Most memorable journeys

Born in the USA, growing up in Switzerland, Venezuela and finally settling in the United Kingdom, Gregory was raised in 4 major global languages and continues to remain fluent in both spoken & written English, French, German & Spanish

In his first position at Marcus Wareing at the Savoy Grill, Gregory gained the necessary experience in cooking Michelin-starred quality food under the tutelage of acclaimed Kiwi Chef Josh Emett.  As he was promoted through the ranks he gained considerable insight into the factors influencing the management of a multi-million-pound turnover restaurant.

Gregory went on to be sous chef as part of the opening brigade at the Gordon Ramsay group’s first venture in the USA, in New York’s London Hotel, where he worked until 2007.

Gregory left Gordon Ramsay Holdings to help grow his family’s boutique catering company, Sissi Fabulous Food Ltd from a small home-based private chef business to a large events catering firm. As the Head Chef, Gregory brought his culinary expertise to the development of new menus and to the execution of the dishes at the events. As company director he used his considerable business experience to market the company and continually improve the supply chain management. To this day Gregory has evolved his role in the company as the team grew to become Executive Chef and Operations Director. Major global corporate clients have included The Duchy of Cornwall, Louis Vuitton, HSBC, MINI (BMW).

Since 2012 Gregory has been regularly in demand as a Food & Beverage consultant by a number of global hotel and restaurant chains including Holiday Inn (IHG), Genting Casinos and East Coast Concepts.

Gregory has recently trained as a Diet & Nutritional Advisor and has consulted on vegan restaurant menu concepts. He has consulted in Germany, France, Switzerland and the UK.

https://gregorysj.com/

Dick Wybrow was born in Canada, grew up in the US, and now lives in New Zealand (the past 10 years). In this episode, he shares what he knows about this beautiful country. On a personal note, he is a bestselling author on Amazon, writing humorous supernatural fiction.

He is also a former CNN producer, major market rock jock, and stand-up comedian. His radio and stage work has gifted him with the ability to entertain an audience.

Dick Wybrow is a thriller and humor author. Or, depending on how many cups of coffee he's had, a humor and thriller author.

https://www.dickwybrow.com/

Samantha Wood is a British-Greek-Cypriot resident of Dubai for 23 years who wears a number of hats – a food writer, event organiser and communications consultant with nearly three decades of experience in the UK and the Middle East across a diverse range of industries including food & beverage, hospitality and tourism.

Samantha left the corporate PR world to set up her own business in 2011 – an impartial restaurant review website, http://FooDiva.net , which has won a steady stream of 12 awards. In 2021, she was honoured with the UAE Golden Visa, a ten-year renewable residency in the category of talented creative individuals – and also joined the UAE Restaurants Group as Board Advisor.

• Power 50 by Caterer Middle East 2020; 2019; and 2017
• Top 100 Dubai websites to follow – the highest ranked food website
• Ahlan Hot 100 influencer 2016 and 2015
• Best Food Blogger in the BBC Good Food Awards 2015
• ProChef Middle East Food Ambassador 2014
• Expat Star Awards 2013
• Gold in Expat Blog Awards UAE 2013 and 2012
• Runner-up Best Blog in Dubai, Ahlan 2011

Samantha curates ticketed and bespoke chef-led #ThreeChefsDinner and #DineAroundDubai experiences, whilst also organising events and B2B fam trips for industry trade, chefs and media. FooDiva has featured prolifically in local and international media including multiple segments on CNN’s travel programmes, France 5 TV and Dubai TV. Furthermore, she takes on freelance writing and broadcasting commissions, including a regular guest on Dubai Eye 103.8FM’s food programme. Samantha is a member of the global Guild of Food Writers, holds a WSET Level 2 wine and spirits qualification, and is a speaker and industry awards judge on her favourite subjects – food, restaurants, travel and communications. At the start of the pandemic, she launched a pro bono social media campaign, #UAERestaurantsUnite to support the F&B industry which has morphed into a long-term strategy championing the country’s homegrown dining scene.

With her advisory hat, Samantha provides strategic consultancy support in F&B (restaurant ventures, chef consultancy, guest chef activations, pop ups/ supper clubs, mystery shopper reports & menu writing) - and on a brand level (marketing communications, public relations, crisis communications, social media strategy, website & newsletter content, fam trips, event organisation & copywriting).

I met Evelina because my daughter Natalie was volunteering at the Saffron Kitchen Project in Athens. Fascinated by the project, I happened to meet Evelina and want to share what this amazing person does to make the world a better place. You can support her by checking out the link at the end of these show notes and donating.

Evelina's six years in the food industry, working and training in restaurants and ultimately setting up her own catering company, helped her to recognise the importance of food and the joy it can bring to people. She spent the following five years working in humanitarian aid, running a warehouse in a refugee camp and setting up as well as managing an education and community centre. This helped refine her aptitude in working with vulnerable people and running teams of staff and volunteers. All of this experience has equipped her with the necessary skills to start Saffron Kitchen Project, whose goal is to provide both opportunity, and a sense of community, for refugees and vulnerable people.

Her favourite meal is pasta cooked by someone else (obviously by someone who can cook pasta).

https://www.saffronkitchenproject.org/

https://www.saffronkitchenproject.org/donation

Born and raised amidst the natural wonders of the Galapagos Islands, Fernando Diez is a proud Ecuadorian who has dedicated his adult life to sharing the unique beauty and rare wildlife of this enchanting archipelago with adventurous travelers from every corner of the globe. Fernando is the proud son of the founders of Quasar Expeditions, a high-end expedition cruising company that pioneered small group travel in the Galapagos Islands 37 years ago. His parents dream? To show this precious eco system to the world, ensuring its preservation for future generations through responsible tourism. Beyond his role at Quasar Expeditions, Fernando is loving father of 3, a proud husband and a man of many passions. He is a skilled photographer, an avid scuba diver, a high-altitude climber and overall just a lover of nature and the outdoors. A natural story teller at heart, Fernando has an ability to bring the stories of this unique archipelago to life, connecting listeners with the magic of the place that possessed Charles Darwin's mind.

I met Hebba Bakri a few years ago when I was visiting my dear friend Nihal in Cairo. I was immediately drawn to her fascinating personality.

For many years, Hebba was running the Longchamps Hotel in Zamalek/Cairo which she had inherited the from her German mother. As a well educated Egyptian, whose father had been a pillar of the Egyptian tourism industry, Hebba had worked at several of the finest hotels in Egypt, Bahrain etc, such as the Mena House, and later served Lufthansa, the German airline for many years. Well traveled and well versed in the tourism industry, Hebba speaks a number of languages, including English, German and French, fluently. She also insisted that her staff be multilingual. She certainly leans a bit towards a European attitude about most things, and her strong German ties reveal themselves in the cleanliness of the Hotel Longchamps. Today, her skills as a hotel manager and operator have also been rewarded with positions on various Egyptian Hotel Association committees.

Unfortunately, when we recorded this episode, Hebba announced, that after seventy years under two generations the time has come to say goodbye and retire gracefully while the Longchamps is recognized as the best small Boutique Hotel in Cairo . She remains a legend in the Egyptian tourism industry and will share her time between Germany and Egypt.

Linda Attram was born in the UK of Caribbean heritage and is happily married to her loving Ghanian husband. She came from humble beginnings, a very shy girl who lacked confidence, self esteem and identity. Linda left school with little education but a burning desire to change, she chose to re-educate herself to university degree level which led to her former career in HR management and is now a successful entrepreneur.

For the past 24 years Linda Attram has been running successful property businesses including a multi-million pound property portfolio in London, Ghana and the Caribbean that includes, building development projects, property management and serviced accommodation. Linda is a devoted wife, mother of ‘Three Precious Diamonds’, a meticulous businesswoman, best selling author, public speaker, mentor and a 2nd Dan Black Belt in the martial art of Taekwondo. Linda incorporates the tenets of Taekwondo - courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self control and indomitable spirit in training and in her personal and business life. Linda is a Global Woman Club Regional Director - Accra, Ghana and leads, inspires and empowers a beautiful diverse group of global women to reach their business potential and goals. Linda was honoured with the prestigious Global Woman ‘Exceptional’ Award in 2020, Global Woman Club Best Director of the Year 2023, Inspirational Awards - Inspirational Mother of the Year 2023. Born in the UK of Caribbean heritage, Linda came from humble beginnings, a very shy girl who lacked confidence, self esteem and identity. She left school with very little education, but with a burning desire to change, she chose to re-educate herself to university degree level which led to a successful 18 year career in Human Resources Management together with over 20 years industry experience in property as an investor and developer. Linda’s Mission is to Inspire and Empower Women Globally to Be More and Achieve More. You can read Linda’s Story in the Amazon Best Selling Book that she Co-Authored: The Mind of Female Entrepreneurs, How to Think and Act to Succeed in Business.

You can follow Linda at: www.facebook.com/linda.attram http://www.instagram.com/inspiringmothersinbusiness www.linkedin.com/in/linda-attram

Dr. Igor Cetojevic is a Health Teacher and a medical doctor and he is the greatly renowned holistic & energetic medicine specialist who helped Novak Djokovic become the world’s number one tennis player. He spent a year on tour with Djokovic until 2011, when he won Wimbledon for the first time and became world number one

He is a Medical Doctor and acupuncturist, qualified at the Medical University of Sarajevo in 1988. He then studied Chinese Traditional Medicine at The European Center for Peace and Development in Belgrade, Yugoslavia with advanced seminars and hospital experience in Beijing, China. He also holds a diploma from The Indian Institute of Magnetotherapy, New Delhi. He has done intensive research on how geopathic and other radiation affects people’s health and well being and what can be done to minimize its negative influence.

While on a lecture tour in South Africa in 2001, Dr.Igor was introduced to the QXCI biofeedback system. Sensing that this was a revolutionary tool he traveled to Budapest to meet its inventor, Prof. William Nelson. Applying his vast medical knowledge in conjunction with the QXCI and now the more advanced SCIO, has produced remarkable results for his patients. He is now one of the leading SCIO practitioners and trainers, offering presentations at the World QX Conference in Budapest and advanced seminars.

After attending many international conferences as well as chalking up countless hours of practice, Dr. Igor is now an Advanced International Instructor for Quantum Technologies and Managing Director of Quantum Medicum (Belgrade).

https://www.drigor.org/

I met Niaz in Dubai where she lives with her family during our Master Coach training. We called her the Rumi girl because she is passionate about anything Rumi. She was born in Iran and is married to a man from Turkey, living in Dubai, how much more international can it get?

Niaz Hekmat is a trained and certified RSCI Master Life coach, a Relationship Coach, Master NLP Practitioner, Master Hypnotherapist,and Master Time Paradigm Technique Practitioner. She has 20+ years of research and study of various related sciences such as psychology, ancient philosophies and teachings, human motivation , quantum physics, and psychoneuroimmunology, and 1000+ hours of coaching .

Hekmat like many of us, worked in a high-stress job in a management position for years however a series of life-threatening health attacks, woke her up and finally pushed her to take control of her life. She structured her passion and years of research into the human psyche and happiness, and found her true self through a rebirth.  Due to her personal interest in learning about human happiness, motivation and the sciences behind it, from a young age, and her own challenges in the corporate world, Hekmat realized her calling was to help others learn to live a happy purposeful life and realise their true innate powers.

Today she has combined her coaching skills with her years of research to reach out to the conscious and unconscious minds of others in her talks and seminars. She strives to train and educate others about their true potential and most importantly how to

Believe it

Access it, and

Own it.

She is also transferring her learnings through a book she is currently working on, her blog, workshops and retreats in Dubai.  She is also working on a YouTube channel where she plans to make a Q&A session for her followers.

Bilal Kola was born in an Albanian communist concentration camp, his early years were marked by hardship, but they also sparked a deep desire for success drawn from the pages of Western novels.

Motivated by his family’s legacy of resistance against oppression, he made a vow to study law and fight for justice whenever given the opportunity. When communism fell in 1991, his father met Lord Julian Emery (a friend of his Bilal’s grandfather) and with his help, the dream started to become reality. His journey took him from Albania to London, where he pursued law studies and specialized in international business law.

Completing a Ph.D. in Strategic Leadership further enhanced his understanding of leadership and shaped his career in both public and private sectors. As Dr. Bilal embarks on a new journey as a motivational speaker and life coach, his story remains an inspiration for those who truly belie­ve in lifelong learning and pursuing their passions.

https://bilalkola.com/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/12-Mindsets-Improve-Life-Radically-ebook/dp/B0CMG6BLKS