Mompreneur no 3: Nayrouz Abouzid
Founder and CEO of Ego Communicate
Nayrouz Abouzid started her independent career as the Publisher & Editor in Chief of Ego Magazine (2004-2006) and Alter Ego Magazine (2007-2013). In 2013, Nayrouz accepted a television offer by one of the biggest networks in the Middle East, MBC Group. Alongside her husband, Nayrouz filmed one of the very first reality shows ‘Hiya w Howa’, which was aired in 2012 on MBC4. With changes in the Egyptian market, however, Nayrouz chose to focus on Ego Communicate, an integrated PR& Media agency based in Egypt. Today Egocomm has expanded its reach and influence into the fields of event management, production, creative campaigning, celebrity management and much more.
What was the trigger that pushed you to start your own business at a young age?
I have to admit most of the business ventures I find myself committed to are the result of a series of inevitable coincidences . Maybe it’s because of my capability to transform circumstance to an advantageous reality, or maybe it’s just meant to be. Either way the bottom line is I have an inclination to running my own ideas, and working within my own comfort zone, and developing my own rules – it’s the only way I know how to operate.
If you are following Nayrouz regularly, it won’t take you much of time to sense how fierce and determined she is. No wonder that she personally believes that her stubbornness is her formula to success. Being passionately committed to an idea has allowed her to experiment and challenge herself against all odds.
How do you balance between your responsibilities as a mother and as an entrepreneur?
I don’t balance. I found ways to compensate my time away from home. Who are we kidding? Running a business can drain any woman or man. Ultimately it’s the motivation behind such entrepreneurial drive that defines whether you’re on the right track or not. I wake up every morning hoping I could be on holiday with my family instead of stuck in a meeting discussing details that frankly at times are irrelevant to my actual purpose in life. But is that realistic? I’ve chosen full control over my product and that comes with a price, and can be time consuming.
Any advice would you like to give to mothers who want to start their own businesses?
The only advice I can give to a woman is that she should understand the consequences of her choices and to do her best to surround herself with honest people who can help her through it. Strength isn’t a just word …
Is there anything that you learnt from your work that helped you become a better mother?
Yes, self discipline. As a business owner I have no one to tell me where to go, or what to do. I set my own rules and that is far harder than anything , trust me. Same thing with motherhood, no one will tell you when to feed, put your baby to sleep but you. A healthy growth of a business and/or baby lies in your hands and your discipline. Also following your gut instinct is an element that has helped me in both.
The Kangaroo Mamas 