Lifestyle

Youngest Trickshot Artist Zahidul Islam (RJTRICKSHOT) in an interview

Published

4 years ago

May 27, 2022

When people think of trick-shot artists, there are a few names that immediately to mind. Mike Massey and Florian Kohler come to mind right away. Zahidul Islam aka RJ TRICKSHOT can now be added to the list of trick shot artists who come to mind when gamers think of them.

When did you start doing trick shots?

I started playing pool when I was thirteen years old. I began practicing trick shots when I was 17 years old and have never looked back.

How many hours a day do you practice on average?

In a single day, I can play pool, billiards, artistic, or trick shots for 5 hours.

Who has been the most influential artist in your life?

Mike Massey and, especially, Florian Kohler.

One thing I’ve always loved about your videos is how distinctive they are. How do you consistently come up with new trick shot ideas?

It runs through my head every time I practice. I periodically watch trickshot videos by legend players, notably Florian’s. I keep an eye on him and try to imitate some of his difficult shots. I also write down and save new trick shots on my phone as I think of them. Many of my creations aren’t posted online because many others may claim them as their own. I’m now taping everything I’m doing, and it should be accessible soon. I’m always thinking about how well-developed my idol is and how much patience a trick shot requires. On a good day, it’s easy to make trick shots, but not every day is the same, so artists occasionally give up.

So far in your pool career, what do you consider your proudest achievement?

Florian Kohler’s visit to my house was the most productive moment of success, from my perspective. For two days, he coached and taught me a variety of trick shots while sharing all of his secrets. Being a part of the next pool legend is also quite exciting.

You started off doing trick shots developed by Mike Massey, Florian, and others on YouTube. How do you feel now that your photos are being copied?

This is always fascinating and surprising. Being a part of the pool’s history is a dream come true for me. Any of the trick shots that are available online can be copied by anyone. On social media, I received a lot of encouragement, and one fan told me that witnessing my trick shots had tremendously inspired him. After that, he even brought a pool table, so I decided to give him a free trick shot lesson. He was overjoyed, which was the highest compliment I could have received.

You masse a lot and shoot most of your movies at home. How often do you replace your table’s felt?

It varies entirely on how much I play on any given day. But it’s more likely that my feelings shift every three to four months. Predator Cues, fortunately, sponsors all of my pool products, including the felt.

What recommendations would you provide to someone interested in pursuing an artistic pool career?

Simply take pleasure in what you’re doing. Unlike the ordinary pool, which can become tedious after a while, the trick shot can be exciting to create. It becomes tiresome to drill the same shots over and over. You’ll be OK if you use your imagination!!

Lifestyle

Wanda Knight on Blending Culture, Style, and Leadership Through Travel

Published

20 hours ago

December 24, 2025

Michelle Langton

The best lessons in leadership do not always come from a classroom or a boardroom. Sometimes they come from a crowded market in a foreign city, a train ride through unfamiliar landscapes, or a quiet conversation with someone whose life looks very different from your own.

Wanda Knight has built her career in enterprise sales and leadership for more than three decades, working with some of the world’s largest companies and guiding teams through constant change. But ask her what shaped her most, and she will point not just to her professional milestones but to the way travel has expanded her perspective. With 38 countries visited and more on the horizon, her worldview has been formed as much by her passport as by her resume.

Travel entered her life early. Her parents valued exploration, and before she began college, she had already lived in Italy. That experience, stepping into a different culture at such a young age, left a lasting impression. It showed her that the world was much bigger than the environment she grew up in and that adaptability was not just useful, it was necessary. Those early lessons of curiosity and openness would later shape the way she led in business.

Sales, at its core, is about connection. Numbers matter, but relationships determine long-term success. Wanda’s time abroad taught her how to connect across differences. Navigating unfamiliar places and adjusting to environments that operated on different expectations gave her the patience and awareness to understand people first, and business second. That approach carried over into leadership, where she built a reputation for giving her teams the space to take ownership while standing firmly behind them when it mattered most.

The link between travel and leadership becomes even clearer in moments of challenge. Unfamiliar settings require flexibility, quick decision-making, and the ability to stay calm under pressure. The same skills are critical in enterprise sales, where strategies shift quickly and no deal is ever guaranteed. Knight learned that success comes from being willing to step into the unknown, whether that means exploring a new country or taking on a leadership role she had not originally planned to pursue.

Her travels have also influenced her eye for style and her creative pursuits. Fashion, for Wanda, is more than clothing; it is a reflection of culture, history, and identity. Experiencing how different communities express themselves, from the craftsmanship of Italian textiles to the energy of street style in cities around the world, has deepened her appreciation for aesthetics as a form of storytelling. Rather than keeping her professional and personal worlds separate, she has learned to blend them, carrying the discipline and strategy of her sales career into her creative interests and vice versa.

None of this has been about starting over. It has been about adding layers, expanding her perspective without erasing the experiences that came before. Wanda’s story is not one of leaving a career behind but of integrating all the parts of who she is: a leader shaped by high-stakes business, a traveler shaped by global culture, and a creative voice learning to merge both worlds.

What stands out most is how she continues to approach both leadership and life with the same curiosity that first took her beyond her comfort zone. Each new country is an opportunity to learn, just as each new role has been a chance to grow. For those looking at her path, the lesson is clear: leadership is not about staying in one lane; it is about collecting experiences that teach you how to see, how to adapt, and how to connect.

As she looks to the future, Wanda Knight’s compass still points outward. She will keep adding stamps to her passport, finding inspiration in new cultures, and carrying those insights back into the rooms where strategy is shaped and decisions are made. Her legacy will not be measured only by deals closed or positions held but by the perspective she brought, and the way she showed that leading with a global view can change the story for everyone around you.