Top 4 Qualities Every New Entrepreneur Can Learn from Refael’s Edry’s Life
Starting your own company is a memorable milestone. It marks the beginning of an exciting journey with plenty of new opportunities and lessons. But there’s also a ton of anxiety, frustration, and self-doubt down the road.
How do you overcome every challenge that comes your way and lead your business in the right direction? You can draw inspiration from the life of Refael (aka Rafi) Edry, one of Israel’s best-known businessmen.
Here are a few of Refael Edry’s qualities you should imbibe for personal and professional growth:
1. Resilience
The world knows Refael Edry as an accomplished entrepreneur who leads several companies in Africa and Israel. But his journey to the summit of success hasn’t been easy.
Born in Safed, Refael Edry had his first brush with financial hardships early in his childhood. The eldest of three siblings, he realized that his father’s earnings as a building contractor weren’t enough for the family. It compelled him to start working at a young age.
But the setbacks of his childhood couldn’t clip his wings. Instead of surrendering to fate, Refael Edry crossed every hurdle that came his way and worked hard to build the life he always wanted.
That’s the kind of resilience every entrepreneur needs. Whether you’re struggling to get new customers or raise funding from VCs, you can’t let any challenges overwhelm you. Instead, you need to innovate and devise ways to push your business forward.
2. Humility
The worst thing any entrepreneur can do is to let new-found success get to their head. It fills you with complacency and takes a toll on your urge to work harder.
Despite all his accomplishments and accolades, Refael Edry is still in touch with his roots in Safed. He’s made it a point not to let his success define him by drawing inspiration from the life of his fearless uncle, whose name he shares.
Refael Edry z|l (the uncle) was a courageous freedom fighter who fought in Israel’s War of Independence and sacrificed his life at the young age of 24. While his life was short, tales of his bravery continue to inspire younger generations in Safed.
As the nephew of a brave war hero, Refael Edry has made it a point to stay humble and never forget where he came from. That’s what motivates him in everything he does, from growing his business to running various social endeavors.
3. Empathy
Philanthroist Refael Edry has had the first-hand experience of dealing with financial struggles in childhood. He knows what it’s like to abandon your dreams of a better future due to a lack of resources. When he realized that thousands of children in Israel’s periphery live in impoverished conditions, he couldn’t bear the thought of letting them be.
Instead, he joined hands with his younger brothers, Eyal Edry and Moshe Edree, to establish the Ahinoam Association for the Promotion of Equal Opportunities. Through mentoring programs and scholarships, the organization nurtures and supports younger generations in Israel’s periphery.
Similarly, as a business leader, you must empathize with those around you, be it your customers, employees, or vendors. Dig deeper into the problems they’re facing and find ways to help them.
When you do that for your employees, it motivates them to go out of their way to complete a task. And when you empathize with your customers, it makes them loyal to your company and enhances your brand image.
4. Foresight
There are two kinds of people in this world – those who solve problems and those who predict problems. As you might have guessed, Refael Edry belongs to the second group.
When the pandemic brought the world to a standstill, the Israeli government issued instructions for online schooling. But they ignored the plight of nearly 400,000 students who didn’t have personal computers.
Refael Edry and his brothers realized that the hasty transition to e-learning would destroy the hopes that children have for a better future. Instead of waiting for the government to intervene, they launched a fundraising campaign and helped provide computers to thousands of children.
As an entrepreneur, you must use your foresight to predict the consequences of your actions and decisions. It’ll help you identify and mitigate problems before they take a toll on your company’s bottom line.
In Conclusion
Steering your business on the path to success isn’t easy. But as Refael Edry has demonstrated, empathy, humility, resilience, and foresight can help you overcome the odds in the most adverse situations.
Acquiring these qualities will help you inspire your team and make the best decisions for your company. And if you’re lucky, you might make a lasting difference in the lives of your employees and customers.
