What do you do if your father goes bankrupt when you're ten years old, you flunk your HSC exams, sell SIM cards and shoes for a living and end up broke at 20? You do pretty damn well for yourself if you ask Asif Rajan, 28-year-old hairstylist and owner of two Mumbai salons drawing over 4,000 clients and a six figure monthly income.

Amid the funky purple walls and thumping house music at Asif - The Salon in Bandra, Rajan - wearing Diesel jeans and silver Dolce&Gabbana sneakers - gulps coffee while snipping, layering, colouring and talking. At 28, he looks the part of a young, successful entrepreneur with a penchant for branded clothes and sports bikes (he owns one).

His tryst with hairdressing began when an acquaintance got him a job at a parlour's cash counter. He earned Rs 3,000 a month and the bonus of a life-changing decision. "After closely observing the hairstylists, I was inspired by how they could change people's looks in the matter of an hour and gain their clients' respect," said Rajan, who started cutting his family's and friends' hair at home.

"This was when I realised what I wanted to do with my life." Along with a friend and several loans, he opened a less-than-modest salon called Hair Mischief in Bandra in 2000. It closed down in eight months.
After a 9-month stint at the reputable Nalini and Yasmin salon, Rajan's confidence and clients were directly proportional in their growth.

With gross earnings of Rs 6-8 lakh a month, celebrity clients like Katrina Kaif and Abhay Deol and the privilege of being Schwarzkopf's Indian brand ambassador, Rajan's rise to fame illustrates the massive potential of the hairstyling profession for college graduates…and drop-outs.
From Rs 350 for his first haircut to his current rate of Rs 1,250 per haircut, Rajan has certainly snipped and styled his way to success. But this ambitious go-getter wants to reach for the stars. "I want to get to Hollywood," he says. "And I will."
Very touching story about a man's success.