Loubna Ibrahim, Lebanese-Born & African-Raised, Founder of Mobile Fashion App, TopShou 

One of the many benefits of travel and attending conferences is the chance to encounter  incredible people. And as I speak at numerous startup conferences, I am thrilled to meet female founders (and typically seek them out too).

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of meeting Loubna Ibrahim, founder of TopShou, an app billed as “Your Top Fashion Assistant,” at ArabNet, the premier conference for digital business in the Middle East. After seeing Loubna pitch TopShou at ArabNet, I simply had to learn more about her and her entrepreneurial venture.  So here we go!

Tell me all about you.
I’m a Lebanese girl who was born and raised in Africa. Now I’m based in Dubai! Growing up in a multinational society, and having been able to see and adapt to all kind of situations made me the person I am today.

I moved to Lebanon in 2011 in order to complete my university studies and start a career in the public relations field. But I soon found that I don’t belong to the corporate life, as you are not allowed to do or say all what you have in mind. I’m a person who can’t stay quiet when I see  something going wrong. On a career level, I don’t have much to say, because I decided to do it on my own — and I’m still at the first step, but at least I can say, I’m a dreamer!

What do you do?
I am the founder of TopShou, a mobile fashion app to be released in the Middle East in 2015. TopShou is the app to answer everyone’s daily question of “What To Wear?” The app will save people time when looking in their closet and finding outfits, and remembering what they actually have in their closets — all with the help of their friends and fashion experts. Through TopShou we can show that we really care about our users’ fashion sense, so they can get to be fashion-aware — and also buy whatever is new in their market through TopShou’s marketplace!

What is your expertise?
Re-ask me this question in a year!

Define “entrepreneur.”
An entrepreneur is a person who wakes up every morning to do and achieve micro-milestones, with the same persistence in order to achieve the big goal! The goal that was once just an idea, which was the result of solving a problem! In other words, I feel that an entrepreneur is someone who makes a change and lives it every day.

Who are your heroes?
Everyone who tries to make a change is my hero – but success is not the only measurement.

What is your current challenge?
A person should always find a challenge in order to advance. Today my challenge is bringing my startup to life, and using my experience to inspire others following the same track.

Your greatest achievement?
Every little step forward is a great achievement. “Micro-milestones” help me overcome challenges and stay positive.

What is your motto?
Never quit! Persistence is the key!

Why are you an entrepreneur?
I dream, and then I DO.

What problem are you solving?
My app solve the clothing choice on daily basis, so I hope that I solve the pain that women feel sometimes when faced with fashion choices!

Biggest regret?
If I do anything wrong, I simply learn and adapt.

What mobile device do you presently use?
iPhone 6 and HTC M8 as a back up! I should always carry an open-source OS with me!

Essential app(s)?
Email, whatsapp, Notes, Reminders

Which productivity tools (app/software/office supplies) do you use most often?
Pages.

Advice you wish you’d had (or had followed)?
Analyze people before trusting them, and not the opposite!

Your pitch in 140 characters?
“TopShou builds virtual closets, creates relationships by mixing & matching items for outfit recommendations, & has an e-marketplace!”

Your bio in 6 words?
“Lebanese Woman striving for a change!”

Are you on Twitter?
Yes — @Loubnaibrahim.

The Twitter follower you can’t live without?
I’m not that active on social media, so I can’t answer this!

What’s your hashtag?
#Topshou.

Biggest misconception about being an entrepreneur?
That you work on your own and have a lot of free time!

Inc. or Rolling Stone or…..? Which magazine cover?
Executive Magazine.

What are you reading?
The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell.

What is your must read?
The Art of War by Sun Tzu. It’s the only book that I keep on reading, during different time in my life, as it’s a great book for setting up strategies.

If I wanted to do what you’re doing…what’s your advice?
Focus on one single value!

What’s your guilty pleasure?
Eating a LOT of Chocolate!

Short cut, long route, road less traveled? What’s your roadmap?
Road less traveled.

The memories of a chef are tastes and smells, what would you say are the memories of an entrepreneur?
Endless overnights working!

What makes you LOL?
Everyone can easily make me LOL! People in my entourage know for my hysterical laugh — and sometimes it’s embarrassing!

Who or what inspires you?
Challenges

What’s the most important startup/entrepreneurship lesson you’ve learned?
That it’s not a piece of cake — you should try hard in order to reach what you want! And the most important thing is that you should focus on one single value at a time in order to succeed, and then build around it!

What would be the title of your biography?
Persistence that Led to a Change.

Your Ferris Bueller moment: if you could goof-off/skip out for a day, what would you do?
Beach escape!

One place in time you’d like to visit?
Beirut in 1965

Part of the trick to staying focused?
Micro-milestones.

You take a three-hour ocean tour and get stranded…what three items do you have with you?
A hat, a book and a bottle of water.

Do you have any unrealized dream projects?
Not at the moment.

What makes you happy?
Many things can make me happy such as a good news, meeting someone I’ve not seen for a while, a box of chocolate, receiving flowers, hearing my nephews calling me “Tati loulou!”, seeing my mom and my beloved ones happy, my hubby… and much, much more!

What does success look like for you?
I’ll consider myself successful when I can see that I made a change in someone else’s life.