About Me

Introduction

As-salamu alaykum, my name is Syed Usman Riaz and I hail from a small village in Southern Punjab. Since childhood, I’ve been driven by the desire to benefit others with my knowledge and services. Whether it’s advice or assistance, I’ve never hesitated to help.

Early Career

After matriculation, I worked as an RO plant operator at Ahmad Oil Mills. The noisy environment and lack of protective gear led to a weakening of my hearing over a period of 1 year and 2 months. However, the pursuit of higher education compelled me to leave the job, marking the beginning of another challenging phase.

Education

I pursued my intermediate studies while working at the factory. However, as a bachelor’s degree couldn’t be achieved via home study, I had to join a college. It was there that I realized the extent of my hearing loss. Despite sitting in the front row, I struggled to understand my teachers. I was proficient in math and statistics, among other subjects, but the mockery from teachers and classmates was disheartening. Consequently, I left college and studied in town halls, only returning to college for readmissions to give exams. After passing the first part of the exam, the second year brought some relief and the mockery subsided.

Job Hunting

After completing my BCom, I began job hunting. My hearing loss was a significant hurdle and I was unable to secure a good position. Eventually, I joined a flour mill as an Assistant Manager, but office politics led to a demotion to an Accountant position. After working there for 8 months without seeing any progress, I resigned.

Transition to Freelancing

This marked my first interaction with freelancing and online work. During my study period, I played a lot of computer games including Red Alert 2, Unreal Tournament, Strong Hold Crusader, and a few more.

Software House Experience

When I left the Accountant job, I transitioned to the online world through a local software house. I joined with the passion to work hard and give my best, but was met with disappointments, false promises, and false hope.

Full-Time Freelancing

In 2015, I left that job and decided to become a full-time freelancer. I asked my Australian client, Samantha, for a chance. She agreed, on the condition that I work for 2 months without pay and secure the project. I worked diligently, putting in 17 hours daily, and with Allah’s help, I was able to achieve the goal and got the opportunity to work independently under Sam’s leadership. She also paid me for those two months we initially agreed would be unpaid.

SEO Expertise

That was in 2015, and now in 2024, I’m still working for her as an SEO expert. I’ve worked on more than 63 international projects via Upwork but I’ve stuck with Sam’s vision and am still working for her, a decade after joining. One small project I did for her in 2014, a $10 project, led to this long-term collaboration. Despite the job description stating “Filipino only”, I applied with a simple cover letter: “I’m not Filipino but I can do what you’re looking for, please give me a chance”. And voila, I got the project and am still working for her after 10 years. It’s nothing short of a miracle. Despite my hearing loss, my passion for self-improvement led me to this spot.

Sharing Knowledge

Now, I’m here with all my experience and a passion for sharing my knowledge with all of you. I’ve worked as an SEO expert, video editor, whiteboard animator, WordPress web developer, and even live-streamed PUBG and Call of Duty to earn some bucks.

Mission of this Blog

I’m here to share all my SEO and freelancing knowledge with you, so you too can achieve wonders, and perhaps even do it better than I did when I started.

See you all on my blog.