G ulf Elite
DHH
David Heinemeier Hansson
Founder of Ruby on Rails
FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS 5 KICKASS WOMEN WHO WILL FLOOR YOU
Love, Success & Happiness How to nail the perfect surprise Can money buy anything?
KOUROSH KHANI HUSTLING HIS WAY TO THE TOP
Issue 9
simply the best
STUDINOV MARKETING STRATEGIES DESIGN, CONSULTANCY AND MARKETING SERVICES EMAIL US AT: STUDINOVSTRATEGIES@GMAIL.COM
EDITOR’S LETTER
W
hat is success? How much do you have to make in a month in order to be considered successful? You get these questions every now and then, and it comes to a point where you just realize that it’s hard to claim that you have made it because the very first question people ask you is: How big is your paycheck and what’s your net worth? See, the problem is not you, but rather the culture you live in, the pop culture that says that you are not the real deal unless you’re driving a Ferrari or lining up zeros after zeros in your bank account. Society conditioned us to think that money is everything; that happiness is only reached if you can afford a weekend in Marbella or a bachelor party in Monte Carlo. It’s that pop culture that keeps on telling us that if you think you can be happy living in a small apartment delivering mail as a profession, then you have to be delusional, finding excuses to justify your mediocrity. Today’s vibe tells us that that no matter how you feel, no matter what you do, it all boils down to how fat your wallet is, because money is success, money is happiness.
Mohamed Amine Belarbi - Co-founder/Editor
The truth is… Never tie how successful you are to how much you make. If your goal is money, then you will always try to make more and more, a million, a billion, a trillion and the race goes on and on. You will never be satisfied, you’ll never be able to say “Yes I made it” because well, there will always be more to gain. Happiness, on the other hand, is something you can look for and reach. If you wake up every morning looking forward to your job, if you open up your eyes happy to see the person laying next to you, if you feel proud of what you’ve accomplished and how many people you are helping everyday, then you’re successful. Remember, there is no price tag for success.
GULF ELITE 1
APRIL ISSUE - 9
Index
GULF ELITE 2
1
5 Badass Women
2
Surprising Her?
3
Three Words
4
How To Have It All
5
Crossroads
6
Kourosh Khani
7
On The Beat
8
DHH
9
Selfies
10
Think Again
11
Rebellious
Changing the world
How to nail it to perfection!
That will change your life
Love, Success, Happiness
Tradition & Modernity
The Next F1 Prodigy
Your monthly dose of music
Genius, Rich and Awesome
My Guilty Pleasure
Money CAN Buy Happiness
The Dark Side
www.kairossociety.org
FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS 5 KICKASS WOMEN TO LOOK UP TO
A
s we browse through the mainstream media, liking the latest updates, snapchating our fanciest meals and tweeting the latest score, we seem to always stumble upon the same “typical” entrepreneurial characters that flood our newsfeed; Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Steve Jobs. At least from my perspective, we never get the same volume of female magic as we do with male allstars, which is straight up crazy considering the extraordinary innovations and breakthrough ideas that have been championed by leading female figures. So without further ado, I´m putting the cards down on the table, showing you the womanly flush.
to the UK and thereafter to the US to surround herself with environments that could fulfill her high-minded ambitions. She started out by writing 13 books as well as co-host a public radio program “Both Side Now” in where she discussed the nations’ (US) most relevant political issues – who knew a radio hostess would become one of the world’s richest and most powerful female figures? Sara Blakely, the girl who used to work as a Disney World ride-greeter and a door-to-door fax machine salesperson
Arianna Huffington is not only a Greek sophisticated beauty, with a net-worth of 50 million dollars, but also, you guessed it, the actual founder of one of the world’s largest news websites and the first to ever win the Pulitzer Prize, The Huffington Post. This extraordinary woman, who, in 2009, was listed as number 12 in Forbes first ever list of the Most Influential Women In Media, took on the ultimate entrepreneurial path to establish her passion of journalism into a vision that would soon conquer the world in a storm, but like all success stories, it definitely didn’t come along easy. Huffington was born in the great city of Athens in 1950, after which she moved
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APRIL ISSUE
is now making an astounding 250 million dollars in revenue designing her new line of shaping underwear and has even been picked up by “Oprah Winfrey´s Favorite Things.” This gorgeous 43 year old woman is the ultimate definition of an entrepreneur, as she invested her entire life savings, a total of 5000 dollars (in her twenties), trying to figure out the next big thing within the fashion industry – and boy did she figure it out. SPANX, the undergarment company, is a multi-million dollar entity that rocketed into the skies, which even caught Oprahs’ attention after just six months (crazy). Today this ex-salesperson is ranked as the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire and is even named in Times annual list of the 100 most influential people – talk about an entrepreneurial spirit! Crystal Culbertson is truly a flawless crystal as she killed it when she founded Crystal Clear Technologies, an innovative technology that supports data communications to the U.S. Armed Forces and even the U.S. federal government, which made her a total of 16.4 million dollars by the end of 2010 – who said men dominated the tech-world? This badass woman’s mind-blowing technology even managed to put her on the INC. 5000 list, ranking her at number 5 in 2011. Now 16.4 million sure is a lot of money, but it took sleepless nights, financial gambles, an extraordinary vision and not to mention, perseverance, as it took Crystal over five years to establish herself as an entrepreneur, millionaire and a female role model we all can look up to. Pinterest
Rhonda Dibachi is yet another astonishing woman who broke through the stereotypical “male-powered” industry with her entrepreneurial genius attitude as she co-founded Noribachi. Now you may not have heard of this innovative business or even heard of the name Dibachi, yet, you almost see her groundbreaking technology every single day – interested now? This woman established one of the most powerful LED manufacturing companies, supplying top-notch LED lighting for both commercial and industrial sectors, including the largest companies in the world such as Mercedes-Benz and Lexus. But her magic didn’t stop there, as she also co-founded Niku, a Sillicon Valley-based productivity software provider. A provider that managed to take Niku public in an IPO led by one of the world’s largest and most powerful investment banks, Goldman Sachs.
Michelle Mone, the beautiful Scottish model and entrepreneur, is why young motivated and determined future entrepreneurs keep on fighting, in the hopes of achieving what everybody else told them they couldn’t. Mone wasn’t your typical school-kid, as a matter of fact; she left school by the age of 15. Her educational environment wasn’t really “appropriate” as she kept on being told that she was going to end up a failure – the irony! As determined as she was, she dropped out of school, setting sale in the hopes of becoming a successful businesswoman, proving to everyone what she really was made of – a net-worth of 30 million dollars.
Mone founded Ultimo, one of UK’s largest lingerie entities which focuses on the re-invention of sexy, comfortable and better looking bras, emphasizing on presenting a more tasteful presentation of the modern day cleavage. Now as simple as this “new bra” might sound like, it took her three determined years of research, design and development in order to attain the quality her product is known for today, selling out six weeks of stock in 24 hours. Until today, Ultimo’s selloff is known as the UK’s biggest bra launch in history. Intellectual women and female entrepreneurs have absolutely been killing it out there, innovating, creating and revolutionizing our modern world. Geniuses that have been denied the spotlight because of the on-going male dominant biased perception of the business world – which is so wrong truth be told. I mean, what would millions of people be reading if it weren’t for Arianna Huffington? How would you be driving if it weren’t for Rhonda Dibachi? What would you be wearing if it weren’t for Michelle Mone’s incredible collection? My point is, whether you like to face it or not, women are going to gradually become the pioneers of today’s and tomorrow’s business endeavors, and will undeniably set new standards for entrepreneurial excellence and achievements.
Tu m b l r.
Ibrahim Naji
PERFECT SURPRISE HOW TO NAIL IT TO PERFECTION
A
timeless tale, an endless lie, a test that has been carried out across men all over the world! “I hate surprises!” she says, and of course, as a man, you believe her. Now… listen to these words very carefully… There is an 80 per cent chance that she is lying! I am one who falls under that 80% and am guilty of convincing my partner that I am not fond of surprises. Over the years, however, he has discovered that it is not at all true. Every woman I have ever encountered is always extremely curious and inquisitive. On the occasion that she does find out there is a surprise (99 per cent of the time this will be the case) she will not rest until she uncovers the nature of it. There are a couple of things to remember when planning a surprise whether it is a surprise getaway or an enormous flower arrangement.
Keep the surprise a surprise! Like I said before, if women have a suspicion, I assure you they will follow through in its discovery. Do not tell her there is a surprise because you, my friend, are setting yourself up to be asked nine thousand other questions. Carry on as normal – no hinting, no clues…NOTHING! Trust me on this one guys. GULF ELITE 7
Think about her! What is it that she loves? She may love hanging out with your friends, but if your idea of a surprise is inviting the boys to crash date night with cards and pizza then please, please, please seek help! Do not mistake her selfless love for you with a love of boy’s night.
No-go zone! Make sure the surprise is not part of a get-over-your-fear plan. If she is scared of planes do not organize to have her jump out of one, if she is scared of birds do not take her to an aviary… I know it sounds like common sense to some of you, if this is the case then I’m proud you understand the difference. For those of you who are shocked by this point, please reread this point until it is embedded into your mind the way the functions of the buttons on a PS3 controller are.
Keep it simple! Have you ever heard of the saying “less is more”? It applies very heavily to this! Women are definitely confusing creatures, there is no doubting that, however the fact that you took the initiative to surprise her will mean more to her than the extravagance of the gesture. Whether the surprise is
4. Finally, my favorite surprise idea in the history of surprises!! THE BOX OF FAVOURITES! This surprise provides you with so much financial flexibility – you can spend anything from $20 to $1000 dollars and it is still the most breath taking, heart stopping surprise! Buy a beautiful box and fill it with all her favorites! Below you will find some suggestions for Her favorite chocolates, candy, movies, surprises for all price ranges! books, alcohol, potato chips, jewelry, stationary, candles, magazines…anything 1. Nothing says surprise like a pair of that you know is her favorite!! red soles. Christian Louboutin’s timeless Pigalle’s are the perfect, patent pump The thought, and the enormous effort for any classy lady! Made in both a nude will make this surprise one she will never and a black this shoe is a go-to for every forget! outfit and is worth every single dollar of the $625 spent. the biggest of the biggest, or the smallest of the smallest make sure to leave a note/text message/email reminding her that you love her. 3 words. 8 letters. That’s all it will take to make your surprise seem like the most majestic one in the world.
2. Roses have always been a symbol of affection! So why not spoil her with three-dozen stunning, long stemmed roses and a bottle of Moet & Chandon for $329.90 from any high-end flower shop. And if you’re lucky enough to find a delivery service, it’ll allow you to truly catch your partner off guard whether it be at home, or in the office and will be sure to make her feel like she’s worth a million dollars. 3. The Little Blue Box has become a poplar symbol of affection over the years and it is evident why! Tiffany and Co.’s intricate craftsmanship has earned the heart of almost every woman on the planet. The Return To Tiffany medium heart pendant and key is a beautiful little gesture to show the woman you love that she has the key to your heart…literally!! Its $270 that will bring the most priceless smile to her face.
S y d n e y M e n ’s F a s h i o n Pinterest
The voice of generation Y
www.elitedaily.com Coming Soon
THREE WORDS
THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE 1. CREATE
doesn’t mean you get what you planned for; in fact, that almost never happens. But Creating things is the secret path that lets you almost certainly won’t completely fail, and what successes you have will almost alyou do whatever you want. ways outweigh your losses. How did I become a writer? I wrote. How did I become a programmer? I programmed. How did I become an entrepreneur? I started a company. I never had professional training in any of those things, and it never mattered, because I gave it to myself. You can too. Create the right things and you won’t need a resume. Create things worth noticing, and you will be noticed. Creating is also a way of extending yourself. Your writing, your art or your company – all these things add to you worth, and the right creations fuse and compound over time. Think of it like buying shares in yourself. Most people make the mistake of permanently exchanging their time for money, aka ‘employment’. This leads to a lifetime trap of spending time to earn dollar after dollar. If instead you invest your time in making things of value, those things can take life of their own, and work for you while you sleep. You’ll be happier and in greater control of your destiny too.
2. BIG
Say you aim to write a single Facebook status. However that goes, you’re not likely to win or lose much. Instead say you aim to write a whole novel. There’s a good chance you will fail to finish, or take five times longer than you expect, or write utter garbage paste that never makes it past three unhappy relatives. But in the process you will have pushed your skills beyond their point of comfort, and grown immensely, more so than most people do in their entire lifetimes. If you keep doing this, eventually, something is going to work. And you only need one big win to set you for life.
3. DEFY If you think the world is logical or fair, you’re going to be frustrated and sad most of your life. The world does, actually, make a lot of sense. But not in the way that you might think. Working hard is not enough. Being smart is not enough. Really wanting stuff is not enough. Your instincts and upbringing may tell you otherwise. They are wrong.
The thing no one tells you about aiming big The thing that will hold you back the most, is that you pretty much always win. That throughout your entire life, will be yourself. You will know what to do. You will want to GULF ELITE 10
do it. And yet you will find yourself failing, and you won’t know why. Most people by reflex blame the world when this happens: “my boss is a tyrant”, “the economy is hopeless”, “girls are stupid”. Externalizing leads only to denial and pain. What you need to do – all you need to do – is look inside yourself, and ask what, if anything, you could be doing differently. If you’re certain the problem is outside of your power, drop it, and move on. If you can make a habit of this, all of your energy will only go to things that improve your life, and you’ll free yourself from a great deal of sadness. Create, big and defy. These are three things that almost no-one does, which is exactly why you should do them. Just by attempting you’ll be putting yourself at an uncommon advantage. Now go forth and conquer.
CREATE BIG DEFY Oliver Emberton GULF ELITE 11
Tu m b l r.
Tu m b l r.
LOVE, SUCCESS, HAPPINESS HOW TO HAVE IT ALL
L
ove, Success, & Happiness. Everyone wants it, but very few people know how to get it. As the author of two books “Be Ballsy! How Not To Suck At Love, Success, & Happiness” and “Be A Baller! The Blueprint To Have It All” there’s nothing I know more than that you can have it all, all at the same time.
have one without the other, but with both key ingredients, risk and commitment, you’ll do whatever it takes, no matter how long it takes. Being bold requires letting go of what you think you know and building the relationships that are going to propel you to new levels in all areas of life, be it health, finance, your career, relationships or even your own personal self-image. As a result Throughout the past three years I’ve trav- of being bold your confidence will increase eled the globe coaching six figure entrepre- and you’ll find yourself taking bigger risks neurs in seven countries, and various indus- and getting bigger rewards. tries through my own live events, group and one-on-one coaching programs. Everyone wants something; the fancy cars, dream villas, exotic destinations, mind-blowing relationships, financial freedom, you get the point. But, surprise surprise, only 3% actually know the formula to make it happen for both themselves and their families and are willing to do whatever it takes to make their dreams a reality. It takes BALLS. A formula that works for everyone, in any industry, of any age, with any dream they want to achieve. It’s called the BALLS Formula and it didn’t only help me but it’s helped my clients become millionaires and it can help you - if you follow it.
BOLD If you want that bonus, that reward, you have to take the risks and make the commitments that are required. Now you could
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We Heart It
ACCOUNTABILITY
LEARN
We all want to believe and, at some point, do believe that we can achieve our goals alone but the reality is we need someone to encourage us, believe in us and be there for us through the good and bad. Being in relationships with others who inspire you to become greater than you think you can, not only helps you stay on track but helps you become an example for those who look up to you. Whether you realize it or not, every single action you take is being watched by the people who are closest to you. Pushing yourself will only get you so far, but allowing yourself to be pushed by others will light a fire within you to do things you didn’t even know were possible. Accountability is the number one investment the greatest individuals who have ever lived made; Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Beyoncé even The Dali Lama. Those who get to where they’re going never take the journey alone.
Never stop learning from the mistakes you’ve made, the mistakes others have made or from the resources you have available. Learning will accelerate your growth and help you define a clear path on how to get from where you are now to where you are going in the quickest, easiest, most effective and profitable way possible. The greatest individuals invest in learning something new every day whether it´s from a book or their co-worker, learning is an essential part of their daily commitment to succeed in every area of their life.
LISTEN There is nothing anyone wants to do more than talk about themselves. In any conversation you commit to, people talk about themselves but rarely do they stop long enough to hear what the other person is saying. In relationships especially; open-
BOLD ACCOUNTABILITY LEARN LISTEN SYSTEMS GULF ELITE 14
We Heart It
ing up, being vulnerable, tearing down the walls you have to protect yourself and showing up as your true, authentic self allows your partner to connect with and relate to you on a much deeper level. I’m not just talking about the physical relationship with your significant other, I’m talking about every relationship you have. When you stop protecting yourself from the fear of not knowing, you can start growing to where fear no longer or seems to no longer exist.
your current circumstances, but knowing that you can have it all, all at the same time and following this formula will help you achieve everything you want and so much more.
Get you hands on Melissa’s book Be A Baller - The blueprint to have it all
SYSTEMS Many of us want to give in to the pressure before we get going. When things don’t come easy we want to give up, quit, retreat, pull back or forget that we even wanted to achieve that goal in the first place. Just like a computer requires systems to properly function, the mind and body require the same. You must not only know what your goals are, but you need to have a plan of action and a system in place to achieve them. If you want to get fit then prepping your meals, having a gym bag ready and hit the gym every day at the exact time for the same length of time 5-6 times a week is the exact system that will get you results. Likewise if you want to hit a financial goal allocating your money to build assets and pay off debt in various accounts each month will help you achieve just that. Success leaves clues and so does failure but without a system in place you won’t be able to track what’s working and what’s not. When it comes to love, success, and happiness it’s easy to put pressure on or blame someone or something external for
MELISSA KRIVACHEK
‘’ SARA BRANCATI’ Sara Brancati, the beautiful sophisticated Mediterranean model, offers so much more than meets the eye. She´s a savvy businesswoman with a sharp sense of marketing and salesmanship, representing several leading luxury brand in the Gulf Market. This multitasking Italian does her thing all while jumping from one plane to another, attending fashion events, music videos and even movies as she starred in the latest Fast & Furious shooting in Abu Dhabi. Credits: Photographer: Nabeela Huda Make-Up: Ellaine Fatima Special Thanks: Persian Carpet House (Central Souk Abu Dhabi)
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ELITE PROFILE KOUROSH KHANI: THE NEXT F1 PRODIGY
H
e’s fast, pierces like a bullet and is made in Iran: wrong guess, it’s not the latest air-to-air missile Iran manufactured, but Kourosh Khani, a professional racer, who has been burning the asphalt since the age of seven. Khani is an adrenaline addict who spends most of his time on the track; in fact, his passion for racing really is nothing new. So we decided to sit down with him in order to get a better insight on the life of a racing prodigy before he gets too busy raffling F1 trophies. Kourosh started getting a feel for cars at an early stage, and when I say feel for cars I’m not talking about cartoon characters flying off in their sci-fi rides on TV, I’m talking about him getting his hands dirty on the track before he knew how to ride a bike! “I started driving when I was seven in Iran, I started doing karting races. My uncle owned the go karting track so I used to help him out in exchange for free rides. He was my mentor, my instructor because, well, he was simply a good motivational driver and that was when I started doing national and then regional races. “ The passion and motivation that Kourosh attained at an early age is quite revealing of how madly in love he would be with cars and racing, in fact so much in love it almost drove him to insanity
as he calmly explains that “my dad built me two cars, one on which I did a world record jump; 30 meters long, 7 meters high.” Yes, you read that right, 30 meters long and 7 meters high. This is a perfect example of someone who wanted it really bad! Someone who loved cars and karts, and was ready to take the ultimate risk in order to prove to himself and to everyone else that he was the right man for the job (Observe: This is not an invitation for you to jump out of the window if your dream is to become superman).
TEENAGE YEARS Kourosh’s racing fever didn’t cool down as he was growing up. His performances on the track kept on rocketing, taking him from one race to another and making him more engaged than ever to make a name for himself across Iran…for now. “I was a little kid doing all this crazy stuff, racing big guys in their late 20s. I soon realized when I was growing up that leaving Iran was the natural outcome because there is only so much you can do in the country, and at the pace I was moving I had to get out in order to be able to keep improving and competing. London was the destination I settled for, and when I was 16 I decided to go for it. I joined the motorsport academy
as their 2nd youngest member and fast enough I was raffling the top spot. From then on I went on to contend in higher-level competitions.”
“Talent you have naturally. Skill is only developed by hours and hours and hours of beating on your craft.” - Will Smith Kourosh might be a talented racer, but that’s not a gift he was born with, but rather something he worked hard to acquire. “My uncle owned a go kart track, he was always encouraging me to become a better driver, a better competitor. All of this became natural to me as I always dreamt of becoming an F1 driver, in fact my family keeps on reminding me, till this day, of how crazy I was about becoming the next Schumacher - ever since the age of six. My dad told me he noticed I had the passion and the drive so he took it upon himself to help me develop and become the best racer to touch the asphalt.” One cannot help but question how someone can have a breakthrough in a country media portrays as on par with North Korea, a dead end where dreams are suppressed and individual flourishing is inhibited (Or so they say), so we asked Kourosh how he kept his spark alive and his motivation up during his years in Iran.
merized by motorsports. And then the first time I ever sat in a racecar, it just hit me. The dream started looking more like a reality. I realized that daydreaming was over, and it was time to start winning. Of course my trajectory has not all been roses and rainbows. There have been many times I stumbled upon obstacles. I lost races, and sometimes got into accidents where I thought it was the last time I would ever breathe. I could have been injured pretty bad in so many cases, but I kept on surviving. When I got to London, I went to Formula Ford first, and managed to win three races back to back, but then again, I hit a wall. I was stuck in a series of contracts with the team, the atmosphere was not right and I couldn’t win races for a period of time. After two years of complications, my contract expired and I was able to leave the team and join a better one and then boom! It just clicked again.” Formula 3 Cup UK, Formula Premium championship, Kourosh was piling up, podium after podium, win after win.
HATERS GONNA HATE!
“Well as in any field, any industry, you will have people who will try to pull you down, tell you that you can’t, either out of jealousy or pure rivalry, but I was lucky to have a supportive family and a group of loyal friends, and most of all, a strong personal determination to make it to the top regardless of what people thought or said. I have a winning men“I am a positive person, put it that way. I always dreamt that one day I would be tality; I will achieve whatever I set myself an astonishing driver. I used to play vid- up for. I succeeded, and for the people eo games, watch races on TV and always who didn’t support me, well, tough luck, must have been a disappointment not to stood in awe of all the mind-blowing see me fail. racers. My heart was beating at the frequency of the engine; I was just mes-
Kourosh Khani is a true role model for many young people out there, still exploring the world and wondering how they will carve a name for themselves. Life is hard, success is difficult to acquire and the journey to accomplishment is full of traps and setbacks. But as you move along in your quest to be the best you can, remember to learn from those who went through that path before you. Learn from their successes and failures, hear what they have to say and keep a close eye on how they operate. Kourosh is definitely one of those pioneers whose advice can save you a lot of time and trouble! “I am a very positive person, if you dream about something, if you want to achieve a certain goal really bad, then you can do it. No matter what stands in between you and your goal, you can overcome it if you have the will and determination for it. I have experienced this; I am not just talking out of thin air. You can achieve literally anything: if you can think it, you can do it, regardless of how difficult it may be.” “I´ve had people message me asking for advice, inquiring on how they can achieve a certain goal or objective, and even though I don’t have the time to answer everyone, I try my best to help, mentor people and guide them into better and brighter paths. It is in my nature to give back, help others because I had people along my journey who always lent me a hand. And it is truly heart warming to see how some of the people I interact with send me messages and pictures of themselves after losing weight or achieving a certain goal, asking: what’s next?
Just take people’s advice, feedback and guidance in consideration, but don’t act blindly on it. Some people will try to help, and others will hate on you, so it’s crucial to know how to discern who’s in it for you and who’s in it against you.”
MY ROLE MODEL “Michael Schumacher has always been an inspiration to me. It’s a shame what happened to him recently and I really hope he recovers quickly. I wish I could race against him. I also admire every single F1 driver because I know what each and every one had to go through in order to make it to the F1 track. It takes a lot of perseverance, hard work and commitment; it’s a really exhausting process. “
SUCCESS REQUIRES SACRIFICE If success was easy to reach, then it wouldn’t be as valuable. Building success is like building muscles; you have to go through pain, sweat and tears, dedicating hours everyday in order to achieve that physique. It’s not an easy ride; it’s not all glamour and fun. You will never get something if you don’t give up something in exchange and just as the saying goes; there is no such thing as a free meal. “Doing anything to the highest level is a sacrifice. I sacrificed a lot in my life but it ultimately paid off. Success is not just an activity, it’s a lifestyle and this is true whether you are a businessman, a professional driver or an artist. You are constantly watching what you eat, man-
aging your sleep and monitoring your physical performances. Most of the time I am 100% on it, doing anything to keep myself in shape and sharp, but I also treat myself with the goodies from time to time, to eat and do whatever I want in order to steam off a bit.”
5 YEAR PROJECTION “F1 world champion. I have no doubt that what I have achieved so far has been unrealistic for millions of people, especially from my country. Many people would have never believed or imagined that I would reach this point, but I’ve managed to pull it off, and I’m very grateful for it. Claiming that I will be the next F1 champion might come across as funny, but I totally believe it and I’m pretty sure it will happen one day.”
ANY LAST ADVICE TO OUR READERS? “To any young individual, or not so young for that matter, live your life doing what you’re really passionate about, be it sports, painting, entrepreneurship or science. If you really want to achieve something, set your mind to it. Make a plan to get to meet your goals and believe in them! Surround yourself with the right people; people who believe in you and who are there to support you. Believe in yourself. You are your own worst enemy; you are your own weakness. It all boils down to how you perceive yourself. You have people who will keep on telling you, you can’t do something and all you should answer is “alright, I´ll prove you wrong”. Keep on fighting, because if you persevere, you will succeed.” Twitter: @KouroshRacing Facebook: Kourosh M Khani
MOHAMED AMINE BELARBI
S
DHH
David Heinemeier Hansson
Founder of Ruby on Rails
elf-made Millionaire, Bestseller, creator of Ruby on Rails, he’s been called the Hottest Hacker on Earth and has just given us an awesome interview. That’s what we like to call a kickass move, because after all, Gulf Elite is all about getting the most breathtaking people to share words of advice with you and let you get a handle of the ins and outs of what it takes to make it big in life.
Selfishness! I wanted Ruby on Rails to make my own work better and more enjoyable. I’d been working with technical platforms that I didn’t love, and I just couldn’t see myself doing that for much longer. So when I found Ruby, it just clicked. Rails was a natural follow from that match. Rails was how I applied my love of Ruby to the work I do every day.
Releasing it as open source came as a very natural consequence of using open Gulf Elite prides itself to be from millen- source software in general. I had beneials to millenials, and in that fashion we fitted so much from other open source thought it best to let our readers and projects that it felt wrong to keep Rails followers ask the questions, and have to myself, now that I had something that the chance to ask our interviewees what I could give back they really are interested in. 3. Did you expect Ruby on Rails to have such wide applications as it has LET THE SHOW BEGIN! today? 1. If you had to describe yourself, how would you go about it? I’m in it for the long run on all accounts, work, play, and family. But not as an excuse to live a deferred lifestyle full of unhealthy sprints and death marches. Rather, it’s the realization that all these areas of life are marathons. Set a sustainable pace and enjoy every kilometer of the run. 2. Ruby on Rails has been a hit and a game changer in the tech world, what motivated you to start such a project?
I didn’t expect just how far we got, but I did expect waves. Ruby on Rails had such a profound influence on my work, and the enjoyment of that work, that I knew it would probably impact others in the same way. The way I work and what I enjoy in a platform is not unique. There are hundreds of thousands of programmers just like me. 4. What motivates you in life? Growing at a sustainable pace. The marvel of compound achievements. 5. What drove you towards motor-
sports?
things considered.
Outside of programming, motorsports is the easiest pathway I’ve found to tap into the happiness of flow. That mental state where you lose track of time and place and just enjoy the activity. There’s nothing like going 200mph to focus your attention solely to the task at hand. Nothing about what you’re going to do tomorrow, who you have to get back to on email, or any other distractions. Pure focus, pure bliss.
9. What do you have to say to people who claim success is a matter of luck? Good timing is involved in most success stories. But it’s very rare that I’ve met anyone who’s built something from nothing where it was all down to timing. Being good, being right is a necessity. It doesn’t mean either of those things is a guarantee of success, but the opposite is almost always true.
6. What’s your recipe for success in the entrepreneurial world?
That’s how we like it in Gulf Elite, quick, sharp and to the point. No peddling around, no BS. DHH is one of the most Find a way to win without banking on fascinating people we’ve interviewed a home run. Home runs are exceeding- because of his approach to life. He sets ly rare, but so what? Set your sights himself a goal, and sets sail to achieve on the achievable. Instead of trying to it. He knows what he has to do and aim for a billion dollars, how about just how to do it, and he doesn’t waste time reaching for that one million first? I can screwing around. David in a sense is a tell you from experience that the differ- winner by nature, always going for the ence in happiness between being com- clear cut rather than the messy path. fortable enough not to have to look at Have priorities, have goals and have the price on a gallon of milk and afplans. The rest will be history! fording the fanciest flights of luxury is tiny. 7. What advice do you have for young people looking up to you? Adopt or develop a philosophy of life before it’s too late. 8. Did you face serious challenges in life? How do you overcome obstacles? I think I’ve had a very smooth ride, all
MOHAMED AMINE BELARBI
SELFIES SELFIES MY GUILTY PLEASURE
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veryone has a guilty pleasure that no one knows about. Mine is watching reality TV shows, the most annoying and snobby ones (and of course this isn’t real since a guilty pleasure by default isn’t meant to be shared, but point illustrated). Then there are the guilty pleasures that some people know about, just our closest friends, like the fact that we can eat a whole Nutella jar in half an hour or that we actually like eating caviar with tomato flavored chips (in our dreams, because we can’t afford caviar, but still). Then there is the guilty pleasure everyone knows about because we post it on social networks.
me, you used to mercilessly make fun of all your friends who took selfies until you started doing it yourself, that is. Now, all that follows is a discussion of selfies in a moderate amount. A moderate amount means that you are not even close, not by a hundred horrible un-posted selfies, to having your motto be “BUT FIRST, LEMME TAKE A SELFIE”, because as entertaining as that song is you got to admit that (nearly) nobody would appreciate that sentence being used in an actual serious, non-mocking, conversation.
Anyhow, are selfies that bad? I mean, we live in a generation where we are SELFIES. surrounded by images of people, everywhere, blown up and shrunken down, Now, selfies are not always a guilty pleaenhanced and edited and with people sure, but to many – they are. Me includoveranalyzing every crinkle, wrinkle and ed. Why guilty? Um, because it feels bulge. Selfies are, to an extent, a way to very weird to pose for myself and then take back the role of presenting yourself proceed to ten different photographs of to the public – if people are going to be myself from five different angles, after displayed out there for everyone to see which I edit and “filter” the chosen one, and judge, each person might as well be and then post it on a page that is devotin control of what others see. ed to myself so others can see it. (Also, because even my grandmother now Selfies for women are a tricky concept. knows what a selfie is, and that makes If a woman posts a selfie of herself fully me feel guiltier than anything else). It is, dolled up, she would get snide comhowever, a pleasure. Now, not everyone ments and judgments along the line agrees with the guilty part, and even of, “your self-worth isn’t dependent less people don’t agree with the pleaon your selfie filter, by the way.” If she sure part. But to the guilty-pleasure-takposts a selfie of herself without make ers out there: maybe selfies shouldn’t up, au natural, #nofilter, she would find make us so guilty anymore. Unless, like herself faced with either hateful com-
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ments about how she should never put herself in such a position again, “this is what make up is for”, etc or she would face skepticism, “how many filters equal non-filter exactly.” (Now, disclaimer: the quotations are all out of my imagination, but they’re close enough). It is another female dilemma, just like the working vs. stay-at-home mom, and the conservative vs. non-conservative dresser, etc. No matter what she decides to do, someone, and very likely another woman, will attack her – and that is exactly why women should take back the control of the images of themselves that are out there – I mean, one can only live down a couple of horrifying open-mouth midspeech Facebook tags.
It is amazing how people (myself included) automatically pass judgments and make assumptions about other people in situations that are nearly exactly the same as ones we are put in daily, and wouldn’t appreciate anyone’s interference (even if it is inside their own head). Guilty pleasures are a must, we all have them, and the sharing of a guilty pleasure makes it easier on everyone. So let’s each take control of our own images and try to understand others’ images as they would wants us to (not as we tell ourselves they want us to, but how they actually do). Okay, I’m off to watch a reality show and finish a jar of Nutella.
Men, however, face a dilemma that I find just as serious – especially since the judgment component is not even trying to masquerade as being downplayed. When a guy takes a selfie, he is judged for his pose, if he looks like he cares, he’s posing and that’s not good. And if he looks like he doesn’t care, he’s acting and that’s not good. If he takes a selfie in the gym he’s not actually working out, he’s just showing off and that’s not good. If he takes a selfie before going out, he’s trying to make someone jealous and that’s not good. Not for a second could someone imagine that anyone other than himself or herself just takes a selfie because they want to, because they look good today or because they’re in a really awkward social situation and need to hide inside (literally, if possible) their phones.
MARIAM EL ZOGHBY
MONEY CAN’T BUY HAPPINESS THINK AGAIN
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ntrepreneurs – the modern day warriors who volunteered to take on society’s most epic battles, with no roadmap, no rulebook, they set sail in the hope of finding a better way of doing things. They’re in it for the prestige, the money and the good will. They’re characters who have those individualistic qualities that make the individual thrive and prosper into stratospheric heights. These are characteristics that make it possible for you and for anyone else who has the guts to walk down the entrepreneurial road, to become, in lack of better words, moneymakers. But the closer you get to achieving that “bonus”, the more jealous criticism you’re going to get – the more envious crap you’re going to go through, a bunch of “constructive criticism” aimed at you, flying in from all angles. But amid all the hate and the talk, you don’t have to give in or fear that you’ll die alone, all blue, with no friends. You’re successful, wealthy and awesome, absolutely nothing can beat you. And if some people come across with the statement that “with all your money and success you can’t live a happy life”, well, you know what to do! They say “money can’t buy happiness”, I say good for you! How can someone have the audacity to say that money can’t buy happiness, what are you then working for, charity? Why are you going to your 9 to 5 job five days a
week, to satisfy your boss? Whether you like it or not, capital is what keeps this collective society going in a vicious circle of reliance, capitalistic reliance. Now I won’t get into the sensitive materialistic topic just yet, so let us start slow – philanthropy. A Harvard Business School professor, Michael Norton, discovered in his scientific research “Happy Money; The Science of Smarter Spending” that “having money may not buy happiness, but spending cash on life experiences might bring people a certain amount of joy.” His whole theory was based on conducting behavioral science, which lead to the conclusion the individuals who spend their money on others can significantly stimulate their general overall mood and their actual perception on life. Still don’t get what I mean? Lets take Bill and Melinda Gates’ vision as a perfect example. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is the ultimate philanthropic model that illustrates how money does, in fact, buy happiness, as these extraordinary people have an endowment of a total of 38.3 billion dollars that has saved, supported and sustained millions of people around the world, buying them a smile for a lifetime – let me show you what I mean. An atounding 1.3 billion dollars have been donated to the “Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria”, an astonishing amount that has literally saved millions of individuals in developing countries, giving
the young and the old a fighting chance to live through life with a smile on their faces, a fighting chance that makes them just that much safer – and if that doesn’t portray the perception of “capital driven happiness” then you might as well stop reading. Education also covers a large part of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations’ vision of a better, happier world. With that being said, they spend millions of dollars supporting thousands of students in the US, supplying them with a much-needed scholarship so that they can attend a diverse range of educational institutions. Alongside with scholarships, they also invest their hard-earned fortune into developing schools infrastructures, giving students a much more appropriate and modern study-environment, which we all know is an essential educational-trait when your goal is to achieve higher grounds. What I’m trying to highlight here is that, just because you own millions of dollars, drive a Bentley on Mondays, a Maybach on Fridays and live in a 10000 square foot mansion – doesn’t mean that you’re an ego-centric, cheap capitalistic prick – on the contrary, it opens up monumental opportunities to invest a portion of your wealth into the good of man-kind, improving and finding solutions to the worlds’ most devastating problems, resulting in true and genuine happiness for you and others. Now I know what you’re thinking, it’s Bill Gates, the guy has literally a swimming pool filled with money – well let me tell you where you are wrong. First of all, no, he probably has four swimming pools that are crammed with money. Second of all, there are millions of philanthropy-driven individuals out there who donate small amounts of their earnings, be it 50 dollars or 50 cents, to support critical global issues, and that my friends makes them,
on a more local scale, philanthropists. Now lets dive into the more “sensitive” materialistic angle, and to top it all off, I’ll pour some gasoline on the fire by quoting one of the most materialistic statements out there: “If money doesn’t buy happiness, I’d rather cry in a Ferrari.” It’s a citation that has so much more depth and complexity than what it actually sounds like, establishing a multidimensional interpretation of a very simple “arrogant” quote. I sure as hell can’t be the only one who gets a little overwhelmed by the idea of getting new stuff, be it getting the latest smartphone, buying the newest game or wearing the latest Louis Vuitton handbag – we all get caught up in the materialistic sphere that evolves around us. It’s one of those things we usually don’t want to think about, considering it may harm your current relationships or even stress you out mentally. But as we walk down the streets of this developing world, watching Hollywood blockbusters, sighting over photoshopped commercial ads and listening to the newest hit on Spotify, we constantly surround ourselves with the temptation of buying “the next big thing” in order to integrate ourselves into the modern society we live in today - we all do it. So how about you stop pointing the finger at the “stereotypical” materialistic individual who is seen as a high-class snob who can’t choose whether or not he will be driving his Porsche or Aston Martin this afternoon, because the only difference between you and that “snob” is that he/she can afford that pricey product and you can’t. And let’s face it, at the end of the day, you’re still supporting the same materialistic “crime” you’re discouraging. But nevertheless, there is obviously a substantial difference between how
the lower class and upper class perceive the power of money, so lets get to it. You see, from a “lower class” perspective, materialistic ownership is what lifts you from that “inferior” socio-economic division. It’s Willy Wonka first class golden ticket to a more “prestigious” hierarchy. Think about it, what separates the lower class from the upper-class? Their state of mind? Their smile? Their generosity? I can go on forever, asking stalling rhetorical questions, because the main thing that separates you from them, them from you – are the glorified materialistic possessions they behold that puts them under the public scrutiny. And take this from a former lower-class member, that new BMW you would see driving down the street, the new Ralph Lauren shirt that prick you hated used to wear, those new Jordan’s you used to glance at - there is a reason why you fantasized about possessing those “things”, there is a reason why those daydreaming moments brought a slight smile to your face – because it made you happy. Now if you’re still boiling up with critical thoughts about this “hypothesis”, thinking that everything I just mentioned is pure BS, then you probably haven’t lived the “lower-class” life, you’ve just heard about it, because yes, materialistic possessions do buy happiness as it sparks the desire to reach stratospheric grounds in order to have the power to, as messed up as it may sound, buy more and align your social profile with the “rich and glamorous”, but once you get there, things might change. From an upper class perspective, materialistic possessions portray and reflect a position within the capitalistic hierarchy. That “stuff” is what represents them and thereby works as a necessary and almost mandatory certificate that lets the world
know that they belong to the superior rich elite. With that being said, wealthier individuals might be living more comfortably -materialistically speaking-, driving the latest BMW, spending the holidays in the Hamptons and while we are at it, wearing the hottest Jimmy Choos, but more than often, they encounter “money related problems”: let me elaborate on that. A while ago the Gates Foundation conducted yet another research, asking 120 people, with a net-worth of over 25 million dollars, about their “happy-meter.” The whole point with this research was to give the people an insight on why wealthier people were not necessarily happier than the average-paid individuals. They were also showing how the burden of wealth helps motivate the case of giving more – wait burden, what burden? The socio-economic burden of reliance, where everyone needs them, the burden of having the resources, which obligates them to help the ones less fortunate, the social burden that blurs out the line between friends and “friends”, establishing a dishonest and untrustworthy social-circle, the burden of dealing with the complications that you have to deal with as your paycheck grows bigger. So lets face it, it’s not like more money will make you miserable, it really all comes down to how and on who you spend it – that’s it. Now whether or not it’s perceived as a yardstick for success, you can’t deny the fact that more money does in fact open up more doors, more opportunities to help, support and inspire millions of people around the world, i.e buying them happiness.
IBRAHIM NAJI
‘’ SARA BRANCATI’ In our second shoot, Sara Brancati exhibited her dark, feline and oh so appealing beauty, as if luring the viewer into a deadly trap he is so happy to fall in. We all have dark secrets, fantasies, deadly wishes, and these can sometimes come across in a stare, a smile, a whisper, a breathe... Credits: Photographer: Nikolai Kozak Assistant Photographer: Shakhbout Al Kaabi
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