Rice Pudding Project

Robby Collins: Every Comedian Bombs — Here's Why That's OkaySouth African comedian Robby Collins joins us to talk about finding his purpose through comedy, touring with Trevor Noah, and opening for Dave Chappelle. Robby opens up about how some of his best material came out of his most depressed periods, what it's really like on the road with two of the biggest names in comedy, and why every comedian — no matter how successful — eventually bombs on stage, and why that's just part of the job.This is a conversation about purpose, resilience, and the reality behind the laughs.🎧 Topics covered:* Finding his purpose in life through comedy* Touring with Trevor Noah across Southern Africa* Opening for Dave Chappelle* How his best comedy came from his most depressed times* Why every comedian bombs eventually — and why that's okay* The reality of life as a touring comedianSubscribe for more real conversations on Rice Pudding Project.#RobbyCollins #TrevorNoah #DaveChappelle #StandUpComedy #FindingPurpose #ComedyLife #SouthAfricanComedy #MentalHealthAwareness #ComedyPodcast #RicePuddingProject #PodcastClips #ComedyTour

Dave Catudal opens up about his own battle with testicular cancer in his early twenties, growing up watching his younger brother fight leukemia, and losing his father to stage 3 adenocarcinoma within a year of diagnosis. In this episode of Rice & Riffing, Dave shares what it really felt like to be diagnosed himself after already seeing cancer devastate his family, how he processed grief while fighting his own illness, and the mindset shifts that came out of surviving what so many don't.

This is a raw, honest conversation about health, mortality, family, and resilience — not just a cancer survival story, but a look at how loss and illness reshape the way you see everything after.

🎧 Topics covered:

• Growing up with a brother battling childhood leukemia
• Being diagnosed with testicular cancer in his early 20s
• Losing his father to cancer within a year
• How he processed grief and illness at the same time
• What surviving cancer taught him about health and mindset
• Rebuilding life and purpose after loss

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#DaveCatudal #CancerSurvivor #TesticularCancerAwareness #CancerJourney #GriefAndLoss #FamilyHealth #CancerAwareness #ResilienceStory #HealthAndWellness #LossOfAParent #SurvivorStory #RiceAndRiffing #MentalHealthPodcast #HealthPodcast

"From $200 and a Dream to an Award-Winning Restaurant: Chef Gabriela Chamorro's Story"Chef Gabriela Chamorro joins us to talk about the women who shaped her, arriving in Dubai from Nicaragua with just $200, and the winding path that took her from flying the world as Emirates cabin crew to building one of the UAE's most talked-about restaurants. Gabriela shares how her love of street food and travel turned into a supper club that eventually served over 5,000 people out of her own home — and how that grew into Girl & the Goose, the UAE's first restaurant dedicated to Central American and Mesoamerican cuisine.This is a conversation about heritage, hustle, and how a childhood shaped by strong women became the foundation for an award-winning culinary career.Topics covered:* Growing up in Nicaragua and the women who influenced her* Life as Emirates cabin crew and discovering food through travel* Starting a supper club and serving 5,000+ guests from her own home* Building Girl & the Goose into an award-winning restaurant* Reimagining Central American and Mesoamerican cuisine in the UAESubscribe for more real conversations#ChefGabriela #GirlAndTheGoose #DubaiRestaurants #SupperClub #CentralAmericanCuisine #MesoamericanFood #WomenInFood #ChefStory #DubaiFoodie #FromScratchSuccess #RestaurantStory #RiceAndRiffing #FoodPodcast #DubaiChef

"Doctor by Degree, Director by Choice: Tarek Al Ariss on Chasing His Real Dream"Dr. Tarek Al Ariss joins us to talk about mimicking Chris Tucker as a kid, becoming a doctor, stumbling into theatre acting, and eventually walking away from medicine to become a creative director. Now working on original Arabic-language film and TV content, Tarek shares the winding path from childhood impressions to medical school to the stage to behind the camera — and what it took to finally quit a stable medical career to chase the creative life he actually wanted.🎧 Topics covered:* Doing Chris Tucker impressions as a kid* Becoming a doctor and what that career actually looked like* Stumbling into theatre acting almost by accident* Quitting medicine to become a creative director* Building original Arabic-language content and storytelling* Chasing a creative dream later in lifeSubscribe for more real conversations on Rice & Riffing.#TarekAlAriss #CareerChange #FromDoctorToDirector #FollowYourDreams #TheatreToFilm #CareerPivot #CreativeDirector #ArabicContent #MENAStorytelling #RiceAndRiffing #PodcastClips #ReinventYourself

"Omar Al-Duri on Surviving a Pulmonary Embolism and Staying Positive Through It All"

Omar Al-Duri — former footballer player, founder of Platform 3, UAE Football Association coach, and author of an Amazon best-selling book on physical and mental health — joins us to talk about writing his book, surviving a serious car accident, and the pulmonary embolism that followed. Omar shares what it was like facing a life-threatening medical scare, how he pushed through recovery, and the mindset that's kept him positive through it all — on top of a career that's taken him from the FIFA U-20 World Cup to coaching and broadcasting across the UAE.

This is a conversation about resilience, perspective, and choosing to keep moving forward no matter what life throws at you.

🎧 Topics covered:

His journey from professional football to coaching and broadcasting in the UAE

Writing his Amazon best-seller on physical and mental health

The car accident and the pulmonary embolism that followed

Navigating recovery while staying positive

Lessons on resilience and mindset from a career built on pushing limits

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#OmarAlDuri #PulmonaryEmbolism #CarAccidentSurvivor #Resilience #PositiveMindset #Platform3 #UAEFootball #BestSellingAuthor #MentalHealthAwareness #PhysicalHealth #SurvivorStory #RiceAndRiffing #MindsetPodcast #DubaiPodcast

"He Studied Law, Worked at PwC, Then Became a Coach: Wes DePass's Story"Wes DePass joins us to talk about studying law, moving into the corporate world as an accountant at PwC, building a career in Dubai — and then walking away from all of it to become a health and fitness coach. In this episode of Rice & Riffing, Wes shares what it was like leaving the security of a corporate career behind, what pushed him to finally follow what he loved, and how he built a new career from the ground up as an elite coach in Dubai.This is a conversation about chasing purpose over prestige, and having the courage to start over.🎧 Topics covered:* Studying law and the early career path he expected to follow* Moving into corporate accounting and working at PwC* Building a life and career in Dubai* The decision to leave the corporate world behind* Becoming a health and fitness coach and following his passionSubscribe for more real conversations#WesDePass #CorporateToCoach #CareerChange #FollowYourPassion #PwC #DubaiCoach #FitnessCoach #CareerPivot #QuitYourJob #RiceAndRiffing #PodcastClips #ReinventYourself

Laughter, Failure & Growth | The Obaid Ali Story

What does it take to keep stepping onto a stage when there's no guarantee of success?

In this episode of The Rice Pudding Project, Amin Soltani sits down with comedian Obaid Ali for an honest conversation about comedy, resilience, personal growth, and the lessons learned through failure.

From navigating the ups and downs of stand-up comedy to finding confidence in his own voice, Obaid shares the realities behind making people laugh for a living. Together, they explore the importance of persistence, embracing setbacks, learning from mistakes, and why growth often comes from the moments we'd rather avoid.

This is a conversation about more than comedy. It's about taking risks, staying authentic, and continuing to move forward when things don't go to plan.

🎙️ Laughter, Failure & Growth | The Obaid Ali Story

Watch now and join the conversation.

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#RicePuddingProject #ObaidAli #StandUpComedy #ComedyPodcast #DubaiComedy #UAEComedy #ComedianLife #PersonalGrowth #Resilience #FailureToSuccess #Podcast #LongFormPodcast #AminSoltani #ComedyLife #GrowthMindset #CreativeJourney #EntrepreneurMindset #Storytelling #SuccessAndFailure #Motivation

What does it really mean to raise a child with Down syndrome?In this heartfelt episode of The Rice Pudding Project, Amin Soltani sits down with Johanna Said to discuss motherhood, homeschooling, raising two children with very different needs, and the lessons she's learned along the way.Johanna shares her experiences as a mother to a child with Down syndrome, challenging misconceptions and reminding us that every child deserves to be seen for who they are—not defined by a diagnosis. The conversation explores family, resilience, acceptance, inclusion, and the everyday realities of parenting.This is an honest and uplifting discussion about love, perspective, and recognising the potential in every child.Subscribe for more conversations about resilience, reinvention, and the human stories that shape us.Watch more episodes:http://www.youtube.com/@RicePudding-Project#DownSyndrome #Motherhood #Parenting #SpecialNeedsParenting #Homeschooling #JohannaSaid #RicePuddingProject #AminSoltani #Family #Inclusion #ParentingJourney #Podcast

Finding Your Voice Between Cultures | The Sophia Delavari Story

What happens when you grow up between different cultures, identities, and expectations?

In this episode of the Rice Pudding Project, Amin Soltani sits down with Sophia Delavari for an honest conversation about belonging, identity, resilience, and the journey to finding your own voice.

Sophia shares her experiences navigating life between cultures, the challenges of fitting in, and how embracing who she truly is helped shape her personal and professional path. From moments of self-doubt and uncertainty to finding confidence through storytelling and comedy, this conversation explores what it means to build an authentic life on your own terms.

They discuss identity, cultural expectations, confidence, personal growth, and the power of using humour and vulnerability to connect with others.

If you've ever felt caught between worlds, struggled to find where you belong, or wondered how to turn your differences into strengths, this episode is for you.

🎙️ The Rice Pudding Project is a podcast about resilience, reinvention, and the stories that shape us.

📅 New episodes every Monday.

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#RicePuddingProject #SophiaDelavari #Podcast #Identity #Culture #Belonging #PersonalGrowth #Comedy #Storytelling #Resilience #Reinvention #DubaiPodcast #MiddleEastPodcast #AminSoltani

Leadership, Resilience & Reinvention | The Lee Hole StorySuccess is rarely a straight line.In this episode of The Rice Pudding Project, Amin Soltani sits down with Lee Hole for a conversation about leadership, resilience, entrepreneurship, and the lessons learned from building businesses and leading people through change.Lee shares insights from his professional journey, discussing the realities of leadership, the challenges of scaling organisations, the importance of culture, and why resilience is often the defining factor between success and failure.From navigating uncertainty and embracing innovation to developing teams and maintaining perspective through setbacks, this is a conversation about growth, reinvention, and what it truly takes to build something meaningful.Whether you're an entrepreneur, leader, creator, or someone navigating change in your own life, there is something here for you.🎙️ Hosted by Amin Soltani.Watch more conversations exploring resilience, reinvention, and remarkable life stories on the Rice Pudding Project.Subscribe here:The Rice Pudding Project YouTube Channel#RicePuddingProject#LeeHole#Leadership#Entrepreneurship#BusinessGrowth#Resilience#PersonalGrowth#LeadershipDevelopment#EntrepreneurLife#Mindset#DubaiPodcast#Success