The Business Anecdote Issue 4 | Cover Feature | Hala Taha by Hubert Nomamiukor

ISSUE 4 JULY 2021

SIX BUSINESS ANECDOTES INSIDE THIS ISSUE

TABLE OF CONTENT COVER INTERVIEW

HALA TAHA

05 HOST OF

YOUNG AND PROFITING CEO OF YAP MEDIA

FEATURED INTERVIEWS 19

CARA MACKLIN FOUNDER & CEO OF CARAM

WILLIAM ROWE FOUNDER & CEO OF OCTOPUS HYDROGEN

STEPHANIE SAUNDERS FOUNDER & CEO OF S2 MARKETING

RICK MAURER FOUNDER & CEO OF RICK MAURER ASSOCIATES

GULNEET CHADHA 50 FOUNDER & CEO OF GC CONSULTING

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Editor's note Just like that, the fourth Issue of The Business Anecdote is out and it features a business leader made from though stuff. In this Issue we feature Hala Taha, the host of frequently ranked #1 Education podcast, Young and Profiting. She also owns a media marketing company called YAP Media. Hala's origin story is one of resilience and attrition. She never gives up, she's always learning and always looking to make a difference. In our Q&A session, she talks about her entrepreneurial journey, her career rejection, her influences, and she shares her views on the ongoing Palestine - Israeli conflict.

hubertn.

HUBERT NOMAMIUKOR Editor-in-Chief

Disclaimer The Business Anecdote and its employees are not liable for any third party views, opinions, products or services present in this Issue. We have to the best of our knowledge edited any content which might be deemed offensive or too politically sensitive to publish. That said, any opinions expressed in this publication by third parties does not represent the views or opinions of The Business Anecdote magazine.

JULY 2021 INTERVIEW

HALA TAHA | HOST OF YOUNG AND PROFITING CEO OF YAP MEDIA Interview by Hubert N. Photos provided by Hala Taha

Hala Taha is the host of Young and Profiting Podcast, frequently ranked as the #1 Education podcast across all apps. She is also the CEO of YAP Media, a full-service social media and podcast marketing agency for top podcasters, celebrities and CEOs.

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Hala started Young and Profiting Podcast and YAP Media as a side hustle, and now has several high profile clients and over 60 employees. We had the great pleasure of interviewing her, and we talked about her entrepreneurial journey, her influences and her company's value proposition.

“I am a CEO. I am an Entrepreneur. My success is not because of my gender My success is due to my hard work, passion, and grit I am ready to drop the gender and get down to work If I can do it, you can do it too .” ― Hala Taha

THE BUSINESS ANECDOTE

“Something far greater always comes out of moments that test you Keep going. Keep rising. Keep believing” ― Hala Taha

Hi Hala! It's great having you on the cover of our fourth Issue. We would like to start this interview by looking at your origin story. Please give us an overview of your background, career milestones, when and how you got into entrepreneurship?

Hala: I’m a 100% Palestinian American born and raised in New Jersey. I grew up in an upper-middle class town, and everything was going great until 9/11 happened. At that point, I stopped getting many opportunities and experienced backlash from teachers and peers. For example, I had the best voice in school, but was denied participation in the talent show every year, and I never made any sports teams. I’m sure I had some mindset issues holding me back, too. Regardless of the reason, getting rejected over and over gave me a lot of grit and thick skin. But, when I got to college everything was different. I went to a diverse school in Newark, NJ and finally had a fair chance to compete. I was so used to being rejected that nothing scared me. So I took many risks. This led me to being on the cheerleading team, the lead in plays, running my sorority and ultimately landing a dream internship at Hot97, which at the time was the world’s most popular hip hop radio station.

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THE BUSINESS ANECDOTE

Hala: I worked at that station as an intern, and then was promoted to be Angie Martinez’s assistant on “The Angie Martinez Show.” Initially I took the internship in hopes that the DJs would play my music (I was writing and recording music at the time), but soon my dream shifted to becoming an on-air radio personality.

I gave it my all and I would make money working with the DJs at night, selling showcase tickets for underground hip hop shows, and going with them to parties. I also hosted online radio shows at the side with the rookie DJs, many of whom now have their own radio shows

I dropped out of school and took a chance to follow

on Hot97. Unfortunately, my dream came

my dreams. Even though I had a key card and was

crashing down when a paying role

treated like an employee, I didn’t get paid for 3

opened up to be Angie Martinez’s

years. Everyone that was in the studio area and up-

producer, and I was passed up for the job

and-coming didn’t get paid. I didn’t mind too much -

by a co-worker and friend of mine who

I loved being at the station - running the Dalet boards, helping to pick music, picking up the phones, doing the research, and reading commercials that would be played on air. I met every celebrity you could think of - Jay-Z, Drake, Chris Brown, Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, JLO. You name it. My dream was to be the next Angie Martinez, and I felt I was being primed for that role.

worked in the video department. I was devastated, and I ended up getting fired when I spoke up about it.

"It is better to start now than regret later." ―Hala Taha

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THE BUSINESS ANECDOTE

Hala: I lost my identity, everyone knew me as the “it girl” from Hot97, as my whole life revolved working at the station. It was a couple of low days and then I had the idea to create “The Sorority of Hip Hop.” Out of pain came my purpose, to help other women in the entertainment industry succeed by uniting out voices together and creating a platform. I learned how to blog and created a wordpress site over the weekend. I then recruited 14 girls within a couple weeks using Twitter and Craigslist, before enrolling back into college to finish up my senior year. Within 3 months my new endeavour “The Sorority of Hip Hop” was one of the most popular entertainment news websites in our niche. We started an online radio show. and the same DJs who wouldn’t pay me minimum wage were now asking me to host the hottest parties in NYC with them, and I was on the flyers with them, side by side! Three months later, MTV caught notice and shot a little pilot for a potential reality TV show. It didn’t end up going anywhere, but we didn’t care. If anything it motivated us even more and we realized the opportunity we had created could be much bigger than we ever imagined

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THE BUSINESS ANECDOTE

Hala: Fast-foward a few years, at the height of the "Sorority of Hip Hop" we had 50 female bloggers, and Mona Scott the producer of Love and Hip Hop was trying to convince me to star in the VH1 show.

"Small ripples create big waves. Don't underestimate the power of even the smallest habits". ―Hala Taha

At the same time, MTV approached us again for a reality TV show. They said this time it was the real deal, so I chose MTV. I was the lead and they filmed us all summer in 2013. They got us a hooked-up studio on broadway, they filmed us hosting a concert, on the street, with our families and n restaurants. We felt like we were superstars. We turned up the drama for the camera, and we were already catty girls to begin with. Unfortunately, MTV pulled the plug last minute. Again, another devastating and super low moment for me. I couldn’t handle the pressure of the entertainment industry. I decided to call it quits and shut down the blog. I thought I would never get back on the mic. I thought I was done once and for all, and it’s time for me to be normal and get a regular job. I quickly realized my only path to getting a good corporate job was to go back to school and get my masters due to my non-

So to get into graduate school I begged the Director of

traditional background and terrible

Admissions at my alma matter to let me in their MBA

undergraduate GPA. WWW.THEBUSINESSANECDOTE.COM

program. She did, and I graduated #1 in my class with a 4.0, the only student to do so.

THE BUSINESS ANECDOTE

Hala: This gave me the credentials I needed to get a corporate job. I ended up getting an internship at HP and got promoted 4 times in four years. I quickly founded an Employee resource group called "The Young Employee Network at my office". I coordinated the office’s first ever company picnic, Christmas party, and a handful of charity events every year. Then I was promoted to Recruitment Chair of the Global Employee network and founded a company wide weeklong event called HP Spirit Week - with over 500 people helping to plan and 150 events around the world that they still do till this day. I was dying to be the President of the Global Young Employee Network and lead the 7,000 young employees at HP, but even though I was by far the most qualified and deserving, they gave it to someone else with no experience. Again I was rejected after all this hard work! I was tired of the gatekeepers telling me no. I was fed up once and for all, and decided to create my own lane. I decided to start a podcast called “Young and Profiting” as a side-hustle project while working at HP and then later Disney Streaming Services.

They were fans who reached out and believed in the movement, so I started a Slack channel and put everyone to work. Heather Monahan, who you had on the cover a few months back,

The podcast was a way to help other young people succeed

inspired me to start a marketing agency

and thrive in their corporate and entrepreneurial careers.

when she was impressed with my

Three years later and countless early mornings and late

processes to create content and the

nights— I’m one of the biggest LinkedIn influencers, graced

team of ten I had built. She became my

the cover of Podcast Magazine, interviewed folks like

first client and before I knew it my

Matthew McConaughey and mastered the ins and outs of the

podcast was becoming a lead

podcast industry.

generation engine for best-selling

But, I didn’t do it alone. I had volunteers for "Young and

authors, CEOs and celebrities who

Profiting" podcast since the second episode. WWW.THEBUSINESSANECDOTE.COM

could all take advantage of my social media and podcast production services.

THE BUSINESS ANECDOTE

Hala: Today YAP Media has nearly 60 employees around the world and we manage digital presence for a dozen Uber successful CEOs like Kara Goldin, Heather Monahan, Jayson Waller, and Brit Morin. How much support have you received through your entrepreneurial journey? Hala: A lot. I seek out mentors. Many of my clients have become my mentors, such as Heather Monahan and Jayson Waller. I teach them a lot, and they teach me a lot. Jordan Harbinger is also my mentor in the podcast space. It’s always good to learn from other people’s mistakes and take advice from people who have been where you want to go. I try to stay away from taking advice from people who aren’t in my industry. We are also just starting to recruit some awesome advisors for YAP media to help take our agency to the next level. What key drivers do you attributed your success as an entrepreneur and podcaster to? Hala: Being rejected so many times in life. It gave me grit and thick skin. It pushed me to take risks. Also having a positive mindset - I got into the Law of Attraction early in life, right before the Hot97 days. I am a really optimistic person. Another big factor to my success was my father who was an extremely hard-working and generous person. He was born a poor farmer’s son in Palestine under military occupation, and left his family at 16 to lead a life of freedom and dignity.

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THE BUSINESS ANECDOTE

Hala: He got a scholarship to medical school in Egypt, through a program that helped underprivileged Palestinians. He ended up going to the US for residency and becoming a surgeon. At the height of his career he was Chief of Surgery in multiple hospitals and owned a medical centre in New Jersey. He put me and my siblings through college, and also several of my cousins in Palestine. He never was into flashy things and donated most of his money to help educate kids in Palestine. I have no excuse not to succeed - my dad risked everything to give me everything.

“My dad caught COVID-19 in March of 2020. When he was in the hospital, that’s when I met Heather Monahan and first got the idea to start YAP Media. My father passed away a month later and it was one of the most traumatic experiences I have ever been through.”

― Hala Taha.

My dad caught COVID-19 in March of 2020. When he was in the hospital, that’s when I met Heather Monahan and first got the idea to start YAP Media. My father passed away a month later and it was one of the most traumatic experiences I have ever been through. I wasn’t allowed to visit him in the hospital due to COVID regulations, I was only allowed to talk and sing to him on zoom once a day. It was so heart breaking not to be with such a good man during the toughest part of his life, to not be able to hold his hand and tell him it would be okay. The business gave me something I could control. I poured everything into it and decided it was now or never. I decided that I would make my father proud and become the star and CEO he always told me I would be. It’s ironic how death can become life’s biggest motivator. What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to start a business, especially during the COVID 19 pandemic? Don’t spend too much time writing a business plan. I recently interviewed Marc Randolf, the co-founder of Netflix and he says: “You'll learn more in an hour of trying something than in six months of thinking about it or building a business plan about it.” It’s all about trying things and seeing what sticks. Don’t spend money on a website or a logo until you know you can sell whatever product or service you have. Get a few people to buy it, and then invest further after you have proven demand.

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THE BUSINESS ANECDOTE

We would like to explore your business enterprise. Please tell us what is unique about the value proposition offered by Young and Profiting Podcast?

Hala: I provide actionable insight with no fluff. I do a ton of research and ask all the right questions. You will always leave learning something new and not feeling like any time was wasted. Who is the target market of YAP Media and what is unique about its service offering to them? Hala: We typically help CEOs, top podcasters and best-selling authors amplify their digital brand with our white glove social media and podcast production services. We do everything for our client’s social media including branding, strategy, ghostwriting, publishing, comment engagement, and asset creation. And in terms of the podcast, our clients just show up to record and we handle the rest. We are most known for our outstanding graphic design and videos, high performing social media content, podcast media buying and podcast research. Podcast entrepreneurship is trending nowadays, what is your podcast’s operating business model? Hala: We make money through a few ways: Commercials on the podcast, sponsorships, and using the podcast as a lead generation tool for my marketing and podcast production agency. My guests are typically CEOs, podcasters and best-selling Authors, which are also my ideal clients

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THE BUSINESS ANECDOTE

What key challenges has YAP Media faced to date, and how have you navigated these? Hala: Right now our key challenge is staffing. We are in such demand that

“My father built a house in the West Bank of Palestine, which is currently occupied by Israel. We

we need to hire quickly.

would visit almost every

I just hired 7 interns and it’s still not

summer. Personally, I

enough. We have a great internship

remember going to Palestine

program and we traditionally only recruited internally, but now we have to recruit externally to keep up with demand. I’m a little nervous to do that because the interns go through intense training. To attract the best talent we also need to figure out benefits and packages. So that’s the big thing we need to tackle

and having to drive on separate roads, and how a 45-min trip would end up taking half-a-day due to being stopped and interrogated at checkpoints. " ― Hala Taha

next.

Our last question before we conclude the interview is a politically sensitive one, but you don’t have to answer it. In the media you’ve been called “The Podcasting Palestinian Princess”. What is your opinion on the ongoing Palestinian - Israeli conflict? Hala: It is not a political issue at all, It is a human right’s issue. I have seen the apartheid with my own eyes. These past few months have been extremely tough on me and brings up a lot of bad memories. The apartheid activities in Israel have been reported by all the major human rights organizations as well as confirmed by multiple Israeli ambassadors. I am anti-racist, I am pro-humanity; all Palestinians want is to live a life of dignity and freedom.

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THE BUSINESS ANECDOTE

Hala: My father built a house in the West Bank of Palestine, which is currently occupied by Israel. We would visit almost every summer. Personally, I remember going to Palestine and having to drive on separate roads, and how a 45-min trip would end up taking half-a-day due to being stopped and interrogated at checkpoints.

I remember having to ration water since we were only allowed 1/10th the amount of an Israeli family per day. I remember my late father and my mother always being interrogated in the Tel Aviv airport because of their Palestinian descent. In hopes we would think twice to come back. I remember our house windows being broken by Israeli soldiers for no reason.

I remember getting a call when I was 15 years old that my grandfather had died because he was stuck at a checkpoint and couldn’t get to the hospital in time. I remember nearly dying at a checkpoint when our van almost fell off a cliff. The soldiers kept telling us to move but there was nowhere to go. The wheels went off the cliff, we had to move everyone and all our luggage to one side of the van so we wouldn’t tip over.

I remember my cousin got shot in the arm just walking to school. I remember never being allowed to go to Jerusalem with my cousins or my grandmother because they didn’t have passports and Palestinians are not allowed to step foot in Jerusalem without permission, even though we were 15 mins away from the holy city. This is what Palestine is like for me, and as a US citizen from the West Bank, I actually have it “easy”.

Gaza, another Palestinian territory, is way worse and is essentially considered an open-air prison. They are the descendants of the 700,000 people driven out of their homes in 1948 during the Nabka (Arabic for “the catastrophe”) where thousands of people were massacred and forced to flee their homes. There is a saying that “they took it fully furnished.” Meaning, they stole our homes and kept all the furniture, too. This Nabka continues to happen every single day as homes are demolished, land is stolen, trees are burned down, and international laws are broken time and time again. These terrible things are unfortunately happening all the time, not just when Palestine is a “trending topic” on social media. WWW.THEBUSINESSANECDOTE.COM

THE BUSINESS ANECDOTE

The people in Gaza are trapped behind an illegal apartheid wall, twice as high as the Berlin wall, that separates them from Israel. They are not allowed to travel or leave. They are not allowed to fish or use their sea. They are essentially left there to rot and die, and are frequently attacked and murdered by one of the strongest militaries in the world which is allegedly funded by the United States. Palestinians are not allowed to have army or police to protect themselves. What is happening in the region is inhumane, and it is wrong. I really encourage everyone to get educated on the topic, because there are so many lies and false narratives spreading. People use fear and power to silence the truth, trying to confuse the narrative by making it seem like this is a complex, historical and religious issue, it is not. This is a simple issue that is just 73 years old. There are grandmas with keys to their houses waiting to go back home. This is apartheid, this is a human rights issue, and anyone who says otherwise is likely benefiting from the apartheid in some way or has not educated themselves on the topic. We have come to the end of this interview and would like to thank you for taking the time out to complete this Q&A session. Hala: Thank you WWW.THEBUSINESSANECDOTE.COM

FEATURED INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW CARA MACKLIN FOUNDER & CEO OF CARAM Written by Hubert Nomamiukor Photos provided by Cara Macklin

Caram is a professional innovative success coaching and mentorship

Cara Macklin, is a serial

company aimed to elevate dynamic

entrepreneur and creative

entrepreneurs ambitious to do things

disruption strategist with a

differently.

reputation for pushing boundaries and shaking up

We had the pleasure of having a Q&A

industries. She is the founder

session with Cara where she shared

and CEO of Caram.

her entrepreneurial journey with us.

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THE BUSINESS ANECDOTE

Hello Cara, thank you for taking the time out to participate in this Q&A interview session. We would like to start by exploring your origin story. Please give us an overview of your background, your career, and most importantly how you got into entrepreneurship? Cara: Thank you for inviting me to take part! I grew up in the countryside in Northern Ireland and I have always been exposed to the business world, having grown up in my family business. I quickly learnt how things worked and my entrepreneurial journey started at just 5 years old. I went on to open my first business at 15, running buses to nightclubs for my friends. I then went on to work in Marks & Spencers Food Trend Studio in London before returning to Northern Ireland where I worked as the Director of my family business - an awardwinning multi-million-pound healthcare & hospitality group, which I grew from 3 businesses with 250 staff to 7 businesses & 600 staff with a £20 million turnover. I knew I wanted more, which is why I launched my most recent business, Caram. Now I combine my entrepreneurial expertise and unique purpose of creative thinking, to share my innovative scaling system for multimillion entrepreneurs.

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THE BUSINESS ANECDOTE

What key challenges have you faced as an entrepreneur and how have you navigated these? Cara: I have faced dozens of challenges during my career, from people telling me that my idea for a Lifestyle Care Home would never work (which turned out to be cited as a “World Class Concept” by the Institute of Directors and a multi-million-pound success,) to the real-life growing pains of scaling businesses and disrupting an entire industry. As I’m sure a lot of entrepreneurs will agree, we go 100 miles per hour and there were two occasions when this got too much and I burnt out and was ill for months. This is why I am so passionate about helping other entrepreneurs with the innovative system that I have developed and delivered through Caram, as it is what I used to navigate these tricky challenges all leaders can stumble upon What key attributes in your opinion would an entrepreneur and business leader require to grow and scale a business successfully, like you did? Cara: It takes a lot of grit, persistence and hard work. You have to constantly come back to your ‘why’ and really understand why you do what you do. Motivation comes and goes but if you are inspired from within by what you are doing and what you are trying to achieve, your will to succeed will never waver. You must be totally authentic and true to yourself and always be willing to learn more – and have fun throughout the process!

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THE BUSINESS ANECDOTE

Any advice for aspiring female entrepreneurs and business leaders? Cara: It might sound pessimistic, but be prepared for push back from people that will tell you that you can’t do it. There will unfortunately be some people that will try to knock you down but my advice to you is, find your support network and lean on them for advice and encouragement. You will prove them wrong! Let's explore your company Caram. Where did the idea and inspiration for Caram come from? Cara: In today’s world of uncertainty, speed of change, complexities and volatility, I believe the most successful entrepreneurs of the future will develop the ability to combine proven business techniques with futurist leadership. The power to think creatively, adapt quickly and be flexible are crucial for any business. The idea for Caram came to me at the beginning of the Covid pandemic when I realised that I could help business leaders and entrepreneurs achieve success and navigate crises no matter what challenges they are facing. What is the value proposition and target market of Caram? Cara: My clients are growing multi-million entrepreneurs who are ambitious to do things differently, achieve even more & create meaningful change in the world. They’ve already achieved great things, but desire more meaning, success and to lead in a different way. They may be a next generation family business leader or a scaling entrepreneur. They are big thinkers who are ambitious to continue growing, with a powerful drive to positively impact the world. They want to forge their own path, remain authentic and balance a good quality of life.

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THE BUSINESS ANECDOTE

One of your key taglines is helping 7 & 8 figure entrepreneurs achieve their scaling goal. Would your scaling technique work for a 5 or 6 figure entrepreneur? Cara: Although there is a difference between 8 figure entrepreneurs and for example, 5 figure entrepreneurs, there are lots of similarities too. So there are elements of my Scaling System that could definitely work for a 5 or 6 figure entrepreneur. Please can you give us some insight into your scaling technique or is this proprietary? Cara: The Innovative Scaling System I have created has been developed by my own experience as an entrepreneur, scaling 8 figure businesses, and Innovation Strategies to disrupt the healthcare market. I combine these with world class business and mindset techniques I've learnt and developed throughout the years. To give some insight into our technique for example, How to Develop an Innovative culture & get the best ideas from your team, Masterful Mindset, Scale with Purpose in line with your mission & meaning. And then the fundamental business strategies critical to scale any business.

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THE BUSINESS ANECDOTE

What key challenges has Caram faced since its launch and how have you navigated these? Cara: The main challenge has been getting in front of the right people. In the 1+ year of Caram being founded, the innovative system has already helped many leaders and entrepreneurs change their lives and scale their businesses, but I know that I could be helping so many more. As with most new businesses, knowing how to correctly target your audience can be tricky to navigate but we are getting there. I firmly believe in constantly learning and listening to others who are experts in their field, which is why I have done this to propel Caram’s online footprint, through undertaking coaching of my own in this area. Has the COVID 19 pandemic impacted your business positively or negatively? Cara: Leaders and entrepreneurs realise now more than ever that it is essential to be prepared for turbulent change. They understand that in order to stay ahead and remain competitive, they must invest in innovation, creativity and have a success mindset. For this reason, Covid has been a positive thing for Caram. We have come to the end of the interview and would like to thank you for taking the time out to participate in this Q&A session. Cara: Thank you very much for having me!

WWW.THEBUSINESSANECDOTE.COM

FEATURED INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW WILLIAM ROWE FOUNDER & CEO OF OCTOPUS HYDROGEN Written by Hubert Nomamiukor Photos provided by William Rowe

William Rowe is the founder and CEO of Octopus Hydrogen, an energy company responsible for producing and supplying green hydrogen as a source of renewable energy.

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Octopus Hydrogen was setup to decarbonise the sectors which cannot be decarbonised easily through electrification. We had a Q&A session with William to talk about his entrepreneurial journey and why he chose the renewable energy industry as his area of specialisation.

THE BUSINESS ANECDOTE

Hello William, and thank you for participating in this Q&A session. We would like to start by exploring your origin story. Please give us an overview of your background, career milestones, and what attracted you to the entrepreneurial and angel investment industry?

“From a leadership perspective, I’ve been lucky enough to work with some great people

William: It's a pleasure. To be honest I was a

over the years, but the

late starter in life, I enjoyed school but was

most significant one for

very disruptive and really struggled with the hierarchy and control. I did end up going to

me has to be Sarah

university, which I didn't even consider until

Calcott. Sarah is a

clearing, and really enjoyed it. I managed to

get onto a graduate scheme but only survived

fantastic leader who

3 weeks before I resigned! I then found a job

really helped me develop

at a company trying to disrupt the energy market, OVO, and realised that unstructured and fast paced environments suited me. I ended up leaving OVO to go into banking for a few years which was a great experience, but it

my own authentic leadership style and skills while we worked together

helped me realise that I was more passionate

at OVO."

about renewable energy, and soon returned

― William Rowe

to OVO.

Has your entrepreneurial and leadership journey been influenced by any past or present business leaders? William: 100%. From a leadership perspective, I’ve been lucky enough to work with some great people over the years, but the most significant one for me has to be Sarah Calcott. Sarah is a fantastic leader who really helped me develop my own authentic leadership style and skills while we worked together at OVO. Entrepreneurially, I’ve always been really inspired by the late 90’s early 2000’s period. There are many brands from this period that have materially changed the way we live such as Google, Amazon and Apple, all with very different stories and styles, but they all had a shared belief in their ability to change the way humans live. Octopus Hydrogen has also got an awesome entrepreneur, Greg Jackson, as our major investor. It's incredibly helpful and inspiring having him on board as he is a great sounding board and has amazing vision.

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THE BUSINESS ANECDOTE

What key challenges have you faced in your entrepreneurial and business leadership journey? How did you navigate these? William: The hardest thing has always been finding a channel to express my passion and have an impact. I’ve been incredibly lucky, I was brought up to be confident and was always told I could do anything. If things didn't feel right, I would follow my gut and make a bold decision. Luckily those decisions have always worked out well. As a serial entrepreneur and investor, what attracted you to the renewable energy market? William: Climate change is the ‘perfect’ problem for humanity. The prevailing view has been that economic growth is not a zero sum game and that everyone can be better off year on year regardless of population growth. However, the reality is our economic growth has come at the expense of future generations and a habitable planet. Thankfully, I believe in humanity's ability to find solutions to our problems and that we can create technology that can and will save us. Renewable energy is cheaper than fossil fuel, and can help us create a better life for everyone.

"the reality is our economic growth has come at the expense of future generations and a habitable planet.".

―William Rowe

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THE BUSINESS ANECDOTE

What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs, business leaders and investors looking to operate within the renewable energy sector? William: The first would be to find a problem that motivates you and is large enough to keep motivating you. I worked just as hard trying to import aftermarket car parts from Japan via the USA when I was 17, to make a tiny margin as I do now. Everything takes hard work, so find something you are willing to work hard on indefinitely. There is often a romanticised version of entrepreneurship that comes from stories such as Dyson or Gymshark (massive kudos to Ben Francis nonetheless). In both cases, the founder starts a business from their garage with no prior experience of the sector and, despite the odds, succeeds. However you only hear about the successful ones, there are many great businesses founded by founders who cut their teeth somewhere first. So don't be afraid to gain experience and learn as much as you can.

"I believe in humanity's ability to find solutions to our problems, and that we can create technology that can and will save us. Renewable energy is cheaper than fossil fuel, and can help us create a better life for everyone.

―William Rowe

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THE BUSINESS ANECDOTE

We would like to explore the origin story of Octopus Hydrogen. Please give us an overview of why and how Octopus Hydrogen was established? William: I would love to be able to say that I’ve always known green hydrogen was going to be part of the net zero future, but I can’t. My ex-nuclear co-founder, Ben Eaton, suggested we look at green hydrogen. As I started to research the area I realised that there are many applications where hydrogen is not a great solution (I am being generous, you could argue it's an awful solution), this is especially true for things like heating and general transport. However for applications that are very weight sensitive, hydrogen is really our only viable net zero fuel. From a mobility perspective, aviation is the real ‘killer application’ of green hydrogen, followed by long range shipping and long range trucks. We set up Octopus Hydrogen to decarbonise the sectors which cannot be decarbonised easily through electrification. We took the idea to Octopus Energy who are passionate about 100% renewable power grids, excellent customer service and technology, and after hearing the pitch and our suggested applications, we’re happy to say they backed us.

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THE BUSINESS ANECDOTE

What is Octopus Hydrogen's core value proposition and target market? William: We are here to do two things; 1. Enable 100% renewable electricity grids and 2. Decarbonise heavy mobility. Our core value proposition is to provide green hydrogen to heavy mobility users such as trucks, planes and ships without the operator needing to build and operate a complex supply chain. What is Octopus Hydrogen's geographical reach and expansion plans? William: Right now we are predominantly UK focussed, but we have just hired a global sales leader who is based in Denmark. Our intention is to produce green hydrogen in areas of abundant renewable energy and to provide that hydrogen to heavy mobility applications across the globe. One of my biggest frustrations is that some countries are trying to get from 60% renewables to 100% (with the remaining 40% coming from natural gas which is the best of the fossil fuels) but a neighbouring country might be 100% coal powered. For me we have to look globally at the problem of climate change and focus our efforts where we can have the biggest impact.

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Before we conclude this interview, please tell us what are the risks associated with using hydrogen as a source of renewable energy? If there are risks, what control measures has Octopus Hydrogen put in place to mitigate these? William: It’s a great question. When people think of hydrogen they think of disasters such as the Hindenburg, and therefore conclude hydrogen is unsafe or dangerous. However, the regulations and standards surrounding compressed and explosive gases are very mature. As an example, a tank that stores hydrogen at a pressure of 350 times greater than regular air pressure will have been tested at over 1000 times that pressure, you just don't see that level of redundancy in other sectors apart from maybe nuclear and commercial aviation. It is also worth noting this isn't new technology, there are thousands of hydrogen powered Toyota Mirais on the roads in Japan and California. Thank you William for participating in this Q&A session, we look forward to seeing Octopus Hydrogen flourish and grow. William: Thank you

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FEATURED INTERVIEW

STEPHANIE SAUNDERS FOUNDER & CEO OF S2 MARKETING She is the Founder of S2 Marketing and The Suskind Foundation. She is also the host of The S2 Show. John Brandon from Forbes, ranked

The Business Anecdote recently had a Q&A session with Stephanie Saunders, who talked about her entrepreneurial journey and origin story. Stephanie Saunders is a serial entrepreneur and social media influencer. WWW.THEBUSINESSANECDOTE.COM

Stephanie as one of the top influencers on social media. He is quoted saying, "When I think of influencers on social media, I don’t immediately think of a property damage claims expert. Yet, Stephanie Saunders provides well-produced videos, insights to help her audience, and tons of followers. That sounds pretty legit to me."

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Please tell us a little about yourself, career journey, aspirations and what attracted you to entrepreneurship? Stephanie: I started my career during the 2008 housing crisis and was forced to make a major career pivot away from my originally intended role in the world. After I landed a job in the one field prospering - which at that time was the creditor owned real estate sector, I took everything I learned and made the exit from corporate to fulfil the fire I had inside me to be able to work for myself. I had always been an innovator and had not always fit inside the boxes I was placed within as a corporate executive. How much of your upbringing, surroundings and environment has influenced your entrepreneurial journey? Stephanie: I started my career during the 2008 housing crisis and was forced to make a major career pivot away from my originally intended role in the world. After I landed a job in the one field prospering - which at that time was the creditor owned real estate sector, I took everything I learned and made the exit from corporate to fulfil the fire I had inside me to be able to work for myself. I had always been an innovator and had not always fit inside the boxes I was placed within as a corporate executive.

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THE BUSINESS ANECDOTE

Has your entrepreneurial journey been influenced by any business leaders, past or present? If so, who are they and how have they influenced you? Stephanie: I am inspired by genuine success stories by so many admirable business owners and founders but people like Kara Goldin (the founder and CEO of Hint), who worked honestly and grew a successful business out of a need to make a change, are what have impacted me most. It shows us aspiring entrepreneurs what’s possible if you just believe in yourself. What do you attribute your success as an Entrepreneur to? Stephanie: I attribute all of the wrong turns I have made, and especially those that were thrown at me to my success. In the moments when we are presented with failure we have two choices, sulk or rise to the challenge. And I have risen at each failure and come out on the other end more experienced and with a bigger vision.

What are the key challenges you have faced from the start of your entrepreneurial journey to date? How have you navigate these? Stephanie: When I originally started my career I intended on going to law school, but the career was severally underpaid. I had to adapt, and look to growing markets and changed my perspective of what my career would look like. After spending a decade in corporate making money for larger entities and watching the ways in which they dominated sectors I knew I now had the skills to create my own success. This starting place alone showed me that adaptability and the willingness to bend in business was going to be my Golden key. Just as in life the road is never set in stone and you have to be ok with that.

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What advice do you have for women aspiring to become business leaders and entrepreneurs? Stephanie: Avoid the naysayers. Don’t stop learning and never let anyone tell you that you aren’t capable. Let’s talk about S2 Marketing. Other than the obvious fact it is a marketing company, what makes its value proposition unique when compared to other marketing companies? Stephanie: S2 Marketing was genuinely born out of a desire to help professionals. When the pandemic hit in 2020 - I had once again been presented with two choices - as we all were. And that was to sit and watch the world adjust or adjust with it. I immediately started leveraging social media in a new way that I had not done before. I showed up on social media daily, particularly LinkedIn and provided educational videos, sharing my behind the scenes, getting my B2B knowledge down in digital format, and my entire business model changed. I was now having leads coming to me through my inboxes and didn’t need to go to conferences or in person meetings. Colleagues from all kinds of linear businesses started reaching out asking for help and so I wanted to assist them with bringing their businesses online as well.

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Who is the target market of S2 Marketing? Stephanie: Linear business providers who are services based are similar to me and have not always had a need to implement tech into their operations need to be visible online as people. Our younger generations are living on social platforms and if we want to continue to be relevant to them you need a visible social standing. Since you launched S2 Marketing in 2018, what key challenges has your company encountered and how did your company navigate these? Stephanie: The biggest challenge in marketing is that the market is saturated. Unfortunately I have hired my fair share of marketing agencies and there is a lot of fancy wording and outlandish terms but failure to execute. This creates a distaste for potential clients who are truly in need of a service to change their models. The second biggest challenge is that when it comes to business marketing we are still comfortable with our faces not being associated with the company’s brand & we have got to transition away from that. Businesses are made up of people and I am a person that wants to hire another person and have a real connection to the values behind the logo.

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What impact has the COVID 19 pandemic had on S2 Marketing? Stephanie: S2 Marketing was born because of the pandemic. If we had not experienced this I believe we would not have seen so many folks come out of their old B2B or B2C ways for another decade. This tragic experience forced many of us to innovate and test new waters for how we would operate in life going forward - and recognize the true values tech offers each of us. We would like to to thank you for taking the time out to participate in this Q&A session. Stephanie: Thank you for including me.

To read the original interview visit our website at Interview with Stephanie Saunders: Founder of S2 Marketing (thebusinessanecdote.com) WWW.THEBUSINESSANECDOTE.COM

FEATURED INTERVIEW

RICK MAURER FOUNDER & CEO OF RICK MAURER ASSOCIATES He also explored the pros and cons of applying his change management

Rick Maurer is a veteran Change Management expert, author and the creator of the famous “3 Levels of Resistance” change management model. In our Q&A session with Rick, he talked about how and why he got into change management.

model, and talks about his career influences. Rick is also the author of “Beyond the Wall of Resistance” and “Seizing Moments of Possibility: Ways to Trigger Energy and Forward Momentum on Your Ideas and Plans.”

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Hello Rick, and thank you for participating in this Q&A session. Please give us a brief background of your career to date? Rick: I started consulting in 1978. I focused on management development training and organizational development activities such as assessments, coaching, and team building. Why did your choose Change Management as your area of expertise? Rick: Sometime around 1990, a lot of my clients were talking a lot about the headaches that they were getting when they led change. They often used the phrase "resistance to change." I did a literature review in the business press and found one verb appeared over and over when I searched on "resistance to change." That verb was “overcome”, as in, "We need to overcome resistance to change." That seemed like the wrong approach. Trying to overcome (or overpower) resistance often just adds to the opposition. I started to study the notion of support and resistance to change pretty seriously and ended up creating my own model, that resulted in “Beyond the Wall of Resistance” (Bard Press 1996). That book changed my life. I know books are supposed to change other people's lives, but mine change big time. My phone started to ring. People wanted to learn more about my ideas for working with resistance and support.

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Rick: Within a year or two I abandoned virtually all of the other things I was doing, I started focusing almost entirely on making my approach as useful as possible. I am still refining. In fact, I just released a new book, “Seizing Moments of Possibility: Ways to Trigger Energy and Forward Momentum on Your Ideas and Plans.” Have you had any career influences, past or present, and how? Rick: So many. I went to music school to learn how to teach music to young children. Although I never taught, I did learn how to break down complex things (like learning to play a clarinet) into manageable chunk and explain things in a language that made sense to those students. So it was extremely helpful. In graduate school (George Washington University) I studied working with emotionally disturbed kids. The philosophy of that program was that many of these young people were not disturbed, it was the schools that were disturbed. I believed that then and I still believe seeing that play out in organizations. What do you attribute your career success to as a change management innovator? Rick: Two big reasons: 1. My first book, Beyond the Wall of Resistance was very popular. I had a lot of national and some international media coverage. My phone rang. Those people told others. 2. Good luck

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"Trying to overcome (or overpower) resistance often just adds to the opposition." -Rick Maurer

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What advice do you have for aspiring change management professionals? Rick: Too often, change management approaches are detailed plans and miss the human element. Some popular plans give lip service to the human element, but fail to help leaders and consultants build strong support for big changes. There are notable exceptions and those who are people who have influenced and continue to influence me. I would encourage them to look at the work of Peter Block, Marv Weisbord, Dick and Emily Axelrod, Robert (Jake) Jacobs, the late Kathie Dannemiller and the late Edwin Nevis. I studied at The Gestalt Institute of Cleveland and I am on faculty as well. Their thinking about the human part of change continues to have a huge impact on me. In fact, my first book on the subject would not exist if it hadn't been for the people who taught me.

Please give us an overview of your 3 Levels of resistance model and how organisations can apply this when implementing change? Rick: I identified three levels of support and resistance to help myself and my clients understand what energy could support or get in the way when we try to plan and implement change. Focusing on the resistance side, they are: Level 1 I don't get it. Level 2 I don't like it. Level 3 I don't like you. But what we usually need is for people to get it (or understand what we are talking about), Like it (get excited, engaged, committed to the change), and at Level 3, have trust and confidence in the people leading the change. I must know, and my clients must know, how the current levels of support or resistance are likely to impact a project. Without that bedrock information, any techniques they try or their consultants recommend are based on hope and not reality.

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What are the pros and cons of this Change Management model? Rick: My approach is not a comprehensive approach to change. Think of it like a good latte. When a skilled barista makes a latte, you can't tell where the espresso ends and the milk begins and vice versa. My approach is simply a way for people to make sure they are blending support into their existing plans at every step along the way. Too often, the human part of change is either ignored or consider an add-on when we've got time. My idea about blending is that EVERY activity is an opportunity to enhance energy and forward momentum, even those mind-numbing weekly staff meetings have many untapped places where leaders could add some vitality. The cons are that some leaders don't believe that support is all that important. If that's the case, trying to use my thinking even a little bit, will just add cynicism into the mix. I know this because I've been called in because "I'm the guy who wrote that book". Leaders kind of hope that just hearing from me will magically transform indifference and grumbling into interest and willingness to jump into the project. There is no magic in my models. I'm not a faith healer or snake oil salesman (I hope). A big con is just talking about my approach with no intention of ever using it.

What are the pros and cons of this Change Management model? Rick: I am only focused on the human part of change, that is, are you getting

"My idea about blending is that EVERY activity is an opportunity to enhance energy and forward momentum, even those mind-numbing weekly staff

the support you need or not? I have

meetings have many untapped places

worked with clients on IT, Lean Six

where leaders could add some vitality."

SIgma, merger integration, and many

-Rick Maurer

other assorted projects.

To read the full interview visit our website at Interview with Rick Maurer | Author of “Beyond the Wall of Resistance” (thebusinessanecdote.com)

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FEATURED INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW GULNEET CHADHA FOUNDER & CEO GC CONSULTING Written by Hubert Nomamiukor Photos provided by Gulneet Chadha

Her consulting firm helps companies redefine their perspective of what HR

Gulneet Chadha is the Founder

should be in the 21st century. A lot of

and CEO of GC Consulting. She

companies see HR as just another

describes herself as a technology

department or facility within the

geek, and is an advocate for

company's wider scheme.

technology being used to optimise

We had the pleasure of holding a Q&A

processes and business growth.

session with Gulneet to explore her journey as a HR expert. We also look at the value proposition of GC Consulting.

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THE BUSINESS ANECDOTE

Hello Gulneet. Thank you for participating in this Q&A session. We would like to explore your origin story. Please give us an overview of your background, career, and most importantly, why and how you got into HR entrepreneurship? Gulneet: I came to Dubai in 2005 and like everyone else, I had dreams. Dream to achieve something. I started my career in HR as I was always passionate about people. In 16 years, I moved positions, handled complex HR functions, organizational restructuring, mergers and acquisitions and a lot more. However, in my journey I learned that there is so much weightage this function carries in being an advisor to the Business, unfortunately it was looked at as a mere facilitator. When this realization in me went deep, that’s when I decided to start my own company as I knew there so much potential out there where I can add value. I started GC Consulting to support businesses and advise them how to transform their HR functions and make them more productive which would directly impacting their bottom line. HR should sit on the Driver seat, and that’s what we try to do at GC Consulting, making our clients more productive in their businesses, by making their HR functions super productive.

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Are there any leaders, past or present that have influenced you as a business leader? Gulneet: Yes, my Ex-Managers, Omar Kassim & Zayan Ghandour have been my biggest inspiration. From Omar I gained technology insight. He always encouraged me to stay ahead. I learned culture and compassion from Zayan Ghandour which has been the biggest contributor towards my success. Apart from that, I gain inspiration from my clients, my colleagues, and everyone. You learn everyday and I feel everyone is an inspiration. Every journey has its ups and downs. What are the key challenges you have faced in the HR sector and how have you navigated these? Gulneet: The biggest challenge I faced was attitude of people and their resistance to change. You can’t really furnish data even though there is, and studies have proved that certain transformation would result in some kind of confirmed impact. Convincing organizations that have age-old practices has been our biggest challenge, but ofcourse we are getting there and see a lot of organizations now becoming open to change 😀.

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What advice do you have for aspiring business leaders and entrepreneurs looking to start a business during the pandemic? Gulneet: If you have an idea and feel it deep in your bones, give it a start! If you don’t start now, you will never be able to. Once you're on that journey, just keep going. Criticism and failure will be your biggest learning and will make you what you finally want to be.

We would like to talk about GC Consulting and its value proposition. What is the origin story behind GC Consulting? Gulneet: GC Consulting focusses on making an impact. Any potential client we approach, its only about adding value. Transparency is our DNA. We never make false promise. Our objective is to make our client profitable through their resources and we don't attach commercial value to what we can't deliver. What is the value proposition of GC Consulting and how is it unique when compared to other HR firms? Gulneet: Transparency and 100% Success Delivery is what we promise. Usually its difficult to quantify HR transformation practices, but we build our own KPIs and we track our own success. Who is GC Consulting's target market and what is your geographical reach? Gulneet: UAE is our main market, but we are also working in Saudi market on some recruitment projects.

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What are the key challenges GC Consulting has faced since it launched and how have you navigated it? Gulneet: As a newbie in the market, on-time delivery in recruitment (mainly!) was our challenge, but with time we have managed to overcome that. Still on challenges, what impact did the pandemic have on GC Consulting? Gulneet: We have successfully managed to support companies in their restructuring during pandemic. Where companies were downsizing massively, we managed to develop some unique strategies for our clients on Human Resources which were not just practical but also commercially viable, leaving the culture unaffected. Alot of organisations had to move their businesses online or work remotely. These changes have had both positive and negative impacts on their existing organisational culture and productivity. What advice do you have for organisations going through such changes? Gulneet: Collaboration and effective communication is the only way to handle remote working. Facebook said they are committed to allowing 50% of their employees work remotely forever. Other companies like Infosys and Reddit have also made similar commitments. While not all jobs can be adapted to remote working, should job roles that can be delivered remotely remain remotely after the pandemic? Gulneet: It all depends what jobs can be done remotely and what tools are in place to make sure that employees are comfortable and as effective. Where I feel some jobs could be 100% remote, there are some that need hybrid or on-site presence.

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THE BUSINESS ANECDOTE

While a lot of organisations incorporate mental health into their corporate strategy, there is still the stigma associated with telling an employer you are depressed, stressed or you have an anxiety problem. Some employers handle it well and provide support. Why others provide support but perceive the employees as “broken”. What’s your advice on how to properly manage mental health within a work context? Gulneet: Read this carefully if you are an Employer or an Employee. Mental Health is not limited to some packages that include xyz.. It is that situation when an employee walks into his manager's office and says "I am having a difficult day as I suffer from anxiety or depression or PTSD", that’s mental health. As a Manager you are expected not judge them and link this to their performance. So the first step is to create a culture of "not judging". We have come to the end of the interview and would like to thank you for participating in it. Gulneet: Thank you. My pleasure 😀.

To read the original interview visit our website at Interview with Gulneet Chadha | CEO of GC Consulting (thebusinessanecdote.com)