The Power Of Asking
In the beginning of my career, I had zero direction. No mentor. No guidance. No one to show me what to do or how to do it. I was on my own, and the pressure was insane because I had to earn money to support my education. I didn’t get into a public university, so there were no cheap tuition fees to fall back on.
I wasn’t landing clients. I didn’t have a team. I couldn’t even afford a laptop.
All I had was a mid-range Android phone and whatever technical skills I picked up video editing, WordPress development, anything I could learn from YouTube. But Fiverr and Upwork? Total disaster. Zero traction. Zero earnings. It broke me. My only income was from a job at a domain and hosting company, and that barely did anything.
I was desperate. And when you’re desperate, you stop caring about pride, you just want a way out. I was asking anyone I knew if they had clients, gigs, anything. I just needed MONEY. It felt like every door was shut.
I was close to giving up and settling for a job.
Then I told my friend Rajen to let me know if he came across any leads. One day, out of the blue, he sent me a screenshot. Someone named Fahim (Bhaiya) needed a video editor for his client.
And the first thing I did was doubt myself.
I told Rajen, “Bro, I don’t think I’ll get it. Bengalis don’t want videos edited in CapCut, and I don’t know Premiere Pro or After Effects.”
What he said next changed my life:
“ If you do not ask, the answer is always no”
And he was right.
I pushed down the fear and messaged the guy. And guess what? He didn’t ask for anything. No portfolio. No software details. Nothing. He just gave me the brief on a Google Doc and asked if I could do it.
I said yes.
And I worked on that project like my life depended on it because honestly, it did. That gig felt like finding water in the middle of a desert. It was hope. It was progress. It was the first time someone took a chance on me.
Getting paid for the first time… that feeling is impossible to explain. With that money, I bought my first laptop. That moment made me proud of myself in a way I still feel today.
And now? I’m standing in the exact place where Fahim bhaiya once stood. On the other side. I’m the one giving new talents their first opportunity the same kind of opportunity that changed everything for me.
The lesson?
"You lose 100% of the chances you do not take"
