Middle Eastern Inspiration: woman entrepreneur kicks some you know what

Amina al-Amrani sells $250,000 in fruit daily.  Photo credit: CNN.com

Amina al-Amrani, 57, lives in Yemen.  Despite many barriers, she has managed to start and successfully run a fruit wholesale business.  Here is her story. (Hat Tip: CNN)

Hurdles.

Amina's culture places a low priority on educating women and girls.  She can neither read nor write.  She also lives in a country where many believe that a woman should not go into business, because it could require her to be alone with unrelated men.  She started her business anyway, despite the disapproval of others.  "My mother screamed at me that I was shaming the family, and my brother's didn't speak to me for 4 years," she recalled.

On being one tough cookie.

"I stood strong and persistent," she said.  "I kept working and I kept training, and that's how I gained the experience."

Haters.

"Competition is tough," she explained. "They're all men in this field.  Because I'm a woman and I'm successful, some people try to hassle me and drive me out of business."

Why they're hatin'.

Amina brings in $250,000 in fruit sales every day. [Say what?!] She is one of the top fruit wholesalers in Yemen.

Her message to the haters (via her girl Jill Scott).

In reality, I’m gon’ be who I be
And I don’t feel no faults
For all the lies that you bought
You can try as you may
Break me down but I say
That it ain’t up to you
Gone and do what you do

Hate on me, hater
Now or later
‘Cuz I’m gonna do me
You’ll be mad, baby
(Go ‘head and hate)
Go ‘head and hate on me, hater
I’m not afraid of
What I got I paid for
You can hate on me

Why it was all worth it.

She can send all of her daughters to college.

There's More.

Watch CNN's video story about Amina's inspiring story here.