I spent the summer of 1996 learning how to operate a machine that makes Jacquard blankets. This complex machine uses modern technology to replicate an ancient tradition, seamlessly blending the roots of my culture with its future in the international community. It was for me the first tangible step toward what has always been my lifeÆs work.
The Sabbagh Group is the leading manufacturer and distributor of home textile products in the Middle East, with nine factories across the world. Sabbagh produces everything from blankets to towels, carpets, bedspreads, tablecloths, and a variety of velvets. My family established this company a dozen years before I was born, building it into a strong and vibrant business whose products are distributed internationally, including through Walmart stores across the United States. I was always expected to join the company when I completed my education, and that summer job was the beginning of my training.
I found the work to be harder than I expected, and I gained a deep respect for the skill of those who produce the complicated weaves and complex patterns possible on such a machine. I questioned my own ability to master running even a division of such a large company. Nevertheless, I was also full of the arrogance of youth. I believed I could handle whatever challenges I faced.
I continued to spend my summers immersed in the business. I spent the summer of 1997 learning to sew and mastering the packing process for the companyÆs blankets. In 1998, I gained experience operating the dying machines, and, in 1999, I was sent to Frankfurt to head the Sabbagh Group section at Heimtextile, an important international convention in the industry. By this time, I had become convinced that this is, in fact, a complex and intriguing business and one to which I want to dedicate my life.
That fall, I entered Santa Monica College and began studying business management theory. I was fasci...