“My passion is to help people.” – Mariam Sheikh
Gem story was written by: BOBO Marketing Services
Meet Mariam Sheikh, the CEO of ABM Tech LLC! It’s a technology-based solutions provider located in Orlando. Mariam created her company with the goal of merging health sciences and computer technology, two fields she discovered while studying for her undergraduate degree. She feels that bringing these two fields together has the potential to improve lives, in regard to healthcare and beyond!
Mariam has established her company on professionalism, knowledge, and expertise, and she enjoys using creativity to optimize functionality and improve performance. The company’s main goal is to help clients run their businesses more efficiently.
Sphere of Influence
Mariam comes from a big, loud family. She grew up in Orlando, so of course, she has been influenced by everything Disney! She’s the eldest of six children, including two younger sisters and three younger brothers. Her parents have always been very supportive of her throughout her life, and to this day they are a constant source of encouragement and have never let her down. Growing up, her family always had lots of pets, which always brought her joy and inspiration. She currently has a German Shepherd who’s 10 years old.
Mariam credits her mom as the most influential person in her life. She came to America at 25 years old and started her life from scratch. It was she who taught her the true meaning of perseverance, a quality that has definitely benefitted her in her entrepreneurial endeavors.
Overcoming Past Challenges
Growing up as a first-generation American was always a challenge for Miriam.
“Throughout my life, there have been hurdles as early as elementary.”
Being from Pakistan, she remembers kids asking curious questions about her accent and clothes. Though she admits that having an upbringing that’s different from others can be challenging, eventually she decided to change her perspective and take it as an opportunity to educate others and to just be herself.
A Positive Mindset
When deciding her future, Mariam never really considered a career as an entrepreneur initially. She always imagined herself working in healthcare administration. “My passion is to help people,” she says. However, when she realized that there was more to give with technology, she shifted gears. Now, she is inspired to get up every morning and start the day wearing all the different hats it takes to grow a successful business.
Knowing that there are so many people counting on her also contributes to her positive mindset, as Mariam makes it her mission to make a positive change in the lives of her employees as well.
Struggles of COVID-19
Unfortunately, when COVID-19 started making waves in March and April of 2020, Mariam lost a few contracts due to the uncertainty of the economy, forcing her to look for new solutions for keeping her business afloat.
“Suddenly there were obstacles in the way that no one had foreseen,”
she recalls.
She ended up joining the COVID relief movement and worked with clients to organize systems that dealt more with medical supplies, homelessness, vaccinations, and food drives. She learned that “as long as [you’re] able to help people,” sometimes turning your focus around and thinking on your feet is the only way to stay afloat.
“Whatever I can do in my ability to help or be there … that is something I take very personally, and I try to achieve no matter what.”
Regardless of the situation, Mariam hates turning people away and always tries to work out an agreement, whether it’s with her clients or her employees. She is determined to always find a way to put a positive spin on a situation and learn something from it that can help in the future.
“Try to take all you’re experiencing in a learning matter … Turn it into a learning experience.”
Giving Back
In her free time, Mariam volunteers at a local mosque and organizes weekly food drives that generate up to 1,000 boxes of food for the homeless.
Her advice for others would be to not give in to negative self-talk. Simply put, hanging on equals success, and giving up equals failure.
Be sure to keep up with this Gem’s latest achievements.
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