Savvy Talk

Welcome to Season 7 of Savvy Talk, I am excited to bring you leading voices from those shaping Dubai's cultural scene. Today we are joined by Lynn Al Khatib, Head of Communication at Chalhoub Group, the largest luxury retailer and distributor in the Middle East and North Africa. She has over 15 years of corporate and brand communication experience. Together, we dive into the fascinating world of communication strategies, industry insights, and talk about her journey from a corporate nutritionist to her current role at Chalhoub Group. Whether you're a communication enthusiast, a professional in the field, or simply curious about effective communications, this episode is for you! About Lynn Al Khatib Lynn Al Khatib is the Group Head of Communication at Chalhoub Group, the largest luxury retailer and distributor in the Middle East and North Africa. With over 15 years of corporate and brand communication experience, Lynn is an expert in developing communication strategies, managing social media channels, and building corporate brands. She joined Chalhoub Group in 2021 after a successful tenure as the Global Nutrition, Health, and Wellness Communication Manager at Nestlé S.A. Lynn's diverse background includes leading regional campaigns in nutrition and wellness, establishing corporate communications strategies, and driving impactful initiatives. At Chalhoub Group, Lynn plays a pivotal role in shaping the company's communication and branding strategy. Her responsibilities include building the Group's corporate brand, managing social media channels, and overseeing internal and external communications. She recently led the #نحن_المستقبل (#MYBOLDFUTURE) campaign, which aims to highlight the abundant career opportunities available in the Kingdom's retail sector for Saudi youth and propel them into dynamic careers within the luxury retail industry. Lynn's expertise and dedication have been instrumental in enhancing Chalhoub Group's reputation and fostering meaningful connections with stakeholders. With a Master's Degree in Nutrition and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, Lynn combines her passion for communication with her commitment to promoting healthier lifestyles. Through her strategic approach and industry knowledge, Lynn continues to contribute to Chalhoub Group's success in the ever-expanding luxury retail market of the Middle East and North Africa. You can follow Lynn Al Khatib on Instagram and find out more at the Chalhoub Group website. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:34 Lynn Al Khatib journey to the communications world 2:57 Even as a nutritionist I was scaling up informations 3:10 Falling in love for Internal Communications  5:11 Corporate Communications at Chalhoub Group    7:20 What did change in communications? How to do real time Communications?   9:35 Social Media strategy is about Authenticity & Transparency   11:57 Stakeholders engagement is not a side job    14:50 Sustainability and Retail 16:00 #نحن_المستقبل (#MYBOLDFUTURE) campaign    20:50 3 Reasons to pursue a career in fashion retail  23:19 How to start in PR and Communications? 26:46 How to stay updated with trends? Be in it 28:25 AI impact in PR and Communications industry 29:45 Rapid Fire Questions 32:50 outro

Welcome to Season 7 of Savvy Talk, I am excited to bring you leading voices from those shaping Dubai's cultural scene. Today we are joined by Christiana Maxion, The Dubai Matchmaker. And as she likes to say, "I am a native New Yorker rewriting the blueprint of the Dubai dating universe". From climbing the career ladder in education to establishing her own successful matchmaking agency, Christiana's journey is nothing short of remarkable. Tune in as we discuss her empowering approach to dating, the challenges she faced along the way, and her vision for transforming the dating landscape in the region. And also her plans for launching an app to help friendship building for adults. About Christiana Maxion Christiana climbed the career ladder in education, becoming a school leader and published author by the age of twenty-nine. Her journey led her to Dubai in 2019, a city teeming with over two hundred nationalities and inspiring individuals who make things happen. In 2020, Christiana started a comedic Instagram account, sharing her experiences as a Western expat navigating the Dubai dating scene during and post-lockdown. Her account gained immense popularity as she fearlessly promoted empowered dating with high standards and zero expectations. Revealing the brutal truths about dating in Dubai resonated with her followers, although it led to an unexpected turn in her career when her employer discovered the account. Undeterred, Christiana used this setback as an opportunity for reflection and established her own matchmaking agency. With a vision to revolutionize the dating landscape in the region, Christiana's agency gained rapid success, earning widespread media attention within just six months. Notably, she caught the eye of Patti Stanger and her team, who invited Christiana to represent Millionaire's Club and Cinqe Matchmaking in the GCC. Together, they have achieved remarkable results, boasting a 96% success rate and holding the largest global matchmaking database with thousands of happy couples matched. As the first public matchmaker and the premier elite service for the affluent, Christiana's agency is the number one choice in town. Stay tuned as we delve into her remarkable journey and insights in this captivating podcast episode. You can find Christiana Maxion on Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook and on her website. Timestamps 0:00 Intro 1:20 Christiana's journey - The Dubai Matchmaker 2:10 Empowering standpoint - Date with High Standards and Zero Expectations 3:02 The most interesting people leave in UAE 3:24 Stating her Matchmaker Agency 4:31 Patti Stanger call and Millionaire's Club partnership 6:45 96% success rate 7:59 How I work as a Matchmaker 8:34 Challenges you face in Dubai 9:17 Author of a book - Toby and The Falcon 10:12 Misconception on the business of Matchmaker 23:55 outro

Welcome to Season 7 of Savvy Talk, I am excited to bring you leading voices from those shaping Dubai's cultural scene. Today we are joined by Nadine Kanso. She is an amazing designer and artist that has reimagined calligraphy by incorporating Arabic into her rings and necklaces. Nadine illuminates eye-catching letters and meaningful phrases, adorning them with diamonds and fascinating gemstones. We talk about her story, the power and importance of Arab culture. And how Nadine is using her art and Arab language to preserve this beautiful heritage.  She recently made us all proud by being the first Arab designer to collaborate with French Luxury Maison, Guerlain. About Nadine Kanso Cultural Entrepreneur, Artist Photographer, Creative director of Bil Arabi, a modern brand that reflects introspective messages and deep meaning into unparalleled eye-catching jewelry for all outspoken generations. Nadine was born in Beirut , Lebanon. She grew up in the Arab world embodying the calligraphical exquisiteness surrounding her, she gained a deep infatuation for typography laying the foundation for her groundbreaking designs. Nadine launched her radical jewelry brand Bil Arabi in 2006, establishing herself as Dubai’s electrifying pioneer in jewelry making with disruptive designs instigating a never seen before trend. You can find Nadine Kanso on Instagram, and find out more about Bil Arabi on their website, on Instagram And on Facebook. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:57 Nadine`s story   2:32 Spread the Message of who we are as Arabics  3:32 We jewelry was introduced in your art and design?   5:17 From an Art Project to a business - Bil Arabi 8:37 Do you feel as an artist or entrepreneur?  9:12 Sharing the Arabic culture with the world 11:40 Misconceptions about the Arabic world  12:52 Preserving the Arabic language  16:21 UAE the place to be  17:46 The essential of the collection  21:15 What's next?  22:11 What inspires you? 23:55 outro

Welcome to Season 7 of Savvy Talk, I am excited to bring you leading voices from those shaping Dubai's cultural scene. Today we are joined by Mohanad Al Hattab, one of the most prominent and talented comic influencers in the Arab world. He finds joy and fulfillment from making people laugh, including myself. I can't count how many times he made me laugh with his characters and stories. Let's learn with someone that mastered comic timing, cultural relevance, digital platforms and storytelling. Mohanad is Syrian, but he was born and raised in the United Arab Emirates. He completed his undergraduate in marketing and management at American University of Sharjah. He then earned his master's in marketing at Brunel University. But was telling funny stories that captivated him. He began on social media by making humorous short films in English, but once he published a video in Arabic and was culturally relevant to the Middle East region, his rapid growth started. Which helped him establish his brand. More than 747,000 followers on each of the platforms, Instagram and Tiktok, consume his innovative sketches. This success made him manage to land deals with big brands such as Lay's potato chips, Deliveroo, Chiclets gum and more. He develops identities and back stories for each character, and periodically releases highly-anticipated new updates in their individual sagas.  You can follow Mohanad Al Hattab on Instagram, Tiktok and Facebook. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:42 We meet at Beyonce concert 2:30 Mohanad Al Hattab`s story 4:45 When I did in Arabic I when viral 5:40 The creative process and inspiration comes from Being an Audience Member 7:43 Finding your voice 10:50 Importance of laugh in our lives 11:40 Have no expectatives, just create 13:00 Who inspires you as a comedian? 14:21 Comedian creative process 15:34 Deal with hate with logic 18:54 Rapid Fire Questions 23:47 Plans for 2023 28:20 Observations about Arabic culture 30:09 Outro

Welcome to Season 7 of Savvy Talk, I am excited to bring you leading voices from those shaping Dubai's cultural scene. Today we are joined by Zahra Abdalla, someone I personally have been following and enjoying her approach to cooking. She considers herself a modern-day Bedouin.  About Zahra Abdalla Her culinary journey started with her online blog in 2010 and soon thereafter she presented her own cooking shows on MBC3 and hosted the fourth season of a food and travel documentary show called Maggi Diaries on MBC1, where she traveled to Egypt, India, Spain, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, and met amazing, inspiring and wonderful women of change who addressed important social issues including food wastage, hunger, environment, mindfulness and women empowerment. Working from her studio, Abdalla develops and creates modern interpretations of Middle Eastern recipes, inspired by her childhood, the flavors of the region and her travels. For her, food is her artistry as well as therapy, and a medium through which long-forgotten memories can be brought back to life or new ones can be made. She is a keen advocate of sustainability and the importance of being mindful of how we source our food, prepare our food and eat our food.   In addition to her public roles, Abdalla is an avid food entrepreneur and founder of Zahra’s Kitchen, a retail frozen food range available for sale in over 35 Spinney and Waitrose locations across the UAE. She is married and has three young boys and a little puppy. She loves to travel, stay fit and collect art when she is not obsessing over new recipes. You can find Zahra Abdalla on her Website, and follow her on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and on YouTube. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:57 Zahra Abdalla`s story and heritage  2:02 How her multicultural background influenced her cooking and journey  4:58 Food as a vehicle to tell stories  06:06 Food save me  10:56 Are people cooking more or less 12:15 Book: “Cooking with Zahra” 21:58 Feed your soul project 25:00 Kitchen a place to create 27:30 outro  Please tell me what you would love to hear more about and we will deliver! If you’re new here, follow Savvy Talk in all podcast players.

Today we are joined by multimillionaire entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk all the way from the UAE. Known for his motivational talks and digital content creation, GaryVee has had a profound impact on people's lives all over the world and never stops motivating others with his willingness to share his own experiences. Starting off as a young business mind, first with his father’s business and then expanding into his own empire, GaryVee shares what interests him about Dubai, what brands in the region should start doing in 2023, and more.  About Gary Vaynerchuk Gary is considered one of the leading global minds on what’s next in culture, relevance, he is described as one of the most forward thinkers in business - he acutely recognizes trends and patterns early to help others understand how these shifts impact consumer behavior. Whether it's emerging artists, esports, Web3, or digital communications, Gary understands how to bring brand relevance to the forefront. He is a prolific angel investor with early investments in companies such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Venmo, Snapchat, Coinbase and Uber. In addition to running multiple businesses, Gary documents his life daily as a CEO through his social media channels which has more than 44 million followers and garners more than 300 million monthly impressions/views across all platforms. His podcast The GaryVee Audio Experience ranks among the top podcasts globally. Timestamps 0:00 Intro 1:00 Gary’s interest in Dubai and The Middle East 1:40 Gary’s plan to set up an office in Dubai 2:16 What brands in the Middle East should start doing in 2023 4:09 Why don't people create content? 5:05 Influencer marketing 6:44 Music and sports 8:22 Dos and Don'ts 9:21 outro You can find Gary Vee on his website, and follow him on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Today, we are joined by the world leader in speed-reading, memory improvement, and optimal brain performance! With over 7 million podcast downloads and the the author of the NY Times and #1 WSJ bestseller, Limitless - Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, Unlock Your Exceptional Life. About Jim Kwik Jim Kwik is a business coach, entrepreneur, and literal genius. He is the Founder and CEO of Kwik Learning, an online brain training and learning company that teaches people how to make the most of their minds. Jim suffered a brain injury when he was five years old, which caused him to have slow brain performance and struggle in school. He embarked on a journey to learn about his brain, why it was "broken," and what he could do to fix it.  During that journey, he discovered new learning habits, such as accelerated learning systems and tactics. He spent years conditioning his brain for faster reading and better memory. Companies such as SpaceX and Virgin are owned by billionaire geniuses such as Richard Branson. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:04 Jim’s trip to Egypt 3:03 Jim’s interest in the human’s brain  11:00 the L.I.E 14:30 Learning doesn't come from one area  16:18 Jim’s relationship with his grandmother  17:19 10 things you can do for a better brain  25:44 quality of sleep  28:00 Jim’s favorite exercise for the brain 30:24 chronic stress 32:36 Jim’s master class 34:00 outro  Links: Jim Kwik’s website Follow Jim on Instagram • Twitter • Facebook

In Season 6 of Savvy Talk, we are bringing you conversations with experts! Today we are joined by Dr. Russell Kennedy where we explain what anxiety is, and how it recruits our brain and body to react in specific ways. And as always, we cover behavioral tools and steps that can assist and help you understand when the anxiety ‘alarm’ goes off and how to manage it by understanding it. He explains that all anxiety is some form of separation anxiety and we can heal. About Dr. Russell Kennedy Dr. Russell Kennedy is the author of the award winning, #1 Amazon bestselling book, Anxiety Rx. He is a neuroscientist and medical doctor who graduated from the University of Western Ontario. Dr. Kennedy has Master’s level training in Developmental Psychology from the Neufeld Institute and is a corporate speaker and a yoga and meditation teacher. Additionally, Dr. Kennedy, widely known as The Anxiety MD, has been a stand-up comedian since 2000, an attribute that most certainly sets him apart from other MDs and one might imagine enables him to have a highly adored bedside manner. Dr. Kennedy suffered from severe anxiety as a child which prompted him to pursue a career in medicine that would enable him to help others avoid a life of pain. Today he has developed a variety of courses and programs that help individuals gain answers that ultimately allow them to live a more balanced life, free from chronic worry and debilitating anxiety Links: You can find Dr Russell here Dr. Russell on Instagram Anxiety Rx on Amazon

Today we are joined by Dr. Deepak Chopra where we discuss how you can take control over your mental and spiritual well-being by starting with your mind and breath. He discusses his new book “Living in the Light” and how he believes the Metaverse and AI will help with wellness and longevity. Lastly, Deepak shares the core principles of Yoga - that are deep rooted in science and how you can practice simple habits to improve your life.  Dr. Deepak Chopra is the Founder of The Chopra Foundation, a non-profit entity for research on well-being and humanitarianism, and Chopra Global, a modern-day health company at the intersection of science and spirituality. Dr Deepak is a world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation. For the last thirty years, Chopra has been at the forefront of the meditation revolution. He is the author of over 90 books translated into over forty-three languages, including numerous New York Times bestsellers and his latest book Living in the Light: Yoga for Self-Realization is out now. TIME magazine has described Dr. Chopra as “one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century.” You can find the book Living in the Light: Yoga for Self-Realization here.

Michele Vig, an accomplished executive in corporate America for two decades, founded Neat Little Nest to pursue her personal passion of helping people free themselves from clutter and create the beautifully organized spaces they've always desired. Michele is one of only a few KonMari gold-level certified decluttering professionals and one of Minnesota’s top 50 women in business as well as a featured “40 under 40” in Minneapolis Business Journal. In this episode we talk about her personal journey, what led her to leave her corporate position. Michelle shares her one-of-a-kind and personalized approach to working with clients, and how PR helped her reach a wider audience.   Please tell me what you would love to hear more about and we will deliver! I love a good podcast and hopefully you do too! The podcast is called SavvyTalk if you're new here and it's available on all podcast players.  Links: Neat Little Nest: Website • Facebook • Instagram

In today's episode, I am sharing a conversation that I had with Andy Krainak during the Art D'Égypte 2022 Talks Series in Cairo. The theme of our talk was The Secrets of Building & Launching a Successful NFT/Web3 Project.  Andy Krainak serves as the President of VeeFriends. Andy is an experienced digital and brand strategist with a 8+ year work history in Personal Branding, Growth Marketing and Social Media Advertising and served Gary Vaynerchuk's personal brand team (Team GaryVee) before taking over at VeeFriends. We took the stage to tell the story of @veefriends, to share our experiences on the launching of a NFT Project and thoughts on the Web3 world. We also had an insightful Q&A with artists, entrepreneurs and the Web3 curious. Links Andy Krainak on social: Instagram • Twitter • LinkedIn Veefriends

In today's episode, because I am obsessed with books, I want you guys to meet Salma ElWardany. Egyptian-Irish-South Asian writer, poet, and BBC radio host Salma has presented two TEDx Talks, collaborated with Edinburgh University on the Dangerous Woman project, and partnered with The British Library and The Wellcome Collection. She routinely collaborates with international brands to increase awareness through poetry and dialogue. She is the author of the amazing book These Impossible Things, which has landed on so many global lists of books to read in 2022! And she is a contributor to the critically acclaimed bestseller It's Not About the Burqa. I am a huge fan of her book which really puts the modern Arab woman in a story that the world talked about and read, bought and bragged about! I had the absolute pleasure of having her on my podcast and get to meet her IRL next week! The episode is about real talk and she leads the conversation in ways that keep you wanting more! We also talked about her background and her process of writing. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did and let me know if you read the book and your thoughts. Links Salma El-Wardany's social: Instagram • LinkedIn Book “These Impossible Things” on Amazon

On today’s episode of SavvyTalk season 5, I’m joined by Avery Akkineni, President of Vayner3, a VaynerX consultancy leading the mission to guide the world's largest intellectual property owners in navigating the next iteration of the internet, Web3. Avery is a leader, a mentor, and an investor in leading Web3 projects and communities, as well as an active advisor for leading Web2 & Web3 platforms. Avery is an active advisor and board member on various tech platforms, including the Web3 Advisory Board for Salesforce, Meta Creative X Council, and OneOf. We had the chance to talk about her career and all things Web3. All the opportunities this technology brings to all industries and who become an active student will be prepared for the present and future. Links Avery Akkineni's social: Instagram • Twitter • LinkedIn Vayner3: Website • LinkedIn • Twitter • Instagram Contact Vayner3

I am so happy to be joined by Karen Wazen, a person I admire so much. Karen received me in her beautiful home in Dubai. We had the chance to talk about a lot of things you don't usually see her talking about but that are a big part of her life. I had no idea about her personal connection with sunglasses -- where the inspiration and idea came from for KW Eyewear and her future plans for the brand. We had lovely interruptions — it’s as real as you can get being a mom. This is a good one — I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did.  Links:  Karen Wazen's social: Instagram • YouTube • TikTok • Twitter • Facebook KW Eyewear • Instagram Please tell me what you want to hear more about and we will deliver! I love a good podcast and hopefully you do too! The podcast is called SavvyTalk if you're new here and it's available on all podcast players.

I talked with an astronaut!  Welcome to SavvyTalk season 5, new episode is out! I'm joined this time by Sara Sabry, the first Arab, Egyptian and African woman to ever go up in Space. She made history on August 4th of 2022 by flight on Blue Origin's NS-22 mission, this day forward we all stand on her shoulders. All little girls and women of the region and beyond are proud, inspired by her achievement and as she said: “They can finally see themselves represented in space”.  I had the chance to talk with her before the launch of the Shepherd Suborbital rocket and a couple of days after she landed. You will be able to listen these two moments on today’s episode. It was fascinating seeing the excitement and expectation when we first talked and then listening to her sharing the unique and personal experience was really impactful.  We also talked about her trajectory, how she was prepared to the mission—breathing exercises and envisioning being one of tools used—she also shared her nexts steps after comeback to earth: working on her non-profit company Deep Space Initiative to increase the opportunities of space research in the Middle East region, and as a mechanical and biomedical engineer keep doing her PhD research focused on developing the next generation of planetary spacesuits. Expect to see more and more of Sara Sabry because she is continuing to do astronaut training to be qualified to do research on space. My Egyptian heart is full after this amazing episode.  Links: Sara Sabry's social Deep Space Initiative: Website • Instagram

On today's episode, I'm joined by Moroccan-born Hind Sebti, a former beauty executive at Procter & Gamble and L’Oréal and co-founder of Waldencast and the creator of Whind a globally inspired beauty brand, inspired by a drawing from Hind’s home country, love of travel, nature, and art. With Whind, Hind wants to elevate skincare to a joyful act, to bring soulful self-care back by approaching it more as a ritual than anything else. We talked about her professional journey and how having the courage to ask completely changed the trajectory of her career and life. The challenges of building a global beauty brand during the pandemic. And about beauty being first and foremost an emotion.  Links Hind Sebti's on Instagram  Waldencast: Website • Instagram  Whind: Website • Instagram  Maha on Instagram • Twitter Our website

On today's episode, I'm joined by my dear friend Fayrouz Eid. A talented entrepreneur, nutritionist, and mother of two adorable kids. Her passion for entrepreneurship made her build The Wellb, a company focused on helping people find long-lasting sustainable nutrition so they can get healthier and reach their goals. We first met while I was involved in a project of introducing Netflix to the Middle East. As a good chat between friends, in this episode we go all over the place, from talking about Adele's latest album to talking about the enormous impact being genuine in your social media can have in other people's lives. By discussing subjects like single motherhood joys and struggles, divorce, and therapy Fayrouz Eid helped normalize such important conversations in Egypt. And of course, we talked about FOOD! “Food is energy. We should be healing our relationship with food”. Please tell me what you want to hear more about and we will deliver! I love a good podcast and hopefully you do too! The podcast is called SavvyTalk if you're new here and it's available on all podcast players. Links: Fayrouz Eid's Instagram The Wellb: Website • Instagram

Nadine Abdel Ghaffar is the Founder and General Manager of Art D'Égypte and is my guest for this weeks show. She is an extraordinary woman that supports and promotes the Egyptian art and culture scene in bold ways never done before - including a massive installation at the Pyramids which seemed impossible to execute. We talked about traditional art, about digital art and its potential. I leave you with her quote: "Don't buy bags, buy art. Art is an investment." Let me know when you’re booking your flight to Egypt to take in some of the incredible art and culture she promotes! Links: Nadine Abdel on Instagram Art D’Égypte Art D’Égypte on Instagram Please tell me what you want to hear more about and we will deliver! I love a good podcast and hopefully you do too! The podcast is called SavvyTalk if you're new here and it's available on all podcast players.

In today's episode, I'm joined by Mazen Yassen, the Content Creator behind Justagoproer. Also actor, director and artist Manager. I have followed his work for about 6 to 7 years. We talked about his trajectory from the corporate world, where he stayed for 14 years, to then becoming an artist and content creator, a word that didn't even exist back then. Everything started to happen when he bought a GoPro and self-taught how to edit videos. We talked about inspiration, the hard work that content creation requires, advice for those who want to start on this path now, and the fact that it is never too late. Don't miss our rapid-fire questions in the end, so much fun. Links: Mazen Yassen on Instagram • Facebook Mazen Yassen on Youtube Mazen Yassen on TikTok The Content Creators Big Entertainment Co Please tell me what you want to hear more about and we will deliver! I love a good podcast and hopefully you do too! You can catch me on Twitter, and Instagram, and find our episodes on the website.

In today's episode I am sharing my conversation with the chairman of Weather Investments's parent company, the former chairman and CEO of Orascom Telecom Holding, my former boss and mentor, Naguib Sawiris, at this amazing event, RiseUp Summit in Egypt. Back in 2017, I interviewed him for his first appearance at Rise Up and once again I had this pleasure at the end of 2021. We had the chance to talk about innovation and how it requires a little bit of craziness, investments, and family. We also share some funny but meaningful stories of Orascom Telecom’s early days (I was employee number 5), when is the right time to quit your job, and of course the technology of the moment Blockchain. My favorite moment was when Naguib shared the power of believing in yourself.  Wait until the end, I asked him some fun questions and we had a quick Q&A with the audience. Now tell me who is Naguib's favorite musician?  Hope you enjoy this talk as much as I enjoyed doing it. Share your thoughts with me on this conversation - you can find me on Twitter and on Instagram. Naguib Sawiris on Twitter Please tell me what you want to hear more about and we will deliver! I love a good podcast and hopefully, you do too!