Sarah Jahangir: Moving in on the Camel Milk Market

YFE featured a Podcast by Sarah Jahangir earlier this year where she explained what it was like to be a young, female entrepreneur in Pakistan. Sarah returns to the YFE blog as a featured member of our community with her new business, Wondermilk – 100% Fresh Camel’s Milk.

Company Name:
Wondermilk – 100% Fresh Camel’s Milk

Year Established:
2011

Website:
www.wondermilk.info

Twitter:
www.twitter.com/wondermilkpk

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/wondermilkfresh

What is your business all about? 
We’re in the business of introducing Fresh Camel’s Milk for the first time in Pakistan. Camel’s milk has several health benefits and tastes super good. It is known to be beneficial for austism, diabetes, and even lactose intolerant people. Above all, Camel Milk has less fat and more Vitamin C than cow’s milk and tastes absolutely great. It is known to be God’s gift to mankind as camel milk is a sufficient well balanced meal on its own.

What does your background look like?
I’m actually in advertising so I know how to market a particular good to a target audience. Which has been my advantage in launching the brand “WONDERMILK”

Why did you start your business, launch your first product, or build that community in the first place?
For the last one year my father has been drinking fresh camel milk every morning. He met with the camel herdsmen and began discovering the benefits of camel milk. My father has been lactose intolerant his entire life, my mother suffers from Diabetes…. and they started drinking the milk n saw a vital change in their health for the better.

We thought of the idea of launching camel milk in Pakistan about 2 months ago but did not have the necessary funding or business plan. One day in June we just decided to make it happen on a small scale… So we sat down as a family, brainstormed, came up with a name… I designed the logo, facebook page and website and voila! we were on our way.

Our aim is not to just launch a new product, but to empower the camel herdsmen in Pakistan who are incredibly poor and of course help people with health issues switch to camel milk as an alternative, better, healthier choice.

What are your favorite things about being young, female and entrepreneurial?
My favorite thing would be simply that the world is open to me. My dreams have no boundaries and more than that, I have absolute faith in the fact that if you work hard, nothing is unachievable. Camel milk is a risky thing to venture into as it has barely been done globally and NEVER been done in Pakistan but I find the prospect of it, exciting. I feel like this is it and there is nothing better than pioneering an industry that just might change millions of lives.

Do you have mentors or people you admire that you think of when making business decisions?
Ofcourse my family, I admire alot. But along my quest for Camel’s milk and launching Wondermilk… I’ve connected with several inspiring people through Facebook (God bless Mark Z) I’ve met a wonderful young group of Filmmakers from “The What Took You So Long” foundation who’ve been working on a documentary on camels, camel milk and camel cheese for one year in various parts of the world. I’ve met wonderful camel milk entrepreneurs, enthusiasts and camel doctors because of the filmaker group and every day am introducing to someone new. It’s amazing, overwhelming and exciting

What have been the advantages of being young and female while building your business?
The advantages are that I have nothing to lose. I am at that place in my life where I can try, test and take risks without any repercussions. So far all the decisions I’ve made for my advertising agency have worked out well so I do listen to reason and of course my gut.

MAJOR advantage is connecting with people from the camel community as being a young female entrepreneur, people are more accepting of my ideas and dreams

What are the disadvantages you’ve faced, if any?
My disadvantages are that I get too involved, emotional and I tend to react when someone challenges what I believe so strongly in. I’m a straightforward person and I usually pay the price for my mouth haha.

What is your advice for a young, female entrepreneur just starting out or in the research stage?
Go for it! But plan. Dream. but plan!

Imagine everything the pros, the cons, the risks and the benefits. Don’t let ANYONE get you down or tell you that you cannot do it.

What is your drink of choice?
Iced Cappuccino

What can we find you doing when you are not working on and in your business?
I love work, it’s incredibly fulfilling. I believe for the first 10 years of my business(es) I need to put in 500% effort and sacrifice other things in life to get ahead.