Female Entrepreneur Interview
Student’s Name
Institution
Female Entrepreneur Interview
(Fawzia Al-Nafea)
Fawzia Al-Nafea is one of the many successful beauty pungents, who have made it big in the category of fashion and design. However, there are marks in her strides of achievement that categorically define her as different, as she has achieved outstanding fetes and success that come with praise and admiration in equal measure. Consider, for instance, that she is one of the few designers who have started and operated a successful fashion and design company. Her Al-Nafea company, has the an outward deceiving look of simplicity, a factor that can hardly define its massive success rates and competitive ability. In my quest to uncover the secrets behind her success, I managed to secure a phone-interview with Fazia, who shared with me her secrets. Below is the conversation that ensued between us, as we hogged between the facts, secrecies, and challenges that so define a woman’s entrepreneurial world.
Me: Hello pretty, thanks for taking a break from your busy schedule to take this interview with me, I cannot at the very least express just how greatly touched I am.
Fawzia: You are welcome dear, I am equally just as glad to be doing this for it is amongst other things, my opportunity to inspire hope into the female world that all things can be achieved.
(At this point, I note her humility, and desire to achieve beyond the ordinary, and realize that is not just defined by her success, but also by her drive)
Me: Oh, and when you amongst other things, are you implying that this is also a marketing opportunity for your business.
Fawzia: (Laughs slyly) Not really, but some extent yes. However am inclined to think that the interview is good for both of us right? (Laughs again)
(Demography)
Me: (I Laugh too, as I try to set the mood right for our interview) I would like to take some demographical information from you, just so to fully introduce you to our readers as we want them to comprehend fully what it is to be you.
Fawzia: It’s alright. If for anything, I couldn’t be an appropriate role model if my personal life remained personal.
Me: Okay thank you for the green light. Out here you are mostly referred to as Fawzia, would you reveal your identity in detail to our readers?
Fawzia: I am Fawzia Al-Nafea, but I am fond of Fawzia, probably because the people I interact with find it shorter and easier to pronounce. Al-Nafea is my surname and makes me more of the mother I am, than a business woman.
Me: And yet it is the name you chose for your company.
Fawzia: (Laughs slyly again) Yes. Because I have every intent to nature and mother fashion talent through my company, in a way, my company is my other family.
Me: Huh! I admire your entrepreneurial aspirations; I really do. How old are you Fawzia?
Fawzia: Oh, I am 56 years old. Don’t be deceived by my looks when you set your eyes upon me. (We both laugh out at the sound of that)
Me: You said Al-Nafea is your surname, are you married?
Fawzia: Oh yeah, to Al-Nafea. He has been the pillar of my life. My husband supports me through every single thing I do. We decide together, act together….ha-ha and live together. He has been my lucky charm.
Me: (Laughing slyly) And he must be lucky to have you too.
Fawzia: (Sounding elated) He says that.
Me: Do you have any kids?
Fawzia: Oh yes, three actually; two boys and one girl.
Me: Congratulations! Would you tell us about them?
Fawzia: (Sounding excited) My first born is a boy, he is 28 years old. My second born is the girl, 25 years old and my last born is also a boy, 22 years old.
Me: What’s your family’s perception of your love of fashion and your entrepreneurial success?
Fawzia: Oh they have been very supportive. My daughter actually sometimes gives me design ideas, and my last born always wants to know if I have implemented the latest marketing technology. They have a drive to see me succeed.
Me: What about your husband and firstborn?
Fawzia: They are supportive in equal measure.
(Business)
Me: Great to know, and about your business, what would you tell us about it? For instance, what is your company’s name, when was it founded and what does it endeavor to do?
Fawzia: My company, Al-Nafea was in founded in 1980 and specializes in fashion design. We also hold runway shows to showcase our designs that we later air for sale in our boutiques across the country.
Me: Does that mean you only produce for your boutiques?
Fawzia: Oh no. (Laughs encouragingly) We have a long list of clientele whom we tailor for and supply upon request.
Me: How big is the company?
Fawzia: Pretty big actually, but average in industrial standards. We have two huge boutiques each in Al-Khobar and the Manama in which there are an approximated thirty sales persons. We also have close to two hundred tailors for mass productions and three very competent designers. For the modeling events, we have around ten models of our own, three males, and seven females. However, we always have the preference of contracting other modeling companies to assist us in such work. Oh, I should not forget the managerial and financial staff, we are pretty big actually.
Me: What are your annual sales, or how else do you determine your productivity?
Fawzia: Through sales that have also been encouraging since the eighties. Our long list of clientele and marketability has ensured the company an average annual sales of 225, 000 dollars (approximately 925, 000 riyal), which is considered good in the design industry, though we aspire to improve.
(Motivation)
Me: Fawzia, this is interesting. Tell me, what motivated you to start your own company?
Fawzia: I had always loved design over my first profession of teaching and felt the urge to express my talent in an exceptional way. I had the feeling that my designs would not achieve the height and helm I desired if I worked for somebody, so I decided to work for myself. Am lucky I had a supportive husband and some savings to start with.
Me: Does that mean you didn’t start your professional career as a designer.
Fawzia: No, I was a teacher. Though I didn’t, feel the same passion for teaching as I did for the design.
Me: What are the other reasons behind your business idea?
Fawzia: I also had the feeling that it would pay better than teaching, and I had always desired a good and comfortable life.
Me: Does it?
Fawzia: (Laughing) Oh yes it does!
Me: What about your parents or other siblings, did any of them have any entrepreneurial idea?
Fawzia: My dad had a large grocery shop that they jointly ran with my mom. My siblings stuck to their academic aspirations though.
(Business Development)
Me: In taking the first major steps in developing your business, what did you do?
Fawzia: I took a few management and modeling classes to sharpen my vision and capacity to run my business. Then asked my husband for some financial support that I combined with my savings and off I went.
Me: Did you just face everything head on or did you prepare a business plan?
Fawzia: I had a plan that sounded vague to me, so I seek legal expertise and the services of an investment consultant In Saudi.
(Help, Support, and Encouragement)
Me: Apart from your own drive, did anybody play a pivotal role in supporting you to achieve your dreams.
Fawzia: (Sounding enthusiastic) Oh yeah! My husband! He was always there for me emotionally, listened to my problems, provided solutions and even some financial aid. He exceptionally supported me and even introduced to some of his friends and colleagues so that they would become my very first clients.
Me: Oh, he’s such an understanding man.
Fawzia: He is.
Me: What about you, did you belong to any professional network?
Fawzia: I was still young, twenty six. At that age, I was so naive and was concerned much with professional networking. However, my management course pointed out the significance of networking, and I joined one that did not prove so fruitful as I felt that their ideas contradicted my ambitions.
Me: How exactly?
Fawzia: Oh, they would share with me common ideas, yet I wanted to be the difference.
Me: Did you attend any special programs?
Fawzia: Apart from the ones I mentioned earlier? No.
Me: What about government assistance, did you seek any?
Fawzia: No, I was pretty much comfortable with the support I already had and besides, I had also saved to a great capacity.
Me: What could you consider your most important resource at that time?
Fazia: This sounds funny, but my husband, my drive and also the capital.
(Challenges)
Me: And when you finally did manage to launch your business, did you experience any setbacks?
Fawzia: Oh yeah, lots of them actually. I was new and had little experience. I also did not have any well paying clients, and so my company struggled financially. I had to do several free shows to market myself and my products.
Me: Did you consider commercials as a solution?
Fawzia: Yes, I actually had to pull strings to get my shows to TV. I considered that as the most effective commercial I would lay my hands upon.
Me: And when you finally made a breakthrough, what are the biggest challenges you have ever encountered?
Fawzia: Competitions comes up more than often. Some companies have the tendency of stealing designs and improving to win the game of competition. Actually that factor really surprised me, I had not thought anybody would want to not create a design but copy.
Me: Really? How do you cope with that?
Fawzia: (Laughs) We always have a weapon up our sleeves. I always must have a secret design to unleash in the event that my first is stolen.
Me: (Laughing too) You are cunning.
Fawzia: (Laughing too) No, I like to consider myself as smart and prepared.
Me: Did you have any problems with your first interactions with KSA?
Fawzia: Yes I did. The competition increases expenses of operation and loans presented me with extreme challenges. Oft, there was also the varied and contradicting decisions made by the Ministry of Labor.
(Advice to Aspiring Entrepreneurs)
Me: What would you tell aspiring entrepreneurs?
Fawzia: I would tell them all that success is not easy. It comes with determined perspiration and patience. Continued hard work is always fruitful.
Me:Once again, thank you for your time Fawzia. I cannot express hoe greatful I am. I will call on you if there is any need.
Fawzia:You are welcome, I would be more than willing to do this again if need arises.
(I hang the telephone after exchange of the remarks).
The interview with Fazia informed me that achieving entrepreneurial success calls for more than a dream, it is a combination of several factors inclusive of a drive and support (Miner, 1996).
Reference
Miner, J. B. (1996). The 4 routes to entrepreneurial success. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
