EDGY Magazine October 2021

2021

NO.7 EDGYMAG.COM

MAGAZINE INTERNATIONAL

OCT

US$ 6.99

Junaid Khan

ACCOMPLISHMENT is the ONLY ANSWER to all the DETRACTORS TWINKLE TOES DANCING is a STAPLE for my SOUL:

Ballerina Yara Khdair Saif Ahmed Belhesa

NO OTHER COUNTRY HAS SUCH DIVERSITY as UAE

Dr. Suaad Sultan AlShamsi WOMEN WHO ENTHUSED a WHOLE GENERATION

LEX MEURER

UNRAVELS RIDDLES TO SUCCESS The most efficacious CRYPTO DYNAST desires to be acknowledged more for GIVING BACK to HUMANITY

MAGAZINE No.7 October 2021

Contents 30

30. NO OTHER COUNTRY HAS SUCH DIVERSITY AS UAE 34. WOMEN WHO ENTHUSED A WHOLE GENERATION Dr. Suaad Sultan AlShamsi lauds the women headship aptitudes

6

40. RISING FROM THE ASHES Taking the road less travelled made all the difference for Matthias Mende

6. KRIS FADE A personality, a voice proficient in altering lives

10. TWINKLE TOES Dancing is a staple for my soul: Ballerina Yara Khdair

10

14

46. A NUTRITIOUS SKIN REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF MAKEUP YOU MAY NEED

14. ALEX MEURER UNRAVELS RIDDLES TO SUCCESS 20. ACCOMPLISHMENT IS THE ONLY ANSWER TO ALL THE DETRACTORS 24. SUCCESS IS AN ANCILLARY UNIQUE APPROACH IS FIRST

24

50

50. AVIATION IS JUST AN EXTENSION, ALWAYS HAD MY WINGS ON: YASMIN OWEIDA 52. DEAD AND MUMMIFIED? NOT REALLY…

12

54. THE BUCOLIC BUTTERFLY PRESIDES THE SMARTEST URBAN EXISTENCE

Publisher: Edwige Dazogbo Associate Publishers: Mikhail Martynov Arnaud Daou Editor-in-chief: Rizwan Zulfiqar Bhutta Writers: Poulami Kundu Sidra Asif Natalia Davis Jane Stevens Nida Kanwal Bushra Haider Shazia Sheikh Michalle Clark RZB Head Graphic Designer: Aleksander Stankovic Director of Photography: Naeem Binyamin Photographer: Mateen Khan PR & Marketing: THE DXB PR iMedia Commune ARKETING & EDIA NTERNATIONAL GROUP INC. 9298 2 E avenue, Montréal, Québec, H1Z 2T1 CANADA info@edgytv.ca

magazine

D

rastic changes have been made to our world post-pandemic. But one thing is to celebrate, we almost came out of it and we did great. We are the seven billion people living on this planet. In our unique way, we have made a way out. We are all part of it, being what we are, being as diverse as we are, With all the various cultures we have, distinct opinions. But still, these testing times United us and we came out victorious.

Now we all have started to socialize again and it is an opportunity to take a fresh start towards the unknown or misunderstood communities. We can now take a step towards everyone. We can pave ways to understand others and explain ourselves once again. Present our cultures and witness all the other cultures, beliefs and every diverse element that might have kept us away from each other can now be a reason to be with each other.

More bright and encouraging tomorrow starts from today. From this moment when you read this letter and read all the stories of people from almost every continent of the world. We are putting up our bit to better introduce the people you may already know or maybe not. We talk to them about hope, success, family, culture, and blended societies.

With the vision of our Founder and Publisher Edwige Dazogbo and the opinions of team Edgy editorial and its management, we are always able to talk about multiculturalism and the exquisiteness of social assortment. We try to keep it simple, bring to you stories filled with information and emotions.

The purpose is to leave a smile on your face, change your perspective about people of culture you may have not heard well before. We try to be the voice for everyone and take it to everyone. We are thankful for your love and support and we are certain for it to grow and Edgy to be a publication that you can have everywhere, with everyone. Irrespective of age, gender, and classification.

Rizwan Zulfiqar Bhutta Editor In Chief

5

magazine

KRIS FADE

 PERSONALITY, A VOICE PROFICIENT IN ALTERING LIVES The famous radio host, entrepreneur, and inspirational public figure opens his heart to our readers By: Rizwan Zulfiqar

R

Radio Hosts entertain and inform program audiences on national and regional stations, and satellite and cable channels.

They act as the public voice on various types of programs, including sports-based, current affairs, and entertainment shows. They are also the center point for the programs, responsible for keeping it flowing at the appropriate pace, introducing and interviewing guests, and for providing links between segments that hold the program together. The host's personality and hosting style are all important parts of their trade. Hosts develop their unique styles of delivery throughout their careers but are always be required to work according to the image, manner, and tone set up by the editorial managers. But

6

there are some real gems such as “Kris Fade”, who can create their own identity, their unique style that tempts the editorial team to follow the host’s lead.

UAE’S BLENDED SOCIETY IS ONE OF THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST IN THE WORLD, IT IS TREMENDOUS WITH REGARDS TO MULTICULTURALISM Kris Fade is not just a host on the radio, he is an inspiration. A force of motivation and tonic to energize your morning.

He can easily lift your mood. He can talk to you as if you each of his listener knows him personally. He has the art of

getting into the hearts and transform your energy. It might seem to be just a radio show but a slight mood lift. A positive vibe changes everything for a person and could be that a decision on that specific day can lead to a great life for a listener. Team Edgy takes the pleasure to have a conversation with the magician, the spell bounder radio host and entrepreneur, Kris Fade.

Talking about his mantra of success Kris Said “Persistence and patience are two things that I really believe is a part of anyone's success. Be it in a relationship, be it as a parent, be it in business, or be it as a manager. Just being patient and persistent, I think it is important.

Patient means, it takes time to get to certain destinations. Your not gonna get somewhere overnight, it can take you a month, it could take years. But also

magazine persistence is doing it continuously and not giving up even when you fail to do it again. So that's how I feel about that from the same side of things. I never got into this industry to become famous.

One of my early mentors, Charlie Fox said to me, don't ever go on the radio to be famous and funny, if you try to do those things, you fail. That sat with me and resonated with me for my entire career and I just feel like when I am on the radio, I am real, I am just me. I am the person that I know who I am dealing with the fame I have got. I am not at a level of fame as the super famous Justin Bieber. I don't know how he would deal with something like that because I know that would probably be very hard to deal with. But with me popping out to the stores of the malls, people coming up and asking for photos. I am never sick of it I want it to happen because I know when that's happening it means I am resonating with my audience there's a connection between us.”

Fade is a firm believer in multiculturalism. Sharing his views he said, “ Hundred percent blended culture you know Australia is very multicultural in on you know growing up. I grew up with Australians, Italian, Greeks, with everyone. And I just feel moving to the UAE, this blended society that we have which is one of the best and the brightest in the world; it’s tremendous. I have learned about everyone's religions and that makes me feel so happy. |From Hinduism, to Muslim, to Christian you name it, it's all here. Once you can understand and learn about what other people believe in their cultures, their food, your grow. You grow as a human and you can understand, you can relate, and you can resonate with more people.

In response to the question about his professional journey, Kris Said, “Well, I left school and I didn't do too well at school, I didn't get great marks. As much as my parents wanted me to repeat my last great to get better marks to go to college, I didn't. I went straight into the workforce. I was a barista working at cafes, washing cars, I even had my own cleaning company at a young age where we would clean offices. I’m not gonna

7

magazine the radio. That was my first radio gig, and from there I couldn't stop doing it.

The opportunity came to leave Sydney and help start the first-ever Virgin Radio brand in the Middle East. This was Sir Richard Branson's radio station. So I came out here with the gentleman called Steve Polin. He and I together started Virgin Radio Dubai. Since then I've been doing the morning show and loving every moment of it. I’m proud to say that we have the number one rated show in the country and yes,I adore it.”

call it lost, but I was finding myself. It wasn't until I found an office job where I sold background music like elevator music. I was there for 2 years just doing sales and marketing. I was just learning the ropes and I remember the boss at the time said to me, “Hey I don't think you deserve to be in an office, I feel like you need to be outside talking to more people and I heard a local radio station is looking for a promotional worker.” So I applied and I entered this competition and it was done on the radio. It was called, “Jobs Survivor”. Five contestants and one of them won a job on the radio station.

They asked us to do some ridiculous challenges. I still remember having to put butter on my body and get random people at train stations to stick biscuits on me to see how much I wanted this job. At the end of the day, I didn't win the competition I actually came in second, but I stayed in contact with the bosses and two months later they called me up and said, “Hey, Kris! Are you're interested in doing the promotions work for us at our radio station?” I said “100 percent!” So alongside being a barista and cleaning, I used to work part-time in the radio station and it was then that I realized that my pass brought me upstairs to the radio studios. I realized I could work alongside and learn from these radio guys and I fell in love with radio. It was then that I started to learn the art of radio as I would watch the presenters on air. One of the bosses was like, “Hey I like you. Let's put you on

8

Explaining radio and listeners' connection the RJ said, “Radio for me is connection; it’s human connection.

When you’re in your car or at home listening, how can I connect with you?

How can I resonate with you? How can you and I be friends but we've never met each other before. What I go through my own personal life, be it divorce or raising kids, or be it working as an entrepreneur. Whatever it is, I know that other people listen to me that might be going through the same things. If you

turn the radio on, I want to make sure your favorite song is played and you have a laugh on the way to work. I want to put you in a better mood ,that’s all.

That's how it should be and that's how it needs to be. People think too much about radio on what to say, how to say it; just being real and being you and having fun is so important.”

Kris is not fond of brands, for him, comfort is more important. He says, “For me, it's not really about brands.

It’s what I feel, what I like, and what I feel comfortable with wearing. As we've created Fade Fit our brand, and now have snacks, Greek yogurt smoothies and kids toys, I wanted it to be a brand that resonates with our audience and gave people what they want. They want good affordable products things that are gonna last. I guess, it’s how I do my purchasing; there’s nothing in my wardrobe that I'm so loyal to. I just enjoy good products. If they satisfy me and give what I need, then I’m happy. It’s not breaking my budget.”

magazine When asked, how would he want to be known, as he carries multiple titles to his name, Fade said, “Yeah, I guess I'm just a personality; that's how we look at it. I think an influencer is great, but an influencer is something you just see on social media. We did not know what an influencer was until social media.

God forbid social media goes down, I still have my radio show where I speak to millions of people every single week and I like to roll with it. I want to be Kris Fade; you watch him, listen to him on the radio, you see him on social media or you buy his products. Whatever it is, that’s what I want.”

Fade feels people look up to him and he has a responsibility towards society. he said,“I definitely think we have some type of role, you know? I know for a fact that hundreds and thousands of kids may be following me and I want to make sure that the content I'm putting out is appropriate. Never do I want to be the person that negatively influenced them. They'll be times where I've been approached by cigarette companies and vaping companies. For me, that's not who I am. That’s not what I stand for.

We do play a role in what we do soon as you put your self on a platform. I’ve become quite a celebrity, so in my role, I never use profanity or even have a vulgar song on the background of my social media. I think that’s important; that's the role I play. I want to be positive put out good messaging. There’s so much negativity on social media right now I want to be a breath of fresh air. Going back to what we've created in Fade Fit; it is not just a company, it’s for kids and for adults. It's a better for your product that can fill for social responsibility, and I make sure that I'm push that message on as well.”

Talking about the prospects Kris said, “There's no limit to anything. Just be real, be you, and going back to what we started with, patience and persistence.

Keep going, and don’t stop no matter what you want to do. I had so many people tell me two years ago before I set up Fade Fit, “Why are you getting into snacking business? You work on the

radio, why would you do that to yourself?

You shouldn't do it, Kris” Now we've set up a multi-million dollar business selling snacks, smoothies, and vitamin gummies and that's what it is. If it's what you want to do, there's should be no one stopping you. There are going to be hurdles but you can jump on.”

Concluding the interview with a brief about his family life, Kris said, “My family life is my everything. My little daughters, I love them to bits. With my gorgeous fiancee Brianna, we all are a great happy family. I have two amazing helpers that stay with us as well. We travel the world together. Being with family means everything. I have my mom and dad, my brother and my two sisters who I haven't seen due to covid.

I grew up in a very close Lebanese family in Australia, so for me family means absolutely everything. I feel sort of guilty for my daughters to not have the upbringing that I had, but we live in Dubai and hopefully one day I can go home to be with family. I do believe it cements you for the person that you wanna be, later in life.

9

10

magazine

TWINKLE TOES

DANCING is a STAPLE for my SOUL

Ballerina

YARA KHDAIR By: Poulami Kundu

Tale of the UAE’S most acclaimed ballet dancer’s tale

D

ance is a form of expression which brings people closer. It allows people to be creative in different ways. For someone who thinks dance fuels her soul, it makes her feel bright and breezy all the time. Dance does not have any religion or geographical boundary. It is all about freedom of expression and passion. In this edition of Edgy, we will learn about one such dancer, who shunned all barriers to become an established ballet dancer in the UAE.

For Yara Khdair, who started dancing at the age of nine, dance is what keeps her going. Khdair is a professional ballet dancer and trainer, certified by the British board.

She is a gymnast too and has been a part of the Syrian National Team in 2011.

Since childhood, Khdair has been working on herself and learning new skills constantly.

From learning Zumba and aerobics to getting several certificates in the field of media, she has always been career-oriented and an inspiration for other women.

THE BIZWOMEN Khdair has always wanted to invest in a project that she is passionate about. Eventually, she not only created a source of income for herself but also for others by establishing Horizon Gym. She is also a member of the gymnastics committee of the Syrian Sports Federation.

11

magazine

“Unfortunately, dancing in the Arab world, especially ballet, lacks interest and support. The majority of people consider all types of dance as a shameful and unpopular thing,” she says.

LIFE’S MANTRA Khdair’s vision is to achieve everything wants. Her goal is to be a brilliant and distinguished name globally at a time where there are plenty of famous people, but distinguished ones are few.

CAREER GRAPH Khdair started working as a model at the early age of 19. She has tried her hands in advertising photography and sports too.

She is a loner and very emotional.“I am one of the people, who like to sit with themselves most of the time. They want to be peaceful in life. They do not hurt others or treat them shabbily,” she says.

She also takes the time to say thanks to her family which supports her in everything.

She has been a theatre artiste for more than six years. However, dancing continues to be her first love. It gives her positive vibes and it is like magic in her life.

CULTURAL MIX AND ACCEPTANCE Being a dancer from the UAE, Khdair interacts with people from different cultures and nationalities on a regular basis.

“I love this lifestyle. It helps me gain more experience and knowledge,” she says.

“Initially, this thing is not easy, but as

12

time passes you become comfortable around different kinds of people and it becomes enjoyable to have acquaintances from all nationalities. This boosts your personality and gives you strength,” she says.

Khdair chose ballet to express herself at an early age. Little did she know that growing up it will be difficult for her to keep up with society.

PLANS The young ballerina wants to explore the field of acting.

“I want to play roles which are different from the ones I have played before,” she says.

For the influencer, success is a self-decision.

“Stay away from everyone, who gives you negative energy. Go towards your goal without looking back,” she says.

magazine LIFESTYLE She does not like to stick to routines and likes to embrace change and diversity constantly.

For Khdair, brands don’t matter. She only cares if she can carry her dress elegantly.

“The style of my dresses varies according to my mood, but mostly I like to wear elegant dresses and short skirts,” she says.

Leading the way.

Khdair is a role model for young netizens. With more than 107k followers on Instagram, she is setting an example for young girls.

“If you want to succeed, believe in yourself and fully trust your ability. Also, avoid criticizing and frustrating your colleagues because that leads you to failure,” she says.

She believes in keeping her mind. She thinks young dancers should not believe in conservative customs and traditions.

She urges them to keep dancing as it is one of the finest and noblest arts.

In her message to her fans, she says, “Nothing in this world is impossible.

We are able to turn our dreams with resilience and hard work.”

13

magazine

LEX MEURER

UNRAVELS RIDDLES TO SUCCESS The most efficacious CRYPTO DYNAST desires to be acknowledged more for giving back to humanity



By: Rizwan Zulfiqar Bhutta

bellwether of the crypto trading world, Alex is making influence around Instagram with a reach of 436k followers, and assisting a mass of 24.7k subscribers on his Youtube channel “ AMCrypto” related to crypto trading and Bitcoin. As a crypto millionaire, he is a sensational embodiment for people who thrive to make momentous success in their business. His appearance as a crypto day trader is the apotheosis of his career.

Edgy magazine aimed at bringing his story in front of the eyes of the readers worldwide. Our team managed to approach Alex to exchange words with him and to know about his journey into crypto trading. Alex was pleased to share his life journey.

14

magazine

15

magazine

16

magazine

NEVER STOP BELIEVING IN YOUR DREAMS AND YOUR GOALS AND LET NO ONE TELL YOU WHAT YOU CANT DO! Alex is 34 years of age, born and raised in Germany. His dad was working for the German government and his mother worked in a restaurant. He told that he went after high school to the military service. Afterward, he worked in different Sales Jobs until he moved to Paris in 2013. He owned an insurance company there for a year and went back to Germany to finish his engineering degree. Alex shared how he got into Bitcoin he said, “While finishing my degree I rediscovered bitcoin. I heard the first time about bitcoin in 2010 and tried to mine it which I failed. In 2013, I failed again. But in 2015 my roommate explained to me how to set up a wallet and then I was hooked. I started an exchange business; FIAT <=> Bitcoin but moved shortly afterward back to Paris as regulations were uncertain in Germany but in France already given to a certain extend. I continued there my exchange activity and became within 6 months the biggest exchanger without a physical location. By the end of 2017, early 2018 some friends and me wanted to start our own Crypto Project. This project failed as we lacked financing and I run out of finances and had to leave Paris and move to Kyiv in Ukraine. I started then in Summer 2018 to focus on trading and made this my profession as I turned my last $5000 to 2 $Million within 10 Months. Since then I have created multiple crypto businesses and also invested in non-crypto businesses like my rental car search engine: dubairentacar. ae and I'm also Co-Owner of a Club on the Greek island ios. Today I focus mainly on my Youtube Channel to help & educate other people about Crypto.”

If we talk about the difference his life has now and before, Alex told that his life completely changed! He says I was super lazy while I was still living in Germany! I went mostly really late to bed, around 2 am or 3 am, and woke up at 9-10 am. I then turned my laptop on to watch movies and series or went to my practice place to play drums. I had no real focus and didn’t know what to do with my life besides partying and enjoying myself. This all changed when I came across bitcoin. Today I have a laser focus on things that I want to achieve

my whole mindset shifted and also my habits have changed I wake up in the morning and the first thing I do is going to the gym and afterward starting immediately to work, sometimes until late into the night.

It seems like Alex turned a bit introverted as he mentioned, “I barely go to parties anymore even tho I still enjoy it from time to time.”

Seeking about one theory that is the reason behind his success, Alex devotedly

17

magazine what kind of person Alex is, how would he want to be known in the end, as an extremely rich billionaire, or a person who did a lot for humanity. Alex made a very communal, precise, and smart answer. Said, “ An extremely rich billionaire who did a lot for humanity!”

Adorable!

didn’t understand what I was doing and thought it was something that would blow over again like all prior jobs. It was not until early 2019 that my parents understood that I finally found my calling and that I'm actually making good money with crypto and they can stop worrying about me.”

Alex's vision helped him a lot and we can see that he guides people as per his vision, as he does on his YouTube channel. But it’s significant to know about the success rate others are producing by his advice and vision. He declared that he can’t verify what people are saying in his comments, either authentic or false.

On contrary, he also mentioned that most of them appreciate his content and seem to make a lot of money with the advice that he shares on his channel. That is also the whole purTO BE pose of the channel; KNOWN AS, AN to educate people and help them to get EXTREMELY RICH to away from the corrupt BILLIONAIRE WHO banking/fiat system.

We all make certain plans but couldn’t initiate or fulfill them. Edgy was eager to know about his upcoming ventures and those plans he didn’t initiate yet.

He shared that he plans to give a lot to charity in Ukraine this year again and also next year to support orphans and he wants to move back soon to Paris and buy a massive Hausmannien duplex penthouse. He might also buy at least 125ft Yacht and a private Jet as soon as Bitcoin hits $100000.

told, “ Determination and ignoring all naysayers that you can’t achieve this and that! Never ever listen to these jealous idiots! It has also a lot to do with my mindset. I try to stay as much as possible positive and I found out that it is scientifically proven that people with a mostly positive mindset are highly successful.”

Askin about his goal now, whether he loves to make more money or more fame.

Alex shared an overwhelming answer.

He cheerfully said that there must be a mixture of both. I’m actually happy with the amount of money that I have right now and live a comfortable life, but I say of course not “no” to more. My focus is definitely on reaching more people aka becoming famous to use my influence to bring cryptocurrencies overall more into the mainstream.

I WANT

Alex belongs to German culture and now lives in Dubai. As a blend of both cultures, Alex must have adored DID A LOT FOR There is always a persomething about son or a group of few German and Dubai HUMANITY! people who give us culture individually. hand in bringing posAsking about the difitive influence in our lives, mending ference in cultures he felt between our ways, and bucking up ourselves, the two he told that he likes to be in who is that person in Alex’s life? Alex Dubai, the fast pace of the city. Dubai told me that it was his close friend is a highly innovative place and brings Rene from Austria, living in Kyiv. He a lot of bright people from all around told, “he was there when I just started the world together especially from the to get a foot on the ground in Kyiv crypto space. and saw me going from 0 to hero and was always there with a helping hand Talking about his views on the multiwhen needed. The same goes for my cultural societies, taking Canada and friend Raphael from the US, living in Dubai as segregated examples of multiKyiv. We share all the same mindset.” cultural places, Alex says that he enjoys multicultural societies there’s so much Talking about his family concerns and to learn from each other no matter if it feeling about him before his start and is a different language, ethics, or history. after his success, he said, “My parents I can’t say much about Canada as I hawere for a long time afraid about what I ven’t been there yet, but it is definitely will become in the future until I started on my bucket list! working with bitcoin but even then The most intellectual and exciting part in the early days in 2015/2016 they of the interrogation was to know about

18

Alex wrapped up his exclusive interview by dropping a message that he would love to share with his readers worldwide.

“It sounds cheesy but it’s the truth. Never stop believing in your dreams and your goals and let no one tell you what you cant do! If you can see it in your mind then you can hold it in your hands! The mind can really move mountains so to speak. If you stop believing in yourself how do you want to convince others to follow your lead?! It is imperative that you are your biggest fan, only then you will become truly successful in any aspect of your life.”

magazine

19

magazine

ACCOMPLISHMENT is the ONLY ANSWER to all the DETRACTORS A candid conversation with UK's leading IT consulting firm goahead consulting ltd’s business partner “JUNAID KHAN”, an exemplary professional from India, who made it to the top through hard work

O

ur choices define us. Our ability to focus on the big picture separates us from the rest of the crowd.

However, there is no shortcut to success. Hard work is inevitable and so is resilience. If one believes in something, one needs to stick to that belief for his or her labour to pay off.

In this edition, we will understand more about Junaid Khan, who saw the immense potential in a start-up.

He joined the company even though it was not able to pay him too well.

Through his determination and hard work, he helped the company grow and now he is a business partner with the same company. His journey is special in this way as well as people around him never believed in him. People close to him, his relatives, etc, were of the idea that Junaid may not be able to make a life for himself. For Junaid, it became a challenge, and his success was more of a surprising answer for his critics.

Junaid Khan a certified human resource professional with a progressive 13-year career, swears by the ability to build trust in business. “Analyzing your client is the most important task for a business to do well. If you can do that, your job is done. But it is not as easy as it seems,” says Khan.

20

By: Natalia Davis “Practically before scrutinizing your client, you must gain his or her trust so that your client opens up to discuss more. The client should take you as a trustworthy ANALYSING YOUR friend and not a money CLIENT IS THE MOST laundering agent. So, the IMPORTANT TASK business relationship is FOR A BUSINESS TO not only aiming to comDO WELL. IF YOU plete a monetary transacCAN DO THAT, YOUR tion, but it is managing JOB IS DONE. BUT IT a professional relation to IS NOT AS EASY AS IT a great extent,” he says.

SEEMS

“I always think from my client's perspective. Without knowing their needs, do we have the right solution to offer them?” he says. He believes there is no point in misleading a client. “You may lose one sale, but you are securing your future with inbuilt trust and 100% customer satisfaction,” he adds.

THE SWEET AND SOUR JOURNEY Khan compares his career path to delicious Indian street food which is a combo of a variety of tastes, including salty, tangy, sweet, and spicy for the extra heat and kick.

Remembering his first sale to a UKbased customer. “I felt like the king of

the moment. I never thought that my first sale could land me to the Queen’s land forever.”

He started his career as a commission-based call center agent in India.

He went on to manage a giant retail supply chain in Saudi Arabia where he worked for good two years. He soon started thinking about his higher studies.

When he got an opportunity to study abroad, he flew to the UK to pursue

magazine

his father's dream of getting a master’s degree from a prestigious institution in the UK. “That was the tram card for me to enter one of the most magnificent countries in the world, the United Kingdom,” he says.

However, Khan’s UK journey wasn’t easy at all, but positivity and hard work through uncountable sleepless nights saw him through. “When all my university friends secured the safest jobs

with good remunerations, I chose a start-up called GoAhead Consulting which could not even offer me a basic salary,” he says.

“Now I am a business partner with GoAhead Consulting Limited and currently responsible for more than hundreds of projects in various sectors, including IT, infrastructure, telecom, engineering, and government projects,” he says. He now believes in diversity and has a

plan to invest in new ventures in the coming years.

EARLY LIFE, VIEWS ON BLENDED SOCIETIES Khan was born and raised in Aligarh, India.“I don’t come from a metropolitan city, but the city is known for the most renown University Aligarh Muslim University from where I have secured my bachelor’s degree” he says.“It’s a city filled with love and respect,” he adds.

21

magazine

Spending his early days in India made him optimistic about multicultural society. “I come from India where we have more than 125 nationalized languages and 6 religions staying together.

It is a wonderful and vibrant place to be in. It helps you to come out from that concrete restricted zone,” he says.

Talking about change, he says “Now whether it’s easy or not that depends on multiple factors. But we cannot overlook it. If you make yourselves flexible enough to accept changes then life will not be that difficult to cope.”

Khan belongs to a renowned Indian family. His great grandfather “Capt.

Abbas Ali”” was a freedom fighter, he served the Indian National Army and was an associate of “Subhash Chandra Bose” in their movement of freedom of India. Whereas khan’s father belonged to a “Nawab” family of North India.

LIFE’S MANTRA His vision is to draw a straight line for his future, where he would not see any dead-end. “What I seek from life is wellbeing, especially after Covid, I learned how important life is and how far you can go to fight for it,” he says. Junaid believes he is an average person. He loves to work for his dreams and family. “In general, I am very sporty. I like cooking, singing, and playing cricket,” he says.

22

I COME FROM INDIA WHERE WE HAVE MORE THAN 125 NATIONAL LANGUAGES AND 6 RELIGIONS STAYING TOGETHER. IT IS A WONDERFUL AND VIBRANT PLACE TO BE IN

UPCOMING PROJECTS Khan’s company is working on some major projects where they plan to introduce a complete virtual IT platform, diminishing client’s need to go through recruitment processes. “It’s more like a click and picks your employee system. A candidate's recent project and other stuff can be statistically showcased, and the client can connect them via us,” he says.

He believes he is not a theoretical person.

“It works for some people, but is not ideal for me,” he says. “There is no fixed theory to follow, you have to act well with the situation. If theory demands putting one tablespoon sugar to make a desert and you are blindly following it without knowing the customer's taste, do you think you could please everyone?

I am afraid to say No,” he explains.

“So, there is no certain theory of success.

When I do some silly stuff that puts a smile on my mother's face, it is an emotional success for me. The same is the case of well-being. Being healthy in this pandemic situation is also a success to me. So just be yourself and do your best. Success will follow you,” he says.

magazine “It's our duty to navigate them in the right way,” he adds. He thinks he is yet to reach the position where he can advise others, but he urges people to be thankful to God for IT’S MORE LIKE A what they have. “We don’t know what we CLICK AND PICKS have maybe a luxury YOUR EMPLOYEE SYSTEM. A CANDIDATE'S to others. So never lose hope. Life is precious.

RECENT PROJECT Enjoy each and every AND OTHER STUFF bit of it,” he says.

CAN BE STATISTICALLY SHOWCASED AND THE CLIENT CAN CONNECT THEM VIA US

CRICKET IS BAE Junaid thinks when one calls something a passion, then using it to distract his or her mind sounds a bit harsh. Cricket is everything to him.

“Three things matter to me the most in my life, my work, family, and cricket.

Cricket gives me all positive vibes a person needs to motivate him,” he says.

He vouches for a healthy lifestyle.

Talking about fashion and clothing, he says,“I am not here to promote any brand.

But yes, I like smart-casual. However, owing to the pandemic, I spent the last two years in pajamas and I believe that they are way more comfortable than any other fancy outfit,” he says. “But yes, if you ever come to my house, you may find some known brands in my wardrobe,” he adds.

THREE THINGS MATTER TO ME THE MOST IN MY LIFE, MY WORK, FAMILY, AND CRICKET. CRICKET GIVES ME ALL THE POSITIVE VIBES A PERSON NEEDS TO MOTIVATE HIM

THE IDEA OF GROWTH Junaid says, every person is different and he has more than 200 middle east accounts and he hardly finds any similarity between them. “So being a businessperson you cannot differentiate among your customers or industry. Every single person wants the best at an ok price,” Khan says, smiling.

MILK IN SUGAR He quotes the famous Zoroastrian story, “Milk in sugar". He feels each country has its essence of treating culture.“Now being an immigrant if you dissolve among them, you will be one of them and you can hardly differentiate any cultural differences. Both UK and UAE countries are very upfront and broadminded to mix,” he says. Khan admires both countries. “They never judged me for my lineage. Both the countries opened their arms to welcome me even though I had no backbones to support me. They believed me and gave me tremendous opportunities to prove my potentiality without doubting me because of my race, religion, ethnicity, or language,” he adds.

23

magazine

24

magazine

SUCCESS is an ANCILLARY UNIQUE APPROACH is FIRST Founder of F & F INTERNATIONAL, lifestyle Icon and social Media influencer ANA OLMEDA supports the narrative of good appearance and presentation for being core tools of PR & Marketing business By: Nida Kanwal

25

magazine

26

S

magazine

ome businesswomen taste the success very early but there are only a few who make a bigger impact with their unique ideas. More than the success people admire the uniqueness of the business or product launch. Ana Olmeda is one such businesswoman who is doing some very exclusive work with his business. Ana is also a lifestyle and social media Icon.

Team Edgy got in touch with Ana to hear more about her beautiful story.

Ana Olmeda, certainly a popular Instagram figure with 44.6k followers is sensationally inspiring the youth and her followers with her beautiful posts.

She is a charmingly attractive model and a beauty with a brain, winning hearts, catching eyes, and motivation for women.

Cordially she shared her professional journey, business, and native place. She was born in Spain, but she left many years ago. She was born in a small town in the mountains called Guadalupe. It is a beautiful place (Unesco site), but it wasn’t the place for her. Since she was a kid, she was attracted by big cities and adventures. She left when she was 17 years old to “BLENDED SOCIETIES go to the university, has ARE MORE a bachelor’s degree in Audiovisual Commu- TOLERANT, BECAUSE nication and Events THEY ARE USED Management. Since TO SEE DIFFERENT she left Spain, lived and because they are used worked in many differto see different things THINGS AND ent places (France, UK, and tolerate them. She TOLERATE THEM” Malta…) before landing loves how Dubai is a big in her dream city Dubai example of this. Emirati in 2016, where she decided to settle and culture and values are loveable, she feels open her company events and marketing at home, safe, secure, and happy. company, F&F www.fandfdubai.com She loves her life and everything she Since she was a kid, she was attracted by achieved, and she hopes she can be this big cities and adventures, that’s why she much happy and in peace forever. She wasn’t happy in her 2000 people village. firmly believes that one needs to love She traveled to 30 countries and learned himself first to be able to love others. from all of them. She is the one who loves Sharing her goal, she said that her main to meet people from different origins goal in life is to be happy with herself and and backgrounds. She has the idea that the people that surround her. She seeks living in a multicultural society is pricefinancial stability and she is working on less, you constantly learn and grow. For her company to grow internationally, as her, blended societies are more tolerant, they already had plans for that before

corona. Her dream is to keep traveling the world and to own properties in different countries.

Olmeda calls herself a very grateful person and she believes in Karma, that your good actions will come back to you. Olmeda was humble to share her upcoming business plans and projects that they are very excited about the upcoming months since her company got selected to organize events at the pavilion of Chile during the EXPO 2020. This is an incredible opportunity and her team is grateful to be part of the biggest event in the world. Olmeda announced that apart from that they have other big events coming, including a golf tournament, an awards gala dinner,

27

magazine and the fashion show of an international designer in Dubai for the first time, just to name a few!

Her theory for success is a story itself.

She considers herself a success story.

Her dream was to live in Dubai. She was living in Malta when she decided it was the moment to do the big move and she started sending Cvs. Olmeda accepted the first job that offered her a flight and accommodation. That was a receptionist position in a Latin American restaurant. She believes that it was not the job for her, but she is very grateful to that company that allowed her to come to the UAE and meeting amazing friends, she kept until now.

After working a few months for them they let her go and she started working for a digital marketing company. Since

she was doing everything for them, from finding clients, dealing with them, collecting payments, designing artwork, updating websites, she decided to move on and open my own company. I went from restaurant hostess to company owner in a year.

Contrary to what everyone thinks, she thinks women in the UAE and especially Dubai is very empowered. There are so many communities, events, and social media groups for businesswomen, and lots of help and special offers for opening business. About her content choice for social media, she says that she likes to share her daily busy lifestyle in her Instagram profile @ ana_olmeda, the events she attends for work or personally, the restaurants she visits, and especially to shout out and support the small brands she works for.

Olmeda mentioned that glamorous looks make a difference. The image in Dubai is important, especially in her PR business. You represent your client and their brand, and you need to select carefully what do you wear and how do you look.

Olmeda considers herself a very sustainable person, and she always tries to influence her friends and family to become more eco-friendly in their daily life choices. Olmeda shares a beautiful idea that every action we do have an impact on the planet. She is the co-founder of Sustainable Souk, with her friend Araceli Gallego, a regular event with market and activities to promote all sustainable, local, slow and eco-friendly brands in Dubai. Her company also organized a beach cleanup, but unfortunately, these initiatives are not so popular in Dubai still.

She feels very lucky to work with so many amazing fashions, lifestyle, and beauty brands, and discover new designers and products every time. She considers herself very classy and elegant. She loves the style of local designer Livia Fashion and My Kaftan. For carpet, she would

28

go for Diana Mahrach or H Label, and her dream is to wear a Michael Cinco on the red carpet. For daily basics, Olmeda goes to Goshopia.com, the best sustainable marketplace in Dubai with amazing designers and brands, run by Araceli Gallego. She also owns a lot of vintage pieces and enjoys swapping with friends and finding secondhand bargains. She thinks that is the most sustainable way to shop.

Olmeda was delighted to give suggestions for new businesswomen and men on how they can do good in providing marketing. She believes that the most important in this business is to be creative and think out of the box, almost everyone can design and coordinate a small event, but not everyone can create a memorable one.

Olmeda also shared an overview of her family life. All her family lives in Spain, so she is by me in Dubai. Most of the people she meets there moved because of their spouse's job, or because they got a good offer themselves, but is very usual to find a single woman like herself who moved there alone following her dreams. She feels proud of herself for this.

magazine

29

magazine

No Other COUNTRY HAS SUCH DIVERSITY AS

UAE

Emirati Magnate SAIF AHMED BELHESA has incessant future attainments in practice By: Jane Stevens

H

ard work also pays off.

That’s the biggest truth we ever heard, and there is absolutely no doubt in it. No one becomes a billionaire in a night doing nothing.

Success demands struggle, physical and mental exercise, exertion, and drive. To achieve big is not everyone’s cup of tea.

Only the devoted can earn it who have their eyes on goals.

Gladly we got our hands on a person who himself is a story and brand. Saif Ahmed Belhasa, from Dubai and a proud Emirati. Started his business in 1991 with Belhasa Driving Centre. Today, he has more than 30 companies under Saif Belhasa Group. He was working with his father before he opened his own business. He started with the driving

30

center and then ventured into different businesses.

Being richer may not be his goal, what would he want to be known as, A Businessman, A proud Emirati, or someone who did great things for humanity? Saif shared that he can’t say that he has one particular goal. Everyone wants to be successful in Business but your goal doesn’t end there. He has provided jobs for so many people and I am very happy to also make Dubai Proud with all my contributions to his country. So yes, he is a proud Emirati Businessman who believes in gratitude and Humanity.

Saif shared his views on multicultural lifestyle, living with people from various origins in the same society. He thinks the best thing about UAE is

31

magazine tolerance, be empathetic and be kind.

This is something he would advise everyone to follow.

Saif has always been a very disciplined kind of person. He feels if someone wants to achieve bigger things in life or wants to make a mark in business or any other field, he needs consistency and discipline. Without discipline, one cannot follow the path of success. He likes to maintain a balance between his work and family life. He enjoys

the Multicultural lifestyle. They learn so many things about various cultures, they are more sensitive towards other people. They want to be a part of their festivities. And UAE does everything to make the expat feel at home. He thinks that blended societies are more tolerant and easier to live in.

Saif was pleased to share his UAE experience. UAE has always been very futuristic, they never stop. The way this country has dealt with the pandemic is something everyone should learn from. UAE is the main attraction for tourists. Most of the economy depends on that and during these times it has not stopped developing. Saif says we are hosting the EXPO as planned. He doesn’t feel like any other country has such diversity as UAE.

32

It became pretty obligatory to know the vision of such a billionaire for the future. He clearly stated that his vision for the future cannot be defined and once he achieves something, he keeps asking himself what next? He wants to complete his Ph.D. He also wants Fame Park to be the monumental place for Dubai and UAE. He feels very proud that Fame Park has achieved such recognition in such a small time frame.

It is absolutely of great interest for the magazine to know about his traditional lifestyle and how important it is for such a huge billionaire to keep his traditions alive and transfer them to the next generation. Where he gently responded that tradition itself has reformed over years.

He calls himself very enterprising, loves to adopt new ways, progressive ways of life which will benefit him mentally, physically, and making our life easy.

He agrees that technology has taken over our lives but it has also brought the world closer. More than holding onto traditions, the world needs more

magazine his time with his family and of course, his animals. He likes to learn different things, new technologies that will help his business to grow.

Saif’s idea and view about entrepreneurs in the Arab world are that they are very progressive, they bring the latest technologies, encourage new businesses.

During the Pandemic, UAE has eased so many laws to encourage entrepreneurs at every level. Who would have thought of Golden Visa a decade ago?

He is not in a position to compare it with entrepreneurs globally but he feels there is an advantage of doing business in the UAE. Some so many expats have shifted their base because of the laws of UAE for the entrepreneurs.

No doubt, lifestyle is an important element. What makes his lifestyle special, what brands, trends are his favorite are things of massive “BE PASSIONATE interest. Saif, after having ABOUT THE WAY worked so hard balancing YOU LOVE. DON’T his family and work he likes LOSE HOPE EVEN to spend time in peace. He

IF THE TIMES ARE DIFFICULT, IT’S OK TO HAVE A SETBACK BUT RISE AGAIN.”

loves fame park and it is very close to his heart. Every evening he has guests coming from various parts of the world to meet him and interact with his animals. They always say it was his dream to come to Fame Park. This gives him immense happiness. He doesn’t follow any particular trends or brands. He does have his clothing brand called KA-1. It’s a streetwear brand. Streetwear is the future of fashion as its comfort with style and that’s his favorite trend.

In the end, Saif dropped a message for the readers.

“I would like to tell the readers to be passionate about the way you love. Don’t lose hope even if the times are difficult, it’s ok to have a setback but rise again.

Also, be compassionate and be kind to others. I would also like to thank each and everyone who has shown so much love to me on Instagram. It makes me work more towards my love for animals.

Keep following and there will be new surprises every time.”

33

magazine

WOMEN WHO ENTHUSED A WHOLE GENERATION DR. SUAAD SULTAN ALSHAMSI lauds the women headship aptitudes The UAE’s first woman aircraft engineer, motivational speaker, and the author shares a narration of her journey By: Bushra Haider

F

or far too long, society has told women and men that they can only opt for gender-specific career fields and take up gender-specific jobs. More so, in the case of the Middle East. This bias is only now beginning to fade away. It is now acceptable for men to be nurses and teachers and acceptable for women to be doctors. However, there is still a bias when women are construction workers or in public safety roles. Hence, women in such professions are striving to achieve equality and diversity.

The UAE’s Dr. Suaad Sultan Alshamsi is one such example. She is the country’s first female aircraft engineer and researcher. She has defied all odds to pursue her dreams and paved the way for the women of her country to dream big. She has proved that women can take care of their families and have a successful career at the same time. Suaad is a motivational speaker, who received an honorary Ph.D. from the American Academy for Special Studies in line with her advocacy to support and empower women in the field of aviation.

34

magazine

I HAD TO WORK HARDER AS I WANTED TO CHANGE THE IMAGE OF WOMEN WHO USUALLY SETTLE FOR CAREERS CHOSEN BY THEIR FAMILIES

35

magazine monopoly of men in the industry, all Emirati women can. I feel women are strong enough to work in a difficult environment in a dignified manner.

Women do not require being less feminine to deserve a specific job title. They just need to be strong and assertive from time to time. If a woman can work and manage a family with children, she can run a company easily. It is so because women are born to lead.

HER LIFE’S MANTRA The engineer believes being different is a unique power. She says,“Be passionate about your dream and do what you love. There’s nothing that can stop you.

Be confident and leave behind your inhibitions. Just spread your wings and fly high.”

According to Alshamsi, the world is fast becoming a global village with many countries enjoying a multicultural environment.

“Understanding different cultures and mindsets will help us in developing ourselves. Learning about people from origins can play a significant role in nourishing our relationships with others,” she says.

The activist feels blending helps develop a healthy community and enhances problem-solving.

Suaad is one of the pioneers of modern-day women Emirati professionals.

In an exclusive interview with Edgy, she shared aspects of her professional and personal life.

Alshamsi has experience of 16 years in her field. She is an aviation consultant for Abu Dhabi’s new Midfield Terminal, one of the biggest airport terminals in the world. She says, “Aviation is my passion, my life and it’s in my blood, I started dreaming about it since childhood and after years of hard work, I am a part of the industry. Things did not come easy

36

“We all know that human beings are diverse in many ways.

We have different lifestyles, religions, gender, race, and nationality.

Despite those differences, we are all humans who feel pain and joy. Thanks to the advanced innovations of technology, we can quickly learn about the uniqueness of each culture and stop discrimination,” she says.

IF A WOMAN CAN WORK AND MANAGE A FAMILY WITH CHILDREN, SHE CAN RUN A COMPANY EASILY. IT IS SO BECAUSE WOMEN ARE BORN TO LEAD

to me. Though it was my dream, I had to face challenges. I had to work twice as hard as I wanted to change the image of women who usually settle for careers chosen by their families. I wanted to make a difference in the industry, especially within maintenance and engineering.”

One of the founders of the Middle East Chapter of Women in Aviation says, “I believe if I could challenge the

Dr. Suaad says Dubai is an astonishing city. The city is home to so many people from different ethnicities. The difference in culture and atmosphere

magazine

BE PASSIONATE ABOUT YOUR DREAM AND DO WHAT YOU LOVE. THERE’S NOTHING THAT CAN STOP YOU

37

magazine Alshamsi swears by a good fitness regime and a balanced diet. The social activist takes breaks from her regular life to focus on supporting the new generation as he aspires to be a role model to many women.

She says health can be mental, physical, and even emotional.“A proper balance of these aspects is required for us to enjoy a fulfilling life at workplace and home.”

is something that unites a lot of people here, which one might not witness in different countries.

“All that glitters is gold in Dubai (sometimes literally). The city is on an everlasting mission to improve and this is something I am proud of,” she adds.

She is an author and has published five novels, of which two were translated into English and French.

She feels authors should connect with their readers regularly and time their launches well.

The author says,“Arab women are highly Remembering that UAE has a long educated and competitive. Several womcultural history, she takes pride in the culen are now engineers, doctors, and ministers. Given a chance, tural past and supports we can show the world and encores contemTHE CITY IS HOME TO how we are different porary arts, literature, SO MANY PEOPLE and empowered.” and theatre. Dubai is FROM DIFFERENT strewn with art galETHNICITIES. THE She feels blessed to be leries, museums, and DIFFERENCE IN CULTURE born as an Emirati as theatres.

AND ATMOSPHERE IS her country is tolerSOMETHING THAT UNITES ant and exhibits unity LIFE GOALS A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE, in diversity. She says, The engineer feels if one can connect WHICH ONE MIGHT NOT “Family is important.

The UAE strives to his or her mind WITNESS IN DIFFERENT preserve its culture with the heart and COUNTRIES and traditions. Our body, success is inchildren are raised to be respectful and evitable. She wants to be a mix of a obedient and tend to grow up in a large commander, campaigner, and consul. extended family community.”

She says looks forward to continuing HER PERSONAL LIFE teaching students and launch her third Counting her blessings, she says book which will help many engineershe feels lucky to have a loving and ing pupils. compatible partner and a good relationship with both her sons. “I try The aviation guru will soon my best to spend as much as I can launch her first YouTube channel. with them and teach them,” she says.

38

Alshamsi lost her father when she was one.

She is the youngest of four siblings and grew up under the guidance of her mother and older siblings. As a child, she was more into toy planes and cars instead of dolls and makeup kits. Her family knew that she was unwavering and would pursue an off-beat profession.

LEARNING ABOUT PEOPLE FROM ORIGINS CAN PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN NOURISHING OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS AND UNDERSTAND DIFFERENT CULTURES TO ENHANCE YOURSELF

In her late teens, Alshamsi decided to pursue aviation management from Coventry University in the UK despite knowing the future challenges. She then went on to pursue a degree in up a degree in aerospace engineering from Hertfordshire University in the UK. She did not leave any stone unturned in her quest to gain knowledge. She also holds a doctorate degree in public administration (aviation management) from the American Academy for Special Studies.

The author loves food from the Persian Gulf coast GIVEN A and seafood.

CHANCE, WE CAN SHOW THE WORLD HOW WE ARE DIFFERENT AND EMPOWERED

D r. S u a a d i s one individual who was able to change the perspective that later helped a complete generation in UAE. We do find good people, extraordinary people but we rarely are embraced by legends. Finding a legendary female personality in the middle east whose efforts were brave, era-changing, and inspirational is a blessing for the people of UAE.

ARKETING & EDIA INTERNATIONAL GROUP INC

magazine

magazine

RISING

from the ASHES

TAKING THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED made all the difference for MATTHIAS MENDE The Dubai-based 36-year-old entrepreneur founded MEMMOS, an award-winning social media agency which specialises in social media marketing By: Paulami Kundu

40

magazine

P

erseverance is what sets us apart. In the world of startups, trial and error is a common practice. One has to keep thinking out of the box and generate unique ideas on a regular basis.

Also, implementation is a great deal.

Some ideas work, others don’t. Keeping at it is the key to success. But the story does not just end there. Holding on to success is equally important. Just as they say, 'Rome wasn't built in a day', it takes time to establish a business empire and ensure that it sustains itself.

In this edition of Edgy, we will know more about Matthias Mende, a 36-yearold Dubai-based entrepreneur, who founded Memmos, an award-winning social media agency, which specialises in social media marketing, growth hacking and celebrity campaigns, in 2011. He holds a few board and advisor roles, such as marketing advisor at HYGH AG, Icetech and Unit Ventures.

He has also served as the chief strategic officer at Block Gemini, one of the largest blockchain software development houses in the Middle East.

“I'VE ALWAYS BEEN ACTIVE DOING SOME OUT OF THE BOX THINGS AND NEVER REALLY PUT CONVENTIONAL METHODS TO USE” Mende wanted to be an entrepreneur since childhood. In fact, he started his first venture at the age of nine by selling kinder surprise figures at a jumble sale.

“I've always been active doing some out of the box things and never really put conventional methods to use,” says the businessman. He believes in going with the flow and utilising time for productivity. “Lots of trial and error go in the process. I also believe in the ‘just in time’ concept,” he says.

At 18, Mende established his first legal e-commerce business by selling car tuning parts (exhausts, special lightning, wheels and body kits) after being inspired by the movie Fast and the furious.

He completed his education in Germany at a Business College and moved to Dubai in 2007 and has been operating everything from there since then.

RISKS AND FAILURES “Risk-taking has always been a part of me. But I was never bullish on gambling, instead always very confident on life, so in the case of Dubai too I took some amazing risks which ultimately played out well for the long-term,” he says.

41

magazine “I'VE LEARNT FROM THE BEST IN DUBAI TO ENVISION THINGS ON A BIG SCALE”

“But I prefer dressing comfortably. I don't mind going in shorts or sport gear to meetings. I believe that people need to meet me and not my visual objection as all that matters is the information and personal value which is exchanged at the end,” he adds.

Mende had his share of failures too.

“The mistakes and losses on the way were actually important learning parts,” he says. He went bankrupt twice and battled suicidal thoughts too.

“Yes, I've also stayed in a small maid’s room at Business Bay from 2013 to 2014 wherein I rebuilt my career and came up with a special growth hacking technique for Instagram accounts with which I've built half of the entertainment venues in Dubai,” he says.

“I've been living the high life for many years with many of my wealthy friends.

From private jets to parties where they burnt thousands of dirhams per night for champagne, shows and absolutely unproductive things,” he says.

THE SWEET TASTE OF SUCCESS In 2017 when Mende made a 5-figure amount within 30 minutes with bitcoin by brokering a transaction, he was inspired to read Satoshi Nakamoto’s ‘Whitepaper’. This made him fall in love with the blockchain technology.

“Yes it was fun temporarily, but it ultimately guided me to realise that it's not efficient and doesn't necessarily add value to one’s life. I am grateful that I learnt that from experience,” he explains.

Currently, Mende is the advisor to the CEO of the Dubai Blockchain Center, an educational government blockchain office in the UAE. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world hard in summer, he started planning his startup which “But this will need years of learning, was under his control. He named it observing, planning and obviously more Bonuz. It is a market years to reach such a project and a celebrity high target,” he adds. token ecosystem. Start- “THE MISTAKES AND ed building it on April LOSSES ON THE WAY 21 and succeeded with HIS MANTRA a 25 million dollar-to- WERE ACTUALLY Mende plans things for ken valuation this July IMPORTANT a long-term and likes by simply selling out stability. “I wouldn't LEARNING PARTS” a part of Bonuz in less consider myself extravthan 3 hours to his peragant. I would rather sonal incredible community. say I am quite simple and down to “My intention is to make it a Unicorn by the end of this year. I already registered the domain kilocorn.com which stands for a trillion dollar company. I've learnt from the best in Dubai to envision things on a big scale,” he says.

earth,” he says.

He hates wasting money to prove a point. “Over the years, I've managed to lower my ego. I believe in humbleness and simplicity because it gives me the ultimate freedom of mind,” he says.

He got custom-made suits made by George W Bush’s tailor and he wears those to all meaningful meetings to respect the occasion and people.

42

MEMORIES FROM GERMANY He keeps thanking his lucky stars because he grew up in a loving family. “I had a great childhood growing up in Germany where I also completed my early education and had some critical important experiences,” he says.

“I am very proud of my parents who raised me with lots of love and guidance. He always had my back. I've often needed to learn by going through pain, but I am grateful for this,” he says.

magazine

“I am the type of person who needs to burn his hands sometimes to never make the same mistake again,” he feels.

INSPIRATIONAL DUBAI According to the blockchain guru, Dubai is a place of opportunity.“I've learnt how to become a better human and how to think really big. I feel very inspired by many things which I witnessed in Dubai,” he says.

He feels lucky to have met the ruler, who inspired him to research, learn and optimising himself even more.

He thinks the UAE is definitely one of the best workplaces in the world and super open for new technologies. “I just absolutely love to be pioneering here in the city and being a reason for lots of local amazing entrepreneur friend “OVER THE YEARS, coming together and I'VE MANAGED exchanging ideas,” he says.

TO LOWER MY “But hey, it's not easy; I failed, cried and suffered a lot to get where I am. These experiences are unfortunately a vital must on the way up. Just never give up,” he adds.

EGO. I BELIEVE IN HUMBLENESS AND SIMPLICITY BECAUSE IT GIVES ME THE ULTIMATE FREEDOM OF MIND”

THE POWER OF UNITY He believes in a multi-cultural world as he grew up in a multicultural neighbourhood and studied in s school where children from many nationalities studied, including people who came from warzones and learnt to speak German.

It was a school where all innocent children from two rival countries would become friends on neutral ground. He says, “War has no winners, only losers.”

43

magazine

“I believe we are all humans of this planet and I find it unfair that passports actually separate us. Again, I am blessed to have a German passport and maybe this helped me a lot in certain countries and situations,” he feels.

“I think it would be better if all humans would be the same in everything, unfortunately regulations separating us can't get fixed easily,” he says.

FUTURE PLANS He says he would not like to be known as the wealthiest guy.“I don't believe that true wealth can be achieved with a high number in one’s bank account,” he feels.

The influencer says a true billionaire for him would be someone who is able to improve the life of a billion people.

“So yes, I’d love to be the guy known that helped “I DON'T BELIEVE millions get water, get their life improved, or THAT TRUE WEALTH maybe find some activ- CAN BE ACHIEVED ity through technology WITH A HIGH and suddenly have an income which might NUMBER IN ONE’S power their life,” he says. BANK ACCOUNT” “Then to see them smile and know that this was achieved by my team or people who got inspired by me, this is true wealth and happiness to me. That's the ultimate long term target,” he says.

“I see myself as a Jedi and love to connect with strong like-minded people, who I know plenty of and I believe together we will achieve those targets with God’s support,” he adds.

THE AIM His aim is to push customised smartphones to everyone, end inequality and make sure that everyone gets educated in basics, gets online and is able to produce

44

something digital, which leads the betterment of the society. Right now he is focused on Bonuz and building it to a massive success. “I am a God sent soul with the mission to improve everything and better the lives of millions,” he says.

on Instagram urges youngsters to never give up on their dreams.

He says, “If you don't manifest your targets and visualise them, then it will be hard. Nothing is impossible. Even Covid manages to change its versions, so it's never too late for you to change and adjust too.”

He is in fact affiliated to a project, which is the largest freshwater supply project in human history and is still in the making.

“Imagine the world as a game of cards.

So, all those cards just got reshuffled.

If you find it harder, then you need to wake up and look into the technologies of the future,” he explains.

THE LOVED ONES He shares a great bond with his parents and loves his grandmother a lot.

“She is 87 today and I miss her a lot. She is a very simple and positive human. She kind of inspires me because she has a kind soul and sweet way of looking at things. She even adapts to technology and just plays with things. I wish I’ve could make her immortal,” he says.

MESSAGE FOR YOUNGSTERS The social media influencer with 28.3K followers on Twitter and 215K followers

Mende feels nothing happens instant, everything needs hard work and determination. Talk is easy, execution is the key, he notes.

45

magazine

46

magazine

A NUTRITIOUS SKIN REDUCES the AMOUNT of MAKEUP you may need The elegant MIRNA KASSAB fosters MORE SKINCARE leads to FEWER MAKEUP constraints By: Shazia Sheikh

one of the most familiar names in the middle east when it comes to skin and beauty. In an interview exchanged words with team Edgy and shared her experiences and her journey to start working as a beauty consultant. She is a bonified beauty example with exceptional skills and splendid work.

B

eauty is today’s mandate, a beautiful skin is more valuable than any of your makeup looks. . Men and women of every age group are equally concerned about their looks.

It is not segregated by gender. Beauty doesn’t catch eyes and hearts but also brings about a serene vibe around. The world today is exceptionally inclined to the wonders of beauty. It is said that the use of well-formulated skincare products can reduce the amount of makeup you’ll need. It is said that your skin is like an art canvas and only a smooth and clean canvas allows the brush to move without any resistance. Even the makeup lasts longer if the skin is hydrated.

Mirna Kasaab, an exceptionally adolescent and gorgeous beauty consultant is

in Syria. In 2017, she opened her first beauty center in UAE at Hilton Sharjah.

Due to the pandemic that branch was forced to shut, and she had to close the center as well and started again from zero. She was able to launch a bigger brand in Dubai with double the size of the first one at the end of 2020. Mirna is also a Certified International Trainer in Skincare. She worked as a trainer in the Continuing Education Center at Ajman University teaching skincare diplomas. She is a mother of three kids.

Edgy got an opportunity to talk about her professional journey. She mentioned she carries a bachelor’s degree in French Literature from Damascus University.

However, she preferred to work in the beauty business, especially in skin-care Though Mirna is a beauty consultant, services. She highlighted that it’s her still she has a practical naive approach passion and love. During her university towards the standards of beauty. She is study and after that, she did all then-availa mesmerizingly living statue of beauty. able courses and training in Syria and She was asked how she defines beauty, Lebanon to master this and she beautifully deprofession. Still, she fined it in a few remarkfelt like these courses able words,“more simple, THE NATURAL were not enough. She more beautiful.” She addBEAUTY IS extended her study for ed that it is the motto in SIMPLE, NOT skincare beyond all postheir center. This is how sible available sources. It COMPLICATED, she understands beauty; developed from a hobby in simplicity. NatuNOT COMPLEX itralisbeauty where she takes care of is simple, not AT ALL only her skin, to help complicated, not comher sisters and friends, plex. She believes that to a profession where all women are beautiful, she can help customers in taking care of no matter what their colors, shapes, their skin. Such a passionate approach. sizes, looks are. Yes, beauty is crucial, Impressive! but it shouldn’t be our priority. Mirna clearly stated that here in the center, Her journey of work started when she they believe that healthy skin should opened her first center in Damascus be the first interest for anyone. The in 2007 and had to close it in 2014 idea that says beauty is about features when she moved to UAE after the war and figures is outdated.

47

magazine Mirna proudly says that sisters and friends noticed how beautiful her skin was. They started asking her many questions about how to take care of it, what she is using, especially when they have skin problems. She discovered that she has great knowledge and experience in skincare, and she has something “beautiful and unique” many women want.

That’s when she opened her first center.

Mirna doesn’t look at skincare merely as her profession only, it’s her passion and love. She also loves to help women, guiding them on how to take care of their skin.

Edgy team inquired about what culture runs in her center and why is it different and special in her views. She responded by saying that in her center, Another thing is, taking care of your skin is a habit. We try to encourage this they practice and offer different cultures habit. Part of our services is educating about beauty. Now makeup is used to customers on how to make skincare a cover skin problems which are causing habit for them, they do it continuously other problems for the skin. She says that their focus here is on healthy skin, with minimum effort. how to protect it, and It is believed that evdeal with its problems THE FOCUS HAS TO ery profession needs a – not the medical ones, of course. Healthy skin BE ON HEALTHY SKIN, push, inspiration, and some sort of initiative has fewer problems. It HOW TO PROTECT to get it adapted and needs less makeup to IT AND DEAL WITH started. Mirna shared cover. You need less her story mentioning time to take care of. It ITS PROBLEMS, that since she was a also gives you a great HEALTHIER SKIN HAS teenager, all her sisfeeling about yourself, FEWER PROBLEMS ters and friends used more confidence, and to focus on makeup self-esteem. She has products. For her, it was different. She many customers, who started to put believed that makeup will not add minimum makeup and don’t worry beauty to her looks. Her first interest about taking selfies without a filter. was how to take care of her skin. So she They started to love themselves and started reading about skin, its problems, their skin again. Some used to take care remedies, and solutions. All her friends of their hair and nails and forget their buy a lot of makeup and perfume prodmore important skin. ucts. She buys only skincare products.

During her university, all her budget She explained that here we try to change was used to spend on buying skin-care the long-held culture and thinking that products. Mirna says that till today they ignored skin and focused on how we don’t have international brands in the look and appear to the outside, even if local market in Syria. She used to go to it comes at our cost, without considerBeirut only to buy new products, she ation to our health, how we feel about read or hear about. ourselves, financial abilities, etc.

48

Mirna was asked what’s her believe about blended cultures where she proudly said that her center is a multi-national and cultural workplace. Their employees – by the way, all of the women – come from 7 different nationalities, which is undoubtedly great. She believes if there is a will, people can live in peace with each other, no matter how different their nationalities, religions, beliefs, races, etc.

She says that the weird and good thing is, that she reads an article about how wars and conflicts were almost stopped because of the corona. As human beings, our wars should be against diseases, poverty, climate changes, and many other dangers we are facing now all of us together. Our aims and goals must always be peace, health, and happiness.

Mirna’s strong association with Dubai

magazine goal-oriented. Of course! She calls herself a person who is always optimistic, hoping for the good for herself and others. She is keen to learn new things, educate herself, and improve herself.

Still have a long way to go. Beautiful!

Sharing her upcoming business plans, Marina told that she has many plans in actuality. Regarding her current center, she has only one branch in Dubai. Her business is scalable inside and outside UAE. She has other projects to establish.

Many things in her head now. But first, she needs a break. In the last few years, all DUBAI TEACHES YOU her time was dedicated to her work. She needs HOW TO DREAM to spend more time

made her say that UAE is a great place. It’s an BIG AND ACHIEVE international country BIG, STAY RESILIENT in all dimensions. It AND STRONG AND gives a great example to many places around RECOVER QUICKLY the world where they AFTER ANY DAMAGE have wars, conflicts, and problems because people don’t belong to one group. Here you always feel the future is secured with its great leaders and dynamic government.

compete internationally. UAE could be an international center for fashion and beauty in the region.

Mirna told herself that she has many things to offer the world. Syria has one of the most delicious kitchens in the world, but they couldn’t promote it internationally, unfortunately. For many reasons, Syria was not a place attracted to international fashion and beauty brands. Though, for years, the local industry has done a magnificent business to cover the local market and to export some of the production as well. In Drama and music, they are already very competitive. She was proud to mention

She is of the view that Dubai teaches you how to dream big and achieve big.

It teaches you how to stay resilient and strong and recover quickly after any damage. She considers it as her home and home for her family also. They are happy to be part of this multicultural community and amazing place.

Undoubtedly health is of the foremost importance and must be of supreme priority for every human being. She exclaimed that human beings used to believe that health is the most important factor in life. But we all were busy in life, and forget about it, until the advent of the corona to remind us about our health. Mirna prioritizes her health, family, happiness, and her work. She will make sure not to compromise over them.

Our magazine and readers were curious to know about what kind of person Mirna is. She humbly replied that she is a very simple person, very flexible, and open-minded. She is determined,

for herself and with her family before getting engaged again with business.

that they have many talents, natural and raw resources to rebuild it again.

Showing concerned about her beauty business, how does she see it in the Arab world in comparison to the global Industry, how they are purposely different.

There she replied that they are still consumers, not producers. They have many successful cases and examples in beauty and fashion, but they are individuals, not institutions or brands. So good to hear this! She extended it by saying that from the other side, this area constitutes one of the most important markets for these industries. We have great potential to start developing international brands and industries and serve the region and

Mirna is a peaceful person who prefers not to attach herself to any specific brand or trend. Whatever she likes and whatever suits her, she buys it. She can buy whatever she wants, but it’s not only about the price. It is more about feeling good. Mirna felt that many trends are not healthy and they are exploiting women in a bad way.

The focus of the brands and trends should be us, the customers, not vice versa. Any trend or brand doesn’t support us in a good and positive way, we shouldn’t bother. What a practical approach and thought!

49

magazine

AVIATION is just an extension, ALWAYS HAD MY WINGS ON:

YASMIN

OWEIDA By: Jane Steven

T

here are many celebrities from fashion and social networks. But only a few of them are real stars. We are in the digital age, and we still don’t know its extreme conditions. The role has been redefined, and influencers have now become giants in the digital marketing industry. These influencers changed their thinking about business development, branding, and outreach strategy. You may agree or disagree, but we like to see them, what they do, what they wear, what they eat or buy. They are trendsetters, and we only record their synopses. Dubai is no different from the rest of the world.

Team Edgy had the opportunity to get in touch with a rare Arab Public figure, businesswoman, and helicopter pilot, “Yasmin Oweida”. Yasmin is a social figure with one of the fastest-growing digital followings in the Arab world. In an exclusive interview with Edgy, she explained her professional life and her views about various aspects of life.

THE SOCIAL MEDIA FIGURE Says, Being a pilot was the initial dream, the ENTREPRENEURSHIP is a subsequent choice

50

Starting with her aviation career Yasmin Said, The beginning of my professional journey came naturally. Since I was a child I traveled with my family around the world and most of the things that used to excite me about traveling was the flying part, my dream was always to become a pilot one day, aviation was always a passion till I finally accomplished it, as a helicopter pilot.

Talking about her various choices of career she said, I am not sure how much people would be surprised, about me doing one thing and suddenly start another and achieve something else. To this date, I keep on getting positive messages and a lot of motivational ones as well. I don’t mind being known for any of the professions I carry forward, as long as I am getting the right rewards for it. Now as an

magazine entrepreneur I have my fashion brand is my upcoming project which is going to be huge. Other than this I want to build my name in the industry in all aspects of business, fashion & aviation. I believe, to be successful you must possess opportunity recognition – the ability to see solutions where others see only problems and to be able to change the beliefs that no longer serve me and to take determined action every day.

Yasmin Says, Dubai and all of the UAE has been the best place I lived in. Especially of the fact that I was raised here, I am very happy as it gave me a lot of opportunities and I was able to accomplish a big part of my dreams because of living in UAE. And for me to be successful, in good health, and live happily around my family relatives friends, and my beloved fans. Also, I love the Jordanian culture. Jordan is known for its stunning natural landscapes to world-renowned historical sites, Traditional, home-cooked Jordanian food known as Mansaf is some of the tastiest that you will encounter in the region. If you’re invited to someone’s else place, ready yourself, as the hosts will serve you proportionately more than you will ever be able to eat.

DUBAI AND ALL OF THE UAE HAS BEEN THE BEST PLACE I LIVED IN.

I have a very short message, “Health is wealth. For us to enjoy a good quality of life, we must ensure that we are healthy and strong. Health can be mental, physical, and even emotional. So I take care of the three and this is what makes my lifestyle special, my favorite brand is Hermes, I love brands with history, I don’t follow all trends I follow my taste.”

HEALTH IS WEALTH. WE MUST ENSURE THAT WE ARE HEALTHY AND STRONG.

51

magazine

DEAD AND MUMMIFIED? Not Really…

EGYPT’S buried royalty continue to speak to the world in a tongue yet unknown

By: Sidra Asif

E

gypt’s enigma of the human contents of its pyramids continues to baffle human civilization, thousands of years after they were laid to rest, draped in fabric and coated in chemicals, evidence of an age that has come to define the science of preservation.

It isn’t as if Egypt was the only country in the world that has attempted to preserve its dead. Across the world, the science of preserving the lifeless, be it human or animal, be it in ancient Egyptian ways, or modern-day formaldehyde, the process to beat the rages of time on a carcass or cadaver through human methods and technology has been a significant area

52

of study for mankind all through time.

It is a science, or art if one wishes, that every civilization, across every continent in the world has developed, studied, and attempted, however, varied the level of success.

The Spirit Cave mummy from Spirit Cave, Nevada, and Chinchorro Mummies are known to be the oldest mummies in the world. Roughly 2000 years before ancient Egyptians the people of Chinchorro people mummified their dead. That said, if one were to however consider the level of finnesse that anyone civiliusation has achieved in mummyfying their dead, Egypt would to a large extent, define the process. The attention

magazine

to detail, the protocol, the meticulous process et al, the mummification by ancient Egyptians of their dead is the standard that has the world in awe.

The recent moving of the mummies during Cairo Pharaoh’s Golden Parade involved the transportation of 22 mummies and 17 royal coffins, (18 of ancient Egyptian kings and their queens) from the Egyptian Museum to the National Museum of Egyptian of Civilization, itself was the celebration of the Egyptian civilisation. In attendance was the president of Egypt and the First Lady, along with distinguished guests from across the world, all there to witness a piece of history as it shifted, courtesy of the Egypt Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities.

BE FASHIONABLE, BE EGYPTIAN: Like its mummies, Egyptian ancient fashion too has outlived its times, having sashayed into the modern times, into the 21st century. Be it the clothing of their dead, their jewelery, the style and standard of living of their royalty, the ways of the ancient Egyptians define a lifestyle that modern-day couture still finds to be a force to reckon with.

Egypt’s mummies sketch for today’s designers a fairytale way of life, living, and attire, one that included glittering crowns, khats, long tunics worn by both men and women, and exotic animal skins that formed part of their style statement. Their women wore makeup and ornaments and wigs, setting them apart from the less privileged.

and the fur of various other animals, ancient Egyptians, both their women and men, wore wigs to parties and social events. Those that were worn by the Pharaoh or royal family were studded with precious stones and jewels. The more the classy wigs, the higher their class in society, they believed. With time their wigs came to include braids, curls, and tussles. Such was their importance that Egyptian mummies were laid to rest with their wigs in place.

BODIES, BODY ART, AND A STYLE STATEMENT FOR THE FUTURE As if to tell the world what fashion would be thousands of years after their passing, Egyptian royalty, as their mummies now show, also tattooed their bodies, so much so that it is now believed the practice may have dated back to the Pre Dynastic Period of Egypt.

Little wonder then that the ancient civilisation of Egypt is looked up to even now, as a standard of sophistication set by a people for entire humankind, just about forever.

Their hair and how they styled it was an expression of class, religion, and identity. Wigs were a symbol of Egyptian social status. Made with sheep wool

53

magazine

The Bucolic Butterfly

PRESIDES THE SMARTEST URBAN EXISTENCE DENISE ALEXE most stimulating young entrepreneur of the contemporary age

By: Michalle Clark

A

fit body depicts a fit mind and a fit personality of course. The healthier you are, the healthier you will produce. A healthy and fit body is admired and appreciated no matter where you are, what you are. It takes personality, it catches eyes. Physical fitness is charmingly attractive when it comes to appearance. The way your body is appreciated builds up self-confidence which is truly irreplaceable.

Denise Alexe, is a beautiful and sensational exemplary entrepreneur and a fitness trainer, with currently 10.5k followers on Instagram is a “lady of motivation” for her fan followers who are keenly interested in maintaining their body shape and weight. She is living a purposeful life, guiding her followers (and non-followers of course)

54

the exercises to do to shape their bodies.

The interesting thing we witness about her is how she entertains and motivates her crew with her exercise videos and a few comic videos are found as well.

What a beauty with brains!

Our magazine had a keen desire to share words with Alexe and get to know more about her life, her experiences, goals, and other relatable stuff. And we finally got a way to approach her thankfully. She was asked to share her professional journey, her business, and her native place where we got to know that she was born and raised in Romania, in a small village about an hour away from the capital. Her parents left to work abroad when she was quite young, and eventually, she followed at the age of 14 when she moved to Qatar. That’s where she started working in the fashion

magazine

industry, as a model or event promoter, for about six years. She was pleased to share that it was a great opportunity as she had the pleasure of appearing on the cover of Glam magazine in October 2011, as well as Harayer and other local magazines, walked for international designers at VCUQ annual fashion shows, and appeared on Fashion TV for different runway shows. After high school, she pursued a degree in mass communication with a concentration on digital media. That’s where her love for video production and digital marketing developed on a deeper level. Her first

corporate at VOX Cinemas, job mixed her love for films and marketing together.

She told that there she was able to dive deep into Hollywood marketing, film premiere management, and liaising with film studios such as Disney, Fox, Warner Bros, etc. It wasn’t a smooth journey whole the entire time. After losing her job during the 2020 lockdown, she found herself in a situation where she would have never imagined before. Jobless, with a global pandemic, a collapsing economy, and an uncertain future, she got herself together and funded elevate digital marketing agency. Such a strong

lady who stood firm through the entire dark time. That was the beginning of her life as a self-employed marketer.

Facing such dark and horrible times with courage alone, we are pretty curious to know how surprising it is for people when she tells them interacting with an entrepreneur and influencer with a huge following over social media. She was so humbled to say that Dubai is a hotspot for influencers and internet celebrities, so people are somehow used to big following personalities. She would say her closest friends were shocked to

55

magazine see her TikTok videos go viral, knowing it started as a joke. She still doesn’t consider her following as “huge”, so it’s not something she would introduce herself with. She says that the agency, however, does raise a few eyebrows. One, because she is young, and second because she is a woman. She is of the view that it’s a highly competitive male-dominated industry where efficiency and creativity are key.

Asking about her views on multicultural lifestyle, and living with people from the various origin in the same society,

does she believe blended societies are more tolerant and easier to live. Where she made a response that she had a massive culture shock moving from eastern Europe to the middle east. At first, she was scared, confused, and a little lonely, but it didn’t take her long to adjust. She loves living in a multicultural environment. She doesn’t think she would thrive as much in a more secluded culture. Whether it’s for social or business reasons, a multicultural lifestyle has been proven to be great for her progress. She says that she identifies as a third culture child, growing up with a very strict culture then starting school with kids from all over the world in a new country. This has impacted the way she connects with her home culture, as well as the way she views other cultures.

She thinks this helped many other kids around her grow up with less prejudice around other races/cultures and a more accepting and open-minded approach to other cultures.

Being such a humble human she shared how she sees her life and future. She is pleased to share that she would love to leave a positive impact on as many lives as possible during her little stay on this planet. Whether it is to educate, motivate, provide, build, or simply help others grow and progress towards a more financially secure or even independent life. She’d love to help educate children and young teens on the importance of financial education and mental well-being.

But above everything, it is pretty important to know what exactly kind of person she is. She says all by herself that she has always been a creative person, ever since she was a child, her dream was to become an actress. She danced, sang, painted, acted, and did basically everything that would put her under a spotlight. Denise’s energy is still alive today. She uses her hunger for growth along with her inner-child creativity as a source of inspiration for her marketing plans, content creation, and approach to digital advertising. When she is not talking about work, she lifts weights, meditates by the beach, or travel. She is a person who believes in freedom,

56

magazine individuality, and celebrating our differences. She loves people who aren’t scared to be themselves, to be different, or to be vulnerable.

It was necessary to get to know about Denise’s upcoming business plans and projects where she added that she is currently working on a training program for fresh graduates and internship seekers. Because she studied mass communication, she knows that a lot of university students graduate without any real-life experience of what it’s like to work in an advertising agency.

etition. Denise is nowhere near where she wants to be, so her success story is still being written. She has a view that so far, motivation lies within clearly defined goals. Staying hungry is her way of staying consistently motivated.

Denise being a living motivation and inspiration for her followers thinks that there’s an influencer culture that exists despite borders; in most cases, it all consists of the same strategies, poses, messages, criteria, etc. They’re just adapting the criteria based on the countries they’re in. Denise places an

skits, for her professional accounts it is all about creating relatable content that attracts engagement.

Growing up as half Russian and half Romanian, she had the privilege of observing two very different cultures merge. Both families are religious and both of them value integrity, honesty, and hard work. She comes from a generation of hard-working farmers, with humble beginnings and big dreams.

Romanian culture is rich and varies depending on the area you’re from, as well as Russian. She would say the most valuable attributes she still carries with her from her native cultures are integrity, honesty, and family traditions.

Want to know what kind of lifestyle she wants? She is pleased to announce that Art and fitness are her two hobbies that fill her time outside work. She is usually running around in activewear, shorts, and sneakers. The only time she makes an effort with considering fashion brands is when she dresses for work. Here her bags and shoes represent the professional side of her personality.

From Hermes to LV and Gucci, she loves them all!

Her first internship was shocking, as she didn’t know what to expect from working in a production agency. Elevate marketing also has plans of extending online services to international clients, starting in Europe.

Denise’s theory of success is pretty charming. She believes that there is no single theory of success. She thinks for some people trial-and-error has proven to make them wealthy, whereas others succeeded off strategy, expertise and rep-

example here that some influencers may be more conscious of the way they present themselves publicly in a Muslim society, where modesty is encouraged.

It was quite a pleasure to ask what her followers want to know that what kind of content she likes to create more. Well no doubt, her Instagram account is quite loud and clear in this respect. Lifestyle and comedy are her favorite kind of content. While posting on TikTok is more about having fun creating comic

Denise shared an overview about her family life that she is lucky enough to have a very close family. Her mom and sister are located in Qatar while her dad is back in Romania. Although they’re all over the place, they talk daily and update each other on every little thing.

She never feels alone no matter how far she is from her family, and to her, they’ll always come first. Her parents have been extremely supportive throughout her career, through fails and wins.

In the end, she wrapped the conversation b7y dropping a message for the readers.

“Life is too short not to go after your goals. Most of us have free access to information online, at the tip of our fingers. You can learn skills that 10 years ago weren’t available for free. We are so extremely lucky to be here at this time despite everything that’s going on. We have more control over our futures than ever before. Use it wisely.”

57

EDGY TV offers a unique and original concept with refreshing programming “made purely of dreams and passion”.

We deliver content that is rare to the North American market and countries in Africa, Europe, Middle East and Asia.

EDGY TV is a multicultural TV Channel that celebrates the diversity of life throughout glamour, music, fashion and entertainment, created specifically for immigrants of Asian, African, Latin, West Indies, Europe, Maghreb and of Middle Eastern descent.

THE BEAUTY OF THIS WORLD IS IN THE UNITY AND THE DIVERSITY OF ITS PEOPLE EDGYTV.CA

Address: Al Zubair WH # 5th- 8th Al-Quoz Ind #3, Dubai, UAE Contact# +971 4 3390912 | Email: info@atozwhs.com / marketing@atozwhs.com