The Dual Life of a Modern Salesman: Balancing Corporate Success with Entrepreneurial Dreams

I was 24 when I made my first real sale, ten boxes of bottled water, sold under the scorching Alexandria sun to a small corner shop that didn’t believe in brand loyalty. I didn't just sell a product. I sold my belief in it. That day, I learned the first rule of sales: if you believe it, they might buy it. But if they feel you believe it, they will.

I didn’t come from wealth or privilege. My father was a lawyer, respected, but not rich. My mother stayed home, made our house a home, and taught me the art of persuasion without ever raising her voice. It wasn't until years later I realized she had been my first sales coach. My family didn’t teach me about market shares or gross margins, but they showed me resilience, adaptability, and the power of listening, skills that would later form the backbone of my professional life.

My early career was built on grit. I worked in the fast-paced world of FMCG, selling beverages, snacks, and household staples. From shelf displays to distributor negotiations, I learned to manage chaos with a smile. What most people see as targets, I saw as people—retailers with hopes, customers with habits, and colleagues with stories. That human touch is what elevated my performance and helped me grow into leadership.

Fast forward to Dubai, 2020, where skyscrapers shine like promises, and deals are sealed over WhatsApp messages. I was managing sales for an international FMCG brand, leading teams, negotiating with Carrefour buyers, and forecasting numbers that made or broke our quarter. I had become what many would call successful. And yet, something was missing.

So I did something that didn’t show up on any dashboard: I started my own rug business. Handwoven Egyptian rugs, designed back home and shipped across borders. It wasn’t about the profit margin. It was about legacy, about turning beauty into commerce, heritage into a handshake. This business wasn’t just a side hustle. It was a way to bring a part of my identity to life, to connect my roots in Egypt with the thriving, modern market of the UAE.

There were weeks where I’d switch from leading a sales review with C-suite executives in the morning to chasing customs paperwork for a delayed rug shipment by noon. Two worlds. One Medhat. The tension between these roles wasn’t easy, but it was energizing. It reminded me that success isn’t linear. It’s layered.

Being in sales taught me how to read people. Being an entrepreneur taught me how to read risk. Balancing both taught me how to manage uncertainty. The lessons I’ve learned from managing team conflicts are the same lessons I apply when a client in Sharjah asks for a custom rug with tight delivery timelines. It’s all about expectation, empathy, and execution.

Today, I speak to young professionals and students often. I tell them: Don’t just climb ladders. Build doors. You may have 23 years of experience, like me. Or maybe just three. What matters is not your resume. What matters is your rhythm. Your story. Your reason.

We live in a world that asks us to choose: corporate or creative, stability or passion, employee or founder. I say: be both. Wear both suits. Walk both paths. The edge you’re looking for isn’t in the job title, it’s in your perspective.

So write the story only you can tell. This is mine.

Medhat