An Interview with 26 year old lady entrepreneur, Founder of The Sketchbook Magazine and Creative Director at Obai & Hill
Wafa, tell us about yourself.
I am 26 years old entrepreneur, grew up in Bahrain and studied Interior Design at Chelsea College of Art and Design in London. I founded a design/art/fashion/illustration magazine called Sketchbook from a studio in Notting Hill, London when I was 21 years old. Sketchbook is a digital online magazine that supports the emerging creative scene in both the UK and the GCC, with focus on illustration.
These days my time is split between managing the Sketchbook digital magazine and running my second business Obai and Hill, which is a PR and Design agency.
Most girls in your age chose the corporate world and are now employees, what made you take a different route?
I decided from a young age that if I was to spend the rest of my life working, it had better be for myself, building and creating the world that I envisioned, so 50 years down the line I would be able to say I made an impact.
Are there any differences between a male entrepreneur and a female entrepreneur in this part of the world ?
Absolutely not. I grew up in a household where I was expected to do as well as the boys if not better. My brothers and I always had the same curfew and expectations – I never felt any different.
How do you start a business with no money?
You start by first figuring out what you want to do and achieve. With Sketchbook I had to convince more than a hundred contributors to send me work for my publication. Through connections, friends and classmates, I managed to score a free website, logo, and content to boot.
When you are passionate about your work, others quickly catch on to this energy and lend a supporting hand. You just have to be clear to those you are approaching about what it is that you would like and how the situation can be mutually beneficial. With Sketchbook for example, although I was getting content for free – my contributors were getting a great platform to display their work and get noticed.
Tell us about Obai & Hill.
Obai and Hill is my company and second baby. Again I founded this back in London in 2010 and built a strong portfolio of clients that were based in the UK. When we expanded to the GCC we realized there was a bigger demand for our services and relocated.
Primarily focused on the Middle Eastern market, the Obai and Hill mission is to provide its clients with creative and innovative designs and strategic solutions that will give them the needed competitive edge in the current market place.
We aim to bring young innovative designers into a new light and bridge the gap between the un-established younger talents and the client. We aim to be approachable, friendly and innovative.
How many employees do you have so far ?
My Obai and Hill family consists of 6 Bahraini women in the fields of PR, Design, Accounts, and Business management. Our London team consists of a senior designer, a London Sketchbook editor, a fashion consultant and communications specialist.
Are you meeting your growth and business targets ?
I have only been in business in Bahrain and the GCC for 2 years, so we are relatively new to the market. The first year was a struggle but things have definitely picked up and the company has seen a very healthy growth particularly in 2013.
How would you evaluate the local entrepreneurship support system ?
I would like to see more platforms that support innovation, a stronger mentorship program where entrepreneurs can have easy access to decision makers and potential investors. I also think we need more grants that can support innovative ideas.
What’s your advice to young entrepreneurs?
Don’t start listing why you can’t do something, that is the easiest thing a person can do. We are raised in a culture of fear and people are always ready to tell you that your ideas are not realistic. I think you NEED to be unrealistic to pursue what you want.