The MindTales Collective

As a football player all eyes are on you: both onside and offside the pitch. Success in football depends on talent, training, experience and mental strength. How do you keep your nerves during penalties? How do you deal with constant pressure? At the end of his career, Cristiano Ronaldo left the football pitch in tears- he had imagined a different end to his career. In this episode of the MindTales collective, former football player and now coach Zunaid Mall talks about the importance of mental health and strength in football.

In this episode of the MindTales collective mental health and well-being counsellor Hashil talks mental health! He talks about how he became a counselor, mental health in the region, male mental health and last but not least his own mental health and how he deals with compassion fatigue.

Jay Sadiq has dived into entrepreneurship from a young age, failed three times and got back on his feet with more innovative ideas. He became more motivated with each attempt. Together with his team he is now on a big mission- to cool cities around the world and to make them more resilient and livable. In this episode of the MindTales collective, he talks about what it takes to build an engaged and ambitious team, and the importance of having shared strong and solid core values.

In April 2020, Mohammad Absi-Halabi left his full-time job to become a founder. This journey was filled with countless up's and down's, rejections and uncertainties, but it has also helped him learn about his own mental health. In this episode, Mo elaborates on his experience and explains why being humble is an important quality for founders to have.

After having spent 10 years in the UAE, communications manager Saida decided to take the big step of moving back to her home country Tunisia. She is a Tunisian national who had started her professional career in Tunisia before she moved to the United Arab Emirates in 2012. She recently made the big decision of moving back to Tunisia to work for an intergovernmental organization providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide. In this podcast episode she shares her experience, and addresses how to overcome fear, take big decisions and what it really means when we say "with every challenge we encounter lies opportunity for growth".

"Autism is an ability and not a disability". This is the favourite quote of Maha Khorchid. The early intervention specialist founded the Magic Mind Platform In 2020 to raise more awareness for autism and inclusion. She has come a long way since then- and developed both personally and professionally! Tune in for more!

Dr. Louiza (Pharm D, MBA, Ph.D.) has 10+ years of experience in Healthcare, Pharma, Biotech, and Digital Health industries in Asia (China) and the Middle East & Africa. She is presently the head of the MENA Health Tech Program at Plug and Play ADGM where, in Partnership with the Department of Health, she is working to develop the Digital Health Ecosystem in Abu Dhabi and across the MENA Region. We deep-dive into imposter syndrome, overcoming the entrepreneurship gender gap, Louiza's women empowerment initiative and how Gen-Z can cope with career uncertainty. Tune in for more!

Welcome back, MindTales Community! This World Mental Health Day, we're reviving our podcast series with a special feature from venture capitalist and entrepreneur, Brad Feld. Brad has been an investor and entrepreneur for more than 30 years. He manages the Foundry Group, a VC focused on early-stage tech investments. Prior to that, he co-founded Mobius VC, Intensity Ventures, and Techstars. Brad is also on the chair of several advisory boards pushing for representation of women in tech, social impact initiatives and more. What do we chat about? 📣 A behind-the-scenes into Brad’s entrepreneurial journey 📣 Biggest takeaways and lessons for first-time entrepreneurs 📣 Breaking through stigma and normalising conversations about mental health 📣 Building self-care into your lifestyle as an entrepreneur Website:https://foundrygroup.com/team/brad-feld/ Blog: https://feld.com LinkedIn: Brad Feld --- ABOUT MINDTALES Website: mindtales.me Email: social@mindtales.me Instagram: @mindtalesofficial LinkedIn: MindTales

What do we chat about? 📣 How understanding child psychology helps you become a better parent 📣 Self-care for parents and guardians 📣 Riham's journey from child psychotherapy into parental guidance 📣 Leveraging social media for mental health awareness Follow Riham Monzer: Instagram: @riham_monzer LinkedIn: Riham Monzer

Clare has more than 17 years of experience in the field of psychology, from teaching and applying psychology within organisations to beginning her own organisation, Conscious Consulting! What do we chat about? 📣 How Conscious Consulting creates change within individuals and teams 📣 Awareness and consciousness as tools for transformation 📣 Thriving in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambigious world 📣 Using mindfulness to anchor yourself into the present moment Follow Conscious Consulting and Clare Stafford Taylaur Website: https://www.consciousconsulting.ae LinkedIn: Clare Stafford Taylaur --- FOLLOW MINDTALES Website: mindtales.me Email: social@mindtales.me Instagram: @mindtalesofficial LinkedIn: MindTales

Naser is a certified hypnotherapist, life-coach, neurolinguist, psychotherapist, laughter yogi and the founding partner of ChangeWorks. Changeworks is an HR company that connects communities with hypnotists and wellness specialists to spread skill sets that empower choice and happiness. What do we chat about? 📣 Transitioning from pediatrics and psychiatry into hypnotherapy 📣 Misconceptions about hypnotherapy 📣 Reiki, energy-healing & why laughter yoga works 📣 The ChangeWorks community Follow Naser Al Riyami www.thenasman.org Instagram: @thenasman_ LinkedIn: Naser Al Riyami www.changeworksad.com --- FOLLOW MINDTALES Website: mindtales.me Email: social@mindtales.me Instagram: @mindtalesofficial LinkedIn: MindTales

Dr. Ruchi Dana is an award-winning doctor, serial entrepreneur and social impact investor! She has led many startups and received multiple degrees from Stanford University, including her MBA. Presently, she is Partner at Dana Group in the UAE and President of Duluth Medical Technologies located in the USA. What do we chat about? 📣 The intersection of medicine, technology and business 📣 MedTech trends and challenges to look out for in 2021 📣 How do the UN's Sustainable Development Goals shape the startup community? 📣 Impact of the pandemic on senior female leadership trajectories --- FOLLOW MINDTALES Website: mindtales.me Email: social@mindtales.me Instagram: @mindtalesofficial LinkedIn: MindTales

Dr. Tai Broach holds a dual-PhD in Organisational Psychology and Clinical Psychology. She's presently an Associate Professor of Practice at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi and an organisational effectiveness consultant! Dr. Broach has worn many hats throughout her career, from organisational development consultant, executive coach, and behavioral interventionist to program designer, trainer and educator. What do we chat about? 📣 What is dysfunction? Why does it matter in the workplace? 📣 Respecting individuality and building team harmony 📣 Workplaces leveraging communication to create belonging 📣 Effective leadership and emotionally intelligent leaders --- FOLLOW MINDTALES Website Email: social@mindtales.me Instagram TikTok Podcast

This entrepreneurial duo combined their specialities in healthtech and fintech to build Let’s Rise, which brings together networks of educators, entrepreneurs, parents, innovators and other community leaders to celebrate their achievements, build up their mentorship and coaching skills and work towards personal transformation! 📣Challenges and inaccessibility of conventional coaching 📣The trajectory of mentored vs non-mentored startups 📣Mindful entrepreneurship and community-building 📣Sustainable transformation through coaching with LetsRise --- FOLLOW MINDTALES Website Email: social@mindtales.me Instagram TikTok Podcast

Fodhil Benturquia is a serial entrepreneur with over 10 years of experience in the digital innovation space in MENA. He's the Founding CEO of Okadoc, the region’s first instant online booking platform that seamlessly connects healthcare providers and doctors with their patients! 📣 Managing overwhelm when embarking on new and uncertain ventures 📣 Letting go of control and building trust for greater governance at your start-up 📣 Leveraging a board of advisors to build a strong support system 📣 Establishing a healthy work and team culture that prioritises mental health --- Keep up with Okadoc Website --- FOLLOW MINDTALES Website Email: social@mindtales.me Instagram TikTok Podcast

Aakanksha Tangri founded Re:Set, a unique, digital platform that brings together communities in inclusive, safe spaces to destigmatise and normalise conversations about mental health, education, inclusion, parenting, gender-based challenges and more! 📣 Destigmatisation of mental health, education, inclusion and gender-based challenges 📣 Building safe and inclusive digital spaces for connection, reflection and community-building 📣 Introversion as an advantage in leadership and innovation 📣 Moving from education and awareness-raising to action and empowerment --- Keep up with Re:Set Website Instagram --- FOLLOW MINDTALES Website: https://mindtales.me Email: social@mindtales.me Instagram: @mindtalesofficial TikTok: @mindtalesofficialuae Podcast: anchor.fm/mindtales

Nur is an entrepreneurship and incubation specialist with Yildiz Teknopark Entrepreneurship Center based in Istanbul. She supports startups by coaching them through development and matching them with investors and mentors. 📣 What are technoparks? Based within Yildiz Teknopark, how did Yildiz Incubation Center grow to be the largest one in Turkey? 📣 Why are entrepreneurial university models successful and how do they build a larger thriving startup ecosystem? 📣 What is the future of Turkey's startup environment? What are it's main challenges? 📣 How can startup founders and entrepreneurs boost their mental health during uncertain times? --- YILDIZ INCUBATION CENTER LinkedIn Twitter Instagram --- FOLLOW MINDTALES Website: https://mindtales.me Email: social@mindtales.me Instagram: @mindtalesofficial TikTok: @mindtalesofficialuae Podcast: anchor.fm/mindtales

Dr. Justin Thomas is a psychology Professor and the Head of the Research Cluster for Culture Cognition and Wellbeing at Zayed University, United Arab Emirates. This research cluster focuses on exploring the interface between culture, society and mental health. Join us for an insightful chat as Justin shares his thoughts on how unique, community-based factors influence the way we interact with and perceive our mental health. We discuss how to honour experiences of wellbeing by bringing awareness to these concepts in culturally-informed and individualised ways. 📣 What are the objectives of the Research Cluster for Culture Cognition and Wellbeing at Zayed University? 📣 How do social and cultural factors impact recovery rates for psychiatric illnesses like schizophrenia? How does this differ in surprising ways between "developing" and "developed" nations? 📣 When it comes to destigmatising mental health, how can we bring awareness to mental health in culturally-informed ways? 📣 How can nutritious and meaningful connections boost our sense of belonging and act as a protective factor against deteriorating mental health? Twitter: @DrJustinThomas --- FOLLOW MINDTALES Website: https://mindtales.me Email: social@mindtales.me Instagram: @mindtalesofficial TikTok: @mindtalesofficialuae Podcast: anchor.fm/mindtales

Jeanne Bédard, RD, HAAD is a registered dietician with Abu Dhabi's Perfect Balance Rehabilitation Center. Jeanne walks us through her approach to nutrition counselling that supports mental health. We chat about emotional eating, food rules, weight stigmas and more - Jeanne sums it up perfectly as "nutrition EQ". In this incredibly insightful conversation, Jeanne shares tips for parents, new mothers, young adults and children to build a well-rounded and balanced toolbox for healthy eating without forgetting their mental health. 📣 How is your mental health linked to your relationship with food? 📣 Why is it that exploring contexts and the ups and downs of people’s days is so tied in to Jeanne's approach when helping her clients explore their relationship with food and eating? 📣 How can parents teach body diversity and a healthy body image to their children from a young age? 📣 What tools can individuals use to check in on their relationship with food as they grow throughout adulthood? Email: jbedard@perfectbalance.ae LinkedIn: Jeanne Bédard Instagram: @perfectbalancead --- FOLLOW MINDTALES Website: https://mindtales.me Email: social@mindtales.me Instagram: @mindtalesofficial TikTok: @mindtalesofficialuae Podcast: anchor.fm/mindtales

Samar Alshorafa is the Founding CEO of She is Arab. This is an innovative platform that connects Arab women whilst enhancing and empowering their leadership and business acumen across a range of industries. 📣 How did Samar's past experiences in policy reform, education and international development lead her to build She is Arab? 📣 How does She is Arab use a community-building approach to magnify the achievements of Arab women? 📣 Why is women empowerment not a one-size-fits-all approach and what advice can help women find their authentic self? 📣 How has Samar's relationship with mental health changed significantly over the years? How can you take inspiration and reflect on your self-care? Listen in to the full conversation here. We hope this was as inspirational and as insightful for you as it was for us. On LinkedIn: Follow Samar Alshorafa and She is Arab Check out She is Arab: sheisarab.com --- FOLLOW MINDTALES Website: https://mindtales.me Email: social@mindtales.me Instagram: @mindtalesofficial TikTok: @mindtalesofficialuae Podcast: anchor.fm/mindtales --- #mentalhealth #womenempowerment #leadership #community #awareness #equality #diversity #inclusion #diversityandinclusion #business #womeninbusiness #mindtales #selfhelp #selfcare #internationaldevelopment #socialimpact #leadership