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As a refugee, the odds are stacked against you from the start. But for one man, an immigrant from Jordan, these odds didn't stop him from succeeding. He used his strong work ethic and determination to make his dreams a reality and is now supporting others to do the same. Albert Aldahawi, better known as Albie, is an Assyrian-Australian serial entrepreneur and celebrated wrestler.
Albie has won the Australian Wrestling Federation Tag Team Championship for 11 months. He is also an established fitness model and businessman. Albie has worked with brands like Nike, Levi's, and Men's Health.
He is the founder of AlbieShop, which created Albie fragrance and Albie perfume, and co-founder of a leading Australian catering company, Catering HQ and Catering HQ Logistics. The company owns and operates 11 venues and has a team of over 300.
Albie has built all this from scratch. He began with AlbieShop, using the profits to expand to other ventures. His Albie fragrance has sold over 96,000 bottles, capturing the attention of big names in the industry. Albie recently sold rights to the Albie Perfume brand for 1.6M AUD to City Perfume.
Albie uses his platforms to share his story and motivate and encourage other refugees and immigrants, showing them that it is possible to get to the top. Albie was born in Amman, Jordan, but he and his family were forced to flee the country due to war.
Albie and his parents sought refuge in Malaysia before starting their journey to Australia. They boarded a small fishing boat with 60 other people to take them to Australia. Unfortunately, the boat had issues, and Albie and the other people on board were stranded at sea for a week. When they got to Australia, they were detained for a year, and life after this became harder.
It was challenging to establish their place in a new country. But Albie's parents didn't give up, and neither did Albie. Albie began watching wrestling with his father from time to time. Unknowingly, Albie had found his passion. Wrestling became more than just an activity to pass the time. Albie would watch wrestling for hours. He remembers badly wanting to attend a wrestling show to experience everything firsthand. But Albie didn't have the money to buy the tickets.
After school, Albie started shooting wrestling content with his younger brother in their backyard. These videos attracted massive attention on YouTube and Instagram, and the Australian Wrestling Federation reached out to him, marking the start of his wrestling career.
Despite the challenges, Albie was determined to carve out a successful future for himself. He honed his wrestling skills while still attending school. Eventually, he earned a degree and founded his online retail store, AlbieShop.
Today, AlbieShop and Catering HQ are leading brands in the country. He serves as an inspiration to other refugees and immigrants who may feel like they have nowhere to turn. Albie is also involved in charity work. He has donated over $25,000 worth of gifts/toys and money to local charities and held charity wrestling shows to raise funds for the local community and church.