ASPIRE - An Entrepreneur and Lifestyle Magazine - July 2021 by ASPIRE Business and Lifestyle Magazine

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JUNE — 2021 ISSUE 10 aspiredubai.ae — AED 30.00

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Starbucks

A COFFEE PLACE OR AN UNCONVENTIONAL BANK?

Priyanka Mittal

RAISING INDIA GATE AS THE WORLD’S FAVORED BASMATI RISE

AN E XPONENTI AL EA SPECI X TR AVAGANZ A AL REPORT ON THE E XPO 2020 Stardom with a pinch of salt

SALT BAE AND HIS BRAND OF GOURMET ENTERTAINMENT

Parenting is a pleasurable experience, but it becomes especially challenging if you as a parent are faced with issues in your own life, such as work & financial issues, separation or divorce, family tension, health issues and societal pressures. These personal issues you face rubs off on your kids and affects their upbringing. Raising a child is no mean task and you would have faced issues with your child like ● Temper Tantrums ● Fears and Nightmares ● Stubornness ● Shyness ● Aggression ● Concentration in Academics ● Eating disorders / Fussiness ● Nail Biting / Bed Wetting ● Socially unacceptable behaviours ● Bullying / Being bullied

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Inside

AN EXPONENTIAL EXTRAVAGANZA With the eagerly-awaited Expo 2020 only three months away, here’s what to expect from the mega-event and a look at how things are shaping up on-ground 2 0 2 1 — J U LY — ASPIRE

INSIDE

Kernels of Success

Bulletin Bytes

Priyanka Mittal on her life long effort to establish India Gate Basmati as the favored rice brand the world over

Positive and interesting news from around the world!

Found! Education’s Missing Link E-learning is the new trend and your ticket to succeeding in an increasingly initiative-driven work culture

Making Time Work Take a sneak peek into apps that are your best bet when it comes to managing schedules and tasks

Event Horizon

An event line up of the best of the best

Coffee you can bank on A look at how Starbucks, the world’s most popular coffee place, functions as an unconventional bank

Learning at your fingertips

Faisal Ibrahim, Founder, Brainciti, on digital learning as the key to unlocking both online and offline opportunities

Lawyer en vogue

Fashion lawyer Luminita Rizescu chats with us on copyright laws and why is it so important for small brands in the world of fashion

Putting the P back into People

Measuring the Intangible

Strategies for getting the best out of your people are summed up in this simple yet effective 3P Model

Know of some frameworks that can help you measure Quality, the all-important aspect for all kinds of business

The Entrepreneur’s 101 Way to Go

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Read here the lowdown on the necessities every business owner needs to do

PUBLISHER

Sumeet Gupta EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Shagufta Patel JUNIOR EDITORIAL MANAGER

Qiraat Attar WRITERS

Ayaat Attar, Misbaah Mansuri, Arvind Rajasekhar INTERNS

Sreeram Viswanath, Clarilda Sharon, Vaidehi Jha PRODUCTION, MARKETING & SALES

The Purple Stroke M: +971 508 498820, +971 502 707790 CONSULTING EDITOR

Sangeetha Shinde Tee HONORARY EDITOR

Rizwan Zulfiqar Bhutta « OUR CONTRIBUTORS »

Stardom with a pinch of salt

Take a bite into the zany and surreal world of Salt Bae and his brand of gourmet entertainment

Bridging the Gulf

Enlightenment Under The People Tree

Our CSR hero Anne Edmondson is brightening the lives of children worldover through her Gulf for Good initiative

The Green Guage

Can we reverse diseases and delay the aging process at the genetic level by following a rich green diet? The answer is Yes!

Not your typical traveler, Sangeetha Shinde has lived in several cities across continents. Here is her story of courage and love through it all

Down to Earth

Outlining a crash course in the ancient art of Pottery and its evolution over the years

Adil Hosgor

Transformation Program Expert

Sabeeh Ghugharia Speaker, Strategist, Goal-Catalyst

Priya Chaphekar QCI-Certified Yoga Instructor

Jasmine Navarro Certified family coach

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 1 — J U LY — ASPIRE

Editor's note TEL — S

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CHAOS! Dreading the word? Wondering when will life be back to normalcy again, when we don’t have to hide our smiles behind masks (simple, printed, matched to our attires or the more exotic diamond-studded ones). Confused about what the future holds? Exhausted with the daily battle for survival which sometimes feels even more dreadful than the fight for life that the virus brings with it? Not easy dealing with the topsy-turviness that we all seem to be a part of in one way or the other. But know this, that it is Chaos that leads to Creation! This is how the universe came to be. An explosion of space itself, the Big Bang as we call it, resulting from extremely high temperature and density to form the first stars and galaxies, to the vast expanse as we see it today. Chaos isn’t the end of some-

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thing. If we observe carefully, it is always the beginning of something new or something better. As we march on with all the holy (or unholy) mess around us, we have unknowingly created a new world order as is the way. As has always been true. Proof lies in the pudding The EXPO 2020 has shaped up even better than was expected (birthing from the pandemonium, of course); the KRBL legacy rising again from the mayhem of the Indo-Pak partition, now headed by Director and Head of International Division of KRBL Ltd., Priyanka Mittal; Lawyer Luminita Rizescu using the disarray in the world of fashion to create her niche as a Fashion Copyright Advocate; and ‘Brainciti’ founder Faisal Ibrahim digging the dishevelment to design his digital learning business, incidentally, catching on

the ‘Trend’ that is now the norm of the day. Starbucks holding the title of an ‘unconventional bank’ and Nusret Gökçe getting hugely popular as ‘Salt Bae’, are further examples of how disruption can lead to the creation of incomprehensible success. From making time work (Tech), to devising strategies and frameworks (Pro-Talk), to brightening the lives of children over the world (CSR); from reversing age (Health), to living in several cities across continents (Travel), to molding exquisiteness from a lump of mud (Hobbies); every act of some measure is born from a place of chaos (big or small). So, if you are dreading the word, fret not. Embrace it, and you could be well on your way to creating something unique that could be a gift to yourself or the world! ✪

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e yet seem to be in the midst and grip of the pandemic, where some countries in the Asia-Pacific region are still scrambling and doing all they can against the new variant of the virus - reimposing restrictions, extending lockdowns, closing air corridors again – a jarring reminder that the chaos is far from over.

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EMPLOYEES IN UK RALLY BEHIND THE ‘RIGHT TO DISCONNECT’ MOVEMENT Work from home blurred boundaries and gave workers and companies flexibility, but not always positively. In just a year, the situation turned into a ‘live at work’ fiasco, and now employees want some boundaries reinstated. In a recent move, a majority of the European Parliament cast their vote to introduce the ‘right to disconnect’. This is a worker’s right to disconnect from tasks and work-related communications, such as emails, during non-work hours. Since the UK left the European Union, it is no longer required to remain in step with Brussels on various policy areas, including employment legislation. Nonetheless, UK citizens are

hopeful that this progressive policy from their former community will find its way into UK laws as well. With home-working becoming the norm for almost everyone due to the pandemic, the Union Prospect wants organisations to be legally required to negotiate with staff about when they can and cannot be contacted for work purposes. It is calling on the UK government to use the forthcoming Employment Bill to give employees the right to switch off. Prospect research director Andrew Pakes said: “Including a right to disconnect in the Employment Bill would be a big step in redrawing the blurred boundary between home and work.” 2 0 2 1 — J U LY — ASPIRE

Bulletin Towards work-life balance The UK can follow in the footsteps of Ireland, which drew up a new official code of practice, including these three main clauses: The right of an employee to not have to routinely perform work outside of the normal working hours. The right to be not penalized for refusing to attend to work matters outside of regular work hours. The agreement to respect another person’s right to disconnect (for example, by not routinely emailing or calling outside regular working hours). As per these guidelines, workers will be able to refer to it in proceedings before the Labour Court or Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) if they are asked to regularly work outside agreed hours. UK citizen Angus Wheeler-Rowe, who works in the telecoms industry, said, “Setting rules about the boundaries for remote or hybrid working would make a big difference in helping people switch off and recharge. Reinforcing the distinction between work and home will increase motivation and at-work productivity, which has to be better for bosses and workers.” If the UK adds these addendums to their Employment bill, it provides leverage to workers in other developed countries to make the same demands from their own governments. As the pandemic exposed issues in our capitalist structures, an outcry for fair wages, parental leave, healthcare, and now work from home boundaries have only increased, suggesting that the modern employee no longer wishes to be exploited in the name of livelihood. Heeding these voices provides us an opportunity to discard the ‘all work and no play’ mentality and create a more balanced ecosystem.

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Global brands herald the production of the world’s first food-grade recycled plastic A consortium of global brands, including L’Oréal, Nestlé Waters, PepsiCo, and Suntory Beverage & Food Europe, have successfully produced the world’s first food-grade PET plastic bottles produced entirely from enzymatically recycled plastic. This initiative is in cooperation with green biotech company Carbios. The new technology is the culmination of nearly ten years of research and development by Carbios to supercharge an enzyme that is naturally found in compost heaps that normally breaks down the leaf membranes of dead plants. This adapted enzyme works on all kinds of PET plastic regardless of its color or complexity and breaks it down into its building blocks, which can then be turned back into like-new, virgin-quality plastic.

Recycling the old ways of business Jacques Playe of L’Oréal’s Global Head of Packaging and Product Development said, “We have been working with Carbios since 2017 to develop this first bottle made from PET derived from enzymatic recycling technology, an alternative to mechanical recycling. We are pleased to announce the feasibility of these

bottles in a pilot phase and are delighted to be in a position to create the packaging of the future with our partners.” The news is welcome amid reports by UK Christian Charity Tearfund of massive plastic pollution courtesy of four leading consumer brands - Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Unilever, and Nestlé. Plastic pollution is widespread across six countries in three continents - China, India, the Philippines, Brazil, Mexico, and Nigeria. While some of these brands are part of the enzymatThis adapted ically recycled plastic initiative, enzyme the others too are involved works on in similar course-correction all kinds of against previously environmenPET plastic tally irresponsible practices. and breaks Coca-Cola highlighted its it down into ‘World Without Waste’ effort, its building which was first launched in blocks 2018, to collect and recycle the equivalent number of bottles it sells globally by 2030. Unilever is committed to cutting its use of virgin plastic for packaging in half within five years and reducing its total plastic usage by more than 100,000 metric tons. Tearfund reiterated, “If all of these multinationals want to have longevity, they need to change. They need to invest and innovate, and as the world’s leading brands and companies, they need to lead.”

Photos: WAM/Hatem Mohamed/Hassan Bashir

UAE-Israel’s form rapidly strengthening alliance Israel’s Foreign Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid hailed the growing relationship between the two countries during his first visit to the UAE. According to Israel’s top diplomats, just within ten months the Israel-UAE bilateral trade has reached over AED2.5 billion ($675.2 million) since signing of the Abraham Accords in September. The Abraham Accords instated on August 13, 2020, are a joint statement between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. Subsequently, the term now is also used to refer collectively to agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Israel and Bahrain. Lapid, who arrived in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for a two-day official visit, said, “It is estimated that the bilateral trade potential will multiply many times

over in the coming years.”

Placing the foundation stone The other noteworthy event was the inauguration of the Israeli Embassy in Abu Dhabi. Lapid inaugurated the embassy in the presence of Noura Al Kaabi, Emirati Minister of Culture and Youth. “This is a historic moment. And it is a reminder that history is created by people. People who understand history and are willing to change it. People who prefer the future to the past,” Lapid said later at the press conference. He added that Israel’s pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai is another stepping-stone in building relations. Business cooperation between Israel and UAE too has seen a steep rise. “Since September 2020, several transactions, valued at tens of millions of dollars, have been signed between

Within ten months the Israel-UAE bilateral trade has reached over AED2.5 billion ($675.2 million)

Israeli and Emirati companies in the fields of AI, cyber, renewable energy, water security, health, and more,” Lapid said. The new Israel’s foreign minister said the Abraham Accords has undoubtedly brought peace to the region. After opening flight services, over 200,000 Israelis have visited the UAE, Lipid told media in Abu Dhabi. His words reflect optimism. “The first year [of Abraham accords and his first official visit] are just the beginning of the journey. We need to allow our economies to integrate and prosper. We need to preserve the open dialogue and open-mindedness.” ✪ 2 0 2 1 — J U LY — ASPIRE

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Found! Education’s Missing Link E-learning, overlapping with the learning mindset, is your ticket to succeeding in an increasingly initiative-driven work culture. Sreeram Vishvanath explores this new trend

n 1831, when Charles Darwin wanted to study natural history, which formed the root of his ‘Theory of Evolution’, he boarded the HMS Beagle and sailed halfway across the world. Nearly 200 years later, information more infinite than Darwin could ever dream of is available at a click on a website, often free to access without moving an inch. The fittest survived to shape a whole new information revolution. E-learning cemented its place by swooping in to rescue our education system during the

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pandemic, proving a boon for students, teachers, and universities globally. But another aspect of e-learning that is fast gathering steam is the way we upskill on the job. Businesses, corporations, and professionals are changing the game as fast as they can think, trying to get ahead of the curve. A concept that is designed to empower students and give them a more immersive learning experience has upended the way people work and learn simultaneously on its head. At this turning point, we explore how e-learning heralds the next step of the knowledge revolution at our jobs where 72%

of organizations believe and agree that e-Learning puts them at a competitive advantage.

E-LEARNING: ONE CONCEPT, MANY AVENUES

Before we jump feet first into the industry application, let’s understand the basics. While the terms remote learning, e-learning, and distance education are casually interchanged, they have some fundamental differences. In remote learning, the learners and instructors communicate through modes such as video conferencing because they are physically apart. For instance, even a yoga class falls under remote learning when the trainer guides her pupils over video conferencing, so the scope is diverse. E-learning, originally conceptualized to make classroom teaching more engaging, was well on its way to become a permanent fixture in classrooms even before the pandemic. Unlike remote learning, e-learning was used as a tool most often used to complement classroom learning, used to make the classrooms and workplaces livelier and more productive, although the application has evolved massively since its inception. As the internet-connected the world and the globalized student became both a viable customer and an asset, distance learning came in full swing. Today, every major university in the world offers distantly earned degrees for those who opt to secure education online. This has especially proved beneficial for students from countries worst hit by Covid, other ecological and social disasters, or the financially underprivileged.

DISCARDING THE STATUS QUO

Before e-learning, organizations followed the tradition of providing copious amounts of long-winded manuals, obsolete presentations and overall unengaging content as training material at their new gig. Everyone has experienced this – pages upon pages of irrelevant content that make your manager remark, “Yeah, that’s outdated. We need to update that.” Imagine, instead, if the reservoir was infinite, every lesson within reach, courses and tests just a click away? In fact, one of the reasons why e-learning from third-party platforms has been so eagerly received is the nature of content – animated videos with examples instead of dull presentations. The other is the sheer range – trainers from elite institutes like Harvard or Stanford University, access to material from all over the world, scientific papers, and textbooks hitherto unknown to you. The cherry on top is the spirit of community. The discussion boards acquaint you with other students, diverse in age, background, and even professions, seeking knowledge just like you.

Like most things online, they kindle the spirit of collaboration. This cultivates a broad, empathetic mindset where a person actively helps co-learners learn concepts or clears their doubts, evaluates their examination, and becomes comfortable with feedback, both offering and receiving it. This also sparks leadership and teamwork, assets essential not just for success in a workplace but also in life. In many ways, it is the opposite of intellectual property, more along the lines of a conscious diffusion of knowledge. E-learning is also right up the alley for startups and their fast-paced hustle culture. Several courses are walking one through the step-by-step process of becoming an entrepreneur, right from choosing the most lucrative or feasible idea from your passions, pitching to investors, to establishing a social media presence. Not to mention, working in a start-up demands the best of you, with the ones hired expected to ramp up at rocket speed, without the formal structures of a Fortune 500 or a big corporation. You’re a hamster on a spinning wheel, the learning curve is a cliff-drop, and everyone is handling a medley of responsibilities. The solution? E-learning. From learning to code on the go-to SEO or tax optimization, there are entire companies who would crumble if not for a treasure trove of knowledge offered freely for a small fee on the internet. MNCs who have hopped on the E-learning

You’re a hamster on a spinning wheel, the learning curve is a cliff-drop, and everyone is handling a medley of responsibilities. The solution? E-learning

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Trending

E-LEARNING STATS

3 trillion minutes

" “Globally, (5 million years) of video content will cross the internet each month in 2021. That’s 1 million minutes of video content streamed or downloaded every second.” – Cisco. (From https://elearningindustry.com) "

56% of companies are retooling their training programs 16%

" There has been a increase in virtual learning (and a corresponding decrease in Instructor-Led Training)

77%

" In 2017, of companies had incorporated some form of virtual training. By 2020, that number jumped to 98%. (From https://www.elearn2grow.com/)

72%

" of organizations interviewed believe that eLearning helps them increase their competitive edge by keeping up with the changes in their particular market.

42%

" of companies say that eLearning has led to an increase in revenue.

40% to 60% less employee time than

" E-learning takes traditional education.

" The fastest-growing market is the Asia Pacific, with eLearning revenues expected to grow at an annual rate of 20%. " The Global E-Learning market is expected to reach

$336.98 billion by 2026. With an annual growth rate of 15% from 2020 to 2026, the corporate market will be one of the biggest drivers of the e-learning industry

41.7%

" of global Fortune 500 Companies already use some form of technology to train their employees.

120 million

" In 2019, there were adults engaged in online learning, a figure that reached 180 million at the end of 2020 as a consequence of the pandemic. (Arabian Business) 10

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There’s an unexpected player on the rise too – YouTube. With no access fee and no limit on videos one can stream, the platform conquers a considerable chunk of the informal learning market bandwagon have hit upon something interesting - they’ve harnessed a little bit of the hustle of the start-up culture and imbibed it within themselves. It turns out, this magic mix of stability with growth is the winning combination employees are looking for. It is making stable, heritage organizations far more energetic, curious and interesting than ever before, attracting younger talent and keeping the experience challenging and rewarding.

MEET THE PROS

When the lessons are diverse, why should the portals be homogenous? From the typical to the experimental, E-learning portals have adopted different coaching styles. Established players like Coursera, for instance, have over 5100+ courses and specializations and over 25 degrees. They offer certificates from Google, IBM, Facebook & others, which can be shared with potential employers and your professional network. In the community, 77+ million people are already learning on Coursera. In fact, ‘Coursera for Business’ has over 2000+ business customers. Unconventional platforms may not be as popular or streamlined as the big players still command a sizeable crowd. Skillshare, for instance, offers video classes on a wide variety of creative topics. But what makes it so popular is their com-

mitment to create a community around creativity. It actively encourages realness between students and teachers, and students have been vocal about drawing inspiration from their teachers’ stories. There’s an unexpected player on the rise too – YouTube. With no access fee and no limit on videos one can stream, the platform conquers a considerable chunk of the informal learning market. Content creators are having a ball, teaching people free of cost, from Yoga to Photoshop to hardcore coding, as excited to teach as you are to learn. In fact, 86% of U.S. viewers say they often use YouTube to learn new things. An emerging class of entrepreneurs have also made e-learning their business, selling self-development courses, creative writing, filmmaking, data science; the list is endless. It’s an emerging space where entrepreneurs form a deeper connection with their customers and offer a highly customized experience. Self-development enthusiast and filmmaker Matt D’Avella, who runs a YouTube channel on productivity, soon started selling his own productivity program on his website, accessible worldwide. Advertising analysis moguls ‘Mad Over Marketing’ on Instagram now offer a 20-part course that is supposedly the holy grail to garner social media success.

CONTINUOUS ONLINE APPRENTICESHIP The World Economic Forum suggests that close to 35% of the skills needed in jobs today will change by the end of this year. With the changing nature of workplaces, maintaining a competitive

The World Economic Forum suggests that close to 35% of the skills needed in jobs today will change by the end of this year

edge requires finesse. Businesses should be brainstorming, rethinking everything that was taken for granted in employment and workplaces. It is no longer worth the time, money, or cost to make people travel to and fro for a training program, or to rely on an expert visit to tackle a maintenance issue, or rely on paper-based manuals for data consumption. Some of the technologies expected to play a predominant role in the future of education & training include Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Artificial Intelligence (can be combined with multiple technologies), data analytics, and cloud-based platforms. Some of the top companies that have used the pandemic to drive digital adoption and innovation include IBM, with reports suggesting that the company saved approximately $200 million after switching to e-learning.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR TRADITIONAL EDUCATION?

This begs the question – Are the days of expensive degrees, often demanding a person’s life savings or pushing them under a mountain of debt, really behind us? Forbes reports that college enrolments have been declining in 2021, and while it can be tempting to look at this at the immediate impact of the pandemic, it is quite short-sighted. The case here is that the rules of the civilized world are being broken as we speak. The narrative with its familiar beats – graduation, first job, hiatus for post-graduation degree, better job seems not just outdated but a safe script for those who still haven’t received the memo. The world is tilting out of the familiar and into the unknown. Those holding on will be left in the past. This is not to stay that traditional education is extinct, but it is common sense to know that it simply isn’t the only option out there anymore, and in a cost v/s benefits analysis, it does not guarantee the success it once did. People obsess over the right university and the perfect grades because these are the things that are scrutinized when being hired. However, companies don’t seem to care as much as they used to. For instance, on the Google Careers page, one FAQ asks, “Do I need a computer science degree to be a Google software engineer?” The answer is no. There may not be many such companies yet, but as companies optimize their workforce, people with skill and knowledge will be retained over those with a fancy degree and little else. All of this brings us back into the orbit of the same point – it’s a learning mindset over a fixed degree. You can stay fixated over your past milestones, or you can take a voyage in the pursuit of e-learning, much like Darwin. ✪ 2 0 2 1 — J U LY — ASPIRE

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MAKING TIME WORK

Clarilda Sharon sneaks a peek into apps that are determined to give us our money’s worth of time, both on a professional and personal level

lexibility is the buzzword of the year. Discarding rigidly enforced schedules, we’ve done a complete 1800 to the freedom of choice – to choose when, how, and where we work. Anecdotally, a well-planned yet flexible organizational style leads to a more responsive workplace where employees feel involved. According to CompareCamp, “73% of employees said that having flexible work arrangements increased their work satisfaction.” The previous year has truly tested the limits of flexibility for many companies, and modified work schedules have been trending upward since then, aided by new technologies. Companies today are left with no choice but to change and grow. We bring you some of the apps that are making scheduling a breeze.

COMMUNICATION IS KEY

A robust communication is the backbone of a workplace. But scattered manual tasks, overreliance on spreadsheets for planning, and

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other such shaky solutions cause an office to go haywire. Now, forward-thinking businesses are investing in scheduling software that automates manual processes and integrates information from unrelated systems. High-quality interactions are crucial for any organization that deals with customers and clients, such as restaurants, gyms, and franchise businesses. If your business relies on multiple calls to dispatch the workforce or rearrange their schedules, you run the risk of expensive errors. The lack of connectedness and choppy communication can cost time and money.

As a business, it’s imperative to improve the ability to juggle multiple jobs where an appropriate number of employees have been scheduled for important projects or shifts. A scheduling tool will instantly notify a shift conflict or a day off. It lets you know the amount of time your employee spends on a project compared to others or is underworking. Customer experience and employee well-being increases when they are prevented from doing repetitive tasks or double-scheduled for the same task. By using a powerful scheduling tool, you can streamline the chore of distributing the schedule to your employees in a single click and informing of an update or a change in schedule by gaining real-time visibility into worker availability.

m WORKAXLE

With companies increasingly concerned over their employees’ productivity and work-life balance, the new flexi-time is being widely adopted. WorkAxle, for instance, promises to be the one-stop solution for businesses of all kinds: Food & Beverage, Retail, Logistics, Hospitality, Transportation, Manufacturing, Education, and many more. They’ve got an answer to every riddle – managing part-time and full-time staff, time-related statistics such as hours worked, late arrivals, absences, to going a step above with sales statistics and weather analytics. The WorkAxle software’s mission states, “Time management becomes complicated when you have over 1,000 employees. WorkAxle helps employers provide a more flexible work-life balance to employees with flexible scheduling throughout the workplace.”

GETTING YOUR DUCKS IN A ROW

Scheduling software needs to meet some competitive criteria for remote work – like being cloud-based and optimized for mobile devices where new schedules can be accessed 24/7, even on the go. The easy accessibility encourages employees to look to the app and not to their immediate superior for things such as changing a work shift, asking for a leave, or putting in a request for a performance review. While the errors and miscommunications are minimized, the apps 2 0 2 1 — J U LY — ASPIRE

Tech love also ensure that hourly workers are fairly compensated for their time without confusion or needless hassles. This contributes greatly to employee well-being and hypes your reputation as a business that runs like a well-oiled machine. There are a few apps that can help you with this:

m MONDAY.COM

Another scheduling wizard is Monday.com, with its namesake being what workers deem the most terrifying day of the week. While it shares qualities with all effective scheduling solutions, some traits make it unique – such as its ability to be integrated with tens of other email and data share applications, super-easy automation of repetitive tasks, and ability to visualize work as a map, calendar, timeline or more. The Chart View and Timeline View options in Monday.com give you an overall picture of how projects are progressing, the timeline prepared, and how your teams are adhering to it – both for individual tasks and entire projects. These views offer great data visualizations, making it easy to manage projects, tasks, and team members alike.

m DEPUTY

When Steve Shelley’s business expanded, he was faced with a problem he should have predicted – endless employee-admin. Doing it all himself was unthinkable, so he enlisted the help of Ashik Ahmed and Deputy was born. Eighteen years later, Deputy is making scheduling easier for 250,000+ workplaces around the globe. According to Deputy, using a spreadsheet in plotting timelines and schedules loses 20% of a manager’s time. Software Advice positions Deputy as cloud-based human resource management (HRM) solution that caters to businesses of all sizes across various industry verticals and provides them employee management and scheduling functionalities. According to them, “Deputy helps businesses

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become more profitable, connected, and trusted by each team member — our goal is to make that happen for workplaces in every community, worldwide.” Boasting of big-ticket clients like Amazon and Nike to small businesses such as vet hospitals and health food stores, their website is chock-full of glowing testimonials from those who have entrusted them with their business.

FACTS AND FIGURES RELATED TO WORK SCHEDULING • A study from the leading mobile data and analytics company revealed that mobile consumers across the world installed business and productivity apps 7.1 billion times in 2020 – up 35% from 2019.

there’s more that managers can do to help staff feel supported. • Worker productivity increases up to 12% with a well-structured schedule.

• Employees are six times more satisfied • Employees who don’t with their work when have a well-structured they can manage schedule admit to their own schedule in wasting 50% of their real-time. time at work. • 96% of shift workers • 82% of employees like specific compowant more nents of their job. communication from their manager. • Flexibility is the number one benefit for • 87% of businesses 66% of shift workers. have changed the way they write schedules. • The top three benefits of shift work, ac• Around 50% of all cording to employees, shift workers consider are flexible schedules themselves to be es(66%), the ability to fit sential workers. And in other commitments while they feel their (60%), and the ease to work is important, work part-time (39%). (Source: Deputy; Finance Online Review for Business)

STRETCHING YOUR 24 HOURS

m REMEMBER THE MILK

Have you ever found yourself in a place where you feel you never have enough time for everything? One overlooked reason is that you are not effectively scheduling your time. Golda Meir, former Prime Minister of Israel, once said, “I must govern the clock, not be governed by it.” There is enormous potential in an established routine. Sticking to it not only means you lead a more disciplined life, but it frees up your time for rest and relaxation too. With hours clearly ear-marked for their purpose, you spend less time and energy having to make last-minute adjustments. Schedules are proven to keep you on track, quelling the distraction of social media and reducing mental stress. By allocating specific time for everything, you stay on track and keep moving forward more effectively and efficiently. Here are a few popular productivity apps:

One of the best personal time management apps, Remember The Milk, states, “Managing tasks is generally not a fun way to spend your time. We created Remember The Milk so that you no longer have to write your to-do lists on sticky notes, whiteboards, random scraps of paper, or the back of your hand.” They promise a range of customizations – from the way you prefer your reminders, as lists or as tagged tasks, to picking the perfect theme to reflect your mood. They also have a nifty little built-in system for those who have a habit of postponing tasks, so this one is worth checking out.

m TODOIST

ONE SIZE DOESN’T FIT ALL

In 2007, Amir Salihefendic struggled with managing his personal commitments, parttime jobs, and university projects, so he set about creating a task management system, and Todoist was born. Fast forward to today, Todoist has seen some impressive milestones - more than 25 million users worldwide, over 1.5 billion tasks created, with corporate clients like Facebook and Disney. Amir explains, “Productivity is an ever-evolving field that’s part psychology and part technology. Everyone is different, so what works for one person does not apply to everyone. We created key features, like Todoist Karma, that rewards people for accomplishing tasks. Todoist Karma keeps people engaged by holding them accountable to establishing a daily task goal. We also made it easy for people to track their tasks, so they will commit to a system - Todoist integrates with everything and is available on all major platforms.” The developers also kept in mind to accommodate different use cases - from fitness to healthy meal planning, from aviation to wedding planning. Todoist usage patterns have seen a steep curve. “When people get indoctrinated, they use Todoist. A lot! It becomes part of their personal and work life — something they cannot live without. It becomes an extension of you.”

It’s hard to believe since businesses seem unpredictable, but here’s the truth – a better scheduled and planned business has a higher chance of making it big than one with the most ground-breaking idea. Deploying an airtight system for the scheduling and grunt work leaves the leadership with plenty of time to work on good ideation for the business. Today, a single scheduling app can come to the rescue in getting maximum productivity for businesses by helping management prioritize work, allocate the resource to meet professional commitments, and help people plan their day-to-day priorities. If you are a small business, use the trial period of any such app to get extensive feedback from your team about its functionality and effectiveness – this will help you before you commit to one of them. In personal life too, humans multitask out of necessity, so most are overwhelmed by it. We often bite off more than we can chew. The average work-goer with kids, responsibilities and random errands is often frazzled at the demands of everyday life. Given our busy lives the demand for scheduling apps will only increase, forming an essential component of the self-help universe that also comprises of productivity hacks, selfgrowth and awareness tips, fitness goals, and mindful eating. As people aspire to become more focused, alert, less wasteful and ultimately derive the best of their 24 hours, these are not apps that will see a decline any time soon. ✪ 2 0 2 1 — J U LY — ASPIRE

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Events GH T S ‫٭‬

It’s time for Dubai Summer Surprises again! It’s the time of year when everyone’s inner shopper looks forward to the Dubai Summer Surprises. A time for great discounts in its usual dramatic and grandiose fashion, Dubai has put together a grand celebration, with music festivals and tech sales, so there is truly at least one thing for everyone. From 1st July to 4th September, the entire emirate will be chock full of promotions, deals, and offers. We’ve already seen the spectacular firework show on July 1st, and we will continue to be treated with splendor all the way up to when Schools start again. Kids have much to look forward to with theme

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parks also picking up steam this summer - Modesh World, the indoor ‘edutainment’ destination, is also back in town! Modesh World takes place from 8th July to 28th August at Dubai World Trade Centre from 2-10 pm on weekdays and 10-12 am on weekends. There isn’t anyone who won’t be satisfied. Malls and destinations will be taking all the safety precautions mandated by the government so everyone can ensure their family’s safety. Music shows will also get live coverage so you can enjoy it from the safety and comfort of home! Unsurprisingly, DSS is making its way to become the liveliest time of the year.

World Conference on Pharmaceutical Science and Drug Manufacturing

Dubai World Dermatology and Laser Conference & Exhibition The largest scientific skincare gathering in North Africa, India, and the Middle East is now occurring on July 6th -8th at the Dubai World Trade Center - putting together experts in the field and the biggest brands in the industry from across the region and the world. Organized by INDEX Conferences and Exhibitions, The Dubai World Dermatology and Laser Conference & Exhibition is the perfect opportunity for those looking for updates in the industry or non-specialists wishing to know more about skincare. Filled with opportunities to learn, the scientific program includes a fellowship course and a series of highly specialized sessions, a pre-conference course along with several competitions, including a case presentation competition and a poster display competition to inspire more participants from different parts of the world. So make sure to attend! And of course - don’t forget your sunscreen!

BioLeagues Worldwide, a not-for-profit professional association in the field of Life Sciences and Medicine Technology, is conducting the World Conference on Pharmaceutical Science and Drug Manufacturing on the 28th and 29th July, 2021, 9 AM to 5 PM at the Flora Creek Deluxe Hotel Apartments, Deira. As part of the conference, several thoughtprovoking speakers will address key points in the debate on financing policies that help local manufacturing of pharmaceuticals across the world and the acceleration of industrial development sought by industry leaders globally. The various sessions will allow participants the opportunity to listen, learn and discuss with technical experts from around the world and from different backgrounds, as they share their expertise on how to catalyze local production of essential medicines in countries around the world. 200 delegates and ten exhibitors are slated to participate. ✪ 2 0 2 1 — J U LY — ASPIRE

An EXPOnential extravaganza COVER STORY

With the eagerly-awaited Expo 2020 only three months away, Misbaah Mansuri gives a sneak peek into what to expect from the mega-event and how things are shaping up on-ground

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ime and again, throughout its history, UAE has shown the world what is possible through its remarkable progress and development. Winning the Expo 2020 bid after the highly-contested two-year-long bidding process is for sure a testament to the nation’s commitment and excellence towards creating a prosperous future for its people. Touted to be the largest and the most significant event taking place in the UAE that is expected to put up

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the World’s Greatest Show, the excitement surrounding Expo 2020 rightly doesn’t seem to die down. After all, the celebration of human brilliance and achievement is expected to draw over 25 million visitors from October 2021 through April 2022 from different corners of the world who will connect and experience the best in art, culture, science, technology, and innovation. Moreover, it could set the stage for millions of new ideas and thoughts that could make a lasting impact on our lives. With the mega-event just three months away, ASPIRE takes you inside the extravaganza, giving you a sneak peek into how things are looking, what to expect from it, and more by speaking to various stakeholders involved in it.

Inside the master plan and theme The theme of Expo 2020 chosen by the United Arab Emirates is “Connecting Minds, Creating The Future” as a nod to the expected inflow of international visitors for this event in particular. Expo 2020 will delve into three categories that comprise sustainability of energy and water, mobility with smart innovative systems of logistics and transportation, and new opportunities for economic development. Keeping the same in mind, the master plan features three separate pavilions symbolizing the sub-themes of sustainability, mobility, and opportunity. Each pavilion includes innovation ports and best practice areas pertaining to each particular theme. The pavilions emerge from a central plaza named Al Wasl, the historic Arab name for

biggest port in the Middle East. It has been strategically created to provide logistical advantages for bringing in construction materials as well as visitors. A photo-voltaic fabric structure covers the site's main walkways, functioning as a solar-powered sunshade. At night the fabric will turn into an illuminated display of light and digital projections.

Something for everyone What’s interesting is how the Expo 2020 experience packs in something for everyone: explorers, adventurers, foodies, culture enthusiasts, for children, grandparents, entrepreneurs, thought-leaders, businesses, governments, and the casual tourist. The Expo site will come alive with the sounds, rhythms, and sights of a global cast of performers across its dynamic, diverse, and ever-changing entertainment program, from music, dance, and art to inspiring poetry and insightful talks. With up to 60 live events each day, all day, it will be a 182-day feast for the senses, featuring an array of internationally celebrated names. Visitors can tuck into 50-plus global cuisines from 200 F&B outlets, enjoy delicious culinary tours and explore innovative culinary tech. Furthermore, the Expo’s inspiring arts and culture program include a series of substantial public artworks, a showcase of contemporary Emirati design and craft commissions, performances by the Firdaus Orchestra, and Al Wasl (an Emirati opera). Expo 2020 will run from 1st October 2021 to 31st March 2022, opening 10:00 am-midnight (Saturday to Wednesday) and 10:00 am-02:00 am (Thursday and Friday).

Driving growth

Dubai meaning “the connection”. The design replicates the layout of a traditional Arabic souk or marketplace, thereby placing larger pavilions around the perimeter of the site with smaller exhibit spaces at the center. This has been specially designed to create smooth traffic flow while encouraging interaction among visitors. The venue for this sprawling 1,082-acre site is located on the southwestern edge of Dubai in Jebel Ali near Dubai Al Maktoum International Airport and the Jebel Ali Port, which happens to be the world's largest manmade hub and the

To be sure, Expo 2020 is a global launchpad for businesses, opening up new markets and new opportunities to visitors, and conducting business programming that will assist in attracting investments, fostering agreements while promoting international cooperation. It has committed 20 percent of direct and indirect spending to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which it sees as key to future prosperity in the UAE and the region. The cutting-edge Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC), Expo 2020 Dubai will be a major draw too for the MICE (Meeting, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) Industry. Furthermore, the event will support the tourism sector and serve as an incubator for innovative, knowledge-based businesses and entrepreneurs, diversifying the economy and enhancing the country’s welcoming and thriving reputation as an ideal location to live, play, work and do business. 2 0 2 1 — J U LY — ASPIRE

We are looking forward to welcoming everyone to join the making of a new world

COVER STORY

Marjan Faraidooni, Chief Experience Officer, Expo 2020 Dubai

t's no surprise that football legend Lionel Messi has kicked off the three-month countdown to Expo 2020 as he kicks the football into the iconic Al Wasl Plaza at the Expo 2020 site. Such is the roaring excitement of the extravaganza! To get a complete overview of how things are shaping up, ASPIRE catches up with Marjan Faraidooni, Chief Experience Officer, Expo 2020 Dubai, who opens up on how Expo 2020 is all set to enthrall visitors, battling through Covid-led challenges to put up the great spectacle and more. Here are the excerpts below:

How is Expo 2020 shaping up? With less than three months to go, Expo 2020 recently announced that tickets will go on sale worldwide from 18 July 2021, offering access to all pavilions, events, and live performances, providing immense opportunities to enjoy Expo’s dynamic, diverse and ever-changing entertainment program, from world-class music, dance, and art to insightful talks and colorful national day celebrations. Three ticket tiers will ensure every visitor will be able to enjoy the spectacular event, regardless of the duration of their visit to Dubai. One-day tickets are priced at AED 95 (USD 26); multi-day tickets, offering unrestricted entry for 30 consecutive days, are priced at AED 195 (USD 53), and the season pass with unlimited entry for the entire six months of Expo 2020 are priced at AED 495 (USD 135). Visitors under 18 and students holding any valid ID from any academic institution in the world can enter free at any time, with the accompanying person securing a 50 percent discount. Furthermore, complimentary tickets will be available for people with determination, with the person accompanying them also getting a 50 percent discount. At the same time, visitors above 60 years of age will

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be able to enter for free. The three-month preview of Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion earlier this year welcomed more than 100,000 visitors, and we are thrilled that the experience has so far inspired 96 percent of visitors to change their behavior, be it avoiding waste, saving water, growing plants, and making conscious efforts to use less plastic. Parents also reported a high score for Terra’s positive impact on their children – 8.1 to 8.5, on a nine-point scale – demonstrating the huge public interest in what Expo 2020 has to offer and how Expo can support our collective responsibility to look after the planet. We are looking forward to welcoming everyone to join the making of a new world. With this global experience, they can discover life-changing innovations that will have a meaningful, positive impact on our planet and its people.

Tell us about the much-talked-about pavilions at Expo 2020 Dubai? What can people expect? For the first time in World Expo history, each country will have its own pavilion, reflecting the inclusive spirit of the UAE. Not only will visitors discover the world in one place, as they explore 191 countries without borders, but they will also enjoy an incredible array of entertainment. Expo 2020 will offer something for everyone, with up to 60 daily shows, unmissable food experiences, inspiring culture, exceptional innovations, and awe-inspiring architecture. The 200-plus participants – including 191 countries, multilateral organizations, businesses, and educational establishments – and the millions who visit the site will explore the power of connections across the key subthemes of Opportunity, Mobility, and Sustainability. Each subtheme is reflected in a petal-shaped Thematic District, with a corresponding Thematic Pavilion: Mission Possible – The Opportunity Pavilion; Alif – The Mobility Pavilion;

and Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion. Through the interactive exhibition experience at Mission Possible – The Opportunity Pavilion, Expo will show how each and every one of us has the opportunity to contribute, how small steps can lead to significant changes, and how unlocking opportunity at a local level can be used for the greater global good. ALIF – The Mobility Pavilion will provide visitors with an exhilarating and thought-provoking experience, demonstrating how mobility has driven mankind’s development throughout our existence – from our humble beginnings to the interconnected world of today and beyond. TERRA – The Sustainability Pavilion will bring to life the UAE and Expo 2020’s commitment to sustainability, serving as a catalyst for change in the UAE, the region, and globally, by empowering visitors of all nationalities, ages, and interests to make more sustainable choices in their own lives.

Out of the world

For the first time in World Expo history, every participating country will have its own pavilion that will regale visitors with immersive cultural experiences and architectural delights. Here’s a sneak peek into some startling pavilions you shouldn’t miss.

How is the team coping with the challenges, given that the pandemic still looms around? Despite the challenges of the past 18 months, our commitment to hosting an exceptional World Expo remains unchanged. Indeed, considering the impact of the global pandemic, Expo 2020’s theme and purpose of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future' is even more relevant than ever. We believe – and our international participants agree – that now, more than ever, humanity needs to come together to acknowledge what unites us, celebrate our spirit, and be inspired by the greatest examples of collaboration, innovation, and cooperation from around the world. The pandemic has brought a number of challenges, and the health, safety, and well-being of everyone visiting and working at Expo 2020 Dubai has been and continues to be our number one priority. We have acted quickly and responsibly to meet the challenges of COVID-19, introducing a number of precautionary measures across the site, in line with the latest guidance from the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention and Dubai Health Authority (DHA), and the World Health Organization. This includes the installation of sanitization stations, mandatory wearing of face-mask, and the implementation of stringent social-distancing regulations, as well as increased deep cleaning and specialized medical facilities, including provisions for rapid COVID testing. We will continue to monitor the evolving situation and adjust these measures as necessary. We launched an extensive COVID-19 vaccination drive for all Expo 2020 employees and their households earlier this year and extended the offer of free vaccinations to all Expo’s official participants and their staff. We remain optimistic that global efforts to produce and distribute vaccines will be successful and look forward to welcoming people from all over the world.

INDIAN ASPIRATIONS AT EXPO 2020 Building on India's cultural heritage and technologies, including its space program, the country’s pavilion will reflect the new India and show the strength of its human resources and youth aspirations. It will define the country's potential to be a global power through its five T’s-talent, trade, tradition, tourism, and technology. Visitors can expect a moving facade under the theme “India on the move.” The pavilion has leveraged over 600 individual blocks. Moreover, to celebrate India’s 75 years of Independence, the facades using kinetic architecture will engage visitors with seventy-five stories on its history, geography, and literature through its immersive architectural delight. By evening, the facade will turn into a vibrant show of lights, sounds, and projections. 2 0 2 1 — J U LY — ASPIRE

COVER STORY

THE ENCHANTING MALAYSIAN PAVILION Imagine a rainforest canopy depicting the symbiotic relationship between man and nature. That will be what the fascinating Malaysian pavilion at Expo 2020 will be displaying. The landscape concept of the pavilion will open into a forest narrative, with a bioswale reed-bed water pool creating a cooling effect, a water spring mimicking natural tropical scenery, with vertical gardens camouflaging the white steel poles, water rills meandering down, and sunken gardens bringing in natural light to the understory deck. To know more about the pavilion, its theme and what Malaysia wants to showcase through its participation in Expo 2020 Dubai, ASPIRE caught up with Shamsul Bahar Mohd, CEO, Malaysian Green Technology & Climate Change Centre, who spilled the beans on the enchanting design, theme, bringing it all to life, and more. Edited excerpts below:

What is the theme of the Malaysian pavilion and its significance? How does the theme complement the design? Malaysia has chosen ‘Energising Sustainability’ as its theme at Expo 2020 Dubai. The theme reflects Malaysia’s commitment to balance its socio-economic development with environmental concerns. Malaysia is sensitive to the need to find ways to operate in a manner that ensures a more responsible, balanced, and sustainable future for our generations to come. This is a focus of our country, especially as a developing country. The Pavilion design is based on this theme and will be portioned into four segments. The first is the 'Energising Today' segment, which will journey visitors through a narrative about agricommodity and how it has shaped

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the country's socio-economic development. The middle segment of the pavilion will be on “Energising Tomorrow,” showcasing Malaysia’s commitment to becoming a developed and high-income nation, driving the agenda of carbon reduction and climate change with future-ready and green energy technologies as the core drivers.

The third segment of the pavilion, 'Energising Harmony', will encapsulate how Malaysians of diverse cultures, traditions, ethnicities, and languages live harmoniously, contributing to the nation’s progress, unity, and stability. This segment will host an exotic ensemble of multi-cultural heritage and contemporary experiences through daily shows of music and dance. The final segment, 'Energising Business', is a business center where Malaysia will promote its sustainable industries. Here, 26 weekly thematic trade and business programs will be hosted, and activities include workshops, seminars, showcases, pocket talks, product launches, and the signing of partnerships. These programs will be led and supported by 23 ministries, five state governments, and 44 government agencies who will bring with them a business delegation to participate in each week’s program with the objective of generating trade, business, and investment opportunities for our economy and industries. Overall, the pavilion aims to inspire visitors through an immersive experience of Malaysian hospitality and the biodiversity of the rainforest, as well as showcase our sustainable development.

What percentage of the materials for the pavilion construction is reusable or recyclable? How will these materials be reused? The pavilion uses mainly structural steel for aboveground structures for the recycled component. At the decommissioning stage, the idea is for the timber façade and the steel structure to be recycled.

When was the pavilion construction kickstarted? Construction commenced in January 2021; Due to the pandemic and the official shift in the date for Dubai Expo to October 2021, the project has shifted the completion with audiovisual fit-out to match the new official opening dates of the Expo.

What is Malaysia showing through its participation in Expo 2020 Dubai? At Expo 2020 Dubai, Malaysia will display its commitment and approaches to sustainable development. For example, through the permanent display, visitors entering the Pavilion will first learn about the achievements of Malaysia’s forestry sector as the shining example of Malaysia’s theme 'Energising Sustainability'. Depicting the country’s seriousness and commitment to climate change mitigation and forest conservation, Malaysia will present a rainforest canopy-inspired net-zero carbon pavilion. We will take the opportunity to share our success stories as a forested nation and our approaches to sustainable development. More importantly, going forward, we seek to engage with other participating countries, businesses, and the anticipated 25 million visitors at the Expo in exploring new and innovative ideas and initiatives to assist Malaysia in its endeavor to continue to be the leading tropical country in conserving our forests for the shared prosperity of mankind.

A SHOWCASE OF GUINEAN GLORY Guinea has been taking part in World Expos consistently with presence earlier in Hanover, Beijing, Astana, and Milan, among others, as part of the African participation. However, at Expo 2020 Dubai, the country will, for the very first time, have its own pavilion to showcase its sustainable economic development driven by a National Economic and Social Development Plan. In line with Guinea’s image as the `Water tower of West Africa,’ the pavilion at Expo 2020 will have a devoted theme on sustainable development, and urban renewal focused on water. Investment for the pavilion is estimated at a total of $2 million, which has used sustainable materials to ensure zero carbon emission. On the sidelines of the same, ASPIRE chats with Gabriel Curtis, Minister of Investments and Public-Private Partnerships, Republic of Guinea, and Commissioner-General at Expo 2020 Dubai on Guinea’s vision for the mega-event, weathering challenges caused by Covid, what makes the pavilion stand-out and more. Edited excerpts below.

How is the Expo shaping up? Things are moving along great. The pavilion is 85% complete. The design has been completed, and the multimedia content is being finalized. The business and cultural programming are completed. The major events have been identified as the Organization of the Guinea Investment Forum and Participation in 3 thematic weeks (travel, agriculture, and water).

What are the expectations out of it? The visions from it are to make the country better known, attract investment, incite tourism, and promote“Made in Guinea” products.

How are preparations going on the site? Will visitors be able to get a sneak peek of the Expo’s content before it opens to the public? We choose to keep things under wraps until the opening three months for now to get the maximum impact. For many people, Expo 2020 Dubai will be their first occasion to explore Guinea.

How are the stakeholders coping with the challenges given that the pandemic still looms around? Despite the pandemic, the one-year postponement enabled stakeholders to develop more creative solutions. For instance, the Guinea Investment Forum on the National day will be a hybrid event, bringing together traditional events 2 0 2 1 — J U LY — ASPIRE

COVER STORY

features with digital platforms to enable as broad a participation as possible despite social distancing constraints.

What are the expected footfalls? Guinea’s pavilion is strategically placed close to the pavilion of the host country and the Al Wasl Plaza, the heart of the site of Expo 2020 Dubai. We, therefore, hope that this allied with the engaging narrative of the pavilion will attract at least 100,000 visitors.

Tell us how the design of the pavilion is unique and what special features does it have? The pavilion is interactive and at its core is a call to action. It is an invitation to explore Guinea through its culture, history, and investment opportunities. Named “Tap into the source of West Africa” and axed around the thematic of water, the pavilion will feature an entertaining survey where visitors will be able to challenge their preconceived notions about water consumption and learn how they too are a vital part in preserving the water ecosystem in the world.

How do you see it offering a vision for a new, post-pandemic world? The pandemic has demonstrated that collaboration is crucial to overcoming global challenges. World Expos have always been platforms to foster innovation. Expo 2020 Dubai is even more crucial today than ever as it will be the perfect way to bring together thinkers to tackle global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects. In this spirit, the Guinea pavilion features a co-creation lab where people from all corners of the world will come together to think about global challenges and propose solutions.

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A MIRROR OF BRAZILIAN DIVERSITY Among the many awe-inspiring pavilions is Brazil’s pavilion at Expo 2020, which is slated to be a reflection of Brazilian diversity and its unique features. It will also contribute to reinforcing the regional, gastronomic, and ethnic multiplicity and immigration diversity of Brazil. With 4000 square meters, the pavilion will have water as the main element. A thin water blade, representing the Brazilian rivers and where visitors can walk, will occupy most of the space, providing an experience complemented by projections, sounds, and aromas. Sharing more insights on the Brazilian pavilion, Elias Martins Filho, Commissioner-General for Brazil, takes ASPIRE through how things are shaping up on-ground, what to expect from the Brazilian pavilion and more. Edited excerpts below:

How is the Expo shaping up for the Brazilian pavilion? Participating in World Expos is a considerable undertaking, which takes years to mature. It is a process that demands bringing the whole country together to showcase the best of Brazil to the world. There’s a reason World Expos only takes place every five years, as the process really demands preparation cycles of almost half a decade. These journeys will speak to our mission to bring the world together, Connecting Minds and fostering a greater

that a tourist wants to see, feel and taste about Brazil. Those who come to our pavilion will definitely buy tickets to Brazil. The investment in the construction of the building alone is close to $20 million in the pavilion. However, when one considers the daily operation of the Pavilion during the 182 days of Expo, as well as programming, content, messaging, marketing, etc. it all adds up to about USD 30 million, which is a similar figure to what was invested in previous Brazilian participation in the event.

Tell us how the design of the pavilion is unique and what are its standout features? The Brazilian pavilion is located in the sustainability district. Brazil brings the Amazon rainforest to Dubai with the Expo 2020, aimed at promoting Brazilian biodiversity and environmental preservation by showcasing the benefits of multiculturalism and sustainable best practices. The Brazilian pavilion will use as many as 140 mega projectors to bring the country’s stunning biodiversity alive. Half of the 4,000sqm area of the pavilion will be filled with water where visitors can get their feet wet, relax and relish a tranquil experience. When the sun goes down, the pavilion will come alive with 140 projectors converting the translucent membrane on the steel structure into giant screens, showing our ecosystem, our cities, and our hightech food technology that provides food security. It will resemble a luminous floating cube at night, taking visitors through an immersive journey to the region.

Will visitors be able to get a sneak peek of the Expo’s content before it opens to the public? Our pavilion is a building of unprecedented design with daring architecture. Despite being a simple and elegant project, it also challenges the limits of engineering, as architecture and content are completely intertwined. Our pavilion will offer an authentic and immersive Brazilian experience to indulge all senses in a fun, wide, and naturally ventilated building, where visitors will be able to move around freely (and eventually wet their feet!). We expect to receive our operation fitness certificate by early August. The whole month of September will be used for testing to ensure everything will be running smoothly for the opening ceremony on October 1st.

How do you see Expo 2020 offering a vision for a new, post-pandemic world? and deeper global understanding based on knowledge and fact-based worldviews.

How are preparations going on the site? We have a comprehensive cultural plan in place for the entire exposition. It will feature entertainment activities, Brazilian folklore, and live cooking. We want to show that Brazil is much more than Samba carnival and soccer. We are a vibrant country culturally. We have a different ecosystem and different biodiversity in different regions. Each region has its own unique culture, food, and clothing. Throughout the Expo, the pavilion will offer everything

Brazil is a traditional participant in Expos. We have been to all of them, but Expo Dubai has a special meaning for our participation. The location reflects the strategic partnership between Brazil & UAE. The opportunity to build on this relationship to show the world how we celebrate. Also, next year we are using this international platform to celebrate 200 years of independence. We are taking this chance to show the world how sustainable we are and how Brazil prioritizes 'Sustainable' development. We want to stress that we are united together for nature, people, and the future. These three pillars are what we are building on in this Expo. J 2 0 2 1 — J U LY — ASPIRE

INTERVIEW

Kernels of Success

With ties that go back centuries, it was only natural that one day the Middle East would consume Indian Basmati rice twice a day. It took the consistent efforts of one woman, Priyanka Mittal, to establish this unique Indian agricultural product as a preferred staple across more than 80 countries, writes Ayaat Attar

he illustrious legacy of the world’s largest rice miller and exporter, KRBL Ltd., traces its documented history to 1889, at Lyallpur in undivided India. Visionaries in themselves, founders Khushi Ram and Behari Lal were brothers who had diverse business interests. They owned ten cotton spinning mills, two rice mills, sixteen commission agencies in eighteen pre-partition Indian cities, and even a bank. The business activities diversified further to oil and finally went on to find its foothold with trade in rice. Beyond business, the one vital aspect of the two brothers was their exceptional integrity and business ethics. This was so strong and so well established that the business community as well as the general public reposed great trust in the KRBL value system of transparency, honesty, and fair play. The metric standards, the weighing scales, and measures used by KRBL were considered the industry standard. It was this intrinsic goodwill and sterling reputation derived from practiced values which proved to be the greatest asset of KRBL and has continued into the present day.

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After Independence in 1947, the brothers had to leave behind almost their entire business empire and assets in the new country of Pakistan. Stepping into a new ecosystem with nothing but an immaculate reputation to follow, a strong network, and lasting relationships formed pre-independence, the KRBL family stayed resolute in their pursuit of reviving their business. Determined to re-erect their empire on core KRBL principles of high integrity, serviceability of debt, and staying financially self-sufficient even in times of what experts labeled as ‘despair’, the company developed a rather unique export outlook while the other players continued servicing solely within India. Innately enterprising and fearless, Anil Mittal, present Chairman and MD of the integrated rice company, established a direct export relation with Saudi Arabia which helped promote scale and growth. While on a business trip to Japan, he was deeply inspired by their ferocious investment in rice mills and then decided to implement the same back home in India. Another incident still narrated in business circuits is that he partnered with milling technology providers in Germany to set up a state-of-the-art rice mill

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INTERVIEW

With constant innovation, timely investment in technology, unique problem solving, and brand development, today, KRBL products are preferred by consumers across eighty-two countries in India in 1992 and insisted that this company set up a manufacturing base to supply subsequent machines Made in India to KRBL. After this, there was no looking back for them. Staying ahead of the curve with constant innovation, timely investment in technology, unique problem solving, and brand development, today, KRBL products are preferred by consumers across eighty-two countries, with two of its subsidiaries in the USA and the UAE. Wholetime Director and Head of International Division of KRBL Ltd., Priyanka Mittal, looks back at their 132-year-old rich heritage reconstructing their collective journey.

A Born Leader Precise and articulate, our interlocular of the day Priyanka Mittal is the descendent of the KRBL lineage with a distinct business presence of five generations.

Brought up in a progressive education-oriented family with strong values and traditions, she was raised by strong women who defied gender norms and ran the house with military discipline and efficiency. While chores at a young age instilled a pride of work in her, she imbibed the essence of core KRBL principles from her father, inspired by his aspirations for the country and Indian agriculture. She grew up bearing in mind that sound education is the cornerstone of success and entrepreneurship. And so, to sharpen tenets of economics, trade, finance, skills of negotiation, and ethics, she became the first girl in her family to head out of the country for formal training in business administration. An intellectual since school, she found her voice at the University of Southern California. The reflection of the skill that she honed over several

years was witnessed by an eminent panel at the 'Women in Parliaments Global Forum (WIP) Annual Summit’13', where she brought to light various subjects of global importance like gender pay disparity, shared values rather just pursuit of profits, and a system in support of women at work. When the company’s vision for Indian sustenance was being met back in the subcontinent, their long-term partners in Nigeria, Africa, expressed a desire to replicate the same in their country as a step towards self-sufficiency. Merely twenty-four at the time, Priyanka, under the able stewardship of her father, presented a proposal to the Nigerian government heads. As destiny would have it, Nigeria’s then finance minister was a woman who was deeply impressed by the young entrepreneur’s commitment to food security and sustainability. Looking back at the successful deal that proved to be a milestone in her life, Priyanka recalls: “It took a leap of faith from one woman and the implementation from another to make it happen.” Several years down the line, it is under her strong leadership as the Marketing Director that the brand ‘India Gate’ finds itself a trusted place in the hearts and households of its consumers across the globe. KRBL’s flagship brand is the most valued on

Mr. K. S Mani, APEDA, visiting Gulfood

With philanthropist Bobby Seager

With Smt Radha Singh, Secretary Ministry of Agricutlure in Malaysia

HE Mrs Nenadi Usman, Minister of Finance Nigeria on her visit to India to see KRBL rice milling facility

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every metric and enjoys a leadership position globally.

Gateway to India

rom the humblest households to the most illustrious ones, families celebrate every occasion with togetherness with festive meals cooked with India Gate Basmati Rice. The reputation of the brand, which today is the most admired in its product category, was by no means built overnight. Her face lights up as she talks about her brainchild, which accounts for over 70% percent of KRBL’s revenue over the past seven years. “I remember carrying five kg sample bags, going to distributors and retailers, manning stalls and cooking on-spot at trade fairs. Like anything of enduring value, the brand journey of India Gate is one of deep confidence, obsession over quality, a quest for acquiring consumer trust through experience. It is a brand that owes a very significant part of its growth to consumer trust and a share of their heart. "More than a mere brand, India Gate Basmati Rice is an intrinsic part of every family’s kitchen preferred by the greatest number of royal families across the world as much as by consumers,” says Priyanka with apparent pride. Swimming upstream, with consumer delight and their satisfaction being focal points, all Priyanka asked herself was, “Sure, you built this aura. But are you delivering?” The team of professionals employed an unconventional marketing strategy by letting the brand speak for itself and relying solely on word of mouth in its initial years. Once the brand reached a certain scale, the usual tenets of branding were brought in that require investment, visibility on the retail shelf, and impressive media campaigns to engage larger audiences. “The goal of India Gate was to position the best of India to the world, and we have largely succeeded to that mandate,” ascertains Priyanka. Their next goal was to prove to the world that India could maintain that premium positioning. Their third goal with India Gate was their ability to deploy the dollars back in the

I remember carrying five kg sample bags, going to distributors and retailers, manning stalls and cooking on-spot at trade fairs supply chain. “Unless you are sharing value across the supply chain, it will not sustain,” she adds. Gratified, she shares that although she has never traveled in a private jet, her brand India Gate has, when it was airlifted from India for the Middle East Emir’s event in the UK, impeccably coordinated by the embassy. The name India Gate was no accident and sought to put ‘India’ front and center instead of a ‘point six-inch sticker on the back of packets, as was done in the past. With a

loyal consumer base that spans from Saudi Arabia to Australia, it’s safe to say the company has succeeded in upholding the pride of Indian agriculture. KRBL did not stop at the booming success of India Gate basmati and believed there was room for a value brand and launched another variant by the name of ‘Nur Jahan’, named after the Mughal queen of the same name, a strong female presence during the Mughal period. As we speak, the brand holds the title of the 2 0 2 1 — J U LY — ASPIRE

INTERVIEW

second most in-demand rice brand in specific markets, has a premium version of itself, and a regional rice element of Nur Jahan Sona Masoori, which is gaining huge traction in the UAE market. Branching out of a pure Indian, south Indian, and Asian diaspora of consumers in the UAE and the US, the product now has a global presence. Having successfully established craftsmanship in Basmati, KRBL Ltd. has diversified into bringing India’s regional aromatic rice varieties (such as Jeerakashala, Sona Masoori, etc.) to the world. Putting into perspective public health and nutrition, KRBL launched India Gate quinoa, flaxseed, chia seed, amaranth seed, and rice bran oil. Today the company has a thriving health offering portfolio. Every employee comes to work each day with the collective vision that maximum consumers worldwide start their day with India Gate and end their day with it.

Coping with COVID The foundation of KRBL values was put to the test when COVID-19 struck took the world by absolute surprise.

Even though they were advised to stay at home, employees stayed high purpose ensuring goods reached the last mile customers. Passionate and exuberant, they were committed to delivering excellence. As a leader, Priyanka felt privileged to witness this beyond purpose delivery. The tough time also brought into the spotlight micro episodes of leadership as people kept the momentum high. On the eighth day during the lockdown, people came back to the grind at the plant, following the COVID protocols of checking temperatures, distancing socially, and doing the needful in case anyone showed symptoms. She believes mental well-being is a shared initiative, and the plant heads stepped up to help ease emotional upheaval amongst employees. The team came out of COVID more robust, collective, and composed. In Priyanka’s opinion, the pandemic brought about catastrophic changes not just within the organization but also beyond them. “The investment in human capital has largely bridged the gap between pay disparity from more gender-balanced companies and countries into businesses in countries where

Gratified, she shares that although she has never traveled in a private jet, her brand India Gate has, when it was airlifted from India for the Middle East Emir’s event in the UK

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this large gap still exists, but COVID has pulled this agenda back by a few years, bringing into question again the division of labor." She holds the firm opinion that the post COVID world needs to rebalance the gender equation with renewed purpose and result. With a business of the scale such as KRBL Ltd., every day brings with it challenges of the scale of a similar measure. On a personal front, Priyanka deployed cyclist Lance Armstrong’s mantra of 'put your head down and paddle away', blocking the noise. Although building conviction was particularly hard for her, she was sure that performance triumphs over prejudice. “Contrary to popular belief that the middle east is a patriarchal society, I remember many stories of prominent local Arab families in GCC that have stood by my side, making the vision of India Gate come true,” gleams Priyanka. This acceptance and support proves that stereotypes are untrue. While larger sectoral government-led challenges like pesticide resolutions presented themselves, a graver problem of food safety started turning increasingly into a negotiation point for trade concessions between countries. This, she expresses, is rather unfortunate. The journey of the business is also routinely marred with several such external issues, which the team firefights with factual data, research, resilience, and grace.

Leading by Example Any organizational structure needs to have exceptional leadership in combating problems from COVID to

“Good leadership involves swinging from one branch to another. The art lies in understanding when to let go,” states Priyanka.

A Part of the Cosmic Canvas

With parents Anil and Preeti Mittal

Good leadership involves swinging from one branch to another. The art lies in understanding when to let go internal challenges and those pertaining to external government policies. According to Priyanka, leadership is a function of how you respond to circumstances. “Being an equanimist in success and failure is the mark of a true leader,” she quotes from the Bhagavad Gita. According to her, while tasting failure and constant reinvigoration of self is essential for long-term success, she deems complacency as suicidal. She also believes that to identify the pitfalls, one must form an internal group within the organization whose only job is to try and destroy you with intellectual honesty, constructive dissent, and contra views before someone from outside the firm attempts to do it. That way, you will stay ahead of the game. “Appreciate legacy, stay agile and observe trends inside and outside the organization,” she implores to young leaders stating that critical thinking is vital for a leader. Driven by intellectual critique, it is crucial to be brutally honest and expect the same from the team. Not surrounding oneself with those who echo your thoughts, a leader must never be afraid of questions, suggestions. S/he must empower and

encourage people who have cogent and credible feedback. Her advice to entrepreneurs is to be always unique with their service or product offering; being merely efficient in pricing and similar in operating dynamics, ideas, disruptions, tweaks is unsustainable. She also believes that the timing of actualizing ideas, executing them flawlessly, and constantly refining them is everything. She states, “make a business move when the consumer doesn’t need it, and it’ll get no traction.” Consciously agile, she believes that once utility value is established, it is important to pivot around the offering to stay relevant. Expressing her concerns over a mindset that starts a business only to sell it, she believes that only purpose-led businesses last in the long run. Profit and revenue is a by-product of the intent and fades out if not purpose aligned. She also believes that good leadership is about making oneself redundant and focusing on succession planning. Given her vast experience, she believes institutionalizing the business is of paramount importance.

Having dedicated her life to enhancing the quality of Indian agriculture through KRBL, she hopes to dedicate a hundred percent of her time to focus on the struggle of attaining food sustainability. A patron of several causes, Priyanka has, over the years, come to a deeper spiritual understanding that she is neither the doer nor the observer. She is an instrument, a vector entrusted with a task and the karmic responsibility to dedicate to it fully. She is mindful of her position in the vastness of the universe and believes she has enough faculties to fulfill her part of the cosmic mandate. She stands tall as a flag bearer, identifying herself as merely a custodian of the future generation. And so, she devotes herself to the impact of everything she can do by not deluding herself into believing she is the doer and controller of the outcomes, and this has been the greatest realization of her journey. While her father and mentor, Anil Mittal, is her constant source of guidance and inspiration, her mother, Preeti Mittal, has played a vital role in keeping her grounded. Her close-knit family is completed by her brother, who handles another unit of the business, and her five-month-old Maltese pup, which has brought her much joy. Recalling her fondest memory so far, Priyanka narrates the story of an elderly woman from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who traveled a thousand kilometers to Dubai to meet her at a GulfFood event. As she came to the stands, the lady kissed her hands and blessed her, for she hadn’t experienced anything like what India Gate had offered to her. The love and respect her brand has gained across the globe remain Priyanka Mittal’s greatest achievement so far. Dedicating herself to sustainability, food safety, and food security for the world, she marches with her team each day, representing the grace of Indian Agriculture globally. ✪ 2 0 2 1 — J U LY — ASPIRE

INTERVIEW

ashion speaks before you’ve said a word.” - Luminita Rizescu is an embodiment of the phrase. A lawyer by profession, she has seen every type of case under the sun, but cases linked to design and fashion have a special place in her heart, given her penchant for style and couture. One might think these fields are as different as chalk and cheese - for Luminita, they blend like the river into the vast sea. Luminita’s mother, a vivacious persona herself, was overjoyed to have a daughter with whom she could share her passion for beauty, dress up, and the finery of fashion. Raised in communist Romania, she fondly remembers her simple childhood, ‘no Instagram’ as she succinctly puts it, playing hide and seek, training hard at gymnastics, sometimes up to 4 hours a day, all while keeping her nose to the grindstone at school. A few years after pursuing engineering in Fine Mechanics and Tools, she studied law about the same time as her brother, drawn by her interest in the field and her desire to help people.

In the bylanes of business Luminita has an indubitable entrepreneurial instinct, fostered in a newly minted democratic Romania. After the revolution, investors flooded the place, and business was booming. Students were encouraged to seek internships, form startups, and help local businesses with paperwork to gain approval from the authorities. The revolution opened up a formerly cordoned society. Luminita started in commercial fashion, designing a fur collection in China. When she came to Dubai, her furs made their segue to the ramp at the International Fashion Week. The year after, she went ahead to create creations of fur on abaya, combining Middle East with European flair, which was received enthusiastically by local fashionistas. It was instinctual for her to combine her passion for law and fashion into a meld of its own. “When you have a passion or a hobby, you bring your energy to it,” she says matter of factly. Luminita has an impressive legal career. She headed a law firm in Romania and has represented before the Supreme Court. In Dubai, she is among the top brass at ‘Al Safar and Partners’ as a senior

Lawyer en vogue Luminita Rizescu is a curious one, an experienced professional with her roots in Romania, her acumen in law, and her spirit in fashion. Qiraat Attar chats with the wise and golden-hearted lawyer about copyright laws, practicing in the UAE, and what it means to be a small brand in the bright and bold world of fashion 32

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Intellectual Property is one of the biggest issues in the market because people are not aware of their rights and responsibilities 2 0 2 1 — J U LY — ASPIRE

INTERVIEW

legal consultant. While highly accomplished today, the beginning was not without its challenges; UAE law is different from European or US law. When she began practicing, she had to translate her knowledge and understanding to the local rules. Fashion law has its own diversity. “The spectrum sees all kinds of people - small industries, retailers, designers, all concerned with their rights. Sometimes, the big brands come as well. Intellectual Property is one of the biggest issues in the market because people are not aware of their rights and responsibilities. A lot of people approach me, trying to get answers.” Luminita is quick to advise. “First, protect your brand. And not just in fashion, but any business,” she clears. One of her clients is a make-up artist who de-

While established or legacy brands like Louis Vuitton or Chanel have throwaway budgets for strategy, marketing, advertising, and legal protection, smaller brands do not have this luxury

veloped a range of make-up brushes. On Luminita’s counsel, her first order of business was to get trademark registration for her signature brushes. Now, it is safely protected under the Intellectual Property legislation. Several of her clients are safeguarded thanks to this simple advice.

What’s real, what’s fake No matter the brand’s size, any brand’s image and earnings can be destroyed because of counterfeiting. At the outset, it may seem like headlining a fashion show or showcasing your collection on an international ramp spells success. In reality, it’s hardly that simple. After the showcase comes the tricky part when you hope your product will sell in markets. Being purchased right out of the collection is very rare, so it needs to be bought by stores as consignments. This exposure brings the risk of counterfeiting. If the designer has neglected using intellectual property rights to safeguard their creations, they cannot sue the miscreants for liability in the event of theft. Regardless of the size of the brand, everyone needs protection from such counterfeiters; hence copyright law is a must to make them bulletproof. Smaller brands also need to be aware of their unique challenges. While established or legacy brands like Louis Vuitton or Chanel have throwaway budgets for strategy, marketing, advertising, and legal protection, smaller brands do not have this luxury. Their small scale and relative anonymity require them to stay extra alert regarding avoiding legal pitfalls. Luminita has seen many changes and morphs in the fashion business over her 20 years of practice as a lawyer. In the last decade, fashion has seen a global revolution, attracting progress, diversity, and gender neutrality into its fold. Despite her hectic schedule, she is concurrent with fashion trends and developments around the world. The fashion industry has made over 1.4 trillion dollars since 2014 and created over 700,000 jobs, which is incredible for an industry as diverse, creative, and unpredictable as this. This has caught the interest of the legal community to protect the rights of new creators of authentic fashion. “The global market did amazing business, even in the pandemic,” she reveals. Emerging markets such as Europe and Asia, as well as online business, saw a meteoric rise. The restrictions on people’s movement and artistic expression forced many to create their best work, leading to a renaissance of sorts in the field of art.

An outcry for accountability Public consciousness creates a push for more accountability from brands, even major ones who escape due to their clout and recognition in

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the fashion world. Watchdog organizations have brought the retribution of such fashion labels. ‘Diet Prada’ was an Instagram account established by two then-anonymous founders, who in 2017 were revealed to be well-known fashion professionals Tony Liu and Lindsey Schuyler. While initial content was often satirical and light-hearted, the account became a more serious voice in campaigning for integrity and accountability within the fashion industry, against cultural appropriation and lack of diversity in glamour circles. Every artist - whether a designer, photographer, or author should know that when they do not register their patent or trademark, it leaves them exposed to risk. In the event of plagiarism, which could happen by either a competitor or a big brand as well, a trademark or copyright means that there are weapons with which your lawyer can fight your battle. Without them, the lawyer and the client are in hot water. Luminita explains that in several cases, even hard proof such as pictures, witnesses, dates, etc., does not amount to much without the original designer owning the copyright. It is easier with trademark certificates, intellectual property certificates, which Luminita stresses for the protection and security of her clients.

Getting fluent in legalese What would she advise those just starting out in fashion? “If you start a business, you need two people for sure - a lawyer and an accountant.” Consulting a lawyer at the very outset safeguards small and local artisans from legal trouble down the road. Her issue is that people delay coming for legal recourse, which makes matters complicated. “People do not come in the beginning. They only come when they have a problem. Very few come when they haven’t fallen in jeopardy.” What she means is, before drawing up terms such as tenancy contracts or advertising contracts with media companies for promotional activities, make sure you have a lawyer present. The object being shared between the two parties should be very clearly specified. The other aspect is that of legal fees. Depending on the rules of the Dubai court, number of arbitrators, government fees, and other taxes, the fees can vary wildly. Many retailers and small businesses do not understand these specifics. Sometimes due to the legal fees involved, the minor party cannot even afford to start the lawsuit. If they choose arbitration in Dubai court, it could be afforded, but the lack of awareness coupled with meager finances could spell doom. All this could be avoided with timely and basic legal counsel. The business should not stress about legal literacy; they should instead focus on the right advice from the right source.

I am a Supreme court lawyer in my country, and I like combat Luminita is also quick to dispel some myths about lawyers. Contrary to popular belief, a wise lawyer will look to settle more than anything else, seeking amicable resolution. “In a fight, there are casualties,” she cautions. More damage can be avoided by assessing the situation. Not that winning isn’t important. “I am a Supreme court lawyer in my country, and I like combat,” she quips. But based on her colossal knowledge, experience, and strategy, if there is a way to settle on her client’s terms, she will always try her best to make it happen for the client’s benefit. “When it comes to my client’s freedom, his kids, his fortune, or his estate, it’s about treating the client and his matter as the most important thing. I give my 100% to my client”, she affirms. On the personal front, Luminita radiates contentment. Both her sons have inherited her penchant for law, with one having completed his law degree and the other just starting at Middlesex University in Dubai. She mentions that she often receives calls from strangers, women in need, and mothers without support who reach out to her, hapless and desperate. She chooses empathy over apathy, going above and beyond to help them. Some of her passion projects include collaborating as a legal consultant for Said Omari’s Paris publication ‘Magazine Style’, writing blog pieces and articles to educate people about legality in fashion, and representing top end clients from around the world, including Bollywood biggies from India, and the high-end men’s skincare brand ‘The Art of Shaving’ from New York. “Darling, I’ll tell you what, I don’t have goals anymore!” she laughs and says, but we think she’s passionate enough for a few more big wins coming her way. Safe to say, this lawyer has her plate full. J 2 0 2 1 — J U LY — ASPIRE

INTERVIEW

Learning at your fingertips FAISAL IBRAHIM, Founder, Brainciti, speaks to Bindu Gopal Rao about how digital learning is the way forward and the key to unlocking both online and offline opportunities

he started a coffee shop in 2013 at Abu Dhabi along with a few friends, but it tanked miserably within eight months, costing Faisal a lot of money. He worked in a job for another four years, opting to finally focus on entrepreneurship with his maiden venture RealiantBiz Consulting, in 2017. “It would take a few years before it started making good money, so in 2018 I launched Sama Hydraulics and another Consulting company in collaboration. Three businesses meant I gained more experience, but there was also intense pressure.” He then co-started Aaffari Corporate Services in 2019, but it was COVID-19 that proved to be the turning point, changing his perspective towards entrepreneurship.

Talk the Walk

n a career spanning just over a decade, Faisal Ibrahim has worked across different business lines and has created a niche for himself in the increasingly competitive space of online learning with ‘Brainciti’, which focuses on gradual transformation in people by inculcating discipline and a growth mindset.

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A Decade of Growth A native of Kerala, Faisal came to Dubai in 2010 after his MBA and started his career in the UAE as a legal consultant with Adam Consulting. Moving to Kerry Group, he gained experience in different departments, including human resources and administration. Harboring dreams of being an entrepreneur someday,

Faisal asked himself, “Why not do something I love,” and kickstarted an online community ‘Empowerment Talks’ with his friend, Yash Rawat. “I always wanted to speak and touch people’s lives for which I had joined TGIS Toastmaster Club which laid the foundation for things to come. Despite the progress, I always felt something lacking. But as we started interviewing people online, we got into the heart of the conversation, and things fell into place. These talks gave me a lot of enthusiasm and happiness,” says Faisal. Around the same time, they started the ‘5 AM Club’ alongside ‘Empowerment Talks’. “We’d invite coaches, business leaders, speakers, and trainers from around the world and do interviews. Speakers in the past include names like Pawan Aggarwal (the famed Mumbai Dabbawalla), Jeeveshu Ahluwalia (Stand-up Comedian), and Kautilya Pandit better known as the ‘Google Boy’. On the 100th episode of Empowerment Talks, we received a special congratulatory message from Mr. Shashi Tharoor appreciating the efforts we are putting in empowering people during covid times. We also started ‘The Bookery Show’ where authors and writers told their stories of how they wrote the book and explored the content of their book,” explains Yash.

By then Anil Thomas had joined their team as Head of Operations. Towards the end of 2020, the team noticed a gap in the market and brainstormed to start an online learning platform making transformational education easily affordable to millions of lives. They applied at In5 startup incubator and bootstrapped the funds to set up the business in Dubai. This is how ‘Brainciti’ came into being with a vision to impact and inspire people to empower themselves.

Digital Cues Faisal Ibrahim and his troupe were consummate multitaskers, with the initial core team of five members and 100+ volunteers working on a variety of concepts, flagging off several shows and courses in parallel. Incidentally, the ‘5 AM Club’ is influenced by Robin Sharma’s book by the same name. Yash points out that there were many practices that Sharma mentions in the book that they were putting into practice in the morning show. He continues, “We created a ‘fear of missing out’ so if a person did not attend, they would feel like they were skipping an opportunity. Soon we started expanding and would do backto-back events, with over 3500 people have attended so far from India, UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Saudi. All of this was happening free of charge which still continues. These communities are still running strong because there is a sense of purpose.” There are over 100,000 collective minutes of content churned out so far and everyday 200+ people connect to their sessions online. The technological aspect is handled by Stephen Venansious who brings in his expertise as a techie to ensure the smooth functioning of the sessions. There have been cancer survivors who have volunteered on the platform sharing their stories of hope, such as the power of constructive collaboration. Nayana Shaiju, 5 AM Club and Operations Lead at Brainciti, adds, “5 AM is now like family, and there is a kind of excitement about the lives of other members, for instance, when people share pictures of birthdays being celebrated in their homes. We

From (L to R): Yash Rawat, Anil Thomas, Santosh D’Souza, Nayana Shaiju, Faisal Ibrahim, Stephen Antony, Fahnas Mohamed

“It’s a volume game for us as we want to have more people join, and even with lower dollar values, we can still make some profit.” have people from eight to eighty years of age, and it’s unbelievable the camaraderie we witness every single day.” Keeping the values intact, they forged a community that empowered people and, in turn, created a community of high achievers. A step further, Entrepreneurs’ Connect was created as a global business referral group to exchange business leads and opportunities for growing business beyond boundaries. Free and open for all to join, members are required to attend the sessions regularly and consistently.

Matters of Education In November 2020, the team shifted gears to online education and worked on their mastermind programs and other e-learning courses. The team is clear that they are in the business of discipline building, habit tracking, and action. The Mastermind program, Young Mastermind for children, the 50X Mastermind Mastermind for Senior Citizens, Coach Mastermind, and Entrepreneurs’ Mastermind are the five flagship programs of Brainciti with 400+ graduates to date. The team has ensured that the pricing is competitive and accessible with flexible payment plans. “We have main-

tained a healthy relationship with our coaches, and we want to build an ecosystem of transformational learning,” says Yash. He adds, “it’s a volume game for us and even with lower dollar values, we can still make some profit.” To ensure the courses are effective, there is a big focus on goal setting and the use of Google sheets to track progress in the Mastermind groups. While most courses are primarily conducted in the morning, evening batches have started in May 2021 to accommodate people who are not early risers. Looking ahead, the vision by 2030 is to enable 100,000 coaches and experts to provide transformational learning around specialized skills, mental health, inspiration, motivation, etc., following a COHORT-based peer-topeer learning education with diversity in students. “Everything we do is live vis-à-vis recorded sessions, so students can clarify doubts immediately, keeping it a two-way conversation, and that involves a lot of operational costs. We are working on developing technologies in this space to create our own AI based training platform, LMS portal and Habit Tracking app” conclude Yash and Faisal quite optimistic about what the future holds. J 2 0 2 1 — J U LY — ASPIRE

FEATURE

Coffee you can bank on

A look at how the world’s best-known coffee brand used loyalty points to gain all sorts of interest

tarbucks is a trademark of American lifestyle and swagger. It is responsible for the image of an archetypical American consumer – coffee-loving, ambitious, always on the move. It’s also firmly embedded in modern culture. For instance, every frame of the movie ‘Fight Club’ has a Starbucks cup in it, a supposed metaphor for American consumerism. But it is more than just a coffee place; inadvertently, Starbucks is also working as a super successful bank, and it’s got traditional banks worried. Anyone can sell coffee, but Starbucks sells you an experience. From the get-go, they were intent on doing things differently. Instead of interiors like a typical American diner, they went for a comforting, homey décor with wooden panels, subdued lighting, and long, accommodating counters. Baristas were trained to make conversation, making friendly banter while making highly customized coffee, just the way you like it. They write your name on the cup, making customers feel special, but often spell it wrong, which gets a laugh out of people. The hashtag #starbucksfail is a fond memorandum of their errors on social media, which ironically has afforded them a ton of free advertising. To maintain the integrity of their brand, they’ve turned down the siren call of franchising – that means they don’t allow independent contractors to independently build, open and run a Starbucks, like McDonald’s or Dunkin Donuts. Every store you see is an original make and model. So, what’s all this about Starbucks being a bank? This uncanny connection comes from one of the brand’s biggest masterstrokes – the Starbucks loyalty program. The program gives customers points for purchases, which can then

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Coffee lovers stocked their Starbucks loyalty cards to the tune of $1.2 billion— more money than some smaller regional US banks have on deposit

be used for future payments for a hot cuppa Joe. It’s a positive feedback cycle, one where the customer feels a part of the Starbucks family. Starbucks identified its pain points and attached its loyalty program to it, effectively outsourcing its issues to its loyal customers. Customer acquisition is expensive, so Starbucks awards points if a customer introduces a friend to Starbucks. The same goes for if a customer visits at a time of low footfall or loads a certain amount of cash in their Starbucks card. It is designed in a way to make you want to earn more points, so you’re always in the loop. These little tasks actually positively reinforce the value of Starbucks in the minds of customers, making it something they can earn instead of just buy. The Starbucks app has risen to one of the most popular rewards apps in the world. As of today, there are about 20 million members part of the rewards program. The brand’s reputation

and quality allow customers to load large amounts of moolah in the app because there is nowhere else they’d rather get their coffee from. Let’s make one thing clear – Starbucks is not a bank. But it is enjoying the benefits of a bank due to the massive amounts of money entrusted with them by its loyal coffee enthusiasts. In the first quarter of 2016 alone, coffee lovers stocked their Starbucks loyalty cards to the tune of $1.2 billion— more money than some smaller regional US banks have on deposit. And unlike banks, which are regulated and can’t do as they please with their money, Starbucks has no such conundrums. Unencumbered by financial regulations, they can invest wholly in advertising, marketing, expansion or redesign, with your money. Essentially, customers are unknowingly providing Starbucks 1 billion dollars in loan at no interest, which is an interesting effect of the system. Of course, all this money will get exchanged for coffee eventually, but there’s much time to make gains before that happens. Starbucks got smart with all this unused capital. In 2013, Starbucks earned $146 million in interest by investing the money customers had loaded onto their prepaid cards. That itself alone is equivalent to 8 percent of its total profits for that year. There are few other businesses that earn revenue without even selling their main product. As per historical data, 10% of the money in the reward wallets and unredeemed cards will never be used—by the customers. In 2015, those unused cards amounted to $39.3 million, equivalent to the profit generated in an entire year by 320 company-owned Starbucks stores. That is, Starbucks has free reign over the unredeemed cash, which goes straight to the cash reserve. All these strategic advances, and all Starbucks needs to keep ready on hand is coffee, not money, because there’s no question of withdrawals. Despite all the theoretical parallels with a bank, it’s still a coffee shop. Given the prosperity of Starbucks, many companies have tried to emulate the model with varying degrees of success. PayPal too, receives money in its wallets, to the tune of $20B, but it has to keep cash in reserve in case a few customers withdraw their cash en masse. Walmart has also tried to use the prepaid gift cards method, although they haven’t been able to gather up as much surplus. They do 20x as much in sales as Starbucks ($500B vs. Starbucks’ $25B) but have a similar amount of gift card cash in its bank ($1.9B). Traditional banks are wary of this upheaval.

Korean bank Hana Financial Group Chairman Kim Jung-tai expressed his concerns, saying that Starbucks was no longer a mere coffee company but an unregulated bank

Korean bank Hana Financial Group Chairman Kim Jung-tai expressed his concerns, saying that Starbucks was no longer a mere coffee company but an unregulated bank. So, with everything already in place, what stops the brand from putting ‘bank’ ahead of its name and making it official? It wouldn’t even be a pioneer, either. In 2019, Capitol One bank had cafes sprouting up, wherein ‘Ambassadors’ help you open bank accounts. Therefore, the cafes are areas people are likely more comfortable going to, which incentivizes consumers to visit their ‘bank’ as well. Starbucks already has a loyal customer base, so if they did decide to go that way, they’d have a huge advantage. This head start that Starbucks has as a crowd favorite is giving traditional bank owners some sleepless nights. But the maximum the coffee chain has advanced in this direction is to create a ‘Starbucks Rewards Visa Credit Card’ in 2016, which allows you to earn stars everywhere, not just Starbucks outlets. In any case, Starbucks is content with being the ‘cool coffee shop’ it is, making moolah and using it to their advantage without the regulatory burdens of a bank. At the end of the day, it is a disservice to call Starbucks either just a coffee shop or a bank. The system here is a blend of deliberate and accidental genius, much like their blended Espresso Frappuccino, determined to stay classic in a time of fleeting trends. J

2 0 2 1 — J U LY — ASPIRE

Speaker, Strategist, Goal-Catalyst

Sabeeh Ghugharia

PRO TALK

Putting the P

BACK INTO PEOPLE Strategies for getting the best out of your people are summed up in this simple yet effective 3P Model

reat leaders go to astonishing lengths to be the best they can be—to perform at the highest possible level every day. They strive to exceed expectations. However, it isn’t enough to make your company a success. Nothing can be achieved alone; you need a team that’s similarly committed to peak performance. One of your duties as a leader is to try to get the very best out of them—as individuals and as a team. Organizations in the business of merely collecting talent often fail at the responsibility of fostering and nurturing talent. One of the most challenging questions organizations face today is how to tap into the true potential of every individual. With organizations growing in size, complexity, and work evolving so rapidly, it is crucial to take time to craft internal policies, guidelines, and put frameworks into place that help guide managers on how to bring the best out of their workforce. It is also vital that such frameworks

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be constantly reviewed for evolution, especially when the business shows an upward graph. In order to achieve this, organizations must develop leaders with influence with a mindset focusing on positive culture and leading by example, displaying the behaviors they would like to see exercised by their staff.

BREAK DOWN VS BUILD-UP A Harvard Business Review study indicates that leaders can be of two different mindsets: Diminishers and Multipliers. Diminishers are authoritative, commanding, and controlling most of the time. Identified as ‘idea killers’ or ‘creativity plugs’, they tend to drain the intelligence and confidence out of their teams. Employees feel overstretched but underutilized. Their workload is an unmoving mountain, yet it’s just ‘busy work’ over meaningful contribution. The people they lead are often sitting on a pile of undermined or underutilized ideas, skills, and interests.

Fundamentally opposite to this is the Multiplier mindset. They feel their job is to bring the right people together in an environment that unleashes their best thinking, then stay out of the way. Leaders with the multiplier mindset operate from a space where they do not consider themselves to have all the intelligence and are active collaborators and delegators. They practice the art of accessing the brains of their teammates with searching questions and spirited debates. They know that when employees are engaged in matters of the company, they’re bought in and feel accountable. Multipliers are not content seeking praise for being a genius; they’ve ascended to being genius-makers. These two mindsets are not an either/ or situation. Instead, managers exist on the diminisher-multiplier continuum, sometimes even acting as accidental diminishers without intending to. The following model of the 3-P strategy creates a guideline for effective strategies that a manager can use depending on the situation or type of individual. These three simple tenets help you re-focus on boosting the highest potential from your team: PUSH: It is said that if you are not pushing your team, you are leaving productivity on the table. Employees may not always know how capable they are, but as a leader, you can take the initiative to shed light on their qualities. However, it is tricky to push your employees. You have to push them to achieve results and boost performance. But if you push them too far, they might get disengaged and quit. Pushing is about motivating people to do better than they think they could. For example, if you want someone to learn a particular skill they are averse to or undertake a task they’re afraid of, you will use the PUSH strategy. PUSH comes from the outside, for you want to build a quality in a person they do not yet possess. While using the PUSH strategy, you might have to play the Diminisher mindset role or Authoritative leadership role.

PULL: Pull is about bringing the best out of people, helping them unearth their potential, pulling out their hidden talents and gifts. It talks of revealing the intrinsic, unleashing what one already has. For instance, encouraging an individual team member to pursue their niche interests that they aspire to do. You use the PULL strategy when you want a team member to soar above the horizon using their dormant skills and capabilities. Sometimes people are stuck due to past experiences, boredom, environmental factors, personal issues, or lack of opportunities. PULL can help reignite their fire and seek to utilize their inner strengths to grab every opportunity they get but feel hesitant about. PATIENCE: We have all heard the phrase ‘patience is a virtue’. Never is it a greater virtue than when dealing with your employees. Being patient requires empathy and a certain level of emotional intelligence. It is not They practice the art of easy to be patient with accessing the brains of their your team members teammates with searching in the face of all the questions and spirited debates pressures of meeting business goals and delivering results, but a multiplier tries nonetheless. Realistically, one cannot expect individuals to bring their A-game all the time. Patience is paramount when your employees are facing tension points. Be on a level with your team where you identify their tension points well in advance. For example, leaders often get frustrated when an employee cannot see what they are envisioning for a particular client, unable to make headway at the task, appearing incompetent or unsure. However, rather than getting frustrated, the leader must keep a level head, focusing on the person’s strengths and guiding them towards a more strategic thought process that’ll get the job done. This may not always be a pleasant encounter. Practicing patience requires one to be a good listener. Our advice Don’t be in a hurry, ask the right questions, opt for discussion over frustrated venting. Good leaders are not born, they are made. With a little common sense and empathy, you too can ensure that you show up as a multiplier, more often than not, one that leads with spirit and kindness. A leader like this will find his team going the extra mile to meet the standards set by them. ✪ SABEEH CAN BE REACHED AT drsab.isin@gmail.com 2 0 2 1 — J U LY — ASPIRE

Transformation Program Expert

Adil Hosgor

PRO TALK

Measuring

THE INTANGIBLE

Quality is a critical success factor for all kinds of business and a great challenge for many experts and business leaders. Here are some frameworks that can help you measure this all important aspect

y last article highlighted how to achieve Service Excellence and Customer Delight, the elusive holy grail of organizations! And if you missed it, then a quick recap - it is generally believed (academics, practitioners, etc.) that the customer perception or experience determines if service excellence has been achieved. There is so much more to it than that, so get last month’s edition of the magazine; it’s all there! The next logical step is to figure out how to measure Quality, as focusing on Quality and underpinning everything you do with high standards also leads to Service Excellence

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and Customer Delight (seriously, read the last month’s article!). In fact, Quality is a critical success factor in all service, product, operational, transformation, innovation initiatives and should be a key focus throughout the whole lifecycle of all your activities, yet trying to measure Quality is still a great challenge for many experts and business leaders. As I have done with all my articles (yep, those that you missed!), I will highlight and identify the key frameworks and tools available to help you understand and choose which framework (or bits of all) you can use to measure Quality and evidence your output as being of high Quality!

Context is everything Let’s start with a quote, “if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” Most of you would have heard this one, but it has been incorrectly attributed to Peter Drucker, then misattributed to Dr. W. Edwards Deming, one of the leading Gurus of Total Quality Management. His actual quote is, “It is wrong to suppose that if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it – a costly myth.” – W. Edwards Deming, The New Economics. So, you can see the subtle difference, but the subtle difference makes a world of difference! It would take more than two pages to go into all the factors and elements that you can measure to assess ‘Quality’, but I will highlight the key frameworks so that you can (I hope) dig deeper into the black hole that is ‘Measuring Quality’. Because there is and cannot be a one-sizefits-all approach, each domain “leans” in a particular direction. Most of the founders of Total Quality Management leaned towards Customer Satisfaction being a key measure of Quality; however, some of them leaned more towards standardization of product/service and continuous improvement as the key determinant of a Quality offering. These slight differences in opinion then mean that how you measure Quality will differ, and the tools or factors you use to measure Quality have to be fit for purpose and relevant to your field! So as always, Context is King (not the framework). Again, do not get stuck on the academics or the framework of measuring Quality. Mix and match to choose a process that is fit for purposes. These frameworks are there to help and guide, not constrain you. The various variables, factors, and dimensions involved in getting the service or product to the customer (the end of the journey, where Quality is judged by the customer), means that to ‘Measure Quality’, you have to have measurement and evaluation processes in place throughout a service or product lifecycle - stages such as requirement analysis, design, delivery, and implementation.

Paving the road to Quality To make your lives easier, I have put together some of the key frameworks available to use that help measure Quality, so please review them at your leisure. There is of course the ISO 9001 family, which is one of the most widely known Quality Management Systems. The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) is the most popular tool for performance measuring; its principle is to measure Financial (lagging)

and Non-financial (leading indicators) using four key indicators (Customer, Learning and Growth, Internal Business Processes, and Financials). Kirkpatrick’s model is still one of the most popular tools to evaluate training and training Quality, from the Trainees, the Trainers, and the Transfer of knowledge to the real-world perspective; this is also the most popular tool used for the measurement of Training quality. SERVQUAL is seen as the most “commonly” used Service Quality Scale. The principle is to identify and measure the ‘gap’ between customer expectation and customer experience. This is realized by measuring the five dimensions, namely Tangibles, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, and Empathy. SERVPERF is a model that Cronin and Taylor (1992) designed by enhancing the SERVQUAL quality measurement tool to evaluate 11 elements (half of the SERVQUAL elements) across the same five dimensions of SERVQUAL; SERVPERF elements focus on the output of Performance (rather than perceived and expected delivery). As you can see, there are many frameworks available, and they keep getting improved upon (standing on the shoulders of giants!). It’s very easy to spend a lot of time, energy, and money on researching and implementing Quality Management frameworks, and it’s very easy to get it wrong. Keep it simple, identify precisely what your output will be, and work backward from there, ensuring you can measure it throughout the lifecycle, and you will be in a strong position to end up with something that is of high Quality, and you can be guaranteed of it! ✪

Keep it simple, identify precisely what your output will be, and work backward from there, ensuring you can measure it throughout the lifecycle, and you will be in a strong position

ADIL HOSGOR CAN BE REACHED AT adilhosgor@gmail.com 2 0 2 1 — J U LY — ASPIRE

The Entrepreneur’s 101

WAY TO GO

PRO TALK

hey say it takes a village to raise a child. To nurture a business with the right foundation and value system is no different. One person can kickstart a business, but without the right network, growth is a myth. Every successful business is backed by a support network, and the same applies to entrepreneurs. To make the best out of one’s resources and grow the business, connection, communication, and inspiration are vital. The defining trait of an entrepreneur is the ability to take action. But some requirements beget action – self-belief, the courage to make the first move, and persistence to stay the course.

Certified family coach

Jasmine Navarro

With all the entrepreneurial jargon out there, here’s the lowdown on the necessities every business owner needs to do

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Several entrepreneurs start with a great deal of passion but underestimate how crucial strategy and consistency can be. At the very outset, clarity of the mission statement and creating a desirable product offer or service is elemental. But that’s just for starters. One of the most relevant elements of a strategy is to build a strong network. After all, how will people discover your business and develop an affinity if not for a network? People buy from people, those they know and like. Creating value, building trust, and engagement are key. We explore some basic tips herein that are common sense but often get lost in the din of entrepreneurial wisdom. Let’s dive in!

The “Know-Like-Trust” factor This is the quick 1-2-3 of offering a product or service, and it is unshakeable. No matter your quality, if your product is unknown, the unfamiliarity raises distrust, and that is pretty much a death knell. Fortunately, the converse is simple to achieve in this era. Being visible has never been easier. Entrepreneurs need to zero in on a platform that resonates with them and where their message is best heard. Facebook, Instagram, Club House are all platforms that offer innumerable ways to build a network and engage with one’s target market. Some of these ways include taking part in live conversations with other experts or offering Q&A sessions which bolsters the “know-like-trust” factor. Finding ways to connect, collaborate, communicate and add value to other experts ensures that your collaboration helps both parties find prospective clients. For instance, LinkedIn offers hosting webinars, uploading podcasts, and even pre-recording videos with subtitles. Its reach is well documented among professionals, recruiters, and laymen alike. Being entrepreneurial is all about talking to the audience. This is key!

Birds of a feather Finding your flock is so important in terms of both customers and those on the same growth journey as you. A systematic approach to finding these people needs time and diligence. It may seem painstakingly slow, but business is nothing but unwavering patience. An initial connection online or in a formal setting such as a seminar or workshop may not convert into a collaboration or reliable contact in every case. However, it’s still important to put out enough feelers. Staying persistent even when you’re not seeing results is what makes a businessman. Once the connection is established, it’s time to get to know them personally and professionally. Continuous follow-up will ensure the relationship will grow in a mutually beneficial manner. Many entrepreneurs fail here and lose leads that could have become clients or even mentors in the long run.

The 3 C’s of Adding Value The 3 C’s of Adding Value are Connecting, Collaborating, and Communicating relevant content that adds direct value to one’s network. The world evolves fast and unpredictably, so keeping your content consistently relevant is tricky. It makes sense to test different content and ‘rinse-and-repeat’ the content pieces that show the best performance. Being entrepreneurial needs one to ‘Think BIG’. No one wants to hear from an expert who does not share their valuable expertise. It is important to get out there, position oneself as the go-to solution person. This can be achieved by having a blog, a podcast, or both! It takes a lot of time, effort, and energy to establish all these, but once the framework is in place, a cadence for producing content is set. However, ‘trial and error’ or making copious amounts of content does not excuse a compromise on quality to prevent being perceived as a spammer. That may backfire and put one’s credibility as a professional and expert at risk. Focus on showing up as an expert who helps resolve problems. Provide easy access to connecting and finding the solutions they are looking for.

Are you part of the solution? People remember solutions rather than problems. You can infer from the rise of motivational speakers, or authors of self-help and wellness literature, that you need to have a knack for sensing a problem even when it is not widely discussed and position yourself as the person that offers solutions.

Staying persistent even when you’re not seeing results is what makes a businessman

Be a specific expert for a niche requirement. Being the jack of all trades may work initially, but it is not a sustainable strategy. When people see your niche expertise, you will gain their trust, leading them to want your guidance! Many entrepreneurs dwell on why their service is the best, talking about themselves far too much. No one cares about that. People care about what one can do to help them and create the solutions they need. It is important to focus on the expected outcome rather than wax eloquent about your expertise or abilities.

The best things are free ‘The baker’s dozen is a sales move that established instantaneous bonds in the previous generation and is the most unfailing business strategy in the book. Being generous and sharing free content pays off, for instance, offering a free e-book or giving away a useful brochure based on one’s expertise. Free or bonus content gives potential clients a taste of one’s offering, which can evoke interest in getting more of it. What’s more, it establishes the creator’s supremacy since there’s definitely more where that came from, or you wouldn’t be giving anything for free!

Word of mouth A ten-word testimonial creates more impact than a hundred-word flowery description you wrote about your own service. It helps to come across as trustworthy, reliable and a popular choice vetted by other people, a must when you are just building credibility. Sharing client experiences, publishing testimonials, and talking about benefits and real stories are key to build one’s network, being heard, and being relevant. This is a recipe that will definitely step up your networking game. Read it, analyze it, make it your own, remember reading is just step one - the defining trait of an entrepreneur is the ability to take action. ✪ JASMINE NAVARRO CAN BE REACHED AT jasmine@withnava.com 2 0 2 1 — J U LY — ASPIRE

INTERVIEW SERVICE COMMUNITY

Bridging the Gulf

Anne Edmondson is making an enormous difference through her high-impact organisation Gulf for Good. She is proof that good can happen if you want it strongly enough

harting a path for the livelihoods of generations to come, Gulf for Good has been at the forefront of working tirelessly for good through its slew of charity projects and fund-raising. From reaching out and brightening the lives of children world-over to empowering people to change their lives, here is an organization lighting up lives, one initiative at a time. As the powerful saying of the revolutionary Winston Churchill goes, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” These virtues of giving back and being the light for those whose lives are engulfed in darkness drives Gulf for Good (G4G), a non-profit charity organization and its people. From fund-raising to charity projects towards building and expanding housing and educational facilities for orphaned Tanzanian children, weather-resistant school facilities for children in the mountainous regions of Peru, to eco-friendly homes and farms for children in Nepal, G4G’s remarkable contribution towards causes definitely tugs at heartstrings! At the helm of driving this is Anne Edmondson, Chairwoman, Gulf for Good, who has devoted a lifetime to work for the greater good.

A different kind of adventure Anne shares that living in the UAE and bringing up her family here, she wanted her children to understand the privilege that the incredible country carries with it. For many years, she would choose alternative adventures for family holidays, always incorporating charity or community work on their travels. “Our children have helped to build homes in Cambodia with Habitat for Humanity, have helped rescue turtles and mucked out in the elephant sanctuary in Srilanka, engaged with disadvantaged kids in Nepal, to name a few,” she remarks. Her journey started when the opportunity arose to go on a Gulf for Good challenge with a friend to raise funds

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She would choose alternative adventures for family holidays, always incorporating charity or community work on their travels

for an orphanage in Nepal, and she signed up immediately. Little did she know that this challenge, which involved hiking the Annapurna Circuit and crossing the highest pass in the world, would change the direction of her life forever. “I came off that mountain completely invigorated, empowered to take on more. If I could achieve this challenge, what else was I capable of? Not only this, but meeting the children who benefited

from our fundraising efforts was deeply moving. I wanted to do more, to get more involved, to be somehow a bigger part of this amazing charity: I was hooked!” she reminisces. Since then, Anne has been part of many community and corporate challenges, visited and supported numerous Gulf for Good projects, worked as the charity director of the organization for several years before taking on what she exclaims as her biggest and best challenge as Chairwoman.

Weathering the storms

The organization is launching its first-ever challenge to Kyrgyzstan next month

According to her, the turning point of it all really was that despite the pandemic throwing challenges of various dimensions at Gulf for Good, the organization weathered that storm by being adaptable and restrategized themselves by launching various virtual fun events diversifying its activities. “Before Covid-19, Gulf for Good’s model as a non-profit organization had been to raise awareness and much-needed funding for grassroots projects in the developing world by taking people on adventure challenges. However, the pandemic caused us to take a hard look at ourselves: how were we to continue to support the children we had committed to help when all travel opportunities were closed? Covid threatened not only our ability to give, but our sustainability was also in jeopardy,” Anne shares. In an effort to mitigate the risk and continue to do the good work, the organization then set off on a new course- they not only launched a new brand of virtual challenges, including the now Annual Virtual Burj Khalifa Climb challenge but also diversified the activities to offer other opportunities to raise those much-needed funds.

Shining on Today, Gulf for Good is a more dynamic organization: increasingly open to alternative means of fundraising, committed to expanding its outreach to support children worldwide. A proud Anne remarks, “I have no doubt that our charity has benefited from lateral thinking through our recent circumstances. Our community has really come together, and we are in a better position financially than before the pandemic through the launches of these new approaches.” As the world slowly begins to re-open and Gulf for Good is able to take on more international challenges safely,

it is now launching its new shorter charity challenges, with further corporate activities in the pipeline. “We are also launching a new volunteer charity challenge, with a deeper focus on working on one of our projects and making a practical difference to the lives of the children, in addition to our regular adventure challenges,” Anne reveals. The organization is launching its first-ever challenge to Kyrgyzstan next month, taking 25 like-minded UAE residents on a hiking challenge to raise funds for SOS children’s villages in Kyrgyzstan. Anne shares that both her parents have been hugely influential in her life, instilling in her siblings and her the importance of giving back and insisting on treating everyone fairly. “That value system fostered by my parents and my own faith in a loving God has been the backbone of my life and given me the desire to do good where I can. Gulf for Good is the embodiment of all that I hold dear, and I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to serve. Ultimately, it is the children I’ve met at the various initiatives we support who are the real inspiration,” she asserts. While there have been reams of examples that have had a profound impact on the organization’s noteworthy contributions towards the society and only keep them going upwards and onwards, Anne narrates of one that she was deeply moved by. It was when the Gulf for Good team had been trekking in Morocco, climbing Mount Toubkal, to raise funds for a local charity, Education for All- a charity that supports girls in the mountainous regions who would not otherwise be able to go to secondary school. Here the G4G team met Zahira and Hajar, who were the first girls in their villages to go to secondary school and university. As Zahira said, “We want to be successful women who can then choose our own husband when we are ready to get married. The essence of Gulf for Good is that, by challenging yourself, not only do you help others, but you yourself are empowered to be a better you: fitter, stronger and hopefully spreading more kindness in the world,” says Anne with an air of finality. ✪ 2 0 2 1 — J U N E — ASPIRE

CR E- ‫٭‬

R&R

ST & R

RE S T &

N-

R E AT I O

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CELEB TALK TRAVELS HEALTH EXPLORE HOBBIES

STARDOM WITH A PINCH OF

SALT Arvind Rajasekhar takes a bite into the zany and surreal world of Salt Bae and his brand of gourmet entertainment

he year was 2017 and a seemingly ordinary video featuring an oddly styled chef (what with Morpheus-styled goggles from The Matrix, a run-of-the-mill white tee, slicked back hair like some New York based Mafioso) caught the imagination of the world. The video on Instagram had a perfectly normal carving knife gliding through an apparent medium-rare Ottoman steak, definitely not an uncommon sight in the world of steak houses. But it was the very end of the video that was a cocktail of bizarre, surreal, and downright quirky. The chef in question, Nusret Gökçe, took a pinch of old-school white salt and peppered the video with quintessential magic. The unique way in which he twisted his wrist and

sprinkled the salt, rumbling down his forearm and onto the meat below, changed the course of gourmet history. Folks on the internet lost their minds. Overnight, memes graduated from silly cats and Kanye West to culinary oddities, and the world found its Salt Bae. Fast forward to 2021, a lot has changed in the world. Memes have gone from being social media side shows to being the mainstay of everyday conversation on Whatsapp and Telegram. A pandemic has put the fear of cold, cough, and oxygen saturation in the minds of adult humans around the planet. Restaurants, businesses, hospitality, tourism, travel, entertainment, gastronomy have all lost their sheen on a globe forced to stay indoors. But one thing continues to defy the norms of common logic.

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R&R / celeb talk Salt Bae and his one trick wonder continue to enthrall the legions of the gourmet kingdom. For the uber elite, Nusr-Et, Salt Bae’s franchise of fine dine restaurants (erm steak houses, not really) are the go-to place in 18 cities around the world. While many in the hospitality business are downing their shutters, Nusr-Et continues to bask in the glory of its creator. The numbers on his Insta followers continue to swell as the lines between palette and palate get blurred beyond comprehension.

the age of 27, Gökçe opened his maiden restaurant in Istanbul, named after himself - Nusr-Et (cue, a narcissistic genius of branding, yes and no. ET in Turkish translates to meat, and Nusret is in the business of steaks, so did we say genius branding?). Legend has it that the modest restaurant in the Turkish capital became a fan favorite not so much for the quality of meat, but for the friendly nature of service by its humble 10-man staff. At the head of this team was the charismatic Nusret, regaling his customers with his showmanship. Under the patronage of Turkish billionaire Ferit Sahenk and his good friend Mithat Erdem, Gökçe was able to expand the Nusr-Et steakhouse franchise to Ankara, Doha, and Dubai. (Fun fact: In 2019, Sahenk, Erdem, and Gökçe were hopeful that the Nusr-Et brand would be evaluated at $ 1 billion, with the three partners hoping to off-load stakes in the business and invite public investment.) Once he had reached international shores, Salt Bae never looked back. The high point came on January 7, 2017, when Gökçe posted that 36-second video on Twitter and Instagram, and the rest is history. (FYI: As of July 2021, that viral video from 2017 has 16.9 million views on Insta, plus Nusret has 36 million followers.)

Branding to reach the big league

Gökçe capitalized on the people’s hunger for entertainment and dished out his signature salt flex move only for those customers who ordered the expensive $130 steak in his restaurant History behind the histrionics The bossman at Nusr-Et, Gökçe was born in abject poverty to Faik and Fatma in Erzurum, Turkey. With his father earning a hard living in mining, Nusret was forced to drop out of school and work with a butcher in Istanbul. The world of meat carving caught his fancy and he landed in a country that’s known as one of the world’s largest producers of beef, Argentina. Honing his trade and skill in the restaurants of the football and meat-crazed nation, Nusret returned to Turkey a rejuvenated and revived man. His interest had diversified from cutting, chopping, and pounding meat, to curating and cooking it. So at

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On January 9, 2017, fresh off the success of his latest single 24K Magic, Bruno Mars shared Nusret’s already viral video on Twitter, and suddenly the eccentric chef was launched into the stratosphere of social media stardom. His video was circulated everywhere; screen grabs of the angled elbow and snowflake-esque salt became the template of many a meme. Suddenly the spotlight was on the newest Internet sensation, Salt Bae. (The word Bae saw a meteoric rise to fame in 2014 after the rather innocuous single by Miley Cyrus and Pharell called ‘Come Get It Bae’, released.) He was famous but all that popularity still had to be translated into the restaurant business. And you’d trust Nusret to rely on his streetwise lessons picked up in Buenos Aires. Gökçe capitalized on the people’s hunger for entertainment and dished out his signature salt flex move only for those customers who ordered the expensive $130 steak in his restaurant. Forget playing to the gallery, NusrEt was the gallery and Gökçe was the artiste. Just like the most successful art creators, there was a strong commercial science behind the gimmick. Nusret would ensure his table side shenanigans would always conclude in less than a minute, giving his connoisseurs the perfect short clip to share on social media and add to Salt Bae hashtags. In a world of bullish economics, the knife-wielding odd-ball had monetized time and effort.

No publicity is bad publicity You know you’re a star when infamy comes easier than adulation. That’s what happened with Nusret Gökçe, too. Christened under Salt Bae, he became a celebrity chef, celebrity friend, and the celebrity with whom every celebrity wanted a picture with. So you had the likes of Leonardo Dicaprio, Michael Phelps, Tommy Hilfiger, and more making a beeline to Nusr-Et and being more interested in the fine art of salt sprinkling rather than the juice and spice of the steak. Naturally, all the celeb attention translated into a storm of attention online. As Salt Bae’s tribe increased, so did the discerning criticism. By the end of 2017, Salt Bae had his tryst with infamy as a few fans didn’t like the fact that he posed in front of a photo of Fidel Castro. (Interesting fact: the men’s room in Nusr-Et’s New York franchise has a giant photo of Marlon Brando.) By September next year, Gökçe was in the thick of controversy again as Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro dined at the Nusr-Et Istanbul branch, but the camaraderie and comments between Maduro and Bae attracted a lot of heat from followers, especially because of the sociopolitical turmoil happening in Venezuela at the time. But Salt Bae’s star refused to wane. Not even when his own employees in New York alleged that Bae took home a significant chunk of their tips. Gökçe showed some great business acumen again and settled the case with a major payout out of the courts. Not just that, his steakhouse in Boston was fined by local law enforcement for staying open during the 2020 lockdowns. Despite all the disparaging publicity, Salt Bae refused to let his swag down and continued to sprinkle the magic dust.

Entertainment is expensive Reportedly, Salt Bae has over 15 restaurants around the world and more than 600 employees. His properties are called carnivore’s paradise, and thousands throng day after day to taste the inimitable style of Gökçe and his Turkish delights. But dining at one of his steakhouses can prove to be a financial undertaking for those with modest salaries. In March 2021, social media threw up a bill from Nusr-Et’s Miami property dating back to a dinner served at a table of six on October 16, 2019. The final bill came up to a whopping $ 6,228. The most expensive dishes on order were a bottle of Vin Dore 24K Gold de Brut for $1,500 and the famous gold-covered Tomahawk steak for $1,000. But what’s been a constant thorn in the side of Nusr-Et’s diners is the $10 can of Sprite and the $9 bottle of Voss water that just doesn’t make sense to many. Not just the masses, even the classes, the

Salt Bae’s star refused to wane. Not even when his own employees in New York alleged that Bae took home a significant chunk of their tips creme de la creme of the restaurant world, the critics have mixed feelings about Nusr-Et’s hype and hoopla. New York Times food critic Pete Wells, for example, had commented about his visit to NY’s Nusr-Et with the now-famous line, “I had a pair of trousers that Salt Bae had seasoned like a steak.” Despite the fanfare and the criticism, Salt Bae maintains a fine balance between enigmatic and doggone weird. He has maintained through interviews and social media posts that his popularity hasn’t changed anything in his life nor his craft. He claims to be the hardest restaurateur out there who prefers to wake up early every day and work until midnight. Overzealous humility has its own charm. Fact of the matter is, Salt Bae’s restaurants are like entertainment hotspots where you can eat, not eateries where you’ll get a new experience. It stems from Salt Bae’s personality, stardom, and his brazen, over-the-top ways. As senior food critic Robert Sietsema had summed up, “If, on the other hand, you appraise the place (Nusr-Et) as a dinner theatre, you will find it satisfying but only if Salt Bae is in the house.” And that’s the bottom line. Enthusiasts keep a watchful eye on Gökçe’s Instagram account and his Insta stories. They’re the best way to find out what city he’s in, and once it’s confirmed that he’s in your locale, fans line up at the steakhouse for some salty entertainment with meaty expectations. ✪ 2 0 2 1 — J U LY — ASPIRE

GREEN gauge

R&R / health

Reverse diseases and delay the aging process at the genetic level by way of a green rich diet and unprocessed foods

the

ake a look at the first picture you ever uploaded on Facebook, and then look at your reflection in the mirror. Don’t you wish you could go back to looking the way you did when you were younger? Well, we all do, and the good news is – we still can. Not with $100 moisturizers, but with eating foods straight from the lap of nature.

Talking about telomeres

Priya Chaphekar QCI-Certified Yoga Instructor

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A first-of-its-kind study conducted about a decade ago at San Francisco’s Preventative Medicine Research Institute revealed that eating a plant-based diet, getting moderate exercise, and engaging in stress management interventions such as yoga and meditation, may actually make you younger. The study, published in The Lancet Oncology, was led by Dean Ornish, M.D. The participants in the study were men with early stage prostate cancer. The study looked at their telomeres, the protective caps on the end of chromosomes. These are a marker of health and longevity, and their damage and

shortening is a major contributor to the aging process and development of disease. Researchers asked 10 out of the 35 men to practice healthy living for five years. This included eating a plant-based diet, walking daily, practicing yoga and meditation, and participating in group support. The control group, on the other hand, didn’t make any lifestyle changes. By the end of the study, the men who followed a healthy lifestyle had lengthened their telomeres by as much as 10 percent. This was an important finding in the study because until then it was proved that telomeres got shorter. The study confirmed that they could also be lengthened. The telomeres of men who did not change their lifestyle got shorter.

Vegan versus plant-based

Some people choose to label themselves as ‘vegan’, while others use the term ‘plant-based’ to describe their lifestyle. The term ‘vegan’ was coined in 1944 by English animal rights advocate and founder of The Vegan Society – Donald Watson. The term was used to describe a person who avoids using animals for

What to eat and what not to eat

The true essence of this lifestyle lies in its simplicity. Instead of creating a timetable for yourself, speak to your body and nurture it with what it needs the most – life foods brimming with prana (energy). Fill your plate with food straight from nature, with no or minimal human interference – foods that are fresh, wholesome (unprocessed, unrefined), juicy (water-rich), freshly cooked, and lightly seasoned. These include all fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds and whole grains. Choosing brown rice over white rice is healthier because brown rice is wholesome. When we remove the bran, it becomes white rice. The digestive mechanism of the rice lies in the outer bran that we conveniently decide to throw out so the rice can have a longer shelf life. Eat dates or jaggery instead of sugar and whole coconut instead of almond oil.

Making the switch

The rise in veganism has created a huge market for vegan products that may look fancy but do not provide the nutrients which our body demands. When your body is hungry, it is asking

for nutrients, not empty calories. Processed and packaged foods do not offer health benefits. “One way to ensure you can make your transition to a plant-based diet easier is to have good amounts of complex carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are our body’s preferred source of energy. Sixty percent of our diet should include good sources of carbs that come from fruits, vegetables including starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes, yams, squash, corn, and pumpkin. Whole grains like brown rice, millets, and steel-cut oats provide slow-releasing sugars which provide extended energy. They also have loads of vitamins and minerals. Beans and pulses are high in protein content, enough to meet our daily requirements. Small amounts of fats from nuts, seeds, avocados, and coconuts help us stay full longer. It is what you eat all the time that matters. One highly nutritious meal once a week cannot provide the benefits. Try to make all your meals as nutritious as possible,” explains health coach and plant-based nutritionist Upasana Bijoor.

Rainbow on your plate

About 70 percent of our body is water, so about 70 percent of our diet should consist of water-rich foods. Remember that your salads need not be the old-school beet-cucumber-tomato. Go all out to play with colors – indulge in shredded carrots topped with homemade tahini dressing, a drizzle of cashew cheese on a colorful bed of broccoli and bell peppers, and zucchini noodles garnished with cherry tomatoes and lush green basil. “Red-coloured fruits and vegetables have lycopene that promotes heart health. The yellow and orange-colored antioxidant is called beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A – great for eye health and immunity. Our greens contain chlorophyll, which promotes healthy cell growth for younger-looking skin. Pink, purple, and blue-pigmented foods have anthocyanins, which protect against UV damage from sunlight exposure,” shares Upasana. Needless to say, while the food on your plate is sure to take those years off your face, it won’t do the magic if you’re living a sedentary lifestyle, consuming alcohol and drugs, not drinking enough water, and sleeping at odd hours or not sleeping enough. Even the kind of relationships you share with the people around you determine your growth. While loving relationships will nurture your health, toxic ones will drain you out. A healthy lifestyle comprises a cruelty-free platter of food, fresh air, ample sleep, sunlight, and a kind and compassionate heart that will always heal you. And when you heal, you smile more, you laugh more, just like the way you did on your prom night or in your first Facebook picture. ✪

The rise in veganism has created a huge market for vegan products that may look fancy but do not provide the nutrients which our body demands

ethical reasons. Being a vegan also means abstaining from using leather, silk, fur, and products tested on animals. In the 1980s, Dr. T. Colin Campbell introduced the term ‘plant-based’, and defined it as “a low fat, high fiber vegetable-based diet that focused on health and not ethics.” A plant-based lifestyle consists of eating loads of fruits, vegetables, whole unprocessed grains like brown rice, quinoa, millets, colorful legumes, beans, variety of nuts and seeds. Animal foods and processed foods like sugar, oils and refined flours are kept at a minimum. Call it vegan or plantbased, it’s imperative to consume foods that come without labels, and if you do, it’s important to start reading up on the ingredients. A seemingly healthy granola bar might be packed with emulsifiers, artificial flavors, class II preservatives, and at times, vegetable fat. Why not make the bar at home with ingredients off the shelf instead?

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R&R / tr avelers’ tales

Enlightenment under the people tree Travel makes tourists of some, mystics of others. Sangeetha Shinde’s journey around the world has not been that of the typical traveller, for she hasn’t visited places, she has lived them. Here she talks of her travels one that tells stories of courage, love, open roads and our collective humanness as narrated to Qiraat Attar.

he years of travel have given this traveller a keen perception of people. As my conversation with her veers delightfully off-course, she explains the ideology that categorizes people as either ‘Somewheres’ or ‘Nowheres’. While the ‘Somewheres’ seek roots, people and places they’ve always known, craving the familiarity of family and friends around them, the ‘Nowheres’ are restless, rootless, moving constantly as a way of life, rolling stones that cannot be defined by a single place. Born in Jabalpur, India, Sangeetha Shinde Tee travelled all over the country, courtesy her father’s job as a military doctor...from Assam to Pune to Delhi, to the town of Wellington that lies nestled in the sweeping blue green Nilgiri mountains, where her father retired and she spent her formative teenage years. She feels blessed with the experiences that came with that life, both good and bad.” I grew up on the knees of people like Field Marshall Sam Maneckshaw who ended up proposing the toast at my wedding. Club life and tea gardens became second nature. But I was always different from others in that setting. I wanted more and so my first travels began via the pages of books. I read voraciously, and I was lucky that I come from an inordinately intelligent family; my mother told me of her travels in Europe and instilled a love of western classical music and dance, my father taught me the joys of faith and service, my brother opened up the world of science fiction and thanks to him, to this day, I get to travel the far reaches of the galaxy.” But armchair travel was not enough and unhappy with a smalltown existence and all the constraints it carried, she ran away to Bangalore and lived homeless for eleven months, shuttling between friend’s homes and bus and railway stations. Married at 21, she fell into a cycle of terrible violence and abuse before gathering the courage to leave at 27 and seek a divorce and a new life for herself. The next few years were tumultuous, as Sangeetha’s wide-eyed foray out of India was quickly dulled by the harshness of racism in Dubai and Bahrain, where prejudice and colorism seemed to have followed her from India. She decided to quit Asia and try again for a new life elsewhere. She applied for an MBA in London, and hightailed it out of the Middle East, taking on an expensive personal loan to get her through this degree and life in the UK. She laughingly refers to her MBA as her ‘Masters in Bugger All’ and says all it taught her was that she was horrifically bad at accountancy and finance.

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It’s London, baby

Over the years she has visited many, many cities, mostly for work. Every place has a characteristic energy, be it the fun vibe of Bangalore, the lightness that is Amsterdam, the night allure of Paris, the beauty of Vienna, or the notoriously underrated Beirut, famous for its food and Amal Clooney, the stunning skyline of Vancouver or the mystery of the Alexandrian shoreline… but a part of her heart will stay in London forever. London was her first proper taste of

A storyteller by vocation

freedom, with no scrutiny of color, gender or ethnicity, viewed as a human with rights and privilege. For the first time, she was recognized as an individual and not for the labels attached to her. ‘London is home, freedom, liberation, joy, laughter, intelligence - London is everything I would want a place to be. Only hideously unaffordable!” she says, laughing aloud. She identifies London as one of the nerve centres of the world. “The energy as one steps out of King’s Cross station hits you in the face like a million volts of electricity” she says in awe, “With theatres, museums, lectures and music, the craziest mix of people, this is a vibrant cosmopolitan culture that makes you glad to be alive.” The Science Museum and the Natural History Museum are her favourite go-to places and she always finds herself lost in wonder, losing all track of time while in there, as the magnificence of this planet and its human endeavour unfold before her eyes. “You can’t go often enough. “There’s always something new to learn in those places and you realise your unimportant place in the scheme of things… It is a humbling, enriching experience unlike any other.”

But the wanderer in her is attached to something after all - people and their stories, and that also forms the crux of her professional life, making her an accomplished and renowned creative in her own right. For instance, she set up and ran the National Cultural and Tourism magazine for the Kingdom of Jordan, which was nominated for an international British Council Award for ‘Best Emergent Magazine’. They reported stories that received international traction; for example, her magazine was the first in the world to carry the story of the discovery of the missing bit of the Via Nova Trajana, the 2000-year-old road that ran from Rome to the Middle East. She also set up and ran a bilingual magazine for the Mayor of Amman, after which she established a European magazine on innovation and entrepreneurship called The Business Innovator that she 2 0 2 1 — F E B R U A R Y — ASPIRE

ran from Brussels. She acknowledges her good fortune of landing challenging jobs, being responsible for creating transformational content and working with gifted people. She has also published four books: Amman: Story, A Moral Murder and Other Tales From The Blue Hills, The Book of Anglo Indian Tales, and most recently, The Naked Indian Woman. This last one is special to Sangeetha, for over the years, and with the systemic abuse she faced, the cause of women’s empowerment has become her North Star. She truly believes nothing is impossible for women once they awaken to the power of their unity. “We need to stop looking at each other with suspicious rivalry and become collaborators, before challenging the pedestal patriarchy is sat on,” she says with steely resolve. “Funnily, despite my belief in this, and despite coming from a violent and abusive marriage, I find my greatest heartaches have come from women, not men,” she says wryly.

The Ordinary life

Sangeetha is attuned to the lives and feelings of people like few others I have known. She has sat with the Palestinian refugees in Jordan, broken bread with Kahlil Gibran’s great-grandson, been randomly serenaded by street musicians. In Antwerp, she ran into a Hungarian pianist who gave her an impromptu private concert; an audience of one. When he finished, he handed her a four-leaf clover he had been holding on to and said, “I’m passing my luck on to you.” Yes, she still has it. She had a Roma gypsy violinist play her favourite Hindi song on a cold winter’s night in exchange for a hot drink. Sangeetha is fascinated with the stories of ordinary people. She hoards these stories and has a singular way of narrating them, rich with nostalgia and tinged with the sepia tone of memory. Despite the miles and years passed, she has stayed in touch with many she crossed paths with, be it the Dutch policewoman with an abiding love for rock concerts she met on the Eurostar from London to Belgium, or the elderly Canadian gentleman who shared his umbrella with her on the sombre tour of the Holocaust sites of Auschwitz and Birkenau in Poland. Years later, when she visited Canada, she happened to land in the same city he lived in, Victoria, and they met again, years after the pouring rain and his kindness created a beautiful bond. She has picked up friends in unexpected places and again she laughs as she says, “I have picked up enemies in even more unexpected ones and they’ve often been from my closest circle.” The people that she met that have influenced her thinking embody courage and have chosen love, despite all odds. She remembers dining under starlight in Petra with the Bedouin chief and his family, while the male tribe members performed the ‘Dahiya’ just for her’, she met a European opera singer who had fallen in love with her Bedouin tour guide and stayed back with him, a testament to the

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Human experience is the same everywhere, whether you are an atheist, a believer, a blue or red passport holder, a pauper or a prince, male or female

R&R / tr avelers’ tales

power of love, who sang arias under the desert moon as Sangeetha listened in awestruck wonder. She has argued politics, philosophy, and veganism with the team of scientists responsible for discovering the Higgs-Boson particle with whom she had a standing dinner date every week for almost a year. “My version of The Big Bang Theory,” she says with a smile. The world-famous violinist, Roby Lakatos always played a solo just for her in his tiny, garage bar in Brussels, whenever she visited. She has learned the art of diplomacy from John Holmes, one of Canada’s best-loved diplomats and one of the five lawyers responsible for setting up the ICC, in the Hague. From her fellow author, Carol Bujeau she has learned the power of humour and being present for others. She has had the privilege of being mentored by Shreekumar Varma, noted, award-winning author and Raja Ravi Varma’s great grandson, and to this day he remains a guiding light and dear friend… and so it keeps going. Of the places she has visited, two stand out in vivid memory. The Jeita caves in Beirut, Lebanon, a series of interconnected caves in an underground river and the Pyramids of Giza. “There is no comparison to these two spots, no photograph does these places even an ounce of justice. Their awe-inspiring existence can only be absorbed when you stand before them,” she says, her breath catching

the people I meet in that place. This moves me.”

Life on hold

Sangeetha’s stories have an element of mysticism. She looks, but she also peers behind the veil. She longs to understand reality. As a traveler, Sangeetha has seen the veneer of human pretences. “You meet the best and the worst, cheats and saints, experience the rich tapestry of them all. Travel isn’t just getting some souvenirs and some fridge magnets and photographs in front of the Eiffel tower. Those

Travel isn’t just getting some souvenirs and some fridge magnets and photographs in front of the Eiffel tower. Those mean nothing

in her voice as her mind goes travelling again even as she is speaking with me. According to Sangeetha human nature is often comfortingly predictable even when separated by borders, languages and customs. And the commonality of it is that everybody hurts. “It is the one human phenomenon that unites us all. We all fall sick, we all worry, we all experience betrayal and get depressed and, mostly, we all eventually find a way out. Human experience is the same everywhere, whether you are an atheist, a believer, a blue or red passport holder, a pauper or a prince, male or female.” To her, architecture, history and culture are beautiful, incredible and significant, but ultimately pale in comparison to the edifices of people’s everyday lives. “For me travel is not about the place. It’s always been about

mean nothing.” Her patience is tested by people who drag her around to tourist spots for endless pictures, rather than the majesty of the place, but because they want the world to see and perhaps envy their travels, an entirely shallow exercise in vanity. In fact, she had much trouble producing photography for this piece because clicking pictures of herself at places never really occurs to her at the moment. Life has adopted a more leisurely pace for her now. Two and a half years ago, she moved to Corfu, Greece, in what she calls an ‘early retirement of sorts; amid the azure and purple water and skies, surrounded by Albanian mountains and ancient silvery-green olive trees. But on a visit back to India she found herself back where she started out, her hometown in the Nilgiris, as lockdown hit the world. But even here she used the time to write a book and The Naked Indian Woman was born of wanting to experience and tell the tales of the ordinary lives of the everyday Indian woman. As the world started to crawl out of lockdown she found herself back on the Med, but this time in Izmir in Turkey, a place she describes as being the closest she will ever come to heaven on Earth. “This is the kindest place in the world,” she says, the happiness evident in her voice. You see it in the way the Izmirlian’s treat their stray animals. They are well-fed, neutered and spayed and happy, friendly souls, and it fills your heart with joy to see animals and people co-exist in such sympathy with each other. In a short time I have made amazing friends and seen incredible places and, frankly, I cannot believe my luck that I got to add this to all my other experiences.”

Homeward Bound

So is there a destination for Sangeetha? “Well, there’s always the inevitable, “she says laughing again. “The moth-to-flame syndrome is strong in me and, I guess, my hometown is where I always seem to return to. I have a home there, my spoiled dogs are there, the most loving staff, incredible neighbours and friends... And of course my beloved bestie, the accomplished Dr Sheela Nambiar who remains one of my greatest inspirations. But who really knows. I try not to make God laugh by planning my life.” As Sangeetha heeded to the call coming from deep within her, she unleashed her ‘nowhereness’ free, and wrote her story with the ink of a thousand others. It wasn’t easy. Navigating the globe with an Indian passport is an arduous task, and Sangeetha has refused to give up her Indian passport on principle. “I am Indian, and I cannot turn my back on that aspect of me, no matter what ease of travel is afforded to me through other passports I have had access to.” She has taken risks, made her own opportunities, found her path via a series of mistakes and she has embraced her personal journey and her travels with the same spirit of adventure and laughter that she approached her conversation with me. I hope, as you take her story in, there is a call within you too, that reveals whether you are a ‘Somewhere’ looking to put down your roots, or a ‘Nowhere’ desperate to wander and collect experiences. As Sangeetha says, “Whether you travel to unexpected places in your mind, or in person, the important thing is to make the journey with as much joy, openness and humility as is humanly possible.” Sangeetha seems to have done both with some distinction, and her unfinished story… Well, let’s see where it takes her next. J 2 0 2 1 — F E B R U A R Y — ASPIRE

R&R / hobbies

Down to Earth

Clay and humanity have had a long history together. VAIDEHI JHA outlines this crash course in the ancient art showing you its evolution and myriad facets.

n the past few years, pottery has crept out of the souvenir stores and walked right back into fashion. One of humanity’s oldest cultivated craft, the pottery industry is thriving again with a bright future. As the demand rises for hand-made goods over mass-produced items and people seek out DIY techniques to create their own handicrafts, pottery is seeing a resurgence. We can all agree that living in the 21st century can be exhausting – the work, the commute, the endless screen time. All we do is consume, not create, so redirecting our energy to put our hands to use, tainted with mud and sweat, and the satisfaction of molding something enduring and beautiful might be just what the doctor ordered. The idea of creating something permanent with your own hands is an undeniably romantic and

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therapeutic one. For the rustic beauty it promises, the hobby is a relatively easy one to acquire with the right tools, techniques, and inspiration. Making pottery for beginners can be scary, but what isn’t scary when you’re just starting out? The hesitation should never prevent you from learning how to create exquisite, hand-thrown, or hand-built pottery. Let’s get all your questions answered here.

THE TYPES OF POTTERY

Beginner’s luck - Earthenware Pottery The earthenware technique can be considered a good start for those wanting to dip their toes in pottery. The material needed is coarsely grained clay, dug from the ground and available in plentiful. It’s easy to work with and fires to hardness

How do you spot a stoneware utensil? If you happen by a cozy diner or casual eatery and spot dinnerware with a rustic, earthy appearance that gives a wonderful farm-to-table allure without being too delicate, that’s a stoneware creation.

Experts only - Porcelain Pottery

at the lowest temperature of all the clays used for making pottery. However, this material, plus the low hardening temperature, does make it prone to chipping and breakage. Gorgeous earthen pots or bowls meant to be ornamental and not meant for robust everyday use can be created using this technique. Popular examples include terracotta products. A good way to maintain durability is glazing or painting your wares. If not glazed, it will absorb water and will not allow light to pass through it. Due to its natural water-absorbing qualities, the fired object is covered with finely ground glass powder suspended in water and fired a second time. The heat causes the particles covering the surface to fuse into a protective, glasslike layer, known as the clay body, and makes the piece waterproof.

Halfway there Stoneware Pottery The Stoneware technique works brilliantly to build stronger pottery. The higher firing temperature, thick build, and mix of clay and vitreous ceramic materials all help to make this material durable. The temperature is high enough to partially vitrify the materials and make the ware impervious to liquids even when unglazed. Given the durability, stoneware finds a lot of use in making dinner plates and cups. These pieces will often sport a colorful matte or glossy finish.

Good way to maintain durability is glazing or painting your wares

The word porcelain evokes images of translucent glass or smooth marble-like finish with a sharp, distinct sound when clicked against. In actuality, these are wares made of fine-particle clay - typically comprised of feldspar, kaolin, china stone, and quartz — that is fired at a higher temperature. The result is an amalgam of strength with aesthetic, being both durable yet finely crafted, with thinner, more delicate artistry. While porcelain is well known for a dreamy white finish, it doesn’t have to be so. Colorful glazed porcelains can add a fun touch to your dining experience and be an exquisite addition to your tableware collection. Porcelain Pottery requires intensive practice and professional supervision, but the good news is there are plenty of classes that will walk you through the dos and don’ts of temperature-based glazing. You’ve grasped the definitions of the different kinds of pottery, and you’re at the starting line. But how do you proceed? We’ve got you covered!

SPIN AND SHAPE WITH SKILL – MAIN TECHNIQUES OF POTTERY The Pinch pot Technique The Pinch pot Technique is a simple technique for hand-made pottery, popular in Egypt from 3500-3400 B.C. To implement it, smooth a piece of clay into a ball in your hands and press in the center creating a dent while simultaneously pressing the surrounding material into a flattened wall shape.

The Coiling Technique In the Coiling Technique, the potter flattens a piece of clay, which serves as the base. Then, use your fingers to roll out the clay into long, 2 0 2 1 — J U LY — ASPIRE

R&R / hobbies thick strips. Layer them by placing one coil on top of another, then join them securely by scoring and slipping them together.

The Wheel-thrown Technique

Pottery is one of those rare activities where your mind is calm while your hands are engrossed in creation

The Wheel-thrown Technique requires special knowledge about how to work the wheel and handle the clay while it’s spinning, along with other things. In this technique, the Pottery wheels are used to mold clay into diverse shapes; however, it takes time to become skilled with wheel-throwing, but it’s an efficient method once mastered. That’s all the theory you need to get tremendously excited to start creating. But hold on. What are the essential pieces of equipment needed for Pottery?

great preference for a beginner as it doesn’t require the user to develop the coordination needed to kick the wheel while forming a shape. It neither takes up too much space nor is it tremendously expensive, although the criteria for picking the right wheel depends on a person’s production scale and affordability. Also recommended is a pottery modeling stand, an elevated platform to rest your pieces on, although it is not essential at the beginner’s level.

A Kiln

FREE YOUR MIND, GROUND YOUR SOUL Pottery is one of those rare activities where your mind is calm while your hands are engrossed in creation and the act of shaping the mud and earth with your fingers grounds you entirely in the moment. As such, this hobby has incredible benefits at the mental, physical and spiritual levels. Let’s explore:

The main piece of equipment you’ll need to get your pottery hobby off the ground is a kiln – a simple device for firing and baking glazes onto the pottery. A kiln is quite safe to use at home, but do exercise caution since you are playing with fire, literally. Kilns can be constructed in backyards in a pit or using bricks. Alternatively, you can get your wares baked at an artist’s kiln after creating your pottery.

Provides a creative outlet Pottery is an essential hobby for self-expression. Learning new techniques with the satisfactory feeling of completion at the end can contribute to a lifetime commitment to a productive hobby that creates tangible results, your skill only improving with time.

A Pottery Wheel If you’re interested in making more advanced ceramic pieces, you’ll need a potter’s wheel. A small electric-powered wheel is a

Reduces stress

Kilns can be constructed in backyards in a pit or using bricks

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Severe concentration is required while you’re making pottery, thus, your racing thoughts are quietened for the moment. The sense of touch is of high importance as it delivers a sense of belonging.

Strengthens the hands, wrists, and arms Despite being gentle, the movement of making pottery strengthens the hands, wrists, and arms. This can benefit those prone to arthritis in the hands as it promotes joint movement and dexterity. Pottery can’t help but feel miraculous: a lump of mud set spinning on a wheel, transformed by motion and friction into something useful. As we shape pots, vases, and little figurines, we all become creators in our own right, giving rise to objects that are as ornamental as they are useful. All you need is the motivation to keep practicing, experimenting, and creating to craft masterpieces at the potter’s wheel. We’ve set the clay spinning on the wheel. Are you ready to sink your hands into it? ✪

Get Ready to Get Noticed!

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Are you looking forward to get featured in ASPIRE, email us at hello@aspiredubai.ae

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