This is for everyone feeling the pressures of searching and operating, which definitely can take a toll on our mental health.
Before co-founding Moonbase Capital, I worked alongside my family in a business that was partially acquired by giant Doehler and became Doehler Egypt.
Building the business that my father had started in the 80s was a long journey and it was not always easy.
In the beginning, the company did flavours & fragrances and colors.
Then, we expanded to produce juice pulps & concentrates: mango, guava, strawberry, tomato paste - products that may seem straightforward but come with their own unique challenges.
The production cycle is heavily seasonal. You produce during certain times of the year, and then sell for the rest. This pattern inherently requires massive working capital.
So, we took out bank loans.
But here's the twist.
In Egypt, the law doesn't always differentiate between inability and intent. The result? Even an honest entrepreneur, if you don’t pay back the loans, you can find yourself facing prison.
I watched our business grow. Yet, with growth came more loans. An ever-increasing mountain of debt that threatened to bury us.
Every day was a tightrope walk; on one side, the ever-present risk of the banks calling on their money and, on the other, the dire consequence of a prison sentence.
Being the CEO, morale was my responsibility. Every day, I walked into our factory, ensuring that our team saw a promising future—a beacon of hope, a light at the end of the tunnel.
But each night, a contrasting reality awaited. Sharing fears with my wife, preparing mentally for the unimaginable possibility of prison - even when I knew in my heart I'd done no wrong.
This period? Unquestionably one of the hardest. My family's support was absolutely key in sailing through that storm.
Life in business isn't always about profits and losses. It's also about enduring, persisting, and, most importantly, believing in a brighter future.
Stay resilient.
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