Luca's Insight Track

What's more important, the story or the storyteller?Inspired by my latest conversation with broadcast journalist Eiten Zeerban, this week's Off Track explores the storytelling world, and who really holds the power; the substance of the story, or the person delivering it.After 20 years of corporate presentations, I've forgotten almost every slide and story, but I still remember many of the people who delivered them and how they made me feel.From storytelling techniques to a rather unfortunate Gingerbread Man, I explore why simplicity, emotion and, above all, trust are what make human connections memorable. Something at the very heart of Talk Human.So here's my question: Do you remember the stories people tell, or the people who tell them?Honest, reflective and straight off my chest and off the cuff. Welcome to Off Track.This episode is sponsored by Deliveroo for Work.Powered by Podeo — Listen to this episode

Broadcast journalist, podcaster and media trainer Eiten Zeerban joins Luca Allam for an unfiltered conversation about truth, media, storytelling and the way information shapes what we believe.With more than two decades of experience across television, digital journalism and broadcasting, Eiten has witnessed the media landscape transform firsthand. Today, through Dardasha Unfiltered, she creates space for conversations that are authentic, vulnerable and sometimes uncomfortable, especially around subjects often considered taboo in the Middle East.Eiten and Luca explore whether traditional media was ever truly objective, why the same news story can be told in completely different ways, and who really controls what we see: audiences, algorithms or the institutions behind the platforms.They also discuss the rise of independent voices and podcasts, censorship and self-censorship, the difference between authenticity and clickbait, and why charisma means very little when there is no substance behind the story.Eiten opens up about her own journey from Egypt to Lebanon and Dubai, how moving to Beirut helped her discover her identity, the vulnerability she found through podcasting, motherhood, control, and why curiosity remains one of the most important qualities we can have in an age of information overload.The conversation also looks at AI and the future of storytelling, and whether technology can ever replace the human connection that makes meaningful conversations feel real.Ultimately, Eiten leaves us with one defining insight: perspective. We may look at the same situation and see completely different truths, and learning to accept that difference can change the way we understand ourselves and each other.Powered by Podeo — Listen to this episode

Welcome back to Off Track! It's just you and me, and a chance for us to Talk Human.This week, I reflect on my conversation with Chef Nouel Catis, the creative mind behind the global Dubai Chocolate phenomenon, and one surprisingly simple piece of advice that really stuck with me:"Don't complicate life. Life is already complicated enough."It got me thinking. Why do we insist on making everything so complicated?Looking back at my corporate career, I remember endless presentations, overloaded slides, complicated frameworks and enough jargon to make your head spin. And I'll admit, I was guilty of it too.But why? Were we genuinely trying to communicate, or were we trying to impress people, demonstrate our intelligence and protect ourselves from being exposed?Perhaps simplicity isn't a weakness at all. Perhaps it takes real confidence to strip everything back and allow ourselves to be seen.So I'll leave you with three questions:What are you overcomplicating in your life? Why are you making it so complicated? And what are you afraid might happen if you kept it simple?Honest, reflective and straight off my chest and off the cuff. Welcome to Off Track.This episode is sponsored by Deliveroo for Work.Powered by Podeo — Listen to this episode

Chef Nouel Catis, the Filipino pastry chef and culinary innovator behind the original Dubai Chocolate recipe, joins Luca Allam to reveal the story behind the dessert that became a global phenomenon — and what happened after it changed his life.Nouel shares how the now-famous pistachio and kataifi combination came together, why its simplicity became one of his greatest creative lessons, and how he moved forward after parting ways with FIX Dessert Chocolatier.Beyond chocolate, Nouel opens up about reinventing himself from pastry chef to entrepreneur and personal brand, building The Sweet Life and SNA’AP, facing stereotypes as a Filipino chef, and learning difficult lessons about trust, business and knowing your worth.He also discusses turning anger and disappointment into motivation, why talent alone isn’t enough to build a successful brand, how AI is changing creativity, and why staying relevant means constantly reinventing yourself.A candid conversation about the story behind Dubai Chocolate, life after viral success, entrepreneurship, identity, resilience and building what comes next.Powered by Podeo — Listen to this episode

Welcome back to Off Track. No guests, no scripts. Just me, exploring human connection and what it really means to Talk Human. Are you competing to become better, or comparing yourself to feel better? This week's insight comes from my brilliant conversation with comedian and entrepreneur Shawn Chidiac. Despite everything he's achieved at just 29, Shawn doesn't consider himself successful. He's fiercely competitive, but he refuses to compare himself to others. And it all comes down to something his mother once told him: "You'll never be them, and they will never be you." That got me thinking about the two C's: competition and comparison. One can drive us forward, while the other can leave us feeling insecure, inadequate and even resentful. I get personal about my own encounters with the green-eyed monster. Comparing houses, cars, job titles and success, and sometimes finding myself resenting people who had absolutely nothing to do with my own insecurities. But there's a flip side. Can competition also become unhealthy when we're never satisfied with what we've achieved? When does the pursuit of success start getting in the way of fulfilment? Ultimately, the difference comes down to whether we're focused on our own progress or someone else's position. Honest, reflective and straight off my chest and off the cuff. Welcome to Off Track.Powered by Podeo — Listen to this episode