Episodes

Over the last six to eight months, I’ve been learning about the secret to getting things done, a secret to moving forward in life. It’s a framework I’ve been figuring out that helps me dictate the day, not the other way around. This framework was introduced to me by August Bradley called the Pillars, Pipelines, and Vaults (PPV) system, and it has helped me change my way of being productive and achieving my goals effectively and efficiently. If you’re curious about what this concept is all about...

In today’s modern world of restaurants and F&B businesses, serving great-tasting food or a nice ambience simply isn’t enough to make your customers happy. You need to give them the best dining experience, whether in a restaurant, delivery or even online. One way to address this gap is by incorporating new technology in your restaurant. Not only will this improve your customers’ satisfaction but will also help YOU save time and money by automating most of the manual processes in your day-to-day ...

Ever wonder how hotels and restaurants retain and keep their loyal customers? My guest today says it all boils down to excellent hospitality. The way that a hotel or restaurant cares about its customers and brings about a satisfying, comfortable, and safe experience through invisible touchpoints makes all the difference. Join me as I welcome my guest, Ghizlane Benzakour, as she shares her journey of entrepreneurship, her amazing story of why she got into hospitality, and how she and her team m...

Are you the type of entrepreneur who gulps coffee to power through the entire day, or do you prefer to take breaks, enjoy a snack, and relax with a soothing cup of chai tea? If you’re the latter and you’re in the UAE, chances are you’ve already seen and visited this popular brand serving real, authentic tea inspired by tea cultures from all over the world. I’m talking about Project Chaiwala founded by Ahmed Kazim and Justin Joseph, whom I’m interviewing in the Elevated Entrepreneur Podcast this...

Welcome to another episode of the Elevated Entrepreneur Podcast! In today's episode, we discuss the N word. How can we use the word "No" as a powerful tool in our arsenal to manage our personal and professional lives? In this episode, we’ll talk about the two sides of the word "No" and I will personally share my own lessons about this magical word, plus how you can use this word in your business, professional, and personal life. http://elevatedentrepreneur.fm/28

This week, I'm giving you a quick walkthrough of my entire productivity system, complete with which tools I use, applications, and frameworks. Believe it or not, the key to success in achieving your goals and the things you want to do is not by staying motivated or wanting to be productive. Plus, stay tuned because I am going to share three things about myself at the end of the episode that you surely won't want to miss out on! http://elevatedentrepreneur.fm/27

Welcome to the Elevated Entrepreneur Podcast and today, we’re taking a break from our Retail Entrepreneur series to talk about one of my most recent massive achievements in life, and that is completing my first full 42k marathon! It was definitely not an easy journey and I wanted to share with you what that whole experience was like for me. As you know, I wasn’t alone in that experience and so today, I’m joined by two of my buddies who ran alongside me, Preet Sagar and Jeetender Gunwani. Togethe...

While most entrepreneurs, founders, and business owners struggled to cope during the pandemic, there were also those who thrived and grew because they were much more willing and open to adapt to a changing world. Thanks in large part to their networks, they were able to adapt with the help of other businesses through knowledge-sharing and support. In today’s podcast, I’m talking with Sridhar and Umesh, who started One Retail Connect during the lockdown, a networking platform where people workin...

With the ongoing pandemic and changes to the entrepreneurial landscape, more and more retail business owners are looking for new ways and platforms to sell their physical products. The rise in popularity of online selling has made it clear that e-commerce is here to stay. But there are still some entrepreneurs who get confused as to the WHAT, WHY, and HOW of setting up an online store along with their physical store. Fortunately, I’ll be walking you through what you should do before setting up ...

Hey, elevated entrepreneur! This week we’re starting our Retail Entrepreneur Series where we interview entrepreneurs from the retail business industry. And I’m so excited to have the owner and CEO of Wolfi’s bike shop, Wolfgang Hohmann, more lovingly known as Wolfi, on the podcast with me! Today's episode is all about how Wolfi started his bike shop, how he moved from Germany to Dubai almost on a whim and what made him so successful here in the region for the last 20 years. We also talk about t...

As a business owner, you're always dealing with filtering so much information from everywhere, and I can understand how overwhelming it can be. I also know the importance of choosing the right software to use in your business, one that fully supports your needs and solves your problems. While every business is different, the crucial things remain the same, such as hiring the right staff, understanding and catering to customers' needs, and creating powerful systems that can easily be tracked, rep...

Hope everything is doing well and you’re enjoying the New Year! In today’s episode, I’ve decided to dive into what I think is next for the hospitality industry in 2021. While 2020 has been such a transformational year, we can expect some great and bright things for the food and beverage industry soon! The way people eat and dine is changing and restaurants and food business owners must learn to adapt to these changes if they want to thrive. Are you excited to learn what these trends so you can a...

Hey, Elevated Entrepreneur! Don’t you just love fresh starts, clean slates, and a New Year? While 2020 will be far from forgotten, I’m grateful for being able to turn over a new leaf and set new, inspired, and intentional goals for 2021. In today’s episode, we’ll be talking less about the accomplishments I want to achieve and more about the mindset and actions I’ll be doing in the coming year. You’ll also learn how I’m setting myself up for success using my 3-2-1 Method. Curious to know what it...

My, my, what a wonderful year 2020 has been! Despite all the turbulence and unexpected circumstances this year has brought us, I still choose to see this as the best year that has ever happened. With that, I invite you to wrap up 2020 with me as I talk about how I spent this year and how I’m looking forward to 2021. In this episode, I’ll share with you my 2020 highlights, lessons learned, best books and podcasts I’ve read and listened to as well as some episodes from the Elevated Entrepreneur P...

Do you believe that it’s possible to eat a healthy diet and still enjoy delicious and nourishing food? Well, this has been made a reality by Seva Experience, a wellness centre with a yoga studio that offers meditation, yoga, and also houses a cafe in its garden! Opened in 2014, this Dubai’s plant-based cafe offers healthy, organic and plant-based food. Seva Experience has indeed transformed the narrative of healthy food being boring. This gorgeous cafe with aesthetically pleasing interiors, lus...

Thinking of giving juicing a whirl? It is the easiest way to incorporate more fruits and veggies into your diet! A few years ago after having her two children within the span of 14 months, Meenaxy had a constant backache that could not go away despite taking medication. Juicing saved her life and gave birth to something amazing - Go Organic. As someone who has experienced the stunning health benefits of drinking organic juice, Meenaxy now offers a customer-centric product that improves the heal...

People are always looking for healthy snack items, especially wherever there is foot traffic. And even though they may look simple, the snacks business has a lot of moving parts. While some snack concepts are just fads, there are some snack ideas that have stood the test of time, offering entrepreneurs exceptional business opportunities. One of them is Freakin' Healthy. Founded by Roy Koyess, Freakin' Healthy offers a wide range of healthy snacking options to everyone. Armed with 14 years of co...

As an entrepreneur, sometimes the psychological weight of being the sole decision-maker can weigh you down. From figuring out how to stay accountable for organizing your time and making everything happen without losing your mind, entrepreneurship isn’t a walk in the park. Not having someone to bounce ideas around with can be the hardest part of running your own business. For this reason, many entrepreneurs (including me) have resorted to joining mastermind accountability groups that help them s...

Ever felt like leaving everything behind to open your own business or start new projects? That’s what Nooran Al Bannay, the founder of Coffee Architecture did! Nooran left a senior architectural engineering position in a major company to open her own coffee shop in Abu Dhabi. Despite Nooran’s salary being decent and her corporate career path being clear, her personal and spiritual journey led her to a different path. A path that saw her opening Coffee Architecture, a place that serves artisan A...

In today’s episode, I speak to Orit Mohammed, founder of Boon Coffee. After finishing her Masters of Arts in Economic Development in the United States, Orit spent a few years working for some international organizations. In 2008, after getting married to a fellow Harrar native, she moved to Dubai where she and her husband continued to establish their business in the UAE and start a family. After having three children and raising them for a couple of years, she decided to reconnect with the coffe...

In today’s episode, I had the privilege to speak to Maria Eduarda Becker Pavani, the founder of Três Marias Coffee. Três Maria Coffee prides itself in being a perfect mix of high-quality whole roasted coffee beans that has brought a whole new meaning to coffee in addition to making specialty coffee easily accessible to all coffee lovers. The Três Marias Instant Specialty Coffee is available in three flavors: from the citrusy and fruity flavor of Rwanda coffee, the caramel sweetness of Colombian...

I published my first episode five months ago. What a journey in producing this content and sharing it with YOU, this has been! Following a year and a half year of planning - and the pandemic - deliberation, thinking and dreaming, I was finally hitting the record button. It’s been an exciting start! Why did it take me that long? Well, I could attribute this to a long list of excuses. Some of them included being too busy, not sure whether I’d sound professional enough, and not having enough time....

In today’s episode, I am talking to Namita Ramani, the founder and CEO of Above Digital, a leading digital marketing agency that helps small businesses reach their goals and generate qualified leads through pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns and social media marketing. An avid reader and learner who consumes almost 5-6 hours of content every day, Namita is also the host of the Successful Marketing for Small Businesses in Dubai podcast, a platform where she indulges in inspired conversations with prom...

In today’s episode, I’m talking to Wayne Richard, Partner and Chief Operating Officer at Bean Ninjas, one of the world’s leading accounting firms and an expert in helping small businesses with accounting and bookkeeping. Aside from being Bean Ninjas’ resident e-commerce expert, he is also the author of a book called, “A Detailed Guide to eCommerce Accounting” and Host of the Bean Ninjas podcast. Wayne had a 15-year career with Hewlett Packard before starting his own cloud accounting business in...