When Women Win

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Step Up and Transform Your Fitness Routine - Shona Vertue Jan 06, 2019

Show notes

Shona Vertue is a personal trainer and yoga teacher whose clients include David Beckham. She has over 300,000 followers on Instagram and one of the most popular YouTube yoga channels in the UK.

Shona was a trainer on the cast of Warner Brother's Wonder Woman 2, scheduled for release this autumn. She spends her time between London and Sydney where she surfs and skateboards - and I think Shona is one of the funniest people on Instagram! Her program, "The Vertue Method", combines resistance training and cardio with yoga and meditation, and places as much importance on rest and recovery as hours in the gym. Yay.

We went deep into fitness, exercise and health, and Shona shared her knowledge and expertise across these domains. Why exercise? How to exercise optimally? What if you're a total beginner? What if you're already working out 3-4 times a week? How much do we have to do each week? When can we fit it into our fast-paced lives? We also talked about food, and explored the concept of "having fun".

Shona moved from sports (gymnastics and dance) into the corporate world. That experience did not last long, but informed her view of what corporate workers need to do to stay well. Shona quoted the Australian Department of Health and said that "health is not merely the absence of disease" - this quote resonated with me deeply.

When I asked Shona for book recommendations, she went with "Intuitive Eating" by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, and "Strong Curves" by Bret Contreras and Kellie Davis. The latter will enlighten you on the importance of the glutes in overall fitness and might (!) explain Shona's own obsession with a strong and healthy butt!

Maya Angelou is a massive inspiration to Shona and she mentioned the SuperSoul Conversation Oprah Winfrey had with Angelou as one of her favourites.

You can find Shona on her website, Instagram, and Youtube. Her book, The Vertue Method is available in stores.

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CNN's Hala Gorani Flips the Script on Rana Nawas Dec 29, 2018

Show notes

The When Women Win Podcast has featured over 40 boss ladies and we've covered everything about them and their lives. In this episode, however, we are going to do something different.

I've asked someone very special to take over the podcast: Hala Gorani. Hala needs no introduction - she is the legendary anchor on CNN, where she has her own nightly news show, Hala Gorani Tonight. She was also the final guest on Season 1 of When Women Win.

And on this episode, Hala will be interviewing... ME.

A little about me in the third person: Rana Nawas is a keynote speaker, strategic advisor and host of the very podcast you're listening to. She left the corporate world after 17 years to pursue her passion of helping women shine.

I hope you enjoy this episode, and I look forward to seeing all of you in 2019!

Find out more about Hala and follow her on Twitter @HalaGorani, Instagram @hgorani, and CNN.

Find out more about Rana and follow her on Instagram @rananawas, LinkedIn, and on her website rananawas.com

For more information about the podcast, please visit whenwomenwinpodcast.com

From Corporate Veteran to Entrepreneur - Amira Rashad Dec 17, 2018

Show notes

A working mum, Amira felt like there were not enough hours in the day - and grocery shopping was the last thing she wanted to do in her precious time. So she built an online platform to order groceries in bulk.

Prior to starting BulkWhiz, Amira had 25 years' experience in leadership, strategy, operations and marketing across a variety of sectors - having worked at Yahoo, Pepsico and Booz Allen. Most recently she was the Head of Brand for Facebook Middle East & North Africa. Amira is a Harvard Business School Graduate and sits on the board of Tech Wadi in Silicon Valley.

We discussed Amira's diverse experiences in the corporate world and how they prepared her for entrepreneurship. She busted a myth about the average age of entrepreneurs! We talked about why Amira decided to leave a cool, stable corporate job to create BulkWhiz and the hurdles she faced in doing it. We got her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, and an explanation of "the moment of truth" for your product. We discussed various challenges women face in the workplace and the expectations placed on all of us. Finally, we touched on Amira's creative writing and what makes her happy.

My favourite quote was when Amira shared a famous saying in the advertising world. "Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half". The quote is attributed to John Wanamaker, considered by many to be the father of modern advertising.

Amira's book recommendation was The History of Love by Nicole Krauss, something for me to add to my fiction to-read list.

You can find Amira on her Instagram page and find BulkWhiz here. For those of you interested in learning more about the entrepreneurial journey, this is the Harvard Business School Case Study on BulkWhiz.

While you're here, remember to leave us a rating with a simple tap on the stars, and subscribe to the podcast.

Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia - Claude Silver Dec 10, 2018

Show notes

Claude Silver is the Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia the advertising company co-founded by Gary Vaynerchuk in 2009. Prior to joining GaryVee, Claude spent 20 years in the top tiers of the advertising world, working for Publicis and J Walter Thompson, building global brand strategies for Fortune 50 companies. Her current role is to connect with every employee at Vayner Media, inspire, mentor and lead the team, and infuse the company with empathy.

We started our chat with Claude's move from advertising strategy to becoming the heart of the VaynerMedia. She told me about the differences and similarities between different generations and how she hires and retains top talent in a company in which 85% of the people are millennials. Claude talked about why "cultural fit" has become less relevant in employing new people and how working actively towards inclusion through "cultural addition" inspires and retains talent. We touched on the way Claude tackles those employees that need to be let go, and we explored career architecture, the increasingly fast-paced world we live in, and the opportunities this opens up.

This show was recorded live in Sharjah so there is a little background noise.

You can learn more about Claude on her website, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

How to Invest in Start-Ups - Viktoriya Tigipko Dec 03, 2018

Show notes

Viktoriya Tigipko is a hugely successful venture capitalist from the Ukraine. She is the Founder and Managing Partner of TA Ventures, an international early-stage VC fund primarily focusing on Transportation and Digital Health.

A Tech Crunch report put TA Ventures in the top 4 of European funds – they currently have 135 investments in their portfolio and have already had 45 exits. Viktoriya also founded iClub, an angel investing network, and started Code Club UA, an initiative that uses gamification to train young children to code. Viktoriya is also President of the Odesa International Film Festival, and Chair of the Ukrainian Film Academy.

We started off with facts and figures: the % of female VC partners and female entrepreneurs in the world, the funding and the valuation gaps, and the fact that start-ups which include women founders vastly outperform those with all-male founder teams. Viktoriya shared practical tips and advice on how people can approach angel investing – especially if you don't have the time or skills (like me!). And finally we talked about rebuilding the Ukrainian film industry from the ground up.

I found it amazing that the domestic industry was completely wiped out due to political circumstances and is now going through a renaissance.

This is the first ever When Women Win interview done live on stage, in front of hundreds of people, and it happened at Naseba's 2018 Women in Leadership Economic Forum in Dubai. A huge thank you to Naseba and the WIL Forum for making this possible.

If you would like to follow Viktoriya you can find her on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Having Impact the "Multi-Potential" Way - Rozan Ahmed Nov 26, 2018

Show notes

Rozan Ahmed is a "multi-potentialite" – someone who has multiple passions and takes pride in working across all of them, rather than having a single track. She is known affectionately as "Renaissance Woman" and her vision is to solve world problems through a combination of entrepreneurial, philanthropic and curatorial activity. Rozan is a champion of the arts for social exchange, youth development, and mental well-being, and believes that local creativity is the currency which will spur Africa's return to economic growth and continental pride.

We discussed Rozan's diverse experiences such as her most recent project, the Magic Drive, which builds confidence in orphans by conducting fashion shows at their orphanages; how she used art and culture to disseminate the mandate of the UN; and her creation of Saudi Arabia's first ever female super hero, Latifa. We talked about the impact of the Gulf War and how becoming a refugee affected her family. Finally, we got some practical tips on how to explore the African continent.

My favorite quote was "the transformation was instant".

To find out more about Rozan please visit her on Instagram or check out her website.

A huge thank you to Naseba and the 2018 Dubai Women in Leadership Economic Forum for making this interview possible.

And finally... we are running When Women Win's first-ever give-away! You can win an original copy of Latifa, the first Saudi super heroine comic. All you have to do to enter the competition is leave a review for When Women Win on iTunes – and DM me a picture of it @rananawas. My producer will randomly pick one lucky winner on Christmas Day, at 12noon Dubai time. Good luck!

Twitter Head of Marketing and People - Leslie Berland Nov 19, 2018

Show notes

My guest on today's show has one of the most fast-paced jobs on the planet.

Leslie Berland is both the Chief Marketing Officer and the Head of People at Twitter, known affectionately in the company as "tweeps". She joined the company in 2016 amid a huge drive to sustain existing followers and attract new ones.

Prior to joining Twitter, Leslie was Executive Vice President of Global Advertising, Marketing & Digital Partnerships at American Express. Having joined American Express in 2005, Leslie led a team responsible for creating marketplace demand and customer experiences globally.

Our conversation teased out several similarities and differences – between the work environment of American Express vs Twitter, between leading the marketing function vs the people function, between working at a high strategic level vs a detailed operational level. I was surprised to learn the size of Twitter, given its impact on the world and reach of 300 million daily users.

I asked Leslie how she could manage two demanding full-time corporate jobs and why she took them on in the first place! We talked about the resurgence of Twitter over the past few years and what has been behind it. Do you know that Twitter is booming in Japan?

We explored mentorship and how Leslie looks at it differently. We closed with the value of gratitude and how it is an intentional practice at Twitter - a strong practical tip for listeners.

Leslie's book recommendation was "Always Looking Up" by Michael J Fox.

Unsurprisingly you can find Leslie on Twitter!

Cheryl Strayed - Author of Best-Selling Memoir, Wild Nov 12, 2018

Show notes

Cheryl Strayed is the award-winning author of Wild, the #1 New York Times bestselling memoir that was made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Reese Witherspoon.

Cheryl has written several New York Times bestsellers and her books have been translated into forty languages around the world. Her memoir Wild chronicled her 1,100 mile solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail, the despair that drove her to it, the challenges she faced along the way and the profound reset that ensued. Cheryl's essays have been published in too many publications to list including the Washington Post and Vogue. Until recently, she ran a podcast called Dear Sugars, inspired by her popular advice column Dear Sugar.

We talked about the experiences that shaped Cheryl, from her unusual rural childhood to her mother's untimely death. Cheryl shared what she learnt from giving advice to people on both her podcast and column, and how we all "bear the unbearable". We discussed the power of acceptance and the difference between loneliness and aloneness. A surprise Mother's Day treat came up too! Cheryl explained her writing process, the difficulties of starting a new piece and her devotion to her craft.

Cheryl has been profoundly influenced by numerous women, from her mother to female writers from all over the world. A book she read recently that she would recommend is: Educated by Tara Westover.

You can find Cheryl at www.cherylstrayed.com or follow her on Instagram

Passion, Parkour and Societal Expectations - Amal Murad Nov 05, 2018

Show notes

Parkour is "the activity or sport of moving rapidly through an area, typically in an urban environment, negotiating obstacles by running, jumping, and climbing."

Amal Murad spent her childhood barefoot, jumping up walls, climbing trees and running around outdoors. She didn't realise at the time that she was in training to become the first female Emirati to coach and compete in parkour. After university, Amal got a design job that had her sitting at a desk for twelve hours a day. In her mid-twenties she started to attend a local parkour group run by her cousin - she was one of the oldest members and the only woman there.

Amal went on to become heavily involved in parkour, eventually giving up her steady government job and associated benefits for this passion. She is sponsored by Nike and now trains and runs parkour groups for local women in Dubai.

We talked about the opposition Amal faced when she gave up her stable job for parkour, and how challenging it has been to strike a balance between personal interest and societal expectations. We spoke about stereotypes in Arabic society with respect to marriage, work and hobbies. Amal recounts that while her father has been her biggest ally, others around were highly vocal that her unusual hobby would result in no man wanting to marry her. We discussed how social media has its own idealistic pressures and how she deals with cyber-bullying. We talked about how a major injury helped her become a better coach as well as a better partner. And finally, Amal, who is seven months pregnant, gives listeners some tips and advice for exercising while pregnant.

You can find Amal (aka Leap of Hope) on her instagram page.

While you're here, please remember to subscribe to, rate and review the podcast. Thank you!

How Blockchain and AI Are Transforming Marketing - Michelle Peluso Oct 29, 2018

Show notes

Michelle Peluso is the Chief Marketing Officer at IBM, a 107 year-old company that employs over 380,000 people. Michelle reports to Ginni Rometty, the Chairman and CEO, and oversees the company's global marketing and brand initiatives, strategy and execution. She also runs IBM's global women's network. All this and a long-term commitment to leaving the office at 5pm.

Michelle has had an illustrious career with entrepreneurial beginnings and a history of working at the very top of large corporations. From 2009 to 2013 Michelle was the Consumer Chief Marketing and Internet Officer of Citigroup, where she was responsible for the digital experience of Citi's 100 million consumers globally, From 2003 to 2009, Michelle was the CEO of Travelocity, that bought a company she had started in 1999. She currently serves on several boards including that of Nike.

Michelle is also a mother, a wife and an active member of the community.

We had a far-ranging conversation, examining how she manages to leave work at 5pm on most days as well as technology-driven marketing, ethics and inclusion. We talked about the abundance of data and communication channels, and how these two factors affect modern marketing. We explored the role of Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain in democratizing marketing and we highlighted the critical role that male sponsors and allies play in helping women rise.

Michelle recommended two books. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin and Personal History by Katherine Graham.

You can find Michelle on Twitter and on LinkedIn.

Michelle kindly dialed in from New York and so the audio is not as it would be in a live recording.

While you're here, please remember to subscribe to, rate and review the podcast. Thank you!

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