Beyond the Business Card

In this episode of Beyond the Business Card , Shalin Balasuriya shares how he transformed a Sri Lankan family business into the world’s largest luxury Ayurveda chain, with over 145 locations across 31 countries. Shalin reveals why true entrepreneurship starts from the consumer backwards, the lessons learned on the shop floor, and how leveraging Sri Lanka’s rich culture, history, and natural resour...

In this episode of Beyond the Business Card , Graeme Hubert shares his remarkable journey from the son of immigrant parents to co-founder of Consul Partners, a global recruitment powerhouse. Graeme opens up about the sacrifices, reinvestments, and unrelenting belief in seizing “one chance in life” that drove him and his co-founder to scale from zero to £1M revenue in their first year.  Guided by h...

In this episode of Beyond the Business Card, George Dale shares the raw reality of starting RAPT with zero clients, no safety net, and nothing but determination. From cold calls and door to door pitches to landing his first breakthrough budget, George reveals how he turned setbacks into momentum and built an agency with resilience at its core. This is not just a story about business, it’s about gr...

In this episode of Beyond the Business Card, John Rose takes us inside the chaotic world of doing business in Russia during the turbulent 1990s. From pioneering metro advertising to navigating a landscape filled with uncertainty, racketeering, and corruption, John’s story is one of survival, adaptability, and vision. He shares what it was like to build when rules didn’t exist, why playing it strai...

In this episode of Beyond the Business Card, Anne Jackson shares her journey from international advertising to becoming a master therapeutic coach. She opens up about the hidden patterns that hold us back, the truth about anxiety as fear of the future, and how unprocessed emotions can resurface later in life, often disguised as a “midlife crisis."Anne introduces her “cardboard box theory” and expl...

In this episode of Beyond the Business Card Podcast, Justin speaks with Kevin Kilty, a fintech founder whose journey is all about resilience, risk, and building against the odds. From banking to fintech in Dubai, Kevin shares the reality of a startup founder’s path: low success rates, tough fundraising, and the sacrifices required to make it work. At Demo Day, Kevin pitched to over 400 people and...

In this episode of Beyond the Business Card, we sit down with Joe Lipscombe, who walked away from a safe career with no revenue, no staff, and a newborn at home to build something the PR industry had never seen. Joe shares the harsh realities of pursuing a dream in a system resistant to change, and how he transformed obstacles into opportunities. From struggling with the limits of traditional jour...

In this episode of Beyond the Business Card, we sit down with Mahmoud Bartawi, ex-banker, exited founder, and host of The Mahmoud Show. Mahmoud shares his incredible journey from losing everything to making his first million. He recalls the moment he was told, “If you want to be on top, you have to start at the bottom.” From a rejected home loan to holding property for seven years, Mahmoud’s story...

In this episode of Beyond the Business Card, we speak with Steven Little, a founder who built his business not by following a perfect plan, but by trusting his gut and embracing uncertainty. While many chase quick wins and play it safe, Steven took the road less travelled. He turned down high profile opportunities, flew to Saudi without a strategy, and built his business through instinct, resilien...

In this episode of Beyond the Business Card, we sit down with Gaurav Sinha, founder of Insignia Worldwide, to hear the remarkable story of how he went from arriving in Dubai with just $200 to building one of the region’s leading brand agencies. A self described reluctant entrepreneur, Gaurav shares how a series of "beautiful accidents," purpose driven thinking, and deeply human values shaped his c...

In this episode of Beyond the Business Card, we dive into the incredible journey of Fares Ksebati, founder of MySwimPro, the app that revolutionised swim training around the world. From burning out physically and mentally to taking a massive leap of faith, Fares shares what it really took to leave his job, pour everything into an unproven idea, and reshape an entire industry. At the time, there wa...

In this episode of the podcast, we sit down with Mazen Nahawi for a powerful, honest look at what it really takes to create something meaningful in a world full of noise. Born and raised in a small town in the UAE, Mazen reflects on the early influence of his father, the deep impact of loss and detachment, and the painful challenges he faced navigating life as a Palestinian Muslim in post 9/11 Ame...

In this episode of the podcast, we sit down with Natasha Sideris, founder and CEO of the iconic Tashas Group, for an honest, inspiring look into what it really takes to build a successful business in the food and beverage world. From humble beginnings in South Africa to expanding across the UAE, Natasha shares the hard truths behind scaling a brand: the sacrifices, the sleepless nights, and the ne...

In today's episode of Beyond the Business Card, host Justin Maguire sits down with Zachary Beckett, the entrepreneur taking the recruitment industry in Dubai and the GCC by storm. Zachary, known as "the two to four-week job guy," helps professionals land roles across the region rapidly, and his innovative approach has quickly made him one of the most recognizable figures in his field. Zachary’s jo...

In this episode of Beyond the Business Card, Justin McGuire sits down with Anam Ahmad, founder and Chief Creative Officer of The Hanging House, a leading experiential design agency based in Dubai. Anam shares how she dropped out of college and hustled through odd jobs, before building a creative powerhouse that’s shaping immersive brand experiences across the region. She opens up about her unique...

In this episode of Beyond the Business Card, Justin McGuire sits down with Jeffrey Henseler, the founder and Group Chairman of PL Group — a global citizenship-by-investment and passport solutions company, alongside real estate development, headquartered in Dubai. Jeffrey shares his inspiring journey from growing up in a small Swiss village, skipping university, and selling stones as a kid, to laun...

What happens when a crime reporter swaps front-page headlines for building one of the UAE’s top communications agencies? In this episode of Beyond the Business Card, Justin McGuire sits down with Gregg Fray, founder of Seven Media, to unpack his bold leap from Liverpool’s newsrooms to the heart of the Middle East's PR industry. No fluff — just the real story of how Greg built a high-performing age...

In this episode of Beyond the Business Card, host Justin McGuire sits down with Barney Crompton, one of Dubai’s most respected real estate figures, for a raw, honest look at the life behind the luxury homes. From growing up in Portugal to building and later walking away from one of the UAE’s most recognisable brokerages, Barney opens up about the highs, the crashes, and the personal evolution that...

In this episode of Beyond the Business Card, host Justin McGuire, entrepreneur, founder of MCG Talent and creator of 7-Figure Recruitment, sits down with Sachinn Laala, founder and CEO of Liquid Havas, one of the Middle East’s leading commerce marketing agencies, recently acquired by global advertising giant Havas. Sachinn shares his extraordinary journey from growing up in a small town in India,...

In this episode of Beyond the Business Card, host Justin McGuire, entrepreneur, founder of MCG Talent, and creator of 7-Figure Recruitment, sits down with William Brown, a creative turned serial entrepreneur who built and exited a $16.4M e learning business in the trading education space. William shares his remarkable journey from skateboarding and graffiti in Northern England to becoming a global...

In this episode of Beyond the Business Card , host Justin McGuire, entrepreneur, founder of MCG Talent and creator of 7 Figure Recruitment, sits down with Nikita Sachdev, founder and CEO of Luna Media Corporation and its subsidiary, a global agency championing Web3, emerging tech, and the future of digital media. Nikita walks us through her bold and unconventional journey – from growing up between...

In this episode of Beyond the Business Card, host Justin McGuire, entrepreneur, founder of MCG Talent, and creator of 7-Figure Recruitment, sits down with Charlie Johnson, a fitness entrepreneur, podcast host, and the founder of Charlie Johnson Fitness and 7-Figure Scaling Systems. Charlie shares his incredible journey from working as a real estate agent in the UK to becoming one of the most succe...

In this episode of Beyond the Business Card, host Justin McGuire, entrepreneur, founder of MCG Talent, and creator of 7-Figure Recruitment, sits down with Nic Cartwright, the founder of CAB Sports and the visionary behind Arabian Warrior, the Middle East’s first homegrown obstacle course racing brand. Nic walks us through his unconventional journey – from sports school and accountancy, to running...

In this episode of Beyond the Business Card, host Justin McGuire, entrepreneur, founder of MCG Talent, and creator of 7-Figure Recruitment, sits down with Amara Javed, founder and managing director of Seamlify – one of Dubai’s fastest-rising boutique social media agencies. Amara opens up about her journey, from growing up between the U.S. and Pakistan, navigating life post-9/11, to building her ag...

In this episode of Beyond the Business Card, host Justin McGuire, entrepreneur, founder of MCG Talent, and creator of 7-Figure Recruitment, sits down with powerhouse entrepreneur Sophie Ghavidel, the founder of one of the region’s most successful independent communications agencies, Toh PR.    Sophie opens up about her journey — from a childhood of competitive scholarship exams (and fishy breakfas...