Elevated Entrepreneur Podcast

Send us a textThe story you tell about your brand is important. But how do you know that you are telling it right?In this week’s episode, I’m sharing with you a simple framework you can use to tell your brand story in a way that is more engaging and personal and also connects you with your customers.If this sounds interesting to you, then let’s dive in straight to this week’s episode on The Elevated Entrepreneur Podcast.https://elevatedentrepreneur.fm/54

Send us a textOne of the hardest skills for entrepreneurs and founders to master is delegation. Yet, it is one of the most important skills that any entrepreneur or founder can have. You're probably used to doing everything yourself, but you know you need to give up some control over important areas if you want to scale your business. In this episode, you’ll learn what we get wrong about delegation, why we have trouble delegating, what most entrepreneurs and founders tend to do instead o...

Send us a textMany of us battle with procrastination, the impulse to put tasks off until the last minute or even later.But there is another habit that's sometimes linked to procrastination: precrastination.It's when we rush to get tasks done as soon as possible in an attempt to not have those tasks lingering on our minds later, so we stop cluttering our headspace and causing our anxiety.If you think this is a positive, wait til you hear what David Rosenbaum, the professor who coined this term...

Send us a textPutting things off can take a toll on your productivity and happiness, and procrastination is one of them. Sometimes it can be the result of a lack of motivation or just not knowing what to do next.If you’re looking for simple yet effective ways to beat the procrastination bully in your life, you’ve come to the right place!Tune in to this episode and find out why we’re procrastinating in the first place, four important tips to procrastinate less, and how to implement these tips ...

Send us a textFor almost five years of being an entrepreneur, I’ve learned so much I did not expect I would learn. Not just when I’m running my business, Cloudscape since 2017, but also when I had a dream that changed so many journeys of entrepreneurs across 41 cities in 20 countries—It was when I started podcasting last 2017. And now that I’ve been doing it for two and a half years, I prepared three big and amazing announcements for all my listeners. So, buckle up and turn up the volume to t...

Send us a text We live in a world that is getting crazier every day. We need leaders and organizations that can rise above existing norms and help us navigate this complicated world. Good leaders are important because they teach us how to think bigger, take risks and make life easier.To be a good leader, you need to be a good listener. That's why in this episode I'm joined by Warsha Joshi, who is also a mastermind facilitator and a serial entrepreneur. She has built many successful busin...

Send us a textMost people miss out on a lot of opportunities because they overthink that they don’t deserve them, they are not good enough, and that they might just mess up. They lack self-confidence which causes them not to see the endless possibilities that await them and how much they can do. Are you one of the “most people”? Do you want to reach your full potential and build strong self-confidence? Then this episode is for you.Meet Aliyah Rajah. She has a biomedical science degree and a m...

Send us a textBusiness is a saturated world where improving and aiming to get better at negotiations is a must.Unfortunately, in some cases, some people are willing to charge way below their initial cost of services in order to secure clients. What if I told you that clients actually love closing deals when the service providers charge higher? You can still win the client even if you charge triple times more than your competitors. How is that possible? One word: Negotiation.In this epis...

Send us a textWhen diving into a risky endeavour it is important to always be thinking big and emotionally supported. Since business has been normalized to be perceived as “Too risky,” “Just for rich people,” and “Will most likely fail”, especially for women. Families and friends will probably tell you that you’re just dreaming too big and you have to be realistic, that your plans are unachievable, or even you can’t do it.In this episode, you will get to know the 7-figure earner entrepreneur ...

Send us a textAn insane statistic tells that there are already 528 million entrepreneurs in the world and this count keeps on rising. However, most entrepreneurs want to see results as soon as possible that’s why they flood their to-do list apps thinking that all of them can be done in a couple of weeks only. This makes them feel overwhelmed, and uncomfortable, and end up procrastinating. In this episode, you will learn how to prevent ‘to-do list overwhelm’, determine the methods on how to pr...

Send us a textIn this episode, we dive into 20 of our favourite quotes from the book Winnie the Pooh and turn them into daily life mantras for entrepreneurs!While most entrepreneurs' eyes are fixated on their wristwatches, have you ever wondered if there was something more to life?Life is not just about business. You can’t enjoy all the fruits of your labour unless you take time off occasionally to smell the roses. It's important to take a step back and enjoy life from time to time.I am once ...

Send us a textThe art of discovery is one of the most important parts of any sales process. And yet, so many entrepreneurs and business owners spend a minuscule amount of time on it. This often leads to miscommunication, missed expectations and failed business relationships. A better discovery process will help you avoid these all-too-common issues. Plus, help you close more businesses quickly and more effortlessly. In this episode, I talk about the four types of questions you need to as...

Send us a textYou've always wanted to start your own business, but you haven't for a variety of reasons, such as “I don't love risks”, “I'm not special”, or “I don't have a clear business plan”.Or perhaps you're already an entrepreneur, and you're finding yourself limited by the same beliefs around entrepreneurship. In this podcast episode, I'm busting these six myths around entrepreneurship and showing you how to overcome them.https://elevatedentrepreneur.fm/43

Send us a textThis week I’m joined by two very special guests, Warsha Joshi and Evan Le Clus of the Dare to Scale Show. We’re diving into a discussion about a classic children’s book: Alice in Wonderland. I believe it’s not just for children, but everyone of every age can learn many valuable lessons from this book. We’re going to be talking about the main lessons we can learn from the book that have to do with entrepreneurship, and how you can apply those lessons to your life.https://elevated...

Send us a textEvery year we strive to be the best version of ourselves. I encourage you that as we approach the end of this year 2021, try to look back on the things you set out to achieve for the past year. See how far you’ve come. Be inspired to do more. Set new goals. Before the year 2021 started, I listed down a few things I wanted to accomplish and improve on as a podcaster, host, and generally as an individual person. For this reason, I really strived hard to achieve such things; g...

Send us a textYou’re a small business owner. You’ve got your hands full with everything from marketing to accounting, and you don’t have time for sales. But it turns out that if you want to grow your business, you need to get good at selling. Sales are the lifeblood of any company, but it can be hard for entrepreneurs who are used to wearing many hats (and doing them all well) to take on another role they may not feel equipped for. That's why in this episode, I’ll share with you the best...

Send us a textDo you want to create a culture that empowers your team members and creates an environment where people feel happy, productive, and inspired? Do you want to build a company that is more than just the sum of its parts? It all starts with the right rituals and routines. Team rituals are proven to increase employee happiness by up to 20%! They also make employees feel like they belong in the workplace. This means happier customers who will be more loyal to your brand. An...

Send us a textIn this episode, I'm going to take you from how I think about the podcast topics, how I put my show notes together, how I produce the episode, and what happens in the post-production process. Plus, you’ll get to know which kind of gear I use because that's a big question that a lot of people ask.Ready to get started? Head on to the episode and let’s dive in!https://elevatedentrepreneur.fm/38

Send us a textAre you looking for the right CRM software to use for your business? Can’t decide between Zoho or HubSpot? Well, you’ve come to the right place! Let me walk you through the process of choosing which CRM tool is right for your business by looking at their objectives, similarities, and differences, and hopefully, by the end of this episode, you’ll be able to make a more educated decision on the right tool which works for you.https://elevatedentrepreneur.fm/37

Send us a textThere are moments in our life when going on big adventures or even doing other mundane things randomly remind us of simple principles we should’ve always carried with us for much bigger things we do in life. This is exactly what happened when I went on a big adventure recently. Just after I have finished my epic 6000-kilometre road trip on my motorcycle, touring the east coast of Canada, I have realized that doing that also has many lessons that are highly critical and applicabl...

Send us a textEvery retail business owner knows the importance of adapting to their consumers’ constantly changing needs. One way to do keep up with them is to make sure we are using the right technology and systems - whether that be through our POS software, e-commerce platforms, accounting and inventory management, loyalty and booking systems, and so many more.This is why I’ve created the ultimate Retail Tech Guide to help you decide what your retail business needs in terms of this software...

Send us a textHey, everyone! Today we’re talking all about the tools, apps, and websites I use to boost my productivity. You'll learn about the tools I use to plan, organize, and simplify my business and personal life. As an entrepreneur, it’s not enough to store all the knowledge in our heads, we need these tools to give space for creative thinking, brainstorming, and of course, Getting Things Done!Are you ready to discover the must-have tools you need to maximize your productivity as an ele...

Send us a textA lot of books, articles, and podcasts about entrepreneurship revolve around productivity, operations, leadership, and systems, but one aspect is rarely discussed: our inner language. The way we speak to ourselves and about our business plays a major role in our success. We speak words influenced by our subconscious minds, therefore, we become what we think and the thoughts we have become our reality. Today's episode is about the words that every entrepreneur should av...

Send us a textOver the last six to eight months, I’ve been learning about the secret to getting things done, a secret to moving forward in life. It’s a framework I’ve been figuring out that helps me dictate the day, not the other way around. This framework was introduced to me by August Bradley called the Pillars, Pipelines, and Vaults (PPV) system, and it has helped me change my way of being productive and achieving my goals effectively and efficiently.If you’re curious about what this conce...

Send us a textIn today’s modern world of restaurants and F&B businesses, serving great-tasting food or a nice ambience simply isn’t enough to make your customers happy.You need to give them the best dining experience, whether in a restaurant, delivery or even online. One way to address this gap is by incorporating new technology in your restaurant. Not only will this improve your customers’ satisfaction but will also help YOU save time and money by automating most of the manual processes ...

Send us a textEver wonder how hotels and restaurants retain and keep their loyal customers?My guest today says it all boils down to excellent hospitality. The way that a hotel or restaurant cares about its customers and brings about a satisfying, comfortable, and safe experience through invisible touchpoints makes all the difference. Join me as I welcome my guest, Ghizlane Benzakour, as she shares her journey of entrepreneurship, her amazing story of why she got into hospitality, and how...

Send us a textAre you the type of entrepreneur who gulps coffee to power through the entire day, or do you prefer to take breaks, enjoy a snack, and relax with a soothing cup of chai tea?If you’re the latter and you’re in the UAE, chances are you’ve already seen and visited this popular brand serving real, authentic tea inspired by tea cultures from all over the world. I’m talking about Project Chaiwala founded by Ahmed Kazim and Justin Joseph, whom I’m interviewing in the Elevated Entreprene...

Send us a textWelcome to another episode of the Elevated Entrepreneur Podcast! In today's episode, we discuss the N word. How can we use the word "No" as a powerful tool in our arsenal to manage our personal and professional lives?In this episode, we’ll talk about the two sides of the word "No" and I will personally share my own lessons about this magical word, plus how you can use this word in your business, professional, and personal life. http://elevatedentrepreneur.fm/28

Send us a textThis week, I'm giving you a quick walkthrough of my entire productivity system, complete with which tools I use, applications, and frameworks. Believe it or not, the key to success in achieving your goals and the things you want to do is not by staying motivated or wanting to be productive. Plus, stay tuned because I am going to share three things about myself at the end of the episode that you surely won't want to miss out on! http://elevatedentrepreneur.fm/27

Send us a textWelcome to the Elevated Entrepreneur Podcast and today, we’re taking a break from our Retail Entrepreneur series to talk about one of my most recent massive achievements in life, and that is completing my first full 42k marathon! It was definitely not an easy journey and I wanted to share with you what that whole experience was like for me. As you know, I wasn’t alone in that experience and so today, I’m joined by two of my buddies who ran alongside me, Preet Sagar and Jeetender...

Send us a textWhile most entrepreneurs, founders, and business owners struggled to cope during the pandemic, there were also those who thrived and grew because they were much more willing and open to adapt to a changing world. Thanks in large part to their networks, they were able to adapt with the help of other businesses through knowledge-sharing and support.In today’s podcast, I’m talking with Sridhar and Umesh, who started One Retail Connect during the lockdown, a networking platform wher...

Send us a textWith the ongoing pandemic and changes to the entrepreneurial landscape, more and more retail business owners are looking for new ways and platforms to sell their physical products.The rise in popularity of online selling has made it clear that e-commerce is here to stay. But there are still some entrepreneurs who get confused as to the WHAT, WHY, and HOW of setting up an online store along with their physical store. Fortunately, I’ll be walking you through what you should do bef...

Send us a textHey, elevated entrepreneur! This week we’re starting our Retail Entrepreneur Series where we interview entrepreneurs from the retail business industry. And I’m so excited to have the owner and CEO of Wolfi’s bike shop, Wolfgang Hohmann, more lovingly known as Wolfi, on the podcast with me! Today's episode is all about how Wolfi started his bike shop, how he moved from Germany to Dubai almost on a whim and what made him so successful here in the region for the last 20 years....

Send us a textAs a business owner, you're always dealing with filtering so much information from everywhere, and I can understand how overwhelming it can be. I also know the importance of choosing the right software to use in your business, one that fully supports your needs and solves your problems. While every business is different, the crucial things remain the same, such as hiring the right staff, understanding and catering to customers' needs, and creating powerful systems that can easil...

Send us a textHope everything is doing well and you’re enjoying the New Year! In today’s episode, I’ve decided to dive into what I think is next for the hospitality industry in 2021. While 2020 has been such a transformational year, we can expect some great and bright things for the food and beverage industry soon! The way people eat and dine is changing and restaurants and food business owners must learn to adapt to these changes if they want to thrive. Are you excited to learn what these tr...

Send us a textHey, Elevated Entrepreneur! Don’t you just love fresh starts, clean slates, and a New Year? While 2020 will be far from forgotten, I’m grateful for being able to turn over a new leaf and set new, inspired, and intentional goals for 2021. In today’s episode, we’ll be talking less about the accomplishments I want to achieve and more about the mindset and actions I’ll be doing in the coming year. You’ll also learn how I’m setting myself up for success using my 3-2-1 Method. Cu...

Send us a textMy, my, what a wonderful year 2020 has been! Despite all the turbulence and unexpected circumstances this year has brought us, I still choose to see this as the best year that has ever happened. With that, I invite you to wrap up 2020 with me as I talk about how I spent this year and how I’m looking forward to 2021.In this episode, I’ll share with you my 2020 highlights, lessons learned, best books and podcasts I’ve read and listened to as well as some episodes from the Elevated...

Send us a textDo you believe that it’s possible to eat a healthy diet and still enjoy delicious and nourishing food? Well, this has been made a reality by Seva Experience, a wellness centre with a yoga studio that offers meditation, yoga, and also houses a cafe in its garden! Opened in 2014, this Dubai’s plant-based cafe offers healthy, organic and plant-based food. Seva Experience has indeed transformed the narrative of healthy food being boring. This gorgeous cafe with aesthetically pl...

Send us a textThinking of giving juicing a whirl? It is the easiest way to incorporate more fruits and veggies into your diet! A few years ago after having her two children within the span of 14 months, Meenaxy had a constant backache that could not go away despite taking medication. Juicing saved her life and gave birth to something amazing - Go Organic.As someone who has experienced the stunning health benefits of drinking organic juice, Meenaxy now offers a customer-centric product that im...

Send us a textPeople are always looking for healthy snack items, especially wherever there is foot traffic. And even though they may look simple, the snacks business has a lot of moving parts. While some snack concepts are just fads, there are some snack ideas that have stood the test of time, offering entrepreneurs exceptional business opportunities. One of them is Freakin' Healthy.Founded by Roy Koyess, Freakin' Healthy offers a wide range of healthy snacking options to everyone. Armed with...

Send us a textAs an entrepreneur, sometimes the psychological weight of being the sole decision-maker can weigh you down. From figuring out how to stay accountable for organizing your time and making everything happen without losing your mind, entrepreneurship isn’t a walk in the park. Not having someone to bounce ideas around with can be the hardest part of running your own business. For this reason, many entrepreneurs (including me) have resorted to joining mastermind accountability gr...

Send us a textEver felt like leaving everything behind to open your own business or start new projects? That’s what Nooran Al Bannay, the founder of Coffee Architecture did! Nooran left a senior architectural engineering position in a major company to open her own coffee shop in Abu Dhabi. Despite Nooran’s salary being decent and her corporate career path being clear, her personal and spiritual journey led her to a different path. A path that saw her opening Coffee Architecture, a place ...

Send us a textIn today’s episode, I speak to Orit Mohammed, founder of Boon Coffee. After finishing her Masters of Arts in Economic Development in the United States, Orit spent a few years working for some international organizations. In 2008, after getting married to a fellow Harrar native, she moved to Dubai where she and her husband continued to establish their business in the UAE and start a family. After having three children and raising them for a couple of years, she decided to reconne...

Send us a textIn today’s episode, I had the privilege to speak to Maria Eduarda Becker Pavani, the founder of Três Marias Coffee. Três Maria Coffee prides itself in being a perfect mix of high-quality whole roasted coffee beans that has brought a whole new meaning to coffee in addition to making specialty coffee easily accessible to all coffee lovers. The Três Marias Instant Specialty Coffee is available in three flavors: from the citrusy and fruity flavor of Rwanda coffee, the caramel s...

Send us a textI published my first episode five months ago. What a journey in producing this content and sharing it with YOU, this has been! Following a year and a half year of planning - and the pandemic - deliberation, thinking and dreaming, I was finally hitting the record button. It’s been an exciting start!Why did it take me that long? Well, I could attribute this to a long list of excuses. Some of them included being too busy, not sure whether I’d sound professional enough, and not havi...

Send us a textIn today’s episode, I am talking to Namita Ramani, the founder and CEO of Above Digital, a leading digital marketing agency that helps small businesses reach their goals and generate qualified leads through pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns and social media marketing. An avid reader and learner who consumes almost 5-6 hours of content every day, Namita is also the host of the Successful Marketing for Small Businesses in Dubai podcast, a platform where she indulges in inspired conver...

Send us a textIn today’s episode, I’m talking to Wayne Richard, Partner and Chief Operating Officer at Bean Ninjas, one of the world’s leading accounting firms and an expert in helping small businesses with accounting and bookkeeping. Aside from being Bean Ninjas’ resident e-commerce expert, he is also the author of a book called, “A Detailed Guide to eCommerce Accounting” and Host of the Bean Ninjas podcast. Wayne had a 15-year career with Hewlett Packard before starting his own cloud accoun...

Send us a textWelcome to a very special and bonus episode of the Elevated Entrepreneur Podcast! In the previous episode, which is episode number 8, I’m talking to Surbhi from Digital Genie and we are talking about ideal customers, personas, and how they’re so important to any business.While we were recording that episode, Surbhi and I got to talking about her experience as a marketer, working for Ron Kaufman, the author of the Uplifting Service Series. I highly recommend these books if you ha...

Send us a textToday’s episode features Surbhi Dedhia, an astute digital marketing specialist and the CEO of Digital Genie, a company that partners with businesses to create customer personas, which is the foundation of all marketing activities to acquire and serve the targeted buyer’s needs. Before starting her own business, Surbhi’s work experience included delivering effective and value-based marketing programs for organizations at different growth phases. From building the marke...

Send us a textIn this episode, I talk to Mazen Aloul, an SEO expert, LinkedIn Author, and the founder of WebQuest, an SEO company specializing in English and Arabic SEO. Mazen has worked with over 100 websites across the Middle East and helps business owners all over the world in getting their website better ranked in Google.In 2013, Mazen became part of a communications consulting startup and got exposed to the world of SEO as part of the services they offered. As he became passionate about ...

Send us a textIn this episode, I am very excited to have my amazing business coach, Warsha Joshi,who is also a mastermind facilitator and a serial entrepreneur. She has built manysuccessful businesses and has been featured on the likes of entrepreneur.com. I’vebeen working with her for the past 3 years and have learned so much.Born into a business family, Warsha started learning the ropes of entrepreneurship eversince she was a kid. Growing up in that environment, she was taught how to seek a...

Send us a textIn this episode, I talk to my long-time friend, Muhammed Manji who is the CEO and founder of Automyze FC, a retail fulfillment company in Dubai that offers outsourced e-commerce fulfillment services to retail and distribution businesses. Muhammed talks about his journey as a serial entrepreneur and why fulfillment is his most fulfilling job yet. Connect with Muhammed:· LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmanji/· ...

Send us a textIn this episode, M'OISHÎ founder and CEO, Carole Moawad, tells us how she was able to grow her business idea into a multi-store business in just three years. After discovering mochi, a delicious, Japanese handcrafted dessert, Carole realized how this well-loved product is available in other parts of the world, but had not been introduced and popularized yet in Dubai. With that opportunity, she decided to launch this product line locally, giving it a new twist, building a s...

Send us a textIn this episode, I will introduce the show and talk about what inspired me to start it. My name is Dhiren Bhatia, and I am the founder and managing director of Cloudscape Technologies FZCO, a Dubai-based technology consulting firm focused on the retail and hospitality industries. My professional and entrepreneurial journey has been quite fascinating on a number of levels and I love for you to hear my story and how I got started with the podcast.Key Takeaways:Why you should consi...

Send us a textThe right cloud-based POS system for your business can be a game-changer. Today’s online programs are so powerful that they can manage almost every single aspect of your sales. Many of them can integrate with other software programs to handle everything from accounting to customer service, and they do it all via a streamlined, secure and easy-to-use interface.But this comprehensive functionality can also make committing to the wrong POS an expensive mistake. Onboarding...

Send us a textIf you're passionate about cuisine, cooking & community and are looking to open a restaurant, you need to prepare thoroughly. You must be thoughtful and deliberate about your future restaurant's planning and I want to help with the top three things you need to do before you open a restaurant,Key Takeaways:The three things to keep in mind before opening a restaurant (01:22)Ensuring profitability by niching down (02:22)Getting a handle on the costs that will be necessary to br...