An interview with Blackburn's digital guru: Aadil Seedat
Everything from delivering on Ubereats for the exercise, apprenticeships, helping companies navigate the digital space, and life away from home.
Something I am keen to do on this blog is also speak to interesting people about their experiences and hopefully we can glean some insight from them. If you like the conversation and want to read more, let me know!
This interview was conducted over email and only edited lightly for grammar and readability.
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AR: Today we are joined by Aadil Seedat, a long-time friend and fellow Blackburn veteran. Aadil, thank you for being here. To start with, tell us a bit about yourself, what you do, where you're from, and what you like to do in your free time?
AS: I’m Aadil, a 24 year old Digital Marketing Specialist. I was born and raised in Zambia and I moved to the U.K. (Blackburn) with my family in 2005. I currently reside in between Blackburn and London.
In my spare time I like to keep active, travel, cook and go for hikes/walks. I do prefer doing outdoor things, or something physical as I am sat at a desk most of the time. Gyms are currently closed so I decided to be a Deliveroo/Uber Eats bicycle driver, for the exercise - I get to navigate the streets of London and learn where all the nice restaurants are!
AR: There are a few things I wanted to speak to you about, so we are going to take them in turn. To start with, can you explain to us in as much detail the type of work you do and the industry you’re in?
AS: I work as an ‘SEO Specialist’ for a Digital Marketing agency based in London called MintTwist. My role is to consult, advise, implement and manage businesses that want to compete on search engines (like Google or Bing). With physical stores being closed due to Covid, people now rely on Google searches for fast information, services or products, and if your website sits at the top of Google for your services then you can say that you have the best real estate in the world because you get all the visitors first.
The role is challenging because it requires you to have complete knowledge of SEO (search engine optimisation). So you need to have knowledge of how websites are built, and how search engine algorithms work but also you need to relay that information to clients who most are not so knowledgeable in that area. I work with so many different clients and each client is different. I have to manage time, clients, budget and also a few interns. No two days are the same and it requires you to be mentally focused all the time but I absolutely love it!
AR: So you got into this type of work through an apprenticeship, tell us why you decided to pick an apprenticeship as opposed to a ‘traditional’ education?
AS: At the age of 17 I came across one of my classmates who runs a number of successful YouTube channels (his main one being JazeCinema). James, my classmate, showed me the potential that the online world offers for business. So at the age of 17 I set up my very first website called ‘Factor Agency’, it was a web design business. I gained some experience in building and maintaining websites but I didn’t know how to get more clients or even how to bill clients properly. I reached out to so many Web Design companies for work experience but none got back to me, until I found an advertised apprenticeship role online. I applied and soon got the job! So I decided to quit sixth form and take on the apprenticeship - it wasn’t easy, especially with Asian parents but I managed to convince them.
AR: Yeah I can only imagine how difficult that conversation must have been. How did that conversation go with your parents about leaving sixth from?
AS: Having that scary and disappointing conversation with parents about quitting sixth form was much easier than I thought to be honest. I did it at the dinner table and I just let them know that I plan to leave sixth form and proceed with the apprenticeship route. It took an hour or so of back and forth discussion of ‘what ifs’ but finally they were both supportive and agreed if that would make me happier then I should go for it.
AR: So what advice would you give to someone about navigating that conversation about dropping out of college, picking a less conventional route. Any particular way they should try to frame it or rationalise it?
AS: Okay so this is the structure I followed;
1) Do your research, have plan A, B, and C well researched so no matter what, you are covered if things don't work out. Plus having this information and bringing it up with parents will show that you know what you are talking about and you have a plan, including a backup plan.
2) Timing - this is key! May sure parents are in a good mood and are able to listen attentively. Last thing you want to do is mention it when they are stressed or not relaxed because they are more likely to reject the idea.
3) Use case studies - yes, you need proof but also you need to excite them about the idea. It's not just about convincing them it's about exciting them so they can fully support you.
AR: And at 17 you’re going through the brutal nature of job applications. Did any of those companies that rejected you say why and how did you react to rejection in general?
AS: Yes, plenty of companies rejected me! Including Manchester City Football Club - not that I would’ve enjoyed working there anyway.
I think at that point I was just used to rejection. Not many companies provided reasons but sometimes I felt that there was a bit of discrimination in the selection process. I knew I just had to keep applying and not let rejection get to me.
“I knew I just had to keep applying and not let rejection get to me.”
AR: It’s really refreshing to hear that the conversation you had with your parents went well and how supportive they were going forward. Looking at how the past few years have gone it seems like their faith was rewarded! I would also like to say that the point about carrying on applying in the face of rejection is spot on. It is so easy to feel demotivated after pouring time into applications but the last thing you should do is take it personally.
I wanted to change tack a bit and go back to your job role. Thinking about a world without Aadil, or MintTwist, what would your clients be missing out on - or more succinctly, how would they be doing business?
AS: Nowadays (Covid times) businesses are forced to provide some sort of online service, whether it be estate agents, law firms or even restaurants. The issue is that businesses don’t know how to do that, so they seek consultancy from huge media agencies or they hire a digital marketing manager but with huge media agencies come big costs and you are never guaranteed quality. And with digital marketing managers, you tend to find that most are either inexperienced or have out-of-date methods of doing things.
The digital world changes on a daily basis so if you can’t keep up, you get left behind.
I am so lucky that I have worked in so many industries and my digital experience is so broad because I have job hopped for about five years. Whereas other digital professionals have always stayed within one industry and only become experts in one focus.
Without sounding biased, I can honestly say that MintTwist offers the best digital consultancy and implementation that I have ever come across, at a ridiculously low rate to clients. I think that is because we are still a very small company and we still have a few more years to get recognised for the work we do.
“The digital world changes on a daily basis so if you can’t keep up, you get left behind.”
AR: You mentioned how the digital world changes constantly, how do you then stay on top and not let competitors or the "new" thing on the market get the advantage over you?
AS: The thing about the digital world is you need to know who to follow and trust. It's extremely competitive and no one wants to share their secrets, and if you don't know who to follow then you can easily get mislead.
In order to know what works and what doesn't, you need to run some tests. Influencers can run tests for you and share their findings so you don't have to. Some tests you have to run yourself, and you may lose some time or money.
Join or create a network of professionals in your industry and share knowledge with them. For this you need some experience so you can filter the irrelevant knowledge.
AR: Changing focus again, you've lived out for a number of years now, how would you say moving out has tested your faith as a Muslim and what have you done in response? Part of the reason I ask is because coming from a town like Blackburn with faith being more embedded into our community and then shifting to somewhere like London is quite a big shock to the system - at least in my experience.
AS: I moved from Blackburn to London in 2017 (when I was 19) and that was my first time living away from home. At first it was really difficult because to be honest I didn’t know how to do adult things, like cook. I managed to adjust and now I would say I prefer living alone simply because I feel more in control of my day, time and diet. I would say moving away from home has certainly brought me closer to my lord. The feeling of being isolated, anxious and nervous, with no support forced me to rely solely on Allah. Plus I have no television or limited amount of entertainment, so I find myself spending more time reading the Quran or taking more time in my Salah. I think living away from home is great for those who want to learn self-discipline but you need to have the right intention and plan because if not then you can find it very lonely or depressing.
“I think living away from home is great for those who want to learn self-discipline but you need to have the right intention and plan because if not then you can find it very lonely or depressing.”
AR: In those low moments moving out, how did you get out of those ruts, and would you do anything differently?
AS: I think always keeping your brain occupied and learning. The more curious and hungry you are to learn and see new things, the more excited you are to be independent and you value your time alone.
I think you need to view moving out as a new opportunity to make new friends, see new environments, and to work on yourself without any distractions. One thing I would do differently is having a fixed daily schedule that would allow me to do more productive things and keep myself as occupied as possible. For example, dedicate time for cooking, shopping, cleaning, and going to the gym. That way I don’t ever feel lonely or slack on daily requirements.
Also, I only realised this after a few years of living away but as a freelancer I need to make the whole world aware of what I do, so I can get more referral work. Best way to do that was to shake hands with as many people as possible (not literally) and let them know what I do - “Hi I’m Aadil and I make websites :).” London is a big place with plenty of opportunity and I need to maximise that.
“I think you need to view moving out as a new opportunity to make new friends, see new environments, and to work on yourself without any distractions.”
AR: I completely agree. Well thank you so much for your time Aadil, I hope the readers have found this as engaging and interesting as I have. Before we wrap up, I did want to ask a few quickfire questions:
Where are Arsenal going to finish in the league?
Either 9th or 10th. I don’t see them doing better than that this season.
First restaurant you’re visiting after lockdown?
I have done a few deliveries for Al Dante restaurant on Googde Street, Fitzrovia, and their food smells and looks absolutely amazing! I am not that much of a fan of Italian food but I must try Al Dante’s food. It’s very popular too. I have got to know the manager and he has promised me a discount when things open up so more of an excuse to try it. It’s not halal but the veggie option will be good enough.
Which area of the gym do you miss the most?
The dumbbell rack definitely! I think that is my most used area because you can do so many exercises there. Also it's much easier to get a spotter there.
Favourite part of London?
I would have to say West - Finchley Road, St Johns Wood, Baker Street, Maida Vale and all those surrounding areas. It’s beautiful, very safe, nice parks and generally quite clean. Shame it’s such an expensive area to live in.
First travel destination after lockdown?
Either Palestine or Tukey, Istanbul in particular. Palestine being my first option of course.
If you want to see more of Aadil’s work I recommend checking out his website seedat.me, his twitter (@AadilSeedat123), LinkedIn, or Instagram (@_seedat)
So there we go, I really enjoyed the whole process of conducting this interview, if you like what you read let me know by leaving a comment. I plan to do more of these and if there’s anyone in particular you would like to see interviewed let me know!