Savvy Talk

On this episode, the man who has been instrumental in driving the telecommunication industry in our region not once, but twice. Osman Sultan was the founding CEO of Mobinil, the first large scale integrated telecom company in the region, and in 2007 became the founding CEO of the UAE’s second telecoms company, Du. I’m honored Osman Sultan gave me insights into his playbook for this episode along with his vision for the industry in the years to come. I’d love to hear what you thought of this episode, you can reach out to us on Instagram or leave us a review in Apple Podcasts.

I hope you’ve been enjoying our second season where I’m talking to movers & shakers about their brands, their companies and their stories. I’m joined on this episode by serial entrepreneur Anas Bukhash about his businesses and his strategy of trying everything at least once. His story is about how working to build a career in something you’re passionate about defines you and your journey; and sometimes, it makes you stumble on what eventually makes you successful. I’d love to get your feedback — you share share it with us on Instagram and on Twitter as well. We’ll be back with a new guest in two weeks, see you then!

My guest today is Janan Shihadeh, who herself a bag customizer, muralist and an art-a-holic. She doesn’t consider herself an entrepreneur but I do—she’s found a way to make her passion work for her customers, creates great content and everyone’s trying to copy her style.

On this episode, I sit down with Ghizlan Guenez, a frustrated shopper who pivoted her career from finance to fashion. Ghizlan is the founder of the Modist, a luxury brand dedicated to dressing modestly.

Welcome to a new season of Savvy Talk! This season I’m going to be talking to amazing people who have built a personal or business brand worth emulating and learing from. And there is no better person to kick off this new season than Gary Vaynerchuk. I’ve been fortunate to get to know Gary Vee a lot over the last year and I wanted to try and capture Gary unplugged. He’s a busy guy, so the best way to get my questions answered was to catch him as he drove between meetings.

With Ramadan around the corner, we’d like to take this opportunity to wish you Ramadan Kareem! This week, Maha shares her tips on how to use this period to launchpad initiatives that give back to the community, your customers & even your employees and partners.

How do you take your communication skills to the next level? This week, Maha shares why everyone should consider having a coach-—to improve the way you communicate, but also to sharpen your skills whether you’re a CEO or an employee. We also have some fun announcements about Maha’s workshops and upcoming news about the show!

We’ve spoken about previous episodes about good media relationships. One key aspect of this is pitching stories to get coverage for your business or brand. This week, Maha shares her thoughts on what makes a good story, and how to go about developing your pitch.

Even the biggest companies make mistakes. This week, Maha shares her lessons & tips on how to avoid these PR pitfalls and what we can learn from brands who’ve made mistakes in the past.

As every business or brand evolves, you outgrow your internal teams and need to work with a PR agency. This week, Maha helps you understand that tipping point and how to get started onboarding an agency and working with them to ensure a win-win partnership.

Every business and brand needs an audience to tell their story, to create value and to grow their brand—whether a product or a service. This week, Maha shares her six tips on how to grow your audience, and build a base of consistent and loyal followers.

This week, Maha talks about why developing good media relationships is so important for good Public Relations, and how to get started with some tips on working with reporters & packaging your stories.Packaging a storyGive the journalist all the information for them to understand your brand story and give them assets they need to tell your story. Package your story with information they need to share it! Written Content Your narrative in a press release Fact Sheet Infographics Video Visual Content: Photos/Gallery of Images GIF BROLL Video (Stock footage with natural sound) Important Links: Your Website Social Handles: All of your social media handles and platforms For more information, email us or DM us on Instagram.

This week, Maha talks about influencers—how to identify the right ones to work with your brand to onboarding and establishing a win-win relationship with them, as well as some potential pitfalls.

This week, Maha explains the key differences between Public Relations and Advertising, and how the two functions can complement each other for your brand.

As a brand, how you convey your brand message matters. This week, Maha shares how storytelling leads to communication that is both effective and impactful, and how to tell a great story in the age of speed & noise.

This week, Maha shares more about why she believes ‘audio is the new video,’ and everything you need to know about how you can leverage voice for your brand. Plus, some quick tips on how to get started with podcasting. You can subscribe in your favourite podcast player by looking for “Savvy Talk” and follow [Digital & Savvy on Instagram](https://instagram.com/digitalandsavvy) for more updates and tips.

How do you leverage PR as a start-up without an agency or an in-house team? This week, Maha gives you the tips to be a PR Ninja — from preparing your assets, to working with media and leveraging events. We’ll be talking a lot more about PR on a shoe-string budget this year, so stay tuned! You can subscribe in your favourite podcast player by looking for “Savvy Talk” and follow Digital & Savvy on Instagramfor more updates and tips.

The absolute worst time to prepare for a crisis is when you’re in one! This week, Maha shares her insights on how to be better prepared to meet a crisis head on, what your brand should do in the face of a PR crisis and some tips on making sure you learn from each mistake. Subscribe to Savvy Talk in your favourite podcast player or streaming app by searching for Savvy Talk. We’re also on [Alexa](https://www.amazon.com/Amaeya-FM-Savvy-Talk/dp/B07LCD49PB/). You can also follow [Digital & Savvy on Instagram](https://instagram.com/digitalandsavvy).

Should you build a personal brand? How do you go about defining it and where do you start? On this episode, Maha tells you the lowdown on personal branding, defining a brand message and some tips on getting started & some key advice you haven’t heard before. You can subscribe to the show in any podcast player, or your favorite streaming app, just look for ‘Savvy Talk’. We’re also on [Alexa](https://www.amazon.com/Amaeya-FM-Savvy-Talk/dp/B07LCD49PB/ You can also [follow Digital & Savvy on Instagram](https://instagram.com/digitalandsavvy).

As we kick off 2019 let's think about how you can grow and evolve. I don’t really believe in new year's resolutions, but I do believe in reflecting and pausing as its about growing! This episode is based on an article I wrote where I ask 5 questions you should ask yourself based on trends that will boost you in 2019. You can subscribe to the show in any podcast player, or your favorite streaming app, just look for ‘Savvy Talk’. You can also follow Digital & Savvy on Instagram.

Launching next week, Savvy Talk brings you weekly insights, tips, and lessons from communication strategies employed by some of the Middle East’s iconic brands.