We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Majazz Muwwakkil a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Majazz, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?
Originally, I wanted to start a TV Mounting specific company (called Majazz’s Mounting or Mounts by Majazz), but I felt as if I would be selling myself short and not utilizing all of my home improvement talents. I really have never actually liked the word “handyman” but I wanted to incorporate some form of relation back to essentially what comes with being good at a lot of different home improvement tasks. On a slightly deeper meaning for me, it showcases what I am able to produce with just my hands. Growing up it was instilled in me and my siblings to have the ability to produce something, and for me I took that and became a sponge to trades. I enjoy the process of learning new skills because I am a hands on learner. That’s the best way for me to actually understand a concept, by doing it. Prior to starting this business I attended and graduated from NASCAR Technical Institute with my Automotive Technology Certifications. Just another example of producing with my hands. “You buy it. We build it” came about because all of my jobs that I’ve had thus far in life has revolved around some form of customer service and what I’ve learned in all that time is keep things as simple as possible. In the beginning I was thinking about having “moving in, we’ll set it up. moving out, we’ll take it down” as a slogan but for one, I thought it was slightly too long, and two, I didn’t want to get people confused and think that I was a moving company.
Majazz, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Majazz Muwwakkil and I am a native of Atlanta GA. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Morehouse College and Automotive Technology Certifications from NASCAR Technical Institute with concentrations in Ford Automotive. I currently serve as the Owner and daily operator of All Hands Assemble Services, a company I founded in September 2020. All Hands is your daily home improvement specialist and advisor. We provide high quality home improvement services that add aesthetic experiences to functional spaces. This business came about by me wanting to capitalize on my natural ability to problem solve at high levels. At All Hands we value providing lasting impacts for your in-home renovations in efforts to create long term excitement and peace of mind. All Hands for me is about showcasing my creative interest along with building relationships with every client we encounter. I’m not in the business of liking, I’m in the business of loving – and that is what I want for my clients, every time. The smiles, the happiness, the excitement I see when the project is complete makes everything worth it.
With my company I wanted to bridge the gap between the traditional old-fashioned handyman and blend it with more modern styles and aesthetics. I wanted to bring my personality to the trade and the craft. I take the phrase “A jack of all trades” and embody it. As a kid, I’ve always had the aptitude for using my hands to create, build, and fix everyday items. I have always been a fan of puzzles and games that test and focus on spatial intelligence and strategy, and I like to display that interest with every project that I complete.
I by no means am a doctor or firefighter, but I do feel like I positively impact people’s lives on a daily basis. The joy I see when a project is complete gives me the utmost satisfaction, and knowing that each day you wake up and see the project that my company was able to complete for you and you love it makes everything worth it. When I sit and think about all of the paths that I could’ve gone down it excites me. Because it just shows me and reminds me of how much control I have over my life and that whatever it is I want to accomplish, whatever I want to be, I can. Being flexible and not giving up are two keys that have helped me not only just in entrepreneurship, but in everyday life as well.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
As I stated before I was in the US Navy Reserve from 2012-2015 while attending Morehouse College. I received the Naval Scholarship to attend Morehouse and upon graduation I was to serve 5 years on Active Duty. Throughout my college career my main focus was to graduate so I could commission as an officer in the Navy. In January 2016, I was placed on Medical Leave of Absence and my scholarship was taken away and I was medically separated from the Navy. From 2009, when I was a freshman in HS, to 2015 my life was centered around the military. Throughout my collegiate career during the summers we would get based in different places around the world for military training and that would serve as our internships or co-op programs. Losing my scholarship 5 months before it was time for me to graduate left me in a really weird space because I truly had no idea what was next for me after I graduated. There is a few quotes that resonate with me and the one that had been able to help me make it through still to this day is: “when walking through the door of the unknown you will either find something solid to stand on, or you will learn to fly.” Once I graduated in May of 2016, I had to start flying. It felt as if my adult life was starting and I had no idea what to make of it. For the past 3 years I had been setting myself up to join the military and it was gone just like that.
So when we talk about pivoting, I’ve had to make massive adjustments in very small windows of time, but I can say that every experience that I have been through in my professional and personal life has taught me to to remain calm, and level headed under pressure and has ultimately made me a better person. Because my good days still outweigh the bad ones.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
Social Media and Word of Mouth. With all of my experiences in life thus far, a very big positive is that I have been able to network and meet endless people. Having people who support me and share my work gets me far, and now their network just became mine. Good work is going to spread, and if you are good at what you do, people will notice and recommend you and your work to everyone that asks which is why in my opinion it is extremely important to do it right the first time.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.allhandsassembly.com
- Instagram: @_allhands
- Twitter: @AllHandsAS
Image Credits
Fred Daniels