The One Day Podcast (يوماً ما)

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 until recently did evidence emerge suggesting that gratitude has a powerful physiological impact on our bodies as well. In this episode I discuss some of the main psychological and biochemical impacts that gratitude has on our bodies and health.

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 education that they deserve. The model that Thaki operates in is a highly collaborative and savvy one, that involves collecting used computers donated by organizations, loading them with relevant educational content and distributing them to schools or institutions that interact with refugees.

What makes this story even more special is the fact that Rudayna herself was a refugee child who was forced to flee her country, at 8 years, in a boat to Cyprus due to the civil war in Lebanon. She knows and understands, by first hand experience, the struggles that refugee children around the world go through.

We also talk about what it really takes to start an NGO organization, and the importance of collaboration in a space like this

I decided to cover some of the most interesting social entrepreneurship endeavors during the holy month of Ramadan, and providing digital literacy to refugee children is one that definitely deserved the highlight! 

Show Notes:

Thaki’s website: https://thaki.org/
Rudayna Abdo’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rudaynaabdo/
Tuyoor Al Amal website: https://www.tuyooralamal.com/

“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 what you think by leaving a comment on any of my Instagram posts, or YouTube channel. 

Instagram: oneday.thepodcast
Youtube: The One Day Podcast, with Omar Almajali
Twitter: itsomaralmajali
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omar-almajali-59569340/

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 million 6 months later. Only a testament to the fact that these guys are doing something right!

We talk about all of that and much more. I dig into Hamdi’s past entrepreneurial experiences and all the tough failures that had paved the way for his current success, and he shares a lot!  

We discuss everything from the future of education to what it really takes to succeed in the world of tech today. A LOT of great insight for founders to pick up from this episode.

Show Notes:
Blinkst (Reading App): https://www.blinkist.com/?irpid=56411&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=56411&utm_content=10732&utm_source=Impact&utm_term=Web%20text%20link%3A%20Fit%20reading%20into%20your%20life%20-%20Start%20Free%20Trial%21%20&gclid=CjwKCAiAg6yRBhBNEiwAeVyL0G3GjvUyQQYoXKHG1OWemlwsbw-SwMc2-WDZqCS45ySNEfrP886r-xoCiWoQAvD_BwE


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#onedaythepodcast #Business #entrepreneur #inspiring #podcastshow #Anghami #spotify #youtube #businessadventure #inspiration #selfdevelopment #dubai #edtech #education #abwaab #investments #futureofeducation #hamditabbaa #omaralmajali

“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 you?". I cant tell you the number of times I would get a blank face or no response to these questions.

Contemplating on this made me realize that some of us tend to take decisions in life without questioning the reason behind them, or asking "Why?" ... if we dig deeper into this we'll find that in a lot of the cases we take decisions that are driven by societal expectations and norms.

Have you ever taken a moment to questions the systems that drive us today? Whether that be the educational path or corporate system...etc. If not, I would invite you to be more aware and conscious of the drivers behind actions you take or decisions you make.

So this whole theme around "the right path" in the context of education has inspired the topic for this episode. Hope you guys enjoy it!

Let me know what you guys think by leaving a comment or messaging me on instagram.

Show Notes: 
Link to the Digital Marketing Course I took (affiliate link): 
https://onlinelaunchpad.com/omaralmaj/?pg=obs&ty=workshop1-reveal&ar=system&t=onedaypodcast&utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_term=&utm_content=

Instagram handle: oneday.thepodcast
Twitter: itsomaralmajali

 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 negotiator. Lousin has rubbed shoulders with some of the most powerful negotiators in the world, including FBI negotiators. She is also an international speaker and an advisor on topics such as leadership and emotional intelligence.  

The conversation that I have with Lousin goes well beyond negotiations and explores emotional resilience as she shares the tough personal journey she has been on dealing with her son’s fatal disease. 

An intellectually stimulating, emotionally rich conversation you wouldn’t want to miss!   

Episode Notes: 
- EQ book recommended by Lousin: Emotional Agility, by Susan David (PHD)

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 on how they could pave their way to pursue bold dreams.

Dubai is one of the most progressive cities in the world, and as a public servant, Dr. Aisha talks about the formula and reason behind the city reaching the global recognition it has.

Great conversation, intimate flashbacks, incredible advice, and a lot of professional lessons to learn from.

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 titled as one of the world’s most influential Arabs by Arabian Business Magazine (2019) and ranked as the Top 10 'Power Businesswomen' in the Middle East by Forbes in 2020 for the several prominent roles she’s held throughout her 25 year career in the government, such as working as an executive for the office of HH sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai.

Prior to her current role at Emaar, Dr. Aisha was leading Smart Dubai, the smart city and technology arm of the government, and that’s where I got the chance to work with her and witness her charismatic leadership.

Dr. Aisha’s active social media engagement, openness with people and advocacy towards female empowerment made her the admired influencer she is today.

Some of the topics I explore with Dr. Aisha in part 1 of the conversation include:
- Pressure of holding a leadership role in government as female in the early days
- How honesty and openness in government are extremely important today
- Why she chose technology as a field of profession back when there weren’t many women in it?
- Dreams that she had as a child, and were manifested
- What does it really mean to work for the executive office of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE
- The story of Smart Dubai and how it came about

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#youtubepodcasts #podcastguest #personalgrowth #businessmindset #entrepreneurship
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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 2005, and only within a few years managed to scale up the size of that business by 10 folds, and led it to an IPO on the London Stock Exchange and NASDAQ Dubai - achieving over a billion+ dollars in valuation.

Managing her family business did not stop Noor from pursuing an entrepreneurial venture “on the side”, which ended up growing into one of the largest chains of Yoga and Pilates in the region.

An extremely exciting conversation covering several topics and fronts including:

• How Noor was able to balance time and effort between leading a billion dollar company and running an entrepreneurial venture "on the side"
• The importance of career diversification vs. skill specialization in today's world
• What Venture Capital funds look for in founders today
• Red flags to look out for before investing in any start up

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 from growing up dyslexic. He made a promise to himself to pave his own path to success regardless of how educational institutions or society label him.

An inspiring conversation with another inspiring guest, and during this episode Omar explores all sorts of enriching topics with Andreas including:  
- The pain and insecurity of growing up with dyslexia turning into power
- What it truly takes to succeed in F&B business
- Ways through which an entrepreneur can learn from competition
- The biggest pitfalls that entrepreneurs should avoid before launching their ventures