We had the good fortune of connecting with Aiyad Abou-Assaad and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Aiyad, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
Setting a goal for yourself and filtering out all the negativity on the way there. Lean to encouragement and step away from discouragement. There are 3 types of people in this world… those who talk about doing it, those who want to do it and people like me who make it happen. I could have not done any of this without the unreal support I have from my family, my amazing wife, my children and a few close friends.
What should our readers know about your business?
I started ATS Labs (a supplement company) in 2007. It was a desk in a spare bedroom. After many experiences in life, I decided to roll solo. I always excelled in my jobs, but I was tired of doing all the work so the next person can get the credit. I focused on ATS Labs and cut no corners when it came to customer service and quality. I worked 12 hour days for over 2 years without letting anything impede my growth. I stood behind the product I provided and made it a point to always be available for my customers. Of course, there were many ups and downs on the way. The best advice I can give to the next person trying to grow their business is: Focus on the end goal, have your hands in everything, do not give in to those who do not support you and have only quality people on your team. This journey was not easy and will never be easy…you just become more fluent in it. I focus on providing quality supplements instead of focusing on the profits. If you give people what they want, they will always come back to you. I focus on providing solutions for athletes and everyone else. I make sure that every person that walks into my retail location, ATS Nutrition is given 100% attention and 2nd to none customer service.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would take my best friend to visit many iconic Houston sites and definitely visit many restaurants.
Day 1: Nasa during the day, Kemah Boardwalk during the night
Day 2: Make a day out the Houston Museum of Natural Science
Day 3: The Houston Galleria for the ultimate shopping experience
Day 4: A nice drive to Moody Gardens in Galveston
Day 5: Visit the nightlife in city center and find a nice sidewalk restaurant for dinner
Day 6: Unwind in the Market Street of The Woodlands
Day 7: Take a nice long stroll through the trails of Buffalo Bayou Park
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would not be the man that I am today without the leadership of my amazing father, the tender love of my beautiful mother and the unconditional support of my very wise brother. My dream in life is to be half the man that my father or brother is. Along the path we call life, I received much more support through my children Omar & Mase, my wife Daniela and the rest of my family. My shoutout goes to all those who kept whispering in my ear: “I am proud of you”, “you are doing a great job”. Thank you mama, baba, brother unit, Omar, Mase, Daniela, Bakr, Lara, Omran and Mariam. A special shout out goes to those watching me from heaven…my grandmother (Bibi), my aunt Ghida and my 2 grandfathers.
Website: www.ATSLabsOnline.com
Instagram: @ATSLabs @ATSNutrition
Facebook: @ATSLabs @ATSNutrition