Savvy Talk

Exciting Summer Surprise! While our podcast is taking a short break for the summer, we've got something special for you. Joining us on this episode is none other than Gary Vaynerchuk for an insightful conversation from Cannes Lions in France in June. We were both on a panel at SRMG Beach, discussing all things culture and tech. Gary delivers his trademark raw and practical knowledge bombs. Get ready for an epic podcast episode! Don`t miss our signature Rapid-fire questions in the end & prepare to be inspired!

Let us know your thoughts on Instagram. Your feedback means the world to us! Stay awesome and enjoy your summer while we gear up for the return of Season Eight on Savvy Talk. Happy listening

About Gary Vaynerchuk

Gary Vaynerchuk is a serial entrepreneur, and serves as the Chairman of VaynerX, the CEO of VaynerMedia and the Creator & CEO of VeeFriends. 

Gary is considered one of the leading global minds on what’s next in culture, relevance and the internet. Known as “GaryVee” 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 markets and consumer behavior. Whether its emerging artists, esports, NFT investing 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. 

Gary is an entrepreneur at heart — he builds businesses. Today, he helps Fortune 1000 brands leverage consumer attention through his full service advertising agency, VaynerMedia which has offices in NY, LA, London, Mexico City, LATAM and Singapore. VaynerMedia is part of the VaynerX holding company which also includes VaynerProductions, VaynerNFT, Gallery Media Group, The Sasha Group, Tracer, VaynerSpeakers, VaynerTalent, and VaynerCommerce. Gary is also the Co-Founder of VaynerSports, Resy and Empathy Wines. Gary guided both Resy and Empathy to successful exits — both were sold respectively to American Express and Constellation Brands. He’s also a Board Member at Candy Digital, Co-Founder of VCR Group, Co-Founder of ArtOfficial, and Creator & CEO of VeeFriends. Gary was recently named to the Fortune list of the Top 50 Influential people in the NFT industry. In addition to running multiple businesses, Gary documents his life daily as a CEO through his social media channels which has more than 34 million followers and garnishes over 272 million monthly impressions/views across all platforms. His podcast ‘The GaryVee Audio Experience’ ranks among the top podcasts globally. He is a five-time New York Times Best-Selling Author and one of the most highly sought after public speakers. 

Gary serves on the board of MikMak, Bojangles Restaurants, and Pencils of Promise. He is also a longtime Well Member of Charity:Water.

You can find Gary Vaynerchuk on Instagram and on his website.

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

0:36 Getting Consumer Attention in the Age of Speed and Noise

3:39 What Brands Are Getting Wrong in Shifting Consumer Attention

4:30 Brands Lacking Common Sense in Modern Marketing

5:39 The Key to Being Culturally Relevant: Caring

8:56 Understanding PAC: Platforms and Culture

12:52 What Brands Can Do to Be Culturally Relevant

15:14 The Underappreciated Value of Social Media for Brands

16:25 The Unavoidable Future Impact of Deepfake Videos

24:07 Embracing Evolution

25:14 Rapid-fire section - Word Association Game

26:23 Optimism for the Middle East

26:58 The Broken Concept of Branding

28:20 Media and Creative Under One Roof

33:40 Your brand is your reputation. The single most important thing you have.

36:36 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 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.

I’m joined today by Gregg Pearce, Head of du’s Small Offices, Home Offices and Small Enterprises segment — known as SoHo and SE. He is accountable for the end-to-end performance of the SOHO & SE segment, improving market penetration, and evolving the customer experience and value propositions for their clients.

Gregg is an customer-focused and target-driven transformational leader, with a proven ability to build a high performance culture. He is skilled in defining and implementing complex business strategies and achieving high sales growth and operational excellence. 

We talk about the importance of building team culture, and the lessons he has learnt from being a professional footballer in the UK. 

This is part of our special series in partnership with du Business called Inspiring Growth, to celebrate entrepreneurship and highlight business success. We feature eight successful entrepreneurs and innovators who shared their personal stories to help others learn valuable lessons. Throughout the show, we will focus on growth, exploring the path of how they turned their dreams into reality.

We hope this proves to be both inspirational and valuable for those who are facing their own personal and business challenges, as always du Business is your partner to enable business and personal growth.

You can connect with Gregg on LinkedIn, and find out more at the du Business website.

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

1:03 Ramadan experience

2:18 What is your job at du Business in one sentence?

2:36 The common trait you found on successful entrepreneur  

3:39 When resilience made you overcome obstacles  

4:50 What did your professional soccer career teach you for your business career?  

6:16 The whole of communication

8:06 Lessons from managing people and serving clients    

10:39 Culture is the most important thing - Doing the right thing is never the wrong thing

11:59 Dos & Don'ts 

13:03 From Dreamer to a business owner 

14:18 Advice for young entrepreneurs and business owners - Be Brave!

15:14 Ontro

Joining me today is Mark Azzam, Founder and Owner of Back to Games and Gameinox, Partner and Director at Boardgame Space Games Distribution. From a young age, Mark found himself traveling to imaginary realms inspired by elements of science fiction and fantasy. This also included gaming with his mother, where they played everything from snakes and ladders to chess.

After traveling the globe for more than 18 years as a pilot, Mark launched Back to Games in 2015. Serving thousands of gamers and non-gamers alike, while pioneering the tabletop shopping experience. Then in 2017, he went on to partner with Boardgame Space to make board and card games more accessible to the region, by translating the most renowned games to Arabic, and supplying its products to both hobby stores and mass market chains across the Middle East.

And finally, earlier this year he founded Gameinox to help spread gaming beyond people’s homes, through team building and employee empowerment activations, to schools, to universities, and to create the first tabletop gaming convention in the Middle East. 

This is part of our special series in partnership with du Business called Inspiring Growth, to celebrate entrepreneurship and highlight business success. We feature eight successful entrepreneurs and innovators who shared their personal stories to help others learn valuable lessons. Throughout the show, we will focus on growth, exploring the path of how they turned their dreams into reality.

We hope this proves to be both inspirational and valuable for those who are facing their own personal and business challenges, as always du Business is your partner to enable business and personal growth.

You can follow Mark Azzam on LinkedIn, and find out more about his companies here:

Back To Games: Website • Instagram • TikTok • YouTube

Boardgame Space: Website • Instagram • YouTube

Gameinox: Website • Instagram • TikTok

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

1:46 From a pilot to becoming an entrepreneur

2:17 The passion for Board Games

2:56 How did you build 3 businesses? Back to Games; Boardgame Space and Gameinox

4:10 Importance & challenges of introducing people on board games 

5:15 How to introduce people to the modern way of gaming

5:52 Competing for attention with screens

6:40 Translating Board Games to Arabic

7:44 Entrepreneurship path

8:39 Board Games in the Corporate world - Team and Culture building in a post-pandemic world 

9:54 Dos & Don'ts

10:40 From Dreamer to a business owner 

11:55 Feeling successful

12:24 Advice to young entrepreneurs

13:02 Favorite Board Games

14:57 3 board games people should try during Ramadan?

16:10 Outro

Joining me today is Omar Almheiri, founder and Chief Technical Officer at Letswork. Omar graduated in 2017 from Northeastern University in Boston with a degree in electrical engineering. Right after graduation, he was selected for the E25 entrepreneurship program at EMAAR, where he launched Letswork, an app that helps people gain access to the best workspaces in the UAE.

In this episode, we’ll learn more about the evolution of co-working in Dubai, how Omar and his team handled the difficulties during COVID lockdowns, and how they bounced back.  

This is part of our special series in partnership with du Business called Inspiring Growth, to celebrate entrepreneurship and highlight business success. We feature eight successful entrepreneurs and innovators who shared their personal stories to help others learn valuable lessons. Throughout the show, we will focus on growth, exploring the path of how they turned their dreams into reality.

We hope this proves to be both inspirational and valuable for those who are facing their own personal and business challenges, as always du Business is your partner to enable business and personal growth.

You can connect with Omar on LinkedIn, and find out more about Letswork on their website. 

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

0:48 Ramadan

1:04 How Letswork started 

2:27 In one sentence what problem does Letswork fix?

2:57 How to turn an idea into a business?

4:34 B2B - Convincing other business 

5:38 Using Google maps to spot trends of spaces 

6:40 How Covid changed your Business?    

8:23 Workspaces impact on our productivity and performance/happiness at work 

8:45 Yes, to work life balance

9:32 Dos & Don'ts

10:34 Feeling successful

11:48 Future of work

13:38 Outro

Joining me today is Asma Lootah Founder & Owner of The Hundred Wellness Centre. Everything started in 2002, when she discovered and fell in love with Pilates. Asma has won numerous awards for her work at the Hundred, in 2010 she was awarded the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Award for Young Business Leaders for the best business in healthcare by the Crown Prince of Dubai. She is dedicated to improving the health and quality of life of people in the UAE through her centre. Her work at The Hundred has been consistently rewarded through the years and her mission is to continue enhancing the services and the offerings of the centre and changing people’s lives for the better. 

This is part of our special series in partnership with du Business called Inspiring Growth, to celebrate entrepreneurship and highlight business success. We feature eight successful entrepreneurs and innovators who shared their personal stories to help others learn valuable lessons. Throughout the show, we will focus on growth, exploring the path of how they turned their dreams into reality.

We hope this proves to be both inspirational and valuable for those who are facing their own personal and business challenges, as always du Business is your partner to enable business and personal growth.

You can find out about The Hundred Wellness Centre on their website, and follow them on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

1:18 Ramadan

1:44 How The Hundred Wellness Centre started 

2:19 Pilates change my life

2:53 Trying to find who I am

4:04 I want to be my own boss

5:10 Challenges of being a female entrepreneur

6:08 Overcome the roadblocks of entrepreneurship    

8:18 The UAE vision - We are the transected, we are the change makers  

9:15 Feeling successful

9:37 Building the business culture

11:39 What the business means to you?

12:08 What is next?

12:53 No regrets

13:22 Outro