Momtastic – Good Stuff Qatar – Danette Ashraf

The purpose of my blog has been to share my journey as a parent, and to celebrate motherhood! Not just me, but mommies all around me as well! And with that in mind, I am starting a new section called MOMTASTIC 🙂!  I will be interviewing inspirational mommas who are wearing multiple hats, and managing it all with panache!

The chosen one for April is someone who got tired of looking for safe, organic baby products and decided to do something about it. Mom of three-year-old twins Haniya and Aleeza, and 19-month-old Rebekkah, Danette Ashraf, has been in Qatar for over nine years. Throughout her time here, she found it tedious to constantly order her supplies and import it, or to stock up while home. With the launch of her company, Good Stuff Qatar, she hopes to make a difference to all parents in the country.

Name 
Danette Ashraf

Explain yourself in about 10 words.
I am motivated, strong-willed, determined, friendly and softhearted.

Tell us about your business.
Good Stuff Qatar, which I recently launched, is an online health shop where every product is natural, certified organic and chemical free. We have baby products ranging from biodegradable wipes and nappies to bath products, cleaning agents like all-purpose cleaners to laundry detergents and delicious healthy snacks and baking aids. We also cater for those intolerant to dairy and gluten.

Why did you launch this?
My twins struggled with eczema pretty much their first year of life and doctors would only prescribe cortisone creams and this would only alleviate some symptoms but never did anyone suggest we try to find the root of the problem. This had me thinking and that’s when we started to go natural with everything we use.This was the products we use typically on the skin as well as products we take internally. So we slowly started to get rid of harmful chemicals from our daily life.
I am a health and skin care professional and since being in the health industry it is my passion to share my knowledge with those around me. I also wanted to make a difference in a country like Qatar where these products are not widely available or even recognized. With people becoming more and more aware of their health, I saw the opportunity to help others in keeping their families healthy by providing them products which are free of chemicals.

How do you find the time to juggle motherhood and your work?
This is probably the most difficult and challenging part!! I HAVE to wait till my kids go to sleep at night before I can start to work 🙂 There is no other way out!

What is the best part about your work? What are the challenges involved?
The best part about my job is to have customers getting back to me informing us how well our products are working. It makes me happy and motivates me that I am contributing positively towards someone else’s health or lifestyle change.
Challenges involved would be making sure we get out products to Qatar on time before delivery. We make sure to get the best quality of products and therefor ship them from South Africa and this can sometimes take time.

Any advice for mompreneurs?
Set your priorities straight. Set small goals and don’t be hard on yourself!

What is the one most important parenting rule you live by?
Routine! Make sure you have a proper routine established. That makes life easier and predictable. Especially with small children. In my opinion, they like to have stability and like to know what is happening next. It makes them feel secure.

To check out her products, visit http://www.goodstuffqatar.com/