Story by Seye Joseph

At just 25 years old, Abdul-Qawiyy Hammed has already achieved what many entrepreneurs spend a lifetime pursuing. The Nigerian-born entrepreneur, best known for his luxury watch brand ThePhnyxWatches, has built a business empire that spans e-commerce, consulting, and personal branding. His story is not one of instant success, but of resilience, reinvention, and an unyielding drive to rise above circumstances.

“I sold two e-commerce businesses for a total of 128 million US dollars at age 21,” Hammed recalls. “Today, I run an education and consulting company generating about 5 million dollars a month, while also building The Phoenix toward 100 million.”

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He was not born into privilege. Growing up in Nigeria, Hammed witnessed first-hand the struggles of his parents, both of whom were civil servants battling delayed salaries and financial uncertainty. His mother was a schoolteacher, and his father lectured at a university. Watching their sacrifices shaped him, but it also planted in him a determination to live differently. He drew inspiration from unlikely places. A copy of Rich Dad Poor Dad, a glimpse of a luxury supercar, and even the confidence of the James Bond character gave him a new sense of what was possible.

At 14, he began exploring opportunities online and stumbled into the freelance economy. His very first gig was creating explainer videos on platforms like Fiverr and Upwork. The payment was just $50, but to him it felt like a fortune. “That $50 was more than my parents gave me monthly for transport and food,” he says. “I put the money in my cap, took a picture, and told myself: this is the life I want.”

That small victory opened a new world. He immersed himself in learning, taking courses on Udemy, Coursera, YouTube, and Google’s Skills for Africa. He invested in a training program by Jason Stone, the “Millionaire Mentor,” using money saved in his piggy bank. He became a relentless student of marketing, copywriting, and online sales. “Skill stacking makes you a better leader,” Hammed explains. “If you’ve done it before, you can teach and delegate effectively with clear SOPs.”

Within a short time, freelancing was bringing in $2,500 per month. But Hammed realized that although freelancing was better than the life he knew, he was still selling his time. The next big leap would be building scalable businesses. That leap, however, came with painful lessons. His first major experiment in e-commerce involved selling physical products online. He struck a partnership with an Irish associate to process payments, and together they generated $100,000 in sales. Then his partner disappeared with the money.

“It was painful,” Hammed admits. “But once you’ve seen numbers like that on a dashboard, you can’t unsee them. Failure only proved what was possible.”

He went back to work, launching new products that included fidget spinners designed for autistic children and a shapewear line for postpartum women. Both ideas gained traction, especially the shapewear, which was fueled by influencer marketing. But his real breakthrough came with the creation of Inviso, a brand of shoe inserts that discreetly added three inches to a man’s height.

A viral comedy skit featuring the product spread rapidly across social media. The response was explosive. In a single day, the campaign generated $1.19 million in sales. Hammed and his team licensed the video, paid the comedian a commission, and scaled the campaign globally. “That was our big breakthrough,” he says with a smile.

Success came with new challenges. Inventory sold out faster than manufacturers could deliver. Orders piled up, leaving customers waiting months for their products. Merchant accounts were shut down, threatening cash flow. Hammed quickly realized that dropshipping, though useful for testing, could not support sustainable growth.

“Dropshipping is fine for testing, but once you’re hitting $100,000 a month, you need stock on hand,” he explains. “Margins are thin otherwise, shipping takes too long, and payment processors can shut you down.”

So he pivoted again, this time importing inventory, creating private labels, and eventually establishing his own warehouses. That move allowed him to stabilize operations and control quality. He also began to understand that each stage of growth required a different strategy. To reach six figures, the key was product-market fit. To reach seven, it was about building systems and improving customer experience. At eight figures, the priority shifted to hiring great leaders who could replicate success. And to reach nine, the focus became strengthening the brand’s reputation and ensuring constant cash flow.

Unlike many fast-growing entrepreneurs, Hammed never sought external funding. “Instead, we created amazing experiences for customers so they became our biggest ambassadors,” he says. “Community is everything.”

From those hard-earned lessons, Hammed’s most ambitious venture emerged. He founded ThePhnyxWatches, a luxury watch brand designed for men who had endured struggles and emerged stronger. The name, inspired by the mythical phoenix, symbolized rising from adversity. For Hammed, it was not just a brand, but a reflection of his life.

From Dubai to Europe and North America, ThePhnyxWatches has established a presence among discerning buyers who value not just craftsmanship but the story behind the product. “People don’t just buy watches—they buy experiences, emotions, and status,” Hammed says. “Luxury is about how the product makes you feel.”

While building brands, he also made a commitment to share his journey. Through his YouTube channel and Instagram page, he documents his wins, failures, and lessons, offering insights into wealth creation, branding, and legacy. His transparency resonates with young entrepreneurs across Africa and beyond. “I believe you either pay with time or money,” he says. “I once paid a billionaire to shadow him for five days. Money buys leverage, but knowledge multiplies it.”

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His path has not been free of mistakes. He admits to making money mistakes, mindset errors, and missteps in strategy. But each one has been a lesson. “It’s like riding a bike,” he reflects. “I fell a couple of times, but I learned not to repeat those mistakes.”

What stands out in Hammed’s journey is not only his ambition but his relentless refusal to be limited by where he came from. Starting from a $50 freelance gig in Nigeria to running global companies and building a luxury brand, his story is proof that determination, resilience, and continuous learning can rewrite anyone’s destiny.

“I’ve never seen myself as a victim of circumstances,” he says. “My philosophy is simple: invest in yourself, never stop learning, and always leverage money, skills, and systems to scale. That’s how you build wealth, a brand, and a legacy.”