Success never came easy for Dato’ Sri Nazeri Omar, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of RF3 World Sdn Bhd. However, the indomitable entrepreneurial spirit in him has enabled Nazeri to overcome many hardships to rise up to become the success that he is today. In a recent interview with Top 10 of Malaysia, the visionary entrepreneur talks about his many struggles and his ambition for the company he founded.
Dato’ Sri Nazeri Omar was certainly not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. “I come from Felda Bukit Puchong, Pahang,” he says. “That is where growing oil palm is the main focus for the locals.” But Nazeri went to tread on a different path. Upon finishing high school, he started working at a factory and he managed to climb up the ranks. However, after 10 years of serving the company, he was fired for starting a union to defend the rights of the workers.
“I was fired a few months before my wedding took place,” reveals Nazeri. But he saw it coming and was already prepared for it. “I was already doing part-time as an insurance agent,” he says.
It was at this point of his life when Nazeri discovered that he could hone his skills in marketing. “I learnt how to deal with people,” he says. He also faced many rejections as an insurance agent but that did not break his spirit. “It was certainly a much easier job compared to the work at the palm oil plantation. I also believe that for every 1,000 attempts at selling, there will be at least one success,” says the father-of-three. Nazeri also believes that the hardships he faced growing up has helped toughen up his mental strength.
Despite his outstanding performance as an insurance agent where he managed to get 100 customers within his first month, Nazeri figured that such a life was not really for him. Realizing that he has to attend to those who have bought the insurance from him for many years to come, Nazeri felt that it was too great a responsibility to bear. The interest in doing business was still very much alive in him.
“A wise man told me that if I was employed and earned a monthly salary, I would already be able to tell how much my income is in the next 10 years. No matter the potential I have, my earnings would be fixed. However, in business, the harder I work, the more I get,” says Nazeri. As a car enthusiast, Nazeri was also highly motivated to get into business so that he could afford luxury cars.
Since then, Nazeri forayed into various types of businesses with one that was import-export. “Even though I had no knowledge in this trade, I followed my friends who were more knowledgeable.” His trust in his friends, this time around, backfired. “The business seemed lucrative,” he says. However, not all that glitters is gold. “It was one of the most painful experiences in my life,” Nazeri laments as he recalls of being cheated.
The consequences for Nazeri after this episode of his life were of epic proportions. He had to endure not having proper meals for days. “I even had to send my wife back to the hometown. I didn’t even have the money to buy milk for my child,” he recalls. From being thrown out of his house to having his car repossessed, Nazeri has been through it all. While he admits that his family members did help him out during this difficult period, he did not want to rely on others for long.
It was during this phase in his life that Nazeri’s passion was shaken. He was torn between going back to the life of working for others or pursuing yet another business. “I prayed to God. I know that money is not going to fall from the sky but I asked for guidance. I even cried on the prayer mat,” admits Nazeri.
His prayers were answered when a former customer sought his help for cargo clearance matters. From then on, Nazeri managed to get more customers and further develop the business. However, after two years, Nazeri decide to call it a day as the competition from the bigger players was making it difficult for small businessmen like himself. At one point in time, Nazeri was in the construction business too. “It came with its own set of challenges,” he says “which included labour issues.”
Nazeri had his fair share of working for multi-level marketing companies. He also held the post of Marketing Director before eventually establishing his own beauty products company, RF3 World Sdn Bhd in 2011.
As for the name of his company, Nazeri explains that ‘R’ refers to ‘Revolution’ of which they would like to create. ‘F’ stands for ‘Firm’ – both in how the company is run and how its products enhance skin firmness. As for the number ‘3’, it is a figure Nazeri is fond of. It also signifies the three elements the company is about which are beauty, health, and luxury.
Coming together as a team with expertise in different fields such as medicine and law, Nazeri and his peers first came up with Firmax 3, a natural lifting cream. It was a great success and to date, RF3 World has five products that range from slimming to stem cells aspects of beauty and health. It will be launching four new products this year.
Since its inception, RF3 World Sdn Bhd has been rapidly growing. “I believe that in business, you have to be quick to seize opportunities. Otherwise, you will lose your market,” says Nazeri. In Malaysia, RF3 World has 28 stockist centres. Since having established themselves locally, Nazeri and his team went on to develop the business overseas in 28 countries around the world which not only include several Asean countries but also nations like the United States of America, Canada and Australia.
“I am a man with a mission,” says Nazeri. He makes it clear that it is his ambition to break through and conquer the global market with his venture. Soon, his company will be setting foot in more countries globally. “We approach it like we are doing battle,” explains Nazeri. “And I don’t want to succeed alone. That would not be meaningful enough. I want others to succeed with me,” he says with a smile.
When asked about how he balances his work schedule and personal life, Nazeri points out that it takes a good deal of sacrifice to do what he does. At times, it is at the expense of family togetherness, but he makes sure he brings his family for a holiday trip overseas every six months. He does so for the agents of his company too.
Nazeri takes his business very seriously. He certainly has advice to give those who are keen to give entrepreneurship a shot. “Don’t be afraid to get into business. You have to give it the best that you have and failure is normal. But you will become more knowledgeable, wiser and stronger in due course. Those are the most valuable qualities in life. You will then be able to survive and be victorious come what may,” says the visionary entrepreneur.
