Each episode is like a conversation with a mentor you never had! Naeem Parvez is a business owner and investor based in Dubai. Join him on his journey of hardships and triumphs, as he brings on more experienced and successful business owners to guide him towards the right decisions.
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EO Series #20 - How to Live a Zero Regret Life - Saahil Mehta
1:53:21
1:53:21
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1:53:21Feeling stuck and need a push? Saahil Mehta, recognized as one of the Top 10 Rising Global Indian Influencers, shares powerful insights that could transform your personal and professional life. Don't miss this episode! 🌟 Saahil Mehta is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, and peak performance coach. He is passionate about helping individuals an…
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EO Series #19 - Air Force Mechanic to Fashion CEO - Maureen Hall
1:49:22
1:49:22
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1:49:22Who knew that a Canadian Air Force helicopter mechanic with a well-worn copy of Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing could transform the swimwear fashion industry in Dubai? ✨Say hello to Maureen Hall - the Founder, CEO, and Head of Design for COÉGA Sunwear. Realizing a need for protective sunwear in Dubai (especially for her kids), she leverage…
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EO Series #18 - When Art Meets Business: Building a Furniture Empire in Dubai - Tini Meyer
1:45:36
1:45:36
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1:45:36Ever wondered how to seamlessly blend art and business? Tini Meyer's journey from artist to top contract furniture supplier in Dubai is a masterclass in creativity and entrepreneurship. 🎨 My guest for this conversation is Tini Meyer, who has found a way to mix art and business so aesthetically. What I learned from her during this conversation is ho…
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EO Series #17 - What Fashion Empire Builders Know - Rajesh Sajnani
2:00:26
2:00:26
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2:00:26Join me in this inspiring episode as Rajesh Sajnani, the Founder and CEO of the RVS Group, shares his remarkable journey from a young entrepreneur to a visionary leader in the fashion and technology industries. ⚙️ Discover how Rajesh founded the RVS Group at the age of 19 in 1989 and grew it into a thriving enterprise with four subsidiaries, includ…
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EO Series #16 - Brushing Up: The Story of a Pearly White Business - Shilpa Kane
1:48:34
1:48:34
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1:48:34Say hello to Shilpa, the heart and soul behind Apex Clinics Group, co-founded with her life partner, Ajoy. For the past seven years, they've been nurturing a space where dental care goes hand in hand with community warmth. 🤝 At Apex, it's all about offering comprehensive dental care—or as Shilpa likes to call it, "Community Friendly Dental Care." T…
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“You will at some point fall out of love with your business.” 😵 Welcome back to the My First Business Podcast - this is a mini-episode, where I take some the best parts of my interviews with phenomenal entrepreneurs and chop it up for you like a snack. 😋 In this bite sized version, you’ll be hearing from Rishi Kohli, Serial Entrepreneur, and CEO an…
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EO Series #15 - Taxation, Thought Capitalism and Consciousness - Divakar Vijayasarathy
1:59:04
1:59:04
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1:59:04“Your own self-belief is your investment.” What I loved about Divakar the most is that I can safely say, he is on another level. His feet are firmly planted on the ground, yet his brain processes things from the view of a satellite orbiting the earth. In 2007, Divakar was an esteemed banker and had one of the best jobs in India - but he felt his cu…
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How to Build Products Customers Actually Love - Rishi Kohli
8:47
8:47
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8:47“Will you always have a perfect product? No, probably not. Because you're always iterating, you're always wanting to improve. Why? Because your customer wants something better. You always have to listen to your customer.” 😌Welcome back to the My First Business Podcast - this is a mini-episode, where I take some the best parts of my interviews with …
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EO Series #14 - How to Master Pricing Psychology, and Cultivate Lifelong Learning - Nishan Suvarna
2:02:44
2:02:44
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2:02:44What drives you to continue building and growing the business? What’s your calling? 🤗 Meet Nishan, CEO and Revenue Head of Bluestream, a design + manufacturing company based in Dubai, where he’s dedicated to creating and enhancing products and services that promote sustainable urban development. 🍃 He says it’s his calling to do so. 🫡 Nishan's narra…
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Silent Revolution in Africa: The Boda Bodas - Rishi Kohli
11:04
11:04
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11:04"We are trying to build a more sustainable, affordable electric motorbike, but a transport system for “boda bodas”.Welcome back to the My First Business Podcast - this is a mini-episode, where I take some the best parts of my interviews with phenomenal entrepreneurs and chop it up for you like a snack.😋In this bite sized version, you’ll be hearing …
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EO Series #13 - The Unconventional Path: How Peter Carved His Niche in the World - Peter Davos
1:56:04
1:56:04
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1:56:04“You think education is expensive? Try ignorance. Education is the only thing they can never take away from you.”Peter, a man of multifaceted experiences, shares a glimpse into his life's journey. From dealing with family expectations to chasing his own dreams, Peter spills the beans on how he navigated the twists and turns of generational legacies…
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How Funding Saved MC’s Business - MC Luijckx
5:20
5:20
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5:20Curious to know how a business was transformed through funding? 🤔MC and her co-founders bootstrapped the business for four whole years. Then, between 2019 and 2020, they decided to get funding. 💵Why? Because they wanted to make their business much bigger and better! They needed more money to move to a bigger place and advertise more to companies. B…
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How To Build a Winning Sales Team - MC Luijckx
8:35
8:35
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8:35What would you do on your first day at a new job? 🤔Welcome back to the My First Business Podcast - this is a mini-episode, where I take some the best parts of my interviews with phenomenal entrepreneurs and chop it up for you like a snack. 😋In this quick chat, MC talks about starting a business development team, which sounds pretty tough. Scaling a…
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Turning Lemons into Lemonade: Fruitful Day’s Story - MC Luijckx
10:07
10:07
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10:07Ever wondered how a fruit delivery business did great during a tough time like the pandemic?🍓Welcome back to the My First Business Podcast - this is a mini-episode, where I take some the best parts of my interviews with phenomenal entrepreneurs and chop it up for you like a snack.😋In this quick episode, we're talking about MC Luijckx, who started F…
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EO Series #12 - Navigating Fear and Burnout: Embracing Self-Compassion on the Entrepreneurial Journey - Diana Geldenhuys
1:57:27
1:57:27
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1:57:27How many business owners do you know that start a business because they wanted to be closer to their mother? 👩🦳That’s exactly what Diana did with her 3rd business, Land’s Edge, an eco-tourism and sustainability business focused on self-catering cottages and apartments which lie on the very edge of Africa in a little slow-town. 🏘But to get here, an…
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EO Series #10 - Failure Is Not An Option - Dr Sassan Dieter Khatib-Shahidi
2:04:17
2:04:17
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2:04:17“If you sell one, you can sell 10. If you can sell 10, you can sell 100. If you can sell 100, and it goes on. That's that has been my entrepreneurial philosophy. So to anyone listening to anyone who's interested about entrepreneurship, sell one. Don't be concerned about selling a million.” - Dr Sassan Dieter Khatib-Shahidi Dr Sassan’s story in incr…
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Master Traders Avoid Losing Their Money… - Dhiren Harchandani
9:47
9:47
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9:47Would you believe that the best traders in the world were those who trade other people’s money? 💵 Welcome back to the My First Business Podcast - this is a mini-episode, where I take some the best parts of my interviews with phenomenal entrepreneurs and chop it up for you like a snack. In this bite sized version, you’ll be hearing from Dhiren Harch…
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EO Series #11 - Transforming HR: Jaya Maru's Journey from Buyer to Provider
1:57:49
1:57:49
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1:57:49Ever wondered just how tough it can be to take the entrepreneurial plunge? 🫣 From the challenging task of finding the right talents who jive with the company's values and culture to the inevitable hiccups in landing those big projects, she's seen her fair share of ups and downs. Meet Jaya Maru, co-Founder and CEO of Rewardz Middle East, has been in…
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Why You Can’t Get Anything Done… - Dhiren Harchandani
8:01
8:01
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8:01"The biggest problem that we're all facing right now is distraction. Everything is designed to hijack your attention." 👀 Welcome back to the My First Business Podcast - this is a mini-episode, where I take some the best parts of my interviews with phenomenal entrepreneurs and chop it up for you like a snack. In this bite sized version, you’ll be he…
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Don’t Raise Funding Until You Do This… - Dhiren Harchandani
8:24
8:24
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8:24New entrepreneurs should focus on proving their business concept first before seeking funding. But why? 🤔 Welcome back to the My First Business Podcast - this is a mini-episode, where I take some the best parts of my interviews with phenomenal entrepreneurs and chop it up for you like a snack. In this bite sized version, you’ll be hearing from Dhir…
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Innovation and Clarity of your Business - Roma Vora
8:16
8:16
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8:16While various technologies and AI advancements are currently flourishing, how do you use it on your business to your benefit, and not perceiving it as a threat? 🤔 Welcome back to the My First Business Podcast - this is a mini-episode, where I take some the best parts of my interviews with phenomenal entrepreneurs and chop it up for you like a snack…
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How Did You Know That? | Surprising My Guests with a Shocking Question 😮
5:23
5:23
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5:23A little birdie told me about this... Follow and subscribe to our Podcast:▶️ YouTube🎧 Spotify🎧 Apple Podcasts🎧 Google PodcastsWhere to find me:📸 Personal IG 📸 Podcast IG💼 LinkedIn🖥 Website
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Having No Ego and Taking Feedback (Generational Family Business, Craving for Recognition) - Roma Vora
9:34
9:34
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9:34Want to make a successful business? Take constructive criticisms and learn to drop your ego. 💯Welcome back to the My First Business Podcast - this is a mini-episode, where I take some the best parts of my interviews with phenomenal entrepreneurs and chop it up for you like a snack. In this bite sized version, you’ll be hearing from Roma Vora, EO Bo…
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Joining the Family Business (Applying for a job, Supporting Family, Moving out, Getting into Tech, Knowing Her Potential) - Roma Vora
10:49
10:49
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10:49If you were given the opportunity, would you opt to jump into the family business or start your very own entrepreneurial journey? 🤔 Welcome back to the My First Business Podcast - this is a mini-episode, where I take some the best parts of my interviews with phenomenal entrepreneurs and chop it up for you like a snack. In this bite sized version, y…
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Financial Freedom 101: Building Wealth and Security
14:00
14:00
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14:00During my interviews with the incredible guests on MFBP, I always like to dig into what financial freedom means to them. It's fascinating to hear their unique perspectives on this concept. So, I ask them a simple question: 'What does financial freedom mean to you?' 🤔 Let's dive into what financial independence means to these awesome folks. 🤗 -- Fol…
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When WhatsApp Disrupted (or Killed) His Business (Learning About Product-Market Fit the Hard Way, Pivoting To Breathe, Shutting Down the Startup) - Maanav Sagar
9:49
9:49
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9:49Everyone wants to build a tech business, even if you’re not a techy. But how easy is it to do? And what happens when you fail miserably? 🤔 This is a mini-episode of the My First Business Podcast, where I take some the best parts of my interviews with phenomenal entrepreneurs and chop it up for you like a snack. In this bite sized version, you’ll be…
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Chasing Financial Freedom (Practical Tips for a Better Future, Play With 10% of Your Money, Critical Life Periods and More) - Maanav Sagar
9:23
9:23
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9:23Financial freedom seems to the most talked about subject, and yet I think, it seems to be the least understood subject.🤷 This is a mini-episode of the My First Business Podcast, where I take some the best parts of my interviews with phenomenal entrepreneurs and chop it up for you like a snack. In this bite-sized version, Naeem and Maanav discuss th…
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Why VC’s Invest In Serial Entrepreneurs (Execution Risk, Ignoring the Blue Ocean, Where Does Innovation Come From and More!) - Maanav Sagar
6:21
6:21
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6:21In a world that’s seemingly full of serial entrepreneurs, how can first time entrepreneurs even think of competing with them and improving their chances of a lucky break?🍀 This is a mini-episode of the My First Business Podcast, where I take some the best parts of my interviews with phenomenal entrepreneurs and chop it up for you like a snack.🤗 In …
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EO Series #9 - From Selling His Agency, To Making Real Impact (The Real Sisyphus of Business, From Pixels to Photons, Business by Osmosis, Bulldozing into New Opportunities) - Ruchir Punjabi
1:51:11
1:51:11
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1:51:11“Some people like big numbers. They want to make big money. They want to change the world in a certain way. What I realized is that those goalposts will always keep moving” - Ruchir Punjabi Ruchir reminded me of the story of Sisyphus. In Greek mythology, Sisyphus is condemned to an eternal punishment, where he is forced to push a boulder up a hill …
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EO Series #8 - Making Your Own Rules: Breaking Free From Expectations (Going From Blank Canvas to Bold Self Defined Success) - Dana Alhanbali
1:52:33
1:52:33
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1:52:33“We need to stop setting these unattainable precedents for what it means to be successful - happy in love, the perfect business, the ideal bank account. All of these things, they don't last. They are just stories.” I won't lie, as I mentioned to Dana, preparing for this episode was quite challenging. The more I researched and learned about her, the…
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EO Series #7 - Changing Blue-Collar Lives, One Download at a Time (From Sandwiches and Candies to Purpose-Driven Businesses) - Mazen Omair
2:00:24
2:00:24
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2:00:24“I didn't know they existed, so I couldn't even imagine it - I wasn't capable of even thinking of doing this kind of business.”Have you every collapsed at an event with over 500 people in attendance? Not because of fatigue, or dehydration - but because of inspiration?Mazen has. But let me back up, Mazen’s journey has taken many turns. From humble b…
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EO Series #6 - Lessons in Anti-Fragility: Strategies for Thriving in Adversity - Hasan Fadlallah
1:50:59
1:50:59
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1:50:59Becoming successful doesn’t just “happen.” 👀There’s always forces moving against you that are outside your control. That’s what Hasan faced - just two years into his business journey, the 2008 financial crisis came knocking on his door. He was young, had a family to support and had left the corporate world behind - but opportunities were running dr…
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EO Series #5 - Move Slow, Break Nothing (How To Build Generational Businesses, The Power of Starting Small, Balancing Speed and Perfectionism, Betting On Yourself) - Rishi Kohli
1:54:17
1:54:17
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1:54:17In business, how do you balance seizing opportunities quickly, without risking failure? From Dubai to California, you hear the popular chant of "move fast and break things". They don’t show you the graveyard of businesses that operated with that mentality - Zuck could do it, but the rest have moved fast and broken their companies (and their people)…
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EO Series #4 - A Business Therapy Session (From Crisis to Clarity, Lessons from Traders and Pac-Man Developers, Becoming a SuperHuman, Scaling Businesses and Mountains) - Dhiren Harchandani
1:57:44
1:57:44
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1:57:44Would you miss the birth of your child to attend an ‘important’ client meeting? How many personal sacrifices are you willing to make to become a ‘successful’ business owner? This episode was a therapy session for me, with a man who has spent many years in darkest of places. Meet Dhiren Harchandani, a serial entrepreneur with over two decades of suc…
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EO Series #3 - Turning Fruit into Gold: How One Business Turned a Revenue Disaster into Sweet Success (From Losing 80% Revenue to Raising $1M, 3 Ways To Be a Good Mentor) - MC Luijckx of Fruitful Day
1:52:36
1:52:36
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1:52:36What would you do if you lost 60-80% of your revenue overnight?For MC – the founder of Fruitful Day in Dubai - this wasn’t just a hypothetical question.It was her reality. When the pandemic hit and offices started shutting down, her B2B fruit delivery business took an immediate hit. Offices called her to pause contracts, deliveries were paused, and…
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A VC’s Funny Relationship With Money (From the Navy to Startup World, Solving the Biggest Problems For Your Customers, Achieving Financial Freedom) - Maanav Sagar - Episode #27
1:24:29
1:24:29
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1:24:29How did you identify the opportunities that unintentionally gave rise to the creation of your own business? One day, Maanav asked a restaurant owner if he knows who the biggest spender in the restaurant is, and he didn’t get an answer. This encounter sparked the idea of developing a tech product aimed at enhancing restaurant service to customers. A…
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EO Series #2 - Finding Relevance in Family Businesses, Dropping Ego, From Jack of All Trades to Mastering One - Roma Vora of Aranya Farms
1:53:38
1:53:38
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1:53:38Looking for a dose of reality in the world of entrepreneurship? Look no further than Roma Vora of Aranya Farms. As a successful business owner, Roma knows that not every entrepreneur has a daily meditation practice or reads one book a month, but what they do have is the ability to learn from their failures and keep moving forward.In Part #2 of the …
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Struggles Of Solopreneurs (And How To Overcome Them) - Aliya Rajah - Highlight #17
5:58
5:58
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5:58If you’re a solopreneur and you’re struggling to grow your practice or your business, this video is definitely for you. You’re probably working 7 days a week, pulling in all-nighters, and you’re wondering if your life is gonna be like this forever… You know what? You’re not alone. Aliya and I had a session and we talked about: 🔥 Delegating 🔥 Findin…
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Influence & Persuasion with Murtaza Manji - Episode #24
31:09
31:09
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31:09In this episode, we discuss the Six Principles as mentioned in the book "Influence" by Robert Cialdini. These principles include reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof, authority, and scarcity.Murtaza Manji and I provide examples of how these principles can be used in marketing and sales to get people to say yes. We hope you find the…
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What If You Fail? - Aliya Rajah - Highlight #16
10:11
10:11
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10:11I’m willing to bet that you’ve been daydreaming a lot about starting your own business, quitting your job, and becoming your own boss. But I’m here to tell you a fact. Most of you watching this video will never ever end up starting your own business. And no, it’s not always about the fear of money. The devil on your left side shoulder has a million…
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EO Series #1 - Loneliness and Self-Doubt: The Dark Side of Entrepreneurship (and How to Beat It) - Saleh Kuba
1:52:22
1:52:22
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1:52:22”And that is a huge part of entrepreneurship. You feel alone sometimes. And when you’re in those moments of loneliness, self-doubt creeps in.”Building various businesses can be a lonely journey, and Saleh experienced this firsthand. However, he quickly learned that this is a common experience for entrepreneurs like him, and it's important to acknow…
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How To Price Your Services, And Charge Your Worth - Aliya Rajah - Highlight #15
12:12
12:12
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12:12Pricing your services can be extremely challenging especially if you're just getting started in business, right? How would you know what the right amount is and if you're charging your worth? Most of all, how do you convince your potential client to pay you that certain amount? To talk about these things and discuss some mental models, I talked to …
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Finding the World’s Best Data Freelancers - Jadd Elliot Dib - Episode #20
1:43:57
1:43:57
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1:43:57“Your idea is shit. “ This is what Jadd’s family thinks about his “little” ideas every time he shares one. It’s a brutally honest feedback, but he needed it. After a stint in consulting, he believed he would create something bigger, which led to starting his own business - Pangaea X. In this episode of My First Business Podcast, we talked a…
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Realities of Being an Event Planner - Hannah Matthews - Episode #19
1:48:32
1:48:32
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1:48:32“You will make money. You will make money. If you believe in it, you'll make money. Even if you're crap at sales, even if you’re rubbish at certain things as a business owner, or if you have no idea how to run a business. You will learn those things. I think it's much more rewarding if you doing something that you love for yourself, for your family…
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How To Brew Success In Dubai - Laura Manning - Episode #18
1:50:00
1:50:00
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1:50:00Naeem: “When you come up with a business plan, what does it look like?” Laura: “It’s like ‘War and Peace’ in one document!” There is no easy way to summarize my interview with Laura Manning, founder of BRW Society. If you’re only going to listen to one episode of My First Business, make sure it’s this one! Laura and I talked about: ⭐ Selling Avon p…
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Detaching From Your Business (the price you pay for success, saying no, doing things no one would, imposter syndrome is real) - Aliya Rajah - Episode #17.1
54:40
54:40
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54:40(This is part 1 of the interview) “I’m not going to sugarcoat it and say the journey and say it’s been easy because it’s been SO hard. Following your own path requires an insane amount of resilience, grit and patience as well as hard work (and way more hours than when you’re an employee). But would I change anything? Absolutely not.” Meet Aliya - a…
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Detaching From Your Business (the price you pay for success, saying no, doing things no one would, imposter syndrome is real) - Aliya Rajah - Episode #17.2
1:01:37
1:01:37
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1:01:37(This is part 2 of the interview) “I’m not going to sugarcoat it and say the journey and say it’s been easy because it’s been SO hard. Following your own path requires an insane amount of resilience, grit and patience as well as hard work (and way more hours than when you’re an employee). But would I change anything? Absolutely not.” Meet Aliya - a…
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How To Start The Right Business (hint: research, research, research!) - Ziad Tariq - Episode #16.2
59:26
59:26
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59:26Meet Ziad Tariq. As a young boy, Ziad helped his father’s optical business after class every day where he learned the ins and outs of the field. Shortly after graduating, he started working in a Dubai bank to sharpen his finance and customer service skills while simultaneously helping with his father’s optical business. ⎯ Fast forward to today, Zia…
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How To Start The Right Business (hint: research, research, research!) - Ziad Tariq - Episode #16.1
54:30
54:30
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54:30Meet Ziad Tariq. As a young boy, Ziad helped his father’s optical business after class every day where he learned the ins and outs of the field. Shortly after graduating, he started working in a Dubai bank to sharpen his finance and customer service skills while simultaneously helping with his father’s optical business. ⎯ Fast forward to today, Zia…
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How To Double, Triple or Quadruple Your Revenue - Shivaun Gyan - Episode #15.1
52:38
52:38
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52:38Shivaun’s advice for new (or soon to be) entrepreneurs: You’re never ‘too old’ to start a business Outsource as much as you can before you take on the responsibility of hiring people Don't spend money on an expensive marketing agencies in the beginning at first, if you don't know exactly what you need from them Live below your means Have fun in eve…
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