Hey, there!
Do you want to know a little about me and How I switched Careers: From Being an Architect to Becoming a Marketing Consultant and a Content Writer?
Well, then I am happy you are here, so let’s begin!
I am the founder of an award-winning luxurious handbag brand based on architecture. Wait, what? Why architecture?
Well, let’s start from the beginning, shall we?
It all starts with my parents. My father is an architect and my mother is an interior designer. They met in college, fell in love, got married, and decided to found an architecture firm, that became over the years, quite successful. Growing up, my younger sister and I were always immersed in the world of architecture and décor, so naturally, it influenced our decision-making. My sister was in love with architecture, and for as long as I can remember, wanted to be an architect herself. I, on the other hand, did not know what I wanted to do. I loved writing and wanted to make a career out of it, but a lack of clear vision and actual opportunities back then led me to take the “easiest” path.
So, after a long identity crisis, I finally decided to study architecture as well. The road was rocky, but I also fell in love with it somewhere along the way. I was juggling my full-time studies along with managing the family business at the age of 22. Challenges were constantly thrown my way and I always found a way to overcome them (sometimes with a lot of tears, but this is another story for another time).
Fast forward a few long and hard years, I graduated with honors and started working as an architect in the family business. Being the type A hyper-achiever that I am, I did not want to be a mere architect. Rather, I started working on new and disruptive concepts, discovering, applying, experimenting, and breaking down the norms.
At the age of 27, I was an accomplished architect, and thanks to the huge advantage that I was given by working as an architect at the family business, I was able to see many of my designs built - which is rare for architects, and quasi-unheard of for younger ones.
But, as with all tales, problems soon started to rear their ugly heads. The recession that had hit Europe many years prior, and made many of our fellow architects switch jobs, was beginning to show its face in the Lebanese construction scene. (Oh, I am Lebanese by the way)
So back to our story, the recession was impending. It was subtle at first. We went from having around 10 new projects per month to 8, then 5. This happened over the course of a year and it took time for us to fully notice what was happening.
Suddenly, my sister and I found ourselves with a lot of free time on our hands. And what would two ambitious and type-A achievers combined do?
Start up their brand of luxurious handbags of course! But we did not want to start just any brand. We wanted to start a brand with a story that answered and helped resolve real issues real women face when out in the world. Granted, none of these issues were major, but if they helped make our lives as women a little bit more comfortable, then why not, right?
Armed with our passion to achieve great things, we poured our hearts and souls into our brands. I was responsible for setting and executing long-term strategies, along with handling the marketing, and the business development.
My sister was in charge of the execution, sales, and PR of the company.
We were complementary and driven. So, with a little starter investment from our father, we launched our handbag business, saQué.
In a year and a half, we were able to establish saQué as one of the leaders in the market. We won the bronze award from the AA held annually in Milan, for Al Faragh (which means void in Arabic). The bag was rectangular with a void that allowed women to hang it on the table when going out and solved the “Where should I put my bag?” issue.
We were also among the top five finalists in one of the most prestigious awards in the handbags industry, The Handbags Designers Awards, held annually in New York. We made a big return on investment and good profit, penetrated 3 new markets on top of Lebanon, participated in 12 exhibitions, held two private events in our studio, went on four TV interviews, and had many celebrities and influencers wear our bags.
In summary, we killed it! So much so, that after a year and a half of non-stop work, we burned out. At the same time, our architecture business went into flames, with all projects going to a halt and no new prospects.
So, we decided to take a step back and figure out what we wanted to do next.
And this is how I started experimenting. I learned the skills needed to launch a successful business, the ins and outs of social media, how to create a successful website, and started dabbling here and there.
I discovered a pattern and a drive within me: that I can achieve whatever I put my mind to. The key was for me to like what I was doing if I wanted to be consistent.
So, fast forward to a few years later, pre-pregnancies, covid, and life-altering questions. After taking up the courses that I needed, an MBA degree, and some freelance projects for my friends, I fully transitioned to become the marketing consultant that I am today. And, because no good marketer can be complete without good communication skills, I decided to put my love of writing to good use. And that is how, today, I work as a marketing consultant and a content writer. This means that I get to set out the appropriate strategies and then execute them through content. Fun, right?
So, you may be wondering why, on top of writing, I chose marketing. Well, I believe that marketing is what you make it to be. But if done right, marketing is fun, flexible, adaptable, complex, and enriching. I believe it’s what sets apart a business from the others, and can be a fairly good indicator of the performance of a business.
Marketing is about analyzing your consumers, studying their behaviors, and coming up with strategic solutions and adequate answers. There is a lot of psychology involved (which anyone who comes a bit close to me knows that I absolutely LOVE), strategic thinking (double love), and low and behold, a lot of copywriting!
So, after a lifetime of different experiences, that make me the person I am today - a happy Marketing Consultant and Content Writer, working on all sorts of fun projects.
I am glad to say that I am finally forging my path.
I hope you like my story, and that you will share yours with me!
Comentários