Get to know our CEO Cici Fredsbo
The first of its kind in the UAE, peer-to-peer car rental app Shazza is changing the way we rent cars, one drive at a time. CEO & Founder Cici Fredsbo found a huge gap in the market to contribute towards the sharing economy, while giving car owners the opportunity to make some extra cash.
Let’s get to know the CEO!
How old are you?
With everything I've experienced I feel like I’m 101 to be honest, however I am only 28 years old!
Where are you from?
I am proud to be from Scandinavia’s finest - Denmark! I was blessed to grow up in a small town in New Jersey in the States, then we moved to Denmark, and then I completed my Bachelor in Business Administration in Barcelona. Since then I have moved around quite a bit! I have traveled to over 35 countries, so at this point I consider myself a global citizen!
What is your favorite car?
Lamborghini Urus in baby pink... of course!
What is your biggest fear?
A few things come to mind, but the biggest one is definitely not living out my full potential. I am very confident I can achieve great things in this life, in great ways that will positively impact the world and its people, so to die without having given this life all I can is my biggest fear. I strive to be my happiest, hardest working, most inspiring self I can be.
How do you define a successful company?
Of course there are monetary measures of success to consider, however deeper than that I believe a successful company is defined by the quality of the service provided, the value that the service provides to its users, and the happiness and passion of the team building it. Without a team that feels empowered to elevate, there will be no success in a company.
Who inspires you?
Sara Blakely is a huge inspiration to me. She pursued business wholeheartedly with no previous experience, and built Spanx into a billion dollar business from years of resilience and not letting rejection, or those who didn't believe, get in her way. She has always been unapologetically herself and refused to conform to the norms pushed onto her as the ‘right way’ of doing business, while keeping a sense of humor, positivity and femininity.
What advice would you give to someone going through a tough time?
Of course there is no one solution to every challenging time we face, however I believe there are certain habits we can implement that will always be useful. What has helped me in my toughest times is focusing on what I am grateful for, reading tons of personal development books, and surrounding myself with people who inspire me and are also working towards fulfilling their potential. I write my affirmations and goals down all the time and have them all over - on my walls, my phone background, my mirror - and speak my happiness and success into existence daily. I am big on the Law of Attraction!
What are your favorite books?
There are 2 books that immediately come to mind, as they have impacted me so deeply and I have read them many times now.
Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill - I credit most of my success to what I learned from this book and recommend it to anyone who wants to achieve greatness, whatever greatness means to you.
The Secret by Rhonda Byrnes - this book helped me further channel my positive thinking to attract and manifest what I want in life and who I want to be.
What are you focused on for personal development now?
Running a newly launched business means very little free time, however I am focused on prioritizing reading more again, listening to more audio books, and spending more time outdoors. The brain is a muscle and it has to be trained and nurtured just like the rest of our muscles. I am incorporating more “me time” into my schedule, as that is where I achieve most clarity on my vision for myself and for my company. I am also going to the gym more frequently, which is also beneficial for so many reasons as we all know.
What are the first things you do in the morning?
As soon as my alarm rings, before checking any notifications or responding to the outside world, I lay in bed and list out loud all the things I'm grateful for. From the deeper things (another day alive, my health, my family, my friends, the health of my loved ones, etc) to the material things (my car, my plants, my monetary success, etc) to the current things going on (friend visiting, upcoming event, milestones in the company, etc) to my affirmations of who I strive to be (my confidence, my resilience, my self discipline, etc), I list any and everything that comes to mind. This sets a positive and motivated tone for my morning and gives me the power I need to conquer the day.
What are your passions?
I am passionate about traveling! As H.C. Andersen said - to travel is to live. I love to experience and understand new cultures, cuisines, and nature. I am also passionate about helping people in whatever way possible - sharing what I know, boosting confidence in others, helping people achieve their dreams, etc. I am passionate about enjoying life's little moments and living life to the fullest!
Getting to know Shazza.
What does the name Shazza mean?
It actually doesn't mean anything, we just liked the sound of it! It's short and sweet, easy to pronounce in different languages and accents, and has a nice ring to it! #LETSSHAZZA
When was it you realized that there was a gap in the market?
In January 2021, I was renting cars before buying my own and had many frustrations with my experiences. Everything else in Dubai can be done quickly and easily from an app, so why not be able to book from multiple car rental options in one app? Additionally, I know so many people with cars sitting around most of the time, I thought since people can make money renting out their homes, why not rent out their cars? So I saw an opportunity to fill both these gaps with one app - Shazza!
What are the biggest strengths of Shazza?
As a new and unique concept in the UAE, private car owners can now make money off their cars. This will enable car owners to not only break even on monthly car expenses, but also make a profit! Shazza works as a one-stop-shop for car owners and car rental companies to manage almost all aspects of their business.
What should we watch out for in the future?
In the future, Shazza will be providing our services all over the globe, and those services will expand beyond peer-to-peer car rentals. The sky's the limit for Shazza! You will have to stay tuned to find out more…
Have a car that you’d like to rent out? Download Shazza today and sign up! Email us at info@shazza.me for more information or simply read our other blog about how to become a Carpreneur.
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