From just seven years old, Sabri Suby was determined to make his own money and stand on his own two feet.
The Byron Bay native was desperate to help out his single mum, who was working three jobs at the time to put food on the dinner table for he and his sister.
So he got a job at a local health food store grinding peanut butter for $2.50 an hour.
For a while, it seemed like a good deal.
That was until he tried his hand at busking on a Saturday at the markets and turned over $80 by performing on a harmonica his mother had bought him.
He told Daily Mail Australia that was when he first realised the difference between working for yourself and working for somebody else.
The Byron Bay native juggles his business and being a dad to two girls (pictured)
He was desperate to help out his single mum, who was working three jobs at the time to put food on the dinner table for he and his sister. Now his business is worth an estimated $30million
Fast forward to 2020, Mr Suby runs King Kong, an advertising agency selling web design, Facebook advertising, landing pages and SEO looking to turn over $10million a year within the next 12 months.
Australian Financial Review marked the company as the fastest growing agency in Australia right now, with high profile clients including Raine & Horne, The Good Guys and Sydney Swans, and an estimated value of $30million.
He said while it might seem like a meteoric rise to the top of his field, he’s been grinding for this moment since he can remember – and knows it isn’t the time to get complacent.
‘Having your own business is an incredible thing and it can provide an incredible life, but it isn’t easy,’ he said.
‘I’ve made more than a million cold calls in my career. People telling me to f**k off, to go die. Making 150 calls a day isn’t glamorous.
‘Anyone wanting to start their own business needs to know it isn’t always glamorous. Successful people do the work unsuccessful people aren’t willing to do.’
His then girlfriend of four years, Shalini, gifted him an old computer and he converted his bedroom into an office space. They are now married with two daughters
When he decided to start King Kong in 2014, he had about $50 to spare for the business. It is now worth about $30million
But Mr Suby said there are some key qualities that are crucial for success.
- Be passionate about what it is you want to do
- Have grit
- Be tolerant of the idea of risk
- Make the ‘why’ so big that the ‘how’ becomes easy
- Be prepared to prove your perseverance and determination
Mr Suby landed his first full time job at 17 selling ink cartridges from a ‘boiler room’ shipping container.
While he ‘sucked really bad at the beginning’, Mr Suby quickly rose to the top of the company, becoming their number one seller, which opened up international travel opportunities.
When he arrived back in Australia, he continued selling ‘just about anything you could imagine’ before seeking inspiration from his seven-year-old self and deciding to go it alone.
‘I’ve had a few businesses, some I’ve run into the ground and others I’ve sold and moved on from,’ he said.
‘They’re the best. I have the best family,’ he said, while admitting that he still does struggle to find a balance between work and play
‘I start work the moment my eyes open in the morning to the moment I fall asleep at night,’ Mr Suby told Daily Mail Australia
When he decided to start King Kong in 2014, he had about $50 to spare for the business.
His then girlfriend of four years, Shalini, gifted him an old computer and he converted his bedroom into an office space.
Within days, he’d landed his first paying client.
‘Six years later, I have a team of 65 and we’re doing extremely well,’ he said.
‘I want to be the biggest and best in Australia. We are on track. I know what the rest are doing in terms of revenue and it has taken them 12 years to get there. We will be breathing down their necks in the next 12 months.’
Mr Suby said he’ll be forever grateful for Shalini’s support in the early days.
The couple have since gone on to marry and now have two daughters, three-year-old Melia and Aelaya, one.
‘They’re the best. I have the best family,’ he said, while admitting that he still does struggle to find a balance between work and play.
For every child I have, I’ll wake up an hour earlier
‘I start work the moment my eyes open in the morning to the moment I fall asleep at night.’
But Mr Suby made the decision early on in his career to never sacrifice years he’ll ‘never get back’ with his girls.
‘I wake up at 4am every day and get started so that I can put my girls to sleep at night. There are sacrifices that need to be made.
‘We’ve all got the same 24 hours in a day, we don’t get any more, so we need to just make it work. I made a promise to myself that for every child I had, I’d wake up an hour earlier.’
For anybody considering starting their own business, the pandemic might be the perfect time to give it a go, he said
He normally works out of an office in South Yarra, Melbourne, but Victoria’s second coronavirus outbreak has restricted he and his employees to working from home
And while he doesn’t have the time in a day to binge Netflix or scroll mindlessly through Facebook, Mr Suby said he’s found a balance that works for he and his family.
‘I go for a run first thing in the morning before the sun’s up, then I spend half an hour with the girls before breakfast, start work, do a body weight workout with my wife in the afternoon, have dinner and put the girls to bed,’ he revealed.
Every night, he and his wife try to have a sauna together and take a dip in the plunge pool. Usually they have time for one episode of a show or to spend some time together before bed.
‘I have a very loving and supportive wife,’ Mr Suby admitted, which he said made the routine a lot easier to maintain – particularly during COVID.
He normally works out of an office in South Yarra, Melbourne, but Victoria’s second coronavirus outbreak has restricted he and his employees to working from home.
The pandemic hasn’t impacted his business as negatively as some others, and he is grateful for his position throughout the crisis.
He understands how many Australians weren’t as fortunate.
A candidate has a better chance of getting into Harvard than they do getting a job in his office, Mr Suby told Daily Mail Australia, based on the amount of applicants he receives
Mr Suby landed his first full time job at 17 selling ink cartridges from a ‘boiler room’ shipping container
‘This time right now has shown how sensitive it can be to work for someone else and to be employed for another company,’ Mr Suby said.
For anybody considering starting their own business, the pandemic might be the perfect time to give it a go, he said.
‘Uber, Slack, they were both started during a recession from memory. Countless others.
‘Don’t wait. There is always a way to make it work if you’ve got enough ambition and drive. The key is to be fully sold and know why you’re doing it.’
Mr Suby said knowing your ‘why’ is the most critical element to starting a business.
‘Make the ”why” so big that the ”how” becomes easy. Know why you want to start the business, why you’re willing to put in the hours, to invest in it. That’ll ensure you don’t lose steam while figuring out the how.’
Mr Suby said knowing your ‘why’ is the most critical element to starting a business. ‘Make the ”why” so big that the ”how” becomes easy. Know why you want to start the business, why you’re willing to put in the hours, to invest in it. That’ll ensure you don’t lose steam while figuring out the how’
Every night, he and his wife try to have a sauna together and take a dip in the plunge pool. Usually they have time for one episode of a show or to spend some time together before bed