To be or not to be

To be or not to be” is the motto I chose the day I decided to join our wonderful company, Oriflame. This motto may be tricky for some people to grasp, especially for those who come from different cultures.

To me, it describes the motivation and drive I needed in order to become a successful woman in a male-dominated world.

In my society, people think a woman is bound to fail in business and return home. They say it’s impossible for us to balance work and family. The amount of times I felt bad about myself are countless, believing that my work with Oriflame was hurting my family. I blamed myself, even when I knew that I was not to blame – a feeling of guilt experienced by many working women in my society.

I’ve faced many struggles during my years with Oriflame, especially when I couldn’t be with my children when they were sick or needed someone to help them with their homework. But I fought my way through the difficulties,
and the reward has been great.

Today, I can truly say that I played a major role in helping my children graduate from the best universities Egypt, and that I’ve achieved a better standard of living for my entire family.

My advice to anyone facing difficulties is to look deep within yourself: you will find a hidden strength that only you can uncover.

My story with Oriflame began when the company opened in front my house. I decided to go and check it out. Being addicted to cosmetics, immediately fell in love with the Oriflame products, registered and placed my first order right on the spot. I began selling to some of my friends shortly after. Later on that month, a man knocked on my door, giving me a 50 Egyptian pound bonus and an invitation to a party. honestly thought this company was crazy – since when do companies *distribute money to their customers?

But I decided to go to the party, anyway; it was June 6th, 1998. It here that party that I began to learn more about the company. The next day, I started recruiting friends, colleagues, everyone I knew. By the end of the month I had reached 21%;

I have not dropped a level since. Two months later, I became a Director. My dream is to be the No. 1 Sales Consultant in Oriflame. I’ve stopped thinking things are impossible. Believing is the air I breathe everyday. Without it I would not be where I am today. With Oriflame, the impossible becomes possible, and your dreams will become reality. Believe, and you will achieve!

Rawya Affifi
Executive Director
Egypt