Muniba Mazari, a story of strength and motivation

I could not find a hero in my life, so I became one

Muniba Mazari is known as the iron-lady and true face of the Pakistan she is a role
model and source of inspiration for all of us. She has taught us that limitations are
just an illusion in our minds and nothing in the world can stop you from achieving
your goals.
Personal details
Early life:
Muniba Mazari was born of 3rd march, 1987. She is only 29 years of age. She
belongs to baloch background and her hometown is rahim yar khan. She has done
bachelors in fine arts. Muniba has been wheelchair bound since 2007 due to a tragic
road accident which has changed her life.
Life turning event
In year 2007, Muniba was heading towards her hometown when she met a dreadful
accident that made her paraplegic of entire life. Her driver fell asleep while driving
the vehicle, which caused the accident. Muniba got seriously injured and was unable
to feel her legs. She was carried in a jeep, as there was no ambulance available in
that part of the city. She had to stay is hospital bed for entire 2 years. Then she got
moved to a wheelchair that was her companion for the rest for her life. Such event
can destroy any person both physically and mentally but she holds onto her spirit
and became an inspiration for others.
Story of muniba mazari
. muniba mazaris life changed in 2007, after a car accident which destroyed her
body. After 2 painful years in Hospital, she finally decided to rise up. Minubas
Mazaris husband divorced her because of her disability and she was left alone with
her son NEAL. Not only her husband, but her father also left their family in such
pain.
. she spent 2 years in Hospital bed and those were the most difficult years of her
life. She felt helpless. She used to chop her hair off, in frustration, when they used
to get such in hair brush. But her bravery started dominating all these painful
feelings
. she is a divorced mother and abandoned daughter, but instead of moaning she
summoned up her courage and nourished her son alone. According to muniba
mazari, her true strength was always her mother who continuously motivated her
and heightened her spirit.

Because of encouragement by doctors, she started her old passion. Painting. Her
brother supported her a lot during her days in hospital. She still remembers Salman
Taseer ( Ex- Governor of Punjab), as He bought all her Paintings to motivate her. She
did not blame others for all these events instead became a source of positive
energy for others.
Achievements
Muniba has proved her worth in countless ways.
She is an amazing painter.
She is a motivational speaker
She ia social activist
She is a beautiful model
She is a TV anchor Person
She is an excellent singer
Muniba mazari is the UN women ambassador. She is included in BBC 100 women list
of 2015. Muniba is among the Ponds Miracle Women. She is the Brand Ambassador
of body shop and chugtai lab. She also did modeling for tony and Guy. Muniba
mazari has established her own brand, known as Munibas Canvas. The slogan of
her brand is: Let your walls wear colors.
Muniba as a painter
Muniba mazari is a graduate in fine arts and her father was her first teacher in this
field. After accident, she started posting her paintings on her blog Munibas canvas.
She established her own brand with the slogan let your walls wear colors. She has a
unique style of abstract painting and her medium is oil pastels. Now her paintings
are exhibited very often and sold hand to hand.
As an anchor and model
Not only she is an amazing artist but she is also working as an anchor on PTV. She
has the honor of being the first anchor that is on wheelchair. She has also left her
imprint in the field of modeling as the first wheelchair-bound model of Pakistan.
Muniba Mazari has done modeling for famous Tony and guy. She is also brand
ambassador of the Body Shop on Pakistan and a part of ponds Miracle team. She is
also going to start his career as a host as well.
As a motivational speaker
Muniba started motivating people through the platform of TED. Her speeches are
very impressive and inspiring because they relate to her real experiences. She

believes that although how many restrictions are there, your soul must be free.
Freedom of soul helps us to overcome all fears and let the heart shine and dream.
She emphasizes that mere breathing and to be alive every morning is a great
blessing for which we must be thankful for and make it useful.
UN Goodwill Ambassador
The united nations entity for empowerment of women and the gender equality, has
named muniba mazari as PAKISTANS first female Goodwill ambassador to promte
gender equality and the empowerment of women. Muniba Mazari would serve as an
Advocate for UN Womens Campaign.
Muniba mazari got featured in BBC 100 Women list for 2015.
As an activist
Muniba has been an active part of many social campaigns. She has always spread
awareness about child violence, gender discrimination etc. She has always worked
for childrens rights and education and guided people against child abuse. Muniba
Mazari alsi visited victims of APS disaster in hospitals and encouraged them through
her shining heart.
Muniba Mazari , as a role model
In every field, she has been a role model for us. She has taught us that when in
spite of being paraplegic and disabled she has done miracles through her spirit then
why cant us? So, instead of making lame excuses about society, money or
conditions we must follow her courage and bravery. Muniba has taught us that
boundaries exist only in minds and if you are truly passionate about something
nothing in this world can stop you from achieving that
Muniba mazari is no doubt an unbroken lady who was strong and radiant that even
all difficulties fail to dim her spirit. She is so full of positive enery and blessed with a
shining heart that her wheelchair become insignificant in front of her mesmerizing
soul. She is iron lady in true sense and true face of Pakistan.

http://www.maloomaat.com/muniba-mazari-a-story-of-strength-motivation.html/

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/270706

Walking The Talk: Entrepreneur And

Investor, Noor Sweid, Managing
Partner, Leap Ventures
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"Ifyourelookingtosucceed,keepyoureyesandheartopentoopportunities.Youll
missopportunitiesthatcometoyouifyourenotopentothem.Successisaboutseizing
theopportunitiesthatpresentthemselvestoyou.ThisiswhatNoorSweidtoldthe
audienceduringherkeynoteaddressatthe
EntrepreneurMiddleEastAchieving
WomensForuminMaylastyear,andonelookatherimpressivecareergraphsofar
makesitclearthatthisis,indeed,awomanwhohas(andcontinuesto)putintopractice
whatshepreaches.Sweiddefinitelyseemstohaveanuncannyeyeforgreat
opportunitiesherworkprofilereadslikethatifsomeonewhohas,really,doneitall.
Shesworkedforbignamecorporates(theseincludeCharlesSchwabandAccenture),
shehasfacilitatedherfamilybusiness(theDubaiheadquarteredglobalinterior
contractingcompany,Depa)multimilliondollargrowthandeventualUS$1billionIPO,
sheslaunchedandrunherownbusiness(theZenYogachainofyogastudiosinDubai
thatshefoundedin2006andranuntilitssalein2014),shesbeenaninvestorinand
mentorforseveralstartupsintheMiddleEastecosystem(besidesherownportfolioof
pastinvestments,SweidisalsoamemberoftheBoardofDirectorsatEndeavorUAE),

andshescurrentlyaManagingPartneratLeapVentures,aMENAbasedgrowthstage
venturecapitalfirm.Soyesifthatlastsentenceslengthdidntmakeitclearalready
NoorSweiddoesseemtohavedoneitall.
Butforallofherwinsintherealmofbusiness,Sweidhadnoairsandgracesabouther
whenImetherforthisinterview,duringwhichshefreewheeledoneverythingfromher
workethictotheregionsecosystem.Intermsofwhatshesuptothesedays,Sweids
focusiscurrentlyonLeap,whichlauncheda$71millionfundforLebanonlastyear,and
isnowintheprocessofputtingtogetheran$80millionregionalfund.Aswithany
venturecapitalfirm,wedoseveralthingssimultaneously,Sweidsays.Sowelookat
thepipeline,weinvestincompanies,andweraiseourownfunds.Lastyear,welookedat
about200deals,andwearehopingthatthisyear,welllookatevenmore.Asthe
pipelinegrowsintheregion,andmorepeoplestartcompanies,andmoreofthe
companiesgrow,morewillfilterintoourpipeline.So,weareveryactiveintermsof
lookingatdeals,andthenassessingthemandseeinghowmanyreallyfitintoour
verticalsandourmandate.ItmustbenotedherethatLeapissolelyfocusedongrowth
stagecompaniesnotstartups.So,ofthe200orsoenterprisesLeapsteamreviewed,
Sweidrevealsthatonly17%ofthemevenqualifiedasbeingingrowthstage.Butwhile
thepoolofqualifiedapplicantsmaybeasmallone,theneedforafirmlikeLeapinthe
MiddleEastcannotbeunderstated.
ThereareafewVCfirms[here]thatlookatearlystage,socompaniescanraise$1,$2
or$3millionfromafewdifferentfirms,Sweidexplains.Butwhathappensto
companieswhentheyactuallyhavesolidrevenues,agoodteam,theyhavegrowth,and
theyneeda$510millioncheck?Itsthattheycantraisethatmoneyregionally;they
havetogoglobaltoraisemoney,whichtakesalotoftimeandenergyfromthe
entrepreneurs.Soratherthangrowingtheirbusiness,theyspendexorbitantamountsof

timetryingtofundraisefortheirgrowth.Globally,about2%ofentrepreneursmakeitto
SeriesBgrowthfunding,andtheseareactuallycompanieswefindalotlessriskythan
others,becausetheyhavealreadyovercomethatpart[oftheentrepreneurialjourney].
Andnooneherewasdoingthat.Sowethought,asentrepreneursourselvesthefour
partnersatLeap(besidesSweid,theLeapteamincludesHenriAsseily,HalaFadeland
HervCuviliez)haveeachstartedcompanies,haveeachexitedcompanieswehavedone
thewholeentrepreneurthing,weknowhowharditistoactuallygrowyourcompany,
andweknowthatswhere,forus,theidealreturnprofileisininvestment.Weveallbeen
investors:preLeap,betweenus,wehaveinvestedinabout50differentangelcompanies.
Sowehavelookedatthedifferentpartsoftheecosystem,andasexentrepreneursand
savvyinvestors,thisisprobablywherewecanaddthemostvalue,intermsoftakinga
companyfromIknowwhatIamdoing;IhaverevenuestootoIamaregionalsuccess
story.

NoorSweidatthe2015AchievingWomen'sForum.Imagecredit:EntrepreneurMiddleEast.

Sinceitslaunch,Leaphasfundedonlyafewcompaniesitslatestinvestmentwasa
reported$10millionintheSaudiArabiabasedUTURNEntertainmentnetwork.But
thesearestillearlydaysfortheventurecapitalfirm,andifSweidsenthusiasmforthe
regionsecosystemisanyindication,onecancertainlyexpectmoreannouncementsfrom
Leapinthenearfuture.Therearesomanyamazingentrepreneursdoinggreatthings,
andenablingthemtogrowintoregional,globalsuccessstoriesisreallywhatwewantto
do,andso,wedogetexcitedaboutthedifferentopportunitiesoutthere,shesays.So
wearestillclosingourfirstfundittakesabout22.5yearstoraiseafund,sowearein
thatprocess.Wefindthatthereisalsoahighlevelofenthusiasmfrompeoplearoundus,
whounderstandwhatitisexactlythatwearedoing.Thatsactuallygoingverywell.I
guesstheflipsideofthecoinisidentifyingtheentrepreneurs,workingwiththem,and
reallyenablingthegrowthoftheircompanies,whichiswhatweliketospendmostofour
timedoing.Sothatswheremostofourenergygoes.SowhatareLeapscriteriawhen
choosingentrepreneursandenterprisestofund?Wearelookingforsomethingwitha
reallylargemarketso,itsgreatthatyoucangrowandyouhaveagreatteam,butifthe
marketsverysmall,thentheoptionsarelimited,Sweidreplies.Weare[also]looking
foraleaderanentrepreneurwhocanreallyleadateam,and[has]astrongvalue
proposition.
WhileSweidmaybeheavilyinvolvedwiththeregionsstartupecosystemrightnow,her
backgroundisfromaratherdifferentsphereofbusiness.Shestartedouthercareerasa
consultantforbiotechandpharmaceuticalcompaniesintheU.S.,followingwhichshe
movedtoDubaiin2005andworkedwithDepa,acompanythatwascofoundedbyher
father,MohannadSweid.WhenIcameoverhere,Iwenttohelpoutinthefamily
businessforthreeweeks,andthatturnedintoeightyears,sheremembers.Thefirst
threeyearsofthat,thecompanywentfrom$60millionrevenueto$600millionrevenue.

AndthenIrantheIPOforthat,andIcontinuedbeingveryinvolved.ButevenasSweid
recallsthehighlightsofhertimeatDepa,Icanthelpbutwonder:despiteherfamilial
connections,sheprobablywouldstillhavebeenseenasanoutsiderofsortsatthe
company.Sohowdidshegoaboutmakingherpresencefelt,andensurethathervoice
getsheard?IthinkthatbecauseIhadbeenaconsultantbefore,Iknewmystrengthsand
mylimitations,Sweidsays.AndwhenIjoinedourfamilybusiness,Ididntknowthe
firstthingabouttheindustry.Itseasytolearnanindustry,butthatdoesntmeanyou
havetheexperiencerequiredtobeaCEOinthatfirm.SoIneverintendedtokindoftake
onmyfathersroleasCEO,andIwouldbeverytransparentaboutthat:Icannotwalkon
toaprojectsiteandtellyouwhatsgoingright,andwhatsgoingwrong.SoIhadno
businesstellingmanagingdirectorsorprojectmanagershowtomakemoneyonsite,
becauseIdontknow!AndevenifIweretospendfiveyearslearninghowasite
operates,Istillwouldnthaveasmuchexperienceasthem,becauseIhaventdoneas
manyprojectsasthem,becausesomeofthemhaveplentyofyearsofexperience.SoI
knewthatwasverymuchmylimitationandmyknowledge.Wheremystrengthslieare
inidentifyingouropportunities,ourstrategy,ourgrowth,ourplanning,enablingculture
andwhenitcomestogrowthatalotoffamilybusinesses,cultureiswhats
fundamentallyimportant.Becauseyouvebuiltaculturegreat;now,isthatastrength,or
aweakness?Becauseifitsaweakness,thenyouneedtochangeit.Ifitsastrength,then
thatcanbeyourbiggeststrength.SowhenIcamein,Isawtherewasaverystrong
corporateculture,butwewerelackinginpoliciesandprocessesandsystems.Sohowdo
youbringthoseinwithoutdestroyingtheculture?Therewasanopportunity,inthatthere
wasnodominantglobalplayerinournichemarket.Howdowebecomethat?Why
wasntthereone?So,mystrengthsweremainlythestrategicthinking,theenablementof
thegrowth,thegrowthplanning,identifyingdifferentmarkets,identifyingpotential
partnersinthosemarketsandstructuringpartnershipsandjointventuressoIcoulddoall
that,whichis,ineffect,strategyandgrowth.

Butchangingorevenmodifyingcorporateculture,beitatastartuporaconglomerate,
isnotasimpletask,andSweidrealizedthatfirsthandatDepa.Itsnevereasy,because
humannatureisreluctanttochange,Sweidexplains.AndIgotalotofresistance.ButI
thinkthatwhenyouhaveenoughknowledge,datapoints,experiencetoconvinceenough
peopletotrysomething,andputtheirheartinit,andifinsixmonths,itdoesntwork,we
cangobacktodoingityourway.Butatleast,giveitsixmonths.Andso,whentheysee
thatyouresoconvinced,butyourenotforcingitdowntheirthroatsyouarejustforcing
themtotryitthenitbecomesaloteasiertoconvincepeopletochange.Andthe
companydidchangeduringhertimeasDepasHeadofStrategy,thecompanygrew
from1,000employeesinsixcountriesto8,000employeesin22countries.In2008,
SweidledDepasIPOitwasthefirstprivatecompanyintheUAEtobelistedon
NASDAQDubai.Butmakingthefamilybusinessapubliclylistedonehowdifficultwas
thatdecision?Ithink,inourfamily,wegenuinelybelievethatbuildingsomethingthat
outlivesyouisamuchlargersuccessthanbuildingsomethingthatneedsyou,Sweid
replies.Andnoneofusareveryattachedtoanythingwebuild.Onthecontrary,its
aboutbuildingthingsforthegreaterecosystemthataresuccessesinoffthemselves,
regardlessofwhetheryouareinvolvedornotthatistheachievement.So,forusgetting
thecompanytoapointwhereitspubliclylisted,itcontinueswithorwithoutus,its
strugglewithorwithoutus,itllthenprobably,hopefully,dobetterwithorwithoutus:
thatstheachievement.Atsomepoint,youkindofhavetoletgoofit,andseehowit
doeswithoutyou.

NoorSweidatthe2015AchievingWomen'sForum.Imagecredit:EntrepreneurMiddleEast.

Sweidsanswerisindicativeofherownthoughtprocesswhenitcametothelifecycleof
herownentrepreneurialendeavor,theZenYogachainofyogastudiosthatshefoundedin
Dubaiin2006.TheoriginstoryforZenYogaisquiteasimpleoneaftershemovedto
Dubai,Sweid,whocallsherselfahugebelieverinyoga,foundthecitylackingin
spaceswhereshecouldpracticethedisciplineDubaimayhaveyogastudiosbythe
dozentoday,butrememberthatthiswas2005,andyogahadntbecomeasmuchofa
buzzasitisnow.SoSweidtookituponherselftofillthatgapinthemarketsheput
togetheraspacethathadtheambience,thequalifiedteachers,andthesetupsheherself
waslookingfor,andbehold,hersmallbusiness,ZenYoga,wasborn.Istartedit,sothat
Icouldpractice[yoga],withthethoughtthatifthiswasgoodforme,itsprobablygood
formanyotherpeople,sheremembers.AndifIpersonallywantthisforthebenefitof
myhealth,Iamsurelotsofotherpeopledoaswell.Sothefactthatitdidntexistwas
justthereasontocreateit.Ifithadexisted,IwouldnthavestarteditIwouldhave
simplygonetoclasses!ButwhileshemayhavestartedZenYogaoutasapersonal
endeavorofsorts,Sweidsoonsawthatwhatshehadcreatedwasactuallybiggermuch
biggerthanthat.Iwasrightinthatlotsofpeoplewantedthesamethinganiceplaceto
practiceyoga,withaqualifiedteacheratareasonableprice.Itmeteverybodysneeds,
andso,demandwashuge.Andsowegrewasabusiness;webroughtinmoreteachers
bythetimeIleft[theenterprise],wehad72peopleworkingatZenYoga,andithad
becomethebiggestchainhere.
ZenYogastrajectoryasabusinessmaybelookeduponasastartupsuccessstorytoday,
butmuchlikeanyentrepreneurinthisregion,Sweidtoohadtograpplewithsleepless
nightsthankstoallofthechallengesshefacedwhengettingherbusinessontheroad.
Bureaucraticchallengeswereaplentyforinstance,giventhatyogawasntasprevalent
thenasitistoday,gettingthebusinessregisteredproperlywiththeauthoritieswasatask

byitself.Therunningofthestudioswasanothermajorhurdlefrommanagingschedules
ofallofZenYogascustomersandensuringtheyallhaveafruitfulexperience,tosetting
outprocedures,processesandpoliciestogovernthestudiosdaytodayactivities,Sweid
hadherhandsfullthroughalloftheyearssherantheenterprise.Shethuswentthrough
alloftheoscillationsonecanexpecttoseeinastartupsjourneybutinwhatisperhapsa
testamenttothekeepatittraitconsistentlyseeninsuccessfulentrepreneursaroundthe
world,Sweidtoostucktohervision,andkeptmovingaheadwithherenterprise.
Businesshasupsanddowns,butwhenyoubecomepartofpeopleslives,theywantyou
there,Sweidsays.So,creatingthatcommunityandthatnetworkisveryimportant.
Yes,businesseshaveupsanddownsbutIthinkifyouarepartofpeopleslives,partof
thecommunity,andyoucreateabrandandreallyprovidepeoplewithsomethingthey
likeandtheyneedatthesametime,itisquiteresilient.
Toitscredit,ZenYogaprovedtobeasustainablebusinessinthelongrunSweid,
however,eventuallysoldittoaprivateequityfirmin2014.WhenIaskedherwhyshe
didso,Sweidhadarathermatteroffactreply.Well,IstartedZenYoga,becausethere
wasnowheretopractice,shesays.SoIhadachievedmygoalIhadcreated
somewhereIcouldpractice.Atthesametime,everytimeIwouldnowwalkintothe
studio,Iwouldbeinundatedwithbusinessproblems.SoitnolongerbecameaplaceI
couldpracticesoitendedupdefeatingitspurposeforme,personally.Sowhenoneof
thefirmsherewasconsolidatingwellnessconceptsintheregionandapproachedme,I
thoughtthatmadealotmoresensetheycouldgiveitwhatitneeded,andIcouldget
somewheretopracticeback!Asforwhethershehadanystruggleslettinggoofthe
businessshehadbuiltupfromitsinfancy,Sweiddismissestheideamuchlikeher
thoughtsonthepubliclistingofDepa,Sweidsaysshefeltthesamewayabouthersaleof
ZenYogaaswell.Mypersonalphilosophyisthatyoubuildsomethingthatdoesntneed

you,sheexplains.Youshouldbetherebecauseyouwanttobetherenotbethere,
becauseifyourenot,itsnotgoingtodowell.
Butwaitisntthatatoddswithwhatindustryleaderssayaboutentrepreneurshavingto
behandsonwiththeirbusinesses?Whentheyarefirststartingup,yes,theyneedtolive
andbreathethebusiness;everybodydoes.IdidforZenYoga,myfatherdidwhenhe
startedourfamilybusinesseveryonedoesthatatthebeginning.Youhaveafewyears
whereyouarethebusiness,andthebusinessisyou.But,ultimately,ifyouwanttogrow
ittosomethingsizeable,youneedtothinkabouthowyoucancloseyoureyes,andknow
thatsomebodyelseisdoingthisthesamewaythatyouwouldhavedoneit,oreven
better.Andthatswhereyourpolicies,processes,teamscomein,andthatswhenyou
reallystarttoscale.Ifyouarestillneededineverymeeting,youshouldeitherbeinthe
startupphase,atwhichpointthatistotallyokay.Butifyouareasizeablebusiness,and
youarestillneededineverymeeting,youaredoingsomethingwrong.Sweidusesthe
exampleofAramexcofounderandViceChairmanFadiGhandouroneofthemost
vocalchampionsoftheregionsentrepreneurialecosystemtodriveherpointhome.
LookatFadiGhandourgreatexample.IsheinvolvedatallwithAramex[today]?No.
Andthatsthesuccessofit.Itsthathehasbuiltsomethingthatnolongerneedshim.
Thatsthewow.IfhewasstilldayinanddayoutinvolvedwithAramex,hewouldbe
helpingitgrow,butalsostiflingitsgrowth,becauseeverybusinessneedsnewblood
everyonceinawhile.ThereasonAramexwillgrowisbecauseheimplementedpolicies,
procedures,corporategovernance,structures,soastomakesureeverythingisbeingdone
properlyinthemannerthatheseesfit,withouthimbeingthere.

NoorSweidatthe2015AchievingWomen'sForum.Imagecredit:EntrepreneurMiddleEast.

Thisdrivetocreateasustainable,longlastingbusinessiswhatSweidencourages(and
wantstosee)inalloftheentrepreneursshemeetsinherroletodayasamentorand
investoraccordingtoher,forabusiness,beingsuccessfulandbeingfamousaretwo
entirelydifferentthings,anditscrucialthatentrepreneursdontmixthetwoup.Its
importantforpeopletorealizethatsuccessisnotstartingacompanysuccessisgrowing
acompany,sheexplains.Itseasytowriteabusinessplan,[but]itsnotgoingtoget
youveryfar.Itsnotworththepaperitswrittenonbecausethatsdefinitelynotwhats
goingtohappen.Itsdifficulttogogetyourlicenseandregistrationandeverythingfine,
okay,whatever,thatsjustbureaucracyandmoney.Thenyouactuallyhavetobuildyour
product.Thenyouhavetoconvincepeopletobuyyourproduct,atapricethatmakes
senseforyoutomakemoneysothatyoucangrowyourbusiness.Andthen,youhaveto
dothatathousandtimes.Andthen,youhaveacompany.Andthen,itsworthtalking
about!Ithinkalotofpeoplehereconfusefameandsuccess.Andthatssomethingwe
seeconsistentlycompaniesthathaveamazingbranding,lotsoffame,but,youjustpeel
onelayeroftheonion,andyourealizethatitsmuchsmallerthanwhatonewouldthink.
Thereareverylittlerevenues,theresalmostnotractionbuttheentrepreneurthinksthey
areincrediblysuccessful.Soconfusingfameandsuccessishappeningalotnotjustin
thispartoftheworld,buteverywhere.
Asforotherfaultssheseeswithentrepreneurstoday,Sweidfeelsthattheydbebetteroff
iftheyweretofocusonjustonethingattime.Ithinklotsofentrepreneursaretryingto
dotoomanythingsatonce.Sotheyareall,like,bettingonseveralhorsesbutthatsnot
theirjob,thatstheinvestorsjob.Yougostartonecompany,andputallyoureggsinone
basketasanentrepreneur,thatswhatyouaresupposedtodo,sothatsomeonecomes
alongandbelievesyou.Ifyoubelieveinwhatyouaredoing,otherpeoplewillbelievein
ittoo.Ifyouaredoingtwoorthreedifferentthingsatonce,thenthatmeansyoudont

believeinanyofthemandlotsofentrepreneursdothat.Sweidalsowantsto
seeentrepreneurstalkless,anddomore.Somanytimes,somanyentrepreneurs,they
say,Imgoingtodothis;Imgoingtodothat.Well,whyhaventyoudoneityet?
Donttellmewhatyouaregoingtodotellmewhatyouhavedone.Sweidalsosounds
awarningnoteforthediehardnetworkersintheMENAentrepreneurialecosystem.I
thinktoomanyentrepreneursspendtoomuchoftheirtimeinmeetings,andnotenough
timeactuallydoingstuff.Sounlessyouareinameetingbecauseyouaresellingyour
productorservice,donttakethemeeting.Dontspendhalfyouryearonconferences.I
thinkifyouhaveanawesomeproduct,youllhavetonetworkhalfasmuch.Ifyouhavea
decentproduct,youllhavetonetworktwiceasmuch.Sogobuildanawesome
product!
Atthispoint,IaskSweidtotellmethenamesofstartupsorentrepreneursintheregion
thathaveactuallyimpressedher,orareworthyenoughtobeconsideredasrolemodels.
Shetakesamomenttothink,beforereplyingwithalaugh,Imnotgoingyoutotell
aboutthem!Jokesasidethough,shesstillreluctanttonameanyoneinparticular(she
doesmentionUTURNhere,butIfeelthatsasafeanswerjusttoplacateme,than
anythingelse),andherreasoningforthatagainissothatentrepreneurswillavoid
misconstruingfameassuccess.Ifindthatwhenpeoplebecomerolemodels,thenfame
andsuccessgetconfused,sheexplains.AndIthinkthattheecosystemisnotyetatthe
stagewherewecanaffordthat.Weneedoursuccessfulentrepreneurstobefocusedon
growingtheirbusinessesandbeingsuccessfulentrepreneurs,notonbeingrolemodels
andonaspeakingcircuit.Becauseourbusinesses[here]arenotthatstrongyetthey
arentenoughsuccessstoriesherethatwecanaffordthat.ItmaynotbetheanswerI
waswantingtohearbutSweiddoeshaveapoint.Theregionsecosystemisgrowing,
yesbutweneedittogrowmuchbiggerbeforewecanchampionittotheworldatlarge.

AndwithpeoplelikeSweidalongfortheride,onehopesthatitwillhappensoonerthan
later.

Noor Sweids Success Journey

Noor has a very impressive career graph that explains all of her abilities. She
started her career as a Biotech Consultant then by facilitating her family business
Depa that is a Bubai-headquartered global interior contracting company. She has
also worked in some giant companies like Charles schwab and Accenture. Noor
Sweid launched her own business ZenYoga, chain of yoga studios situated in dubai.
Noor sweid is also a very intelligent investor in many middle east companies. She is
one of the four partners of leap ventures. They are all expert enterprenuers and
investors in many angel companies. Nor sweid is no doubt a scssissful women
entrepreneur.
Concept of success
According to nor, we should not miss success with fame. Success is not about
starting a company instead it actually means growing a company and make it well
known. No one can stop you fron succeeding if you know how to seize an
opportunity. We are continuosly provided great opportunities and its our duty to
obtain maximum benefit from them. She herself never wasted a single chance to
meet her goals.
Noor Sweids role model
Whenever Noor is asked about her role model, she is always reluctant to answer
that because she doesnot delieve in role models. She has a concept that ecosystem
requires more successful entrepreneurs than famous people. When we start
following someone as a role model then success and fame are mixed up and scusse
becomes compromised. Well she does have a very valid point
Noors Definition of Business
Noor sweid believes that an efficient business is the one where you are not needed
anymore. If your presence is all meetings is necessary then you are definitely doing
something wrong and you have to review that. You must focus on establishing a
setup with efficient team and policies and your business will start flourisijing.
Successful exterprenuers

She has among top 100 powerful arab women. She is an example for all the women
worldwide as how to achieve your goals with enthusiasm and hard work. Her ideas
and business tricks are now being learned by new enterpreneuurs. She has proved
that if you are passionate about something you can have it. It does not matter you
are man or woman what your financial status is.

http://www.maloomaat.com/noor-sweid-successful-woman-entrepreneur.html/

Five questions to... Zein Kamal &

Noor Sweid
By

Aimee Greaves
Published Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Yoga has become an increasingly popular exercise as people not only look for a way to
shed weight, but want to relax at the same time. A study by Yoga Journal reported that
Americans spent $5.7 billion (Dh20.91bn) on it in 2008 87 per cent more than they did
in 2004.
As such, Zen Yoga, owned by Zein Kamal and Noor Sweid, has grown from one to four
studios across Dubai in just three years as demand quickly outstripped supply. Here, the
founders, who financed the company themselves, tell Emirates Business how the
business grew from a personal need and why it is such a good discipline to take up.
How did Zen Yoga come about?
Sweid: When I moved back to Dubai [after studying in the United States] it was difficult
to find qualified instructors. I practiced at home for a year then thought about opening a
studio so I could do it there. Zein and another friend said they would love to join so we
brought over instructors for the US and opened in Dubai Media City. Very quickly, we
realised there was so much demand that it could not keep up, therefore we opened a
second, third and fourth studio.
Are you turning a profit?

Kamal: Because of the locations of the studios, our expenses are quite high so we are
yet to see a lot of profit but we did not start the business to make money; we did it to
service the community and if you look at any start-up it takes three yeas to break even
so we are treading the normal curve.
Has yoga has been more in demand since the credit crunch hit the UAE?
Kamal: There has been more people taking up yoga since the global recession. They
are stressed and know it is good for them and they would rather spend money on
something they think is good for them.
Since you started, a number of other companies have launched yoga classes
are you worried about this competition?
Kamal: There was room for yoga to grow in this region and because it is proven to help
a lot of ailments, people are bound to be interested. We were the first to have a studio
such as this three years ago but it is a natural progression for others to open. There is
some competition in the market but we do not see big gyms as competition because the
classes are completely different. They target the general public whereas we target
people looking to work out in a cosy, friendly atmosphere. The growth has slowed down
but there is still potential and more room for it to grow further.
Do you plan to go international?
Kamal: We started Zen Yoga to provide a service to the community. The yoga
community is huge, but we did not realise how big until we started the business but at
the moment we do not have any plans to open another centre. We want to imporove
what we have and then we will go from there.

Top 10 leadership tips from Dubais female business game changers

Kate Dobinson Jun 2016

Sophie Le Ray and co-authors David B. Jones, and Radhika

Punshi have written Game Changers

A new book unveils the transformative power of

women in the workforce and shares practical
insights for success from CEOs to mountaineers

The Arab world is undergoing a twenty-first century

business renaissance and women are at its forefront.
This is the confident premise of Game Changers: How
Women in the Arab World Are Changing the Rules and
Shaping the Future, a new book co-authored by David B.
Jones, Sophie Le Ray and Radhika Punshi.
Jones and Punshi, co-founders of the Talent Enterprise,
and Le Ray, founder of the Women in Leadership
Economic Forum, make bold suggestions for how
governments, organisations and individuals can support
greater gender diversity and inclusion at work - all
complemented by inspiring interviews with regional
leaders.Vision rounds up the top 10 leadership tips...

David B. Jones is co-founder and CEO of The Talent

Enterprise

Radhika Punshi is the cofounder and Managing Director of The Talent Enterprise

Sophie Le Ray is the Chief Executive

Officer of Naseba and founder of the Global WIL Economic
Forum
Liliane Kanaan, Country Manager, Roche
Diagnostics Middle East, Egypt
If I had to pick three things I wish someone had told me
before starting my career, those would be: Accept your
failures since they are part of success. Value your
feminine qualities and abilities that you bring to the workplace.
Fight for what you believe and put your ideas to the test.
Sofana Dahlan, Founder and Chief Executive
Officer, Taskkeil
My leadership style stems from the characteristics of
water. Water has strength, it has the quality to take any
shape, and new ways around things and withstand
pressure, but even then it doesnt lose its subtlety or
softness.

Dr. Leila Hoteit, Partner and Managing Director,

Boston Consulting Group
A couple of years ago I had a mentor who gave me one
key piece of advice: he urged me to invest in my own
brand equity. Until today, those words remain the best
career advice anyone has ever given me.
Dr. Muna AbuSulayman, Partner, Glowork and CoFounder, Meedan.com
A leader has to be the one who can take-up all
stakeholder issues and create the best solutions. These
solutions will not satisfy everyone. You have to be able to
stand your ground and win over detractors. This is greatly
helped by good communication skills and trust.

Empathy allows all stakeholders to see

the human side of a leader
Noor Sweid, Partner, Leap Ventures
Donna Sultan, Chief Executive Officer, KEO
International Consultants
What I push most is the organised delegation of
responsibilities and authorities within a context of
commonly understood boundaries and expectations. My
role then is to monitor and mentor, which is my preferred
way of managing people and the business. I try not to get
in the way of the potential of those working with me or
for me. My job is to support them to be successful and to
increase their experience and confidence. I would say my
leadership style adjusts to prevailing conditions to deal

with an unexpected challenge or threat that needs to be

met. I think it is important to know when to adjust your
style of management and apply what, in your best
judgment, is correct to protect the interests of an
organisation. However, I hope that I would be ultimately
judged as having an inclusive leadership style, preferring
a consultative approach.
Manal Al Bayat, Principal, HEADSTART Consultancy,
and Vice President of Engagament, Expo 2020
Dubai
Give credit where credit is due, give support where it is
needed, and be honest with yourself and others. Be
positive and highlight achievements. Leading is all about
understanding who your followers are, what their needs
are and how to motivate them to get their best output. It
is also about knowing where you are going and how to
navigate. As long as you have vision and focus and take
care of your team, you will succeed.
Raja Easa Al Gurg, Managing Director, Easa Saleh
Al Gurg Group
Having an open mind and taking the path of inclusive
leadership is important. You have to learn to create
equilibrium as well as an environment that motivates and
inspires your team.

My leadership style has strength, it has

the quality to take any shape, and new
ways around things and withstand
pressure

Sofana Dahlan, Founder and Chief

Executive Officer, Taskkeil
Noor Sweid, Partner, Leap Ventures
Empathy is the most important leadership trait. It enables
the leader to identify with their employees and teams,
and solve problems in creative ways. Additionally, it
allows all stakeholders to see the human side of a leader,
which is by far the most inspiring aspect of any person.
Farah Al Qaissieh, Founder, Stutter UAE and
Founder, Discover AE
Entrepreneurship is extremely difficult on your own. Find
like-minded people who are honest and share similar
ambitions and values. Having that circle of trust where ideas
are bounced across and you are challenged, allows for an exciting
journey with better and quicker results.
Raha Moharrak, Adventurer and Mountaineer
I never set out to be this role model, which is a huge
responsibility so I dont really have a tactic in terms of my
leadership style. I guess if anything, its leading by
example. You need to have conviction. You need to have
the courage to voice your opinion, to voice your dreams. I
think my philosophy is to be bold and brave in pursuit of
your dreams.

Deep Patel
Author of A Paperboy's Fable: The 11 Principles of Success

Deep Patel is a young writer and entrepreneur. He is the author of A Paperboy's Fable:
The 11 Principles of Success. In the book, he interviewed 15 industry luminaries including
professors, entrepreneurs, CEOs and General David Petraeus.
In addition, Patel has served as script editor and creative consultant for the comedy She
Wants Me (2012), produced by Charlie Sheen. He has also been featured in Forbes, The
Huffington Post,Entrepreneur Magazine and Elite Daily. Patel is currently finishing up his
second book, The Gray Veil.

The 10 Best Motivational Books of

2016
Deeply authentic accounts of personal trials, hard-learned
truths and unexpected epiphanies teach readers that
anything is possible -- once you understand that hard work
alone isn't enough.
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DEEP PATEL
CONTRIBUTOR

Author of A Paperboy's Fable: The 11 Principles of Success

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THOUGHT LEADERS

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5.4kShares

DECEMBER 21, 2016

AsentrepreneurandmotivationalspeakerJimRohnoncesaid,Thebookyoudontread
wonthelp.Astheyeardrawstoaclose,manyofusarelookingforguidancetokeepus
movingforwardinthenewyear.Wewanttofeelinspiredandfocusedsowecanlive
happier,morefulfillinglivesandachieveourgoals.
TheseTop10bookscan'taccomplishallthatwithoutactionandrealworkonthereader's
part,ofcourse.Buttheconceptsandexamplestheycontainshouldprovidemorethan
enoughsparktomotivateandenergizeuswellinto2017.

1. "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance."

Morethantalentorluck,gritiswhatmakesthetruedifferenceinwhetherornotyou
succeed.Throughresearchandavarietyofanecdotalstories,AngelaDuckworth,
professorofpsychologyattheUniversityofPennsylvania,exploresthecurrentscience

andpsychologybehindresilience,persistenceandmindsettohelpyoubetterunderstand
howtobesuccessfulinthelongterm.

2. "Be Obsessed or Be Average."

GrantCardonehasamonstersizedobsession,andhesaysthatifyouwanttoachieve
yourdreams,youneedtobeobsessedaswell.In"BeObsessedorBeAverage,"heissues
adaringcallforanyonereadytobreakthroughtheblandandbecomeexceptional.
Cardonewasoncebroke,joblessanddrugaddicted.Hetriedtofollowconventional
wisdombutflopped.Helearnedhehadtorejectnaysayersandfocusallhisenergyon
harnessinghisobsessiontosucceed.Oncehedid,allthingsbecamepossible.

3. "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive

Approach to Living a Good Life."
Toutedasagenerationdefiningselfhelpguide,thisisadeeplyhonest(and
hystericallyfunny)explorationofwhyyoumustidentifywhatisimportanttoyouandlet
gooftherest.
AuthorMarkMansonsuggestsprioritizingthingsthathaverealmeaningandvaluein
yourlife.Hebelievesthatinordertosucceed,youmustknowandacceptyour
limitations.Thisrequiresthehardworkofembracingyourfears,faultsanduncertainties.

4. "Hustle: The Power to Charge Your Life with Money,

Meaning, and Momentum."
Manypeoplebelievethathardworkalonewillallowthemtoachievefulfillment.
Accordingto"Hustle,"thatblueprintwillgetyoualifeyouneitherrecognizenorwant.

ThisbookbyNeilPatel,PatrickVlaskovitsandJonasKofflerteachesyoutolookatwork
andlifethroughanewlens.Itencouragesyoutodiscoverprojectsyouenjoyandfind
opportunitiesthatsupportyourtalents,incomeandhappiness.Itemphasizestheideathat
youmustownyourdreamsinsteadofrentingthemfromothers.

5. "Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World."

Yourbrowserchoicemaybeagreatindicatorofyourpredispositiontoinnovation.Its
oneofthemanyfascinatinginsightsAdamGrantoffersin"Originals,"

whichexplores
howwecanchampionnewideas.Grantadvocatesforreaderstobuckoutdatedtraditions
andlearntospeakupwithoutgettingsilenced.
Thebookdiscusseshowtobuildasupportivecoalitionandprovidesinsightsintohowto
choosetherighttimetoact.Asforthebrowserchoice?Letsjustsaythatrejectingthe
defaultoptionisahallmarkoforiginality.

6. "Smarter, Faster, Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in

Life and Business."
Thewayyouframeyourdailydecisions,theambitionsyouchoosetoembraceandthe
goalsyouultimatelyignoreallplayintoyourproductivity.In"Smarter,Faster,
Better,"CharlesDuhiggexploreshowyoucanincreaseproductivityinbusinessandlife.
Duhiggexamineseightproductivityconceptsthatexplainwhysomepeopleand
companiesaresoeffective.Alongtheway,heshowshowyourworldviewprofoundly
shapesthechoicesyoumakeanddictateshowproductiveyouwillbeinlife.

7. "The Power of Broke: How Empty Pockets, a Tight Budget,

and a Hunger for Success Can Become Your Greatest
Competitive Advantage."

DaymondJohnbeganhisentrepreneurialjourneywitha$40budgetandadriveto
achieve.Hislackofresourcesbecameoneofhisbiggestbusinessassets.In"ThePower
ofBroke,"Johnshowshowfacinghardshipshelpsyoulearnbiglessonsfasterthanyou
wouldwithoutthoseobstacles.
John'sexperienceshavetaughthimthatdiversitycanbeagift.Ifyoustartwithnothing
butadeepdesireforsuccess,youmuststayfocusedonwhatistrulyimportant.Being
brokegivesyouthepowerofauthenticcreativitythatcomesfromhavingtohustlefor
yourbusiness.

8. "Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life."

"DesigningYourLife"wasbornoutofapopularStanfordUniversityclassofthesame
name,taughtbyauthorsBillBurnettandDaveEvans.Theclasswalksstudentsthrough
thewickedproblemofdesigningyourlifeandcareer.Thebookdoesthesame,minus
thetuition.It'saguidetocreatingameaningfulandfulfillinglife,regardlessofwhoyou
areorwhatyoudoforaliving.
BurnettandEvansurgereaderstolearntobuildtheirlivesasadesignerwouldthrough
experimentation,wayfinding,prototypingandconstantiteration.Theresultwillbealife
thatiscreative,productiveandfilledwithsurprise.

9. "Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike."

Asayoungmanfreshoutofbusinessschool,PhilKnightknewhewantedtodo
somethingnewanddynamic.Startingwitha$50loanfromhisfather,Knightwentonto
launchNike."ShoeDog"

offershiscandidviewofwhatittooktorealizethatdream.

TheimportanceofrelationshipsemergesasakeyfactorinbuildingKnight'svision.
Heassembledauniqueandpassionategroupwhosememberscametogethertobuilda
brandandculturethatchangedtheworld.

10. "Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in
Just Five Days."
EveryentrepreneurandbusinessleaderhasbeenbedeviledbyquestionssuchasArewe
goingfastenough?andWhatsthemostimportantplacetofocusyoureffort?
DesignerJakeKnappcreatedafivedaysprintprocessatGoogletotackletheseveryhard
truths.
HejoinedcoauthorsBradenKowitzandJohnZeratskyatGoogleVentures,andtogether
theteamcompletedmorethan100"sprints"withcompanies.Thebookversionofthese
allouteffortsisapracticalguideforteamsofanysizeandforanyonewhoseesabig
opportunity,problemorideaandneedstogetanswerstoday.