This female entrepreneur is providing risk mitigation solutions to organizations and individuals in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Laila Akel, co-founder and COO of RedCrow, is an online marketing and social media strategist with over 10 years of experience. Laila started her career as a designer in 2004, after completing her studies in Applied Sciences. In 2014, Laila Co-founded RedCrow, a Security Intelligence System that aggregates data from the open source to allocate physical threats in volatile environments.
What do you know now that you wish you had known when you started your entrepreneurial journey?
I know that you must know every little detail about your company’s projects. Meaning, even though eventually you might not have to do every little job, you still should know how everything works. When you understand the ins and outs of the company, you can find a suitable solution quickly.
How did you know it was time to pull the plug on your day job?
When I left my job to focus on RedCrow, it was an easier decision than I thought it would be six months earlier. I had the courage to walk away from a stable income to a risky unclear future. It felt that this is what I should be doing, and that everything else was wasted time. RedCrow became everything I thought about, day and night. And that is when I knew I should give it all my time.
What is your best advice for other entrepreneurs?
My advice for other entrepreneurs is not to be afraid to take risks — it is the only way to move forward. Be bold and have confidence, learn as you go and try everything.
What do you do when you get a no?
Getting a no or negative feedback is always devastating; it puts you in a position where you might doubt your work, abilities or even yourself. But once the initial disappointment has passed, I move to make changes, learn from my mistake, analyze the feedback and try again. An entrepreneur gets more noes than yeses, and they should always be turned into a stepping stone to better yourself.
If you had a genie in a bottle and you could get three wishes, what would they be?
If I had three wishes, I would wish for:
- Patience to help me stay focused and in control.
2. Strength to help me weather all life’s ups and downs.
3. Wings, so I could fly everywhere in the world and not have to deal with airports and planes.