We were pleased to conduct this extensive conversation with a special Arab Moroccan woman whose words carry a unique impact, blending motivation for success, resilience, hope, and facing challenges and obstacles with determination. Our guest introduced herself by stating that she is a Moroccan woman proud of her roots, hailing from the city of Rabat but raised in Laayoune since the age of four when she moved there with her family. She comes from a middle-class family and has one sibling, and she is currently divorced and works as a businesswoman and Business mentor as well. Regarding her education, our guest mentioned that she was a diligent student initially, but her academic performance declined in high school, and she obtained her baccalaureate certificate in the experimental science branch with a moderate grade due to social difficulties, especially after her parents’ divorce. She described living with the trauma of losing her father, who abandoned her and her family, which made her aggressive and prone to causing problems with her friends. She also mentioned that her relationships with men, in general, lacked understanding, leading to the failure of her marriage, as she considered men untrustworthy due to her father’s actions, who divorced her mother and withdrew from their lives harshly. She attributed this to the social environment in Laayoune, where she grew up, as it did not value the rights of women, especially since her father remarried without considering his family situation.
All of this encouraged her to return to Rabat to study at the university and seek employment, especially since she was convinced that studying alone would not fulfill her ambitions and meet her financial needs to live in acceptable conditions. Thus, her adventure began, and her dreams started to grow. She recalled her first job as a call center agent, earning 3500 Moroccan dirhams, which improved her communication skills, allowing her to establish professional relationships, especially in France. She managed to generate additional income through communication services, earning respectable amounts. Meanwhile, her mother refused to neglect her university studies and focus on work, especially since most of her relatives had obtained important jobs thanks to their university degrees. Her mother seemed to notice a kind of disdain towards her due to the difference in the importance of her job compared to some of her relatives.

No one believed in her success within her family circle, and everyone looked down on her work in the call center. However, thanks to God, she proved them wrong by entering the world of trade and doubling her profits, eventually advancing in her position at the call center. She never regretted discontinuing her studies; instead, it provided her with an opportunity to enter the world of finance and business, focusing on it to the extent that she forgot about relationships, marriage, and other matters.
She believes that her understanding of the financial and business world associated with call centers enabled her to open a branch in Casablanca to increase profits. In the meantime, she got married briefly, as her focus was on her work and achieving financial success. The failure of her marriage was also attributed to her husband’s immaturity and inability to take on his responsibilities. After her divorce, she faced another tough lesson when the database of the call center she managed was stolen, leading her to decide to end the project and venture into new experiences away from call centers.
Subsequently, she met a Moroccan businessman with whom she worked in a telecommunications company he owned, enjoying a salary she had never dreamed of, thanks to her ability to add value, innovate, and perform well. This job helped her establish extensive professional relationships and friendships, some of which helped her start several projects in communication, advertising, marble, and natural cosmetic products like argan oil. This meant that she combined various professions and was determined to progress in the field of finance and business, especially since she was “free” from all family and social obligations.
Afraa El-Idrissi highlights that her most successful and innovative field was communication, aided by her sociable and open personality. After the global COVID crisis, she joined social media, particularly Instagram, which enabled her to communicate with her clients and support her businesses and activities.
When asked if she considers herself a role model to be emulated, she prefers not to be a model for anyone because she believes that individuals should be their own role models and not just imitate others. She emphasizes the importance of women realizing their completeness and being the best role models for themselves, striving for success to elevate themselves and others around them, while also urging others to strive for success to improve themselves and recognize that there is no impossibility with reliance on God.
She also discusses acquiring energy for success in the workplace, emphasizing her belief in the power of positive energy and the Quranic energy, which convinces her of the ability of words to positively change reality. She rejects the notion that training alone can change reality without being accompanied by hard work, as she believes that merely listening to training courses is not sufficient for young people to possess energy, as it may lead to selling illusions by trainers, something she vehemently opposes as a trainer in finance and business.
Regarding seizing opportunities in a large country like the United States, she believes that living in this country provides opportunities for expatriates to create opportunities and achieve personal glory, although it is very difficult and requires several factors and some coincidences. During a visit to a friend in Los Angeles, she managed to establish significant relationships in a short time due to her communication skills and understanding of others’ personalities, leveraging her image, appearance, and culture to convince them, especially since she presented a good idea about Arab women and Moroccan products. Some of her friends were attracted to establish professional relationships with her to promote her products, especially as many customers began to prioritize security over money.
One of the most important pieces of advice she offers to businesswomen is not to seek perfection or the ideal model. Instead, she emphasizes the importance of starting work, focusing on the project, and then thinking about excelling and achieving perfection, as success is a long journey that does not come all at once. She urges individuals not to stop, retreat, or fear failure.
In conclusion, Afraa El- states, “Whoever is created by a great Creator cannot be anything but great.”