We’ve been hearing and seeing the term “growth mindset” everywhere. We see it on LinkedIn Job postings as a “criteria” for hire, on the title of personal development books, …etc.  But what does that term even mean? What would it take for someone to have a growth mindset? Why is it important for us to adopt a growth mindset in today’s busy, connected and digital world we live in? How different is it from having a fixed mindset? In this episode, I deconstruct this concept and dig deep into...

Every single human on this planet has access to a powerful yet an often under-utilized tool that can transform their lives, and that’s the breath. We take our breath for granted since we are not educated enough about the ways we could use it to improve our lives. Ancient traditions have used the breath as a tool for spiritual transformation for thousands of years. There is a variety of breath-centered meditations followed in Buddhism, Taoism, Sufism, Christianity, Shamanism, and martial...

Why does it have to stop at Ramadan, lent or any other religious period?... During certain religious periods we tend to uphold certain mindful habits. We become more conscious of our intentions, actions and words. We take the time to contemplate more, and practice gratitude. However, as soon as these religious periods are over, we lose some of the self-discipline and consciousness in living. This is my last Ramadan themed episode, and I decided to end it on a self reflection that sums up...

We are sticking to the social entrepreneurship theme for the month, and this time we’re hosting Zaid Souqi, the founder of The Orenda Tribe. Social entrepreneurship can manifest in different ways, but The Orenda Tribe does it very differently and nothing like I’ve heard or seen before, which is why I knew I had to host Zaid and learn about all the cool things they are up to. The Orenda Tribe uses Art and other interactive mediums as vehicles to promote awareness around crucial social...

For the month of Ramadan I decided to stay on theme and cover solo topics that are geared towards life and mindful practices, and this week’s episode is all about the science of gratitude! We’ve always been told to be grateful for the little and big things in life. Also, religion and other spiritual practices have emphasized the importance of maintaining a gratitude regime in our life. But why? … For the longest time, people assumed that the effects of gratitude are psychological only, not...

Every human deserves an education, especially the vulnerable and uprooted refugee children who have no choice in the circumstances they are often forced to face. This week I interviewed Rudayna Abdo, an MIT graduate, who left her career in urban planning to pursue a calling in giving back to refugees through an organization she founded named Thaki.  Thaki is a non-profit organization that’s on a mission to empower thousands of vulnerable children in the MENA region with the high quality...

“Take Big Risks”, “Go All In” “Don’t look back”. These are some of the many statements we’ve been hearing lately, especially with the explosion of entrepreneurship as a concept and career. I do agree that we need to take risks in life, but I am a bigger believer in taking calculated and examined risks.  In this episode, I share my take on this often romanticized theme of risk, and share practical ways of how I would go about taking jumps in my life or career. Hope you enjoy it! Let me know...

A serial entrepreneur and an Ex-Uber Hamdi Tabbaa takes us deep into the exciting world of EdTech (Education - Technology), as we explore with him all of the revolutionary concepts they are introducing to the educational sector for the MENA region.   Abwaab was launched in the midst of COVID (Feb 2020), and despite the timing of launch they were able to achieve an incredible growth nonetheless. In 2021 they raised two rounds of investments; a $5 million seed round in March and another $20...

“Should I get my MBA or Masters degree?”, most young professionals experience this dilemma at some point in their careers. In my opinion, this is the wrong question to ask. The real question to ask is "Do I really need an MBA or a Masters degree today? if yes, then why?"  I often get this question from friends and cousins who are seeking a fresh opinion on their dilemma. My natural reaction to their dilemma is to ask them "Why are you getting it?" or "How is this education going to help...

 We are kicking off season 2 with an extremely important yet an underrated topic, and that’s the power of negotiation. When you wake up to an alarm, there’s a negotiation. When you try to resolve a conflict with your partner, there’s a negotiation. When you’re asking for a raise from your boss, there’s definitely a negotiation!   Our guest, Lousin Mehrabi, one of the most influential professional negotiators globally, is here to share strategies and tips around becoming a professional...

The conversation continues with H.E. Dr. Aisha, and in part 2 we go deeper into her personal life as she recounts never-heard-before aspects of her childhood  that shaped her character today.   We talk about the social stigmas and glass ceilings that women are typically faced with in this part of the world, and her excellency talks openly about her perspective on why that's the case.  It took courage and confidence for Dr. Aisha to break those barriers, and she gives candid advice to women...

Season 1 Finale is here, and what better way to end it than with a truly special guest that I look up to personally and have had the privilege to work with, that being: Her Excellency Dr. Aisha Bint Butti Bin Bishr, who currently is the Vice Chairwoman of Emaar.  The conversation I explore with Dr. Aisha is nothing like she’s ever discussed in depth before, since we talk a lot about her upbringing, childhood and the intimate milestones that made her the person she is today.  Dr. Aisha was...

Noor Sweid, an incredible woman with a phenomenal record of achievement and business success. Noor was recognized in the World’s Top 50 Women in Tech by Forbes, Arabian Business 100 Most Powerful Arab Women list, and has received the Arab Woman Award for Finance Today, she’s the managing partner at Global Ventures, one of the most prominent VC funds in the MENA region and that focuses in growth stage startups in tech.  Prior to founding Global Ventures, Noor joined her family business back...

In this week’s episode Omar dives into the Food & Beverage business, with Andreas Borgmann the founder of Kcal, one of the oldest and most successful nutritious F&B businesses in the UAE.   Andreas is true serial entrepreneur, starting from the age of 18 he has failed, succeeded, started and stopped several businesses before coming up with the Kcal concept with his partner. To say he’s got real knowledge and practical experience to share is an under-statement. Andreas’ drive stems...

The guest of the week is one of the most active individuals in the start-up support ecosystem in the UAE today, Louis Lebbos; the co-founder and board member of Astro Labs, and the ex-founder of Namshi. Louis and his partner created Astrolabs with a mission to drive digital growth in companies and people, and they are doing that today through their educational programs, start up support services as well as the co-working spaces and communities they’re running across UAE and KSA. Prior to...

This week's guest on the One Day Podcast is Amna Al Qubaisi, a 21 year old Emirati Racer. Amna is the first and youngest Emirati female racing driver to ever partake in professional motor sport locally. Inspired by her father's passion in the sport, she began her karting career at the age of 14, and soon after became the female Arab to participate in international racing competitions claiming top finishes. She won the F4 Trophy race at Yas Marina in 2019 and became the first woman to stand...

The conversation continues with Dr. Yazan in part 2 of “Unlocking Human Potential” and this week the conversation takes an exciting turn and dives into activating the human element at the workplace as Dr. Yazan shares strategies that businesses could take advantage of in order to make the best of their human capital. Omar gets deep with his guest and probes Dr. Yazan on topics around fear of success, the true meaning of growth, and personal development strategies from a Ph.D. professor. You...

This week's guest on the One Day Podcast is Dr. Yazan Hijazi, a brilliant mind who is here to share strategies on tapping into our human potential and unburying the creativity  we lost as kids. This conversation will be a two part episode, with the second part coming out next week. Dr. Yazan Hijazi is a man of many hats. He is a scientist, an engineer, a professor at IE University, director of innovation at a reputable university in Jordan, and the founder of the human engineering center,...

This week's guest on the One Day Podcast is the inspirational Fida Taher, a Jordanian serial entrepreneur, and the founder of one of the largest online food recipe platforms today, Atbaki. Fida is also the managing partner of Amam Ventures, a fund that offers manageable financial solutions particularly to businesses and SME’s that value gender equality. Fida’s passion towards supporting women is evident in everything she does since she also serves as co-founder and chairperson of the...

This week's guest on the One Day Podcast is Amna Al Haddad, who made history as the first female Arab weightlifter to compete in hijab. Her career opened wide doors and opportunities for her such as allowing her to partake in Nike’s Hijab Pro campaign and product launch. Those are not the only inspiring milestones in Amna’s journey since there was a bigger battle she was fighting against, and that was her depression. Turning the crippling dark depressed phase of her life into world victories...

This week's guest on the One Day Podcast is Daniel Essa the founder and creative director of the luxury footwear brand, Daniel Essa. This Syrian entrepreneur has been making waves globally for the extremely sophisticated, minimalistic and customizable designs his shoe line is recognized for. This story is one that will inspire you to never give up or be the victim of your circumstances. It is a story of a young Syrian refugee who fled his country Syria because of the war, moved to France,...

This week's guest on the One Day Podcast is Hassan Al Shaikh! Hassan is a radio and TV personality. He's also a social media influencer and a content creator. In addition to all of that, he's a tech enthusiast and has been a managing partner at an IT company for over 15 years now in Dubai. Hassan's online content is inspirational and educational. He has a very unique way of expressing himself, which is full of honesty, bluntness, and humor, and because of this, people love his work and...

This week's guest on the One Day Podcast is Scott Armstrong, Editor in Chief of “Arabian Business” Magazine. Arabian Business Magazine is one of the most recognizable and sought-after sources of business and industry news in the Middle East. Scott brings with him 30+ years of experience as a journalist, editor, and strategic communications consultant. He shares with Omar some golden nuggets about effective communication and leveraging skills. From having no formal education to rubbing...

This week's guest is Raha Moharrak, the youngest Arab and first Saudi female to climb Mount Everest and the 7 summits of the world (highest peak of each continent).  Raha's accomplishments and bold dreams have inspired the youth of our region, and especially young girls, to dream big and go after their dreams regardless of society’s expectations from them.  Her name has made global headlines, and today Raha is a female ambassador for a number of global luxury brands including Burberry,...

This week's guest is Zeina El Kaissi, who's currently the regional head of public policy MENA at Amazon, and before that she held the role of Chief Digital Officer at Smart Dubai, the government entity leading the smart city agenda in Dubai.  Zeina kicked off her career as a strategy consultant right after college, working on some major transformational and reform projects in the public sector here in the UAE. One of the many prestigious government entities that she has worked for includes...