ASPIRE - An Entrepreneur and Lifestyle Magazine - Jan 2022

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JAN 2022 ISSUE 15 aspiremagz.com —

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Radio Active Fun FUNASIA RADIO REVEALS WHAT IT TAKES TO BE HEARD ‘ON AIR’

SUSHIL SHAML AL WADHWA

M AE S TRO OF LUXURY E XPERIENCE S Entrepreneur-Influencer, Founder and CMD of Platinum World Grroup

Shaista Zeeshan

Helping people resolve intergenerational family trauma

Roll Play Business Strategy

THE MERITS AND PITFALLS OF A ROLLED-UP BUSINESS

SPECIALFEATURE

An analysis of the climate summit in Glasgow

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www.aspiremagz.com

Inside 20

LICENSE TO THRILL

Founder and CMD of Platinum World Grroup and a much sought-after influencer himself, Sushil Shamlal Wadhwa is riding high offering magical luxury experiences to high-net-worth individuals globally

5 Bulletin Bytes

Interesting news from around the world!

8 Roll Play

Gauge the merits and pitfalls of a rolled-up business and the shrewd strategy behind it all

12 Security Wise

As a business or an individual, cybersecurity is a modern-day necessity to ensure your data is secured 2 0 2 2 — J A N — ASPIRE

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INSIDE 16 Designer Genes

Are designer babies the last, and most morally dubious, frontier of customization?

18 Events

Important events in the region

26 Radio Active Fun

FunAsia Radio Network’s head honchos Dhiraj Kapuria, Digby Taylor, and Sunny Ahuja reveal what it takes to make waves ‘on air’

30 360 Degrees Success Multi-faceted serial entrepreneur Nada Bassam on what makes her a ‘multitasking monster’

32 Creating success through Family Constellation

Meet Shaista Zeeshan a holistic therapist who helps people in distress resolve intergenerational family trauma

34 Cop Out Or Game On An analysis of the climate summit in Glasgow where world leaders addressed issues of the earth’s future

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38 Your Education Guide: Planning Education in the USA

Here is your expert guide that makes picking a college in the USA a smooth and easy process

40 Make Space For Luck A super quick crash course in Feng Shui to ensure good energy is working to your advantage

42 Financial Freedom: Grow Your Money Tree When it comes to money and financial freedom, is it truly mind over matter?

44 The Must-Have Life Skill: Rolling With The Punches

Here’s the one quality that can lift you when success can’t

46 The Empire Builder

PUBLISHER

A tribute to the visionary, Majid Al Futtaim, in praise of his legacy and noble contributions

Sumeet Gupta E: sumeet@aspiredubai.ae CHIEF EDITOR

Shagufta Patel E: editor@aspiredubai.ae

48 The Sound Of Music Take a walk through beautiful Salzburg; a country that has given us some of our best-loved compositions

54 The ‘Herb’ivore’s Guide

Are Adaptogens the magical help herbs that could reduce stress, boost immunity, and help the body heal?

56 High Gear Performance

The new BMW 2 Series is the new frontier in driving design

CONSULTING EDITOR

58 Suit Yourself

Wear the ubiquitous business suit to suit your role and style with easy confidence

Sangeetha Shinde Tee HONORARY EDITOR

Rizwan Bhutta JUNIOR EDITORIAL MANAGER

Qiraat Attar

62 Aspire+

What must you Read / Watch / Do this month that will keep you effortlessly in the loop beyond business

64 The Status Quo

We say, Adversity isn’t all that bad if it can make you a fast learner

EDITORIAL

Ayaat Attar Misbaah Mansuri Bindu Gopal Rao Arvind Rajasekhar EDITORIAL INTERN

Clarilda Sharon Sreeram Vishvanath Pallavi Biju PRODUCTION

The Purple Stroke M: +971 508 498820

O: 1601, Corporate Business Hub, Burj Gate, Dubai, United Arab Emirates W: thepurplestroke.com

Neither this publication nor any part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the persmission of The Purple Stroke FZE LLC. All the information carried herein is checked and verified to the best of our knowledge and abilities. In matters of views expressed and opinions held, it is solely that of the authors and contributors themselves. The editorial or publisher or ASPIRE cannot be held responsible for unintended errors and oversights if any.

Email: hello@aspiredubai.ae 2 0 2 2 — J A N — ASPIRE

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Editor's note Oh-My-Cron

T

he world welcomed 2022 with much aplomb (as is the ritual every new year).

But, unfortunately, and almost simultaneously also came in Omicron (though unwelcomed), the latest variant of the C-virus that has been disrupting lives in a huge way. The wave is sweeping over, and the world might soon see another lockdown as it did in the past two years. So, get prepared, but don’t let it predominate you.

The only real valuable thing is intuition. So, listen to what you know, instead of what you fear.

Be safe, but do not let the fear overpower you. That is where the real problem starts.

I love ‘play on words’. For me, O-mi-cron is Oh-My-Cron.

Now, cron is a script or command given to an operating system or server for a job that is to be executed at a specified time.

There is no limit to the number of cron jobs or scripts one can run at the same time. In the given scenario, your script’s (cron) job is to invoke the debilitating fear in you each time any news of the virus does the round.

So, stop the cron, kill the old script, and you still have the virus around, but you are the stronger one now. It may slow down things a bit, but it won’t let it stop you.

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Be the one in charge!

In charge and totally charged up as Sushil Shamlal Wadhwa, the entrepreneur-influencer and Founder and CMD of Platinum World Grroup, who lives his life king-size; or Nada Bassam, a ‘multi-tasking monstrous’ entrepreneur; or like Shaista Zeeshan who heals people the Family Constellation way.

Make waves like FunAsia Radio Network, get a glimpse of the climate summit in Glasgow, get a lowdown on cyber-security (better safe than sorry), understand the fundamentals of roll-up businesses, deliberate over designer babies, get a crash course on Feng-Shui, make money by staying in charge of

your mind, boost your immunity by adapting to Adaptogens, get connected to education expert in the USA, and learn the one skill that lifts you up when things all around seem downhill.

Learn that Adversity isn’t all that bad if it can teach you something, and last but not the least, bear in mind that to be upset over what you don’t have is to waste what you do have.

Be the one in charge! ✪

Bulletin

HSBC to purchase Indian investment firm

L&T Investment Management for $425m HSBC Asset Management (India) Private Ltd, a subsidiary of Britain-based HSBC Holdings PLC, has announced its intention to purchase India’s L&T Finance Holdings investment management unit. The decision comes as a part of the newest initiative to proliferate the Asian wealth and investment business aimed at spearheading its target to become Asia’s leading wealth manager by 2025.

As a result of the deal, L&T Investment operations in India will be incorporated into the group’s existing asset management business. A wholly-owned subsidiary of L&T Finance Holdings Ltd. and the asset manager of the L&T Mutual Fund., L&T Investment’s AUM stood at 803 billion rupees as of September 2021. Over the next five years, HSBC expects to capture 15 - 20% of the AUM market growth in India through the acquisition. The proposed

acquisition will be funded by existing resources at HSBC Asset Management.

This decision comes following the purchase of AXA Singapore by HSBC for $575 million in August. The bank said it was looking to make three to four bolt-on acquisitions of $500 million each. However, according to earlier reports, L&T Investment Management had looked destined to be bought by Blackstone after the US fund management group was reported to be exploring a bid.

Co-chief executive of Asia Pacific at HSBC, Surendra Rosha, commented that the acquisition would help the bank gain “deeper access” to the market in India. “India’s rising income levels and higher life expectancy are driving an expanding yet underpenetrated sector,” he said.

HSBC’s Group CEO, Noel Quinn, expressed his thoughts, “This transaction

enhances the strength of our business in India and reinforces our status as one of Asia’s leading wealth managers.

Combining LTIM with our existing Indian asset management business gives us the scale, reach, and capabilities to capture some of the 15-20% annual asset management market growth expected in India over the next five years. It also boosts our ability to serve India’s growing wealth needs, along with those of the 18 million non-resident Indians around the world.”

In 2020, the bank made just over $1bn in India, making it its third-largest profit center after Hong Kong and mainland China. At the end of the first half of 2021, the various wealth and asset management businesses of HSBC directed $1.2 trillion in client assets.

This was higher year-over-year than $200bn, reflecting strong asset growth across all of the company’s divisions.

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Bulletin

Bahrain’s Central Bank approves Binance’s operation in principle The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volumes, Binance Holdings Ltd., has been granted an in-principle agreement by The Central Bank of Bahrain. The agreement allows Binance to become a crypto-asset service provider in the Kingdom of Bahrain, making CBB the first regulator in the MENA region to grant an entity of Binance such an approval. In applying for a license, the exchange plans to become a centrally regulated cryptocurrency exchange.

The exchange has faced increased scrutiny from regulators in the UK, US, China, and Europe due to its opaque operating structure. However, it has been on the lookout for a new global headquarters while striving to improve its relationship with regulatory authorities. In addition to expanding its presence in the Middle East, Binance is

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attempting to take advantage of the growing acceptance of cryptocurrencies in the region.

Binance commented, “The in-principle approval from CBB still requires Binance to complete the full application process, which is expected to be completed in due course.”

However, Binance’s licensing will be “a matter of formalities” once it completes the establishment requirements, said Abdulla Haji, Director for Licensing at the Central Bank. In his view, setting up its regional headquarters in the kingdom would be a good fit for the exchange.

Taking advantage of the rise in acceptance of cryptocurrencies in the Middle East, Binance seeks to expand its presence in the Middle East. Recently, a preliminary agreement was signed between the company and the Dubai World Trade Center Authority in order to establish

Taking advantage of the rise in acceptance of cryptocurrencies in the Middle East, Binance seeks to expand its presence in the Middle East

a virtual asset hub in Dubai.

The development comes just a day after DWTC said it would establish a specialized cryptocurrency zone, joining the ranks of a cryptocurrency regulator.

Albeit being the Gulf ’s smallest economy, Bahrain has been one of the early adopters of digital asset spaces in the Middle East, with Rain Financial to become the first licensed crypto-asset platform in 2019.

In the first half of 2021, Rain Management’s trading volume is reported to have grown 20-fold to reach $1 billion for the first time. Manama-based CoinMENA scored another license from Bahrain’s monetary authority earlier this year.

According to CoinMarketCap, cryptocurrencies are valued at almost $2.4 trillion in the market, as of December 2021. The world’s first and biggest cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, has recovered some ground above $50,000 after dropping the past few weeks.

Many experts predict the Bitcoin price to pass $100,000, although opinions differ as to when.

Zand, UAE’s new digital bank to get the ball rolling “imminently” The majority of the shares of Dubai Bank from Emirates NBD have been acquired by the shareholders of Zand, the upcoming digital bank in the UAE, in a move to support its imminent launch. Zand is set to be the “first digital bank to provide both retail and corporate services.”

Chairman of Zand, Mohammed Alabbar, said, “Today’s announcement marks another major milestone for Zand. We are excited to be closing in on our goal of establishing the UAE’s first native digital bank. In line with the UAE’s digital agenda and inspired by the nation’s spirit of innovation, we have been actively working with design, technology, and financial partners to create a platform that will change the way people bank.”

Zand stated that they aim to make banking “quicker and simpler” through fully digitalized

offerings and provide tools to help customers gain full control of their financial lives. Zand will also introduce non-orthodox products and services. Set to be an accelerator of the digital economy in UAE, Zand will lay the foundation for the future generations of digital services.

“We have re-imagined banking, freeing ourselves from the legacy mindset and processes of traditional banks while putting the customer at the center of everything we do.” said co-founder and CEO Olivier Crespin.

Alabbar added, “As a commercial, financial, and technology hub, coupled with a progressive approach to regulation, the UAE provides the ideal environment into which to launch, and we cannot wait to welcome our first customers.”

Fintech solutions and digital banking platforms have gained increasing popularity in the UAE,

We have re-imagined banking, freeing ourselves from the legacy mindset and processes of traditional banks while putting the customer at the center of everything we do

leading to a much-needed rise in digital banking platforms.

In 2017, Dubai’s largest bank, Emirates NBD, launched the UAE’s first digital bank, Liv, followed by the first independent digital banking app in the UAE launched by Dubai-based YAP in March of 2021. In addition, Dubai Islamic Bank launched Rabbit, a “FUNTECH” digital banking app focusing on the younger generation, in December 2021. Offering loyalty options and discounts, the app will launch initially with a debit card, current accounts, transfers, and payments. Furthermore, last year, following the obtainment of the legacy license of First Gulf Bank, Abu Dhabi investment firm ADQ revealed plans to establish a digital bank with an initial capital of $545m (AED 2 billion). This rise in digitalized banking has been well received by individuals and corporations alike. ✪ 2 0 2 2 — J A N — ASPIRE

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Trending From brand wars to brand bonds, Sreeram Vishwanath tells about the shrewd strategy of rolled-up business

Roll T

he world of business is often an out-and-out jungle, where only the fittest and finest survive and thrive.

Companies live in mortal fear of being out-innovated or phased out by other firms. Larger companies with strong market share and decades of experience are often daunted by newer, smaller firms that make up for their lack of capital and expertise with nifty little trends, branding, marketing, and cutting-edge innovation, and the ‘underdog’ factor.

Big leaguers choose to eliminate the competition with a handshake rather than a fistfight by acquiring a competitor with an offer they cannot refuse and turning them into a subsidiary or partner, coining the business phenomenon of a roll-up merger.

Forming a larger entity helps companies retain a robust competitive edge and integrate their resources more efficiently, reduce operational costs, increase revenues, earn a substantial reputation, and enjoy economic scale.

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Rolling up to guaranteed success?

A roll-up is a consolidation process where multiple small companies in the same market are acquired and merged, forming an enterprise that offers a broader range of products and services. Often, these products serve different economic strata or demographics, thus helping them capture multiple market segments and create a monopoly. The larger companies, known as private equity firms, generally boast of higher value by the multiples than the smaller businesses they acquire, alongside the advantage of operating at reduced costs through economies of scale. The newly formed entity supersedes a standalone business through diversified management, reduced production costs, wider reach, and catering to customers across the board (lesser competition, no conflicting images).

On a win-win note, the higher-earning potential of the endeavor helps these companies improve collectively, bump up profits, trickling down in significant proportions among the acquired companies.

Play

The past shows the path

Since the origins of modern commerce, rollups have been a way for companies to grow and gain ground, acquire customers and diversify their products. Kraft Foods, now rechristened Mondelez International, is one of the earliest examples of a roll-up. Its effort in this regard was an astounding success, as the Chicago-based multinational confectionery, food, beverage, and snack company scaled up meteorically, garnering $26 billion in

revenue every year, with an operational presence in 160 countries.

More recent examples include Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (or FCA), formed by merging automobile giants Fiat and Chrysler. Global FMCG leader Unilever is one of the greatest and most identifiable of all roll-up examples, where some of its consumer products have been acquired while preserving brand identity (Knorr, Brooke Bond, Lipton, among others).

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Kraft Foods, a roll-up initiative, earns $26 billion every year, with operations in 180 countries Thrasio, a company that has made more than 125 acquisitions, with a capital of $1.7 billion raised since its launch in 2018 Dubai and Riyadh-based startup Opuntia have raised up $ 20 million to roll up e-commerce brands in Africa and the Middle East.

Only 2 in 5 startups are profitable, and other startups will either break even (1 in 3) or continue to lose money (1 in 3) 66% of small businesses will outsource services to other small businesses.

82% of successful business owners admit they have the right qualifications and backed up experience to run a company, even with limited cash flow - Small Business Trends The number one reason why startups fail is due to misreading market demand — this is found in 42% of cases. The second reason why startups fail (29% of cases) is due to running out of funding and personal money. Other notable cases of failure are a weak founding team (23%) and being beat by competition (19%). Other notable cases of failure are a weak founding team (23%) and being beat by competition (19%).

– CBInsights

What does it bring to the Table?

Roll-ups can be niche, but the significance is game-changing. One of the more apparent ones is Economics of Scale. It is common knowledge that the larger a company is, the more efficiently it can operate. It can spread fixed costs over larger volumes of production, lower the variable and marginal costs per unit. The reduced cost of production provides a perfect opportunity for companies to use their profits to stay ahead of the curve in terms of product development or slash prices significantly to outcompete their rivals.

Quest Diagnostics, an American clinical laboratory and a Fortune 500 ranker, maintain collaborative agreements with many accredited hospitals and clinics spread across the globe, practicing economics of scale with finesse. The company boasts of an annual revenue of $7.7 billion as of 2019. Other successful companies such as the aforementioned Kraft Foods also demonstrate the influence a roll-up can have when it comes to ease of scaling.

Roll-up facilitates cross-selling, a company’s ability to sell its products or services to additional customers, or the way it can sell an increasing variety of products to the existing customer base.

Collaboration with multiple firms of the same in-

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dustry can facilitate this due to the added business units and product portfolios.

Sysco (Systems and Services Company) Corporation, established in 1984, has been continuously pursuing roll-ups since 1988 when it acquired a Chicago-based food distributor, CFS Continental.

It is now the world’s largest broadline food distributor, with more than 600,000 clients across various fields. The company operates in about 330 distribution facilities worldwide and extends its services to more than 90 countries.

A merger that takes place due to legitimate

On local shores, Dubai and Riyadh-based startup Opuntia, a Gulf-based e-commerce, have raised $20 million to roll up e-commerce brands in Africa and the Middle East synergies between the participating companies can make for healthy financial results in the short and longer-term. Additionally, having donned the gloves of a dominant market player, its influence increases multifold. The greater market power it wields provides increasing confidence to shareholders, impactful influence over the suppliers and buyers, and makes procurement of funds easier and swifter. Mergers with multiple small companies would significantly improve the value of both the parent and consolidated companies.

E-commerce knocking at the door Roll-ups have been on the rise in e-commerce marketplaces because of the immense potential of decentralized online shopping spaces. The most noteworthy in this segment is Thrasio, a company that has made more than 125 acquisitions, with a capital of $1.7 billion raised since its launch in 2018. These acquisitions are being gradually promoted through small measures such as building social accounts, email lists, and Shopify sites with the object of later turning them into household names.

On an equally interesting note, famed investor and operator Keith Rabois recently announced his interest to work on a roll-up concept called OpenStore with Atomic co-founder Jack Abraham.

On local shores, Dubai and Riyadh-based startup Opuntia, a Gulf-based e-commerce company, have raised $20 million to roll up e-commerce brands in Africa and the Middle East. The company was founded by co-CEOs Philip Johnston and Manfred Meyer in March 2021. Its professional teams

expanse. Some major corporations are contemplating fragmenting, and a few have already announced it.

But, on closer inspection, this could demonstrate strategy rather than inefficiency. General Electric, a 199-year old electrical powerhouse, will split into three companies for three salient purposes: simplify its business, reduce debts, and revive its fortune. Toshiba has similar plans to appease activist shareholders seeking a complete overhaul of its operations. But, again, what we are witnessing here is not something that deglamorizes a partnership.

Companies have been merging and de-merging for quite a long time now for their own strategic reasons and sometimes, differences.

Opportunity, Challenges, & the Way Forward

comprise talent from Amazon, Zomato, Namshi, McKinsey, and Uber Eats. The operating presence will soon be expanded to Cairo, Istanbul, and Lagos.

The proliferation and growth of the e-commerce sector, customer’s increasing hunger for on-demand and convenient delivery, and the preference for homegrown brands had led to the entry of fledgling startups, all aiming to secure their market position.

However, as competition heats up, despite the good performance, some brands begin to waver due to not having enough capital, thus causing inventory issues and possible failure. However, when a larger business takes them under their wing, their financial and sourcing capabilities become stronger. This works as a preferred symbiosis as the immediate and widespread needs of customers are satisfied, and firms operate in tandem, with their individual identities intact.

The Bigger Questions Consumers are keen to support small brands due to a growing sense of community and a global call to #supportsmallbusiness. This makes it the opportune time for smaller brands to carve a niche of their own. But, in hindsight, not all brands that enter the foray may be able to keep up a steady profit flow or stem competition or irrelevance, forcing them to hit the exit door or to sell out to a bigger company. For instance, Brainlabs, a digital marketing agency, merged with the American Digital Marketing company Hanapin to provide a significant overseas presence for the company due to the analytics setup and international reach held by the acquiring company, Hanapin.

“On a 30-year view, we want to build the biggest and best advertising agency in the world,” said Brainlabs CEO Daniel Gilbert.

However, a counter-trend is emerging; sometimes businesses buckle under the weight of their own

Marketplaces undergo a constant evolution, and whenever the arena crowds up with one too many competitors, shrewd investors consolidate smaller businesses that would thrive with a fighting chance through a roll-up merger. However, the purported benefits of the concept do not waylay its inevitable challenges.

In the end, placing all our bets on a single solution would be impossible, as one strategy may not work across different companies and regions. But every market offers a way that can further an educated thought process. On a common note, though, it is pivotal to plan for the targeted audience, evaluate how products and customers can be integrated, and assess case studies that throw light on how a similar initiative succeeded in the past.

As we conclude, ASPIRE recognizes a business’s

Consumers are keen to support small brands due to a growing sense of community and a global call to #supportsmallbusiness inherent drive to grow in accordance with its own innate strengths. A roll-up can be a success, especially if a smaller company needs some help to reach its full potential. At the same time, convoluted operations and capital impede its survival or growth, or it feels as if its aspirations are pursued better on a broader market. Undoubtedly, companies that dream to make it big on their own should never deter from their pursuit, as we have plenty of examples of companies that stood alone and reached prosperous heights. The momentous journey that these and a handful of companies registered, as either individual entities or rollups, paints a very hopeful picture of abounding possibilities for a seed of an idea to mature into valuable, prosperous proportions. ✪ 2 0 2 2 — J A N — ASPIRE

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Tech love

SECURITY WISE Cybersecurity is a modern-day necessity, yet many consider it an unnecessary expense to be overlooked. PALLAVI BIJU explores the labyrinth of cybersecurity and how to ensure your data is secured, whether you are a business or an individual

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I

Tech love

n May this year, cyber-attack forces shut down one of the U.S.A.’s largest pipelines. The previous year, a ransomware named CovidLock encrypted data from Android devices by promising more information about the ongoing pandemic to hapless users. Recently, a Russian-origin Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) operation was exposed as the reason for some of the biggest supply chain attacks. Be it your identity, your confidential business files, or even your child’s homework; the internet can reach it all. So can an experienced hacker somewhere on the other side of the planet. As our digital footprint grows rapidly and all our information offered up like bite-sized pieces on the digital platter, cybersecurity rapidly escalates to our biggest concern.

Know The Enemy

Cybersecurity is how one protects networks, systems, and programs from digital trespasses, commonly feared as cyber-attacks that come in all shapes and sizes and are targeted at changing, accessing, or mainly destroying sensitive information. Attacks may come in the form of overt ransomware, hijacking products, and tools to extort money, or covert operations, which are usually only discovered months after the system has been accessed, if at all. Cyber-criminals are getting smarter and skilled each day, and new varieties of cyberattacks are cropping up on the network horizon, although a few remain the usual suspects.

Social engineering is when a person’s innocence or ignorance is wielded against them. For example, you’ve probably heard of voice phishing and email phishing. Phishing is a form of social engineering and 98% of cyber-attacks rely on it (Source: Purplesec). Here, hackers psychologically manipulate the victims’ natural curiosity, trust, or naivete into divulging their personal information, often by posing as a trusted personality or a wellknown establishment. These have spread like wildfire across social media, with catfishes posing as celebrities to extort information and cash from unsuspecting fans.

Malware, short for Malicious Software, includes spyware, ransomware, and viruses. It is typically delivered over a network and infects the system intending to provide the attacker with remote access, send spam, investigate the infected system’s local network, or steal confidential information. The average amount of reported transactions per month from infected ransomware systems was $102.3 million in 2021 alone (Source: Forbes).

Nobody likes their private and confidential conversations discovered by others. The man-in-the-middle attack is the hushed eavesdrop of the digital world. The attacker listens in on and possibly alters the communications between two or more parties who believe they are communicating directly with each other.

Though not as common as the others, MiTM still poses a threat to individuals and organizations alike, with 35% of cyber threats in 2018 being MiTM attacks (Source: IBM) Every system improves on continuous user feedback, which means that when it is freshly deployed, it is the weakest. The fastest-growing cyber-attack, zero-day attacks, focuses on a system or software vulnerability unknown to the developers in the initial phase. As the hackers exploit a flaw before the developers catch it, they have zero

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Tech love

Supply chain attacks rose by

42% in the first quarter of 2021 in the US, impacting up to seven million people

More than half a million Zoom user accounts were compromised and sold on the dark web -CPO Magazine

-Forbes.com

600%

Cybercrime is up due to the COVID-19 pandemic -PurpleSec

Remote work has increased the average cost of a data breach by

$137,000

$3.86 Mn is the global

average cost of a data breach

-IBM

43% of cyber-attacks are

aimed at small businesses, but only 14% are prepared to defend themselves -Accenture

-IBM

days to fix the flaw before it is exposed to the public.

In quarter one of 2021, 74% of cyber-threats were zero-day attacks capable of evading conventional antivirus (Source: WatchGuard). These attacks boast the highest success rate as well since no patch exists for the vulnerabilities to whose existence vendors are still oblivious.

The Lock For Your Devices

For us as digital citizens, cybersecurity is a desiderate, especially as the age of networks looms large over us. Most if not all of our personal and private details, from our bank account number to our house’s key-code, are stored somewhere on our personal devices and by extension, somewhere on the internet. Taken as a country, cybercrime would register as the world’s largest economy after the U.S. and China. Cybersecurity ventures expect a yearly 15% increase in global cybercrimes over the next five years, aiding cybercrimes to reach a revenue of $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. Just

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as cyber-criminals are getting creative with their attacks, cyber-security forces should do the same, and gratefully, they’re not far behind.

Offering enhanced privacy, cloud-based cyber-security has gained extreme popularity in the last decade due to its increased shared productivity, speed and efficiency, performance, and undoubtedly, security at its core. However, while considered extremely secure, it is still advisable to protect it with separate software that can warn you of any suspicious activities that arise on your cloud storage. Cloud Services are often offered by third-party providers, like Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) cloud services like Google Drive, Slack, and Microsoft 365, Platform-as-a-Service providers like Windows Azure, and Infrastructure-as-a-Service like Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services.

Applications vulnerability is another frontier threatened by malicious attacks. Designed to protect applications from external threats throughout the software lifecycle, application security protects all apps, including legacy, desktop, web, mobile, and microservices, used both by internal and external stakeholders. These often include enhanced security features like authentication, authorization, encryption, logging, and application security testing.

The process of data encryption allows information to be translated into a codified form so that only people with access to the decryption key can decode it. The encrypted data is commonly known as ciphertext, often appearing scrambled or undecipherable. Nevertheless, encryption is one of the most popular and highly successful security methods organizations use. The most common example of Data Encryption is the asterisks used to cover bank account numbers during online transactions.

To Be On The Safe Side Of The Screen

As the saying goes, “It’s better to be safe than to be sorry.” Over 77% of organizations do not have a cyber security incident response plan, indicating that awareness is still low regarding how devastating a cyberattack can prove for a company’s infrastructure, service and credibility. With increasing online thoroughfare, one cannot relegate cybersecurity to the backburner. Businesses, start-ups, and independent enterprises should bear the following in mind when opting for a new vendor for their cyber-security needs or when taking stock of their current cybersecurity measures: A high-level strategy of their CyberSec needs is a first and foremost that businesses are guilty of deprioritizing. It provides a ballpark assessment of their online security scenario and can form the foundation of responsible practices. Often, it is the only thing standing between a successful business and losing millions of dollars and a

Tech love hard-won clientele’s trust.

Unsecured Networks too are breeding ground for nefarious attackers. Once infiltrated, it takes hackers only a few seconds to access all systems and devices connected to that network.

Although a fairly simple step to ensure security, Kaspersky Lab analysis shows that 28% of networks are still unsecured and susceptible to being hacked.

Most software developers and hardware manufacturers deal with security threats using patches, software codes that mend the armor of digital protection. The only issue – latest software needs complementary hardware to do its best work. Hence, businesses running on outdated systems are at high risk of a cyber-attack.

With the advent of IoT in our lives, many businesses are leveraging its power with multiple connection points on one network. Although this is a great tactic for higher productivity, this also means more points of vulnerability if a single network is a threat.

Stunningly, about 90% of data breaches even today are caused by human error. A victim of voice or email phishing could render the entire business vulnerable to criminals. It’s vital that employees be trained in cybersecurity and its best practices, like identifying the red attack flags, using strong passwords, and how and when to use different types of networks.

UAE On Top Of The Programme

The United Arab Emirates was ranked 5th in Global Cybersecurity Index 2020, advancing 33 spots from its previous rank. Issued by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Index ranks 193 countries on their commitment to cybersecurity.

The Head of Cybersecurity in the UAE, Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, attributed its position on the index to “UAE’s digitization strategies and policies, and the integrated and smart operational ecosystem, which helped bolster performance across all sectors.”

Recently, the UAE announced the adoption of cybersecurity standards for governmental agencies.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai and vice president of the UAE, emphasized that cybersecurity is a sovereign priority during the announcement. Later, His Highness proved the UAE’s understanding of its importance when he wrote on his Twitter, “Our borders in cyberspace are sovereign borders, that we always need to protect and consolidate their defenses.” The announcement came ten months after establishing the UAE Cyber Security Council, which had its first meeting in January 2021 to put stress on enhancing cybersecurity, and expansion and restructuring of the national cybersecurity as the nation approached complete digital transformation.

The United Arab Emirates was ranked 5th in Global Cybersecurity Index 2020, advancing 33 spots from its previous rank In 2020, the Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, initiated the launch of the Dubai Cyber Index aimed at encouraging and helping government entities to adopt the highest possible cybersecurity standards. The initiative is the first of its kind in the world and intends to make Dubai the city ‘with the safest cyberspace in the world’.

Before Leaving, Clear The Scene

According to Mordor Intelligence, the cybersecurity market is expected to be worth $363.05 billion in 2025, which is approximately 125% more than the amount in 2019. The next few years will see it grow a steady 14.5%. With attacks happening every 14 seconds in cyberspace, antivirus software, anti-spyware software, password management tools, firewalls, organizations, and individuals must all work in tandem to outwit cybercriminals who are getting more creative with time.

With digitization gaining ground and the pandemic blurring the lines between physical and remote workplaces, rule enforcing authorities, aka the good guys, need to learn cybersecurity as a priority, not a mere defense. These days, it is a fact that we tend to spend more time in front of our screens leading to more attention and money naturally being diverted online. With privacy, data, money, and much more at wager, it is not hyperbolic to believe that cybersecurity tools and experts are our last line of defense between protecting information and digital chaos. J 2 0 2 2 — J A N — ASPIRE

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Opinion

Designer babies:

A new lease of life or the death of our ethics?

Are designer babies the last, and most morally dubious, frontier of customization?

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hen a couple is expecting, idyllic conversations veer towards what the baby will be like. “I hope he gets your brown eyes.” “I hope she gets your incredible memory.” It’s a sweet fantasy woven around someone whose features and talents parents essentially have no control over, despite being wholly responsible for its oncoming existence. But modern technology tells us nothing is out of our control. Not even giving your child piercing blue eyes, a soprano’s voice, or a devilish genius in mathematics.

The term designer babies is somewhat of a misnomer.

It creates the image of high-brow, dissatisfied, extravagantly wealthy to-be parents with a checklist of perfect qualities to bestow upon their unborn child - consent be damned. The reality is much more sobering. The first genetically modified children were those conceived by an HIV-positive couple in China - an attempt to suppress the gene that could give them the same incurable fate. But the ensuing controversy, public censure, and imprisonment of the doctor in charge, Dr. He, led to the outlaw of genetic modification of foetus genome in China. At the same time, the world wasn’t far behind in condemning all experiments in this regard.

Today, somatic modification is still possible - localized modification of cells in a specific body part like the eye or the liver. They are usually used to treat a grave illness that could severely hamper the child’s quality of life.

But, unfortunately, it is still wildly expensive and thus inaccessible to the majority population of the world.

Nowadays, hardly anyone bats an eye at the mention of in-vitro fertilization, sperm donors, viable egg donors, or surrogacy. It’s all kosher. Reproductive science hasn’t waited for people’s delicate sensibilities to catch up. Those offended by the unnaturalness of it protest sometimes, but the desire to have healthy, happy children is a universally recognized one and thus trumps our discomfiture with lab babies and the ungodliness of it.

It seems innocent enough... But is it?

Before where we stand religiously, morally, or ethically, the fact is that human genetic modifications are a kind of risky gamble akin to sitting at a poker table with no cards at all. No genetic change, even somatic, can be hundred percent clear of mutation, inheritance, or impact on other traits that it is seemingly unrelated to. The human body is an elegant machine, finely crafted, but its design is a biological black box. One cannot fathom the domino effect of genetic tweaking, however non-intrusive it may seem. In the case of Dr. He, the genetic modification went off track, but the twins blessedly escaped its worst effects. Neither is more resistant to HIV, as he claimed.

Philosophically, is it the ultimate gamble - to love your child so much you want their life to be safe, convenient, without troubles, even if it means to weed out their so-called undesirable traits before life begins?

Does it mean you don’t trust them to withstand the curveballs life will throw? How many obstacles can even be removed? Remove your child’s fear of loud sounds, but they may still shake before public speaking.

Remove their fear of public speaking, and they may still be susceptible to insomnia. Sometimes, loving your children means to understand that they’re not your possessions to protect but a spirit to nurture, ultimately destined to lead uncharted lives in an unpredictable world. Instead of controlling their traits and weeding out their purported negatives, it might be a much more successful experiment to teach them to love themselves and never doubt their capabilities because a hardy spirit trumps genetics, each time. J 2 0 2 2 — J A N — ASPIRE

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Events

Regional happenings on the horizon

Shutterbugs Assemble At Xposure, Sharjah Calling all photographers, both amateurs and professionals! Xposure, Sharjah’s premier photography festival is returning in person from 9th to 15th February 2022. The festival, which brings together eminent photographers, exhibitors, and galleries in a series of events ranging from Workshops, Seminars, and Screenings to Portfolio Reviews, will be held at Al Taawun Street, Sharjah, from 10 am to 10 pm except on Fridays.

Placing emphasis on education through visual arts, Xposure gathers highly acclaimed and worldrenowned photographers and filmmakers from all across the globe to impart their knowledge and experiences and showcase their work. The festival also hosts a photographic product Trade Show which will showcase the latest cameras, equipment, and photographic accessories to the public, trade associations, retailers, and photographers. The highly anticipated show,

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File Photo

which will host 1400+ indoor exhibits through 50 photography exhibitions, focuses on contemporary photography of all genres, from wildlife to portraiture. Entry is free and registrations are now open on the official website.

Setting The Stage For Smart Cities At The Smart City Expo The 13th edition of the International Smart City Expo will take place on 16th February at Dubai International Financial Centre. The Smart Cities World Expo Forum aims to educate the public on smart cities, cities of the future, urban planning technologies, and much more through the combined effort of collocated conferences.

The conference covers Smart City Vertical Applications like Smart Transportation, Smart Grid, Enterprise IoT, Big Data Analytics, Smart Health, Fog Computing, Smart Governance.

Providing citizens and organizations with an opportunity to recognize the emerging trends in the cities of the future, the expo strives to promote businesses, innovation and connect all the attendees from across the globe. The keynote speakers share their knowledge and experience on topics ranging from the connectivity

of people and devices to the most talked about and current topics like maintaining connectivity in the post-pandemic world. The event takes place both virtually and on-site, and tickets are available on their website, starting at AUD 95 (approx. AED 245).

JGT Dubai set to Go for Gold

Meet the Best and Biggest of the Marketing Industry at Affiliate World Global For the first time, in 2022, the two Affiliate world events, Affiliate Europe and Affiliate Asia will join hands to make a mega 2-day event. The bi-annual affiliate marketing conference is the meeting place for the world’s top e-commerce entrepreneurs and affiliate marketers. The conference taking place from 28th February to 1st March will be held at Dubai World Trade Center.

Voted best affiliate conference by AFFbank and Conversion Club, the world’s best performers in marketing conference will have over 6,000 attendees from more than 110 countries, joined by 45+ speakers and 150+ affiliate networks. From Facebook Ads Tracking to Native Ads, Chatbots, and many more, Affiliate World aims to empower businesses and take marketing to the next level.

Jewellery, Gem & Technology Dubai will have its inaugural edition from 22 to 24 February at Dubai World Trade Centre. Intended to be a high-impact jewellery sourcing experience, the event will bring exhibitors, buyers, and sellers together in an all-encompassing marketplace for product discovery, inspired thinking, and meaningful connections.

A joint venture of the industry’s leading events groups – Informa Markets Jewellery and the Italian Exhibition Group SpA (IEG), the three-day event aims to provide direct access to the jewellery and precious stones market for small and big businesses. Informa Markets Jewellery is the organizer of the world’s biggest fine jewellery marketplace – Jewellery & Gem WORLD Hong Kong, while SpA is renowned as the organizer of Vicenzaoro, Italy’s most influential jewellery show and the top European trade fair in the sector. Furthermore, with DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre), JGT Dubai’s official partner, and Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group as an industry partner, this event has unmatched industry expertise, global reach, and local knowledge.

The event is primarily targeted at wholesalers, retailers, and manufacturers from the Middle East, India, Russia, Southern Europe, and North Africa – all the locations within 7 hours of flying time from Dubai. In addition, suppliers can take advantage of JGT Dubai’s combined market of 4 billion consumers - an opportunity not to be missed! ✪ 2 0 2 2 — J A N — ASPIRE

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COVER STORY

LICENSE TO THRILL

SUSHIL SHAMLAL WADHWA is riding high – enjoying his success as the Founder and CMD of Platinum World Grroup, offering magical experiences globally, and being a sought-after influencer connecting with high-net-worth individuals. QIRAAT ATTAR gets the lowdown from the magnate on an unstoppable quest for growth and prosperity

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The pandemic changed how consumers explore the world and engage with brands. Social media audiences were spending more time than ever getting to know their favorite influencers and discovering new ones to love. A survey shows that an unprecedented 92% of consumers trust the opinion of a digital influencer more than an advertisement or traditional celebrity endorsement. Of these, a category of influencers gaining precedence and amassing a following with their persona, charisma but, most importantly, by being self-made and having burgeoning businesses is that of the entrepreneur-influencer.

Sushil Shamlal Wadhwa is one such savvy entrepreneur, Founder and CMD of Platinum World Grroup with a clutch of successful endeavors under his belt. He also leverages his social media presence to boost his business, sharing his experience traveling and experiencing the most

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COVER STORY

Sushil’s interest in business has been bred into him through his roots. He explains, “I come from an entrepreneurial background. My father had been a restaurateur all his life, so that was my first industry as a child. I even pursued Hotel Management intending to grow his restaurant business.

While working on restaurants, other opportunities came my way which helped me develop my own entrepreneurial skills. Thus, my first independent venture was a food products business.”

Driven by the urge to create unforgettable experiences, Wadhwa started Platinum World Grroup in 2002. Cut to the present day; the enterprise has expanded, offering

Despite these odds, Sushil ascended the company with hard work and determination, organizing international company events for L’Oreal, E&Y, Citibank, HSBC, SCB, and Reliance Industries Ltd, among others.

PWG leaves no stone unturned when creating picturesque and dreamy destination weddings and other events that perfectly commemorate the romance and grandeur of these moments. No experience is out of reach, no escapade too grand for this team. “Our quest for experiences beyond extraordinary has taken us far and wide.

Want to have an event at the ramparts of Mehrangarh Fort while staying at Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur, or experience Miami in three different ways in a day – with chartered helicopters from the air, classic cars on the road, and yachts on the sea? Everything is possible.

Extraordinary events need truly unique settings. The sweep of venues we have covered has been as varied as Mount Titlis, Eiffel Tower, Great Wall of China, Palace of

everything from solutions for Luxury Lifestyle, Business Events, MICE, Luxury Events, Destination Weddings & Celebrations, Luxury Holidays, Private Jets & Yachts purchase and charters, as well as Digital & Experiential Marketing, Content Creation, and Health and Wellness.

PWG’s associate network spread over 500+ Destinations in 100+ Countries collectively handles a combined business of over USD 5 Billion.

Sushil recalls founding Platinum World Grroup (with its trademark extra ‘r’) at a time when there was no other company offering travel as an incentive to reward their top performers and stakeholders, and destination weddings as a concept were non-existent. Moreover, mobile communication and internet services were still nascent, making it incredibly challenging to communicate internationally. International calls were super expensive, faxes were the default mode of sending documents, and the internet worked on lagging dial-up connections.

Parliament, Bucharest (the second-largest administrative building after Pentagon), Presidential Palace in Ho Chi Minh City, and more.”

Having delighted over half a million people globally since inception, it was the first company worldwide in its industry to get the prestigious ISO 9001: 2008 Certification for its processes in MICE, Events, Weddings, and Luxury Travel. It has also become the first Events & Travel company to accept cryptocurrency as payment for its services.

Sushil states proudly, “Over the 25 years I have been in the event industry, we ended up doing thousands of events in 80 countries.” As an entrepreneur, he has been taking on the opportunities that come his way, stepping up and creating something unforgettable.

Each of the verticals under him bears

luxurious hotels and stays around the world. Let’s look at this unique Entrepreneur – Influencer enjoying his moment of success as he celebrates his accomplishments and gives us a peek behind his opulent facade.

AN INHERITED ACUMEN

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COVER STORY

as compared to other modes. This results in optimum nutrition and enhances the body’s abilities to improve Immunity, General Wellness, Anti-Ageing, Ingestible Beauty, Gut Health, Weight Loss, Energy, Sleep, and more, with no side effects. We hope to make the world a healthier place using nature’s remedies which

Having delighted over half a million people globally since inception, it was the first company worldwide in its industry to get the prestigious ISO 9001: 2008 Certification for its processes are free of chemicals and thus, make it easy for kids & adults alike to consume their daily dose of nutrition in a fun way.”

THE LUXURY INFLUENCER

Wadhwa’s stamp of quality. So, when it comes to travel, he can make you experience a destination like never before; in events, whether professional or celebratory, his planning is immaculate and the execution perfect.

THE WE ALTH OF HE ALTH

The same can be said for his wellness initiative, which caught steam when the pandemic hit the world, wreaking havoc in no small part due to people’s weak immunity. Motivated to help find a remedy to people’s ailments, Wadhwa took up the challenge and came up with an innovation suited to the time, launching his Health & Wellness solution, Vitalyse LifeSciences.

Shedding light on Vitalyse and particularly their premier product Vitalyse Wellness Strips, made with Natural Active Ingredients and Proprietary Nanotechnology, he says, “The format of our wellness strips offers the fastest absorption and highest bioavailability of nutrients,

Having explored more than 590 Destinations in 78 Countries and stayed at over 1,200 Luxury Hotels, Sushil, without a doubt, can discern the inside-out of a luxury experience in the celebrations, events, and travel space. The Entrepreneur - Influencer, straddling both words and worlds with ease, can curate an exceptional and unforgettable, customized experience and also give you pointers on how to create one by following his social media.

Talking about how being an influencer became a part of his life, he reveals, “Since my business of events made me travel so much and stay at over 1200 Luxury Hotels worldwide, I became an authority in that space. My followers comprise HNI & Corporate clients, industry colleagues, artists, and associates globally who have done business with us over the last 20 years and regularly follow updates on new destinations, hotels, restaurants, and luxury brands that I use.”

Many of them inevitably end up going to the destination or hotel or buying the luxury brand that he posts about.

He regularly posts motivational messages as well, since these quotes kept him going through the challenging times, and he feels it would help his followers too. “My DMs are usually from clients inquiring about the hotels, destinations, and brands, from industry colleagues asking for my experience with a particular hotel, and often also from people seeking jobs. I like to keep my social media focused on the luxury lifestyle, travel, events & celebrations, health and wellness, and motivational messages.”

He brings this taste and panache to other brands under the PWG portfolio: Platinum World Events – Solutions for Business Events, MICE, Luxury Events, Experiential & Influencer Marketing; Platinum World Celebrations – for Destination Weddings & Celebrations for HNIs; his UAE venture Platinum Signature Experiences - offered for luxury villas & hotel bookings, private jet, helicopter 2 0 2 2 — J A N — ASPIRE

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COVER STORY

Want to have an event at the ramparts of Mehrangarh Fort while staying at Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur, or experience Miami in three different ways in a day – no experience is out of reach, no escapade too grand for this team & yacht charters, supercar driving experiences, gastronomic fine dining experiences amongst others, as well as Billionaire Lifestyle, which offers turnkey & advisory solutions for purchase or charter of immensely luxurious items such as private jets, luxury yachts, luxury mansions, penthouses, luxury automobiles, luxury watches, jewelry, art, cryptocurrency, and second citizenships.

His exposure as an entrepreneur firmly ensconces him as an influencer since he has an innate and natural understanding of his business space, far more than any celebrity Instagrammer or YouTuber. As an influencer, he strategizes to create high-quality content to promote brands. HNI customers who follow him on social media often emulate his choices and decisions in what he does, wears, drives, or where he travels, stays, and dines, which is a commemoration of his choices and persuasion.

The pursuit of passion is obviously a driving force for

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him, “I have made my passion my business, and all our businesses are subjects I deeply care about. I love to travel, meet and inspire people, network, and all that is an integral part of our business. Other than that, I’m fond of singing, yoga, scuba diving, ice-driving, and other adventure activities. Thankfully, because of my business, I get to travel and experience my passions.”

Wadhwa’s success is like a living education for those who dream of creating an empire of successful ventures.

The confluence of his two identities – the entrepreneur and influencer, places him in a unique position that is tough to replicate. By understanding his clientele for the aspirational and jet-setting individuals that they are, he has created his services that never falter in providing the perfect customer experience.

Follow him on #SushilMedia to know about his latest adventures. He is easy to find on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter & Youtube with ‘Sushil Shamlal Wadhwa’! Despite his growth, Sushil is only just getting started, and with the start of 2022, we cannot wait to see what other aces this luxury entrepreneur-influencer has up his sleeve. ✪

INTERVIEW

Radi active fun No matter which Emirate, with nearly every citizen tuning into the radio entertainment by FunAsia Radio Network, it’s unison by airwaves. Head honchos Dheeraj Kapuria, Digby Taylor, and Sunny Ahuja reveal why radio still thrives amidst solid competition, and what it takes to be heard on radio

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ard

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adio is timeless. Even as other modes of entertainment are born, morph and keep vying for our attention, radio is quietly persistent, entertaining and informing us, a taste of the local flavor and a pulse of the community. But how and why does radio endure? There’s no one better to answer this question than the creative minds at FunAsia Radio Network UAE - COO Dheeraj Kapuria, Program Director Digby Taylor, and Business Head, Sunny Ahuja – who share their tremendous excitement with us about FunAsia Network’s place as a community broadcaster and entertainer, what their network offers, and why broadcasting as a medium of communication is here to stay.

media veteran Dheeraj Kapuria in 2018. They were impressed by his knowledge of the science behind radio and were eager to implement it into building a business. They hired him to expand the radio market Branded as ‘The Home without further ado with a proposition to head operations and of News, Sport, and launch multiple radio channels.

Conversation’, Talk 100.3 made its mark during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup

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THE OPENING CUE Digby leads us into how the business of radio is evolving. “The future of radio in the UAE is one of the most appetizing in the world. Big groups continue to absorb small stations in key markets across Europe and the USA, growing to cover demographics with medium reach by buying out local licences. Here the radio business in the UAE has a 93% reach already in the media space, thus making it very enticing for any potential advertiser wishing to reach a multi-cultural, multilingual society. Big radio stations dominate, and at some point, DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) will come and make its presence felt. Until then, FM rules the airwaves in the UAE.” The trio embarked on their collaboration when Sunny met the COO of FunAsia and veritable

UNSTOPPABLE GROWTH

At the end of 2019, FunAsia acquired the first radio channel, Big 106.2, followed by Luv 107.1, a feel-good Hot AC station playing the biggest hits of the 90s and noughties. Then came Beat 97.8, an upbeat station playing cutting-edge electronic music. Then, in a year, Talk 100.3 was launched in quick succession in partnership with Mr. Ajay Sethi, a true Business Icon from the Channel 2 Group.

Together, they became market disruptors and created niche radio products. Backed up by a strong team of professionals that Sunny hired with Digby’s support along with that of other radio and media veterans, they now boast of a 45-member crew with four radio channels in this country.

Talk 100.3 is the first sports and business radio channel in the UAE, acting as the chosen voice of the business fraternity that covers finance, real estate, retail, automobiles, hospitality, and essentially all angles of business for the South Asian community. Branded as ‘The Home of News, Sport, and Conversation’, Talk 100.3 made its mark during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the minds of the listeners.

Sunny explains, “When FunAsia launched Talk 100.3 in partnership with The Channel 2 group, we did not need to market it much because we were the only sports channel narrating ball-byball commentary of the World Cup 2021. The marketing spread like wildfire organically, and it was all word-of-mouth. Every single taxi was playing Talk 100.3 as everyone was hooked on what was happening in the match. We had the voices of legendary journalists and cricket commentators like Boria Majumdar and Clive Lloyd.

They went live on air and featured all-star lines of legendary cricketers, like Kapil Dev. Hence, it was so engaging that it didn’t need any outdoor visibility, just radio, print, and social media content with PR and word-of-mouth was enough.”

Fun Asia Network is growing exponentially. The new BIG Fan TV app streams live TV and radio with events and multimedia. Network Programme Director, Digby is enthused as he says, “FAN is going places, and we want you to join us on the ride”.

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INTERVIEW

 FunAsia Radio Network UAE - COO Dheeraj Kapuria and Program Director Digby Taylor

CONTENT IS KING

Podcasts are audio-recorded content in the digital medium, while the radio is frequency FM. They are not competing against each other. Radio is live, while podcasts are recorded content for the digital domain

COO Dheeraj Kapuria explains what sets radio apart. “Despite the plethora of content, not just in television and movies but also in OTT and social media, radio occupies its own, almost sacrosanct space as a form of entertainment. It is incomparable to any of these mediums since it caters to the local audiences and presents an up-close picture of the events happening around you.” The average person spends at least an hour behind the wheel, and what do they reach out to during this monotony? They want content and entertainment that is significantly related to what’s happening in their country, so they turn up the radio. “Radio is not like television that caters to content created in India or internationally, or OTT content, which is primarily entertainment. So it predominantly remains the

 Backend team: PD Lachlan, Krisma, Sanjay, Altaf, Sabita

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first choice for the masses,” he plugs in.

UAE has over 40 radio channels across Arabic, Hindi, English, Malayalam, Tamil, Tagalog, and Farsi. What FunAsia set out to do was to cater to a large, diverse audience, whether it is sports or business, and outperform every other channel in the arena. Today, they can confidently say they’ve created a niche where their content caters to the mature South Asian audience.

Podcasts are steadily rising in popularity and are bound to have affected the space. They’re not too worried though. Podcasts are audio-recorded content in the digital medium, while the radio is frequency FM. They are not competing against each other. Radio is live, while podcasts are recorded content for the digital domain. As Sunny puts it, “What we have done is created room for podcasts to be aired, thus aiding collaboration. We have podcast partners who have come on board and curate content for that domain and get featured on the channel.”

The other thing to place your bets on, as Dheeraj puts it, is TTL or Through-The-Line marketing, the new age medium web. “When doing a station campaign, you get brands to sponsor the program and get their radio presenters to come to the stores for an outdoor activation, so that listeners who are tuned in not only get a chance to win at the event but also get to be a part of the radio show. It then goes on the digital and social media platforms.” Today, the medium is so blended that they are working on customizing and creating bite-size podcast versions for the radio domain.

Thus, radio no longer works in a silo; it is backed by other mediums as well.

RIVETED BY R ADIO With four channels in niche spaces, FunAsia dominates the audio infotainment spectrum. Each

channel has its own strength. Talk 100.3 focuses on small and medium enterprises, having evolved into a talk forum for the business and sports community. In 2022, they will be creating a show specifically for women that will feature women entrepreneurs and talk about how men and women are walking hand in hand, leading the business fraternity. The 100.3 morning show will feature an Indo-Pakistan deadly duo, Sobia Khan and Vivek Sanil, who focus on all that the business fraternity needs to know, followed by Anurag Malhotra in the afternoon, and Anjaan Ganesh bringing the strongest Talk shows in the UAE. Acting as the local medium curating content for the listener and specific offerings to cater to different audiences across different age groups, the bouquet of channels ensures that the network has an aggregated listener base of about two and a half million listeners making the network worth 12 million dirhams a year.

Sunny acquiesces that the world today is veering towards collaboration. Radio advertising isn’t just based on radio commercials alone. Radio hammering can give a brand heavy-duty, unprecedented awareness. You can reach millions who listen to your advertisements multiple times a day, 30 days a month. Radio is not just limited to radio commercials since these also go to social media as digital ads. The pandemic has also made radio advertising accessible and affordable, and the medium is becoming approachable and based on necessity.

MAKING A MARK Courtesy of their rich and varied experience, the trio dish valuable advice for those who want to join the radio industry. In a nutshell - Spontaneity and creativity are two integral aspects. If you are creative and have ‘the gift of the gab’, you can get into radio. However, there is no downplaying the struggle. You need to devote time to find your core competency. You can’t be the ‘jack of all trades’ on the radio.

 Business Head, Sunny Ahuja

Today, radio jockeys don’t stay cooped up in studios, doubling up as presenters at malls when contests are run and for other faninteraction activities

When a person speaks on the mic, every single ad is produced, every single script for the ad is written. Every single piece of music is filtered. The bottom line is if it’s not relevant, no one will listen to you anyway. Today, radio jockeys don’t stay cooped up in studios, doubling up as presenters at malls when contests are run and for other fan-interaction activities, so the new age media professionals also need to have a charismatic personality that connects them with the audience.

The medium has and will see its fair share of evolution in years to come. One thing remains unchanged though – one sees it on television as its presented to you, but you create it in the mind when it comes to the radio. Naturally then, it’s time to tune in – because radio will remain as timeless as the friend on the go. J 2 0 2 2 — J A N — ASPIRE

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INTERVIEW

360 Degrees Success

From pharmaceuticals to fashion, the multi-faceted serial entrepreneur Nada Bassam has dabbled in numerous fields. Pallavi Biju talks to the “multi-tasking monster” on her passion for business

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ith entrepreneurship in her blood, owing to her father who has been in the market since 1974, Nada Bassam has been working since the young age of 14years. A firm believer in the maxim, ‘Don’t put all your eggs in one basket’, she has dabbled in multifarious industries, including fitness, construction, fashion, medicine, and many more.

A business transformation expert, marketer, and business developer, Nada Bassam is also the CEO and Founder of 360 BD, Nada Bassam Fashion, and the General Manager of Fitness4life. With her passion for entrepreneurship and business, as well as her persistence and determination to create the best consultancy firm in the Middle East, her journey to date has undoubtedly been one of excellence and distinction.

To The Top Of The Line Even as a teenager, Nada’s interest was to stay active and never just hang around. She used to help out in science museums and other school activities during her school years. Her undergraduate studies in Fashion Designing provided her with a platform to work behind the scenes at fashion shows and other events. After graduation, she started working under her father in the construction and real estate industry for 6-7 years, learning the ropes of the field.

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“I always like to see and learn many new things and explore new fields because I quickly feel bored doing things repeatedly,” she laughs. In 2012, Nada and Wael Hamarna tried their hands starting a business from scratch when they established Fitness4ife together. A huge learning experience for the couple, Fitness4life was their first foray into the world of entrepreneurship.

Backed by a grand opening and consequently a successful business, they expanded their brand to two new and huge locations. With her expertise as a business consultant, Nada Bassam founded 360 BD two years ago, a one-stop-shop for all business solutions needs.

She says that new challenges are what keeps her motivated. The word “impossible” excites her as she seeks to take the impossible and prove that it is possible. “NO is never an answer for me,” Nada states.

“If I see something that is possible and something that seems to be impossible, I will always choose the thing that is said to be impossible.

It challenges me more in achieving the seemingly impossible. This is what drives me forward”. However, her primary source of motivation is the country that she owes all her major achievements, the UAE. The land that advances, innovates, and adopts every day is an inspiration for her and all her business ventures. “Every single day and every single year, UAE comes up with something innovative and within no time, they do it,” she says, praising the UAE for constantly thriving and growing.

Makin’ It Work A master of many trades, Nada Bassam prides herself on being a “multi-tasking monster.” Her secret to being able to handle all these different industries with ease, is studying the market. She reveals, “I would definitely study it very well if I don’t know something, making sure that I know my needs and the needs of the market.” Putting herself in the business owner’s shoes gives her an advantage in providing workable solutions. She owes the success of her business to choosing the right people, giving them the right tasks, and getting a 360-degree view of the business. “Diagnosing the problems and executing the solutions are the keys to a successful business,” says Nada, who believes that there are no disadvantages in handling many businesses simultaneously. As someone who lives by the phrase, ‘the sky is the limit’, she believes that sticking to one industry will only help you thrive in selective situations and hence, not make you go beyond your comfort zone and explore undiscovered territories.

As a successful and established woman entrepreneur herself, her advice to women is to educate themselves.

“Gaining knowledge and skills, not just degrees; developing the business and the self helps entrepreneurs scale extraordinary heights,” she strongly opines. Sec-

ondly, she advises entrepreneurs to get their priorities straight. “Since we are women, we are pulled in many different directions at the same time,” states Nada.

“Prioritizing our daily, weekly, monthly tasks is critical to success. Knowing our priorities is one of, if not the most, important thing.” In entrepreneurship, if you lose your footing on one stone, the entire balance you’ve created crumbles down like a domino effect. Making time for yourself, your family, and your business is essential. “If these three things are given equal importance, barely anything can stop you from being the best in the game,” says this all-rounder.

The Business Mantra Her mantra to a successful business is innovation.

Especially since currently the business scene is highly volatile, innovation is your best friend. Adopting and adapting, improving, and innovating are essential for burgeoning your enterprise. “To cope with the market, you need to put your best foot forward,” Nada advises.

“I don’t think anything is impossible if you have a good strategic plan and are willing to put in hard work.”

Her advice for novices in the start-up industry is to embark on a business that you incline towards. “Your business needs to be your passion and love,” she re-

“For me, SMEs are the big businesses of tomorrow, provided they find someone to support, guide, and empower them” marks. “The customers need to feel that to approach your business.” She also holds that assigning the right tasks to the right people keeps a business going smoothly and successfully. We are not superhuman and we are not capable of handling everything by ourselves. Hence, asking for help and entrusting tasks in the hands of someone capable is of the essence in running a successful business.

An Optimistic Look Forward This prodigious entrepreneur comments, “I have lots more that I want to achieve. I have just started my journey.” Nada aspires to establish her consultancy firm, 360 BD, all over the UAE and other parts of the Middle East. She believes that starting a business without a strategic plan for the future is a “crime in the business world.” Her advice is to create a business just like one starts schooling, weathering each level with the end goal in mind. Nada Bassam wishes to help all companies, especially the start-ups in the Middle East, to establish themselves successfully and is more than willing to contribute her knowledge, experience, and expertise to achieve this goal. “It is a big challenge, but what is our future without challenges?” Nada concludes, looking forward to an optimistic new year. ✪ 2 0 2 2 — J A N — ASPIRE

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INTERVIEW

Creating success through Family Constellation Meet Shaista Zeeshan a holistic therapist of some distinction who has helped many in distress resolve intergenerational family trauma

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here’s a handful of people that are born to help other people. A Pakistani born and raised in UAE, one such soul is Shaista Zeeshan, a certified Holistic Therapist, Intuitive Energy Healer, and Family Constellations Trans-generational Trauma Resolution expert. She helps people heal and resolve intergenerational family issues that often cause unexplained health or behavioral disorders, thus unconsciously holding them back from experiencing life to the fullest.

In this conversation, Shaista sheds light on her journey, the process, and why the world seems to have reached a collective consensus on our need for therapy in recent times.

What motivated you to become a therapist?

Since childhood, I have had a deep desire to help people and eradicate their suffering and soon enough, I began to attract such people towards me. When I had children, it was a struggle to connect with them, and I felt immense guilt and shame for not being able to live up to the expectations of others. Years later, the internal and external pain I saw in the world and my family manifested itself as physical inflammation and chronic pain.

I decided to embark on a healing path and use my curiosity to find solutions for myself and others.

How does inter-generational trauma affect people?

People often see their lives as somehow separate from those in their family system. However, scientific research into

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epigenetics proves that the energy of any trauma or tragedy within a family has a ripple effect on the generations that follow.

The effects of unresolved traumas are often revealed in Family Constel-

lations Systemic therapy, sometimes across 4-5 generations, manifesting as emotional, mental, relational, and health issues. Aristotle’s quote, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” is proved true when our prob-

lems are seen from the Systemic lens.

For instance, when a child loses a mother at a young age, they may develop coping mechanisms to deal with this loss. However, when they mature, the energy of this trauma has not been resolved. This may manifest as couple/ marital conflicts or the inability to connect with their own children.

Once taboo, what do you think has contributed to therapy gaining acceptance at impressive speed?

There has been an energetic shift worldwide, especially during the pandemic. It allows people to let go of old redundant limiting beliefs and form new ones. The increase in awareness around alternative healing methods, mindfulness, meditations, yoga, etc., is a sign of this.

Nowadays, I see people from all walks of life coming for therapy. In UAE, we are fortunate to have some wonderful places to access therapy, and having online availability of world-class services is a great boon.

Social stigma and other fears do not allow people to seek help. What happens when such familial trauma goes unaddressed or untreated?

It’s important to understand that we are an extension of ongoing stories of our ancestors that played out before our birth. Our ancestors lived harsher lives, having faced wars, displacement from their homelands, survived poverty and hunger, or were prosecuted due to their faith. Someone in the family could have been ostracized for breaking family tradition or other purported transgressions. These situations change people’s beliefs like the world is not a safe place to be or that they don’t deserve money, health, or love. If unaddressed, these beliefs are unconsciously passed down generations after generations.

Family members are sometimes determined to brush issues under the carpet. How can one convince their family to recognize and address their family’s concerns?

People come to therapy when they are ready. When one begins to question, change and release unhealthy beliefs

and patterns of abuse, manipulation, self-sabotaging behaviors, etc., they will be judged by those still unaware of their effects on their lives.

Transformation can be lonely. In my case, I exhibited people-pleasing and self-sacrificing behavior as a coping mechanism and the need to belong to my family. When I started enforcing boundaries, I faced judgments and resistance. However, I started seeing the ripple effect that occurs in a family after doing deep inner healing work through Family Constellations. Other members of my family started their healing journey as well.

I truly believe words alone will not convince others to heal, but when others see you projecting a better persona, they will follow the light too.

“It’s important to understand that we are an extension of ongoing stories of our ancestors that played out before our birth” People are now starting to recognize the patterns in a dysfunctional family. Given that so much old trauma is layered and unresolved, do you think that a well-adjusted and happy family is a myth?

For many families, dysfunction is their normal. However, it takes self- dedication, self-compassion, courage, and trust to create a conscious functional harmonious family.

When I started my own family, it was based on unhealthy beliefs and attachment styles. However, through years of learning and seeking, I have been able to create a better harmonious family setup. The dysfunction was a symptom of deeper problems. Once they are excavated and brought to light, the need for dysfunctionality is gone.

Have you faced resistance from your clients during your healing work? Is that to be expected and how do you overcome it?

Resistance is often Systemic in nature, which means people are unconsciously very loyal to their family systems.

Healing would mean letting go of the family’s collective unhelpful beliefs and outgrowing them. Unfortunately, this can bring up feelings of unconscious guilt and shame.

Once I sense it, I deal with it accordingly. I even refuse to work with those who are too resistant, knowing they will seek it when they are ready.

What is your advice to people starting families of their own to avoid or surpass old trauma and have healthy, fulfilling bonds in the family unit?

My advice to new couples or people starting families is to seek healing through Family Constellations, especially if they come from dysfunctional families or have limiting beliefs. Systemic patterns have a habit of repeating themselves, so they must be dealt with sooner rather than later to avoid future failures.

The corporate world has increasingly involved counselors and therapists to support their employees perform at their best. Have you been involved in such initiatives, and what has been your takeaway as such?

I also practice business coaching through Business Constellations that provide a Systemic point of view to various hidden dynamics that do not allow companies and businesses to flourish. Since it’s relatively new, it is yet to gain momentum within the business world.

Constellations have proven how intrinsically everyone is connected not just within their own family system but also within other groups they belong to like their schools, companies, religion, country, etc.

What would you say to those who still hold a stigma against therapy?

I recommend everyone to go on a heart-warming journey from unconscious self-destructive patterns to conscious expansion. It is worth it. These therapies are not about who is right or who is wrong.

They provide people with a vision to look at life from a significantly higher perspective, thus empowering individuals to live life positively with courage and strength. ✪ 2 0 2 2 — J A N — ASPIRE

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SPECIAL FEATURE

COP OUT OR GAME ON

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The climate summit in Glasgow saw world leaders convene to address issues of the earth’s future, but how successful were they? Qiraat Attar analyzes the outcome of the event

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Hindsight is 20-20. It is also too late to change things, but people talk far less about the second part.

The U.N. Climate Summit, held from Oct 31st to Nov 12th, intended to safeguard our fragile future from the worst impact of climate change and halt global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Around the event, optimism was fractured like one too many promises broken. As the summit approached, nations reported how many had met their pledges and how many had let corporate greed, capitalist intentions, or the defense of fossil fuels let them procrastinate on saving the world. Finally, civilians from all walks of life, regular folks with the least amount of say in climate dealings and who will be worse affected, gathered outside the summit venue in Glasgow to express their anguish, that it was too little too late.

Inside, the U.N. tottered back and forth on the same point. Days approaching the summit saw the world organization, often lambasted for not being able to execute in tandem with its reach and power, reaching out to member countries to act in accordance with Mother Nature and to understand the seriousness of the situation.

The world went into dealing with climate change whilst already dealing with a problem of epic proportions - the coronavirus. The blame game for the pandemic led to escalating tensions, causing UN Secretary-general Antonio Guterres to implore US and China to prevent their issues over Covid origins and other matters from clouding the summit’s progress.

Meanwhile, regret too reared its head. With wholesale European power prices doubling this year owing to soaring coal and gas prices, while renewable costs stayed the same, European Commission Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans felt that Europe would not be in this position if the Green Deal had been adopted five years prior.

THE COMPROMISES One of the main goals was to keep the warming of the earth’s delicate climate under 1.5 degrees Celsius, only possible if every country takes significant measures to mold their development around frameworks of sustainability.

Instead, governments hemmed and hawed over the pledges, ultimately reaching a compromise. Under summit pledges, the nearly 200 countries at the event will increase their pledges next year to close the gap.

It feels like a ticking bomb. The pledges submitted to cut emissions this decade will cause temperatures to rise by 2.4 Celcius. To align with To align with the 1.5C target, countries need to the 1.5C target, cut carbon dioxide emissions by 45% by 2030 from 2010 levels. Under countries need to current pledges, emissions would cut carbon dioxide rise by nearly 14% by 2030. emissions by 45% The United Arab Emirates too by 2030 from 2010 has announced a plan for net-zero emissions by 2050 and would oversee levels 600 billion dirhams ($163 billion) in investment in renewable energy.

This makes it the first country in the Middle East and North Africa region to launch a concrete initiative to achieve that climate commitment.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain targets net-zero emissions by 2060.

The tepid, halfhearted commitments from nations led United Nations chief Antonio Guterres to feel that this critical meeting on climate change ran the risk of failure due to mistrust between developed and developing countries and a lack of ambitious goals among some emerging economies.

2 0 2 2 — J A N — ASPIRE

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SPECIAL FEATURE

PRIVATE PL AYERS Apart from governments, private players are crucial in the fight against climate change. Fossil fuel companies, pharma giants, automobile companies, and others have enough clout, money, and reach that their past policies have led us down the roads of destruction and savagery towards climate, but their change of heart now could help us repair the widening cracks in our biome.

The largest biofuels producer in the United States, POET, said it was committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions at its bioprocessing facilities by 2050.

The South Dakota-based company also said it would ensure its ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions by at least 70% compared to gasoline by 2030, up from about 46% today.

The same mission was adopted by Royal Dutch Shell, which planned to build a biofuels facility in the Netherlands to help achieve its target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. JPMorgan Chase & Co said it was joining the United Nation’s Net-Zero Banking Alliance, following Bank of America, Citigroup, Morgan “So-called Stanley, and others in aligning its leaders have climate plan with the UN’s Race to cherry-picked Zero campaign. The UN meanwhile, young people to faced monetary hassles. It faced meetings like this a $100 trillion funding shortfall, which meant that its global goals of to pretend they poverty, inequality, injustice, are listening to us, tackling and climate change could be missed but they are not” unless 10% of global economic output is directed to the U.N. targets every year to 2030. Hampered by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the annual shortfall is now up to $10 trillion a year.

IN DEFENSE OF PETROLEUM Countries whose economies and fortune have been built

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on fossil fuels aren’t ready to conceive a world without it. Case in point - Saudi Arabia’s top energy official commented that efforts to combat climate change should not undermine global energy security or shun any particular energy source and denied the kingdom was hampering international talks on the issue.

The comments come as the UK hosts of the UN climate summit push to secure ambitious pledges from world leaders to slash greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from oil, coal, and gas. However, come the time of the event, the UN seemed reluctant to let go of fossil power as well.

It seemed like they couldn’t spook the fossil fuel heavyweights lest they lose their cooperation in the climate fight. Then, at the last minute, it changed wording calling for the “phase-out” of coal-fired power, replacing it with “phase-down”. Producers of coal - the most polluting fossil fuel - and countries that consume oil, gas, and coal said the wording change showed they had successfully defended the use of natural resources for which demand is still high and supply is tight.

THE KIDS AREN’T ALRIGHT Meanwhile, the youth were less hopeful.

Some argue that the youth today, owing to economic disparity, climate failure, and an overwhelming exposure to the world’s vagaries with 24x7 breaking news and ‘doom scrolling’ on social media, are the least hopeful of all generations. They feel like they have inherited a planet with a bleak future and feel pressure to find a solution for it, against all odds and a ticking clock.

Greta Thunberg and fellow youth campaigners said much has been promised but little done to tackle global warming in almost three decades since the landmark Earth Summit. “So-called leaders have cherry-picked young people to meetings like this to pretend they are listening to us, but they are not,” Thunberg said.

On the day of the event, as new pledges were made and leaders made heartfelt speeches, thousands of protesters,

including students, activists, and climate-concerned citizens, set off from a Glasgow park to march through the city hosting the U.N. climate conference and demand bolder global action.

Carrying red flags and banners reading “Capitalism is killing the planet,” an energetic crowd of youths blamed companies for the climate crisis and chanted calls in favor of socialism while punching their fists in the air.

NO CHECKS TO CASH Rich countries broke a 2009 promise to deliver $100 billion annually by 2020 in climate finance, making poor countries wary that promised cash will not arrive. Instead, they now expect to deliver the $100 billion by 2023.

However, developed countries are not willing to pay for the issues they have caused. They took the lead in the industrial revolution and urbanization, which helped them race ahead of others in progress, creating a disparity between first world and third world countries. Today, environmental racism is an actual concept, where nations that haven’t contributed to climate damage might end up facing its worst brunt. It is socio-political unfairness that could have been corrected at this global summit, Especially since this was the first time, the climate agreement mentioned the loss and damage incurred by countries due to climate-driven disasters, for which those countries have for years sought compensation.

But after resistance from the United States, the European Union, and other wealthy nations, the accord failed to secure funds for that compensation.

THERE’S ALWAYS TOMORROW? Some thought the summit was a watered-down approach to ruffle no feathers. Although U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “The era of half measures and hollow promises must end. The time for closing the leadership gap must begin in Glasgow,” things did not seem to have the intent and force necessary to meet the matter.

Some leaders chose to express this dissatisfaction. Tuvalu’s Foreign Minister Simon Kofe said the summit pact should have called for the phasing out, rather than phasing down, of coal use, a late change spurred by coal-dependent India and China.

Last week, images of Kofe giving a speech to the United Nations COP26 climate summit while standing knee-deep in water where there was once land were widely shared on social media as he sought to show how Tuvalu is battling rising sea levels.

Poor nations felt shortchanged. For instance, Camila Lizama, Director General of Global Issues, Mexico Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, “We believe we have been sidelined in a non-transparent and non-inclusive process.

We all have remaining concerns but were told we could not reopen the text. Mexico, for example, believes the language

on human rights should have been strengthened and are very disappointed that such demands were not heard, while others can still ask to water down their promises.”

There was a definite difference in attitude between the smaller versus the more powerful nations. Smaller nations felt that cutting corners in the climate pledge added to their vulnerable situation, as noted by Mexico’s foreign minister.

Money also emerged as a significant barrier. The UN climate fund is supposed to help poorer nations deal with

the fallout of the climate crisis, such as earthquakes, crop failures, and the devastation of human settlements.

NOW, FOR THE VERDICT

Environmental racism is an actual concept, where nations that haven’t contributed to climate damage might end up facing its worst brunt

The world is in a perilous state, and that is a fact we cannot avert our eyes from. With pollution, climate change, unpredictable weather, storms, thunder, earthquakes leading to effects like supply chain crisis, agriculture deficits, failing crops, and resource shortage, this was never a single point problem, not one that would affect only one race, one continent, one group of people. A collective problem needs a collective solution, especially as we are in the eleventh hour, with no one with the courage to say what must probably be said - it may just be too late.

If we don’t start now, there will be no doubt about the previous statement.

So as is our moral responsibility towards a planet that gave us everything, our most esteemed world leaders assembled again to assess the state of our pledges and the corrective action that is needed if we ever want to save the home we once called our home planet.

Mars is still a few light-years away, so we have to do with the planet we inherited, which gives all of us life. J 2 0 2 2 — J A N — ASPIRE

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PRO TALK

International Education Consultant

Carlos Alamilla

Your Education Guide:

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College Studies in the USA Picking a college has always been daunting, but now with COVID and blended learning, it feels like there are more questions than answers.

What if you had a guide to make this process smooth and easy?

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illions of students pin their hopes for a transformed future or a ladder to ascend the heights of success with a highly coveted degree from top institutions abroad. Unfortunately, every nation and every form of business has been forced into extended hiatus due to COVID, but perhaps nothing has been worse affected than that of foreign education. The USA is one such place, touted as the ‘land of opportunity’ to which students flock in huge numbers, boasting of the most reputed, highly accredited, premier institutions with the most renowned and highly accomplished alumni.

Overall, the USA has that highly sought-after blend of name recognition, brand, and quality of education, which promises the best experience any student could seek in their life.

Regardless of many classes shifting to online or blended learning, the process of applying to universities, seeking the right scholarships, and making an informed choice about the foundational aspect of a student’s career remains a crucial and sometimes an anxiety-ridden one.

So read through to see if your college applica-

tion checklist ticks off all the boxes.

Putting your best foot forward The admissions process is one of the most significant issues that confound young college hopefuls, i.e., international and native American students.

As a student, if planning for an international undergraduate degree, you must plan and prepare the US application process starting in your junior year, aka 11th grade, or as per your country’s typical education system (Please be in close contact with your guidance counselor to have the most updated information). It would be best to take as many AP (advanced placement) or HONOR classes to show the admissions officer that you can challenge yourself intellectually and academically and excel in these courses. This places you in a higher category of applicants and increases your chances of getting accepted into your preferred college.

Maintaining good grades consistently through your high school years, especially in your junior and senior years, is instrumental in setting a good foundation prefacing your

college phase. Achieve a minimum of 3.0 GPA out of a 4.0 GPA scale to secure your chances of acceptance into a good school. The higher ranked a school, the higher is their GPA cutoff, as well as other criteria to meet their admission standards. These are mostly ones with meager acceptance rates, which is also why you should have some mid-tier backup colleges so as not to put all your eggs in one basket. In addition, you must take the SAT/ACTs and TOEFL test to measure your English language proficiency; however, today, there are over 1600 US colleges and universities that waive off the requirement of SAT/ ACTs scores.

The same applies to graduate student applicants seeking their Master’s and Ph.D. degrees, emphasizing their Bachelors degree grades and post-work experience. As a result, thousands of US colleges are waiving their tests requirements.

Receiving the right financial aid The next most daunting task is the process of securing financial aid. Many scholarships are available for undergraduate and graduate international students, but you must apply early between August and January 1 of the school year. There are four types of scholarships: 1. Academic, solely defined by your academic achievements.

2. Academic and Economic, which factor in your economic background alongside your academic achievements.

3. Arts and Creative, based on your artistic abilities.

4. Sports, offered due to your proficiency at any sport.

The crème-de-la-crème of schools There are over 3,000 US colleges and universities that offer innumerable courses, specialties, and degrees. My advice would be to thoroughly research the major you want to pursue, then check out the different universities that offer it and apply to 10 colleges and universities.

The top 10 US colleges with international students: 1. Harvard University 2. Illinois Institute of Technology 3. Carnegie Mellon University 4. New York University 5. Stevens Institute of Technology 6. MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology 7. The New School New York 8. Northeastern University 9. Columbia University 10. USC-University of Southern California

Say hello to your college guide!

You’re probably wondering, what qualifies me to advise you towards the most actionable course towards getting into your dream college?

I have over 30 years of experience counseling and advising international and American students in the US college admissions process and scholarships across China, Hong Kong, and the UAE. Furthermore, I am the author of COLLEGE AVENUE - a credible, handy, dependable guide to entering the best US colleges with scholarships and the President of IDEAS FOREVER/COLLEGE AVENUE, a top college and education consulting company that has helped thousands of students reach their academic and personal goals. Having served as Director of the Norman Topping Scholarship Fund at USC-University of Southern California, where I received my BA degree, we are proud to have provided scholarships to thousands of minority students over 30 years and counting.

Our firm IDEAS FOREVER/ COLLEGE AVENUE has made great strides in this area and was recently exhibited at the NAJAH COLLEGE EXPO at the EXPO 2020, not to mention GITEX DUBAI 2021. Instead of jumping through multiple hoops, we now come powered with the most innovative and accessible mobile app to help International and American students gain scholarships into US colleges Today, there are over and universities. The app will be 1600 US colleges and in 4 languages: English, Arabic, universities that waive Chinese and Spanish. The COLoff the requirement of LEGE AVENUE mobile app entered the SUPERNOVA GITEX SAT/ACTs scores FUTURE STARS competition and was selected semi-finalist among 400 international companies. It will be available in Spring 2022.

Education is paramount. The college you choose has a profound impact on the course of your life. It is your legacy. Keep a clear head, and your priorities sorted as you weave through the process of selecting your alma mater, give it your very best and rest assured, the path that you embark on will be the one most suited for you, making you the master of your own destiny. ✪ CARLOS ALAMILLA CAN BE REACHED AT carlos@collegeavenue.club / www. collegeavenue.club 2 0 2 2 — J A N — ASPIRE

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Soul Healer and Feng Shui Consultant

Sreejith Nambron

PRO TALK

Feng Shui

Make Space For Luck A super quick crash course in feng shui tells you how to maximise your space to ensure good energy is working to your advantage

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eng Shui has endured its own case of Chinese whispers, with as many interpretations as there were sources.

Bringing back to center, Feng Shui is an ancient concept detailing the energetic interaction of humans with their environment. An inheritance from Chinese culture to the rest of the world, it has found newly minted believers in Western countries.

It is now a common occurrence in societies where people are increasingly seeking health, balanced prosperity, and peace of mind.

Feng shui is often incorrectly banded in with religious or superstitious beliefs, but this gentle practice of rerouting energy eventually bases itself on the principles of science. To understand the philosophy, it would be beneficial to dispel its mystical façade and think about Feng Shui in a logical or scientific way (especially if you are a skeptic), because at its core, the principle is rooted in physics more than anything else.

Understanding Feng Shui Feng Shui, pronounced as “Fung Shway”, is

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composed of two words - Feng meaning ‘Wind’ and Shui meaning ‘Water’. The wind stands for ‘opportunities’ while water is ‘wealth’.

Harnessing the power of the wind (opportunities) and water (wealth) through the delicate balance of Yin & Yang, the study of Feng Shui deals with the tapping of this energy and balancing and harmonizing it to bring one good health, better relationships, wealth, and prosperity. Feng Shui has many interpretations - Some Masters say it is the practice of natural science, others say it is about ‘correct placement’. But we all agree that Feng Shui is about creating a more conducive, healthy, and harmonious environment for living and working to enhance good health, prosperity, and abundance for the family.

The underlying principle of Feng Shui is to live in harmony with your environment so that the energies of the environment, time, and space surrounding you, work for you. Tapping and aligning with your living environment leads to positive changes, thereby enhancing career opportunities, prosperity, good health, romantic prospects, and luck.

The workings of Feng Shui Earth is a magnet, and so is our body. When we sleep in a particular direction, our body’s magnetic properties come into play, aligning or non-aligning with the magnetic earth.

Hence, if the alignment is positive, the person awakens fresh, happy, and healthy, whereas if the alignment is negative or lacking, the person wakes up with a headache, is stressed, and feels lost.

Feng Shui consultants ascertain the best direction of a person based on their date of birth and thus scientifically calculate the corresponding best direction of the house, to help align it systematically.

Imagine your luck divided into thirds, where each type of luck points to a different aspect, as follows: • Fate/Karma Luck or Heavenly luck 33.33% The luck or destiny we bring along with us when we are born.

• Human Luck or Effort luck - 33.33% The luck we earn based on our hard work and effort.

• Earth Luck or Feng Shui luck - 33.33% The luck we receive when we align with the principles of feng shui When we look at luck this way, fate luck comprises only one-third of the total luck, with the other one-third made up of luck that comes through hard work.

Thus, even if you are delivered to the earth with good karma and are hardworking, you still cannot reach your full potential.

This could be because the environmental energy around you and the surroundings where you are living does not serve as a pillar towards your success, money, health, spirituality, or relationships. This is one of the reasons most people are missing something in their life, leading to a following lacking/ manifestations.

• Money and health thrive, but relationship issues exist • Health and relationships progress but has money/career issues • Money and relationships achieve balance but has health issues

The four main directions By and large, there are four main directions in one’s life; • Wealth or career direction • Relationship direction • Health direction • Spiritual or wisdom direction

There are five main elements in Feng Shui that move in tandem, namely earth, wood, fire, metal, and water. Understanding their synergy is the essence of this presence, and one must balance these elements in a productive cycle, not a weakening or destructive cycle: When a person is born, they have four good and bad directions. The areas where they work or relax must be based on these good directions, including where to keep one’s bed, sofa, or table.

Piecing together for Peace and Well-being

The underlying principle of Feng Shui is to live in harmony with your environment so that the energies of the environment, time, and space surrounding you, work for you

Bed-room • Do not let the bed ‘float’ in the middle of the room. There must be a solid wall behind the bed. Otherwise, you will lack in career and relationship support.

• Do not let your feet point directly at the door, as this is the death position.

Home • The dining table and staircase should not be seen from the Main-door. This leads to unwanted expenditures and money loss. Hang bright light in between or place a screen or curtain in between.

• Do not have toilets above the main door – leads to wealth loss. Use Uplighters (light fittings that direct light output upwards) Office • Do not have windows behind the office chair. If so, hang a thick curtain on it and a mountain picture above it.

• Do not have bright lights behind. This can lead to backstabbing and/or you can leave your job easily.

Kitchen • The stove, sink, and refrigerator shouldn’t come in line. If so, place a wooden separation or plant in between.

• No mirrors in the kitchen. If placed may cause fire accidents.

Aligning the elements If we can recreate an atmosphere of a park or forest in your home by keeping all the elements like water (fountain), wood (plants/ trees), metals (minerals), fire (candles, light), and earth (stones, pebbles) at the right place, then we can create the same tranquillity and peace in our house, and that is the essence of Feng Shui. ✪ SREEJITH NAMBRON CAN BE REACHED AT srinambron@gmail.com 2 0 2 2 — J A N — ASPIRE

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Financial Freedom

Financial Freedom & Mindset Coach

Dipak Bhadra

PRO TALK

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GROW YOUR MONEYTREE

When everyone dreams of financial freedom, why does it seem the domain of a select few? When it comes to money, is it truly mind over matter?

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icture this - a money tree in your backyard. The money tree gives you passive income every day, week after week, month after month, year after year, decade after decade throughout your life. How would you feel? What are the images flashing across your mind-screen? Do you believe that this can happen to you?

Let’s rewind to something basic - define your financial freedom. What is your understanding of financial freedom? Why do you want it? What will your life look like when you are financially free? What are you doing today that will help you achieve financial freedom?

Your answers to these questions will reveal if you are capable of growing your own money tree. Let’s dive into this analogy in more detail by picturing an ordinary tree, perhaps maybe of a fruit you love. What does this tree need to flower and bloom?

1. The Seed 2. Fertile soil 3. The act of Nurturing the seed with water, fertilizer, and access to sunlight 4. Protect the seed/plant from the weeds, birds, other animals in the early growth stage Finally, you can reap the Harvest and enjoy the fruits.

By following these four steps, you will work in alignment & harmony with basic universal laws. The first law is the Law of Cause & Effect. The Tree is the effect, for which the Seed

is the Cause.

The same analogy plays out when you grow your money tree. Financial freedom is the Effect for which your dreams are the Cause.

Step-by-step, from dreams to reality 1. The Seed (Your Dream, Ideas, Thoughts, Desires): Your dream is the starting point for all the creations. Everything you see around you was and is somebody’s dream. Humans dreamt about the power of flight, mobile phones, complex computers, communicating over earth and space with radio and satellite, diminishing the distance with automobiles. Then, we conjured these dreams into our reality.

What is your dream? The dream is the seed. Unless you have a seed, the tree cannot come into existence.

How to Dream? Use your Imagination, your fantasy. This is one of the six mental gifts bestowed upon us by our creator. You either

use it in your favor, or it could work against you if left to spiral. Dreaming intentionally about what you want is the creative implementation of your Imagination.

Incessant worries about the future and feeding self-doubt are wielding your imagination against you.

2. The Soil: Now, with your seed (The dream) ready, the next step is to plant it in suitable soil. Dreams are planted and grow in your subconscious mind. Your subconscious is like a fertile farm of possibility. Whatever you plant in it - consciously or unconsciously in the form of your thoughts- will yield back in multiplication.

Dreams first need to be translated into ideas, thoughts, needs, wants, and a fierce desire.

Unless it reaches a state of actual desire, it will languish as a wish or a hope.

Your subconscious mind can’t differentiate between what is real & imagined. How well do you know your own subconscious mind?

Maybe very little, or not at all.

Ignorance about your own mind won’t get you far in your journey if you want to achieve exponential growth with permanent change.

3. Nurturing: Now, you have the seed (your dream) buried in your subconscious mind (fertile soil); the next step is nurturing the seed with Specialized knowledge, Awareness, Study, Understanding, Faith, Belief, Well-being, and finally, allowing it to grow.

Here, you will witness another law of the Universe in play - The Law of Gestation. As you have observed in nature, every seed has a gestation period. However, the human dream doesn’t have a dictated gestation period. It may manifest in a few days, weeks, months, years, or even decades. What you need to do is keep the Faith - based on understanding. If you keep nurturing the seed with doubt, keep opening the soil every day to check whether it is growing or not, you are actively hindering the seed from sprouting into a money tree.

Harboring the unshakeable powers of the universe will help you to stay on track irrespective of the temporary defeats.

4. Protecting your Money Tree from the Weeds: The last and most crucial step is protecting your seed/tree from the weeds around you. The weeds present themselves as unwanted information from various media,

GROW YOUR MONEY TREE

The Seed (Your Dream, Ideas, Thoughts, Desires)

 Dipak Bhadra is Certified Global Consultant with Bob Proctor

Plant it in the soil of your Sub-conscious mind to take shape

Have Faith and belief based on understanding

Protecting your Money Tree from the Weeds of unwanted information

The weeds present themselves as unwanted information from various media, newspapers, social media, friends, relatives with unwanted opinions, or even your own circumstances newspapers, social media, friends, relatives with unwanted opinions, or even your own circumstances. In addition, your own belief system about money also acts as a weed if it is in disharmony with your dream of financial freedom.

If you believe - “Money doesn’t grow on Trees”, you will inherently resist the growth of your Money tree. Likewise, if your belief system says - “Money is the root of all the evils”, your subconscious mind will tacitly reject to grow your tree.

To implement the above steps, use your five senses (See, Hear, Smell, Test & Touch) in alignment with your six mental gifts (Imagination, Will, Reasoning, Memory, Intuition & Perception). When you raise your awareness about these mental gifts, you will be attuned to their power and importance, thus only letting in the information that will serve you well. Develop your understanding of your mind, universal laws, the self-limiting beliefs holding you back, and the non-productive habits that need to be changed. You will watch how this understanding causes your life to bloom and grow, much like the money tree.

How well do you know these six mental gifts? If not much, take the first step to learn and develop these gifts. ✪ DIPAK CAN BE REACHED AT dipak@dipakbhadra.com 2 0 2 2 — J A N — ASPIRE

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Must-Have Life Skill:

PRO TALK

Rolling With The Punches

Speaker, Strategist, Goal-Catalyst

Sabeeh Ghugharia

For a life peppered with risk, adventure and lofty aspirations, this is the one quality that can lift you when success can’t

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A

s the famous quote goes: “Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”

Resilience is the ability to fail repeatedly and still stay steadfast on your goal. It is about dusting yourself off and getting back up on that horse. John Maxwell explains this succinctly in his famous growth law, “The Law of the Rubber Band”, where he says the rubber band is only useful when it is stretched and thus is out of its comfort zone, similar to what should happen to our lives in order to be successful, to hone the gifts and talents we have, and to lead a life of purpose and accomplishment.

Based on my interactions with numerous leaders, I have derived the most apt definition of resilience in the professional context - The ability to remain professional and focused on attaining results despite obstacles and setbacks.

Psychologists affirm that resilience is an innate human capacity and as such, exists in each and every human being. It can be manifested, learned, and developed in anyone.

All humans have the ability to develop the skills that will put them on the path to resilience.

On the other hand, several research studies show that when individuals are confronted with major life stressors, such as spousal loss, divorce, or unemployment, they are likely to show substantial declines in well-being, and these declines can linger for several years. In the face of adversity, resilience falters, with despair, regret, or even denial taking its place.

Like every other skill, the psychological muscle of resilience can be trained and strengthened. While we talk of professional goals, a practice of resilience simply means not to

be fazed by setbacks in any situation, mental, emotional, personal, or professional.

Cultivating all-round resilience Let us focus on how to develop and enhance our inherent gift of resilience. The following four domains are based on research of various individuals who demonstrated resilience during key events in their life, converting their failures into teachable moments.

On the physical aspect, these individuals keep themselves physically fit with an exercise routine, practicing flexibility with yoga or other modalities, having a fixed sleep pattern, and monitoring their diet. In addition, they keep tabs on physical wellness and use gentle guidance instead of hyper-controlling themselves to stay on track for these goals.

On the emotional aspect, these individuals are emotionally flexible and accommodating of unexpected situations and circumstances.

They maintain a positive outlook towards life and try to find diamonds in the dust, unearth-

Psychologists affirm that resilience is an innate human capacity and as such, exists in each and every human being ing opportunities when faced with adversity, spending “ME time” with themselves to check in with their inner voice, and acknowledging their emotions without judgment or shame.

We see the mind and the body as a tangible collection of cells and organs, but it’s harder to care about the upkeep of our spirit when we cannot perceive it. But in reality, the spiritual domain of resilience is far more important and often neglected. Individuals strong in the spiritual domain have their consciousness compass oriented towards their sense of purpose or the ‘WHY’ of their existence; they uphold their values and show a strong commitment to them, orienting their decisions according to their value system. At the same time, they are appreciative and cognizant that our differences make us human and are thus accepting and respectful of others’ values and beliefs. Given their flexibility and understanding of diversity, they generally develop deep connections with their peers and community.

The mental domain is very critical and one cannot be resilient if they lack this component.

Domains of Resilience Physical

* * * * *

Physical flexibility Endurance Sleep Excercise Diet

Emotional

* Emotional flexibility * Positive Outlook * Self-Regulation * Learning Spiritual

* Sense fo purpose, your why * Committment to values * Appreciation for others values and beliefs * Connection Mental

* * * *

Mental Agility Attention Span Ability to Focus Incorporate multiple points of view

You can sense that your mental resilience is lacking if opposing viewpoints offend you, or you are unwilling to learn new perspectives if it means you will be proven wrong. Mentally tenacious individuals are intellectually flexible, open to ideas, and do not take sides. Despite unpredictable events, they embrace change and find the best course to move forward. They have good attention spans and can stay focused on the outcomes rather than the roadblocks.

The domains of resilience aren’t separate factions but rather a connected cycle of expanses that make up the human existence.

If you are in the practice of building tenacity but aren’t at full potential yet, understand that leveling up gently even in one domain will give you the incentive to develop resistance on other fronts. Also, consistency in developing resistance to tough situations will yield far greater results than a burst of occasional sporadic intention.

Motivated to find your inner resilience?

You can use the below tool to check how you are doing in terms of Resilience Practice: Give yourself 1 point for each practice from the below you can answer YES to 1. You have a good belly laugh at least once a week 2. You make sure you have “ME” time for at least 2 hours every week 3. You make time (at least 20 minutes) for quiet prayer / contemplation / reflection / journaling / meditation at least 3 times per week 4. You seek and receive developmental feedback at work at least 2-3 times a year, and you act on it 5. You feel you have a friend at work who you can trust / talk to 6. You feel that you are able to bring your best self / use your strengths at work most days 7. You generally have a habit of finding the positives in a potentially negative situation (diamonds in the dust) 8. You regularly reflect on the things you are grateful for 9. You are able to set boundaries around work and family, and me-time 10. You exercise at least 3 x per week for 2030 minutes 11. You get 7-8 hours sleep on most nights ✪ SABEEH CAN BE REACHED AT drsab.isin@gmail.com 2 0 2 2 — J A N U A R Y — ASPIRE

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COMMUNITY SERVICE

O

n December 17, the UAE mourned the loss of a precious pillar in the Emirati society, Majid Al Futtaima man who spent his life in the service of his nation and community.

He was not only a forward-thinking businessman investor but also generated lakhs of hundreds of direct and indirect jobs across the UAE, Africa, and Asia, rejuvenating whole communities with his unique and many shopping malls, retail, and leisure offerings. A groundbreaking UAE leader and a pioneer in charitable and humanitarian work, no wonder many refer to him as the ‘Treasure of the UAE’.

Building an empire from ground-up Starting from humble beginnings, working as a bank clerk, the inspiring entrepreneur worked tirelessly towards turning his purpose and vision of “creating moments for everyone, every day” and turning it into reality.

He went on to establish the Majid Al Futtaim group in 1992 and soon built his empire to become the third wealthiest businessman. With over $4.2 billion personal net wealth, his group today runs over 300 Carrefour stores across three continents, managing 29 malls and 13 hotels. The company announced $8.9 billion in group revenue in 2020. The enterprising leader brought to life the first mega-mall in the Middle East- the Deira City Center Mall, brought skiing to Dubai, and with all of it brought a world of leisure and entertainment delights to the UAE.

A pioneer of sustainability One of his noteworthy contributions is that he led the region’s first and most ambitious green corporate agenda. And that was almost a decade before

The

Empire Builder

In praise of his legacy and contributions, Misbaah Mansuri pays a tribute to the institution that was the visionary, Majid Al Futtaim sustainability became fashionable. The leader inspired his team to work towards sustainability and climate action and made them part of his corporate agenda, and invested heavily in green facilities and operations, catapulting his company into the pioneer in the region to dedicate to the goal of net-zero and the first in the world to launch the Green Sukuk Benchmark.

From reducing ecological footprint through energy efficiency to replacing plastic bags with eco-bags to reducing

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waste, Majid Al Futtaim ensured that his companies like Carrefour actually walk the talk when it comes to sustainability through a number of initiatives.

Champion of change and good It was heartening to see how the empowering entrepreneur supported social welfare through a series of community initiatives.

His teams worked towards increasing awareness towards

A groundbreaking UAE leader and a pioneer in charitable and humanitarian work, no wonder many refer to him as the ‘Treasure of the UAE’

underprivileged children amongst customers, asking them if they’re willing to donate for a noble cause. His objective was to provide great moments for children in need during festive seasons, which transcended in the work that he and his company weaved.

Another important initiative by the businessman was his contributions towards supporting the workforce in the UAE and initiatives focused on improving their health and safety standards. The internal initiative ranged from distributing care packages with everyday essentials from Carrefour to health checks for blood pressure and general medical consultation for all members of staff.

Natural Disaster Response was yet another instrumental campaign that was conducted during the wake of the devastating earthquakes in Nepal. To cater to the unfortunate series of events that occurred, within days of the earthquake, Carrefour launched a donation drive in partnership with Emirates Red Crescent to support the victims in Nepal by dedicating shelf stands with a range of specially selected products, including long-lasting and high energy foods, hygiene products and shelter blankets sold at heavily discounted price pricing for customers to participate in the disaster response assistance.

Health and well-being were always at the heart of the initiatives that Majid Al Futtaim pioneered. A case in point has to be the month-long initiative launched to raise awareness on cardiovascular health with a special focus on women wherein a Regional Health Awareness platform was conceptualized in partnership with the UAE Ministry of Health in

14 malls across five countries.

All shopping malls allocated areas to host medical professionals who administered complimentary testing and conducted checkups to raise awareness of cardiovascular health.

At each of these designated locations, visitors could check their body mass index to determine if they are at risk for heart disease. In addition, the initiative allowed people to delve over if they should follow up with more extensive examination, encouraging the focus on giving back and enabling visitors to contribute to society collectively.

Spreading smiles and love The benevolent changemaker’s contribution towards children was particularly memorable. It was reassuring to look at how Majid Al Futtaim partnered with the Marwa Fayed Toy Run, a charity organization that collects and donates toys in Egypt and around the world and Hamleys, with an aim to donate over 10,000 toys to the underprivileged community.

Furthermore, time and again, the visionary showcased his role as a responsible member of the community through partnerships with House of Cocoa, Mall of Egypt, and City Center Almaza. As a part of this, a designated booth was present exclusively at each mall’s center court, where for every purchase made at the stand, 20% of the proceeds were donated to ‘Save A Human’, a charity organization that provides the homeless with essential shelter and care. To spread its wings, his company also opened CSR-driven initiatives and donations to the public allowing mall visitors to participate, contribute and donate through the month of Ramadan and be the change-makers in transforming lives.

Spreading joy for all seemed central to the ethos of the humanitarian leader. His notable contributions that still live on and the memories he brought to people’s lives, working towards the well-being of the society, will be engraved in the hearts and minds of generations to come. ✪ 2 0 2 2 — J A N — ASPIRE

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M

usic blows throughout the city of Salzburg, Austria, around the year like a breath of fresh air. You can sense this unique flair around you as the city gears up for their premier musical celebration at the world-leading Mozart festival, set to take classical music to a whole new level. World-renowned orchestras, conductors, and soloists flock to the world’s music capital to re-live the music and splendor of Mozart, drawing the attention of artists and audiences from around the world like a moth to a flame in wintry Salzburg.

Salzburg has its embedded place in art and

tourism immortalized as the home to the greatest musical genius, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The city celebrates the maestro’s birthday with an internationally acclaimed concert series every year, clinging to its old-world charm in changing times.

This year, the Mozart Week winter festival will run from 27th January to 6th February. The marvelous music fiesta belies its own moniker, for “Mozart week” that lasts ten grand days. When you visit, you will witness around 60 events from opera concerts, chamber music, recitals, films, to puppet theatre at a total of ten venues, with the Great Hall of

Beyond Business / tr avel

The Sound of Music From the VonTrapps to the Vienna Choir Boys to the genius of Mozart, Austria has a long history of musical talent.

CLARIDA SHARON walks you through the beauty of Salzburg in this country that has given us some of our best-loved compositions

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the Mozarteum Foundation taking the spotlight. In addition, world-renowned artists Sir Andras Schiff, Daniel Barenboim, and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra will be seen performing where you can hear the music of the violin or the piano that Mozart himself played being brought back to life during selected performances.

Apart from the phonetic smorgasbord of concerts and events, the event also promises to be a worldly and intellectual affair as the world’s best Mozart interpreters are invited as guests who portray the whole range of Mozart’s work, presenting the most varied

perspectives. With the motto “Mozart pur”, which they leave no stone unturned in living up to, for it means ‘Pure Mozart’, the 2022 Mozart Week festival will be dedicated to Mozart’s work with string instruments.

For your convenience, events are categorized under banners such as but not limited to ‘Chamber Music’, with mesmerizing string quartet performance groups, ‘Performance’ with dance and mime offerings, and one simply entitled ‘Others’, with a Mexican bingo-like game called ‘Loteria’ based entirely on Mozart’s life.

With a new musical focus set each year, the Mozarteum Foundation has been diligent in organizing

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Mozart are apparent, this city at the foot of the Alps has so much more to offer in terms of fun attractions and historical sites, and a visit is totally worth it for those who have always shied away from classical music!

So, what can you do in Austria’s little musical town after Mozart’s compositions have serenaded you? Well, where do we even begin? the Mozart Week since 1956 that has stood for the most diverse interpretations of Mozart’s classics.

As you experience some of the best Mozart classics, don’t miss retracing Mozart’s footsteps.

Walk through “Mozart Residence”, his stately abode in Makartplatz Square, which is now a museum shedding light on the man and artist from many different perspectives. As you stroll through the middle-class apartment which was reconstructed to its best original resemblance after it was destroyed in World War II, you’ll discover items of daily life from the 18th century, including Mozart’s very own violin and clavichord that will personally take you back in time.

Apart from Mozart’s legacy, Salzburg is also one of Europe’s most beautiful cities and is famously known for both its magnificent sights and architecture that draws tourists. This romantic city with a rich musical heritage had several of its sites serve as the backdrop for the historic Oscar-award-winning film The Sound of Music.

These remain crowd-favorites no matter the time of year in Salzburg. While you’re in Salzburg, where the influence and fame of

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Tour the city on Bikes As the city is littered with Mozart and The Sound of Music locations around town, you can tour along the paved bike paths in and around town. This picturesque city is a compact neighborhood of narrow medieval streets, opening into sprawling town squares. That makes for a mode of transport that’s both playful and eco-friendly, the humble bicycle. Within

 Mozart Residence  St. Peter’s Abbey  Getreidegasse

This romantic city with a rich musical heritage had several of its sites serve as the backdrop for the historic Oscar-award-winning film The Sound of Music a short distance of the town, you can follow the path along Salzburg’s River to relax, bike to Alpine peaks, and the beautiful village Berchtesgaden. Bikes are easily accessible and we’re certain your hotel’s concierge will help you obtain one.

Horse-Drawn Sleigh Ride and Go Hiking Glide through the snow-covered

fairytale winter landscape in a horse-drawn sleigh. The picturesque land is magical as you pass snow-powdered mountains, charming villages, and lakes so beautiful that you might just fall in love. After your ride through the crisp winter air, stop at a traditional bar for a warm drink and a cozy chat. Also, there is nothing more exhilarating than going for a walk in the winter wonderland as it is a great way to enjoy nature. The stress will leave dissipate in the chilly air as you take languid strolls through the enchanting winter paradise.

You’ll also come across many pubs and cafés along the hiking routes that provide warm spaces to rest your weary feet. Explore the city’s own local mountains, including the Untersberg and Gaisberg, and also enjoy an array of fantastic icy sculptures.

Shop in Salzburg’s oldest alleys - Getreidegasse The city’s colorful main attraction, Getreidegasse, is a shopping street that draws visitors with old wrought-iron signs that advertise the bevy of lovely designs sold inside. What once

was a trade center since Roman times now bustles with tourist activity. The tall, narrow, and crowded buildings against the backdrop of a majestic wall of mountains date mainly from the 15th to 18th century, with the architecture still as alive and enchanting as it was in the days of Mozart’s live performances. With a broad range of modern and traditional stores, a wide selection of international fashion chains, perfume shops, trendy accessories, antiquities, cafes, and restaurants, and much more to pick from, Getreidegasse is the go-to place for shopping lovers to splurge to their heart’s content while at Salzburg.

Explore the historical treasures and famous artworks Salzburg has been on UNESCO’s World Heritage List since 1997 and has possibly the best-preserved old town center. These are sure to be on your itinerary.

Fortress Hohensalzburg: The city is dominated by the picturesque Hohensalzburg Fortress on the southeastern summit of the Mönchsberg – the biggest fully preserved castle in Central Europe. The original castle was built in 1077

# Museum der Moderne  Untersberg Salzburg  Salzburg’s River

which offers a 360-degree view of the city and its surroundings.

Easily a 20-minute walk from the Old Town center, you’ll pass through impressive arched defensive gateways that continue through the Horse Gate into the Haupthof. The famous Salzburg Bull (Salzburger Stier), a wheel-driven barrel musical organ from 1502, still continues

to play every day and echoes the carillon in the Neugebäude.

St. Peter’s Abbey: Considered one of the oldest monasteries with a continuous history since its foundation in 696, the Benedictine Abbey of St. Peter is one of the greatest places to visit.

With one of the first of its kind in Europe – a tall onion-shaped tower, this impressive building remains a testament to the order’s architectural skills. In addition, you’ll be intrigued to find the early Christian catacombs and St. Maximus’ Chapel hewn

from solid rock.

Hellbrunn Palace : Hellbrunn Palace, for more than 400 years, has enchanted and amazed its visitors with its trick water features and fountains. You’ll be amazed at the visit to the gardens and parks of Hellbrunn Palace, partly landscaped, partly natural biotope. Most notably, the site of the gazebo and grand alley of trees were used in filming The Sound of Music. If you are looking forward to a relaxing day, they are a marvelous place to unwind as you will immediately be drawn to the big adventure playground if you don’t mind getting a little drenched.

Museum of Modern Art: High above the rooftops of Salzburg’s Old City, on the Mönchsberg, is located the Museum der Moderne where internationally acclaimed modern and contemporary art pieces are displayed that include works by a range of artists from the 20th and 21st centuries. The special architectural features include the glassed-in staircases with a view of the 19th-century water tower and an exterior clad in local marble from the Untersberg.

This unique, rare exhibition space set in this culturally significant city will never fail to excite you.

Radiating its own unique charm, Salzburg has the best of both worlds! First, and most importantly, it can surely be your best vacation pick as the countless temptations of New Year approaches. The magic of Mozart and its inherently beautiful landscape make Salzburg a complete artwork in its own, that once immersed in, can never be escaped. ✪ 2 0 2 2 — J A N — ASPIRE

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A D V E R T O R I A L

THE CHOICE IS CLEAR… THE WATER IS BLACK!

I

f you own a car, you know that no matter how new or high-end the car is if you don’t change the oil every 4-6 months, the car won’t be able to perform at its best. In the same way, the unhealthy food we’ve ingested and the habits we’ve built that are detrimental to our health, prohibit our body from functioning at its best. And so, even our body needs an “oil change” or detoxification now and then, and the Black MP Living powder provides exactly that.

A single serving of the powder contains 12.5 billion units of soil-based probiotics which helps the gut function properly and supports the gut’s immune health. We can only digest nutrients, vitamins, and minerals from food if our gut flora is healthy. The powder also turns the water alkaline, neutralizing the acid in the bloodstream. Studies show that proper nutrition with mineral supplements can help increase energy levels, muscle development, and overall good health.

The Miracle Workers

The state-of-the-art beverage infused with essential minerals, electrolytes, and probiotics, turns your water alkaline with a pH of 10. A small scoop of the powder added to your drinking water contains humic minerals, fulvic minerals and 77+ other trace minerals and has no artificial flavours, colours, sweeteners, preservatives, or chemicals. It is also completely vegan.

Known as the powerhouse of minerals, Humic Minerals protect the body’s cells from toxins entering the system, accelerate healing processes, and disrupt oxidative stress. They remove toxins in the gut before they ever enter the cells which improves the immune system’s

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ability to function. Humic minerals essentially work outside the cells by staving off viruses from binding to the outside of the cell, reducing inflammation, fighting malignant cell growth and reversing many serious diseases.

One of the most powerful detoxification agents, these minerals go to work in the stomach processing food and attacking foreign invaders and toxins, which aids the immune system, improving its performance against allergens, germs, bacteria and other hazards.

Fulvic minerals help the body by addressing imbalances, metabolizing nutrients, replenishing the electrical potential of cells, and reinstating proper function to vital components. Unlike the Humic Minerals, these do most of their work inside the cells making the cell

body fluids that have an electric charge and influence how your body functions in a variety of ways. Every time we sweat, we lose electrolytes and regular water does not contain these electrolytes. To replace them and re-hydrate, one must drink liquids that contain these electrolytes.

Additionally, Alkaline Water is said to counteract free radicals, cleanse the organs and lessen susceptibility to common cases of flu while also rejuvenating the skin, aiding weight loss and lubricating muscles and joints.

The New Living Healing Water

membranes more permeable, helping transport a higher amount of nutrients into the depth of the cells. Also aiding the body in building a strong immune system, these minerals attach to any foreign agent or toxin, transforming it into useful substances or removing it from the body.

The good live bacteria that naturally exist in your body, Probiotics, help maintain a healthy balance in the body. It keeps your body neutral by fighting off bad bacteria and keeps you healthy by supporting your immune function and controlling inflammation. Benefits of Probiotics include improvement in digestion, energy, muscle development, immune system function etc.

Electrolytes are minerals in your blood and other

This powder lives up to its claims of being “the missing link”. Think of your body as a sponge. When you pour water, it goes to the holes in the sponge, filling it up. That is exactly what Black MP Water does to your body. It heals you from inside, by working on the “holes” in the body that even you aren’t aware of. And when your body heals from the inside, the results are obvious on the outside.

The liquid nearly black in appearance, as the name suggests, is tasteless and odourless. To make this live water is child’s play.

One single scoop in 500 ml of water is all it takes. For optimal results, a litre a day is the required intake. However, since the water is most potent within the first 12 hours, it is recommended to make the water in batches of 500 ml.

Originally made for athletes to constantly perform at their best, the benefits of the water made it an obvious choice among non-athletes as well. From acne to diabetes, testimonials from users have shown a drastic improvement in their health conditions. Many say that their insomnia has been cured and that they “sleep like a baby.”

“I suffer from headaches and migraines every day and need to pop in 3-6 ibuprofen every day for the pain,” said one user. “I received a sample pack [of Black MP] and as soon as a migraine was coming, I immediately tried my sample and in 5 minutes I couldn’t believe my migraine was gone! No pain pills, just black living healing water!”

The choice is clear… the water is Black!

For further informationContact: +971 585977078 2 0 2 2 — J A N — ASPIRE

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Beyond Business / health

The ‘Herb’ivore’s guide Are there magical healing herbs that could heal everything, from reducing stress to boosting your immunity?

Pallavi Biju researches these notable herbs and the claims surrounding them

W

hen on the course of wellness, there is far more value to be unearthed in the lanes of Ayurveda and homeopathy, even if they seem to need a leap of faith in the beginning, opting over allopathic treatments. Adaptogens are one such gentle remedy that looks to help without hurting or jolting your body with side effects.

While the term may seem unfamiliar, you’ve probably encountered adaptogens in the grocery store, around your house, or somewhere in the ingredient list of your health supplements. Regardless of where you find them, please take a closer look, for their supposed benefits range from curing migraine to fighting cancer.

‘Adapt’ to a New Normal

Adaptogens are a very small category of herbs that boost one’s resistance and tolerance to emotional and physical stress, thus maintaining homeostasis.

Simply put, they help the body “adapt” to external

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stressors. Picture them as a thermostat for your body, turning up the energy when you’re feeling depleted and helping you relax when you’re restless. Usually consumed as supplements or teas, adaptogens can help stabilize mood, improve performance, focus and vitality.

These magical herbs are far from a modern health fad, for they have been a fixture of Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine for ages and have found utility in Europe as early as World War II. However, their resurgence can be attributed to a clamoring need for immunity-boosting substances. With increased research going into the validity of adaptogens’ miraculous effects, it has been found that several preparations that use adaptogens as key ingredients do offer tangible benefits.

The Big Nine

Although most adaptogens command great clout as potent healers, only about 15 of them have revealed benefits under exploratory research. Out of these 15, here are 9 that could be instrumental in turning your health profile around.

Panax Ginseng, also known as Asian Ginseng, is a well-known adaptogen touted by many to be the most potent. In addition, scientists have concluded that it “possesses significant anti-stress properties and can be used to treat stress-induced disorders.”

Holy Basil, or Tulsi in common parlance, found

rampant in Indian kitchens, has been used for years in Ayurvedic and at-home treatments and is known for its anti-aging properties.

Ashwagandha’s effects on stress tolerance, internal stress responses, and cortisol are well-documented.

Known as Indian ginseng in common parlance, it was found that Ashwagandha “safely and effectively improves an individual’s resistance towards stress and thereby improves self-assessed quality of life.”

Commonly used in Chinese medicine, Astragalus Root is another attacker on stress in the body, as well as improves immunity. In addition, it lowers blood glucose levels and reduces lipids, inhibits fibrosis, and kills microbes.

Known to increase endurance and energy, Liquorice Root also helps promote gut health and helps in regulating hormone levels associated with stress.

Known as Golden Root, Rhodiola has been found to act as a mild stressor, increasing the organism’s stress defenses. Additionally, it functions as an antioxidant.

A fungus with antioxidant properties, Cordyceps Mushrooms are adaptogens in the classic sense, along with the added benefits of anti-tumor and immunity-boosting properties.

The Magnolia Berry has been utilized in traditional Chinese medicine for years and is known for its healing properties, not limited to increasing endurance and mental performance.

One of the most common culinary spices, Turmeric’s benefits cannot be captured under the specific scope of adaptogens alone. It is a natural remedy for reducing inflammation and increasing brain function.

The Modus Operandi

How do adaptogens cause their miracle healing?

These herbs are said to link with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal, or the HPA axis, crucial to several of our body’s core functions, such as homeostasis, energy metabolism, and stress responses. When adaptogens are consumed, their organic properties and compounds interact with this complicated highway to achieve balance in our system. They can help adjust hormone production and physiological responses to ensure the optimal function of one’s body.

Research also suggests that adaptogens could positively influence the immune-neuro-endocrine system, responsible for the body’s energy regulation and immunity. Although research is still ongoing about adaptogens, it is safe to say that adaptogens are to your adrenal glands as exercise is to your muscles.

The Power of Good

Often referred to as “super herbs”, adaptogens are

said to help fill the gaps left by Western medical practices. These plant substances are backed by thousands of years of historical uses and increasingly edifying scientifical studies. More than a quick fix, adaptogens help our body's internal systems build long-term resilience and immunity against a plethora of illnesses.

More than a quick fix, adaptogens help our body’s internal systems build long-term resilience and immunity against a plethora of illnesses

Ashwagandha

Astragalus Root

Basil

Ginseng

Liquorice Root

When stress is profuse or prolonged, it causes a domino effect of other disorders, to the point of drastically reducing life expectancy. By helping the body deal with external physical, chemical or biological stressors, alternative practitioners have recommended adaptogens to improve attention, lower stress-induced disorders and impairments, and keep cortisol (stress hormone) levels in check.

When used with other treatments and medications, adaptogens are highly beneficial to promote general well-being, cardiovascular health, and specific neurological disorders that appear as we age. These herbs are also helpful in increasing endurance in stressful situations, balancing hormone levels, stimulating mental performance as well as increasing physical stamina, improving the functions of certain organs and those of bodily systems.

A Promise of Natural Goodness

With all these benefits and more, adaptogens are slowly but surely moving from the peripheral goodness section to the snack aisles. In 2020, PepsiCo launched Driftwell, a water beverage that claims to help relax and unwind stress. It boasts the kye ingredient L-theanine, an amino acid known for its relaxing properties. In May 2021, PepsiCo also launched Soulboost, a sparkling-water beverage, in two flavors, ' Lift' and 'Ease'. While 'Ease' contains L-theanine just like Driftwell, 'Lift' features 200mg Panax Ginseng which the brand claims help support mental stamina. Apart from PepsiCo, the multinational confectionery brand, Mondelez, introduced Millie Gram, a line of nut butters made out of mushrooms that promotes “well-being and longevity.”

With corporations incorporating adaptogens in their creations, there is no doubt that they are going to feature as the “it thing” in health and lifestyle.

It might be just about time for you to bid adieu to stress, all with the offerings of bountiful nature, with the sprinkling of these humble herbs. ✪

2 0 2 2 — J A N — ASPIRE

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eyond B Business / auto

Design

The exterior • Designed to impress from all angles in a style of its own, the new 2 Series Coupe blends classic concepts with brand-new elements, lending it a strong profile.

Its lightweight body is designed to be up to 40% more rigid, durable, and safer than before.

• Decorated with the added accentuation of triangular elements and newly designed headlights, it still sports the BMW coupe hallmarks of a low, wide front stance and shark nose.

• Its wide track is emphasized with muscular proportions in the rear and new taillight designs for an added appearance of power.

The front-end flashes headlights in BMW 02 iconic style but adorned with BMW’s newly-designed kidney grille.

• The new 2 Coupe is decked with a refined steering and stiffened chassis for split-second responsiveness.

Bigger & Powerful

Where sport meets class. Clarida Sharon takes a look at the new frontier in driving design

Tech & Infotainment • A state-of-the-art Digital

Cabin style and interiors • The sharp triangular theme of the exterior carries over to the inside, offering passengers trapezoidal accents above the armrests in the doors and the sports steering wheel that is finished in either Alcantara or Vernasca leather.

• The higher trim also adds interior ambient lighting, comfort access keyless entry, a two-way power moonroof, and a power sports front seat.

• Comfort with sportiness is a rare find, but the large adjustable seats and backrest parceled with adjustable thigh support are a

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sporty-yet-comfy combination for both the driver and front-seat passengers. It is also easier to access the back seat as the front seats automatically slide out of the way.

Instrument Cluster and an equally capable Central Information Display pair nicely to make connecting to your BMW a breeze, more intuitive with the BMW Live Cockpit Professional, providing an artfully equipped driver’s ecosystem.

• What’s more, you don’t have to worry about manual upgrades with the Intelligent Personal Assistant and iDrive 7.0 Operating System, which take care of over-the-air updates for all the car tech, including the Android Auto/ Apple Carplay, thus crossing this tedious task off your checklist.

Safety

• The new 2 Series Coupe's suite

of standard driving assistance comes packed with features including frontal collision warning, active blind-spot detection, lane departure warning, and rear cross-traffic alert, allowing you to focus on the road while the vehicle focuses on safety.

X-factor

• Craving a shocking new

Efficiency and Mechanics Engine • Propelling the BMW 2 Series to power, its TwinPower Turbo engine technology offers an awe-inspiring force with up to 382 hp in the M240i xDrive model, going from 0 to 60 mph in a blink-andits-gone snap of only 4.1 seconds.

• To ensure smooth transitions on the road when driving, the Coupe models are equipped with the 8-Speed Sport Automatic Transmission.

aesthetic? The new BMW 2 Series Coupe has two doors instead of four, complementing a longer bonnet and a curvier roofline. It is perfectly crouched with even lower ground clearance and dips 3cm lower than the old model, with its wheels set wider apart than previous editions.

• The chassis is also 12% stiffer, adding to the tautness of its suspension, and the bonnet and front wings are made from aluminum to diminish weight.

Hopes are pinned on this design to reduce body roll and make the new car feel more planted when taking fast corners.

Performance • The 2 Series Coupe demonstrates an impressive responsiveness with its improved steering and a performance-oriented rear-wheel-drive system, especially in the 230i model, augmented by its wider stance, a stiffer chassis, and a near-perfect 50/50 weight distribution.

• Its performance is also enhanced with cutting-edge features like M Sport Brakes, M Differential compensating for differing wheel rotations, Aerodynamic Kit, and M-specific wheel designs, bringing your driving experience into top gear.

Near Misses

The car’s overall space composition has grown, but one can experience a tighter squeeze in the rear seats with the legroom shrinking by 0.8 inches, making it a snug fit and harder to climb into.

Price point

• The new 2-Series ranges

with an MSRP starting from $36,350 - $48,550 (AED 133,512 to AED 178, 323)

When does it launch?

• Brace yourself as the BMW 2

Series Coupé is set to launch at the beginning of 2022. J 2 0 2 2 — J A N — ASPIRE

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Beyond Business / st yle

SUIT YO URSE L F!

Wearing the ubiquitous Business Suit to suit your role and style need not be dull and drab affair.

Ayaat Attar shows us how to blend it all, flushing with confidence in our renewed work lives

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T 1

he Business Suit is more than an outfit, it is a reminder of the roles we play in our ‘outside’ lives – our workplace persona which is distinguished from our domestic lives. It’s not like you can’t be productive in a pair of jeans or your comfiest T-shirt, but let’s face it, nothing says ‘business’ more than a tailor-made suit!

The workplace is a ship, and when everyone plays their role to perfection, the ship not only stays afloat, but also keeps moving forward. And the roles that help achieve these – the ‘Presenter’, the ‘Executor’ and the ‘Risk Taker’ - all adorn the classic suit in a way that lets their persona shine, so we fashionmongers at ASPIRE can’t wait to put these personalities in focus that make you furrow your brow and solemnly agree - “That is totally me.”

THE PRESENTER

Presenters are often the ones with all eyes on them, naturally perceived as leaders, finding themselves at the forefront of gatherings or addressing a crowd. Drawing attention with their captivating personas wherever they go, they have people hanging on to their indubitably witty words. Thus, it is imperative that they look the part, impressing not just with their words and ideas but also with their presentation, each time.

Don’t be fooled – this is not about flash or empty aesthetics. Being a presenter is about owning the room, about confidence, and about exuding it with what you are wearing. Even the humblest of presenters know what they offer and aren’t hesitant to dress that way.

PRESENT YOURSELF BY Under the reign of the ‘ruler’ (measure) The tie bar should not be wider than the tie The tip of your tie must be just at the belt buckle A decent suit jacket needs to fit just right at the shoulders.

It must start at your neck and end just a little below your hip bone.

Whether wearing a single or double-buttoned jacket, be mindful of the way it accentuates your body. For a single-breasted jacket, note that the buttons close without any strain, giving a dapper, sophisticated fit without wrinkles or stretching.

Alternately, for a double or three-buttoned suit, keep the last button open. This avoids a taut 'X' shape (super unflattering) and makes the jacket fit better.

You can be sure that with this clean-cut, dapper look, your ideas are going to be the talking point at your next meeting.

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Beyond Business / st yle

2

THE EXECUTOR

The ‘Executor’ is a proud worker bee: grinding away behind the scenes and often unencumbered with hogging credit, more determined to deliver a job well done. For Executors, good simply isn’t ‘good enough’, needing far more to be thorough, maybe even faultless.

Their work and their ethic often set precedence, with others clamoring to emulate them.

If you’re an executor, follow these tips for a no-nonsense yet aesthetic appeal that won’t take long to put together, leaving ample time to work passionately on your many projects -

EXECUTE WITH EASE – When wearing suspenders, do away with the belt. It can create a distracting appearance.

Suiting connoisseurs insist that the color of the belt must tally with that of your shoes. Follow the rule to maintain a coherence, preventing clashes and rounding off your look

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Jump in, feet first, in style.

The following combos are a handy guide when matching suits and shoes!

– Black Suit – Black shoes –N avy Suit – Black, brown or burgundy shoes –D ark Grey Suit – Black or burgundy shoes – L ight Grey Suit – Brown, black or burgundy –C ream/Beige Suit – Light brown or white shoes

3

THE RISK TAKER

They say, you can break the rules only once you know them. Risk takers make up this rare breed – a clutch of investors, founders, marketers and other savvy individuals obsessed with ideas, spark and relentless innovation.

Subverting expectation on every front, why should their suiting choices fall into convention? If you fancy yourself a trendsetter in every way, go through our checklist to see how you can make these tips your own.

STYLE WITH A TWIST BY – Is it always fun to match, or could you actually blend and mismatch to reinvent style itself? A casual tee or even a long sleeved one suitably paired with a suit exudes effortless elegance.

Add a pocket square or a sporty watch for a little flair, and you can round out the look with loafers for the ultimate chic look.

Corporate suits are usually plain and devoid of prints, with the exception of the occasional checkered pattern. You can break this rule and show up to that high profile gathering dressed in an edgy print, and you can be sure you’ll stand out in a sea of sensible suits!

The classic suit is decreed to be plain and monochrome with shades of blue, grey and black. A study, however,

reveals that extroverts are drawn to warm colors like red, yellow, orange and green. Engage your inner personality and defy the suit color palette by wearing a suit of one of the primary hues, and do not be shy to make that fashion statement!

Walking the fine line of the corporate style and defiant trendsetting, you could be the veritable Harry Styles of your workplace!

Fashion evolves, just as people do. As you embrace your varied roles in the workplace, don’t hesitate to mix it up and dress the way you feel, and you will that the variety invigorates you. After all, coming back to the good old suit and tie is a lot more amenable when you can put your own spin to it! J 2 0 2 2 — J A N — ASPIRE

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Beyond Business / a spire+ An entrepreneur needs to know a lot. Way more than the business idea he or she is growing. Aspire brings you a range of knowledge each month that will keep you in the loop and have you effortlessly conversing with everyone, from your local grocery store owner to your investor to your bank manager. Success is not what you do, it is how you do it, and this is how…

WATCH it

Man’s Best Friend From the time we started to tame wolves for our protection and pleasure, and wolves realized that humans could provide food and cuddles, the relationship between man and dog has been immortalized in books, movies, and art. Does anyone know the story of HMV records… look it up. If you’re a fan of furry, four-legged canines, this is a mustwatch documentary for you. Dogs n Us is a heartwarming bit of filming that tells of the extraordinary bond between man (and woman) and his (and her) best friend. From stories of shelter dogs saving their humans to guide dogs to sniffer dogs, this remarkable film will turn anyone into a dog lover.

Unsurprisingly, the film by DW Documentary has had over 2.8 million views on YouTube in a month.

A great stress buster, beautifully narrated, suitable for families, and for kicking back over a welldeserved weekend, this documentary will leave you feeling all kinds of warm and fuzzy and help you start the work week feeling like the world is a pretty good place to be. https://youtu.be/q1adV0O7JmA

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The Answer to All Your Questions

READ it

Dogs n Us

Only Love is Real

As we muddle through the business of life, we can get so lost in the details. Our joys, fears, sorrows, wins, and losses consume us, and sometimes the journey can seem endless and pointless. But a few men and women have figured out things that the rest of us mortals have not. Dr. Brian Weiss is a well-known cult figure who in his capacity as a man of science has explored the concept of life after death and beyond with thousands of individuals while they were under hypnosis. His observations and discoveries of man’s life beyond the conscious world are profoundly life-altering.

Available on Amazon, his book, Only Love is Real, is a collection of the recordings and interviews he had with several subjects exploring the intricate rhythm beyond the living world. The meaning and purpose of our existence is examined thoroughly and poignantly to arrive at the answer as told in the title of the book.

Whatever your business, whatever your goals, this is one book everyone should read. If nothing else, it’s a great conversational ice breaker, be it got business or pleasure.

DO it

Fitness 4 Life

Make Fitness a Lifestyle Fitness 4 Life, as the moniker goes, is a service provided to those who believe in physical and mental fitness as an integral part of life. The concept emphasizes fitness as a lifestyle rather than merely a bodybuilding or a vanity project. F4L plays a valuable role in promoting a healthy community and links like-minded individuals in developing a balanced and healthy lifestyle which is critical in an era of sedentary jobs and unhealthy food habits.

Started in a smaller facility, today Fitness 4 Life (F4L) boasts of a luxurious site in High Bay, sprawling over 33,000 sq. ft., complemented by a 4500 sq. ft. swimming pool, fulfilling the fitness goals of over 1200 members.

Developed into a full-fledged fitness

club from their first steps in Cedre Community in Dubai’s Silicon Oasis (DSO), it also comprises a sauna and an indoor jogging track, the last feature making it one-of-its-kind in the whole community.

Fitness 4 Life lived up to its name with its all-new women-only facility that started in 2018 at DSO. Since December 2021, the women’s only gym has been moved to the premier branch, and now the Fitness 4 Life ladies gym is available to use separately at the High Bay building alongside the mixed gym.

What better time to have a brandnew outlook and fitness goals than this New Year 2022? If you are looking for a spark of wonder to make health an indispensable part of your life, head to Fitness 4 Life for the right motivation!

2 0 2 2 — J A N — ASPIRE

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Beyond Business / the l a st word

The Status Quo

S

o, recently, someone made a fake Instagram page, pretending to be me. While, on the one hand, it’s rather flattering that anyone would want my dull, uninteresting life, there was a malevolent intend behind the creation of this page... to discredit me using images that had been carefully curated to present a certain image. Other than the fallout of reporting this to various authorities and telling 200 people who began to follow this page that it was a fake profile, there was the added concern of loss of reputation as some folk would choose gossip and photoshop over truth.

But I discovered, to my surprise, I had a global army of people who had my back. Who wrote in to report the fake profile were aware of the malicious and contrived nature of the profile and called me to comfort me. The experience taught me some important lessons.

Firstly, we never know our impact on people. We have no clue when a kind word, a listening ear, or an act of generosity, while a small thing for us, may give another a sense of purpose. We need to stay kind and gentle and be the ballast in a world where people will do anything for 15 minutes of social media fame.

My army came from kindnesses I did not even know I had done.

Secondly, and this one is important, as we navigate the weird and wonderful world of social media, we can choose to create envy or choose to enlighten. I

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tend to choose the latter these days, but I have been guilty of the former, and I am ashamed. You see, our stories can be another’s guiding light. And we each have the power within us, via social media, to leave this world kinder than we found it. I truly believe there is no greater purpose to our fragile and turgid existence than to allow our mistakes to become life lessons for another who is struggling.

And lastly, I figured, social media is way easier to negotiate than my struggling 50-year-old mind. I learned in 24 hours more about handling Instagram than a year of being on it, as I struggled to deal with the fallout of this malignant online move against me.

So there’s a lesson in there too somewhere. Adversity makes one a quick learner. And as Rumi, most beautifully said centuries ago, “The wound is where the light enters us.” ✪

Sangeetha Shinde Tee is an author of four books, editor of 3 international magazines, an acclaimed healer, and reluctant entrepreneur. Also an unconventional traveler, rebellious truth seeker, and inveterate animal rescuer, she is working on her fifth book - a collection of ghost stories from around the world. Find out more about her life, books, and work at www. sangeethashindetee.com

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