Mrs. Elshafei embarked on a three-year legal career in Hong Kong, followed by a decade practicing commercial law in Shanghai. She worked for prestigious firms like Hogan Lovell and Pinsent Masons.
In 2021, she took a leap and launched her own slipper brand, Shaffay, which turned out to be a great success. The inspiration behind this venture came from her struggle to find the perfect pair of slippers.
Her husband, who works in export, faced a similar dilemma at trade fairs. The inability to find what she wanted made Mrs. Elshafei realize she could easily get her designs manufactured in China.
Explaining her motivation, Mrs. Elshafei said, “I had this persistent desire to do something of my own. I never believed in doing the same thing forever. When everything fell into place, I knew it was time to pursue my own aspirations.”
As the retirement age rises globally, even China, with one of the lowest retirement ages, is feeling the pressure to extend citizens’ working lives. The country’s aging population, resulting from the one-child policy and increased life expectancy, has prompted officials to consider pension reforms.
Mrs. Elshafei described the office environment as stagnant and cited her weariness of office politics as a reason for her career shift. She said, “I had grown tired of being in large law firms. It’s a high-stress, politically charged environment.
“Furthermore, my husband and I had been living apart during this time. When I moved to Shanghai, he was already based in Guangzhou, in southeastern China. We had a long-distance relationship, which we both wanted to change.
“I thought to myself, ‘I need to spend quality time with my family in Egypt and have the freedom to be wherever I want.’ I wanted to pursue something that would grant me total freedom.”
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