by Nudrat Mustafa
She is not just another pretty face. She is a model, an entrepreneur and the CEO of her line of cosmetics, Faryal Cosmetics. Join Social Diary to get to know her more!
Boss of the month:
Who does not know Faryal Makhdoom? Apart from being the owner of Faryal Makhdoom Cosmetics, she is just a super amazing woman! Very humble, someone with a clear head and heart, Faryal Makhdoom is someone you would be hopelessly in love with ( like us) , after knowing about the different aspects of her personality!
- Please tell us about your background, family and education.
My dad is from Multan and my mom is a Lahori. My parents were born and raised in Pakistan and at a very young age they moved to America and had me and my brother. I was born and raised in New York and I studied Journalism and Political Science from Rutgers University. After that I got married and I moved to the UK.
- Tell us about your responsibilities as the business owner?
It is good to be a business owner and I love have my own business and to be my own boss. But at the same time it’s too difficult as I have two kids to take care now. It is hard to manage kids and work together, but I think they motivate me to work more because I want to set an example for them and I want them to know it is so important to be independent and stand on their own feet regardless of the situation.
- You run your own company and a brand; generally, what do you think are the main challenges when a woman wants to set up and run a company?
To be honest, I don’t think there are any more challenges here for a woman to set up her own business. I really think men and women are equal especially in this day and age I think it’s just as easy for a woman to open up her own business just as a man would. In fact I think women nowadays are capable to make more money. I am 100% for women empowerment and I am a total women’s woman! I believe that there are no challenges women cannot overcome. However, probably the only challenge can be, to raise a family and business successfully at the same time, and manage time because you just want to give your 100 percent to your kids and your business, since both are important. Of course your kids come first but your career is important too. So I think the only challenge can be managing both, family and career, successfully!
- What has been the most effective way of raising awareness of your business and getting new customers?
Social media is an amazing way to push your businesses as social media has taken over the world now. Like Instagram, Snapchat- all of this is wonderful to boost your business and honestly I feel that they have helped my business to grow the most!
- Being a boss, what do you think makes a great employee stand out?
An employee who is very passionate about his or her work- they want to prove everyday that they want to prove themselves and learn! They take the job or business as their own. I have actually worked with someone so wonderful and so creative. Sometimes even her ideas were better than mine- I think it is so important for employees to take the business as theirs and to prove the boss that they can make changes for the betterment you know.
- What is your vision for women in Pakistan when it comes to becoming their own bosses, or higher level administrators?
The women in Pakistan have so many facilities now. They have education, so many good schools in Pakistan; there is such a big fashion industry- so Pakistan is doing extremely well in all fields. It is so good to see my country and women of my country doing so well in all the fields. This feeling is so empowering and wonderful.
- To what do you attribute your success?
Firstly it comes obviously from Allah- then my husband and my mother. My husband is so wonderful, always pushing me to do stuff by assuring me everything will go well, the children will be fine, we will get help. When the world tells me ‘No’, he tells me ‘Yes, go ahead!’ Then my mom- always supporting me- always taking care of my kids when I am away, working or travelling. Their support means the world to me.
Personal Aspect:
- How difficult it is to be the wife of a world renowned celeb/boxer?
It is difficult sometimes to be a wife of a famous celebrity. MashAllah my husband is doing so well and I am super proud of him but being in limelight is not always easy. But having my children in limelight is very difficult. I get a lot of questions on why I don’t show my children on social media as much; it is because I personally chose not to. So it sometimes just gets so over whelming but hey we have to put a smile on our face and face the world, just like how everyone else does.
- Describe a typical day of yours.
All day in my shoes- waking up early in the morning! Before I feed myself I feed my kids and my husband- give them breakfast. I get Lamyisa ready for School, then my daughter Alyana wakes up around 7:45, I take care of her. Amir goes for a run, I have to keep his training stuff ready. After everything is done- my daughter is in School, Amir is in gym, I have my little one to take care of! When she naps, I take a nap with her. And then later on the day, i do whatever I need to do for Faryal Cosmetics, for my shoots and for my Instagram posts.
- When you’re not busy with work, what are some of your favourite things to do?
When I am not busy with my kids and work, I like to spend time with my husband on a holiday! Sometimes it’s important to have alone time with your husband and sometimes it is important to go as a family. I love travelling the world so travelling is one of my favourite things to do and of course shopping!!
- On what do you spend the most: clothes, accessories, perfumes or anything else?
The most I spend on are shoes and bags. I am obsessed with bags and shoes. If I like a pair of shoes and I don’t get it, I will think of it till I get it. So yeah probably shoes and bags is my main expenditure.
- What is the secret behind being so slim and toned? Do you eat nutritiously? How often do you exercise or go to the gym?
I think being slim is probably in my genes. From my father’s side everyone is pretty slim. It is also important to see what you eat- I am quite strict about what I eat. I eat pretty healthy, I eat pretty clean. I don’t work out as much as I should, but being married to a boxer and following his diet really helps me in being slim!
- Tell us about some fun facts about yourself!
I am pretty flexible. I love to paint! I am really good at painting faces and doing makeup!
- Quick choose round:
- Organic or Junk food?
Organic
- Facebook or Instagram?
- Karachi or Lahore?
Karachi
- Day or night?
Night
- Cats or dogs?
Cats
- Book or movie?
Book
- Your bff:
My husband!
- Favourite Movie:
Bajirao Mastani
- Biggest turn off?
Bad teeth
- Guilty pleasure:
Shoes
- Through the platform of Social Diary Magazine, if you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?
One piece of advice would be to really focus on one particular thing that they want to do and really give their 100% to it. It will never go to waste. If you give you fullest, believe in what you do, then you can make every impossible, a possibility!
