In this episode, Ali Khawaja sits down with Nokhez, founder of Mind Me and a practicing psychologist in Dubai, to explore her shift from clinical mental health work into entrepreneurshipNokhez shares how her experience as a psychologist exposed the limitations of traditional mental health support, especially around accessibility, consistency, and scale. That realization led her to build Mind Me, a startup focused on democratizing well being and giving people support they can access more easily.The conversation covers the early founder journey, from testing ideas and speaking to users, to landing the first B2B customer, navigating investor conversations, managing cash flow, and dealing with the emotional weight of building a startup. Ali and Nokhez also discuss the loneliness of entrepreneurship, the importance of community, and the reality of being a female founder in the startup ecosystem.They close with a deep discussion on pivots, including Mind Me’s move from a B2B SaaS well being platform toward a more direct-to-consumer coaching companion. The episode is a candid look at what it really feels like to build, fail, adjust, and keep moving.Ali Khawaja | https://alikhawaja.comNokhez Usama | https://www.mindme.aeTalk to Ali Website | https://talktoali.com/Talk to Ali IG | https://www.instagram.com/talktokhawaja/

In this episode, Ali Khawaja sits down with entrepreneur Ibrahim Asif, founder of Parfumery, to unpack his journey from a “hyper” university student experimenting with business to building a scent-focused company with multiple revenue streams.Ibrahim shares the early lessons that shaped him, from entering business without proper agreements, to learning the value of networks, customer feedback, and disciplined pivots. The conversation explores how Parfumery evolved from a simple Typeform and cash-on-delivery model into a business serving individuals, corporate gifting clients, live experiences, and branded scenting solutions for major companies.Ali and Ibrahim also dive into the role of AI in entrepreneurship, not as a shortcut to success, but as a powerful tool for builders willing to ask better questions, prototype quickly, and stay patient through execution.The episode closes with practical advice for anyone thinking about starting something: use the ecosystem around you, test your idea with real customers, take the first step, and have the courage to enjoy the ride.Ali Khawaja | https://alikhawaja.comIbrahim Asif | https://parfumery.coMHAE Website | https://www.mentalhealth.aeMHAE Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/mentalhealthae

More than 675m books were sold in the US alone in 2019. We are insatiable consumers and still pro print. With print books massively outselling digital books, seems they are here to stay. I talked with Grace, she is the co-founder of a simple, yet wonderful initiative. They are supporting sustainability by adopting 2 of the 3 waste hierarchy R’s. Their platform, bookends.ae allows for simple purchase and sale of pre-loved books. Allowing multiple “reuse” and finally “recycle”.Have a listen to our talk, perhaps it may inspire you to make your idea into reality.

We all get hung up on our work so much that we forget to take out time for the things that matter the most. Ansar talks about his journey through Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), a fatal lung disease. Going through this life-threatening condition, opened his eyes to the importance of spending more time with the people you love most.

Our Talk - We have destroyed the planet we live on. This is evident in so many ways, none more obvious than the great Pacific garbage patch. Simran, talks to me about her new venture in cleaning up the oceans. A simple, yet brilliant idea of catching the trash before it escapes to the oceans. Her company BluPhin has a working prototype and soon we will see them everywhere.

Out Talk - Talk with Badar and the state of sustainability. Badar also talks to us about his initiative, Sustainimate; a transparent communication digital media initiative. Also discussion about the job hunting and networking in the environmental/sustainability space.

Our Talk -After having a great talk with my friend John about sustainability and Tesla a few weeks back, he scribbled a nice article on Medium. An invite to chat on the podcast was a must. We had a wonderful chat about what sustainability really is. Also discussed if Tesla is or is not sustainable. Finally, a few nice recommendations on what we can do today to make a change for a better tomorrow.Have a listen, feel free to share feedback.John KatsosJohn E. Katsos is Associate Professor of Management at the American University of Sharjah (UAE). John researches business operations in conflict zones. He looks specifically at how businesses can mitigate political risk and enhance peace in conflict and post-conflict zones and how international businesses can limit their legal exposure as a result of foreign operations in conflict and post-conflict zones. John teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Business and Peace, Business Ethics, Negotiations, and Business Law.Prior to AUS, John worked at Occidental Petroleum, the US Small Business Administration, the New York County District Attorney’s Office, the US State Department, the George Washington University, and the American University of Dubai. John has his JD and MBA from the George Washington University in Washington, DC and his BA in Religion from Haverford College in Haverford, PA. He is licensed to practice law in New York.Reach out to my guest.Linkedin | https://www.linkedin.com/in/jekatsos/Medium | https://medium.com/@jekatsosEmail | [email protected]

Our Talk -I had the privilege of being interviewed by my son, Abdullah. The plan was to talk about why I am doing this podcast and why now. I don't think we got to that; too busy having fun and laughing. Looks like we may need to do a part 2 of this interview.None the less, here it is, enjoy.www.talktoali.com