VisionAfricaMedia

By Kofi Quaye

Lena Shockley’s visit to Egypt began in pretty much the same way it does for most Americans; she wanted to check out Egypt, the North African country that created and sustained one of the greatest civilizations in history. She would visit the pyramids, tour other ancient monuments, and enjoy everything else Egypt has to offer tourists. She looked forward to making it one of the highlights of her life. Experiencing life in Egypt as a tourist would fulfill a lifelong wish to reconnect with Africa, the continent she has always regarded as her ancestral home. Little did she know that the trip to Egypt would change her life in unexpected ways. 

And so off to Egypt she went. A couple of years later, she is still in Egypt and feeling quite at home in a community called Hurgada where one of the latest attractions is a spa and bar called LENA’S SPA AND BAR. It is her latest business venture, and once again, Lena appears to have succeeded in creating a business that adds to her legacy of being an entrepreneur, in a country with a culture fundamentally different from what she is used to.

HOW DID SHE PREPARE FOR HER NEW ROLE AS A BUSINESS OWNER IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY?

How did she prepare for her new business venture? Is she adequately prepared to operate a business in a foreign country like Egypt? Looks like culture has not been an issue.for Lena. Her focus is to offer a variety of services based on a model of simply taking care of  the needs of the customers, at least, that is how she looks at it. In the process, Lena makes it look so easy transitioning from a tourist to a business owner, particularly in a country with a different culture and social norms.

Already she is making an impact with the business in a way that would reflect what she believes; that you can be productive in any country and culture. As far as she is concerned, what matters is knowing about the fundamentals of business and having the resources and the ability to grow and expand the business.

The important thing is the people in Hurgada in Egypt are loving it. And that is all that matters now. Making sure the spa and bar provide quality professional service is the top priority. And that’s the reason why she can be seen on social media, putting in the time, effort and energy into activities geared towards promoting and marketing the business. What does the future hold? Nothing but progress for her and the business. That is the impression one gets observing her in action. Lena Shockley is in it for the long haul and appears to be doing precisely what is needed to continue to build the new business and her legacy, away from home in a country named Egypt.