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"We never look at what our so-called competitors are doing, because we focus on what we need to do, not what they're doing. A lot of companies fail because they look at what their competitors are doing rather than what they are doing. For me, competitors are a sign of negativity. But that doesn't mean that we have to be completely ignorant, we are aware of their existence, but we don't really focus on it. So from 100 percent, I probably only care 5 percent," Al Samadi says. Meanwhile, Forever Rose is not Al Samadi's only moneymaker. The brand is just one of many that fall under his multi-brand business Al Samadi Group, which he established in 2010 after moving to Dubai. Under its umbrella, the group holds restaurant brands Big Smoke Burger and The Chickery, both located in Dubai's Jumeirah district, as well as the Middle East retail rights for Amika hair products, Wired Up jewellery, Juicy hair products and My Trends, a hub for trends in the market. According to Al Samadi, the group has grown 25 percent year-on-year from 2010 to 2016. But Forever Rose remains the centre of focus for growth in the near future, he says. "A lot of our revenues have gone to opening Al Samadi restaurants, as Al Samadi has never and will never take any loan from any bank in the world," he says. "We are self-funded and we believe that if we don't have it, we don't buy it. It's as simple as that. Don't spend what's not yours. It's funny because people go for loans thinking it's free money. You have to pay it back. We don't play with that." And as intriguing as his million-dollar business is, his own story makes it all the more fascinating. For one, he started business when he was just 13 years old. Following his parents' separation at the young age, Al Samadi took it upon himself to provide for his mother and sister. "It began as my mother telling me you have too many clothes, you don't need all that. So I said 'okay'. I heard about this website called E-bay and I listed jeans that I had and I never wore. I sold it for more than I ...