Reshape by Rania Masri El Khatib: Recent Episodes
Rania Masri El Khatib | The RMK Collective
A podcast by Rania Masri El Khatib. Discussing society's and industry's rising trends with a collective of change makers and shakers. Image by Ausra Osi - @aography.
In today's world masculinity is often defined as a spectrum of qualities and behaviours traditionally associated with men, including traits like strength, courage, independence, and assertiveness. But what about their emotions? Do they have emotional intelligence? Are they vulnerable? Empathetic? Why don't they cry?...
Adil Hussain, a visionary, life & men's coach and founder of BrotherhoodDXB, has dedicated his life to redefining masculinity and creating a global community of empowered men. As the driving force behind BrotherhoodDXB, a men's group currently situated in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Adil envisions a world where men can openly share their truths, free from judgment and shame.
At the heart of Adil's mission is the belief that fostering a supportive community is paramount to the growth and well-being of men. BrotherhoodDXB serves as a sanctuary for authentic self-expression, where men can embrace their vulnerabilities, learn, and thrive. Through this transformative journey, Adil aspires to build not only healthier and happier individuals but also to contribute to a better world for future generations.
Whether you're a man or a woman, i hope you enjoy this conversation, I have very much loved chatting with Adil about this taboo topic and love what BrotherhoodDXB is doing for men.
*For more information visit @adilcoachesmen.
"On the other side of fear is freedom, you just need to take that first step" - Adil Hussain
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
In this episode, we delve into the complex and often misunderstood journey of women's bodies through perimenopause, premenopause, and menopause. Our guest, Ann Marie McQueen, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. Her background as a digital journalist and podcaster, along with her foundational role at The National Newspaper and her innovative work with Hotflash Inc, equips her to shed light on this crucial life stage.
Understanding the physiological and hormonal shifts that occur during the lead-up to menopause is key for women to effectively manage their health. This phase can significantly impact both physical and mental well-being, making education and awareness vital. Something that helped Ann to navigate this journey, raise that awareness and educate herself on the topic were courses, such as the ones from Mark Groves from the "Create The Love" program; and books such as "The Untethered Soul" by Michael Singer, "The Wisdom of Anxiety" by Sheryl Paul and "Hormone Repair Manual" by Lara Briden (what Ann calls the "perimenopause rescue kit").
We'll explore various topics, including the effects of hormonal changes on mental health, the significance of adapting nutrition and exercise routines, and the realities and myths surrounding Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). There's a lot of misinformation about HRT, and it's important to clear up these misconceptions to aid women in making informed choices.
Join me on this conversation that promises to be both informative and empowering, offering scientific insights along with practical guidance for women navigating through menopause. It emphasizes the need for a comprehensive understanding and acceptance of these changes, advocating for a holistic approach to health and wellness during this transformative period.
*For more information you can visit @annmariemcqueenad or @hotflashinc
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
Biomedicine today stands as the vanguard of human health, weaving together science and technology to unravel the mysteries of our biological intricacies. It plays a pivotal role in advancing medical knowledge, enabling the development of groundbreaking treatments and therapies. From decoding the secrets of our genetics, to preventing and early-detect diseases such as cancer, and harnessing the potential of stem cells, biomedicine offers unparalleled insights into the mechanism of today's preventative medicine. Our guest, Dr. Mucci, is an award winning expert in the subject and takes us on a journey through the world of this innovative - yet revolutionary - medicine.
Dr. Giuseppe Mucci is a bioscientist with over three decades of specialised expertise in the fields of genomics, oncology and stem cell therapy.
Founder and CEO of the Bioscience Group, Dr. Mucci has always nurtured an inquisitive mind that was focused on finding ways to help others with the most innovative and safest medical techniques, which led him to immerse himself in the
world of Stem Cells, and to found the Bioscience Institute in 2005 to offer new and highly effective treatments for people across the globe.
Throughout his career, Dr. Mucci has had a resounding impact on the Stem Cell industry. Some of the awards he's won over the years include the "Excellence and Innovation" from Dubai Healthcare City; "Excellence in Research & Development in Genomics", and the "Leonardo Startup" prize from the Italian Quality Committee.
Join me in this episode as we dive first hand into the curious field biomedicine and learn all things about regenerative & preventative medicine, stem cells & helixafe, personalised medicine & how we should be doing supplements, how the lungs and heart are key to stay rejuvenated and much more...
*For more information & consultation bookings with the team in Bioscience's Institute Clinic in Dubai please visit www.bioinst.com or call +971 4 375 7220.
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
Brand building is an integral aspect of personal and business development. It not only increases the voice and consumer awareness of a brand, but it also gives it an identity and worth. That's why I decided to centre this episode around this interesting topic.
From discussing about what it takes to build a brand, reach larger audience and stay relevant from a fashion & communications expert; to discovering the inspiration behind the creation of one of the Middle East's most renowned home brands (and Best Place to Work in the Middle East!) and discussing the importance of values, organisational culture and creating impact; to diving into the marketing world in today's fast changing world and discussing how important is to keep a balance between what our guest calls, "the heart & the science" - we discuss all things around brand building on this season.
Whether you're an entrepreneur building your brand, an adventurous soul thinking about taking the step into the entrepreneurial world, or just curious to know more about this topic, I invite you to listen to this season's episodes to uncover the interesting insights & learnings that our guests, Sultan Darmaki, Thomas Lundgren and Carla Hassan share with me on these episodes.
See you on season 10, where we'll jump from the entrepreneurial world to the interesting topic of healthcare!
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
In today's world, marketing is a huge word that encompasses so much and is essential in building a brand and not only in promoting your products or services; it shapes and communicates your brand identity, your purpose, your values...and most importantly it is the key connector between your customers and employees allowing you to create loyal long lasting impact and relationships with & between them.
Carla Hassan is the Chief Marketing Officer of JPMorgan Chase with responsibility for firmware marketing, including advertising, media, performance marketing, sponsorships and tales, customer insights and analytics for the Chase, J.P. Morgan & corporate brands. Prior to this role, Carla was the Chief Marketing Officer of Citi.
Besides her recent career in the banking area, Carla has previously lead in other important marketing roles for consumer giants such as PepsiCo or Toys "R" Us.
Today, Carla serves on the board of the AdCouncil and the Association of National Advertisers, and has received several awards and recognitions for her career, including being named on the "World's Most Influential CMOs" in 2021, 2022 and 2023 by Forbes Magazines, "ADColor Legend" in 2021, and one of Business Insider's "31 Most Innovative Chief Marketing Officers of 2022". In Other words, she's the rockstar of brand building and marketing and also originates from our region, making her a pride and joy for all of us!
Join me on this episode as we learn about Carla's journey, how she fell in love with Marketing and how she manages to stay relevant as the marketing trends evolve. We discuss the role of senior leaders in making marketing & branding central in strategy and decision making, the importance of defining your WHY and your values & finding the balance between the "heart & science", the impact of social media and market trends, and much much more...
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
Successful retailers know that in order to stand out, retail businesses must build a strong brand, be trustworthy, and provide excellent customer experiences - and our guest in this episode has built such a brand.
Thomas Lundgren, is an awarded Swedish entrepreneur and Founder & CEO (Creative Emotional Originator - as per Thomas' words) of THE One Total Home Experience.
Thomas moved to the Middle East with IKEA at the young age of 24, where he first began his career in Saudi Arabia, before being transferred to Kuwait. It wasn't until a few years later, when he started his "adventures" in Dubai, UAE.
During his first two years in Dubai, Thomas worked tirelessly on his business plan, trying to convince every bank and business family in the region to understand his vision of a revolutionary home fashion brand - but all he got were a bunch of rejection letters.
In 1996, along with two partners, Thomas finally managed to see results from his hard work & persistence with the official opening of THE One's first "Theatre" (store) in Abu Dhabi.
Since then, THE One has grown to be one of the largest and most successful furniture & home decor retailers in the Middle East, with different "Theatres" across the UAE.
Over the years Thomas has been recognized for his entrepreneurial and business leadership skills with several awards such as "Leader of the Year (2018/19)" by Great Place To Work and "Businessperson of the Year 2018" by Esquire ME.
Join me as I have one of the most amazing conversations with Thomas. We discuss the importance of play in retail, the inspiration & meaning behind the name, how he created the renowned furniture brand, and how he scaled within the region. You will also discover his thoughts on succession planing, physical retail vs online, company values, creating impact, scalability opportunities within the region, organizational culture, and much much more...
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
They say it takes a village to build a brand !
In this episode, we invite Sultan Darmaki to dive into the brand building world from a designer's point of view, and we enjoy a reflection on what that village can look like for designers.
As a designer, creative and communications specialist, Sultan has played different roles in the world of brand building throughout his career. He wears many hats; entrepreneur, artist, founder and designer. Sultan has most recently worked on his partner Michael's brand, Halpern Studio, supporting the creative directorand team to position the brand on the global scene.
With over 16 years of experience in developing strategies, tactics and activation plans for a diverse range of clients, Sultan has built a strong name within the creative industry - especially after launching and developing his namesake footwear brand DARMAKI and becoming the first Emirati to have his work permanently exhibited at the V&A museum in London.
However, his career is not limited to fashion; not long ago Sultan was recruited by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs to develop the communications department's architecture at the UAE Embassy in London and launch the public diplomacy program.
Join me in this episode to discover more of Sultan's journey and the experiences he had navigating the different chapters of his career (and brand), how he worked on making his brands go global and what he thinks it takes for a brand to reach larger audiences and stay relevant, and much more ...
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
What an amazing group of women I had the honor to host this past season on ReShape. On season 8, I decided to focus on the teenagers to raise more awareness on how they function, the issues that impact them, and the tools that are out there to support them, and us as parents.
Like in every recap episode, I share with you my key takeaways to give you a taste of every episode, so you can yourself take later the time to pick the episode that speaks to you the most, or all three of them!
Whether you're a teenage parent or not, or you're just curious to know more about these topics, I invite you to listen to this season's episodes to uncover the insights & learnings that our guests, Dr. Haneen Jarrar, Dr. Carole Wehbe & Frederica Tribuiani share with me on these episodes.
See you on season 9! I have an amazing lineup for you of brand building experts to inspire and challenge us! - See you soon xx
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
If you had to choose a phase of a child's life that you feel is the most challenging one, which one would you choose? For many, it is the teenage-hood.
Our guest on this episode, Frederica is currently a mother to three teenagers who has been through some challenging times in her parenting journey: from divorce, being a single mom, remarriage to teen mental health struggles.
Frederica Tribuiani is a French-Italian-Lebanese Brand Advisor, specialized in luxury brand strategy, digital transformation and the execution of strategic omnichannel marketing plans. In the last 4 years she has focused in building brands committed to having a great impact in our wellness & wellbeing, and not long ago she launched WellSi - her own concept dedicated to supporting the health of mid-life women. Apart from the professional, Frederica is a mom of three teenagers that are currently between the ages of 15 and 18.
Join me on this episode as we dive into Frederica's journey as a parent, to discuss in all honestly and vulnerability what it is like being the parent of a teenager, from the angle of the mom. I hope this episode makes other parents feel less alone and will reshape the way we speak about our struggles and our expectations in parenting an adolescent.
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
According to a report by Common Sense Media, teenagers are more likely to be influenced than many other age groups and are highly responsive to messages that appeal to their desire to fit in, be popular and be seen as attractive - which some times ends up creating weight stigma which can derive into causing health issues diseases such as eating disorders. According to a study by World Health Organization, today, eating disorders are the third most common chronic illness among adolescents worldwide - but why? Our guest, Dr. Carole gives us the answers to this and takes us behind the whys of this growingly illness affecting teens' healths around the world.
Dr. Carole Wehbe Chidiac is a Family Medicine Consultant specialized in Eating Disorders and Sports & Exercise medicine with over 25 years of experience. She is also qualified in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorders, as well as Mindfulness-Based Cognitive and Interpersonal Therapies.
With a strong belief in the effect that the mind has over the body and the role that our social network plays in our physical and emotional wellbeing, Dr. Carole is a passionate promoter of healthy relationships with food over "health food", as well as she is an activist against weight stigma.
Join me in this episode as Dr. Carole and me dive into the teenagers' health to discuss which are the key health issues in this age group today, as well as to discuss all things around weight stigma, eating disorders, diet culture, society's role & influence and the free tools parents can use to deal with this sensitive topic (i.e. The books"Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture" by Virginia Sole-Smith or the concept of "Division of Responsibility"by Ellyn Satter)
For more information & consultation bookings with Dr. Carole, please call +971 800 255 433 or visit www.alliedmedicalcenter.net*
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
Even though all humans go through the phase of being a teenager, when we become adults we start to ask ourselves: why did we do that? how didn't we feel any risks when doing this?...and we could write a long list of questions.
Is just when we reach adulthood and we either see what teens are doing or we experience it ourselves with our own children, that we start to develop a certain sense of curiosity towards knowing what goes around inside their brains, and that's what our guest on this episode, Dr. Haneen, will give us the answers to.
Dr. Haneen Jarrar is a Palestininan, born and raised in Jordan, specialized in Child Psychology with over 11 years of expertise in children & families, and over 5 years of experience in Dubai in early intervention work, assessing & diagnosing learning difficulties and planning intervention strategies, as well as supporting children with issues such as anxiety & depression using cognitive behavioral techniques.
Throughout her career, Dr. Haneen has worked as an ABA program supervisor & regional director at Stepping Stones Center Dubai, monitoring screening tests, developing therapy plans, supervising speech therapy & occupational therapy planning, as well as conducting parental advisory; as well as a Head of Early Intervention & Child Psychologist at Cambridge Medical Centre Dubai.
Back in Amman, Jordan, she also set up her own clinic, "Aftalona" where she provided help to children with special needs, but also achieved some remarkable milestones, such as helping n the development of special education departments in mainstream schools and training teachers on inclusion strategies among others.
Join me in this episode as Dr. Haneen and me dive into the teenage minds to understand the "why" behind their behaviors, the difference between emotional & logical language, how to break hereditary patterns & more...
For more information & consultation bookings with Dr. Haneen, please visit www.cambridgemedicalcentre.com/dr-haneen-jarrar or call +971 4 554 3245***
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
On the occasion of Mother's Day months (March & May) I decided to center the conversation around Motherhood.
From discussing about the journey of parenthood and how to prepare for it with a parenting coaching; to what working moms want today from an entrepreneur mom; to putting on the table the taboo around infertility and IVF with the first doctor specialized in IVF treatments in the UAE - we discuss on this season all things Motherhood.
In this episode I highlight the main topics touched on and the key learning obtained from these super enriching conversations!
Whether you're a mom or not, or you're just curious to know more about these topics, I invite you to listen to this season's episodes to uncover the insights & learnings that our guests, Nikki Steele Osborne, Julie Nguyen & Dr. Pankaj Shrivastav share with me on these episodes.
See you on season 8, where we'll jump from motherhood to getting to know better what goes around the brains of our Teens - Stay tuned!
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
Even though today IVF treatments have become a common procedure within society, we still live in a world where the topic of infertility continues to be utterly taboo, having couples suffering or even dealing with the process in silence. We discuss in this episode about this and all things IVF with the pioneer in the field of reproductive medicine & oe of the most acclaimed doctors in IVF treatments in the UAE.
Dr. Pankaj Shrivastav is a highly reputed gynecologist, specialized in IVF & fertility treatments, currently heading as Director of Conceive - a gynecology & fertility hospital in Sharjah. His journey in the UAE started in 1991 after an invitation from the Government of Dubai to be part of of a team that was tasked with establishing the U.A.E's first ever Fertility Unit -Dubai Gynaecology and Fertility Centre (DGFC).
Along his career, Dr. Pankaj has devised several new techniques with contributions to the field of Fertility Medicine such as pioneering work in Ovarian Hyperstimulation and Surgical Retrieval of Sperm : routine techniques that are now carried out in fertility units the world over.
In recognition to his career & contribution to the field of Reproductive & Fertility Medicine, Dr. Pankaj has been awarded the Fellowship from the Royal College of London in Obstetrics & Gynecology as well as India's Hind Rattan recognition.
Join me in this episode as I dive into Dr.Pankaj's journey from Med-School in London to helping deliver the first IVF baby in the UAE in 1992, as well as his views on how the infertility taboo landscape has evolved in the region, the rise of infertility & egg freezing topic, the correlation between spitirutality & modern medicine, what to do while seeking for help to conceive & much more...
For more information about Conceive: The Gynecology & Fertility Hospital & how to book a consultation with Dr.Pankaj's team, please visit www.conceiveivf.com
"We think we know it all, but the reality is, we know very little in medicine*" - Dr. Pankaj Shrivastav.
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
Julie Nguyen is an innovation and marketing business leader, mom of two, wife and the Co-Founder of Crunchmoms - a community and the first & only dedicated professional platform in the Middle East for women at all stages of their careers and motherhood.
After more than 13 years in the tech industry leading brand, marketing and digital transformation roles Julie decided to step down from corporate to pursue her own entrepreneurial adventure and take "control of her own destiny" (as her life motto would say!). The key factor behind that decision? Listen and you will relate!
After speaking with several women who were in a similar situation as hers, she realized how we women struggle to maintain our careers after becoming a mother. This inspired her to create Crunchmoms to help women (and men) gain their confidence back, to help them find their purpose, take control of their own career paths and to be by their sides during all stages of their journey.
Join me on this episode as I dive into Julie's empowering journey from a working mom to a "crunch-mom" and discuss all things around motherhood, going back to work after giving birth, the importance of building communities such as crunch moms, the true purpose of working moms today and how corporate needs to change to adapt to it. We also try to understand what women want today!
If you're interested in knowing more about Crunchmoms and how you can become part of the community visit www.crunchmoms.com*.
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
Preparing for a new child's arrival? Or is are you the partner or friend or family of an expecting mom or dad? We often start by either reading books, doing preparatory classes for the birth, decorating their rooms, setting the hospital bag , etc...But are we prepared to be parents? Our guest, Nikki Steele, decided to tackle this phase with parents.
Nikki is a Scottish Lassie mom & parenting coach, whose first steps in the journey of motherhood were anything but a dream (as society make us believe sometimes!). After the birth of her son, Nikki suffered from a postpartum depression that made her go through a period of highs and lows that ended with the help of a coach.
Nikki has created her own community, The Scottish Soul Sister, where she supports moms, dads and expecting parents through sessions & courses that offer them the right tools to navigate that journey called parenthood. Her main purpose & passion is to share all that she learned through her own journey to empower her own community by giving parents simple tools to make the uncertain and little more certain.
Join me on this episode as I dive into Nikki's journey into motherhood to discover what was the key to overcome postpartum depression, how she decided to become a coach, motherhood stigma & awareness as well as a few tips, tricks & tools to help parents prepare for their journey and strengthen their confidence.
"Motherhood to me is everything: my hopes, dreams, instincts, fears & emotions all together in the form of my son" - Nikki Steele Osborne
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
Did you kickoff the New Year on the right foot? My guests on this past season had a thing or two to say about that! A finance coach & mentor, a holistic wellness counselor and a clinical psychologist specialized in eating & weight disorders share with us a few tips and tricks to successfully achieve those goals, visions or intentions we usually set every end of year!
This episode is a summary of the past 3 episodes of season 6 on ReShaping your New Year. I share with you my key learnings !
Whether you're looking to improve your finances' management, how to achieve your yearly goals & finding flow this year - and beyond - I invite you to listen to this season's episodes to uncover the incredible insights & learnings that our guests, Carol Glynn, Nathalie Khalaf & Carine El Khazen share with me on each one of their episodes!
See you on season 7 where we'll be discussing all about motherhood on the occasion of UAE's Mother's Day month! - Stay tuned!
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
Haven't you ever stopped to think why our list of resolutions is most of the times focused on improving the way we look physically? Our guest on this episode, Carine El Khazen, share with us her views on this topic and explains to us how socially conditioned it is nowadays.
Carine is a clinical psychologist specialized in eating & weight disorders, fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders and Vice-President of the NGO MEEDA (Middle East Eating Disorders Association) known for setting up and being the director of the region's only specialized multi-disciplinary outpatient Eating & Weight Disorders program.
As a CBT-E therapist, trainer & supervisor, Carine has also co-authored with Dr. Riccardo Dalle Grave the "Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Eating Disorders in Young People" - the first manual dedicated to parents with adolescents engaged in CBT-E.
Join me in this episode as I learn from Carine why we should have "intentions" and not "resolutions" and how society conditions the goals and visions we set as well as how happiness is not found in body sizes, but instead in an equation, as per Martin Seligman's book, "Flourish"; we also discuss the meaning of "being in flow" according to a concept developed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in "Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience", and a lot more...
"The unexamined life is not worth living; we need to examine our lives once in a while. Take a step back and examine what we're doing in order to break patterns" - Carine El Khazen
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
Every year we find ourselves listing new goals, but most of the times we find ourselves diverting from the path towards. achieving them due to many factors. Our guest on this episode, Nathalie Khalaf shares with me her personal experience of healing and of becoming. Sheunveils to us what holds us back from moving forward, how to understand these signs and what we can do to make our visions a reality.
Nathalie is a certified Holistic Wellness Counselor at Taabeer Personal Coaching Services, where she helps adults and teens overcome challenging issues such as self-esteem, anxiety, depression and stress.
As an accredited member of the International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine, Nathalie now offers one on one sessions to help anyone better understand their issues and struggles and reach wellness and happiness in a holistic way. Her method revolves around talking or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and reaching memories long buried in our subconscious mind while tapping into our energy field.
Some of her most acclaimed workshops are the "Introduction to Our Chakra", which is focused on helping people understand the way the mind-emotion-body relationship works; and the "Vision Boards", where she teaches her clients how to use these as tools to help their brains attract what they desire in their lives.
Join me on this episode to dive more into the mind-emotion-body connection, as well as the topic of manifestation and how this state of mind can help us towards the achievement of our goals and visions for the New Year!
"I am not what happened to me. I am who I choose to become" - Carl Jung via Nathalie Khalaf
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
A new year often inspires a renewed mindset, we also cant help but list objectives in our minds aiming to achieve them within the next 365 days. Some of us work on adopting a healthier lifestyle, many of us get the motivation to start a new project, and most of us look at our finances ... how many can say they have financial confidence? That's what my guest on this episode, Carol Glynn aims to do.
Carol is a Personal & Business Finance Coach & Mentor, CEO & Founder of Conscious Finance Coaching. After two decades in Head of Finance positions at Big 4 accounting firms & large multinationals, in 2020 an unexpected twist in her career allowed her to find her true purpose: to empower, educate and help women to take control of, understand and embrace their financial freedom.
Join me on this episode as I dive with Carol into a detailed New Year's guide on how to gain that financial confidence. We discuss topics such as the limiting beliefs in our financial management and how we can educate our kids to grow without it. We also talk about the importance of defining a purpose for our finances, finding a happy balance between expenses & savings, designing a value system, and adopting a growth mindset to attract higher revenues ...and much more!
"To me money is freedom of choice. It's an energy that allows us to have the choice to choose what we want to do with our lives" - Carol Glynn
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
What is beauty? On this past season, we ask an industry beauty CEO, a Hollywood star turned into female activist & a functional massage & yoga therapist specialized in women's health.
Whether you're a beauty guru, addict, passionate...or just curious to listen to us debate the topic, I invite you to listen to this season's episodes and uncover the incredible insights & learnings that our guests, Hind Sebti, Rana Alamuddin & Tracy Assaad have shared with me on each one of their episodes - and meanwhile, as Kathryn Budig would say: "Own your beauty, whatever shape or form it comes in".
Ready for the NEW YEAR? See you on season 6 with great learnings on tips and learnings empowering us to make it a more impactful one.
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
What if beauty wasn't something you treat and take care of on the outside, but instead you do from the inside. Our guest on this episode, Tracy Assaad, swears by this and explains to us how our beauty is a result of the connection between the mind and the body; the "thinking" and the "feeling" brains.
Tracy is a functional massage and yoga therapist specialized in women's health whose wellness and self-healing journey began right after leaving the corporate world, when she decided to take a step back from everything and focus on herself.
With a strong belief in beauty as something that is not that much about aesthetics, but instead is more of a visceral feeling, Tracy has learnt - and taught - over the years how our breathing, movement, alignment and mind-body connection are key to long-term health and aging gracefully.
Join me on this episode as I learn from Tracy how to create awareness in taking care of our beauty from the inside; how the mind-body connection is impacting today's health issues based on the theories developed on "When The Body Says No" by Gabor Maté; how the ingredients of our skincare products can impact our lymphatic system; but also how women can teach their emotions (as explained on "How To Be Sad" by Helen Russell); and how we can be preventing the symptoms of menopause if we act early ...and a lot more.
"Beauty to me is an inner visceral feeling" - Tracy Assaad.
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
“There’s nothing stronger than a broken woman who has rebuilt herself” - Hannah Gadbsy. With this quote as a life motto, this episode’s guest takes us through her journey redefining beauty while exploring new dimensions of self-expression, and introduces us into the space she’s creating for women to unapologetically find their true selves. This is Rana Alamuddin.
Leader of the #IForgiveMyself movement, Rana left her home country Lebanon to pursue her dream of becoming an actress in Hollywood. After being part of several successful projects and landing guest-starring roles in productions such as Sex and the City 2 and CSI: Miami Touch she started to feel the need to go back to the Middle East to create her own project, with her own voice and for her people. At that same time her husband got offered a job in Saudi Arabia, which made her take the decision to move back to the Middle East.
The shift of lifestyle, home, country and her motherhood experience drove Rana into a 4-year depression, but following her life motto and the learnings & hope that Danielle Laporte's book, The Desire Map, gave her, she managed to rebuild herself creating the space that allowed her to discover her true life purpose: Bayneh w Baynek - a safe space for the multifaceted Arab woman to come to authentically-away from societal judgement and shaming.
Join me as I dive deep into Rana’s story and how she found beauty in following her own path, breaking archetypal and society standard, and empowering other women to let go of feelings of guilt and shame thereby giving them permission to go after what they want.
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
When industrial engineering and beauty come together beautiful things happen - and our guest on this episode is a picture perfect example of it.
Hind Sebti left aside her corporate role at L'Oreal to pursue her passion: Beauty. Hind has over 20 years of experience in the industry dedicated to building, leading and managing brands. She created two beauty brands Whind & Glaze and she co-founded Waldencast ventures , a holding company and investment vehicule for the next generation of beauty and wellness brands, having invested in Milk makeup and Obaji skincare.
Hind has become a reference in the entrepreneurial world of beauty due to her incomparable brand knowledge and management skills.
On this episode Hind and I go through an interesting conversation focused on the beauty industry of today, her brand's journey, the value equation, teen skincare rising trend, clean beauty , supply chain and much more.
Ms. Sebti is the first Arab, Moroccan woman co-founder of a NASDAQ listed company. She serves as a member of the board of directors of Cosmetic Executive Women U.K. and holds a Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering from The National Institute of Applied Science of Lyon.
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
Jeff Bezos once said: "Your brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room". You personal brand is the authentic essence of oneself - a combination of skills, experiences and attributes that make YOU who you are. It is how you present yourself to the world and how the world sees you.
Curious about this multidimensional topic, I decided to dive into the topic from three different perspectives.
In this recap episode, I give you my take on these past episodes; the highlights and lessons I focused on from our guests, Ben Demiri, Catherine Broome and Lynn Al Khatib.
Whether you were thinking of taking the step to define your personal brand or just curious about the topic, I hope you enjoyed this season and got inspired to reshape your thinking, just a little bit more.
If you want to take the leap, we are here to help you define it with our personal branding program at The RMK Collective.
See you on season 5 where we will debate the different dimensions of the beauty world!
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
In this episode I invite Lynn Al Khatib to dive into the professional side of branding to share with us her very own vision on this season's topic from an organization's point of view.
Currently the Group Head of Communications at Chalhoub Group, Lynn shares with us some truly interesting insights, such as the importance of having your own internal personal brand inside an organization in order to dissociate yourself - whether you're the founder, a senior executive or a member of a team.
Join our conversation as we learn from Lynn about the key pillars that any brand should include, how we can position ourselves by action and through purpose lead reflections. We also discuss what has worked for her in order to gain confidence putting her personal brand forward.
Prior to her current mission, Lynn Al Khatib established the regional corporate communications strategy at Nestlé MiddleEast and contributed to building trust in the Company through consistent and credible online and traditional communication. In her role as Media Relations and Internal Communications Manager between 2013-2019, she operated as the Company’s spokesperson, led crisis communication, established governance within her departments, and trained senior leaders. Her role also entailed building understanding and awareness of the notion of Creating Shared Value; and promoting public and private sector partnerships to generate societal, economic, and environmental impact.
"Your personal brand is not something that you create from scratch based on a brief or a copy of someone else you wish to be like. It's core to your values. It's the intersection of what you are excellent at, passionate about and who you really are" - Lynn Al Khatib
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
In this episode, we dive into personal branding from the angle of the professional. I get a recruiter's point of view with Catherine Broome - expert in delivering high-profile senior talent to privately owned portfolio businesses, designer-led brands, multinational, and online specialty retailers on an international level.
Currently a Managing Director for global talent advisory firm, ZRG Partners, Catherine shares with us on this episode how you can define your personal profile and identity with what you have and who you are; and not as per the past old standards of meeting the requirements of a specific job position or company.
Join our conversation as we dive into the identity side of personal branding and discuss about how talent is shaped nowadays, how can we build equity with our personal brand, transferrable skills, networking and building networks, defining our professional titles and much more.
"Personal branding to me means showing as much of myself as I want to and feel comfortable with the outside world" - Catherine Broome
"It's not about how you fit to the job you want, but how you can create a role that you want in terms of what you have learned, your natural skills and what your interests are" - Catherine Broome.
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
My first guest on this series on personal branding is the perfect example of someone that has mastered the art of balancing head & heart in a way that drives growth all around him and for others.
Ben Demiri started his studies in Molecular Biology; this might be why he has a superpower in understanding people and building great relationships!
In this episode Ben & I speak about topics that impact your personal brand such as passion, authenticity, intuition, leadership, exchange, human connections and - of course reputation! He shares with us how he was able to build a career that inspires so many, surrounded by great mentors, and keeping his pulse on what and who is next in the game.
Ben Demiri is currently the Chief Brand & Partnerships Officer of Europe’s fastest growing (and B Corp certified) fintech, Twig; as well as Co-Chair & Co-Funder at Platforme a fashion tech startup focused on 3D, customization and on-demand manufacturing while improving sustainability and optimizing inventories.
“Everything is relative except one thing: Exchange. Exchange is absolute” - Ben Demiri
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
This season was all about entrepreneurship! We learnt about brand building, the importance of community & values, funding, co-founders, entrepreneurship in the hospitality industry (or as our guest would call it, "gastropreneurship"), entrepreneurial resilience and much more.
If you're an entrepreneur in-the-making or an intra-preneur, I hope this season helped, guided or simply inspired you to take on the exciting journey ahead.
In this recap episode, I give you my take on these past episodes; the highlights and lessons i focused on from our guests, Nohman S. Ahmed, Ghizlan Guenez and Joey Ghazal.
See you on season 4 where it will be all about the Personal in Branding!
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
Film aficionado at heart - F&B entrepreneur is the path he chose in life. This is Joey Ghazal, our guest for this episode.
Born in Montreal and raised in Dubai, Joey is a “gastropreneur”, founder, CEO and managing partner of the MAINE since 2014 - one of the first Dubai homegrown concepts to open internationally. Apart from the F&B industry, he is also CEO and partner of Fighterbrands, a creative agency specialized in space design , brand creation and menu development.
Joey is known as “the man” behind the uberstylish and successful the MAINE eatery, he disrupted the Dubai dining scene by thinking of dining differently and by bringing his theatrical touch to every place he puts his hands on. He made us all proud by exporting his Dubai homegrown concept to the very competitive dining landscape of London.
Fusing his passion for the film and restaurant industries, Joey inspired me by sharing how he approaches every project through a process of storytelling, where every member of his team is a character that is immersed into the brand by design but also by training.
In this episode Joey takes us through his journey while touching on topics such as the importance of storytelling and building a good team at scale and across borders, how he invests in tools that make his world more efficient. And much more...
“If your dreams don’t scare you, they are probably not big enough” - Joey Ghazal
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
“Purpose, legacy, values and community”. Our guest Ghizlan Guenez. on this episode highlights these as key points to have in mind when building any business.
Founder of The Modist - the first global e-commerce platform offering luxury fashion to women who prefer to dress modestly - and Co-founder of Queen Mode NFT collection, Ghizlan is breaking barriers for women in Web 3.0! She is also the Co-creator of SAWA - an initiative that supports young creatives in the Middle East region through a yearly pop up market at the trendy Al Serkal Avenue.
This year, taking advantage of her active community and platform, she created for her avid listeners and fans a business guide program of courses called FForce.
In 2020, at the start of the Covid 19 Pandemic, Ghizlan had to deal with an entrepreneur's worst nightmare and closed her business. I discuss with her about this difficult phase, how she managed it, what advise she has for others that are also faced with such difficult choices.
We also talk about fundraising, managing your board, choosing a co founder and all things startup!
Now in mid 2022, Ghizlan has relaunched along with her partner, Hajar Ouhsin, the comeback of The Modist reincarnated into a new marketplace with Web 3.0 technology.
"It's not what you are that holds you back, it's what you think you are not" - Ghizlan Guenez.
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
Nohman S. Ahmed is one of the three brothers who founded the group Undercover Brothers which specializes in the lifestyle fashion industry. Brands under their ownership include Crep Protect which has revolutionized the shoe care industry and was one of the top fastest growing fashion brands in Europe (Ref: FT1000), PresentedBy, which brings
exclusive/collectable sneakers and streetwear in world class award winning interiors.
The group also own one of Europe's leading sneaker marketplaces KLEKT.
Along with his two brothers, Nohman decided one day to turn his passion into his profession revolutionizing the shoe industry. I met Nohman in 2019 and together we created magic by bringing Presented By to Dubai. We clicked for our love of the customer and the experiences we can create together.
In this episode I caught up with him, and we talked about everything from his journey as an entrepreneur and the lessons learnt along the way, as well as his brand's philosophy, a discipline that was able to get him to conquer the global markets.
"We continue to create products and brands that are bought – not sold!” - Nohman S.AhmedHosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
This season was so much fun! We explored areas of human life together, through engaging discussions on parenting, on courage and fear, topics about life and health, about social conditioning and the role of early childhood. It always excites me to share with you all the conversations I have myself - often in private with a smaller circle of like minded curious minds.
I hope this season made you think, made you change some, and inspired you to reshape your views and habits.
In this summary episode, I give you my take on these past episodes; the highlights and lessons learned from our guests, Axelle Advani, Raha Moharrak and Ersin Pamuksuzer.
See you on season 3!
Have you ever asked yourself: "what is life all about?"
Wellness is everywhere we look nowadays. Messages promoting a healthy living, a balanced mind and self love are everywhere. In October 2021, I decided to treat myself to a week at the award-winning wellness institute founded by Ersin Pamuksüzer.In this episode I speak toErsin Pamuksüzer-Founder of detox & wellness center, The LifeCo Wellbeing & SAF; Chairman & Head of Başaksehir Living-Lab Project ; and Founder of the leading early-stage technology investment fund, Startershub.
At the age of 46, Ersin decided to leave the corporate world to travel and discover life. This discovery took him towards a journey of wellness. Since that moment he has built a system to support and inspire others to do the same. Ersin shares generously his experience and the knowledge he has gained over the years to teach people to live a longer and healthier life.
"Your life quality and your health is a result of your choices. Choose right and be in peace with your choice" - Ersin Pamuksüzer.
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
Curiosity: A strong desire to know or learn something interesting – even if it means having to overcome challenges in the way to discover it.
Courage: The ability to move out of someone’s comfort zone and do something that is scary; bravery.
These 2 key life ingredients were part of the success of our guest for this episode: Raha Moharrak.
Raha’s eagerness started at a young age and her curiosity and her strong bravery drove her towards a journey of changing life experiences. She started by climbing the high summit of Kilimanjaro and didn't stop there. In 2013 she became the first Saudi woman to climb Mount Everest and the seven highest mountains in each continent.
Raha believes that if you’re raised confident & curious you can dream big and you can make these dreams happen.
I was impressed by her lessons that prove any person, young or old can apply to everyday life.
We are all faced with our own summits, and our own ‘nobody has done it’ situations. How many of us will accept fear and believe that, it is also a blessing in disguise.
“A journey is a collection of experiences; a teacher, wrong turns and random encounters, all that move you no matter grandeur or minuteness, it seldom ever merely connects one point to the other, it's what happens between that shapes and changes you. You are only as spiritually rich as you are well journeyed. Live curious enough to discover; get lost enough to be found and brave enough to take the first step" - Raha Moharrak
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
Parenting can feel like a challenging task for many, but what if we look at it as a skill people can actually develop ? Can we learn how to parent better?
i catch up in this episode with Axelle Advani, a Certified Family Therapist specialized in adult-child relationship and emotional intelligence.
To understand better the world surrounding parenting, emotional & cognitive empathy, and to learn how taking care of ourselves can impact the relationship with our pre-teens & teens, listen to the conversation.
“Let’s continue to develop ourselves. Let’s continue to have consciousness of who we are and why we react like that. Let’s build on self-empathy and self-compassion to be able to open our arms to our children with compassion and empathy” – Axelle AdvaniHosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
According to NFT stats compiled by blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis Inc., the NFT marketplace grew to almost $41 billion in 2021, closing in on conventional art sales. In 2020, conventional art and antique sales amounted to $50 billion. The closing gap can be explained by the growing popularity of NFTs and auction house closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To understand better the nuances of this token rising in popularity, Rania Masri El Khatib caught up with Maha Gaber, founder of Organizational Consultants - a strategic communication consulting firm with offices in the US and Dubai - & manager of Gary Vee's personal brand - who has pioneered with VeeFriends in the young world of NFTs.
Maha Gaberraises awareness at the importance of community engagement in this new world of NFTs and how a lot of it can be understood through social listening and personal online education.
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib
While the modern art world is naturally one continuously changing, the meteoric rise of NFTs in the past year has left many wondering how new digital art and transaction technologies are shaping the artistic landscape.
To understand better the artistic part of this token rising in popularity, Rania Masri El Khatib caught up with Sarah Hatahet, art maker, lover curator, and recently also NFT artist since launching the first piece of her "Bytes and Pieces" Collection on Open Sea.
Sara is also the Co-founder of Daftar Asfar - a creative platform based on the Middle East built on the spirit of collaboration.
Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib