Unveiling the Truth About Luxury

On the eve of International Women's Day, I'm honoured to shine a spotlight on the incredible women entrepreneurs that I've had the privilege to know and work alongside. Their purposefulness, creativity, and brave spirit inspire and motivate me in life and business.

In this special episode, I've collected for you their personal stories, challenges, and advice. I hope you will be as inspired as I am.

And, of course, happy International Women's Day 2024! To all the women reading it: thank you for your courage, your wisdom, and your endless contributions to our world!

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I met my incredible guest, psychologist and executive coach Hayssam Alamine, a while ago when working on one of my projects. We've been trying to arrange a podcast recording for quite some time, but it happened only now and apparently for a reason. Currently, there is a period in my life when emotions overwhelm me, and I am trying to figure out how to manage them and stay focused on what is important in life.

Our conversation turned out to be incredibly enlightening and supportive for me. Hayssam shared his inspirational story of how a difficult period in life can become a source of strength; he explained how to deal with emotions and develop EQ, which is an essential trait of future leaders. 

I hope you will get some useful tips and insights as I did. We also prepared a summary of the whole episode, a little "cheat sheet" filled with key takeaways that can be printed out as a reminder. The link for download is available here. Enjoy watching, and please share your thoughts in the comments.

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Visit our website Brands Through Stories
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Every day, more and more people, including kids, are venturing into the Metaverse. To be honest, as a parent, I get stressed whenever I see my kids with an iPad in their hands and going online. What are they doing there? Why are they wasting their time?

In this episode, along with the founder of Open MetaKids Club, Aygul Kupcova, we explore how we can transform our kids from consumers of online information into creators of online content. We discuss the benefits and positive impact of the Metaverse and have an insightful conversation with a new generation of creators, Ruslana, who is only 13 years old and already has her channel about science. She creates content that even adults can find super insightful.

I hope you will enjoy this episode and find inspiration together with your kids to become creators.

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Dubai market is booming and attracting more and more entrepreneurs willing to catch their own luck. When you’re driving around Dubai, you can see the offerings of new and new luxury products or experiences nearly everywhere. 

On one hand, it gives the impression of an opulent lifestyle and limitless opportunities to make money. However, on the other hand, “luxury" scooters, sandwiches, etc. devalue the genuine meaning of the word “luxury”. In today’s world, this word has been overused in pursuit of profits. 

Where are we going with that? What is the reality of luxury business in Dubai? What makes products and services truly luxurious? I discussed these questions with Antoine Massé, a retail and hospitality expert with a 25-year career in the luxury industry. 

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In today's world, terms like partnership, collaboration, co-creation, and co-production have become increasingly common. The Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford emphasizes that partnership and collaboration must be foundational pillars of every company's business strategy to succeed in the future. 

But what are the ingredients for a successful collaboration? How can we translate words into actions and produce valuable business outcomes?

In this episode, I am delighted to have my friend Rachel Meuleman, a Global Collaboration Strategist, who will answer these questions and provide tips for entrepreneurs seeking growth through partnership and collaboration.

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This topic holds a special place in my heart due to my own recent experience with a business partner. While my relationship with my ex-business partner ended painfully after eleven years of building a company together, I dedicate this episode to him. I am very thankful to him for the knowledge he shared with me, for all the great times we had together, and for all the difficult times when we supported each other. I still believe in partnership as a powerful tool to create a better world and better companies.

To discuss this important topic, I couldn't think of anyone better suited than Fabian and Elena - exceptional business partners who have successfully run their entertainment industry company for nine years, growing and evolving side by side. I asked them to share their secrets of creating a harmonious partnership.

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did. 

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I meet a lot of business leaders, some of whom are great people who care about their employees. They are inspirational and understand the value of company culture. Unfortunately, there is still a significant number of business leaders who are solely driven by financial results. For them, people are merely a means to achieve their goals. What does the future hold for those leaders? Why are empathetic leaders more sustainable and likely to be successful in the future? What skills are necessary to be a truly sustainable leader? 

In this episode, I had a great discussion with Charlotte Verhaert, a strategic leadership expert with over 15+ years of experience. Her purpose is to empower and help leaders to find empathy and become high and happy performers. I hope you enjoy this episode and share it with those who need to be a bit more empathetic 🙂

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Visit our website Brands Through Stories
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I've noticed that in recent years, the stress of running a business has been increasing to the point where I constantly feel busy and unable to switch off. Have you experienced the same feeling? In this episode, I have invited Vic Baretto, an entrepreneur with extensive experience in helping entrepreneurs run and scale businesses without stress, to share his secrets on how to grow a company and have a peaceful life.

Listen to to discover and learn how to build a sustainably scalable business.

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Visit our website Brands Through Stories
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It's truly fascinating how life can sometimes change our plans and reshape our visions. This was the case for my new guest, Vuk Zlatarov, the founder of Poddster - a network of podcast production studios. When he started this business, his goal was to establish a stable company that relied on technology rather than people. However, along the way, people became the heart of his business vision.

Watch the episode to discover how a grand vision can transform a business, inspire people to believe in you, and embrace your idea.

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Visit our website Brands Through Stories
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When I first saw the Instagram account of this beautiful woman – my guest Anna – I was very inspired by her vision in life. She is a strong advocate for women's empowerment and a founder of the online educational platform WE University. We discussed the problems and challenges that women face today. Anna also shared her concept of a life strategy that can help people make their lives more meaningful, fulfilling, and successful.

Listen to the episode to discover practical advice on building a strategy for your life.

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Visit our website Brands Through Stories
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