Assignment to survey Saudi women’s hair was almost impossible’

I moved to Saudi Arabia in 1990 and joined a publication in a marketing capacity. I moved there primarily for a change of pace. I left the publication in 2003 and started a brand activation company. It was Saudi Arabia’s first brand activation company -- Extra Edge. Our first assignment was to sample 100,000 Saudi women’s hair for a brand of shampoo. At that time, we were not allowed to freely interact with women. So, the assignment seemed next to impossible. I did my homework. I called all our employees and told them that all their wives, daughters, mothers and sisters now had a job. They were surprised. If I was to discuss business with a woman, I had to do so in the presence of her father or husband. If they were absent, their brother must be there. If he was absent, another male member must be present in a public area. I followed those rules and faced no problems. I know more about women’s hair now. For example, I found that the headdress they wear caused some sweating, which led to hair loss if the item was not made of cotton. I eventually left that job as I had to care for my mother. She was not doing too well, so I left the company and returned to Chennai in 2005. Although she is no more, my mother was incredibly supportive of my work and told me to be independent. Entrepreneurs need to be very local and connect with people first. Then, they must identify their needs and requirements. After that, forget all your theory, and think of how to connect your resources to your community.