Meet Gaurav Rajani, a business owner and proud 1% Club member since March 2024. He’s an MBA graduate, a network engineer, a fitness trainer, a family business owner, and now, a full-time dad. Yes, he juggles all these roles—and it’s true!

Gaurav learned his lessons the hard way, but his success proves that challenges can either break you or make you. Now, he’s halfway to achieving his Fat FIRE goal.

Read on to discover his journey. Edited excerpts.

Did you always wanted to get into family business?

No. My plan was to work with big tech companies like Facebook. I even had an offer from NVIDIA. In 2016, after demonetization hit, my family’s business struggled. With my father retired and my brother needing help, I had to step in and take over our wholesale business in Solapur. 

Initially I thought I could hire experts and continue with my dream. In a year, I learned that the owner’s presence is very important in wholesale business. So I planned to stay & focus totally on my business. I believe my business success matches what a high-flying tech career could have offered me.

I have expanded my business network from a 50 km radius to a 300 km radius.

What was the biggest challenge you faced after taking over?

Taxation & Accounts were really difficult for me and I had to learn it from CAs & other experts for months. I also realised that CAs are indifferent and they just care more about filing than saving. This is mostly why I joined the 1% club, and honestly, I have saved quite a bit this year when I filed my taxes. 

I did my homework and I understand the laws and taxation better now. 

How much taxes did you save after joining the club? 

After completing the taxation modules, I personally supervised the audits. I was able to save 13% more than last year. 

Any other learnings or improvements after joining the club?

Other small improvements are that I learnt what the opportunity cost is which I had zero knowledge about, learnt new stuff about insurance, lastly the credit card hacks

What are your future goals now?

My dreams don’t stop at the wholesale business only. I now wish to open a retail stores in Pune.

And as for my financial goal, I don’t just want to reach my FIRE number but achieve Fat FIRE. I wish to travel and experience life to the fullest.

Also, I am halfway to achieving my Fat FIRE.

Also Read: Here’s how this Architect Managed To Start A Business With Zero Bank Balance.

With all the roles you have, what does your routine look like?

I start my day at 4 AM and end at 10 or 11 PM. Only 4 to 5 hours of sleep is sufficient for me to stay active & healthy. I also train people in calisthenics, yoga and martial arts. It was in 2014 when one of my friends, who’s an athlete, trained me in these fitness areas.

And just through fitness training, I earn 60K in a month. This makes my passive income.

How’s your lifestyle & spending habits?

As a fitness trainer, I don’t prefer junk food instead I travel a lot. I also love all tech stuff. Anything new in the market and I must have it in my house. But I have set a unique budget for my impulse buys. So last year it was Rs 90K on a trip and after that I also bought a Pixel 8 Pro. And this year, I bought a ROG Ally X. 

So my budget is Rs 1 lakh twice a year for my favourite products or a vacation. 

What was the major life lesson you keep close to your heart?

This one incident brought me closer to spirituality. I remember I was 18 and I went out instead of attending a Pooja. As any other teen, I wasn’t much into Poojas & Prayers. That day I met with an accident and my bike came under a truck. 

Even if my leg was injured and my head was also bleeding I was still able to stand up. I knew I wouldn’t have survived it without someone protecting me. This pulled me towards spirituality. 

And one phrase that I always remember is “Waqt barbad mat kar”. It was from my uncle. We only assume that our uncles are asking us not to play a lot of video games. But as I grew older and wiser, I understood the real meaning behind it. That every minute is an opportunity to gain knowledge and do something meaningful.

Disclaimer: The above content is based on the information provided by Gaurav Rajani. The 1% News doesn’t independently verify non-public data reported by interviewees.