The Shift With Bassem Saber

In this conversation, I’m joined by Ahmed Al Afifi, CEO of Data Direct Group, a company that has scaled to over 2,000 employees across the region.Ahmed shares how his journey began, the early decisions that shaped his path, and what it really takes to build and lead at scale. We get into the realities behind success — not just the highlights, but the trade-offs, pressure, and responsibility that come with it.One of the most compelling parts of this conversation is the cost of success. Ahmed speaks candidly about the sacrifices required, the mental shifts that happen as you grow, and the moments where leadership becomes less about ambition and more about resilience.We also unpack the core elements that define his leadership approach:• What it actually takes to succeed beyond talent and hard work• His perspective on leadership and building a culture of winning• Navigating corporate politics without losing direction• The difficult decisions, including letting people go• How to build and maintain culture as a company scales• The realities of being a CEO beyond the titleBeyond leadership, this conversation goes deeper into identity, mindset, and long-term vision. Ahmed talks about limiting beliefs, what it means to separate who you are from what you do, and how he thinks about building something that lasts beyond him.Whether you’re leading a team, scaling a company, or figuring out your own path, this episode offers honest insight from someone who has built at serious scale.If you’re serious about leadership, growth, and understanding what it really takes to build and sustain a high-performing organization, this conversation is worth your time.Subscribe for more honest conversations with leaders building real businesses in the region.

In this conversation, I’m joined by Sali Zein, founder of Siella Beauty, one of the fastest-growing beauty brands in the region.​Sali shares how her love for beauty started long before Siella existed, and how that passion became the foundation for a brand that now sits on the shelves of major retailers like Faces. We talk about what it really takes to build in a competitive industry where trends move fast and trust is everything.​One of the most powerful moments in her journey was COVID. While many businesses slowed down, Siella accelerated. We unpack why that period became a turning point and how her marketing approach made this happen.​We also discuss the milestones that shaped the company:​• Getting into Faces and what that validation meant for the brand​• The role of family and external support while building​• How she navigated growth without losing brand identity​• The operational decisions that helped Siella scale sustainably​• What it takes to build a beauty brand that competes regionally​Beyond products and retail expansion, this conversation is about building something that lasts. Sali breaks down how consistency, positioning, and sharing a powerful message through your brand can turn a small idea into a category player.​Whether you’re building a product brand, scaling in retail, or navigating growth during uncertain times, this episode offers practical lessons and real insight from someone who has done it.​If you’re serious about building a brand that stands out in a crowded market, this conversation is worth your time.​Subscribe for more honest conversations with founders building real businesses in the region.​

In this online conversation, I’m joined by Eddie Maalouf, who built a predictable and scalable business that generated $18M in the last 12 months with a 35% net margin.This episode goes beyond the numbers. We break down the real levers behind sustainable scale and why branding, personal branding, and people matter more than most operators are willing to admit.One of the key themes in this conversation is how strong branding simplifies everything. When your brand is clear and trusted, sales become easier, pricing power increases, and growth becomes more predictable. We also discuss how personal branding compounds business growth by attracting the right clients, partners, and talent before a sales call even happens.Another critical insight is why hiring high-caliber talent matters more than systems. Systems only work when the people running them are exceptional. Eddie shares why investing in A-players, even at a higher cost, creates leverage, speed, and stability that no process alone can replace.In this episode, we cover:• Why branding is a growth and margin lever, not a design exercise• How personal branding builds trust at scale• Why top talent beats perfect systems every time• How hiring the right people reduces complexity across the business• The balance between structure, leadership, and executionThese principles apply to any business. Agencies, ecommerce brands, service companies, and startups all face the same challenge: how to scale without losing control. This conversation shows what actually works.If you want to build a business that attracts opportunities, talent, and customers instead of chasing them, this episode is for you.

Doran Davies and his partner Ross Milton founded Bounce Middle East almost adecade ago. Since then, it has grown into the region's leading entertainmentvenue welcoming over 1 million visitors every year.​​Their story is proof that hard work, risk-taking, and a people-first approach canpay off and help you create the life you're dreaming of.

Tariq Abu Samra founded BloomingBox with just $25,000, and in a few years, he's grown it into a $100,000,000 business. His story is proof that hunger, an understanding of risk, and innovation are all you need to succeed. Whether it's the way he runs his business or the risks he takes, every entrepreneur at every stage can learn something from him. Listen to the full episode to see how he built BloomingBox from the ground up, and how he plans to continue taking it to new heights.

When it comes to building effective sales teams, most companies find it hard to hire and train the right talent.​Ali Charafeddine (Ace) is the Founder of Acez Academy and a leading Sales, Leadership and Culture Consultant who is renowned for helping businesses hire and develop exceptional sales teams.​Join us as Ace delves into his thoughts on where most companies fall short, his key tips for getting the most out of your sales teams, and much more.

Most agencies depend solely on referrals and word-of-mouth to grow their business, and the few that try their hands with outbound don't always get it right.​Corey Quinn is an Agency Growth Consultant who grew his previous agency by over 7x in 6 years and now helps agencies specialize, simplify, and escape founder-led sales.​Join us as Corey delves into the outbound tactics he's used to succeed, his innovative gift-based outbound technique, the importance of specialization, and much more.​

Out of the traditional 4 P's of marketing, Product is often the most underrated amongst marketers. For Switch Foods, this couldn't be farther from the truth.​Edward Hamod is the CEO of Switch Foods, a company that produces plant-based meat alternatives and that is building awareness and educating consumers in the region on the dangers of meat overconsumption.​Join us as Edward delves into how Switch came to life, how he continues to grow the brand, and how the brand's core values are expressed in everything they do.

Growing and scaling a brand is never an easy task, but when you have the right mindset and follow the right strategies, it becomes much more doable.​Tarik Chebib is the CEO Middle East of Capital.com, one of the world's top investment platforms, and he has led the company to massive success in the MENA region.​Join us as Tarik delves into marketing, branding, personal and professional growth, and what it takes to grow and scale a brand.

Any social media expert worth working with will tell you that there's no one-size-fits-all formula for brands to go viral. However, finding a virality formula is a possibility for almost any brand out there.​Fahad Kaleem is a top content creator and the Co-Founder of KNINE Unit, an agency specialized in helping people and businesses go viral on TikTok.​Join us as Fahad delves into virality, growing social media accounts, some of his agency's best case studies, and much more.

A good salesperson can persuade people who need a product or service to buy it from them. A great salesperson knows that sometimes, people don't know what they actually need.​Charlotte Vermeer is the Managing Partner of Igloo, the award-winning agency in Dubai and Miami, and my good friend. She overlooks our Dubai office, sales team and business development efforts.​Join us as Charlotte discusses her leadership style, consultative selling, what GCC brands look for in an agency, and much more.

The GCC contains a wealth of opportunities for investors and businesses alike. We're already seeing massive growth throughout the region, especially when it comes to digital advertising.​​Mohamad Itani is the Head of Partnerships at Amazon Ads, and through his experience and the insights available to him, he is exceedingly knowledgeable about the state of the GCC market and its potential.​Join us as Mohamad delves into the key growth drivers in the GCC, how a shortage of local talents is impacting businesses, and much more.

When it comes to communicating with potential customers, authentic, genuine content is the name of the game.​Ksenia Zaykova is the Founder of Node Communications, one of the region's premier PR and consulting firms, and the CCO of AngelsDeck Global Ventures, a leading venture capital firm. Throughout her vast experience, she has become a leading expert in communications, public relations, and storytelling.​Join us as Ksenia delves into reaching the right customer with the right message, how content can help you grow your startup, incorporating storytelling in your content, and much more.

Today, the UAE is one of the world's top hubs for business. However, back when Justin McGuire started MCG Talent, that wasn't the case.​Justin McGuire is the Founder of MCG Talent, the region's top marcom recruitment firm, and over the years he spent developing MCG Talent into a multi-million-dollar company, he has learned a thing or two about how to succeed in the region.​Join us as Justin delves into his story as an entrepreneur, how and why he started MCG Talent, and what he does to continuously grow his business.

When it comes to podcasters in the Middle East, few are as seasoned and knowledgeable as Loulou Khazen.​Loulou is the founder and host of Conversations With Loulou, a startup podcast which has grown to become one of the UAE's largest. Loulou is also an accomplished entrepreneur and currently invests heavily in tech startups with her company, Spade Ventures.Join us as Loulou delves into her story as an entrepreneur, how and why she started her podcast, and what she thinks new podcasters need to be doing to find long-term success.

Managing global marketing efforts for a major brand will always be a challenge, but when you have the right team and partners by your side, it becomes much simpler.Manuri Anthonis is the Director of Marketing at Bounce Middle East, one of the region's premier entertainment venues and a top entertainment brand globally.Join us as Manuri delves into the growth and marketing strategies she employs at Bounce, how she thinks about organic content vs. paid media, and the team members and external partners that have helped her grow the Bounce brand across various locations in the Middle East.

To achieve brand growth in 2024, brands need to go beyond the traditional offline and online marketing channels. Today, there is a myriad of untapped marketing channels which businesses need to start leveraging to succeed.Marisha Lakhiani is the Chief Growth Officer at Mindvalley, one of the world's top startups which is reported to be currently valued at $100M.Join us as Marisha delves into the growth and marketing strategies she employs at Mindvalley, the underutilized marketing channels she leverages and how Mindvalley grew from a simple meditation platform to one of the fastest growing businesses in the world.

With an over-abundance of content across most major social media platforms, it's nowhere near as easy to stand out on social media nowadays than in the 2010s, where simply creating decent content on a regular basis was enough.Chris Do is one of the top branding experts globally. He has amassed 1M followers on Instagram, has led multiple businesses and works with some of the world's top brands.Join us as Chris recounts his journey to gaining almost a million followers, becoming one of the most in-demand branding specialists of our generation, and how he is able to help his personal brand and business stand out among the competition.

Public Speaking is one of the most underrated skills for your career, and life. Strong public speaking unlocks opportunities, catalyzes change, drastically improves confidence and more.​Flo Akinbiyi is a globally-renowned public speaker and communication coach who has helped countless professionals, executives and companies improve their public speaking skills and prepare for crucial events and meetings.​Join us as Flo recounts his journey on how he found his passion, what communication coaching is and how it helps, what social media best practices he swears by, and much more.​

Achieving excellence is never easy. Whether you're a surgeon, marketer, lawyer or engineer, standing out requires true passion for what you do, commitment to succeed, and the bravery to venture where no one has previously gone.​Dr. Bernard Salameh is a celebrity plastic surgeon who has pioneered a variety of awake procedures that have revolutionized his field.​Join us as Dr. Bernard recounts his journey toward success, how we was able to achieve it, and discusses the marketing channels and techniques that have worked for him over the years.

Sonic branding is so much more than a jingle, and it can do wonders for your business metrics across the board. Ahmad Haffar is undoubtedly the region's most renowned sonic branding expert, and he's created sonic systems for over 100 of the region's top businesses.​Join us as Ahmad walks us through how he discovered sonic branding, how he got so good at it, why personal branding is essential and much more.​

Harnessing the potential of Google's algorithms, SEO tactics, AI advancements, and content marketing is pivotal for effective audience engagement. Erika Varangouli, Head of SEO Branding  at SemRush, sheds light on the strategies that can help you connect with your desired audience.​Join us in this episode as Erika shares her insights and expertise on optimizing these tools to reach and engage your target audience effectively.​

Managing a marketing agency is challenging in many ways, especially during the early stages. While difficult at first, it is also an extremely rewarding journey, as John von Hofsten and myself know all too well.​

It takes a lot of concerted effort to successfully grow and scale a startup, and that is exactly what Ross Veitch has been able to accomplish with his brainchild and passion project for the past 18 years: Wego.​

Marketers in the automotive industry face a unique set of challenges that others may not even consider. Due to long sales cycles and the large commitment needed from customers, successful automotive marketers operate in a way that is not too dissimilar to B2B marketing while still communicating in a way that fits a B2C audience.​

Few people are as knowledgeable or experienced in SEO as Neil Patel. Having started his marketing career at the age of 16, back when the internet was still in its infancy, Neil knows exactly what it takes to consistently rank at the very top of Google, Bing, and other search engines.

Owning an agency isn't all it's cracked up to be, and many agency owners find themselves spending all their time working to grow their business. Jason Swenk, who has founded numerous businesses during his career, knows this struggle all too well, but he also knows the solution.​

Some social media "influencers" discredit the name. Others add enough value to their audience to become a true star. Wadih Elnajjar is the type of content creator who has been in the industry for years, and whose experience, following, and engagement rates are unmatched within the region.​ Join us as Wadih shares his story on how he achieved stardom through social media, the pitfalls that many businesses and influencers fall into, and much much more.

SEO is one of the hardest marketing channels to master, and that is why you can't miss this episode of Masters of Marketing with James Reynolds, Founder of SEO Sherpa and a leading SEO expert both regionally and globally. ​James shares with us the tactics he uses to get his clients' websites ranking at the top of Google and other search engines, and some of the most common pitfalls he sees businesses falling into.​

When it comes to acquisitions, it's often a huge international company that acquires a smaller local player, but not in the case of AXA's acquisition by GIG in the GCC. Caroline Bertrand, Chief HR and Marketing Officer at GIG, recounts the unique journey she experienced as part of GIG's acquisition of AXA Gulf.​

Few people around the world possess the charisma and charm that Dave Crane does, and that's because he has worked hard to get to where he is today. Dave is a master of storytelling, public speaking and entertainment, among other things, but his main strength comes from his ability to jump and grow wings on the way down.​

Marketing for healthcare brands is unlike any other industry. Does social media have a big role to play? What's the best way to get patients for a low cost? Where do influencers come into play? 

Anyone who is self-employed will know: marketing yourself in 2023 is extremely complex. Nassim Nasr is a renowned artist and marketer, and his unique story of how he decided to follow his dream and the steps he took to achieve it is sure to captivate you.​

People crave authenticity, and when it comes to social media, few things can help you achieve growth the way that being your natural self does. Mais Mohammed is many things: a TV Presenter, a Life Coach, a Yogi, an Influencer, but most of all, a human.​

Referral marketing can be an absolute goldmine when done right. In this episode of Masters of Marketing, Phil Bedford, the Godfather of Referral Marketing, takes us through exactly what you can accomplish for your business with referral marketing, and how.​

Growth can only be the result of dedication, commitment, and efficient use of resources, and this is all too obvious in this episode of Masters of Marketing where Nader Amiri, Founder of elGrocer, discusses how he grew elGrocer and pulled off a multi-million dollar exit.​

Some marketers know how to talk the talk AND walk the walk. In this episode of Masters of Marketing, Tariq Abu Samra, Founder & Managing Partner of BloomingBox.com, shows us exactly how he grew his business to become one of the largest e-Commerce gifting platforms in the region in just a few years.

PR is one of the most essential building blocks for a company's reach and brand trust, and in this episode of Masters of Marketing, Zeina Akkawi, a renowned Publicist and Managing Director of PAZ Marketing Management, shows us exactly how it's done.

No one has ever built a multi-million-dollar business by accident. This fact is all too evident in this episode where serial entrepreneur Vikram Ahuja, Co-Founder of Talent500 and Founder of Byond Travel, delves into the biggest lessons he's learned and some of the most innovative marketing tactics he has successfully applied and used to grow his businesses.​

Brands trying to secure high profile clients often struggle because of avoidable mistakes and missed opportunities. Keeping your brand ahead of the game in terms of both product and marketing is crucial to growing and maintaining your number of clients.Listen to the full episode with Karim Saad, Founder & CEO of Giga Works, to learn how innovation, personal branding, and effective marketing campaigns work to grow your brand.

Podcasts have surged in popularity recently, and for good reason...​For listeners, they provide useful information and entertaining content in a low-commitment format. For podcasters, they provide improved reach, personal branding and a potential revenue stream.Listen to the full episode with Vuk Zlatarov, Managing Partner at Creitive Ventures, Co-Founder and CEO at Poddster, and Host of The Change Officer podcast, to learn how you can start reaping the benefits of podcasting for yourself or your brand.

Michael Kortbawi, a business leader that grew his law firm to 9 offices and over 150 lawyers, discusses what it took him to grow his business from a marketing standpoint. His experience definitely applies to other B2B businesses in the service industry.