually as a dishwasher and a pizza maker. So I was working in a pizza restaurant and I would make pizzas out front for people. They were actually gourmet pizzas. And I'll tell you what, I still make a hell of a pizza today. And then out the back for the latter part of the shift, I would then wash dishes for a few hours until my fingers are pruned up. Um, but I mean, what that taught me is something that I'd like to pass on to my kids, and that is there's nothing that's beneath you. You know, if you can perform a task like that and you do that with pride, and you do that to perform that task at the best of your ability, there is so much honor in that. And it's something that I take with me throughout my journey. And to this day, there is nothing that's beneath me, there is nothing that's above me.
Mm-hmm. I love that story, and I can relate a lot to it too, because one of my first jobs was as a dishwasher. But you had the benefit of being the pizza maker too. You know, with me, I was a low-level person on the totem pole because the, the cooks were the ones that were making the big bucks.
Oh, believe me, I wasn't making the big bucks, but I was making the pizzas.
Love it, love it. So, Ahmed, thank you so much for being on the show. How can people find you?
You can find me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Clubhouse, more or less all the social media platforms, and it's all the same handle. So it's @TheAhmadImam. That's @TheAhmadImam. And feel free to send me a message. I'm not one of those people that ignores messages. I actually respond. And I love human interaction and connection. So don't hesitate to reach out.
Wonderful. This is Professor Pete Alexander with the Winning at Business and Life podcast. Get hundreds of amazing business insights from previous guests episodes on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening.
