It was a drizzling weekday when I arrived at Starbucks located on Wells and North Avenue. As I arrived at the café establishment, I noticed that I had not seen Tarik. Maybe he is here, but somehow I missed him, I pondered, looking for the man who had enough gumption to create his own establishment for women to take charge of their existence. Minutes later, I received a text message from Tarik stating: “Come to the front of the building.” I texted back: “Okay.” I did what I was told and lo and behold, there was Mr. Tarik Khribech, wearing a casual tee-shirt, a pair of jeans and a decent-looking Mohawk that made me smile, knowing that not only does Mr. Khribech have a strong presence but he also sustains his own individuality, as well.
From the looks of things, I could tell that Moroccan entrepreneur, Tarik Khribech has the mindset of a businessman and he is not ashamed to let others know who is in charge and how adamant he wants women to maintain just as much power and independence as men, if not more. After introducing myself to Mr. Tarik Khribech, we shook hands. Nervously, I began searching for my pen, but my pen was not present, unfortunately. Luckily, one of the customers that sat diagonally from Tarik and I had a spare pen that I could borrow. Graciously, I thanked the man for allowing me to use his pen for the notes I needed to take.
At last, I was ready to take some notes, letting Tarik know that I am usually prepared when it comes to partaking in interviews. He smiled and said, “That’s fine. It happens to the best of us.” Wow. He’s cute, smart and understanding, I thought, blown away by his good manners. What more can a reporter ask for? In the midst of the interview, he told me the purpose of why he created L’or Afrique and what the product has to offer compared to other companies that does not maintain quality like his products does. “I wanted to give women independence and power to take control of their lives,” he stated. “Plus, I have always been independent. At age thirteen, I began buying and selling phones. I wanted to do things on my own terms. Besides, why work for someone else when you can take matters into your hands?” Although Mr. Khribech is a businessman, he is a man with a heart of gold. A firm believer in helping those in need, when is not occupied with promoting his products to the masses, he helps his friends promote their charitable events to the world; making sure that their event(s) rack up enough currency to help the needy and more. “My friends have different charities, so when it is time to help them promote their charitable event, that’s when I come in and do my part in many ways. In other words, money times the amount of people goes to charity. What can I say? I love helping people to the best of my ability,” he explained, sipping on his cup of coffee. God, he looked great just sipping on a cup of coffee! Jesus, if more men had the class and intelligence that Mr. Khribech has, the world would definitely become a better place to live in.
When it comes to lack of knowledge on certain marketable items, Tarik’s main mission is to educate others what they should know about Moroccan products and what those items have to offer compare to the United States’ food and drug products. “What I do is hand the customers a sample of my product and wait for their response. If they like, that’s fine. I am content.
But if they don’t, then that’s fine, too. I can’t make people to like the products, knowing they’re not happy with the item.” Does he feel as if the United States’ products does sustain enough nutrients and minerals that people need to get through the day? “Yes, they lack essentials that hinder people from receiving cancer, obesity and other illnesses that most people endure on a daily basis,” he said. He continued. “Other countries don’t have the issues that the U.S. has because our products are not generic. In my hindsight, if certain foods do not sit well with you, then you should change your eating habits.”
For more information on Tarik Khribech, go to www.facebook.com/orafrique and twitter.com/orafrique.
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Dana Rettig - Lifestyle & Culture Blogger
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