Someone once said “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another.” Today I’m inviting you to look at such a race, one that we have witnessed over the past two years. Sail eMagazine started as an idea, a spark, an answer to a calling. Since we’re celebrating it’s second anniversary this month, I decided to look at perseverance more closely by interviewing Sail’s founder, Iman Ben Chaibah, to get the inside story on how she set sail and how far she’s come. Here is the journey in Iman’s words.
How did the idea of Sail eMagazine come about?
“I’ve always had a passion for reading and writing, and always wanted a career in that, but my life drifted me in a different direction. I came to a point where I needed to fulfil my passion to feel whole again, so the idea of reading & writing came back but this time into a more specific context of how to get it done and what does our generation really need. It took a lot of thinking and reflecting until the idea of the magazine came about in a way that it doesn’t revolve only around me writing, but rather in bringing more people into reading and writing again with short fresh reads about topics that interest us. The online concept came later after defining the idea as it was more budget-friendly, and was easier to market and go viral and international with.”
What would you say contributed the most to making this idea a reality?
“The ease of online publishing and social media have definitely contributed as they helped to grow the magazine in terms of reach. They also helped in attracting more members to the magazine and encouraging them.”
Two years down the road did you ever imagine that Sail would be where it is today?
“Partially yes, but I was never really sure. After I crossed the first year it started to become clear as a vision that it is actually possible to grow steadily and grow even further. At first it was just the hope that Sail would persist & persevere that kept me going.”
Where do you want Sail to go from here?
“I have a lot of plans for Sail’s growth, some are planned for this year and some are planned for the long run, and I’m sure much more is being planned by God that is waiting to happen! Just stay tuned.”
No matter how far we drift from our passion, if it is truly what we are meant to be contributing to the world, we will always come back to it. It takes courage to jump into the unknown and start new things but it takes perseverance to keep moving forward in spite of everything. Iman kept her dream alive and turned it into an online publication that brings value today to hundreds of people and this is only the beginning!
You might feel that your dream is too big for you; people might put you down and stop you from pursuing it. The key here is to go for it and never let it go. If you know in your heart this is what you’re meant to be doing put all your passion and hard work into it, persevere and you will make it happen. Break out of your shell. Get out there and let your light shine; Iman did!
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