The Good Intentions Podcast

On this episode we speak about a topic very dear to my heart - the zero alcohol revolution. I stopped drinking alcohol in 2017, and it was a truly life changing and momentous decision. I’m always passionate to talk about how embracing a sober lifestyle can impact positively on your world, and the world around you.

So you can imagine how excited I was to speak to Erika Doyle, zero alcohol champion here in the UAE. Erika is proud to be the driving force behind the UAE’s first and only premium non-alcoholic drinks marketplace, Drink Dry. 

Erika’s Drink Dry journey began in 2015 when she decided to give up alcohol to start a family. She moved to the UAE just a few years later and found there was a gap in the market for non-alcoholic drinks in the region and the Drink Dry store was born. 

The one stop shop caters to those wanting to either reduce or eliminate their alcohol intake and indulge in a variety of premium non-alcoholic hops and grapes, spirits and cocktails. 

What started as an e-store, is now a firm mainstay in the retail and hospitality sector across the UAE with expansion plans into Kuwait and KSA this year.

Erika is a busy working mum, juggling three children with a successful business, so I was keen to understand how she manages to stay focused, efficient and resilient. 

We talked about the positive impact of cutting down or cutting out alcohol, the insidious nature of ‘mummy wine’ culture and how community is crucial when starting an alcohol free journey. 

We also talked about making a difference in our lives and the world around us and I found Erika’s grounded and compassionate approach very relatable and inspiring. I’m sure you will too - please enjoy our conversation.

Follow me, and the Good Intentions podcast:

https://www.instagram.com/kellyharvarde/

https://www.instagram.com/goodintentionsuae/

Find Erika and the Drink Dry store here:

https://drinkdrystore.com/

https://www.instagram.com/drinkdrystore/

https://www.instagram.com/erika_drinkdry/

Immerse yourself in some of the books we discussed: 

Michelle Obama - Becoming

https://magrudy.com/author/michelle-obama/

Michelle Obama - Becoming - For Younger Readers

https://www.amazon.ae/Becoming-Adapted-Readers-Michelle-Obama/dp/0593303741/

Louise Nichol fell in love with Dubai when she moved here in 2005. Originally from the UK, you probably know her best as editor of fashion magazines Grazia Middle East and Harper’s Bazaar Arabia. 

Most recently Louise has made a career switch to indoor cycling instructor and can be found leading legendary and much sought after classes at Crank. 

Her impossibly glamorous life always fascinated me and I couldn’t wait to talk to her about her experiences in the world of publishing, how she balances raising three children with a career and how she manages to stay grounded - especially when surrounded by the glitz and celebrity  of the magazine world. 

Louise is warm, candid and down to earth and I loved her take on life in Dubai, making big career changes and bold choices whatever age you are and how to find connections and community. Last but not least, I loved our conversations around wellness and taking responsibility for our own health.

Louise says: It’s humbling, terrifying and life-affirming to start from scratch at the bottom, to go from being the most experienced to the least. The power of learning is truly formidable.

I learned so much from my conversation with Louise and I know you will too. Please do enjoy it.

Follow me, and the Good Intentions podcast:

https://www.instagram.com/kellyharvarde/

Find Louise Nichol here:

https://www.instagram.com/louisenichol/

https://www.louisenichol.com/

Read more about Heroes of Hope and their great work here:

https://www.instagram.com/heroes_of_hope_/

Immerse yourself in some of the books we discussed: 

JRR Tolkien - Lord of the Rings

https://magrudy.com/book/the-lord-of-the-rings-9780618645619/

Justin Cronin - The Passage

https://magrudy.com/book/the-passage-9780752883304/

Robin Hobb - Assassin's Apprentice

https://www.amazon.ae/Assassins-Apprentice-Farseer-Trilogy-Book/dp/000756225X

I just love it when my incredible guests recommend other incredible guests to be on the show, and that is exactly what happened with this episode. 

Earlier this year I interviewed the wonderful Shereen Al Qutob - who is a corporate alchemist, no less. 

She led me to Hiba Balfaqih who has an equally brilliant job title - she’s a Mind Hacker. As one of the world’s top mindset therapists, healers and psychologists, she helps liberate people from deeply held blocks, negative beliefs, and trauma to live their most fulfilled life.

A trained psychologist who combines traditional practices with those of energy and healing, Hiba quit her corporate job to choose this new life path - as you might imagine she’s full of guts and chutzpah and she had me hooked from the first word.

We spoke about how the first 7 years of our lives are crucial in setting the shape of the rest of our lives and how we can unpick that programming, how to stay connected to what’s important to us, and how to stay fulfilled if you work in the corporate world.

A self confessed growth addict, Hiba believes that if you’re not growing, you’re dying, and her energy and wisdom is so uplifting. 

She believes that we create our reality, and after our conversation, I felt inspired to do go off and do the same.  I hope you do too.

Follow me, and the Good Intentions podcast:

https://www.instagram.com/kellyharvarde/

Find Hiba Balfaqih here:

https://www.instagram.com/hibabalfaqih/

https://www.hibabalfaqih.com/

Immerse yourself in some of the books we discussed: 

An Extraordinary Mind - Vishen Lakhiani

https://magrudy.com/book/the-code-of-the-extraordinary-mind-10-unconventional-laws-to-redefine-your-life-and-succeed-on-your-own-terms-9781508224532/

Dying to be Me - Anita Moorjani

https://magrudy.com/book/dying-to-be-me-my-journey-from-cancer-to-near-death-to-true-healing-9781848507838/

Will - Will Smith

https://www.amazon.ae/Will-Smith

What Happened to You - Oprah Winfrey

https://www.amazon.ae/What-Happened-You-Conversations-Resilience/

Conversations with God - Neale Donald Walsch

https://www.amazon.com/Conversations-God-Uncommon-Dialogue-Book/dp/0399142789

Mimi Nicklin is the internationally bestselling author of Softening The Edge - an incredible book about how humanity’s oldest leadership trait - empathy - is changing our world. 

The data shows that in emotionally intelligent organisations where empathy is high, we see performance, productivity, and creativity go up.

Mimi believes that empathy – a scientifically validated skillset –has the power to not only change business environments, but to change society for the better. This was music to my ears.

I can’t think of a better time to talk to Mimi about empathy - burn out is at an all-time high, we are all feeling super jaded after the last year, passion is dropping, and the younger generation is leaving the corporate world quicker than they entered it.

Mimi believes that we are significantly underestimating the powerful role that increased empathy could have on profits as well as workplaces at large. We had a fascinating discussion about empathy - can it be taught or are we born with it, how we can build empathy within our workplaces, and how can we balance the demands of a corporate job with a desire to lead an empathetic life? 

I loved what Mimi had to say about empathy, community and connection, and how it can make a real difference to our world and the way we do business. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Follow me, and the Good Intentions podcast:

https://www.instagram.com/kellyharvarde/

Find Mimi Nicklin here:

https://www.instagram.com/miminicklin/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/miminicklin/

Mimi's wonderful book is here:

https://www.amazon.ae/Softening-Edge-humanitys-leadership-changing/dp/9948340094

Immerse yourself in some of the books we discussed: 

Hit Refresh - Satya Nadella

https://magrudy.com/book/hit-refresh-9780008247652/

Lean In - Sheryl Sandberg

https://magrudy.com/book/lean-in-women-work-and-the-will-to-lead-9780753541647/

Karen Osman is an award winning, best selling novelist based in Dubai. Since she won the Montegrappa Prize for Fiction at the Emirates Literature Festival back in 2016, her gripping psychological thrillers have flown off the shelves across the world. I’ve read them all and can tell you just how good they are.

Her hugely popular online course Kick Start Your Book with Karen helps budding authors achieve their dream of writing a book and Karen was very generous with her advice and insight on how to write a novel.

Despite writing utterly terrifying books, Karen is an absolutely lovely human being, full of positive energy and tips on how to stay focused and creative in a busy and demanding world.

If you long to pursue a creative life  and if you feel you have a novel inside you - then this episode is for you.

Follow me, and the Good Intentions podcast:

https://www.instagram.com/kellyharvarde/

Find Karen Osman here:

https://www.instagram.com/karenosmanauthor

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenosman

Immerse yourself in some of the books we discussed: 

Wild Swans - Jung Chang

https://magrudy.com/book/wild-swans-export-9780743254397/

Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts

https://magrudy.com/book/shantaram-9780349117546/

The 4 Hour Work Week - Tim Ferriss

https://www.virginmegastore.ae/en/books/non-fiction-books/business-books/4-hour-work-week-expanded-version/p/444600?gclid=CjwKCAjwieuGBhAsEiwA1Ly_naB5BAtNQYEUKJdpNySL1cI5CVfMDN8L9Co1CoRORx1G7JlIAVBkeRoCBqoQAvD_BwE

Monica Malhotra is the founder and CEO of The Gaggler, an online publishing platform that provides regionally relevant content with diverse points of view, and authentic storytelling.

She’s a passionate entrepreneur, always looking for ways to create something with a positive impact and this passion led her to start businesses in education and more recently in online publishing with The Gaggler.

Monica and I discussed how re-framing problems is the key to succeeding in business and why patience and perseverance are so important in everything that we do.

Monica’s sense of gratitude and curiosity pours from her and I loved the wisdom that she shared about being an entrepreneur and how she’s created a work life balance.

Please do enjoy our conversation.

Follow me, and the Good Intentions podcast:

https://www.instagram.com/kellyharvarde/

Find Monica Malhotra here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-malhotra-thegaggler/

Find The Gaggler here:

https://www.instagram.com/thegaggler/

Immerse yourself in some of the books we discussed: 

Women Who Think Too Much - Susan Nolen-Hoeksema

https://magrudy.com/book/women-who-think-too-much-how-to-break-free-of-overthinking-and-reclaim-your-life-9780749924812/

Happiness is the Way - Wayne Dyer

https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Way-Reframe-Thinking-Already/dp/1401956076

Shereen Qutob is absolutely fascinating - she enables organizations to understand and tap into their true talents - their teams. 

She helps high performance cultures in an age of constant disruption and as a self proclaimed Corporate Alchemist, her mission is bring humanity back to the workplace one conversation at a time.

Shereen says: We’ve been lied to as a humanity. That life is hard. That nothing comes easily. Stress and strife are seen as “normal” while being happy for no reason is questioned. It’s time to break free of these limiting beliefs and shackles that have killed more dreams than we can imagine.

Isn’t she incredible!? Our conversation about employees and the workplace post Covid, how compassion and empathy are the key to business performance and bringing joy to the every day resonated with me on so many levels.

I hope that this conversation leaves your fired up and ready to bring humanity back to your workplace. Please enjoy it.

Follow me, and the Good Intentions podcast:

https://www.instagram.com/kellyharvarde/

Find Shereen Qutob here:

https://www.instagram.com/shereenclaritycoach/

Immerse yourself in some of the books we discussed: 

The Enlightened Gardener - Sydney Banks

https://www.amazon.com/Enlightened-Gardener-Sydney-Banks/dp/1772130206

Bashayer Arif is an Emirati writer, and the author of a wonderful new children’s book - The Secret Life of Dubai’s Street Cats.

Her book about three street cats exploring the city of Dubai is about cats (obviously!) but it’s also a beautiful story of friendship and forgiveness.

We discussed the profound power of storytelling, why empathy is so important, and the danger of seeing the world in black and white.

Bashayer also shared tips for anyone wanting to write a book - and get published - and she talked through her writing process.

I was so touched by Bashayer’s beautiful book, and our conversation around animals and what they have to teach us left me hopeful and happy. 

Follow me, and the Good Intentions podcast:

https://www.instagram.com/kellyharvarde/

Find Bashayer Arif here:

https://www.instagram.com/bashayer.arif/

https://www.instagram.com/secretlifeofstreetcats/

Immerse yourself in some of the books we discussed: 

Americanah - Chimamanda Ngozi

https://uae.kinokuniya.com/bw/9780007356348

The Namesake  - Jhumpa Lahiri

https://uae.kinokuniya.com/bw/9780006551805

Matilda - Roald Dahl

https://uae.kinokuniya.com/bw/9780141365466

Gaj Ravichandra is an International Career Path Strategist and Executive Coach, Organizational Psychologist, and the Co-founder of Kompass Consultancy here in Dubai.

Humans hate uncertainty and Gaj’s insights on how to navigate what are most definitely very uncertain times right now were just brilliant. 

We talked about neuroscience and upgrading our operating software - which was fascinating, we also talked about spotting patterns in our behaviour, building resilience and how to turn off that negative voice inside our head.

I loved what Gaj had to say about his family leaving Sri Lanka to start a new life in Australia  and how that shaped him. Ex-pats in Dubai will be able to identify strongly with this, I’m sure.

Our conversation is full of insights and practical tips on how to improve your mindset and develop mental toughness. I loved it, and I’m sure you will too. 

Follow me, and the Good Intentions podcast:

https://www.instagram.com/kellyharvarde/

Find Gaj Ravichandra here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaj-ravichandra/

https://www.instagram.com/gajravichandra/

Immerse yourself in some of the books we discussed: 

Grit - Angela Duckworth

https://magrudy.com/book/grit-the-power-of-passion-and-perseverance-9781501111105/

The Power of One - Bryce Courtenay

https://magrudy.com/book/the-power-of-one-9780833554253/

Marcus Smith is a phenomenon..I’d go as far as to say he’s almost superhuman!

He’s an extreme athlete who ran 30 marathons in 30 days and he did this just 9 months after being hit by a truck when he was out cycling. I told you - he’s superhuman!

Marcus has an Ultra mindset - and he’s full of great advice for how people can live their best lives and end every day better than they were yesterday.

If you’ve been feeling a bit flat lately (and I don’t mind admitting that I have) then this episode is for you.

We talked about grit, determination, not giving up, even when things seem hopeless and his energy and desire to grab life by the neck each and every day was just the boost I needed. 

Marcus has a mantra: Work hard, have fun, be mentally strong. isn’t that what we all need right now? Buckle up and get ready for a truly energising, brilliant conversation.

Follow me, and the Good Intentions podcast:

https://www.instagram.com/kellyharvarde/

Find Marcus Smith here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcusjdsmith/

https://www.instagram.com/mjd_smith/

Immerse yourself in some of the books we discussed: 

Legacy - James Kerr

https://magrudy.com/book/legacy-15-lessons-in-leadership-what-the-all-blacks-can-teach-us-about-the-business-of-life-9781472103536/

Finding my Virginity - Richard Branson

https://magrudy.com/book/finding-my-virginity-the-new-autobiography-9780753556139/