Tales of the Trade

On a special bonus episode, James talks to me about the state of the podcast industry, the audio versus video conversation, and his thoughts on its future.Links: The Vergecast: They’re called “Podcasts” Podnews: Why is all the podcasting money in the US by Will Page The decentralized nature of podcasts is its best feature (Dubai Podfest 2023) The Pen Addict podcast Chirag Desai and Ramsey Tesdell on the podcast industry: Website • YouTube Upload podcasts via RSS to YouTube The Podcast Index Apps supporting Podcasting 2.0 features Open Podcast Analytics Working Group Spotify leaves the IAB Megaphone is certified again Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pull up a chair and join my conversation with James Cridland, founder & editor of Podnews.netJames tells me about their growth from scratch to 32,000 subscribers, and the importance of owning your tech stack and workflow. We also talk about their acquisition of the Podcast Business Journal last year as a key expansion strategy.On a special bonus episode out tomorrow, James and I talk about the state of the podcast industry, the audio vs video conversation and his thoughts on its future.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On a special episode coming this week, I’m sitting down with James Cridland, founder & editor of Podnews.net, *the* place to get all your podcast news, and then some. Over two episodes, we’ll get into the genesis of the platform and get James’ insights on the latest shifts in the podcast industry. So pull up a chair & join the conversation!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ramsey Tesdell shares his thoughts on some of the challenges and opportunities for the podcast landscape in the region. This episode is a continuation of my conversation with Ramsey, where he shared his entrepreneurial journey and some of Sowt’s growth plans, including their acquisitions of Finyal Media & Rising Giants Network.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you go from social network to podcast powerhouse? Pull up a chair and join the conversation with Ramsey Tesdell, co-founder and CEO of Sowt. Ramsey tells me about his entrepreneurial journey, why he’s an unintentional leader & lessons from their recent podcast acquisitions of Finyal Media in 2022 & Rising Giants Network last year.On a special bonus episode, Ramsey also shares his thoughts on the MENA podcast landscape. This bonus episode is available to subscribers tomorrow and everyone else next week. Links: Our 2021 predictions on Apple Podcast SubscriptionsLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pull up a chair & join the conversation with Ramsey Tesdell, co-founder and CEO of podcasting powerhouse, Sowt. Available in your podcast apps May 7. If you subscribe now, you’ll also get a bonus episode on the state of the podcast landscape before everyone else!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On our season finale, Tatiana Antontelli shared how she's been adapting her social entreprise, Goumbook, to handle the impact of the lockdowns and the pandemic. On this bonus episode, Tatiana shares her thoughts about the impact of sanitization and re-emergence of single-use plastic in light of the various guidelines put in place around the world. Thank you for joining us on this season of Tales of the Trade, and see you in 2021!CreditsHosted & Produced by Chirag Desai.With support from Pooja Sagar, Abhishek Venkatasubramanian & Zainab Ujjaini.Original Music by Reiner Erlings.Review us on Apple Podcasts • IMDb • PodchaserLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Goumbook was the UAE's earliest social entreprise helping promote sustainable practices since 2010. So pull up a chair & join our conversation with Tatiana Antonelli, founder of Goumbook, and how she is facilitating her business into the new world order and why 2020 could become a remarkable opportunity for entrepreneurs to step up. We'll be back with a new season in 2021. See you then! CreditsHosted & Produced by Chirag Desai. With support from Pooja Sagar, Abhishek Venkatasubramanian & Zainab Ujjaini. Original Music by Reiner Erlings. Review us on Apple Podcasts • IMDb • PodchaserLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pull up a chair & join the conversation with students Yusuf Zia & Rayan Malik about their journey as student entrepreneurs and the launch of a first-of-its-kind entrepreneurship platform out of the UAE. CreditsHosted & Produced by Chirag Desai. With support from Pooja Sagar, Abhishek Venkatasubramanian & Zainab Ujjaini. Original Music by Reiner Erlings. Review us on Apple Podcasts • IMDb • PodchaserLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A decade strong, Sugaholic started out from humble beginnings and is now a name synonymous with celebrations and events in the city. So pull up a chair & join the conversation with Ravisha Bhatia, about how they met the lockdown challenges head-on. CreditsHosted & Produced by Chirag Desai. With support from Pooja Sagar, Abhishek Venkatasubramanian & Zainab Ujjaini. Original Music by Reiner Erlings. Review us on Apple Podcasts • IMDb • PodchaserLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Dubai braced for a full lockdown in March 2020, two finance execs-turned-entrepreneurs met with their staff and announced their decision to close operations ahead of the official lockdown announcement. Pull up a chair & join the conversation with Hashem Montasser, co-founder of The Lighthouse. CreditsHosted & Produced by Chirag Desai. With support from Pooja Sagar, Abhishek Venkatasubramanian & Zainab Ujjaini. Original Music by Reiner Erlings. Review us on Apple Podcasts • IMDb • PodchaserLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chirag Desai is joined by Season one guest Arva Ahmed, Chief Executive Muncher at Frying Pan Adventures, who shares how her business is dealing with impact of the pandemic and how she's been coping--both personally and professionally with its impacts. Pull up a chair & join the conversation on the season premiere of Tales of the Trade. CreditsHosted & Produced by Chirag Desai. With support from Pooja Sagar, Abhishek Venkatasubramanian & Zainab Ujjaini. Original Music by Reiner Erlings. Review us on Apple Podcasts • IMDb • PodchaserLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new season on how companies--and the people behind them--are coping as we exit the various lockdowns in place due to the global pandemic. Join host Chirag Desai as he chats with a couple of former guests and partners, starting September 22.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey there, we're working on a new season of Tales of the Trade, and we hope to share more about that in a few weeks. In the meantime, stay up to date with us through our newsletter, and enjoy our episode from Summer 2019 featuring two entrepreneurs who journeys crossed paths in more ways than one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over a decade ago, a young man left behind his masters program to move to the UAE. It didn't take long for him to spot an opportunity to branch out on his own and today--as much as he hates the term--can only be defined as a serial entrepreneur. Pull up a chair & join our season finale with Samer Hamadeh, founder of Aegis Hospitality & the man behind some of Dubai's iconic venues such as Republique, Stereo Arcade & Akiba Dori. CreditsHosted & Produced by Chirag Desai. With support from Pooja Sagar, Abhishek Venkatasubramanian, Sukayna Kazmi & Zainab Ujjaini. Original Music by Reiner Erlings. Review us on Apple Podcasts • IMDb • PodchaserLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Building a successful technology platform and a business model that is sutainabile is hard enough; doing that without a technology background in a part of the world not exactly conducive to the gig economy requires a steely determination. So pull up a chair & join our conversation with Loulou Khazen, founder of Nabbesh. Additionally, in these trying times, we ask that you support your local businesses. On behalf of Courtyard Playhouse, one of the companies we featured in season 1 desparately needs to raise funds to keep the lights on until the precautionary measures are lifted. You'll find more details on the episode and here’s a link to donate. We hope you'll consider even a small amount to help them out. CreditsHosted & Produced by Chirag Desai. With support from Pooja Sagar, Abhishek Venkatasubramanian, Sukayna Kazmi & Zainab Ujjaini. Original Music by Reiner Erlings. Review us on Apple Podcasts • IMDb • PodchaserLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On a special bonus episode, how Arafaat's eventual career has roots in his childhood, and what happened to those two girls who served as a catalyst to getting it all started? Arafaat Ali Khan co-founded the Middle East Film & Comic Con in Dubai. You can find the full episode in your podcast player.CreditsHosted & produced by Chirag Desai. With support from Abhishek Venkatasubramanian, Sukayna Kazmi & Zainab Ujjaini. Original music composed by Reiner Erlings.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the late 2000s, halfway across the world from the premiere event in the pop culture scene—the San Diego Comic Con—a young man couldn’t understand why the Middle East didn’t have one of these mega events for the aficionados of comic books & pop culture. Pull up a chair & join our conversation with Arafaat Ali Khan, co-founder of the Middle East Film & Comic Con.CreditsHosted & produced by Chirag Desai. With support from Abhishek Venkatasubramanian, Sukayna Kazmi & Zainab Ujjaini. Original music composed by Reiner Erlings.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just as the smartphone was revolutionizing the camera industry post-2007, a young expat was leaving behind his career as a brand marketer to become a photojournalist. Pull up a chair & join our conversation with Mohamed Somji, Director of Gulf Photo Plus & Founder, Seeing Things Photography. CreditsHosted & produced by Chirag Desai. With support from Abhishek Venkatasubramanian, Sukayna Kazmi & Zainab Ujjaini. Original music composed by Reiner Erlings.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Understanding how to scale your business—whether adding employees, opening a new branch, or even looking at funding—is really hard to do day-to-day. And when you've operated in a single-store model for over a decade, how do you go about changing gears towards a growth-oriented business? Pull up a chair & join our conversation with Sima Barazi Haroun, founder of Boom & Mellow.Credits Hosted & produced by Chirag Desai. With support from Abhishek Venkatasubramanian, Sukayna Kazmi & Zainab Ujjaini. Original music composed by Reiner Erlings.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On a special bonus episode, how Mohammed Al Balooshi's first injury as a motorcross rider truely showcases how his connection with dirt biking was different from any other sport he had played. Mohammed Al Balooshi is the founder of the MX-Academy in Dubai. You can find the full episode in your podcast player.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly two decades ago, jumping on a dirt bike led a young man down the path to become the UAE's athlete of the year in 2018 & set up a training center for anyone who wanted to learn the sport. So pull up a chair & join our conversation with Mohammed Al Balooshi, founder of the MX-Academy. **Credits** Hosted & produced by Chirag Desai, with support from Gaya, Abhishek Venkatasubramanian, Sukayna Kazmi & Zainab Ujjaini. Original music composed by [Reiner Erlings](https://reinererlings.com).Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy 2020 everyone! It's been a busy 12 months for us here at AMAEYA Media, in fact we launched the network's 14th show in late November! We're also excited to share that a new season of Tales of the Trade begins next week, with a new episode every second Tuesday. We hope you'll pull up a chair & join the conversation.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're running a dipstick survey to better understand what you--our listeners--like, and don't like about podcasts. We'd love it if you took a couple mins [to take our survey](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1iQI-8GYiDE_5rqWcHuj9mAwObR4hS0tm0UPcRkAzmqo/viewform?edit_requested=true#responses). We're also giving away a pair of Apple's new AirPods Pro to one lucky survey taker. Survey closes November 30, 2019. We'll be back soon with a new season, so stay tuned!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're gearing up towards our next season, coming late-2019, so do stay tuned for that! On this bonus episode, we're introducing you to the newest show from the Amaeya Media Network, KarāmaSūtra, chronicles from communities we've grown up with. Sample the first part of the premiere, and you can listen to the show in your podcast player, or find it on the web. We hope you enjoy it!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We conclude our summer season with a bonanza episode featuring not one, but two startups that are closely entwined in their operations & their personal journeys. So pull up a chair & join our conversation with two entrepreneurs who came together to create a special blend of art with food; the tale, of two pop ups.CreditsSpecial thanks to Anastasia Frolova. This episode was hosted by Chirag Desai, produced by Gaya & our intern is Abhishek Subramanian. Original music by Reiner Erlings.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pull up a chair & join the conversation with Atif Rafiq & Jithin Manoharan, co-founders at Qafila who told us the tale of how the two University batchmates are bringing logistics & technology together ... at last.CreditsSpecial thanks to Anastasia Frolova. This episode was hosted by Chirag Desai, produced by Gaya & our intern is Abhishek Subramanian. Original music by Reiner Erlings.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two’s a company, three’s a crowd but four ... is a party. Pull up a chair & join our conversation with Nuno Costa Fernandes, one of the founders of Crank, a boutique fitness studio looking to turn the indoor cycling workout into a party on a bike. CreditsSpecial thanks to Anastasia Frolova. This episode was hosted by Chirag Desai, produced by Gaya & our intern is Abhishek Subramanian. Original music by Reiner Erlings.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tales of the Trade is back with a special summer season in July. Over the course of 3 episodes, you’ll hear from startups making a mark in health & fitness, logistics & art. So pull up a chair & join our conversation, starting with Nuno Fernandes of Crank on July 2.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few weeks ago we held our first episode in front of a live audience. Dawn Metcalfe is the founder of PDSi, and the author of Managing the Matrix & The HardTalk Handbook, which now forms the basis of their extremely popular HardTalk Programme. Dawn’s tale is one of the power of networking with a healthy side-serving of humour and straight talk.CreditsSpecial thanks to Dana Al-Sadek & In5 for their support.Hosted & Edited by Chirag Desai. Produced by Gaya. Original music by Reiner Erlings.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ll be doing our first episode in front of a live audience on April 24 at 3 p.m. at In5-Tech in Dubai. So pull up a chair & join the conversation with Dawn Metcalfe, Founder of PDSi and author of the HardTalk Handbook as we chat with her about her entrepreneurial journey. We hope to see you there!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you go about carving a brand new facet for yourself in a tourism industry saturated by desert safaris? Pull up a chair and join the conversation with Arva & Farida Ahmed of Frying Pan Adventures. CreditsOriginal music composed by Reiner Erlings. Our thanks to HardTalk for their support of this show, as well as the DeCluttr Me podcast, a branded show in partnership with Amaeya Creative.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few highlights of the season gone by, and our end of the year giveaways! Listen in for how to enter. A special thanks to our giveaway partners this week: HardTalk Common Grounds CherryPix CreditsHosted by Chirag & Gaya. Special thanks to Podraig Downey & Ronan Dennehey. Original music composed by Reiner Erlings.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few hilarious extras from our latest episode with Kemsley Dickinson, founder of Courtyard Playhouse.CreditsSpecial thanks to Kylie Schultz. This episode was hosted by Gaya & edited by Chirag Desai. Original music composed by Reiner Erlings.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you go about creating a local arts & culture scene in a city often criticized for not having enough of it? Pull up a chair and join the conversation with Kemsley Dickinson, founder of The Courtyard Playhouse. CreditsSpecial thanks to Kylie Schultz & Dawn Metcalfe. This episode was hosted by Chirag Desai & produced by Gaya. Original music composed by Reiner Erlings.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you from realizing your business isn’t working to actually learning from its failure? Do pull up a chair and join the conversation with Mohamed & Peyman Al Awadhi, founders of WildPeeta. **Credits** Special thanks to Ian Ohan, Paul Castle & Shelina Jokhiya. This episode was hosted by Chirag Desai & produced by Gaya. Original music composed by Reiner Erlings.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few delicious extras from [our conversation with Sally Prosser, founder of My Custard Pie.CreditsThis episode was hosted by Gaya & edited by Chirag Desai. Original music composed by Reiner Erlings.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you go about maintaining consistent quality and impeccable credibility as a brand owner in an age of surface social media where trendy trumps timeless? Do pull up a chair and join our conversation with Sally Prosser, founder of My Custard Pie. CreditsSpecial thanks to Arva Ahmed & Riath Hamed. This episode was hosted by Chirag Desai & produced by Gaya. Original music for the show is composed by Reiner Erlings.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some of the extras from our latest episode with Tom Arnel, founder of Bull & Roo.CreditsSpecial thanks to Mateo Padilla. This episode was hosted by Gaya & edited by Chirag Desai. Original music for this show was composed by Reiner Erlings.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if laser-sharp focus on your long-term vision is the one thing you need to realize all your dreams? Do pull up a chair and join our conversation with Tom Arnel, founder of Bull & Roo.CreditsThis episode was hosted by Chirag Desai & produced by Gaya.Original music for the show is composed by Reiner Erlings.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Producer’s notes from our previous episode featuring Surf House featuring a few extras from the conversation, and their impact on the surfing community.CreditsSpecial thanks to Mohammad Sultan bin Mejren. This bonus episode was hosted by Gaya, and edited by Chirag Desai. Original music composed by Reiner Erlings.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you find that sustainable passion to keep going when everything seems to be going against you? Do pull up a chair and join our conversation with Scott Chambers, founder of Surf House Dubai.CreditsThis episode was hosted by Chirag Desai & produced by Gaya. Original music for the show is composed by Reiner Erlings.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We just can’t get everything into our episodes, and occasionally there are conversations and snippets from our interviews that we think you’d enjoy. Starting today, we being you the bonus series behind Season 1 of our show. On this bonus episode, our producer Gaya brings you some of these snippets from our chat with Akanksha Goel, founder & MD of Socialize, part of the We Are Social Network.You can check out the episode here.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A series of fortunate accidents led to the birth of Socialize Agency, but transforming a one-woman army into a multi-million Dirham agency, recently acquired by the We Are Social Network, was no accident. Do pull up a chair and join our conversation with Akanksha Goel, Founder of Socialize.**Credits**This episode was hosted by Chirag Desai & produced by Gaya.Original music for the show is composed by Reiner Erlings.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our new season launches September 25. We hope you pull up a chair and join the conversation! You can also find out more about our show’s production by checking out our behind-the-scenes episodes: BTS1 and BTS2.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this behind the scenes episode, a chat with our show’s composer Reiner Erlings, on what goes into creating a music theme & how the show’s concepts and motifs influenced its sonic identity. ICYMI, do catch our first behind the scenes about the role of the show’s producer with Gaya.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The countdown to a new season has begun! Join us for the first behind the scenes look at the Tales of the Trade production. On this bonus episode, we get our producer Gaya in front of a mic talking about her role, the power of audio, & what’s coming up for the season.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices