The Art of Doing What You Want

The Art of Doing What You Want

Anywhereo Founder Alex Ojjeh Gives Us Three Tips on Self-Management

Alex Ojjeh is the creator of Anywhereo Company, a foundation that helps those in need. As a result of its quick expansion, the Anywhereo Foundation was founded, and committed to recognizing philanthropic efforts. He also owns a logistics company and is a partner in AOC Partners VC, a venture capital business. You may find him on Instagram under the handle @anywhereo.

Ojjeh, who was born and reared in Memphis, is the epitome of a successful 21st-century guy. His experience includes founding his own venture capital firm, AOC Partners Venture Capital LLC, owning commercial buildings, introducing a new start-up studio idea, and investing in logistics and distribution firms. Alex is a father to a four-year-old girl on top of all of this.

While Alex makes success look easy, he offers three self-management techniques.

TIP 1: 

Increase your awareness of yourself. Use therapy as a resource if you have access to it.

Ojjeh was raised in a single-mother home and recalls working from the time he was able to walk. He worked at the corner store, sweeping and found early mentorship in older guys in the neighborhood. Alex’s grandpa, who managed his own small business as a solitary employee, has a major influence on his entrepreneurial spirit even though he died when Alex was very young. Alex attributes his mindset to the fact that he began selling chips out of his locker and, as he grew older, purchased vending machines. He gained traction; he reached a snag when he was hired to work for a Singapore based venture capital business. After working for the company for 5 years he was sentenced to 83 months in prison and ultimately served 36.

Alex noted prison is where he sought to find more meaning and purpose in his life. After prison he combined his money with another entrepreneur and started a hedge fund firm. He started to do business worldwide, but Alex said he became inspired by his therapist who suggested he start giving. Alex launched ANWO in mid 2020 during the pandemic. Anywhereo Foundation is a foundation in which Alex uses funding to help tech startup companies, charities, schools and low-income residences. 

“To give is to receive, it feels better to give.” Alex comments.  “I think a kind of misunderstanding being a serial entrepreneur or having my hands in different companies all aligned with different missions, is that it’s normal,” he says. “But it takes a toll on your mental health.”

TIP 2:

Count your blessings and be grateful for what you already have.

When asked what advice he would give to his younger self, Alex responds, “Chill out, guy” It’s not about you. You are not the only one on the planet that is experiencing difficulties. The sooner I realized that being appreciative for what you have would earn you a lot more of what you desire, the better. Take care of your things. It’s not about having the most expensive car, the biggest house. Treat your things like you value them. If you do not, then why do you want more things, more expensive things? You will surely not know how to treat them.”

Prayer and meditation are important techniques for assisting Alex in slowing down and being grateful. Through his practices, the entrepreneur realized that entrepreneurship involves a lot of labor. He tells us that it took him a while to realize the ramifications of creating and running many businesses. Continuous creation is clearly a challenge for him, but he also knows that it is a challenge for his collaborators – whether they be his girl friend or his business partners. He recalls a moment when money meant everything to him, followed by a time when he over-collected money and it didn’t mean anything. Alex proclaims that he still wants all of the money, but also all of the effect. “I want to encourage as many people as possible just by my acts today,” he adds. I’m hoping I’ll be able to achieve that.”

Alex says that Prayer and Meditation are also forms of checking in with himself and a reminder to check in with others like his family, girlfriend, and anyone else who he’s grateful to have in his life.

TIP 3:

Even if you have the same goal every day, write it down.

“There’s something basic about writing things down that helps you to be purposeful in reaching goals,” Alex says. He keeps a little notepad with him to help him recall his responsibilities or uses the notepad in his phone. “Results will reveal what you’re genuinely devoted to,” he says. He is as deliberate about how he spends his time as he is about what he wears.

Alex claims he doesn’t have a desirable closet and believes style is relative. He is a big fan of a good pair of fitted pants, joggers, hats and a nice T-shirt. “I think that some people would say I dress down, but I just like being comfortable, in the line of my business, being creative, being an entrepreneur, being in this space, talking to investors…being able to be myself helps me be more creative. There are times where people on my team go “You’re going to wear that?” because I’m meeting with a high profile person and I’ll have on like a pair of sneakers and a T-Shirt, but this is the art of doing what you want, it’s living your life how you want, dressing how you want, and it works better for me. I’m not here to really impress anybody, but I like to make a good impression. If that makes sense, my cousin Pito helps me stay fluid and flexible wherever I go.”