And when bills started to stack up on the kitchen table, he had a sudden insight into what was missing—he didn’t understand marketing at a deeper level. He soon discovered that many of the marketing theories we’ve been taught were either incomplete or incorrect.

Opening the impossible door to a new life

So Tarek decided that he needed to learn from the best in the industry, the masters of advertising, marketing, sales, copywriting, and persuasion. The catch? To do that he’d have to get a job in advertising, which was close to impossible with no contacts. Why would anyone hire him with his little experience in the industry?

But Tarek’s father had always taught him to never give up on his dreams, so he decided it was worth a shot. He closed down his business and poured all of his energies into applying for the world’s biggest agencies, he didn’t miss a single one.
At first, he was met with silence, but after bombarding each agency with follow up calls and emails, the polite rejections filed in, one by one. It seemed like ‘no’ was the only answer.

The weight of the rejections bore down on him, making each day a challenge. Friends and family, though supportive, began hinting at the idea of exploring other options, maybe going back to his old business or seeking a less ambitious path. Each night, Tarek would lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, questioning his decisions, the gamble he had taken and the rejections he faced, leaving him with no way out. But when it comes to his dreams, there’s one thing about Tarek: even when the world tells him no, he doesn’t take it for an answer.

Then one day, out of the blue, Publicis Group, one of the world’s biggest advertising and media agencies, sent an email, inviting him for an interview. After three intense phone interviews, he was flown out to meet the CEO and finally was offered a job.