{"id":25898,"date":"2023-06-02T10:34:28","date_gmt":"2023-06-02T08:34:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/de\/?p=30563"},"modified":"2025-12-15T15:26:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T14:26:07","slug":"rewe-kauffrau-semai-akale-i-have-wanted-to-be-my-own-boss-for-a-long-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/press-and-media\/newsroom\/stories\/rewe-kauffrau-semai-akale-i-have-wanted-to-be-my-own-boss-for-a-long-time\/","title":{"rendered":"REWE-retailer Semai Akale: “I’ve wanted to be my own boss for a long time”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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19 years ago, Semai Akale started working part-time at REWE. Today, the Hessian native with Eritrean roots successfully runs her own REWE supermarket in Mainz. We talk about how growing up with three brothers prepared her for self-employment, how to train career changers to become managers, and what advice she has for young professionals.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Mainz. A \u201ccity quarter\u201d for upmarket living has been created at the former customs port, right on the waterfront, with some condominiums and houses still under construction. At the entrance to a corner building, between the street and the water\u2019s edge, high ceiling, lots of window glass, emblazoned in red and large: REWE. And underneath, no less small: Semai Akale.<\/span><\/p>\n

The REWE saleswoman, whose name is emblazoned on the expensive new building, waits in the entrance area. Braided braids bob over the shoulder pads of her bright red blazer. Red like the REWE logo, which she has been loyal to for almost 19 years.<\/span><\/p>\n

When you first meet her at the market entrance, two things immediately stand out about this daughter of an Eritrean woman, who was born in H\u00f6chst near Frankfurt: her infectious laugh\u2014and her keen eye for sloppiness. Whether an employee carelessly steps over a piece of paper on the floor or a shelf is not properly stocked: she sees it, she complains about it, she fixes it. And once the problem is solved, she laughs .<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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About:<\/h2>

\n Semai Akale <\/p>\n\n

REWE-retailer<\/p>\n \n

\n is a self-employed retailer at REWE. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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“I am one who keeps her word”<\/h2>\n

The REWE Am Zollhafen has been her store for four years. A long-cherished dream that she made come true with great determination – and with all the financial resources she had. Semai Akale talks about her career path: <\/span><\/p>\n

I have almost 19 years of work under my belt now, always at REWE. I’m a loyal soul. I actually wanted to be a bank clerk, but despite good grades and lots of internships, I didn’t get a chance. I think it was also due to the color of my skin, as the counters tend to be white. At the time, I was working at REWE and my boss at the time suggested I do my apprenticeship with them: Come and do your apprenticeship with me and apply for a job at the bank on the side. After about seven months, I decided to stay – and then I wanted to know everything. After work, I sat down with my boss in the office and asked, asked, asked. I must have got on his nerves, but as a trainee you have a duty to ask. <\/span><\/p>\n

When he made me his vacation replacement while I was still a trainee, I realized how varied the job actually is. After shortening my training to two years, I worked as an assistant for three years, always at different locations, always new openings. At that time, I was also elected to the Strategy Committee Meeting Circle (SAS)<\/span>. I think it was mainly the women who voted for me. I was the youngest and at times the only woman, I was a member for six years. The experiences I had there were amazing. During that time, I started to think about becoming self-employed. <\/span><\/p>\n

Some years later, my current market was put out to tender, which I really wanted. When I was awarded the contract, I was already terrified and just thought: ‘What have you done? Now you’ve had the big mouth, you have to go through with it’. But, as I said at the beginning, I had nothing to lose. I pooled all my money for my deposit and closed savings plans. It was quite enough, after that I was broke. But it wasn’t a bad feeling for me because I know what it’s like. My mother was a single parent with four children, we never had a lot of money and I can make do with little things. So back then I thought to myself: ‘What could possibly happen to you? In an emergency, you go back to your job and that’s that…’ But that probably won’t happen. I’m very ambitious and it’s been hard work up to this point.<\/span><\/p>\n

I’ve wanted to be my own boss for a long time. I wanted to develop my own team, my own employees and retain them in the long term. Most of my people are career changers. At the time, there were only three months between leaving my old store and setting up my own store. That’s not a lot of time, so I said to myself: ‘Semai, you hire everyone who applies’. Many of them didn’t come from the retail sector, but I liked their attitude towards work. I conducted every interview personally and initially did and explained everything myself, because hardly anyone knew how retail works. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Akale<\/span> with coworker Esra <\/span>Yikin<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div> <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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I was running around the store from morning to night and teaching my current people everything until I realized that I was getting a little tired and was sometimes on the verge of falling asleep at the wheel on the way home. So it was clear: I had to see who in my team I could take by the hand and prepare for management tasks. I approached them and showed them what they could achieve with a certain level of commitment and drive. I am someone who keeps her word. I am also very direct. If I don’t like something, I’ll say so and still buy a coffee afterwards. Today I have around 55 employees and I’m really proud of them. We hardly have any fluctuation among our permanent employees. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Personnel management is my topic, I’m not giving it away. It’s the only way I can find out how my people are doing. And I want to know how they are doing. I know my people very well and I’m there for every problem, no matter what. I can only understand what’s going on with them if they talk to me. And they do, even those who don’t like to talk about their feelings. But they also come and talk. I can empathize with a lot of things because I have experienced and seen a lot in my own life. And I then try to find a solution to the problem. My favorite thing is when I can solve it, because then I can get it out of my head.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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My team is colorful, but I don’t care where someone comes from. What matters to me is what kind of person they are.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n <\/div>\n

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Semai Akale, REWE-retailer<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Semai Akale, REWE-retailer<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Talking is my main task as a boss. I’m successful at it, why should I change that? Of course, it’s also work to know almost everything about almost every employee and to ask: How did the dog’s operation go, how is your child …?<\/q> Conversely, my employees now also look after me. Sometimes they say: You look tired, boss, go home and get some rest, we’ll manage here.<\/q><\/span><\/p>\n

My team is very diverse, 13-14 nationalities. But I don’t care where someone comes from, whether they have a degree, whether they’re gay. What matters to me is what kind of person they are. A good example is my drinks shop manager: he’s from Eritrea, just like my family. I met him by chance when everything here was still a building site and asked him: How long have you been here? Two years? And you already speak German that well?<\/q> It was immediately clear to me that he was ambitious. So I invited him to apply for a job with me. He then worked as a salesman for two years and is now a senior manager. <\/span><\/p>\n

For me, it’s not really an issue that I’m a self-employed woman with a migration background – because I don’t even make it an issue. I am often asked about it. But for me, it’s simply a matter of course that I can do the job as a woman just as well as a man. I just do it. <\/span><\/p>\n

You can’t let yourself be belittled. I grew up with three brothers, which certainly made me stronger. They’re all very proud of me because I’ve come so far. For a long time, I was someone who was never very proud of herself. I had to learn that first. When I recently realized that I had achieved exactly what I had set out to do five years ago, I said to myself: Semai, now you can be proud of yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n

My tips for potential self-employed people:It takes curiosity, ambition, perseverance – and belief in yourself. You should never hang your head if something doesn’t work straight away. Work on your self-esteem and don’t listen to negative voices. Then nobody can do anything to you.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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