August Issue
G U L F
E L I T E
THEINS &O F UTS ANGEL INVESTING
5 Unusual
Traits
HATEM ALAKEEL TAKING KANDOURA S NEXT GEN
Of Successful PEOPLE
N Y C WHERE DREAMS COME TRUE
BUSINESS LIFE GADGETS ELITE LUXURY STARTUPS
CONTENT
1
What’s Your Backup Plan
2
Destination Luxury
3
Think Outside The Cubicle
4
Elite Profile HATEM ALAKEEL
5
Elite Destination
6
HAPPILY EVER AFTER
7
Elite 10 Must Haves
8
HANNA AASE
Why You Need a plan A, B, C...
5 Place To Visit Before You Die
Startup Vs Corporate Life
New York
Revolutionizing Social Networking
Gulf
Elite
CONTENT
9
Elon Musk
How On Earth Did He Do It?
10
11
HUSTLE
12
YOUSEF HAMZA
13
PCRF
14
5 Unusual Things
15
FIFA World Cup
16
WATCHOUT
When Pics Are Worth Billions
The Secret Formula To Success
Ins And Outs Of Angel Investing Saving Palestine A Kid At A Time
Common to Succesful People
What It Can Teach You About Entrepreneurship
M o d e r n Ti m e s Gulf
Elite
EDITOR’S LETTER
Y
ou are limitless... Now I know it may sound a little cliché, hearing people telling you how great your are, that you can accomplish anything you want - that you’re limitless… It can feel a little too mainstream sometimes. But as much as it sounds like mere big words with no truth to them, I gotta tell, they are as true and applicable as the walls surrounding you (walls you should be banging your head against to get all that “good enough” pessimism out of your little head). Remember, the only thing that’s standing between you and your goal is the bullshit story you keep on telling yourself as to why you can’t. The only barrier, the only obstacle that prevents you from achieving greatness, is YOU. Your mind is capable of doing so much - quite literally anything you want! You could wake up one day and decide to learn the art of coding or take on MMA, and chances are, you’ll be great at it, as long as you really put your mind to it. You want to become a pilot, you could do it. You want to run for Presidency in the US, there is a way. Humans are all created equally, but as we grow we either build ourselves to be the greatest version of what we can be or slowly filter our minds, accepting mediocrity as the norm. If someone else can do it, so can you - simple. If someone tried it out, if someone succeeded, then you have absolutely no excuse not to go for it.
ing up to your full potential. You weren’t created to just consume and die away leaving no trace behind you. You weren’t born to be the useless prick you are now, being a liability to everyone else and spreading negativity and complacency around you. You were born unique, there is only ONE you, and that’s for a reason. You were born to make great things happen. You were born to be remembered. You were born to set goals and go on to achieving them. You were born to have your Steve Jobs moment, your Napoleon victory and your Bill Gates idea. You were born to stand out, to have people look up to you, to create mind-blowing things that’ll make everyone’s life so much better. You were born to live, not to survive. If you go about your life thinking this way, the only words you would be using are the same words the greatest of our time used to say: “I came, I saw, I conquered” (Veni, Vidi, Vici)
Practice makes perfect, and when we want something really bad, we try again and again, we build a routine and we discipline ourselves into following our goals. And the results always end up positive. Remember that we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is therefore not an act but a habit. So being successful is just a matter of doing the right thing, repeatedly. If you find yourself crashing on the couch everyday, with a drink in one hand and your phone in the other, watching your favorite TV series, you’ll never accomplish what you want and you’ll always keep on telling yourself that it wasn’t your fault, blaming your failures on god knows what - because you convince yourself that your aspiration was impossible in the first place. Let’s cut the crap shall we? Man up and start act-
Gulf
Mohamed Amine Belarbi - Co-founder/Editor
Elite
AUGUST ISSUE - 11
simply the best
STUDINOV MARKETING STRATEGIES DESIGN, CONSULTANCY AND MARKETING SERVICES EMAIL US AT: STUDINOVSTRATEGIES@GMAIL.COM
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What’s Your Backup Plan
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WHY YOU ALWAYS NEED A PLAN B
e humans love planning, thinking ahead about how to deal with life and organizing our everyday schedule according to a routine. We like things to turn out as expected, and boy do we hate surprises or unexpected events. In high school we all had plans, or to be precise, a plan A. We wanted to be astronauts, some of us wanted to be Pilots, others eyed congress and few dreamt of becoming presidents. As we moved ahead to college our Plan A changed: now we wanted to find a job that would fit the education we have been pursuing, preferably a job that pays well and doesn’t expect us to go out of our way. Truth of the story is, once you graduate you realize that your planning wasn’t as viable as you thought it to be. See, Plan As are just good for making you feel comfortable, giving you the false impression that you are all set. They never turn out to be useful, and the most likely plan you’ll end up following is proba-
bly a couple of letters down the chain. You see, there are two types of people in this world, those with only one plan, and those with many. Those with a one primary plan are the ones who end up stuck in life, not knowing what to do with their days, getting depressed because there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel and those who ultimately end up seeing a shrink every Tuesday afternoon. Having a Plan A only means that you don’t know jack about life and how things work on this lovely planet. Nothing is for granted, nothing is for sure, it’s all about adapting to new circumstances and finding a way of moving forward. Those with Plan Bs, Cs and Ds are the modern day predators at the top of the food chain. They are the millionaires and billionaires, the successful athletes and the celebrities you see on the big screen. Whatever your plan A is, always assume it will never work. Never put all your eggs in the same basket. It’s all about risk diversification, if one plan doesn’t work, you have 99
other options. You love theater and want to work as an actor? Make sure you have other qualifications and ventures under the belt, and be prepared to work in those business fields should the need arise. You are an engineer and can’t live without being in a lab or a facility fixing things? Well, shit happens and you may need to cope with a position in investment banking. It’s all about getting ready for the possibility of not getting what you want, at least temporarily.
right? Well, that’s exactly what you do to yourself when you only stick to a plan A. You would only be giving yourself the cheeseburger option, while your friend next door is having a blast ordering every meal on the menue.
Life is not as easy and predictable as we grow up to believe. We don’t always get what we want or what we deserve. That’s why there are people doing the 8-5 routine, hating their jobs and waiting for a promotion that comes only once every 5 years, adding a few bucks to their salary. The way to see this is to think that Those people stuck with jobs they you’re not unique, you’re not one don’t like, working for bosses they of a kind. There are thousands of hate just so that they can keep up other people just like you, holdwith a life they’re unhappy about ing the same degree, having the are people with Plan As only. Now same ambition, knowing the same think to yourself, do you want to people and fighting for the same be in that position? position. And this is not only relevant for jobs. It’s the same for Exactly. The answer is obvious, relationships, friendships, financbut the way you think and the ing and professional endeavors way you polish that plan A every of all sorts. Successful people are morning doesn’t seem to show not stuck with one plan, they have that you’re thinking correctly a bunch of roads to follow and about this. Ditch your plan A and are always ready to switch lanes if start drafting that list of Plan B, things don’t work out. C, D until freaking Z so that you have 26 ways to make things right Imagine what life would be like if in life! you walked into McDonalds and all you could see on the menu was cheeseburgers? Now that would be catastrophic, unimaginable, Oliver Larney
www.kairossociety.org
WISE WORDS
FROM THE GREATEST “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”
Steve Jobs “You become what you believe.”
Oprah Winfrey “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.”
Henry Ford
Destination Luxury
5 Places to Visit Before You Die Amandari, Ubud, Indonesia The trip may be long and you might have to pay $30 for a cab ride, but once you arrive and step foot in this palace, greeted by the most devoted & gentle individuals, embracing the whole magical setting and unbelievable atmosphere, you’ll be glad you spent the time to get here. Located about 60 minutes from Denpasar’s international airport, lies the Balinese designed kingdom, accommodated with top-of-the-line features and accommodations that simply seizes the mind, allowing you to capture hold of a moment you’ll never forget. Dressed in traditional yet luxurious qualities, it truly brings you the peace you’ve been looking for.
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Bristol Panama - Panama City, Panama As an unobtrusive hideaway, privacy is valued where guests can expect to be welcomed with classic elegance and embraced in a tranquil setting. The luxurious accommodations are accentuated by original print impressions by Panamanian and Latin American artists, and the sumptuous gourmet dining is nothing but inviting. The Bristol Panama is a rare jewel where luxury is emphasized and service excellence is a tradition. Honored with an outstanding reputation, experience this precious treasure, refined and cultured in taste.
Half Moon, A Rock Resort - Montego Bay, Jamaica Half Moon, A Rock Resort is a 400-acre luxury resort located on Jamaica’s North Coast. The 56-year-old resort features two miles of private, white-sand beach with 197 spacious rooms and suites. Additionally, the AAA Four-Diamond resort offers 33 expansive four-, five-, six- and seven-bedroom villas all with private pools and personal staff of butler, cook and housekeeper.
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Gansevoort Turks and Caicos Ganesvoort Resort is on the west end of Grace Bay and 3 miles from the Providencie airport. Guests arriving at this five-level stucco resort are struck immediately by the starck white and glass design. The lobby opens directly onto an immense, palm-studded pool that stretches out to gleaming white sand and turquoise water where white sunbrellas shade soft white lounge beds.
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Taj Exotica Resort and Spa - Maldives Taj Exotica Resort and Spa Set in one of the largest lagoons in Maldives, the Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Maldives is a paradise on an exclusive island. Romantics have fallen head over heels for the Jiva Grande Spa, for its authentic Indian wellness experience with yoga and meditation; eclectic gourmet dining options (in every atmosphere, from casual to formal); and the myriad watersports, including scuba diving, sea kayaking and catamaran sailing.
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“...As part of our exclusive rebranding, we are setting sale in the hopes of discovering a new elegant and luxurious face of CBP, portraing a new extravagant perception that will absolutly rediscover the defintion of our high-end society...� - Philippe Baltz Nielsen
Circle Of Beautiful People International
Think Outside The Cubicle STARTUP VS CORPORATE LIFE
N
ever have I ever been one of those diehard corporate types. You know, keeping track of a 9-to-5 schedule, standing in the elevator with another ten people wearing the same outfit to then just sit behind a cubicle, staring blankly at a screen, typing the same shit I wrote yesterday. Ever since I can remember, I knew I just wasn’t cut out for that kind of lifestyle, you know, the dull corporate culture, because of plenty of reasons. First of all, I have a problem with bureaucracy and narrow-mindedness, two things that are givens in the whole office setting. I just find it soo difficult to have someone constantly over my head, dictating how, what and when to do things – it’s like a match made in hell. Nevertheless, I took the courage to make the leap of faith and worked within the corporate sector, only to bounce back about six months later. Now I’m not saying that the corporate division is the source of all evil (even though it might sound like it), some people love the consistency and stability a corporate life has to offer – some don’t. But having tasted the entrepreneurial life and the sheer excitements that comes with it, I would never return back to a corporate position, as the startup-culture is so much more interesting, crazy comfortable and the snacks are just heaven! Don’t believe me? Here are 5 irreplaceable aspects of startups that simply blow the corporate world out of the water!
1. Every day differs from the next When running or working with a startup, every day is different, presenting you with a bunch of unalike happenings and occurrenc-
es. Your trajectory is completely indefinite and every day is exactly the way it should be – different! Rarely do you find yourself doing the same task you did yesterday in a square gloomy cubicle taking orders from your “superior.” Welcome to entrepreneurship! Balling ideas and concepts is fortified, especially when confronting a situation you haven’t dealt with before. You’re almost frequently pushing yourself to take on challenges, finding creative ways to solve a problem, adapting to find better ways to boost both your career and the entity, something the corporate world would never allow you to do.
2. A dress code is non-existent Honestly, I am so happy I don’t have to throw on a suit five times a week and quite frankly, I think women are crazy happy not having to spend more money on their formal wardrobe. People don’t stare if you’re wearing a pair of jeans, you’re not judged by the color of your skirt and you sure as hell won’t be looked down upon if you’re not wearing a suit and tie. As a matter of fact, it’s okay and even encouraged to wear whatever you want while “at the office” as it reflects on your character and portrays your individualities. That’s one of the major perks about the startup environment; you can be comfortable and still show results, because they know that “looks” don’t reflect on your ability to perform.
3. It’s okay to be politically incorrect When at a startup, you’re surrounded and working with a bunch of creative and outspoken individuals that just don’t give a damn.
I mean it’s not like they got to where they are today by following and abiding to rules set by their “superiors.” Speaking your mind and sticking to your beliefs is what innovates the next big thing, and is therefore encouraged. So it doesn’t matter if you’re nerdy, weird, outspoken – you’ll find your right place in the team.
4. You’re not strained to a one single job When applying for the corporate sector you’re only evaluated and valued based on what’s on paper, that’s it, everything else – worthless. At a startup though, you’re so much more valued in terms of capability of contributing to several sectors within the company. Being an all-rounded guy might sound bad, considering you’re all over the place, but the fact of the matter is that knowledge of different subject matters only means that you’re more accessible and adaptable, diversifying your skills and being able to pitch-in wherever support is needed, raising
the odds for innovation and development.
5. Your boss understands and appreciates what you do When it comes to the corporate life, you’re just one in the crowd – just another black suit, so that personal level of appreciation doesn’t really exist, because the only thing that proves that you’ve done your job is that little corporate paycheck you land by the end of every month – it sucks! At a startup they know who you are, where you come from and what you’re capable of achieving. Your interactions with the topdogs are so much more intensive, giving your “superiors” an insight on your character, allowing them to personally praise and applaud you and motivating you to reach higher grounds. Your boss is able to relate to certain circumstances, not wanting to antagonize you or mess with you, but to guide you and work with you, as opposed to against you. Jans Peter
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10 APPS YOU MUST HAVE ALLRECIPES Tell me you never wished you could blow your date away by cooking the ultimate dinner? Better yet, imagine you could have the best recipes in the world, a click away, with all the ingredients you could ever imagine. That’s what Allrecipes is about, and as entrepreneurs, young professionals and Gen-Y in general, it’s time we master the fine art of cooking, instead of relying on Subway or McDonalds to get us our daily dose of proteins. And I get it; it’s hard to eat fancy when it costs a fortune tomato soup for a 100 bucks, no thank you!
CIRCA NEWS The dream of every Entrepreneur: crunching as much information as possible in the shortest amount of time! Between running your business, scribbling your business plan on a napkin and running endless meetings, you’re unconsciously counting the minutes of your precious day. Now with that in mind, how on earth are we supposed to stay up to date with the latest news when there are thousands of different news sources? There is a solution: Circa News! Circa News crowdsources the most important news events and puts it in a newsfeed for you, with every story just 3 or 4 lines long. That way you can scroll through hundreds of headlines, and if you’re interested in knowing more you can just flick downwards and read the details.
ANY.DO Am I the only one who finds it hard to keep track of a To-Do-List? I mean we all know they help getting your day set and eventually make us more productive, but it’s just painful to grab a piece of paper, scribble tasks and then try to find it in between our stacks of books and unwashed clothes. With Any.DO, you can finally have a To Do List at the tip of your fingers; check in at any time you need, write down tasks through voice commands, and the best part, you check off each task by shaking your phone. Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for an app that lets you shake the hell out of your phone as a sign of victory?
EASILYDO We’ve all dreamt of having a personal assistant to make our lives easier. Organizing our stuff, setting up meetings and letting us focus on what we do best. EasilyDo is your own personal free of charge PA, there for you 24/7. It accesses your contacts, emails, calendars, and anything that goes through your smartphone in order to organize your day to the last minute! I know it’s not like having an actual Vanessa or Christine sitting at the other side of the room, but hey, we’ll take what we get!
IFTTT What if you could tell your Facebook page to automatically share any article that pops up on Business Insider? How about setting a trick that lets you receive an email if your crush tweets about relationships? Better yet, how about you get an automated SMS with the weather conditions updates on Yahoo? See, automation has gone a long way, and in the world of tech, IFTTT is the new talk of the hour. IFTTT, If This Then That, allows you to set triggers for any action you want. It works with Facebook, Twitter, Emails, Foursquare, and pretty much anything you are interested in. Just select the “If This Happens”, then select “Then That” action. Simple, genius, and can go a long way to making your life so much easier.
LUMINOSITY There is a bunch of ways to enhance your memory and enrich your IQ, everything from the good ol´ memory game to fish-oil. But never have I honestly been this entertained by an app designed by - neuroscientists. Quite frankly, I don’t really know what a neuroscientist is, but they’ve done one hell of a job. It’s a brain training game that builds on breakthrough concepts such as neuroplasticity and fluid intelligence, which approaches certain brain workouts with such creativity and simplicity, improving your overall intelligence, focusing on reasoning, memory, response and so many other aspects of your brain. Crazy right, we’ve come to live in a time where playing games actually makes you smarter!
CLOUD MAGIC magical!
I thought this was just another “magical” e-mail app that had way too many non-functioning tabs that didn’t hold their promise of “simple, accessible and flexible.” Turns out, it’s actually
This award winning email app gathers all of your accounts on one page – simple, clean and functional! Working with Gmail, Exchange, Yahoo, Outlook, iCloud, Google Apps, Office and even any IMAP account, you’re bound to access any of your email accounts without any hustle.
PIANO TILES You know when you’re kinda bored and don’t really want to spend an eternity launching a game on your smartphone, going through a bunch of tabs and options before you actually start playing – you just want something that’s quick, simple and entertaining? I give you, Piano Tiles. Now it might not be the hottest game on the market, but it’s sure as hell entertaining, and slightly aggressively addictive I must say. You see, due to its simplicity, you’d think pressing black tiles (NOT white!) would be a no brainer – but it’s not! As you feel the pace increasing, the “so easy” game becomes a little harder, giving you that Flappy Bird syndrome! But nevertheless, an awesome game!
DROPBOX DropBox is truly the main reason why USB sticks are becoming ancient history – and why I haven’t been “forgetting my assignments” at home. You see, it allows you to compile all of your secret photos, documents and videos on a single platform, which can be accessed on almost any device you have, be it your smartphone, touchpad or laptop, anywhere, at any time - as long as you’re connected to the Wifi. An absolute lifesaver that you’ll always have at your disposal to keep track of your important stuff.
REFRESH Ever end up scheduling a meeting with a guy “you met once”, knowing absolutely nothing about him. Well, Refresh allows you to crack up a background check on whoever you’re meeting, giving you interesting insights on the individual, bringing back memories of the potential client you look forward to close. On an even better side note, picking up essential info from your little research might spark interesting small talk and noteworthy conversations, which might be to great help when wanting to kill time.
ELITE PROFILE
F
HATEM ALAKEEL
irst of all let me state that, as an Arab, born and raised in Sweden, I absolutely worship this mind-blowing innovation! I mean taking such a traditional and old-fashioned Middle Eastern outfit and turning it into something contemporary and sexy is truly one hell of an achievement, giving it a whole new facelift! I’m obviously talking about the traditional Arabic Kandoura!
God bless Hatem Alakeel! The man behind Toby, who had the guts to take on the most iconic Middle Eastern piece and revolutionized it into something extraordinary! A man who has absolutly no limits, no boundaries to what he can achieve, creating the most breathtaking pieces and resculpting the most traditional culture by collaborating with the worlds’ most iconic brands.
But I still wonder, given that the conNow, if you’re not completely sure ventional Kandoura was so well estababout what I’m talking about, it’s lished in the region, how did he actually this long, traditionally white dull manage to integrate such a unique and “man-dresses” that we usually throw on modern brand into an already estabwhenever we’re headed to the mosque lished traditional society? “At first the or just headed out on a hot afternoon. more mature generations resisted but At least in my world, that was the outthe younger generation embraced my fit I got most bullied for in my “early avant grade style which is primarily days.” Still don’t know what I’m talking designed for runways. It wasn’t until I about – Google it! started designing the more classic designs that I started attracting an older Till this day, I still remember discussing and more serious demographic.” the “ugliness” of the Kandouras with His singular aesthetic vision, keen army younger cousin: “man, do they retistic eye for detail & immaculately exally have to suck the life out of these ecuted designs have propelled Toby by things? It just looks like a huge blanHatem Alakeel to the fashion forefront ket…only with holes poked in it.” I just after the resounding success of his first couldn’t wrap it around my head; why collection’s debut at Dubai Fashion was our traditional custom so “unexWeek in 2008. citing” while the Swedes on the other hand, had a bunch of roses, colors and Jil Sander & Tom Ford have emulatsymmetrical patterns that really indied Toby by Hatem Alakeel’s creative vidualized it into something unique? & innovative East Meets West concept which has become the definitive
benchmark for traditional fashion. But what inspires such a bold and, quite frankly, courageous act? I mean it’s not like you just wake up one day deciding to transform one of the fiercest markets in the Arabic fashion ecosphere, modernizing the very existence of the Kandouras that millions of people put on, every day, representing the proud culture they stand by. Alakeel emphasizes on the importance of personal perception when it comes to doing business, as it represents and reflects on who you are. “When I moved back to Saudi Arabia, I had to wear the thobe (Kandoura) every day at work. And in a way, I felt like it was necessary for me to express myself in the way I dressed - so it started out as a personal requirement and then I started changing the details with subtle touches. After having worn my own creations, people wanted to wear my designs and I realized their appeal, so next thing you know, I decided to open my first boutique in Jeddah in 2007.” Together with his dynamic and artistically futuristic vision, exploiting his keen creative eye for the smallest of details, creating the most sophisticated and flawless designs ever seen on a Kandoura, he has been shaking the whole fashion world up. But when deciding to take on the giants, the heavyweights, you really have to have something up your
sleeve – something amazing has to come flying out in order for you to prove that there’s a new kid on the block. Taking on the big guys with nothing extraordinary in mind will leave you breathless and knocked out by the first round. Alakeel spent most of his early years in Europe and the US, so he had that natural competitive advantage that would wow the world. He explains “I spent most of my earlier years in Europe and the States, which has obviously shaped my westernized design ethos. But with that being said, I always like to go back in time and revive old Hollywood classic elegance or even historical influences from Japanese inspirations. You see, I always like to show a different side of tradition, because tradition can also be just as polished and high fashioned as western wear.” So he didn’t spend years and years creating something new, he didn’t invent a whole new product – he just took an existing creation, in an existing market, and made it a hell of a lot better. This proves that you don’t have to create something completely new; you’re not obligated to invent something that hasn’t been seen before to be called an entrepreneur or innovator. As long as you’re taking something that’s currently setting the bar, and refining it, making it so much more better, skyrocketing it to stratospheric heights and raising that bar – you’re a successful entrepreneur!
Alakeel explains that “even with the very simple classic designs that currently rule the market, I’m quite empathic on the assurance of taking it to the next level of quality.”
rationalize certain dumb decisions. I mean check out Zuckerbergs’ recent purchase of Oculus – was it really a strategic business move or did he just want to fulfill a wish?
Now there is nothing more important than to understand and really grasp who your audience is, and more importantly, how their interests shifts. Because there is no way you’ll be able to succeed if you can’t adapt to alterations. The key here is adaptation and variation. In order for you to thrive and for your business to succeed, you need to be able to adjust to certain strategic circumstances and push your ego aside. Because when it comes to Alakeel, he truly adapted his work and learnt the ins and outs of his clientele in order to create the ultimate piece.
He’s been featured in the New York Times and The National; he partnered up with Tag Heuer and has even worked beside HH Princes Lulu Al Sabah. He managed to end up on so many fashion-platforms, working with such exceptional industry leaders and brands across so many countless regions in the world. You see, Hatem Alakeel didn’t just “improve” a product; he broke the norm, did the unexpected, transformed a tradition and dared to stick his neck out for something he believed in – all desirable traits of a successful entrepreneur that, with the right drive and creativity, can reach unimaginable heights.
“Over the years I have learned what their needs are and how to accommodate their fashion requirements. In the beginning it was more about self expression and designing to fulfill my artistic integrity but over the years, one learns that it’s important to design and dream and try to execute your dreams, but to never forget the importance to understand your clients and cater to what they require.” But time has shown that when it comes to entrepreneurship, your biggest enemy is yourself. You see how your ego, personality and other individualistic characteristics slowly creep up on you, allowing you to
It takes great determination, vision and perseverance to create such a distinctive product and to penetrate such a culturally resilient market. So what secret ingredient did Alakeel use to skyrocket his business? What can you learn from his venture? “Rome was certainly not built in a day, but with hard work and determination, passion and persistence, the sky is the limit. My advice is to identify what your own signature style is and to stick with it. Be original and don’t worry about trends, because instead of following them, set them yourself! Ibrahim Naji
Elite Destination Of The Month
NEW YORK NYC Tumblr.
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NEWYORK
ust namedropping the city is enough to make everyone shut up and wonder for a while, letting the awesomeness take its time to settle in. Yes, we’re talking about New York, the Big Apple, the capital of everything that rimes with opportunity, entertainment, sensation and even adrenaline. Now, New York is nothing new for you, you’ve heard about it, know about it, seen it in countless TV series and probably visited it once in your life (not always for good reasons), but we’ll try to get you to think about this magical city in a completely different way!
New York: The Ultimate Place For Millennial Entrepreneurs There is a reason why New York is the most populated city in the US, and it’s not weed (Amsterdam has that covered). It’s the history of the city. The 8.4 million faces that walk through its concrete streets, the iconic skyline, the empire state building,
Wall Street and the hectic dynamic that makes it the ultimate destination for people looking to make big bucks and amazing breakthroughs. The New York metropolitan area alone generates over $1.4 trillion a year, and that’s Trillion with a capital T! As the second largest city economy in the world, there really is no doubt that this truly is the IT place to be in when it comes to discovering what you’re really made of. If you’re hungry, passionate and in you’re early twenties, looking to make you’re dreams come true, then New York City is the place to head towards. Mark Twain, the famous American author and comedian, once said, “Make your mark in New York and you’re a made man” and quite frankly, we agree! It’s the real deal, where the magic happens, where you can get a billion dollar contract written on a napkin or a selfie taken with Sarah Jessica Parker. But most importantly, it’s the ultimate place for entrepreneurs looking for their new breakthrough
because everything and anything can happen!
Eat Or Get Eaten
New York City is one of the most ruthless cities in the world - it waits for no one. Because as you’re waiting for the right moment to strike and be on your A game, somebody will have already swooped in and filled your spot. And with everyone so damn worried about their own lives, you’re assured that they don’t really give a shit about yours. It’s competitive, fast paced and cold blooded, all the secret ingredients for a full on royal rumble, for people to be pushed to their limits, finding out what they’re really made of. Because if you think that your current situation is a jungle, having everyone challenging each other, trying to get a piece of the pie, then NYC is just that, only on crack. Because I shit you not, you won’t be pitied, comforted or sympathized with. If you’re not man enough to stand against the stream, you’ll get washed up just like the rest. But on the other hand, all you need to survive in New York is a hot cup(s) of Starbucks, a sharp eye for detail and a sense of willingness to be the best you can be.
talking about the whole city living and swearing by the name entrepreneurship. So starting a business in NYC is really not as crazy and as hipped up as it’s portrayed to be. Launching startups is as casual as getting your morning Starbucks, and successes and failures are not seen as the end of a journey, but rather, as just another milestone in your path to success. Although the city helps with a couple of funds for entrepreneurs, and deep-pocketed investors easily distributing their money around to stumble on the right business idea, there is another player in the mix who wants to make your life easy: incubators! New York is famous for amazing programs for entrepreneurs, and accelerators like General Assembly, Techstars, DreamIt Ventures and NYC SeedStart who will surely give you access to the fast lanes of success.
Mingle Mingle
A booming hub for entrepreneurs
The beauty of this mind-blowing city is that it’s a melting pot for so many different personalities and characters, because no matter what boat you jumped off from, no matter what stage your startup is at, you’ll always find someone to help you out.
Besides the thousands of startups emerging in NYC every year and the billions generated through multiple startups in the area, everyone seems to be so “high on entrepreneurship”. Now I’m not talking about entrepreneurship on a personal level, I’m
The word I’m looking for is diversity, and when it comes to business, diversity is king. It allows you to tap into niche markets and segmented consumer bases so much easier because, let’s face it, two heads are better than one. Now with all of these people
running around the same playground as you are, chances are you’ll meet that someone who’ll spark an idea or give you insight on an industry that you didn’t know about. You just never know who you’ll run into while walking down the streets of New York City.
If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere
After having finished all 6 seasons of Gossip Girl (I know), there is no doubt in my mind that NYC is truly the ultimate test for any individual. The actual experience here is so much denser than any other place, and it requires Wall Street Never Sleeps some serious thick-skin to make it out alive. You’ll get thrown through Yup, if there is one single place I’d die the concrete jungle and pushed down to visit, it’s Wall Street. Wall Street is, (literally when you’re at the 7 train, at no doubt, the capital of world financ- 5:15 pm, in the middle of August) in es. Better yet, it’s the “IT” place for order to find out if you’ve got what it greed, money, capitalism, exuberance, takes to make it –anywhere! narcissism… you get it, it’s one of the right places to give your ego a boost It’s an unbelievably dynamic city with and set sails to make all your visions so much potential and crazy possibilcome true. Because being in Wall ities that you just wouldn’t find in any Street is like hitting a really strong other city. But then again, a vigorous drug, without actually having to deal environment and competitive atmowith real stuff. You know what, while sphere commands a solid individual we´re at it, we might as well throw in with a strong character that has the Gordon Gekko’s famous speech, bedetermination to walk down the encause that’s exactly what the financial trepreneurial path without looking engine is all about. back. If you make it here, you’ll make it anywhere!
“The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed -- for lack of a better word -- is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms -- greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge -- has marked the upward surge of mankind.”
Mohamed Amine Belarbi
Happily Ever After YOUR HAPPIEST HELLO AND HARDEST GOODBYE
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e’ve all fallen in love, all felt that little tinder inside our bodies that made us so comfortably nervous, so unusually happy. It’s the most excruciating, addictive and most affectionate feeling in the human freaking nervous system that just can’t be avoided. An uncertain emotion that plays out like a game of poker, you either go all in, sacrificing all your chips for that special gut feeling and win big or you fall for the bluff and get cracked down thinking why you ever fell for it in the first place. Love should be a game changer, an intentional act that throws your lives into the unimaginable. The individual you want to spend the rest of your life with shouldn’t just be “yet another try”, it should be something that really just makes you feel two things. The person should be your happiest, most unforgettable individual and should by all means be your favorite hello and – by far- your hardest goodbye. They should be the one you never forget about meeting the first time and the person you couldn’t imagine letting go of. Nevertheless, it never turns out like your favorite love-story, it never ends up like Hollywood’s well-crafted scripts. Because what mainstream media and todays’ pop culture has done, is that they’ve over-exaggerated the percep-
Getty Images
tion of love, overdosing it with over-ambitious fairytales that they’ve slowly tried to ingrain into our lives. Forget about the Notebook, screw Gossip Girl and by all means ignore Hitch! Most probably, you won’t have an amazing, awkwardly cute, dreamlike, irreplaceable first meeting. In fact, your almost surely (unless you’re crazy lucky) going to meet your true love exactly the same way you meet any other individual – normally. But then again I understand you, I understand me! We love fairytales, they are absolutely magical! I mean who wouldn’t want to meet their soul-mate at a park during a warm autumn day, where your dog suddenly takes off, taking care of the introduction for you. The romance and timing would be absolutely ideal, seeing things coming together just the way you thought they would. But, sorry to break it down to you, you don’t live in a chick-flick – you’re not Romeo fighting for your Juliet or vice versa – snap out of it. You see, we all live on planet Earth (unless that was unclear to anyone), we all live in a reality in which, don’t want to be a party pooper or anything; everything is normal, usual – plain. Now I’m not saying that you don’t have an exciting, thrilling life, I’m just saying, stop comparing it to last night’s movie.
The truth is, it doesn’t matter how, when or where you two meet, as long as the two of you actually meet, right? I mean if you’re looking to time your love, if you’re waiting for that special magical fictional moment, you’ll wait forever, missing out on amazing opportunities, because the reason we tend to fall in love is not because of that specific special one-time moment, it’s because of the moments you know you’ll have together.
bed with the right person, you’re definitely on the right track. If you catch yourself daydreaming, thinking about how your life might have turned out if you didn’t meet him at the subway or what you would be doing if you didn’t bump into her at the coffee shop that afternoon, you’re in a good place. But the most terrifying, the most difficult thing you ever could imagine, would be having to say goodbye.
I’m a sucker for love, I’ll admit that. Having a fairytale-like plan of how you And it’s not because I get to be with want to meet that special someone someone, it’s because of the power it will filter out so much of the good has, to join two strangers together in things happening to you in life. Bea way no one and nothing else does. cause as your bubble gets bigger and For some reason it makes us feel like bigger, raising your expectations and this individual is a part of us, a limb putting that dream-like individual on that we can’t believe we have been a sky-high pedestal, you’ll filter even living without. But here is the thing, more things out, not seeing people for the only way I can differentiate love who they really are, comparing them from any other “love-like” emotion, to a fantasized picture that doesn’t is by the act of saying goodbye – reexist. And before you know it, “puff”, ally saying goodbye, and living your the bubble bursts and you’re left all life happily ever after with your heart alone. And let’s be honest, we don’t still intact. Because if that’s what hapmeet that many people in our lives, pened, then that person wasn’t the I mean yeah, we probably see milright one for you. lions during our life-span, but we only meet a fraction of those individuals, So listen, step out of your comfort so don’t ruin a potential someone just zone, leave all of the mainstream because you illustrated them to be love-stories on the shelf and find your something completely different. soul mate in the most regular and non-sexy way possible, and when you But how do you actually know that do, dare to hold on, dare to never say you’ve met the one? How do you figgoodbye. ure out if the person is the right one or not? Well let me put it this way, if you wake up every morning feeling so unbelievably happy about who you woke up next to, if you feel, deep down in your gut, that you’re going to Ibrahim Naji
Buy it! SEE IT
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ELITE 10 MUST HAVES NO BETTER REASON to start caring about the environment! As first seen in the Mission Impossible film, with the beautiful Paula Patton elegantly stepping out of the car – we all fell in love with it (the car that is). Its mind-blowing high-tech engineering with a strong trace of edginess and slight “badass” truly sets the Germans at a life-long pedestal, as it has truly revolutionized the vehicle industry, being the first ever sports car with the same consumption and emission values of a compact car besides Tesla. Think the exterior is amazing; wait till you see the interior! Dripping with technology and superior complexity, refurbished to the smallest detail and designed to reflect the possibilities of the future, the BMW i8 captures the essence of revolutionary innovation.
BMW I8 Price: $136,000
WHEN IT COMES TO APPLE, I really don’t question their products or services because they’ve had a track record that’s been phenomenal! So when they introduced Apple TV, you knew it was going to be big! Giving you access to the biggest names in entertainment, allows you to follow Netflix, ABC, HBO Go and so many other top class stations in full HD. All you have to do is plug it in, and dive in into a world of your favorite movies, sports, TV shows and even music! To top it all off, you can access this on your Mac and iOS devices with the help of the app! Trust me, you’re going to need a bigger couch! Apple TV Price: $100
IN ALL SCI-FI BLOCKBUSTERS, we see a world where we don’t have to do jack, where we don’t have to remember a single thing because everything is taken care of… robots! Have we seen any? Nope! Thank god this promise is now taking place, well almost. Jibo is a state of the art robot/computer that will make your life so much easier! Jibo will remind you about your To-Dos, will read you your emails, check whatever you need online and even tell you bedtime stories. With a nice interface, a beautiful design and great deal of abilities thanks to its AI advanced, Jibo will be a game changer once it goes full scale commercial!
Jibo Price: $599
IT ALL STARTED when a surfer couldn’t take a picture while riding a wave, today, Go Pro is almost as widespread as Starbucks coffee! It really isn’t a camera you take selfies with; it’s small, compact, shoots videos in stunning HD and can be taken while underwater, skydiving or jumping over a blazing fire. The beauty of Go Pro is that it can be transported in so many ways, from strapping it on to your head to planting it onto a “stick” to take landscape images. Its brilliant mechanic systems allows it to be your perfect companion for whatever sport or crazy stuff you’re into!
Go Pro Price: $400
DON’T YOU JUST WISH you could throw your camera as far up as possible, making it snap a 360° picture of whatever is up there? The Panono is truly an innovation that takes the concept of a camera to stratospheric heights, creating the unimaginable and capturing it all in one instant. Panono doesn’t only capture pictures, it discovers a whole new experience and revolutionizes the way we take selfies, giving you a HD 360° x 360° full – spherical panoramic image. One quick throw of the Panono will capture a vision you’ve never seen before! PANONO CAMERA Price: $549
APPLE REALLY pulled it of this time! With such an elegant and entirely fresh design, yet quite inherently familiar, you’re absolutely blown away with their new features and qualities. To even take it a step further, they’ve finally managed to find a simple and flexible synergy between your Mac and your iOS devices, making everything sync-able, altering the way you see your Mac and its functionalities. OS X Yosemite Price: Free
YOU KWNO HOW HADR it si… You see what I mean! It
to all of us, typing a text on your smartphone, only to end up soundin drunk delusional creep on a late Saturday night, looking for a hookup “keyboards” on smartphones today are simply not fit for our 234 word writing, their at least not as good as the good old keyboard.
But what if we could use the same old style of typing on anything we from tablets to smartphones? The idea is great, except that no one wa carry a huge keyboard around. That’s where Airtype comes in! Airtyp invisible keyboard, using sensors to locate your fingers and determine you are actually typing on any surface. Crazy, right!?
Airtype Price: $599
t happens ng like a p. The rds/sec
want, ants to pe is an e what
THIS THING is absolutely gorgeous! The quilted black leather covering its simple yet elegant figure with a touch of gold that just completes its glorifying aura, is utterly dazzling. Trust me ladies, together with a white outfit and a pair of black pumps, having the Michael Kors clutch around your arm, you’ll look stunning! Kors truly hit a home run with this baby, making it an iconic figure on the red carpet with celebrities boasting this elegant piece of art. With that being said, this is definitely a must have for the Mrs. MICHAEL KORS QUILTED CLUTCH Price: $220
FOUR WORDS: Google Glass on steroids! That’s what Oculus has in store for you. Imagine immersing yourself completely in a virtual world, riding your dream Porsche or exploring the Egyptian pyramids from the inside. The technology that went into making Oculus is state of the art electronics, years of R&D and sleek designing, no wonder Facebook jumped all over this golden company with a $2 billion check! The applications are endless, from surreal gaming to educational simulations, Oculus is set to take the world by storm as we further lean into the sic-fi future we’ve been promised for so long! Oculus Rift Price: $350
LET’S FACE IT, summer is getting to an end, but that doesn’t mean we can’t embrace the last breeze of it. Nike created these badass pair of warm-weather hipster classics, mainly designed to tap into the skate and surf culture, with a minimalist aesthetic and a no-hassle fit. Nevertheless, they do look amazing, with a unique darkblue shade, yellow Swoosh and toped off with an “orangy” color that embraces its “I don’t give a f**k” style. If you’re looking to really hold on to the last weeks of summer, these are the ultimate shoes to buy, presenting you with a first-class version of a timeless design.
Nike SB Braata LR Canvas Price: $65
HANNA AASE THE WOMAN REVOLUTIONIZING SOCIAL NETWORKING
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n times where talk is raging about the tech world being so hostile to female entrepreneurs, a rising star is proving everyone wrong and showing that it doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman, because at the end of the day your success will not be determined by your gender, but by how great you are and how amazing your product is. This is the point Hanna Aase, the founder of Wonderloop made when she decided to take on the entrepreneurial road and challenge a fierce and competitive market: social media apps. Now before you shout “Oh, another one trying to replicate Facebook”, let me just stop you there because she isent creating another Facebook, she’s disrupting how we see social media and creating a new way for us to connect, network and get to know each other. But before rushing into the app and what its all about, a quick overview of who Hanna is!
So Hanna, what inspired you to jump on the entrepreneurial roller coaster at such a young age? “I lived alone in my own house since just turning 14, and while I may have had a comfortable upbringing, I wash´t happy as a person. I had lost all the closest people in my life and the only thing that didn’t chang was that Oprah was still on TV in our living room. You could say she took over raising me. The only time I felt joy while being alone was when Oprah gave away opportunities on TV to people who needed it, and made them pretty much
the happiest people on earth. From that point on I started thinking about how we all can become life changing people like Oprah, how I can enable everyone to be able to give and connect just like she does. What I realized is that we do favors and connect our friends to people in our circle when they need it, but what would make us do it for a stranger? The conclusion was always that the person would have to become less of stranger, you would have to see who they were first and become familiar and comfortable with them! But there is just no time to meet every person in the world or have that first coffee meeting with someone, right? What if you could see every person in the world with a click of a button? That would change everything. You speed up how many people you get to meet in your life, you’d feel you had met them just after seeing their video intro. We’re talking about something different than just scrolling through photos. Wonderloop is the new social network I launched, where you get to build familiarity with strangers through video introductions instead of pictures and statuses. The purpose is to ultimately change the way we give, hire, invest and connect by changing the way we see each other. This is all I have ever wanted to do, getting everyone into that Oprah set and making sure the app changes their lives for the better.”
What makes the app such an innovative product?
“There is no app that adopts video introductions as its main entry point. There isn´t a search tool that is good for looking up people you haven´t meet yet. There really isn´t a great tool for meeting new people at all and getting a good feel of them. (LinkedIn advices against connecting to people you haven´t met ). The closest thing we actually have are dating apps, but we believe we need a broader tool where it´s about people and not the connection between them, because connections are something people can approach themselves, getting to know the people is what we ought to be focusing on. Wonderloop is the only service where you can shorten down the time needed to get a first impression of a person in your own privacy without necessarily being face to face with the person in question.”
What are your goals for the future of Wonderloop? Where do you see it heading? “Right now people use Wonderloop to meet new people for coffee, to find people when they travel to a new place. Companies use it to look for new employees and networks use hashtags to see who is in the network. My end vision for Wonderloop is simply to be able to see every person in the world with a click of a button., to take down time it takes to get acquainted with a new person, to have us meet as many people as possible during our life, so that the odds of connecting with life changing people becomes higher. My vision is to get you to become Oprah and have access to a huge audience you can connect
with comfortably. And personally, I’d like to see this network grow to become a place where you can give away anything, whether it´s money or opportunities, as long as you feel comfortable doing it by seeing the person and who they truly are. That´s why we already now encourage people to share what they do or have done in life and to share what they want to do. When only allowing 10-20 seconds for the video intro, you can be on point, honest about yourself and daring to share what you want in life so that the world can respond to it. Our next step at Wonderloop is to raise a 1M seed round and hire more talented people to work on the product and marketing.”
What are some of the biggest adversities you’ve faced while building your own path? Biggest successes? “One of the biggest hurdles for me has been the chicken and egg challenge. Basically, it’s the issue that no one will invest in your company before you have a finished product. And building a technical product with designers involved is quite expensive and impossible without substantial investments. I solved it with covering the cost myself which cost me a lot, and then an investor went in and helped finance the launch of our first version. We decided to go for a soft launch in order to create a valuable community. Sometimes it seems impossible to solve this dilemma, but I guess in many ways you can also call this the biggest success for our startup. From a Norwegian stand
point we have probably gotten more international press than any other social consumer app on the market, so that’s a great achievement on its own!”
You’re an iconic entrepreneurial figure in scandinavia, do you see the region as full of potential for entrepreneurs? “Full of potential for entrepreneurs, yes. If the necessary system for building and incubating tech companies is there, not so sure! It’s a mix of lack of support systems and lack of government interest in the entrepreneurial scene. Moreover, there isn’t an established Entrepreneurship-focused culture amongst the people here. We need to believe more in ourselves and what young companies can do, have higher goals and support each other rather than thinking it´s wired if one is not living the more traditional life everyone is accustomed to. We were grateful at the end to have the support of the Norwegian Government, which makes us push even harder to show that a Norwegian start-up can set it´s mark in the tech world and can pave the way for other Norwegian startups to join in the tech revolution.”
Are there any mentors or public figures you look up to?
an extended way without there being anything in it for them. It is just the way it is. So share as much as you can to make it happen. And also, do Yoga to not go crazy with all the work! Also, remember that it is necessary to sacrifice other things in life if you want it bad enough. Often we want big changes and mind-blowing achievements but without wanting to change for it. “
What are some quotes that you live by? “I don´t, I believe that if you are constantly in need of external inspiration then you’re not doing what you are passionate about. My internal inspiration is picturing users meet life changing people. That´s all I need to live by.”
Any special thing for our readers? “Wonderloop is in the App Store as invite-only, but we will approve all readers of Gulf Elite. We made the app invite-only to focus on creating a great community rather than just going for a high number of users in the beginning. I believe Gulf Elite audience is the right fit for our app, and we encourage them all to join and use the hashtag #GulfElite so that they can start building a community on our social network!”
“This one is obvious for me, Oprah!”
What advice could you give to aspiring entrepreneurs? “Give away equity to an advisory board or developers early. In reality, very few people are willing to help you in Mohamed Amine Belarbi
STARTING FROM THE BOT TOM 1971
Age 12
Genius
Born in Pretoria, South Africa. Spent his childhood learning how to code.
Sold his first computer code, “Blastar“, for $500.
Got his first bachelor in Physics, second bachelor in Business and started a PhD.
2002
1999
Zip2
Sky is the limit? Musk puts $100 M of his money and cofounds SpaceX.
Co-founded X.com, merged with Confinity (PayPal). After selling Paypal to eBay, Musk made $165 M.
Started a web software company with his brother. Sold it to Compaq for $341 M.
2004
2006
Hyperloop
Co-founds Tesla Motors, becomes CEO in 2008. His stake is worth $18 Billion.
Helps start SolarCity with his cousins. Appointed chairman of the company.
On August 2013, Musk announces a proposal to build Hyperloop, a subsonic air travel machine.
TODAY
“If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.” - Elon Musk Net Wor th: $11.7 Billion
ELON MUSK
Tumblr.
STORY OF INSTAGRAM When Pictures Are Worth Billions
Kevin
Mike
Learnt how to code on the side, ended up developing Got great feedback on Burbn, landed $500K Burbn investment
Burbn didn’t cut it Decided to focus on pictures only
1 DAY
April 2012 Facebook acquires Instagram for $1 Billion
Met co-founder Cleaned up Burbn and renamed it Instagram
October 6 2010 Launched on iPhones
25.000 users joined Instagram
200 M!!
16 Billion Photos uploaded in 2014
April 2014 200 Million users
MOST FOLLOWED
MOST USED
#Selfie NYC Person
Brand
Retailer
Hashtag
Geotag
#NoFilter
Filter
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WHEN PICTURES ARE WORTH BILLIONS
f I told you that it would be possible to make a billion dollars in two years by launching a startup , would you call me crazy, out of my mind, delusional or all of the above? See, there are people out there for whom impossible is not a problem, in fact, it’s a challenge and a dare they can’t wait to tear down and overcome. The story of Instagram is the story of an app that rose to fame and popularity in a flash of a second, but is it really as glorious as I’m making it sound? Was it that easy? Some people say Instagram was made in a matter of 8 weeks and racked thousands of users in a few hours, but few know what went on behind the scenes before Instagram saw light. Here, let me show you what I’m talking about.
and switch on their favorite TV show, grab an “after work” or really, just hit the bed. Kevin had an ambition, a vision and a drive to stand out and do things differently. Understanding how to code was just his gateway to becoming a self-made entrepreneur, an individual who was going to revolutionize the app-world. Those long hours, absorbing the ins and outs of coding, eventually paid off when Kevin finalized his first app called Burbn.
Burbn was more like a check-in app that Kevin developed in light of the trend Foursquare set at that time. Believing strongly in user feedback and using everyone’s opinion to improve his product, Kevin shared his app with friends, family and anyBefore you jump to conclusions and one he could get his hands on. He assume the guy behind Instagram was so obsessed with user feedis yet another coding genius who back that he would show his app used to build apps by the age of to investors during parties. You can six, Kevin, the primary co-founder, call that pushy, stubborn or “a little started learning the art of coding too much”, but it turned out pretty during late hours – after work. He good for Kevin who ended up landhustled everyday and pulled off ing $500K in funding. Not only did extra hours on his laptop just to he win big on funding, but he also understand how the whole coding took the leap of faith and quit his thing worked. I mean most people job in order to follow his passion would just come back from work and work on his baby product.
With more hours on his hands and no boss to satisfy but himself, Kevin went back to refine Burbn and tried to get his app to a stage where he could really test it out. Like any glorious story, shit happens, and for Kevin, rolling out his first photo app version of Burbn was pretty awful. But what do you do when things don’t work out? You pick yourself up, understand where things went south and move forward. You learn your lesson and capitalize on it, that’s how things get done and improved.
a lucky Monday. In less than a day, Instagram had over 25.000 users! Like I wouldn’t be able to get those kinds of numbers even if was giving away free pot to high school fraternities! The rest is history as they say. Instagram shot up to the #1 photo app on the App store, signing in users by the thousands and millions later on.
Instagram was definitely the new kid in the block, getting the attention of tech giants who felt that this One week after his first flop, Kevin little guy was becoming an actual came up with a photo sharing app threat. In that spirit (and in order from scratch, this time focusing to avoid clashing with the rising only on one thing: photos. Simplici- titans), Facebook moved quick and ty was key here, “simplicity is the ul- made an offer Instagram couldn’t timate sophistication”, and simplic- refuse: $1 billion! Yeah it looks small ity is what Kevin went for to make compared to their $16 billion acquihis app kick off. But what’s a great sition of Whatsapp, but hey, we’re idea and a great product without talking about 2012 here. the right team? Kevin was quick to find a co-founder, Mike, who had Fast-forward two years and Instathe brains, the passion and the drive gram today has over 200 million usto work on this “Next Big Thing” ers, gets 16 billion photos uploaded Kevin was preparing the world for. on its servers annually and hosts a With the right team, Kevin and steady growth. The only trouble is, Mike went on launching Burbn on the most followed “star” on Instathe app store, spent a while cleangram is Justin Bieber - yeah I know, ing it up, removing all the glitter it ruins all the fun but you can’t and the bling, leaving a simple have it all now can you? photo sharing platform that even my grandmother could use (no offense grandma). The results were mind-blowing. The new app, now renamed Instagram, skyrocketed in Philippe Borgen a few hours after its initial launch on
HUSTLE!
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THE SECRET FORMULA TO SUCCESS
hat does Richard Branson, Steve Jobs and Larry Ellison all have in common? What do successful billionaires share that makes them so goddamn good at what they do? How come some people make it from the bottom, all the way to the top in such a fashion that it almost seems more like a miracle or out of mere luck?
that comfort; turning on the beast mode, using their survival instinct to maximizing their potential to succeed.
Hustling isn’t really an option, it really isn’t. It’s not like the overall human standard is average and hustling is only an option for those who wish to take that extra mile. Hustling is the norm, we’re built to perform at the highest level and achieve grand ambitions. Every single one of us has They Hustle! the potential to make shit happen, everyone has a dream, a passion and These visionaries, who set the standards for success and triumphs, didn’t a goal they want to achieve. Now we can let society poison us and make us just sit on a couch, listening to selfbelieve that things are impossible OR help audio books or liking Facebook we just follow our guts and fight until pages, they got their asses up and we see our dreams come true. knocked on every single door they came across. They went after every opportunity; they sacrificed comfort Why Hustle? and replaced it with grind for the sake of success. When was the last time derivatives helped you land a deal? Tell me more Hustling is the magical word that about the time knowing who wrote opens up all doors. It’s the most esHamlet led you to make a million dolsential qualification you’ll need to lars. See my point? Formal education, make it in life. Now some would arhigh school and the whole college gue that the whole work-life balance routine can only help you so far, but is important and that hustling ruins when it really comes to it, if you don’t your personal life. Guess what? When become street smart and learn the our ancestors were running down the rules of the game by getting your freaking Amazon, hunting down Gohands dirty, you’re as good as a 300 rillas, their personal life wasn’t their page thesis that no one reads - ever. number one priority. They sacrificed You’re full of mind-blowing knowl-
edge that is simply irrelevant to real life conditions. Successful people have the good habit of going out of their way to complement their education with business savvy or street education and salesmanship to become well rounded and relevant at all times. Hustling will offer you that missing lesson you were never taught in a classroom. Hustling will teach you that while playing by the rules is how you should proceed, it might not always work. Hustling will show you that getting an F doesn’t really mean you’ve failed, but that you’ve learned a lesson and progressed in the right direction. Hustling will clarify that people are not understood through books or articles, but are decrypted through face-to-face interactions, body language and background checks. Education will get you a job, hustling will make you a fortune.
How To Hustle Now when I say hustling, I don’t mean working endless hours, going to a bunch of meetings and working blindly until you burn out. Hustling is all about being smart, sharp and on point. You should know how to allocate your time and efforts. Knock on the right doors, connect with relevant people and follow opportunities that will further your path and bring you closer to your goals.
fulness”! While you’re young, curious, hungry and slightly crazy, try to exploit every ounce of energy you have. Live your early life like no other so that you can spend the rest of your life like no one can. It’s as simple as that. When you’re still able to recover from a knee injury, when you call pull all-nighters five times a week, when you can run a marathon under four hours, that’s when it’s time to invest in the foundations of your future.
Hustle Like a Muscle Hustling is very much like (may sound a little corky) bodybuilding. You have to push the limits of your muscles, going through tons of pain all while keeping a committed and disciplined schedule. The result? A greater body, lean muscles and a shape everyone would die for (coming with other certain benefits). If you can manage to expand your potential and capabilities, if you can take on hit after hit, surviving through failures and criticism, you’re set for a glorious end result.
At the end of the day, no one ever makes it far without pulling out the big guns. Our days on this polluted planet are numbered. We’re not immortals and we can’t request deadline extensions when it comes to our lives. All we can do is make every day, every hour and every minute count. How to do that? Exploit every second When To Hustle to make sure it goes into building a Hustling takes a lot of guts and effort, brighter and better future. so considering how we’ll be burnt out by our 50s, capitalize on your “youthVa n e s s a P u p i c
YOUSEF HAMZA THE INS AND OUTS OF ANGEL INVESTING
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fter having watched every single Shark Tank episode, concluding that every investor is, well, a jerk, the guy we sat down with really wasn’t what I was expecting. The person in question is young, intelligent, humble and unbelievably well spoken as he intensely gave us the ins and outs of the investor’s world. His story is a true inspiration that resonates with thousands of people out there, and his quest to become what he always dreamt of becoming will give you that little extra push that will get you off the couch and follow your dreams and aspirations. His name? Yousef Hamza, an individual who leads by example, a role model for driven entrepreneurs to follow and look up to. We had the chance to sit down with Hamza in order to get an insight on his life, unique work ethic and of course, what really goes on behind closed doors when it comes to angel investing.
academically, I was so uninterested about the whole academic curriculum - my mind was elsewhere”. You see, he doesn’t hide the fact that the schooling system was holding him back, conditioning him to become just another student. And frankly, this rings true with a lot of students and countless entrepreneurs out there who attend weekly classes and academic seminars just to feel like they’re almost internally drowning, having their creativity slowly bashed and drained, till finally, they’re turned into a number in a database headed to a corporate job with a set salary – from 9-to-5, five days a week.
“There is a lack of support systems in today’s academic landscape. I experienced that at a young age and I wish things were different. Creativity should be nurtured, curiosity should be fed and risk should be rewarded. That’s what school should be about, not grades, exams and endless assignments.” The growing distrust in educaChildhood tion today is something strongly reverberated in Yousef’s stream of thoughts. Although Hamza claims he had an av- From Peter Thiel, the co-founder of erage, regular childhood, it’s hard to PayPal, who has been paying students believe that jumping grades, graduat100k to leave college and work on acing early and showing premature signs tual projects, to an increasing number of genius is anything close to “normal”. of millionaires and billionaires who “I started out very young, I skipped happen to be high school or college grades, and although I was doing well dropouts - the relevance of schools to-
day is strongly put in question. “Education today is becoming irrelevant. There are certain degrees that are important given their technical nature, such as doctors, engineers etc. Others you just don’t need. Sometimes formal education ends up being a bad investment, a move towards the wrong direction. You can’t learn, absorb and have everything taught out in a bordered classroom, it just doesn’t work out that way anymore. You have to build a consistent mindset of persistence and determination to learn on your own. There is a clear lack of interest in emotional intelligence (EQ), on learning how to learn, observation skills and body language. We get bombarded with so much standardized rubbish, so much irrelevant knowledge that consumes us and our time, only to forget “ the value
of x” two days after the exam. Education today impedes growth in some cases, and we need to understand that, not on a personal level only, but on a societal one. Back in the days parents were also more involved in the education of their kids, giving them the missing pieces they lacked in their academic quest, but today, most parents are busy most of the time, assuming that school alone would take care of their kids’ education.” The reality check Yousef gave us didn’t stop here, and as expected, University education didn’t escape the wrath of his opinions. “I went to university and ended up skipping most of my classes. I was told that 80% of the material wouldn’t be applicable by the time I graduated, so I decided to ‘learn how to learn”. Fitting into the “usual expectations in
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Arab families and societies in general of the ‘Engineering-Medicine-Law holy trinity’” didn’t lead to much salvation. He then went on to reveal that “I jumped from law firm to law firm, but it still didn’t cut it. I was always adapting and changing, trying out new things and experimenting in the quest to find what I was truly passionate about. Some people settle for less than they deserve, some people settle for average or mediocrity, some people accept to be uncomfortable and bored, and others, well others just keep on grinding to find their true calling. “
of the game when it came to angel investing, I instantly knew that ‘this was it’ and decided I had to join the team. I told David that this wasn’t an option or a request, I wasn’t negotiating. I told him I’d join their firm regardless of whether they wanted it or not. . I quit my job as a lawyer that same day and began my exciting journey at Envestors.” Tradition & Modernity
A lot of people would question whether conservative societies are actually ready for the 21st century’s fast moving, ever changing, entreThe story obviously doesn’t end preneurial landscapes. We do conhere, as a matter of fact; we’re just cede that it’ll be unimaginable to getting started, since Yousef’s rise in see something like Tinder, Grinder the world of angel investing started or CodeBabes emerge in traditional with a casual elevator chat. communities, yet that doesn’t mean entrepreneurship, angel investing or “I was in an elevator and stumtechnological breakthroughs cannot bled upon David Moleshead the grow in Eastern societies. A great co-founder of Envestors, one of the example is the notion of “Majlis”, the only active Business Angel Network precursor to Hackathons and pitch in the region at the time. I asked him forums where the elderly will gather what he was doing, and he asked to pitch each other and discuss inme whether I knew how startup novative ways to help their commufunding worked. I knew all about it, nity. with stories from friends and family as well as personal experience. “What drove me towards angel inKnowing that it was a completely vesting was the personal element. unstructured, inefficient and an unI missed the Majlis culture, which der-served landscape, I simply reused to be prevalent but is slowsponded ‘yes’, to which he then said ly dying out. Just friends, from all ‘We bring structure to that’. When walks of life, sitting around a campDavid then further told me about fire and sharing. . I used to be told their work at Envestors and how stories of how, back in the day, Mathey were trying to change the rules jlises are what grew Dubai. Simple
conversations between friends, everyone from the ruling families to the average Joes, discussing ways to improve the community or simply coming up with recommendations and suggestions. Everyone was open to learn about new things, to find ways to collaborate and to solve society’s most pressing issues. Back in the day, it was trust, friendship, partnership, vision and the wisdom to listen to others, consult, observe and act that created the UAE into the amazing place it is today, and I wanted to re-create that through investing into new ideas and entrepreneurs via a Majlis that would likewise begin to change the shape of the UAE for the better. “
social intelligence. I wanted to develop an understanding of people, to get to know how they function and analyze what they really are made of.” But in all honesty, how do you do that? Well, the key is to know how to observe. I’m not talking about a glance, giving the person a quick look and then just going back to your smartphone. Actually observe. Observation is an art, perfected over years. Investor Talk
What makes Hamza’s work ethic unique, whether it’s with Envestors or any other project, lecture or adDo What You Are Passionate About visory position, is his ability to blur the lines and support entrepreneurs As cliché and “mainstream” as it not only with their business needs, might sound, doing what you want, but with their life struggles and pursuing your dreams and finding questions as well. “We give more new avenues for growth is indeed than just professional support, we the way of life. We’re not brought up find ourselves often times giving life on this earth just to survive. We’re advice to entrepreneurs, supporting here to thrive, and thriving starts them across a range of services that with people doing what they are were not included in our areas of exmotivated about. In those regards, pertise. We even dealt with people’s Hamza had a pretty insightful recdepression at times!” ommendation to everyone out there: “Do what you love and you’ll nevBusiness isn’t just about business er fail. When my work became my anymore, it’s about people. Investors passion, I was going that extra mile” back the people behind the project, See, his passion is not to make mon- not the idea. If we like the entrepreey (although that doesn’t hurt) but neur pitching the idea to us, that’s to observe, understand and invest in 90% of getting us to say yes and inpeople. “ I enjoy dealing with peovest, and when we say yes, we invest ple, so I decided to shift my focus to ourselves in helping that entrepre-
neur to be the best version of what he or she can be, whether in terms of business practices or character.” Pitch Perfect Now for all the entrepreneurs and wantrepreneurs out there making it this far, the burning question everyone is trying to have answered is: How on earth can we execute the perfect pitch? How can we get investors to sign those checks and believe in us, allowing our startup to take off? “Investors are sensitive to everything around them. They are sharp and can read people instantly. Investors are getting smarter so don’t assume you can lure your way into their pockets. The truth is, you have
one chance, a tiny chance to get their attention. When that happens, you have to win their hearts and minds from the first encounter. I remember a specific entrepreneur who entered the room, greeted me and walked straight for the chair. Before he even pulled it out, and went straight to the chair and sat down. You know what happened? I promptly asked him to leave the office, not wanting to hear his idea or pitch, saying I wouldn’t invest in him anyway. Every single movement he made, from how he walked, smiled, where his gaze went, the tone of his voice and a thousand other things, was something I had seen in an entrepreneur countless times before. The inability to be flexible and look after his cashflow, as well as a lot of arrogance. Surely enough, 5 months
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later, he raised $1m from family, friends and fools, and burnt through that in the first 3 months of operations, forcing him to close down. ”
and charts that you show afterwards have no relevance and you’ll lose them. - Try to excite the investors about your business by making them un“We invest in people, and in that derstand what excites YOU about spirit, we need to trust and get well the business. with entrepreneurs we’ll be working - Keep the pitch under 8 minutes. with. Everything is critical about the - Do some quick research about person pitching to us. Their person- body language and implement it to ality, background, body language, your advantage. tone - we analyze all the little details - Everything is assessed: verbal, vito have a thorough understanding sual and body messages. of the individual we will be giving - Observe your audience and adapt our money to. All of that has not to them. only an impact on how much money - Don’t play the ‘Smart Alec’ card they can raise, but also at what valu- and definitely don’t be cute with ation.” investors. - Don’t pull a background check Stubbornness and inflexibility are on us in order to tell us about our two traits that will truly kill your lives – we know what we did or said, mojo when you’re interacting with rather, use it to understand us and investors. “They need to be open tailor your pitch to what we believe to new ideas, changes to their busi- in. Don’t quote me to me or talk ness, recommendations and be able down to your investor, remember to pivot. If they’re flexible and able why you’re there, you’re looking for to adapt to new circumstances, a partner, not bank account details. they’re a winning ticket for sure. We love entrepreneurs who are confiWhy do investors come off as highdent yet humble, full of happiness ly unpleasant people sometimes? and positivity, sure of themselves and excited about their ideas.” We’ve all experienced it or seen it at some point. The “typical” greedy, Any Pitch Tips? old and grumpy investor, looking down on you while you’re about to - Always smile pitch your idea, looking like they’ll - Be precise and start with what be biting your head off at any secyou’ll be doing. If the investor ond. Familiar? We’re not talking doesn’t completely understand what about the Shark Tank here; forget your business does in the first 60 about that, those guys have ten seconds, every slide, set of numbers cameras directed at them, so it’s
fairly dramatized. But something close to that happens in venture capitalists’ offices and entrepreneurship events all the time - and there is a reason for it. “Investors aren’t being harsh just for the sake of being harsh. They try to push entrepreneurs outside of their comfort zone, they try to push them to the edge in order to see how much they can take, how they can get themselves out of a sticky situation. We want to see their reactions; it’s all part of our assessment. If you can’t take some heat from an investor, how will you deal with the realities of entrepreneurship?”
and rainbows. Entrepreneurs need to understand that investors take risks, putting their own hard-earned money on the table. We’re not a charity; we look for a return on our investments. That’s why entrepreneurs should never be offended by what investors have to say or put down in a contract. It might seem as we’re being greedy and unsympathetic, but in fact, we’re usually protecting ourselves from situations that we’ve seen too many times to count. Throw your ego aside and don’t take everything as a personal insult.” Failures
But don’t be quick to judge investors, because behind those professional facades are amazing people who just want to help others achieve their dreams (while making a nice return on investment). Take Hamza for example, he might come across as stern and emotionless if you encounter him on a pitch competition, but in reality, he’s a humble and comfortable guy to be around – a little surprising I have to say.
Yousef Hamza’s life might come across as a smooth entrepreneurial ride. A genius student, who rose fast through academic ranks, went on to become a lawyer and then ended up becoming an investor and principal at Envestors who enjoys everything life has to offer. Well, sorry to ruin the Disney-like story for you, but he’s had his fair share of disappointments and he has no problem talking about them.
“I don’t like to intimidate and push back people through tons of contracts, hitting them up with lawyers here and there, clauses and hidden by-laws. I am a lawyer by profession and education, but I don’t like to abuse that to get the upper hand over entrepreneurs. But that doesn’t mean that the process is all roses
“I failed a bunch of times. My life hasn’t really been as smooth as it might sound. I faced a lot of challenges, I´ve had relationships fall apart, investments gone bad and projects breaking down, but I learned so much from them. You see, failure speeds one’s learning curve. If people can handle criticism,
if they can admit to their failures, they’ll fail forward. But for others who are stubborn, who stick to their projects no matter what happens, don’t want to admit that change is sometimes needed, then at the end of the day their failure is a disaster with no constructive results.” What Entrepreneurship Should Be About From the number of people who walk around claiming entrepreneur this and entrepreneur that, you’d think half of the world are setting up startups and launching businesses left and right, but the truth is, much of it is just talk. Entrepreneurship is becoming a sign of prestige, a medal people put on to look and sound amazing, but in reality, there are few who take on the battleground and fight hard to reach their dreams. Entrepreneurship is about sweat, blood and tears, that’s what it takes to launch a startup and get it off the ground. “Entrepreneurship is a mindset. Some people are born to be entrepreneurs; others learn it along the way. The way to become a successful entrepreneur is to get out of your comfort zone. It’s all about sacrifices. Friends, time, sanity - how much you are willing to give up in order to pursue your dream, achieve your objectives and see your business come to light? Some would take a day off or spend a few bucks to attend a
conference or a Hackathon and appoint themselves as entrepreneurs. Who are you kidding? The philosophy of entrepreneurship is not about going to a few conferences or attending fancy-titled conventions, it’s about getting things done! And if getting things done is too much for you, then you’re not cut out for this.” The 6 Keys of entrepreneurship Be prepared to sacrifice Never stop developing yourself Observe everything In the name of learning, most things are forgivable Stop complaining, everyone is in the same boat, find solutions instead Always partner with people and ask how you can be of help to others
Mohamed Amine Belarbi
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PCRF
peration Protective Edge, that’s the name of Israel’s current “defensive” operation that launched on the 7th July, massacring an entire population, exterminating the very existence of Gaza by destroying their entire social infrastructure. But this hasn’t just been going on for a couple of days or weeks, it’s been going on for decades, with the entire world watching. But between global demonstrations, mainstream NGOs and so called superpowers; there was a clump of coal that slowly turned into a diamond, doing the absolute unimaginable and redefining the concept of sacrifice for the greater good. His name is Steve Sosebee, the founder of the Palestinian Children Relief Fund, a non-political organization that was established to tackle medical and humanitarian catastrophes that’s been hitting the Palestinians, trying to treat and fund specific surgeries that aren’t really available to them – quite literally lifesavers! But if you think that’s incredible, wait till you hear the story of the founder! Just like any other Superhero, he looks like a regular normal guy, an ordinary American citizen who does some fundraisers here and there and considering his accent, you’d think he spends most
The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund
of his time in the States, doing whatever ordinary guys do. But little do you know, there is so much more hiding behind the mask. “I was raised by social conscious parents in a small town in Ohio called Kent, which in 1970 had an incident in which four unarmed students were killed by American soldiers for protesting the war in Vietnam. So I was raised in a small community in which we were aware of the world outside our borders, and that power has a way of promoting injustice through force and that we all have a duty as free people raised in a country that values individual rights to stand up for those who are denied their rights.” Sosebee is truly an inspirational individual who, believe it or not, decided to settle in Palestine as an act of justice, as an act of love for the people, and has been going to Gaza since December of 1988, a place where he “feels at home, despite the occupation.” He explains that “I am in many ways a classically cultural American - I love baseball, the Beatles and the freedom to get in a car and drive 1,000 miles without being stopped. But I’m also very attached to Palestine and feel connected to the people and culture there in a way that respects the positive things. If you sur-
round yourself with positive energy in life, no matter where you are, and have friends and family who you love and respect, then you can live well anywhere. If you are tortured by fear and materialism, then life can be hard even in paradise. “ So when asked why he decided to take on such a gigantic sacrifice he humbly states “I was searching for something in my life which would give me a sense of service and meaning, where I could use my energy and talents in a positive way, to help an oppressed people, but to do it out of love and healing, not out of anything negative or destructive.” Today, PCRF is perceived as one of the worlds most transparent and trusted non-profit charity organizations, receiving a full 4 stars by the Charity Navigator and scored an amazing 70/70 in accountability and transparency, having a net asset of over 10 million dollars. And when you think it really cant get any better, it does, receiving a bunch of support and endorsements from the US Senator Paul Sarbanes and even Jimmy Carter, the former US President, published an amazing video backing the organization. But with all this backing and support from prominent figures in the US, is the superpower really doing everything to its ability? Are they doing everything in their power to end the war and saves millions of lives? He explains, “As an American, we have more of a responsibility to stand up for people who our government has
a role in oppressing, like the Palestinians. We should always stand with oppressed people, no matter where they are.” The fact is that if the world’s giants wanted the apartheid to be over, it already would be. I mean it’s not like the governments don’t have the resources or power to end a war like this, investing billions of dollars on national defense and spending summer vacations on the moon - they just don’t want to. Sosby firmly emphasizes on the private sectors huge contribution and support to the war in Gaza as “we take pride in having an organization that is able to do the work that we are doing on the ground there, which is completely privately funded, because that shows we have the support of people all over the world. “ He also strictly highlights on the “superpowers” lack (or almost non-existent) of backing and support as he explains, “If the international community, especially Gulf states and my government, wanted to end the conflict, it could happen overnight. The Saudis are the number one supplier of crude on the world market. The US is the main world super power. The Europeans, the United Nations are all main powers who we are only asking to enforce international human rights laws, security council resolutions and to be unbiased and fair in brokering a peaceful resolution to the issue. “ Alright fine, we´ve established that the so called superpowers won’t do anything about the situation, what
about the media? Well considering that mainstream-monitored media, like FOX news, CNN and CNBC are reporting the news as if “this just happened,” we really have to rely on the incredible power of social online media, who has really been portraying the issue from a multidimensional angle, shedding light on the most oppressed outlooks that have been hidden from the public. Because honestly, “there is a complete disconnect to the historical context of the conflict in the Western media. There is no mention of 1917, when Palestine was 95% Arab Palestinian and promised to another people outside of it’s borders by a foreign colonial power or 1948, when half of the population were driven out of Palestine (what is now Israel) and their villages and homes were destroyed by the thousands. The western media is focused on the daily aspects of the conflict, particularly the violence and not on what is the root cause of the violence.
of the most trusted charity organizations, establish that essential trait of transparency and assurance primarily amongst the Palestinians? “Every good deed has a sinister motive. But if you work hard and show people how they can be a part of something positive, that helps heal the wounds of children, and you keep doing it and focus on the positive and what we can do, and not let those who are focused on negativity to distract you, people will see you are serious and for real.”
For the past few weeks we´ve all been reading and hearing about the current situation in Palestine, but never would we be able to imagine or picture what really goes on their – it’s all filtered. “ It’s all very complex and we cannot just use the term “Palestinians” as if they have a monolithic existence. With that being said, I think there is complete unity among Palestinians that they are a nation and a people who deserve their freedom, As a result, most Americans and oth- basic national and human rights, and ers don’t understand the issue in the freedom like any other people in the proper context, and cannot base their world. While they may have different opinions on the root causes or what daily circumstances depending on is the most just and proper solution.” where they are living, they share the But how can a fund, that is considsame national vision for freedom and ered to be fairly new, compared to an end to occupation and the right of other large non-profit organizations, return.” get so much attention and support? I mean lets face it, after reading about So what can we do to support the “incidents” like the Breast Cancer Re- cause, what can the people do who lief Foundation, who only spent 2.2% aren’t on the grounds in Gaza? of their donations on direct aid and Through Sosbies years of experience, other charities that “taxed” their doon and of the grounds of Gaza, he nations, you do get a little skeptical. explains that “I don’t think it is imSo how did PCRF, who is today one portant to only vent through social
media or to educate people, but to find ways to have a positive impact on the ground there through organizations like the PCRF and others who are on the ground there helping those in need get the urgent support that they need to live better lives, especially during this crisis. People need to be active, to stand with Gaza and Palestine, to demonstrate, write letters, speak and act in positive ways, not with hatred or calls for violence, but out of love and respect for justice and freedom. Not acting means that you really don’t care.” Obviously we couldn’t leave Steve without getting one last essential piece of advice, one last message for us to engrain when diving into the emotional Israel - Palestine topic. So Sosebee, what do you have for us? “Educate yourself and educate oth-
ers. You have tools today with technology and communication that did not exist for other generations, and it is a tool that empowers you to reach out across the world. Don’t distract yourself with materialism or entertainment only, but also with causes that will direct your life in a way that will give you meaning and purpose. Time goes fast and soon you will be old and looking back on your life and how you lived it. You don’t want to feel that you short time here was spent caring about things rather than people. Get involved, be positive and don’t let failure or rejection stop you from doing something good in your life. You have the power to do whatever you want, as long as you work hard, are honest and stay focused. It’s all up to you. “
PCRF Ibrahim Naji
5 Unusual Things
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SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE HAVE IN COMMON
rom Bill Gates to Warren Buffet, we’ve all wondered where their secrets lay. But what if I told you that the most successful individuals had 5 distinct and unusual things in common that made them so wealthy? Well consider yourself lucky, because below are a list of five common habits successful people all have in common.
and have more time to focus on projects that will help you in the future. To put it simply, get rid of the messy things first and focus on what you do best.
2. They succeed at failing
Remember that failing is essential to success. Failure is inevitable, and successful people have a habit of using failure and rejection as 1. They sleep less and wake up a learning experience instead of a disappointment. Rejection can ofmuch earlier ten motivate you to become sucOver 40% of multimillionaires have cessful later on and stops you from been reported to wake up at least becoming complacent. Another important thing is that successful 4 hours before their day starts. people study other people’s failThis gives them the chance to get ures in order to learn from them and avoid making the same mistedious things out of the way and takes. focus on whatever projects they are working on for that week. No one likes to come home from work, 3. They keep their work and livonly to have a long list of chores ing space clean that still need to be done. Waking up earlier and getting things Being in a clean and organized done in the morning increases pro- environment eases your mind and ductivity by making the day less creates less distractions from your stressful. By taking on the habit work. It also helps you attain more of getting your day started early, energy, and trust me, handling enables you to accomplish more and distributing your energy into Getty Images
the right areas is crucial to success. Also remember that time is useless if you don’t have the energy to use it efficiently. Why do you think people spend so much money on housekeeping? Because being in a clean and organized space helps you to become more productive and focused.
4. They are not afraid to say NO Warren Buffet was once quoted saying: “the difference between regular people and successful people is that successful people say no to almost everything”. If your gut is telling you not to do something, don’t do it. Because remember that it’s better to say ‘no’ and hurt the persons’ feelings, than to say ‘yes’ and be disappointed later on when you end up losing thousands, if not millions, of dollars from a bad deal. Time is your currency; and it shouldn’t be wasted on an opportunity that is not going to be beneficial to you in the long run. Keep your standards sky-high and don’t ever let anyone manipulate you into doing something you don’t want to do.
5. Their education doesn’t stop by graduation
Your education doesn’t end when you finish school. One of the habits of successful people is that they never stop learning. They’re always studying whatever interests them and are always looking to figure out the answers to questions that other people may not know the answer to. So make sure to consistently read new material to gain new ideas and inspiration on a daily basis. All in all, don’t forget that uncommon habits bring uncommon results. So remember to be consistent in your productive habits and to cut out the ones that are hindering you.
“The People Who Are Crazy Enough to Think They Can Change the World, Are the Ones Who Do.” Steve Jobs Artonique Nelson
FIFA World Cup
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WHAT IT CAN TEACH YOU ABOUT ENTREPRENEURSHIP
o other event in the world could ever match up to this heavyweight defender, not the Olympics, not the World Series and not even the great American Super Bowl. Once every four years the FIFA World Cup kicks off, gathering a total of 32 passionate nations on a worldwide stage, fighting for the ultimate honor, as the world gazes with prospects. Global spectators that assemble on a common platform to observe as the clash of the titans heat up, supporting their nation, roaring out what they stand for, proudly exposing their colors. Because you see, this is so much more than just a game of football; it’s an educational platform unlike any other, teaching you the fine lessons of the entrepreneurial life. So as you glance back at the World Cup, reminiscing about the viral “Suarez incident” and Brazils’ historical defeat, consider these five entrepreneurial lessons that will not only make the time you spent in front of the TV entertaining – but also good for business! Never underestimate the Underdogs If there is anything we learnt form
the World Cup this year, it’s that you should never underestimate the underdogs, never look down on the “little guys”, because as you turn your back, glancing at Ronaldo’s Portugal (we all saw how well that turned out) or Spain’s throne holders (even I didn’t see that one coming), they’ll bite you in the ass, making you regret you ever doubted them. I mean, the majority of all the 16 teams that emerged into the “knockout” stages weren’t really the world’s most glorified nations. Costa Rica, Columbia and even the U.S (which the Swedish superstar, Ibrahimovic, called a “joke”) turned out to be the hungriest teams out there, surpassing European superpowers such as England, Italy and of course Spain. So for all my self-employed entrepreneurs, this should go out as a lesson that shows us that “big-players” don’t always end up on top. It proves to show that with enough determination, perseverance and vision you can outdo the elite and beat the odds because so long as there’s a consistent shift in time, you can provide distinctive value and significance even if you’re an underdog. Talent without discipline is worthless
event. Coca-Cola, Adidas, Sony - a Let me take you back a couple of fraction of the World Cups’ sponsors years, back to South Africa’s FIFA who have been setting the world on World Cup in 2010 where Spain abfire, keeping us entertained between solutely dominated the game, capthe games with their innovative and turing their first World Cup title. captivating promotions, capitalizing And it was quite obvious; I mean on the excessive heat the World Cup with some of the best players in the has been receiving from all over the world, most of them coming from world. With that being said, it’s their the much admired Barcelona and strategic approach to marketing Real Madrid, they were expected to their own brand that really sets them over-shadow every nation and take apart from anyone else. The majority it all home. But as we slowly witof the entities worked on tying their nessed, Spain lost its dominant pow- products to the World Cup and not er over Europe, and their road to vic- specifically to the products and sertory in Brazil was cut off pretty early, vices itself, establishing a sense of and not in the best way we shall ad connectivity and leveraging the FIFA as we watched them get bashed by brand to their advantage. the Netherlands. Same thing goes for England and Italy, two exception- This emphasizes on the importance al nations who made their exit pretty of building a collective community early in the tournament. for your brand. So instead of purely focusing on self-promotion as a tacBeing talented, having that little tic of boosting your brand without extra means absolutely nothing if feeling like spam 2.0, focus on prothere’s no aspiration and persistence pelling your product or service by backing it up. I mean what’s the associating it to a common field of point of having a bigger tank than interest. Take Nike for example, their anyone else, if there is nothing fuellatest commercials were all directing it? Embrace the fact that effort, ly linked to the World Cup, but had strategy and innovation is all a part “subliminal marketing strategies” of the equation and that ambition within the ad, showcasing their latest will lead you to triumph, regardless boots – making you, me and millions of what is put in front of you. Intelof other fans wanting to watch it ligence without ambition is a bird over and over again. without wings – useless. It’s never a one-man show Association by Connection – A brands’ best friend The World Cup surely had some great nations clashing for the title, The World Cup has been big on get- nations with an amazing track record ting in iconic brands to sponsor the that can’t be held against them. Bra-
zil, Italy, Spain and the list just keeps on going. But what one can’t forget is that individual skill can never take you to the top. I mean, I’m guessing people would consider Spain to be a much more skillful team than Costa Rica, and we all saw what happened there. At the end of the day, a nation can never depend on one distinctive player and a player can never evolve a game around himself. You see, what differentiated Germany from any other nation in the World Cup, was not only their mind-blowing skillset, but their cooperative teamplay as well. Portugal had Ronaldo, Argentina had Messi, Brazil had Neymar and Germany, well Germany had a team.
to control the game in a way that gave the opponents no chance to capitalize on their strong well-maneuvered forwards – “The Offside Trap”. With unbelievably strong team-symmetry and awareness, Costa Rica stopped the Dutch as they tried to make it further up the line, surviving for 120 minutes in the arena.
Entrepreneurs, this is a reminder of the importance of strategy. The significance of a game-plan. Just think about it, companies and individuals with just pure talent can go far, but business with a killer combination of a strategic game-plan and undeniable talent are those who endure aggressive battles and usually, end up From an entrepreneurial perspective, on top, because talent without a plan there is only so much you can do of action is straight up impractical. alone. Establishing a strong team to run behind you and a team that you As the 2014 Brazilian World Cup had can leverage on will help you reach some great moments, unifying nayour objectives a hell of a lost faster, tions and cultures from all over the establishing a solid foundation for world, bringing together the worlds’ future ventures. greatest athletes on a single platform for us to gaze upon, there was There is no better accelerator than so much to absorb and reflect on. strategy Eliminate all that excessive noise and emotion, and you’ll notice that there Who could ever believe that a nation is so much to be learnt from the like Costa Rica would actually have players, teams and supporters that the balls to match up against a team can easily be applied to your busilike the Netherlands? I mean at least ness, entrepreneurial philosophies in my eyes, that was a no brainer! and whatever life lessons that deBut truth be told, they managed to termines where the road to success take the game to penalties and unends up for you. fortunately, lost. But nevertheless, they used the simplest yet strictest football strategy that allowed them Sarah Wikström
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