When I stepped onto the grounds to attend the ceremony at the RMK Shipyard, I realized he was from Izmir from the lokma cart next to the cocktail tables. The smell of lokma mingling with the crowd added an unusual intimacy to the ceremony. Lady Luna As I prepared to meet the water, my eyes fell on the elders among the guests, the shipyard masters, and the eagerly waiting workers. “This will be different from the launches we know,” I said to myself. At that moment Begüm Doğulu He appeared at the entrance of the area. In a navy suit, dark sunglasses, and with confident steps.
First, he hugged his mother and father, then his loved ones... As he began to ask about everyone's well-being one by one, he stood there with his ‘proud day’ posture, as if...’’The huge story in which I play the leading role he said.
In this article, we will share his story along with his photo album. We will breathe in the atmosphere of those days with him in a nostalgic photo. Happy Sundays!
Some people are extraordinary from birth. Begüm Doğulu She is the heroine of one of the most remarkable and unique stories in the Turkish yacht industry. Her story began in Karşıyaka, my hometown. Begüm, who is restless, a bit bored with school, free-spirited, and slightly rebellious, attended Özel İzmir Türk Koleji for middle and high school. Although her grades were poor, she had other concerns...
He actually excels outside of school and classes. In his own words, his teachers kept telling his family, ‘This child won't study.’ No matter what anyone says, his family, whom he proudly embraces today, trusts him and always believes in their child without any pressure.
As time went by, when he reached university age, he had an adventure at the Faculty of Fine Arts for a year. Begüm Doğulu’His. For him, it was a brief but memorable period.
I particularly care about this part. Because sometimes a person's entire life path can be shaped by the intuition gained during that one-year stop.
Who knows, perhaps in that brief period he became acquainted with architecture and color harmony here. It is clear that the clues to the care he showed in interior design years later date back to those days. .
The Real Story Begins Now
After graduating from high school, he went to England to study tourism. This became the most important turning point in his story of blue waters. A new language, a new perspective, new people, and completely different worlds...
He begins to see himself, his passions, and his path in life more clearly. The time he spent in England gradually shaped the vision that is now widely recognized today.
His interest in the sea is further fueled in this island country. Here, he learns to view the sector not just through the lens of business, but as an integral part of life itself.
1989: Returning to Turkey, Begüm got her first professional work experience at a yacht agency in Kuşadası...
The first task for newcomers is clear: they handle incoming and outgoing documents, then begin managing phone calls. Meanwhile, they gradually increase their contact with customers.
He has been working at the same yacht agency for eight years. During his time here, he has come to view the industry with a different perspective each year. He has absorbed everything, every detail, one by one. He understands the yachts, the workflow, the interpersonal relationships, the communication, everything...
After eight years of learning something new every day in his job, he finally asks himself that magic question:
“Why am I not doing this job in my own name?”
1997: Begüm Yachting is born in a furnished office with a hard-to-pay rent.
He opens his first office in Kuşadası. A place with no furniture, where the rent is barely paid...
This situation is certainly no more difficult for Begüm Doğulu than her schoolwork. Because for her, it is the first visible fruit of her office courage, her dream, and her dedication.
The Caribbean Bank
One day, he receives an announcement about a major yacht show to be held in the Caribbean.
The office is new, the budget is limited, but the vision is clear: “I should be there.,he says.
He only had $2,000 at the time. With that money, he would attend the fair, print brochures, and stay abroad.
But he approaches these matters with imagination rather than money.
He's buying his ticket, preparing his brochures. He's confident, but he's also aware of how rocky the road is.
Yes, they are participating in the fair, but with one difference...
There's no hotel. He spends his days sleeping on a marina bench. In the mornings, he takes his brochures out of his bag and waits for customers at his stand until evening.
That day, he may not have made any deals at that stand, but as a businessman, the identity he was beginning to build was becoming clear in his mind.
Years later, he described those days in an interview as follows:
“I was very sad because things weren't working out, but it was beautiful. It shaped me and brought me to where I am today.”
When I heard Begüm Doğulu's story, I stopped and thought. In an ultra-luxury sector like the yacht industry, a young person lying on the marina bank...
It's not easy to hang your dreams on the edge of a brochure, but the real challenge was getting up in the morning and going back to that stand.
I think what made Begüm Doğulu who she is today was precisely that morning resolve to get up without fail.
Over time, that trade show experience is paying off. First customers, small but secure jobs, satisfaction…
And so Begüm Yachting begins to grow.
2000s: Now is the Time to Set Sail
The adventure that begins in Kuşadası extends to Bodrum, Marmaris, Göcek, Antalya, and Istanbul.
It's no longer just about agency services; the service network is expanding too. Guests are starting to request yacht provisions. In response to these requests, Begüm Doğulu establishes a yacht-specific supply and provisioning system called TPS. She personally oversees every detail.
He's growing his business but not changing his perspective: he's still right at the heart of everything.
Over time, the yachts begin to host not only their guests but also themselves, young Begüm.
So it's getting into refit work. It offers repair and refurbishment services in Turkey for 40-meter and 50-meter foreign yachts. To date, it has completed 85 major projects.
Each of these leaves behind satisfied customers and captains who return time and again.
In front of the stage steps with Mercedes-Benz
Over the years, its success has made it not only a recognized name in the industry but also a brand. It is taking over the distribution of Mercedes-Benz Motor Yachts in Turkey.
With this partnership, we are now able to reach not only Turkish customers but also yachts sailing the world's seas.
In 2005, it begins mega yacht production. It builds three ultra-luxury yachts measuring 36 and 39 meters.
It doesn't just manufacture; it's involved in every step of the process, from design to sales, from launch to post-use follow-up. Because it's one of those who eat up the dust of the stage...
Through her determination, vision, and hard work, she rose to prominence in the industry and was named Turkey's Best Female Entrepreneur in 2009.
Because he is a character who challenges himself anew with every new job, awards are never the end goal for him.
And His Own Brand Is Now on the World Stage
That day was a day of pride for the young man who had kept those brochures in his pocket all those years, standing tall and proud.
At RMK Shipyard, the day begins with the delicious smell of lokma pastries, and now it's time for the ceremony...
After Begüm Doğulu launched Lady Luna into the water, she stepped up to the podium to say a few words to the crowd watching everything unfold in awe. She looked around for a moment, and when her eyes found the person she was looking for, she called them over with a proud and happy smile on her face. Ersin Usta...
He took Ersin Usta by the arm and led him onto the stage. At that moment, the applause stopped, and the silence turned into respect. He thanked the master so sincerely that we could see his sincerity in the smiling eyes of the shipyard workers.
This was not merely a thank you, but a manifestation of the virtue of sharing success. The stance of a person who acknowledges everyone's contribution. As his mother and father applauded him with proud eyes, he expressed his happiness to everyone present on this special day for him, for being there with him.
At that moment, I turned my gaze away from the podium and looked at the food cart again. The smell was still in the air.
Years ago, Begüm Doğulu set out on a challenging journey by printing her own brochures with her own resources. Today, she is leaving not just a mark but a legacy in the industry.
This article is just one page from his memory album.
Want more?
Begüm Doğulu will undoubtedly continue to write...
English