#115 'My client's told me to start my own business' says Robyn sokol, managing director of Emerald Events & exhibitions, Dubai, UAE
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
'Do what it takes to get the job done' - this is the motto of Robyn Sokol, Managing Director of Emerald Events and Exhibitions. I love how the driving force behind her starting her own company was her clients. Before she got started they could see her abilities and strengths but she felt she lacked the confidence. Today Robin is a fully fledged business owner, with some amazing events completed, works with some very prestigious brands and she can't wait for how the next years will role out! Read More & Listen! #114 'Meet mariam Shibib, Humanitarian turned Language & Communication Business Owner, Dubai, UAE.
'The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
I'm delighted to introduce you to Mariam Shibib the CEO and Founder of the Pomegranate Institute, a language institute at its core but so much more than that too. Mariam story is a great example of someone who has become very clear on her purpose and her own why! Its a complex journey to get there for each of us but she's found her story and knows what her passion and direction is. Read More & Listen #113 'Emotional Eating is Exactly what You want to be doing! says MC Lessard, Emotionologist, Abu Dhabi, UAE.MC Lessard. Emotionologist, Personal Development Coach & Weight Loss Coach
'The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
I was delighted to have MC back on the show - I loved our previous discussion on Success Depends on Mastering Emotions. MC Lessard, is an Emotionologist. A specialist title that I'd only recently heard of. When I met MC I was confused and intrigued by her title. Why would one want to visit an Emotionologist? But the more I listened to MC it became even more clear why her expertise is so important today. One of the topics we spoke about was our relationship with Food and our emotions, something we are all familiar with. MC took me an a educational and entertaining journey of getting more conscious with my eating. She introduced me to a four part strategy to help me deal with emotional eating. I was very surprised to hear her first tip but you know what it totally made sense. Read More & Listen #112 'Learn to be comfortable with your pricing strategy and believe you are charging what you are worth' says Maria Pearson, CEO of Grow-me, Dubai, UAE.Maria Pearson - CEO & Co-Founder of Grow-ME & Woman-Able
'The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
Its a true under current of women in business and I suffer from it too - its that voice in your head that says 'you are charging too much'. Maybe you are more attuned to your pricing strategy and know what you are worth but I don't think I'm alone when we talk about the struggle of charging for your value of business you give. We recognise we do it but lack the confidence to change it. This is where Maria Pearson walks into my life. Maria Pearson is the CEO and Co-Founder of Grow-ME. An impact development consultancy aimed at helping organisations connect people performance to business results. She is also the creator of the initiative 'Woman-able' - a platform to help women entrepreneurs of the UAE grow their businesses. Read More & Listen #111 'Success Depends on Mastering Emotions,' says MC Lessard, Emotionologist, Abu Dhabi, UAE.MC Lessard. Emotionologist, Personal Development Coach & Weight Loss Coach
'The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
I'd like you to meet MC Lessard, an Emotionologist. A specialist title that I'd only recently heard off. When I met MC I was confused and intrigued by her title. Why would one want to visit an Emotionologist? But the more I listened to MC it became even more clear why her expertise is so important today. We are emotional beings and the way the world works today we are expected in some ways to disconnect from our emotions and just be. Can you remember as a kid when your parents might say 'shake it off' or your buddy might say after an emotional break up, 'get over it, move on' but its these kind of 'brush it under the carpet' attitude that means you don't deal with the emotion, it just sits there and quietly festers, waiting for you to deal with it. That deal with it moment can be totally unexpected and hit you at a time when you just don't have time to deal with it. But I know life doesn't always work like that. Talking with MC I discovered that we should embrace our emotional nature. Don't be scared of it or shy away from it as most of us do, but totally turn and face them. Discover what the emotion means and follow her 3 step strategy to help you move on from each emotion. Read More & Listen #110 'Give more in value than you take in payment' says Tara Rogers-Ellis - Co-Founder of Mojo PR & board member of Reach Mentoring - (Dubai United Arab Emirates)
Tara Rogers - Ellis - Co- Founder of Mojo PR & Board Member of Reach Mentoring (Dubai, UAE)
'The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
I'd like you to meet Tara Rogers - Ellis - The Co-founder of Mojo PR and Board Member of Reach Mentoring. Let me start with this - I openly asked for a job after this interview. I didn't get one and I know little about Public relations but, really, that would be a lovely company to work at. Tara and her team have such a collaborative energy that I felt completely at home there. Tara is the kind of boss I would like to have. She's been in the industry for some time and she's basically seen it all, she's calm, she's a communicator and she's a solutions person. These are, in my opinion, all the attributes of seasoned entrepreneur. Read More & Listen #109 'I thank my boss everyday for letting me go' says Ayshwarya Chari, founder of Kidore - (Dubai United Arab Emirates)
Ayshwarya Chari - Founder of Kidore (Dubai, UAE)
'The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
Meet Ayshwarya Chari - the mum business woman behind Kidore - the UAE's one stop online kids' shop where everything is under AED 100 or US$27/-. What a refreshing business opportunity to create in an economy where we are usually flooded with high end designer brands which not all of us can afford. Read More & Listen #108 'Looking after our smile should be part of our regular beauty routine' says Maissa Fattal, A beauty Entrepreneur and founder of Ibtisama (Abu Dhabi, UAE)
Maissa Fattal - Founder of Ibtisama (Abu Dhabi, UAE)
'The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
'Your smile is a reflection of yourself, it's what people see first, why not make it part of your beauty routine' - this is what Maissa Fattal, founder of Ibtisama is sharing with us. She's building a business here in the UAE that makes us all feel great about our smile. Her teeth whitening products are chemical free, organic and 100% safe. Maissa recognized that there was a gap in the market for cosmetic treatment for our teeth so she has spent the last year building a business around this. In the early days she had to spend a lot of time educating her audience that her treatment was not like going to the dentist but more like going to the spa or the beauty salon. Read More and Listen #107 'If you are not sitting at the table then you will be on the menu,' says Assia Riccio - Smith - Founder of Evolin' Women - Dubai, U.A.E.
Assia Riccio - Smith, Founder of Evolvin' Women (Dubai, UAE)
'The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
Meet Assia Riccio - Smith, the founder of Evolvin' Women. A platform designed to help the women of the hospitality industry connect, grow, learn and excel. A platform where knowledge experts can help the women of the hospitality industy evolve. Assia recognized that as women in the hospitality industry climbed the ladder there was less and less of them. She recognized there was a gap and a disconnect between women in senior hospitality positions and those in junior positions so she decided to create a space where there could be a space to exchange learning, insight, experiences and advice. Assia has this awesome quote which says 'if you are not sitting at the table then you will be on the menu'. Its a phrase that can reflect anyone in any industry. She's basically saying if you are not present, focused and engaged in your company's business goals then you could miss out not only in opportunities but in personal growth and connection. Read More & Listen #106 - ' We Help Leaders Solve Those Things That Keep You Awake At 3 A.M. In The Morning! Says Claire Donnelly - Co- Founder Of MHC Consulting (Dubai, UAE)Claire Donnelly - Co-Founder Of MHC Consulting (Dubai, UAE)
'The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
Meet Claire Donnelly, a solid HR Consultant with over 30 years experience in the profession. In her words, there isn't a HR problem she hasn't seen before. She is the Co-founder of MHC Consulting who's mission is to give business owners back their freedom and allow them to grow their team and business in a sustainable, manageable and more enjoyable way. Claire is first and foremost a solutions provider. MHC Consulting aims to go into a business, help discover the root causes of key problems the business owner maybe suffering and help solve them. They help business owners recognise when they are stuck and spending too much time working in the business as opposed to 'on' the business. A crucial difference. Read More & Listen #105 - I build businesses to run as well oiled machines,' says Warsha Joshi - Founder of PlatinumVA.com (Dubai, UAE)Warsha Joshi - Founder Of PlatinumVA.Com (Dubai, UAE)
'The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
Meet Warsha Joshi, a season entrepreneur and corporate career lady. By the age of 26 she had two businesses. In 2010 she started her current venture, www.PlatinumVa.com to provide Virtual Executive Assistance to regionally based consulting firms operating in the GCC. She helps corporates and business professionals manage their administrative tasks so they can focus on their primary objectives. Warsha is all about working smarter and through her team of virtual assistance she helps her client's achieve their goals and objectives. Read More & Listen #104 - 'Blog content has to be relatable' says Helen Farmer - Founder of www.theMothershipdxb.com. (Dubai, United arab Emirates) Helen Farmer - Founder of www.themothershipdxb.com
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
Ever thought about writing a blog? Channelling your knowledge into a space for all to read? A space to share your ideas, thoughts and opinions and help others form their opinion on a matter? Well if you have then this might be a great place to start because Nicholla sat down with Dubai blogger, Helen Farmer - founder of the blog www.themothershipdxb.com to learn more about her blog and what she has learnt along the way. www.themothershipdxb.com, is a blog that takes a very honest look at living, working and parenting in the UAE, covering everything from family friendly activities to real issues facing mums like us. She been in the Middle East for ten years, working in publishing and broadcasting, and has one daughter - and another baby on the way! The Mothership won the Time Out Dubai Kids award for Parenting Blog of 2016. Congratulations Helen! :) Read More & Listen #103 - 'Everyone wants to be valued' says Gillian Brunton - Founder & lifestyle Director of Strippedin6.com. (Abu Dhabi, U.A.E) Gillian Brunton - Founder and Lifestyle Director of www.strippedin6.com
,The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
Health is the new Wealth. This is a phrase that I've heard a lot recently. Many of us are recognising the need to upgrade our lifestyle with cleaner eating, more nutrient rich foods, more exercise, a better work/life balance and a positive mindset. These are the corner stones of a happy and fulfilled life. But.... we know that this is also difficult to achieve. We live such busy, stressful lives with work and family committments, food on the go, driving from point to point and a real sedentary lifestyle that it is often hard to see the 'corner stones' of life that you want, clearly. But here is where my next guest has a solution for you! Meet Gillian she is an inspirational health practitioner, entrepreneur, facilitator, manager and motivator. She's the lady behind a new revolution in internet wellness and fitness called 'Strippedin6'. Stripped in 6 is a health and fitness company based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. In a partnership with Vogue Fitness, one of the fittest teams in the world at the 2016 CrossFit Games, they have developed a system of nutrition and exercise aimed at making you fitter and healthier so that you can love your life. Read more & Listen #102 - Meet Shelina Jokhiya - Founder Of Decluttrme.Com. Her Story From Lawyer To Professional Organiser. She Has A Natural Talent For Organisation, It's Her Passion. (Dubai, U.A.E) Shelina Jokhiya - Founder of Decluttr Me
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East. The thought of an uncluttered life with less stuff does sound awesome. Think of the benefits of it, less to clean, less to organise, a home or office system that benfits all, and ultimately the opportunity of time back in your space again. However, the actual process of decluttering journey does feel a bit painful, time consuming, some feel anxious just thinking about it and some think, 'my house will always feel cluttered. However, the decluttering journey doesn’t need to be as painful as some make it out to be. Get yourself a declutter professional. Someone who can walk into a room and just see how things could decluttered and reorganised. Read More & Listen #101 'At 36 I'm now accepting who I am. Two Times Cancer survivor, Anorexia and self hatred were my past but i'm not playing victim,' says Serene Ghandour, Body builder and Personal Trainer (Abu Dhabi, UAE) Serene Ghandour - Award Winning Body Builder and Fitness Coach on the Learning Curve Podcast
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East. IFBB Body Fitness Masters 3rd place 🔽IFBB Bikini Fitness Masters 3rd place 🔽Coach 🔽 Her own adversity has made her so super aware of her own mental and phyisical being that Serene is an excellent teacher to help you push through your own personal barriers and mental restrictions we put on ourselves. Believe me, when I say a conversation with this girl will pull you out of any 'bad day' you are having and give you that nudge to stop feeling sorry for yourself. Listen to Serene's story and you will understand why I say that. She's so motivating, so empathetic, so engaged with the human spirit that I sat there lost in her conversations and at points lost where I was on my question sheet. Her life has been tough. She's seen cancer twice and she's only 36. She was anorexic as a young girl. She endured self hatred and a negative family dynamic and she says she was a bully. She's been busy. Read More and Listen #101 [Podcast & blog] Are Facebook Groups Right for my business. With Nicholla Henderson hall - host of the Learning Curve podcast (Dubai, UAE)
I remember when I started my first Facebook Group back in 2010. I couldn't decide if I should have done a group or a Fan Page. I remember researching trying to change my group to a fan page and couldn't do it unless I started again! anyway... 6.5 years on I'm glad I didn't. That group I created called 'Muscat - Where can I find' (MWCIF) is now over 44,000 big and its purpose is to help people find what they are looking for in Muscat. simple! Since then that group concept has been replicated in a number of cities and probably by members in cities I don't even know about.
I love Facebook Groups. I think they are just great spaces to build relationships, find answers, share with a community and feel connected. I'm part of many Facebook Groups myself and they too have helped me learn, grow, test and discover so much new stuff I may have not have found. I love it when I find someone who has asked a similar question - it reminds me that I'm not alone. Read More & Listen #100 Mastering Courageous Conversations with Salma El Shurafa & Veronique Ademar From The Pathway Project - (Dubai, UAE) Salma El Shurafa (Left) & Veronique Ademar (Right) - The Pathway Project Ladies on the Learning Curve Podcast
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
Salma and Veronique are the women behind 'The Pathway Project' a Dubai based business focused on Executive Leadership and Career Development Coaching. Salma started The Pathway Project in 2012 and Veronique joined in 2014. They were friends first and joined forces to form a strong and dynamic partnership. Finding and choosing a business partner can be a difficult assessment but in this episode we explore their partnership to find out what worked and how they deal with difficult patches. We also explore their unique business focus. Both women have a passion and drive to transform individuals to perform to their highest potential by getting them to connect back to their purpose and their 'why' within an organisation. They are about creating courageous conversations and help people make the right decisions about their career future. Read More and Listen #99 - Is Podcasting Right For Your Business?
Most of us today are knowledge seekers. We are in the pursuit of bettering ourselves. We want to empower ourselves so we can grow, make better decisions and ultimately live a lifestyle we dream off. As people we are constantly in a pattern of learning. New life chapters start everyday and each come with a new invisible heading with a collection of invisible bullet points under it. Unfortunately life isn't like a laid out curriculum, though sometimes I wish that it was, so I can tick it off as read, learnt and apply. Anyway.. the point being is we are knowledge seekers and these days we have many ways in which to collect that knowledge. We can read, watch videos or listen to podcast!! And this is what this podcast/blo is about because if you are a knowledge sharer and want to add value to your business then podcasting could be your way of streaming up to date audio knowledge to your clients and prospects. Lets explore the reasons for why podcast is right for your business. Read and listen here.
#98 -'The Digital Revolution is an exciting Time but we do need to remember to challenge our digital behaviour', Says Andreas Ekstrom, Swedish journalist, TED Fellow, author and digital futurist. (Sweden) Andreas Ekstrom is a Swedish journalist, TED Fellow, author and digital futurist.
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
Andrea Ekstrom is a Swedish journalist, TED Fellow, author and digital futurist. He has written a bestselling book about Google – and has since been a leading commentator on all things digital around the world. His focus is on educating us on working towards digital equality and bringing back the human element back into our digital lives. He wants us to be aware of how we marry people, people behaviour, digital information and technology to achieve our goals but also how this influences our decision making. Our discussion today focuses on 'digital influence and digital equality. I'm asked Andreas to help us become more aware of the power the big digital players have on our lives. Andreas is coming to Dubai on October 30th for an event with MENA Speakers who are a Dubai based business, run by my Business colleague, Saana Azzam. MENA Speakers is the leading speakers agency in Dubai. They provide highly experienced and professional public speakers with the motive to educates, engages and empowers the audience. Read More & Listen #97 -'life isn't about getting happy, its about finding ways to be happier' says Lesley Lyle, Applied Positivity Psychologist (United Kingdom) Lesley Lyle, Applied Positivity Psychologist (United Kingdom)
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
Lesley Lyle is a Applied Positivity Psychologist and the Director of Positive Psychology Learning. Remember the movie - 'Inside Out' - the movie looks at the human emotions and how they impact our decision making. Lesley has spent her career helping people find ways to be happier and recognising when they are happy. Happiness does always seem like such a difficult feeling to acquire particularly when we are wrapped in stress and anxiety on a daily basis. In this episode we talk about what happiness looks like, how it feels and how we can work to harness that emotion. The Learning Curve Podcast interviews many women entrepreneurs over the last 18 months and happiness is always something they strive for. Lesley shares that we should seek happiness in all that we do and not leave it for the 'BIG' chapter changing moments in our life. Read More & Listen #96 'My passion is to get to the heart of the matter through my film making,' says Urooj Azmi - Student Fellow at Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, Qatar Urooj Azmi
Inspiring Film Maker from Pakistan currently Studying in Qatar
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
Urooj Kamran Azmi is a senior at Northwestern University’s campus in Qatar, majoring in Communication with a Civic Engagement certificate. Urooj has a passion for film making and community development. Her dream role is to be a social entrepreneur and work with minority groups and disadvantage communities and encourage them to use the power of media to help them grow, be inspired and success. She loves to produce powerful and story telling content which gets to the heart of a matter. She's wants to understand behind the 'why' of many opinions and pull them all together into film pieces that digs deep and shares the true story behind the people in the story. Read More & Listen #95 - 'Never Give Up. There is more than one way to get something done,' says Sahiqa Bennett- Founder of Searchie and Searchie. (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) Sahiqa Bennett - Founder of Searchie & Searchie (Dubai, UAE)
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
Sahiqa is the Founder of Searchie and Searchie, a head hunter who is passionate about helping clients find a new solution to their stressful recruitment process. She started her company back in 2014 and can be found across the globe. What I loved most about Sahiqa was her adaptive leadership style, her being one with the goal and connecting with it to make it happen. It takes strong mindfulness and out of the box thinking to lead a team with that thinking. She very clear about her passion, her identity and who she can help. With these grounded ideals it make the rest of her work easier. Her clients will get her and people will want to work with her. People like to work with people who know exactly what the mission. I believe Sahiqa has done that. Read More & Listen #94 'Don't Worry About it Being Perfect Just Get It Going & Learn From Your Client Interactions,' says Julie Beeton - Founder of Beeton & Co (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) Julie Beeton
Founder of Beeton & Co
(Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
Julie is the Founder of Beeton & Co - a company that assists you with your education and immigration requirements for Canada. A corporate lawyer by profession Julie shares a great overview of her business and how she is passionate about helping people make the right life decisions for their families and their kids education. Making life changing decisions takes courage, knowledge and patience and somoone like Julie helps makes this decision making so much easier. Read More and Listen #93 - 'Im striving to Connect with Entrepreneurs head of me as well as support Entrepreneurs who are behind me,'says Carrie Brummer, Founder of Artist Strong. (Muscat, Oman) Carrie Brummer,
Founder of www.ArtistStrong.com (Muscat, Oman)
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
Carrie shares a really great overview of her business and how as she has grown, she’s become more and more clear about her purpose and her direction. Clarity and direction can sometimes really overwhelm any great business idea and so the person can be left feeling deflated or misdirected. Great ideas often don’t take off because you don’t know how to level up your business idea. Through my conversation with Carrie you will hear about how Carrie identified the pain factors she solves through her business and how she spends her time serving, learning and listening to help her clients and her community unleash their inner artist and embrace their creative interests. Read More & Listen 
Have you ever thought about the correlation between a weight loss journey and entrepreneurship? I've recently connected the two. If you spotted the correlation yourself, then awesome and I'd love to hear how you see them syncing up. So summer 2016 for me is about 2 key objectives, a) starting my business, and b) weight loss and getting my fitness back. To achieve both I've been spending the first part of the early morning on the treadmill where for one hour I walk and run to achieve around 9000 steps. My aim is to average around 12000 daily steps. This morning effort really boosts that number to achieve my daily step count. It also helps with the 2nd objective of starting my business by helping me get clear, having a healthy mindset and achieve my daily 'to do' list about what I need to get done. Apart from this morning exercise boost, the majority of my day is very sedentary. I spend a chunk of time Read More & Listen
#91 - My vision is to become the biggest exporter of Middle East voices to the world,' says Saana Azzam - Founder of MENA Speakers (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) Saana Azzam.
Founder of MENA Speakers (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
How would you like to go to an event where the speakers or trainers were from the region? Where they 'get' the culture and the conversations. They aren't from across the globe but locally grown, influenced and driven by the issues and drives we have here. Well this is where my next guest, Saana is putting a marker. She is the founder of MENA Speakers, a boutique speakers bureau providing the market with moderators, key note speakers, individual trainers and corporate trainers to the business landscape. Her focus is on the Arab voices and talent from this region and her vision is to become the biggest exporter of Middle East Voices to the world. Read More & Listen #90 - I've taught myself to see every obstacle as a learning experience,' says Ola Asa'ad - founder of Quality of Life Nutrition & Eating Disorder centre & Primrose Health Shop (Amman, jordan) Ola Asa'ad
UK Professional R Nutr
Master Practitioner in Eating Disorders and Obesity
CBT qualified counselor
Founder of'' Quality of Life'' Nutrition and Eating disorders center (Amman, Jordan)
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
The Middle East also has a weight and obesity crisis. Yes its not just the western world which scores high in the obesity crisis. Over the last two decades there is increased consumption of fast foods and sugar-dense beverages (e.g., sodas). Simultaneously, technological advances and a more sedentary lifestyle have lead to a decrease in level of activity This is where my next guest Ola is deeply involved in. She the Founder of Quality of Life Nutrition and Eating disorder centre and the founder and owner of Primrose Health Shop. Read More & Listen #89 - 'Stop taking selfies and live in the moment,' says Jo-dee walmsley, professional Motivational speaker, Laughter Facilitator, Happiness coach & founder of 'simply Laughter' (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) Jo-Dee Walmsley, Professional Motivational Speaker, Laughter Facilitator, Happiness Coach & Founder Of 'Simply Laughter' (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
Happiness! Its an interesting word and a word that weirdly enough can cause a lot of stress too. How many of you say this...' Ill be happy when...' or 'When I get passed this moment I'l have time to be happy'.... weirdly enough most of us put happiness on the back burner and only create happiness when we've achieved certain things. And then when we do achieve our goal we could land up feeling bitterly disappointed because how you feel and the outcome are dissimilar. Happiness can seem like a battle of wills BUT... it doesn't have to be that way. My guest Jo Dee Walmsley is a professional motivational speaker and facilitator of Laughter Wellness. Jo-Dee is helping people in business that face stress and other work-related illnesses, to find better ways to live more productive and healthier lives. Read More & Listen #88 - 'i'm empowering women to find their authentic voice,' says jennifer lang, a creative voice and communications coach (Abu Dhabi, United arab emirates) Jennifer Lang, Creative Voice & Communications Coach
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
Have you ever thought about the importance of your voice, your breathing and your voice tones when making a presentation, public speaking, in a meeting or even on a podcast? I know I hadn't. In my mind I would just breathe and talk but I have learnt that you can achieve so much more from just taking a moment and getting your breathe under you before speaking. My next guest Jennifer Lang, a Creative Voice and Communications Coach here in Abu Dhabi took me on a journey to explore this subject some more and share her own entrepreneurial journey too. She works with women entrepreneurs to help them Read More or Listen #87 [Podcast & Blog] 4 Reasons Why Ramadan Is A Great Time For Entrepreneurs. With Nicholla Henderson Hall - Host of the Learning Curve Podcast (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates)
The Holy Month of Ramadan started last Monday and for the 1.6 billion Muslims around the world it is the month of fasting and prayer. For those that don't know what Ramadan is, its a time each year when all Muslims fast from dawn until dusk and they must refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and drinking alcohol. Its a month of spiritual reflection, a time to look upon ones own activities and question them and reconnect with your faith and cleanse your soul. I'm not Muslim but as I've lived in the UAE all my life, its very much part of my yearly calendar and I find the month very important to my own character and soul. So I wanted to share with you why Ramadan is a great month for Entrepreneurs even if you are not Muslim and how you can make effective use of the time. Read blog or Listen
#86 - 'We are passionate about flexible working for Professional Women in the Middle east,' says Helen McGuire - Founder of Hopscotch Middle East Founder & Principal Consultant at Pharma Business Partners
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
How many women do you know that used to have a corporate work life pre-babies and kids and now a few years on would love to get back into the game but can't. They can't because full time work in most cases isn't an option. To start with the available childcare options like nursery centres finish earlier than your full time working day allows. Then after that families need to either employ alternative childcare options, which costs more or ultimately take the decision not to work because there is no flexibility. Its a real problem which many women in the UAE face. They want to contribute to the household income but can't a) the household income would just be absorbed into childcare contributions and b) a lot of employers don't consider flexible working options an opportunity and so don't offer it. So what do women do? Well until now most women would just carry on and don't fulfil their own dreams and ambitions. Angry? Probably. Frustrated? Absolutely! Read More and Listen #85 - 'If you are not learning then you are probably not growing' says Lavni Varyani, Founder & Principle Consultant of Pharma Business partners. (Dubai, United arab Emirates) Founder & Principal Consultant at Pharma Business Partners
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
If you are not learning then you are probably not growing.. a really great quote from my next guest Lavni Varyani. The Founder and Principle consultant of Pharma Business Partners. As you can gather from the company name this leading lady is working in the pharmaceutical industry and helps pharmaceutical companies break into the Middle East Market, helps create the right strategy for them and helps them with their operations. She's pretty much an end to end business. Read more & Listen #84 - 'Learn it, Live it and Give it' says Jairek Robbins - America's hippest motivational speaker & performance coach! A special guest appearance by Jairek Robbins at our Women's Peak Performance Event this week (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates) Jairek Robbins, Peak Performance Coach, Key Note Speaker, Podcast & Blogger
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
Ok..so something slightly different this week. I'm the podcast partner for the Womens Peak Performance Summit being held in Abu Dhabi on Saturday 28th May. I have been creating the Women Peak Performance Podcast for the show which has meant I've had the opportunity to speak with all the speakers of the event and get a 'sneak peek' into what they will be talking about. A sort of 'get to know them' before the big day. At the event we have 8 key 'peak' speakers covering eight key areas of your life from Career to your financial peak. All the speakers are bringing, inspiration, education and action for us to take away and really help move our own peaks in our lives. But this week it was announced we were going to have Jairek Robbins attending our event, America's hippest Motivational speaker and performance coach. When I was told i was so hoping I could get a short podcast with him and YES I did!!! Read More & Listen #83 After That Embarrassing Intro, I Need A Great 30 Second Elevator Pitch! with Nicholla Henderson Hall. [Blog & Podcast]
 Nicholla Henderson Hall - Host and Producer of the Learning Curve Podcast
So at the weekend I was badly introduced by a colleague to someone I was very interested to meet. It caught me completely off guard and it didn't leave a great first impression. I realised then that I need to work on my own 30 second elevator pitch. So when moments like that happen again I can take control back. Weirdly enough I had helped in the creation of one for my husband recently and so when he is in a business situation. I think he's got a great one. Here's what he says! Read More or Listen here #82 - 4 MORE Take Aways On Resilience From My Interviews With Women Entrepreneurs In The Middle East with Nicholla Henderson Hall. [Blog & Podcast]
 Nicholla Henderson Hall - Host and producer of The Learning Curve Podcast
On the 18th April 2016 I put up an episode called 'My 3 take aways on reslience from my interviews with Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East. As you can see from the image below, the results as I write this blog we are over 2200 downloads!! Clearly this is something that listeners are resonating with. Maybe its the current economic climate or change is heavily in the air this month but this episode has become my top episode and each day there are still downloads being counted. So I thought, so why not do another podcast on another 4. I did have many 'take aways' but I only covered the top 3 - so here are 4 more. Read Blog or Listen Now
#81 - 'Women Entrepreneurship in the Middle East is Progressing and Booming' says Malak Al Akiely, Serial Entrepreneur & Founder of the Golden Wheat for Grain trading. (Amman, Jordan) CEO at Golden Wheat for Grain Trading Ltd. & Business Partner Nigeria at Ayla Aviation Academy
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
I was in awe of my next guest Malak Al Akiely. She has so much responsibilities and yet she made it all sound simple and easy. This is a lady who knows how to multi-task, focus and get things done. She the founder and CEO of Golden Wheat for Grain Trading. She's the only women in Jordan who owns a grain company. She is the Co-founder and COO of Feeledu.co - an elearning business focused on STEM education in Jordan. She's a business partner in Ayla aviation academy in Nigeria. She's the youngest member of two economic forums for Jordan's vision 2021, she's launching a 'believe in Jordan' initiative to empower women in business intelligence and knowledge creation. She's a wife and a mum to a 3 year old. Read More & Listen Now #80 - 'Continue to work on the business, not just in the business.' says May khizam, founder of The Grid Initiative. (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) May Khizam - The Founder of The Grid Initiative
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
How would you like the opportunity to connect with and listen to key experts in your profession? Ask them questions and really indulge in their knowledge bank. Sounds great right? Well my next guest, May Khizam makes this happen. She brings together knowledge seeker and knowledge disseminators and gives them that opportunity to exchange actionable information. She is the Founder of The Grid Initiative which offers this opportunity via speaker engagements, workshops, seminars and panel discussions. The other cool side of her business is video marketing and she is at the forefront of helping companies leverage this technology. The Grid Initiative works with forward-thinking firms and organizations wishing to integrate narrative-based video communication into their online marketing strategy to share industry expertise and further establish themselves as an authority in the market. Read More & Listen #79 My 3 Take Aways On resilience From My Interviews with women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East with Nicholla henderson Hall. Founder & Host of The Learning Curve Podcast.
Failure and mistakes are not a bad thing!! That is the resounding message I'm getting from the ladies I have interviewed. They wouldn't be doing what they were doing if they listened to the negative self talk or were self conscious about what they said or did. When they fail or make a mistake, they just stand up, dust themselves off and travel on to the next 'to do' item from their business plan.
I think that is very powerful feedback and one that I'm slowly coming to terms with myself. At school you are taught to not make mistakes but when you fail your exams or tests, we are taught mistakes and failing are reflections of you not paying attention or studying hard enough. Think of the times you got a big fat red 'F' - on your paper. Its totally demoralising - What do we do with that feedback? We start the negative self talk....Read More & Listen Now #78 - 'I decided I had to make it work. There was no other choice.' says Tricia Evans, Leadership Coach & Key Note Speaker. (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) Tricia Evans - Leadership Coach & Key note Speaker
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
We all want to be successful right? We all want to feel secure in our sense of purpose, direction and our goals. But lets be honest how many of us actually go off track often? I know I have ... many times! There's nothing wrong with it as we are all human at the end of the day but its so awesome when you can sit down with a leadership coach and them help you reconnect with where you are now and where you want to go 'with purpose'. Tricia is that awesome person. She dives into your work and experience detail, she cuts out the clutter and helps you find your values, your brand and helps you take the next step. She was the first Business Coach in Dubai in 1993, and has now coached over 6000 Managers in the Middle East. Read More & Listen Now. #77 - 'My Biggest Mistake was waiting to make my business model perfect' says Rahmeh Abu Shweimeh - Founder of SheCab (Amman, Jordan) Rahmeh Abu Shweimeh Co-Founder of She Cabs (Jordan)
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
I LOVE it when I have conversations with young, vibrant and ambitious young women who do not have limiting beliefs or are glazed over by 'what has happened before'. Rahmeh is that 'driven' woman who is powering through the social norms and making change. She's adapting technology to meet social changes, she's riding her own learning curve and taking the best of what she is learning and taking action. Rahmeh is a young pharmaceutical student who happened upon an problem she faced and realised she could make a difference to many more women too in Jordan. Rahmah Abu Shweimeh is the Founder, Team CEO and Social Communication and Networking Strategist for SheCab, a Jordan based taxi service run by and for women. As both for profit company and female empowerment initiative. SheCab offers a safe and trusted transportation service for Jordanian women and female tourists, creates new job opportunities and encourages advocacy among Jordanian women. Read More & Listen #76 - 'there are so many ideas out there, you just need to start talking to people,' says Natalya Koroleva, Founder & CEO of Wellclubs. (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates) Natalya Koroleva - Founder & CEO of Wellclubs
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
Who LOVES to be pampered? That feeling of bliss and relaxation after you have had a great thai massage or the light and clean feeling after that facial or wax treatment. Isn't it just wonderful?! Well my next guest, Natalya Koroleva, is the Founder & CEO of Wellclubs, a wellness & Beauty E-Commerce Platform. They are helping you connect with your next wellness treatment easily and more efficiently. From a customer point of you WellClubs, helps you search and find treatment you need at the time and cost you want. From a partner point of view, her platform streamlines the business to customer connection and opens up another revenue stream. Read More & Listen #75 - 'Don't carry your mistakes around with you. use them as stepping stones' says Rola Fayyad, founder of Friendture, & Women in Technology Leader (Amman, Jordan.) Rola Fayyad, Founder of Friendture & Women in Technology Leader
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East. Three words I would use to describe Rola and those are Driven, passionate and curious. She's one lady that loves a challenge and this is totally reflected in her achievements. She is the Co-founder of MICEit.co - an online solution for event bookings & Management. She's the Founder of Friendture, a one-stop location platform for group activity creation, invitation and management. She's a founding member of Girls in Tech Jordan AND she's an Hadafi Ambassador, a Women Entrepreneurship Programme. Read More & Listen #74 - 'My 90km Desert Walk & the 5 skills I learnt that can be Adapted Anywhere.' with Nicholla Henderson Hall, Host of the Learning Curve Podcast (Abu Dhabi, UAE.) Nicholla Henderson Hall. Host of the Learning Curve Podcast, Social Media consultant & Creator of Opportunities with Cityvago.
So last week - I had a new 'first' in my life! I walked across the desert from Al Ain to Abu Dhabi. We were supposed to do 120km but unusual stormy weather across the UAE cancelled 2 days of our journey. The experience was such a mix bag of emotions. From exciting and nerves at the beginning, too 'I don't want to do this anymore' in the middle, too feeling overwhelmed and teary that we had achieved our objective at the end.
The Women Heritage Walk The Women’s Heritage Walk (WHW) from Al Ain to Abu Dhabi honors the women of the United Arab Emirates who made this journey twice a year not so long ago. Forty-four women retraced this historical trek. Expat women accompanied Emirati women walking in the footsteps of their ancestors who helped sculpt this country. This experience was a celebration of the past and an invitation to shape a vibrant future. My 'Sand sisters' and I took on the dunes of the desert and Read More & Listen #73a - 'I am a Growth junkie', says Chérine Kurdi, Transformation Coach & lifestyle Entrepreneur (Abu Dhabi, UAE.) (Part 2) Chérine Kurdi, Transformational Coach
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
Cherine has such a beautiful energy. She has learnt so much through her own entrepreneurial journey that she opens up and shares with us. She shows us her vulnerabilities, her fears, struggles, her Vast Vision, her power to push self doubt to the curb and live the life we feel most passionate about. Read More and Listen #73 - 'I trusted My own Intuition & Quit My job', says Chérine Kurdi, Transformation Coach & lifestyle Entrepreneur (Abu Dhabi, UAE.) (Part 1) Chérine Kurdi, Transformational Coach (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates)
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
When you think about taking the plunge to entrepreneurship, what are the thoughts that come into your head? Obviously there is a lot of success, passion and positivity, but behind that there's also 'the big fear'. The fear of failure, getting out of your comfort zone, the doubt, the worry. Read More & Listen #72 'My eureka moment was Focus everything you do on the client' says Victoria Tomlinson. Founder & CEO of Northern Lights PR & marketing. (UK & Dubai, UAE) Victoria Tomlinson - Founder & Chief Executive - Northern Lights PR & Marketing
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
Victoria's Eureka moment was 'focus everything you do on the clients'. That thinking and direction has guided her through all the work she has done. Victoria Tomlinson is Founder and CEO of Northern Lights PR & Marketing. Victoria's entrepreneurial career is enviable. She's one of the BBC's expert women, she's one of the world's top leadership experts, she sits on a couple of boards, mentors a number of top executives and she's an author. I was pretty impressed! [Her Bio below shares more of her business profile. Click Read More to find it]. Read More & Listen #71 I love to Empower women' says Carolin Zeitler, Founder & CEO of Tataowar & How Women Work. (Doha, Qatar) Caroline Zeitler- Founder & CEO of Tataowar & How Women Work
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
I'm always amazed and in awe of people that have the 'let it go and surrender to the flow of life' thinking and are able to talk and walk that path. Carolin is one of those people and with it she not only succeeds in the business world but she's has also impacted many others too. Carolin is the Founder & CEO of two great businesses but deep down she is a teacher, someone who wants to transition energy and knowledge from her or someone she connects with, to you. She loves to empower women and help them on to their road to success. Read More & Listen #70- 'I'm so happy when people come up to me in the mall and say thank you for helping me find a job', says Elsbeth BlekkenHorst-Tammes, Founder & CEO of Global Women Qatar. (Doha, Qatar) Elsbeth Blekkenhorst-Tammes - CEO & Founder of Global Women Qatar
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
'I love it when people come passed in the Mall or in a cafe and say thanks for helping me find a job'. Its for that reason Elsbeth loves what she does. She strives to connect Women to jobs in Qatar and further their career. Elsbeth is the Founder & CEO of Global Women Qatar, Qatar’s first and only recruitment agency to focus exclusively on the recruitment of women. Elsbeth and her partner recognised a gap in the market for a service focused on the recruitment of women. A very niche area but they discovered that companies were looking to employ more women in Doha to diversify their workforce. Read More & Listen #69- 'I'm always trying to find ways to serve our communities better' says Dina Sherif. Co-Founder of 'Ahead of the curve'. (Heliopolis, Egypt) Dina Sherif, Co-Founder of Ahead of the Curve, Egypt.
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
How would you make your community more sustainable? Make it not just about creating economic growth and the creation of jobs [which will happen] but more about creating multiple layers of economic, social and environmental value where you and your community all benefit? Does this sound like something you could do or want to be part of? My next guest, Dina Sherif, is on that mission. She is passionate about finding better ways that serve everyone better and her vision is focused on creating sustainable societies. Her goal is to see her business be leading the way in the commercialisation of social innovations. Read More & Listen #68 The 4 Super powers of podcasts for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East with Nicholla Henderson hall
How many podcasts do you listen too? I bet the number is either none, some or loads!!! Its really fascinating when you talk to people about podcasting and they are either totally into them or haven't got a clue!! Often the cluelessness is based around the 'Why would I listen to them?' or 'Where do I get them?' or quite plainly 'what is a podcast'. Living here in the UAE I have to say the latter of those questions is the most common, but then weird things happen like, I get the opportunity to be part of The National newspaper on podcasting. That was awesome by the way! :) So it really is a 'learning curve' when it comes to podcasting!
So if you are one that sits of the fence as a listener or as someone that could see the medium as a tool then here are my 4 superpowers of podcasts that 'hopefully' will help you jump off the fence to downloading a couple to listen to some or start your own. Really there are thousands of podcasts. I am part of 4 communities on Facebook where there are podcasters producing shows and episodes and nearly everyday we see a new show launching around another niche area. From health & wellness to fly fishing, there are literally thousands of podcasts out there! Check out ITunes or Stitcher and Im sure you will find something you like. Read More & Listen #67- 'everyday I go home feeling happy I have changed the life of a young person in algeria' says Leen Abdel Jaber Al Ashhab, Founder & Executive Director of Injaz El Djazair. (Algeria) Leen Abdul Jaber Al Ashhab, Founder & Executive Director of Injaz El Djazair
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
Yes.. Everyday Leen goes home feeling happy she is making a difference in a young persons life. She's the founder of the Algerian connection for Injaz Al Arab, is a non-profit organization that drives youth education and training in workforce readiness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship across the Arab World. Read More & Listen #66 - 'Learning Will always take you to the next Level' says Rana El Chemaitelly. Founder of The Little Engineer. (Beirut, Lebanon) Rana El Chemaitelly, Founder of The Little Engineer. (Beirut, Lebanon)
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
How many of you would like to see your kid or nieces or nephews or even your friends kids step away from the ipads or computer games and engage in activities like robot building, science, technology, engineering, mathematics and renewable Energy. Interested? I know I was. I like Ipads but they offer no phyisical interaction, my daughter just sits and stares at it and it offers limited sensory interaction because you can' smell or touch what you are working on or viewing. these thoughts are very much similiar to Rana, the Founder of The Little Engineer. Read More & Listen #65 - 'If you want to Be a Diamond, you have to bear the cutting', says Doaa Adel El Eraqy, Tech Entrepreneur & Mentor, Founder of Arab Womenpreneur & Co Founder of She is Back. (Cairo, Egypt) Doaa Adel El Eraqy's. Tech Entrepreneur & Mentor. Founder of Arab Womenpreneur & She is Back!
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.
How many tech women entrepreneurs do you know? How many have you read about in the news? Well surprisingly there isn't that many. Type into Google 'Why are there not many women tech entrepreneurs' and you will be quite surprised to learn that there are quite a few articles about it. A tech entrepreneur is someone who focuses their business on development of technology to help solve a problem. Surprisingly there are not many. So when we found Doaa in Egypt, the learning curve podcast was excited because here is a women who is by profession a software engineer AND plans to make it her mission to activate the next generation of arab women in technology - I just knew she needed to be on our show. Read More & Listen #64 The Five Common Traits Of Women Entrepreneurs In The Middle East. with Nicholla, Podcast host for the Learning Curve Podcast
The First Women Entrepreneur Podcast in the Middle East.
Over the last year I have spoken to 42 different women on the Learning Curve Podcast. From all walks of life across the Middle East. Each time they have shared their entrepreneurial story, their challenges, their successes, how they organize their day, how they see social media, where they seem themselves on their own learning curve and so much more. It’s been an amazing journey and I feel privileged that these ladies have opened up to me so that more women out their can take their own entrepreneurial journey. Their stories were all so different, so varied, so personal too yet there was a common pattern and this I feel came down to these 5 common traits. Read More & Listen The 2015 top 5 episodes
The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region:
So its been a really fantastic year for the Learning Curve Podcast. We have met and spoken with some amazing women entrepreneurs in the region. They all have created amazing businesses and are also full supportive of more women taking the entrepreneurial plunge. These 5 episodes below are the top 5 episodes this year in terms of downloads and I wanted to showcase them in a special way. Thank you ladies for sharing your journey with the show. I'll be watching how you all do in the coming year and maybe we can have you back on for a follow up. Enjoy each of these episodes. Listen Now December 2016: Looking Back on Some old episodes and listening to their key messages again
'looking back on 2016'.
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