Ever since she entered the spotlight with her lifestyle show Ana Wi Heya in 2014, Sherine Hamdy has risen to become an eminent TV personality and social media darling with 73.8k followers on Instagram alone. Having fulfilled her childhood dreams when it comes to both media and fashion, we speak to her about how she balances her successful career with her personal life, what motivates her, and much more. Here’s an inside look at the show stopping Sherine Hamdy…
Who is Sherine Hamdy?
I was born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt. I even lived there for a few years after my marriage and before moving to Cairo. Since I was six or seven, I have always wanted to be on television! I used to fight with my mother weekly over why I can’t be part of an old children’s program. She told me that one day I could move to Cairo and pursue my dreams there. I always had that dream of being on television and I’ve always loved fashion. Somehow, I became very lucky to be able to combine all my passions in one job – a lifestyle presenter. I don’t have the patience to become a designer, to be honest, but my love for fashion and desire to be on television were both fulfilled in my work as a TV presenter specializing in lifestyle.
What were the first steps you took towards your career?
Honestly, I still feel like I’m living in a dream with what I’ve achieved so far and how happy I am. It was all actually instigated by luck. I was in Sahel three or four summers ago and I took my son to a birthday party. I was catching up with the parents and among them was Mohamed El Bassiouny, the founder of Di Salata, currently known as Tayarah. I was telling him everything I liked about his shows. I wasn’t thinking about getting anything in return but he asked me to join his team. He said, “I think fashion would really suit you but let’s not corner you in just that. How about we widen the scope and get you working on lifestyle?” This is how it started! A couple of weeks later, he called me and told me that he was serious about his offer. We sat in a few meetings where we came up with the title and the online plan, and Ana Wi Heya was the first step to many other projects that transpired in my career. Almost as soon as we launched the very first episode, Cairo Festival City reached out to us and offered to be our exclusive sponsor for a year, so that was such good news. Because of Ana Wi Heya and social media, I was later noticed by Ten TV and that started another chapter in my career.
What are your biggest motivations?
I am actually a very self-motivated person. I like to stay positive in everything I do and my personality is just very hyper and active. I’m used to the concept of either doing something right or not do it at all. I put all my heart, my time and my dedication in my work but also with a balance that ensures no compromise in my friendships and my family. At the end of the day, if I decided to work on something, I will give it my very best. My end goal is to have the most successful lifestyle show in Egypt.
How do you manage your time between being a mother and a wife and being a successful working lady?
I believe that if you manage your time properly, you can do anything and everything you set your mind to. I truly believe in that. I literally write down my schedule with pen and paper. I’m old fashioned like that and I write all the details of everything down to what to wear and where to go everyday. My life is divided into time slots. On a daily basis, I copy everything I have planned for the day on a small piece of paper that I carry in my bag. I check it before I go to sleep to make sure I’ve done everything on the list. I think if everyone makes a habit of doing that, we would all be able to do anything. If you miss something during the day, you find a spot to fit it in tomorrow’s plans. Sometimes, it gets hectic, I admit, but I’m determined to keep everything balanced in my life so I stick to this routine.
How do you unwind in your free time?
An advantage of living in Uptown Cairo is that I get the luxury of going for a walk everyday after I’m done with everything and made sure my son is done with his school work and ready for bed. It keeps me sane to be able to unwind and get some fresh air in such a charming environment.
What is the best and worst thing about having a busy career?
The best thing is the self-satisfaction that comes with always having things to do. I don’t like to be passive. If I stay in at home for a full day having done nothing, I feel it’s a day wasted of my life for no good reason. God has given me the grace to be alive and healthy, so I should do something with that. Even if I do small productive things throughout the day, I know that it counts for something and will eventually add up to later achievement. The worst thing is that sometimes my schedule gets so crowded that I have so much to do in so little time. It’s worse when personal and work events overlap.
What are the pros and cons of being an icon on social media?
Thank you so much for calling me an icon! The pros are much more than the cons. On a daily basis, you have thousands of people looking up to you and anticipating your advice and tips, whether tips on fashion, or lifestyle or being a mom or housewife or TV presenter. It’s an honor to have this many people trusting me. It’s my favorite thing about social media. As for cons, I can’t really think of something significant. It’s normal to have some haters, I think. It comes with the job and I barely come across their comments anyway. Some people would express concern for my privacy, as well, but I have nothing to complain about because I pick what to put and what not to put on social media. It was also my choice to be on social media and I’m happy with it. I wouldn’t have done it if it had a negative impact on me.
What are some of your passions?
I’m very passionate about animal rights. I work closely with animal rights organizations. I try to build awareness through my social media presence or in any way I can to encourage people to adopt and not to shop for dogs and cats, for example like Baladi dogs. I want to point out to people that they are just as smart as any other breed of dogs.
I spend a lot of my time and efforts dedicated to these voiceless souls. That’s because all these voiceless souls deserve an equal chance at life.
What’s the criteria for choosing the team you worked with on this shoot?
Nouran Khalifa is definitely one of the top female photographers in Egypt. I’ve always admired her and wanted to work with her so this was the perfect opportunity. I also love the chance to empower a female friend in the process. Reham, Nouran’s sister, is also a top celebrity makeup artist. It’s amazing to work with the Khalifas because they make a perfect duet. Having known Mostafa (the shoot’s stylist) for so long without having the privilege to work with him before, I recently discovered his talent and was amazed by his work. I’m very happy with the styling results. The whole shoot took 48 hours but everyone was hardworking and I love the output we got. Since it’s springtime and I’m loving the street views with the trees right now in Uptown Cairo, we decided to shoot there. I really couldn’t resist the temptation of shooting by the cherry blossom trees that fill the compound.
By Sarah Guirguis
Photography by: Nouran Khalifa
Makeup by: Reham Khalifa
Styling by: Mostafa Waheed
Hair colour by: Alex mouawad
Makeup provided by: Fortune Stores
Flowers by: Flower Power
Location: Uptown Cairo by Emaar