LET'S MAKE WAVES with Rana AlBasri Mouawad

Why does your best content get ignored? You've put real thought into it. You know it’s good. But you post and then nothing. A few likes. No comments. No leads. The explanation most founders give themselves: wrong time, wrong algorithm, not enough followers.  The more common explanation: your content was valuable AND completely irrelevant to the person it reached. Both things can be true at th...

What if showing up on camera is not an option for you?  You've tried doing more videos, but there is a real, legitimate reason why video doesn’t work for your life, your culture, your industry, or your comfort level. In this episode, I dismantle the assumption that personal branding requires video, and walk through exactly what faceless reputation-building looks like in practice - including w...

This is a bonus episode, and it is a little different from what you usually hear on Let's Make Waves. What you are about to listen to is a keynote I delivered to a room full of real estate agents at Royal LePage, one of the largest real estate companies in Ontario, Canada.  I decided to share this keynote here because the knowledge inside it belongs to anyone who is building a personal brand...

There is a question that comes up with almost every founder I have ever worked with, and it creates more confusion than most people admit to. What is the difference between your personal brand and your business brand? And more importantly, how do they work together, when should one lead the other, and how do you know which stage you are in? Most founders treat these as two separate strategies, two...

What happens when everything you've built, your reputation, your network, your credibility, stops being relevant the moment you walk into a new market? That's not a hypothetical. That's the reality that thousands of entrepreneurs and leaders face every time they relocate, pivot, or start again. And it's exactly what Moatassem Moatez, Founder and CEO of MyCourier Inc., lived thr...

I was invited to speak with Reme Mancera, host of Intersection Chats, about the intersection between Personal Brand Story & Communications Strategy. In this chat, I shared how personal brand story is the “DNA” and foundation (the why/what) while communication strategy is the how/where, and that alignment between the two creates clarity, credibility, and connection - while misalignment leads to...

Something a little different. A few months ago I was invited to speak to a private mastermind of women entrepreneurs from around the world. The brief was personal brand and social media. But the conversation that actually happened went somewhere deeper than that. Because this was a group of women from different countries, different cultural backgrounds, different comfort levels with being visible...

In this episode, I unpack how to identify and communicate your Personal Brand Story after questions from last week’s episode on the five elements of personal branding, starting with positioning.  Your story isn’t your CV, achievements, or a polished highlight reel, and it doesn’t require a dramatic startup-style pivot or manufactured vulnerability. It’s the through line connecting what you’ve done...

If someone who doesn't know you well Googled your name right now, what would they find? And more importantly, what would they think? Your personal brand is not your Instagram grid. It's not your follower count, your posting frequency, or how polished your content looks. Your personal brand is your reputation. It's the total impression someone holds of you based on everything they&ap...

This episode is short but powerful. Most professionals think their work will speak for itself. But here's the uncomfortable truth: in today's world, that's rarely the case. You can be brilliant at what you do, but if the right people don't know about it, does it even matter? Visibility is the new currency. And if you're not investing in it, you're leaving opportunitie...

82% of hiring managers consider a strong personal brand as a key factor when evaluating candidates for promotions. That means: if you want to advance in your career, a strong personal brand will get your name mentioned in rooms you’re not physically in and it will ensure that - whether internally in the company you work in or externally in the market/industry - your contributions, hard work, leade...

Let's dive deep into the essence of building a personal brand that truly drives business results.  This episode focuses on the critical element of trust and how it influences audience engagement and business growth.  Rana breaks down the journey of trust-building, from understanding audience behavior to creating authentic and relevant content. You'll learn about key elements such as leve...

Your content is getting engagement. Likes. Comments. Shares. People are saying “great post!” and dropping emojis. It feels like momentum. But when you look at actual business results? Nothing’s moving. No qualified inquiries. No speaking invitations. No one reaching out to work with you. The engagement isn’t translating into opportunities. And you’re left wondering: What’s the disconnect? Here’s w...

“How do I scale my business without selling-out my values?” It’s a question that comes up constantly in my work with women entrepreneurs – whether they’re launching their first group offer, their tenth digital product, or raising prices on a high-ticket service. The desire to grow is real. So is the fear of losing themselves in the process. In this episode, I’m unpacking what it truly means to bui...

This is a conversation that I think a lot of you are going to find incredibly valuable… especially given what’s happening in the marketing landscape right now. Here’s the reality: in 2025, business owners are struggling with marketing more than ever. Organic social reach has declined dramatically, forcing many to rely on paid advertising just to be seen. AI and MarTech tools are everywhere, but th...

What if the biggest threat to scaling your business isn’t your competition… It’s your own fear of being visible? In this crucial episode, we’re confronting the “invisible entrepreneur” mindset. This isn’t about lacking ambition; it’s about brilliant founders who undercharge for their expertise, avoid the spotlight that builds authority, and create incredible value that nobody sees because they’re...

One of the key pillars when intentionally controlling the narrative and building your Personal Brand is showing-up online & offline. Being visible has been one of the biggest struggles for entrepreneurs and business owners because of the preconceived pressures of “figuring-out” visibility on social media. After working with many business owners, I share with you the common mindset blocks that...

What is about Public Speaking that can be exhilarating for some and nerve recking for others? No person is better to talk about mastering the mic and the art of public speaking than 4-time TedX Speaker and Forbes Women Speaker Dr. Rana Sabra – a global business strategist and marketing advisor. In addition to empowering over 2000 clients and students worldwide by providing tailored marketing solut...

Everyone’s journey in entrepreneurship is different, few things are common that many of us experience at one point of our journey: Stagnating. Uninspired. Overwhelmed. Imposter. Unheard. Or worse… Unseen. Building a business that you dream of creating, yet playing by everyone else’s rule is part of the problem. The loud “cookie cutter approaches” to branding, marketing, social media presence can c...

Personal Branding, Networking, Storytelling, Growth Mindset and Self Reliance are some of the key topics discussed in this episode with the communications powerhouse, Maha Abouelenein— a trailblazer in bridging cultures and industries. With over 30 years of experience, Maha has worked with some of the biggest names in tech and business, including Google, Netflix, and Careem. She’s the founder and...

“What do I want to be known for?” Let’s talk about something that can completely transform how you’re seen in your professional world: POSITIONING . It’s not just a fancy term—it’s the key to being memorable, impactful, and truly you. Whether you’re a CEO, a founder, or a working professional, nailing your positioning can open doors you didn’t even know existed. Your positioning is your power. It’...

Building a brand is not an easy feat – let alone building a luxury brand! My guest this week is Moe Samman; a luxury brand consultant and expert, co-founder of Longe Black Branding Firm, co-founder of Lxias Consulting, entrepreneur, educator and a disruptor. His mission is to redefine the standards of how luxury brands are built and marketed from MENA to the world.  Moe Samman is someone who is ce...

In the early days of my career in communications and PR, I worked with leadership personalities & public figures, where we created communications strategies to help them build credibility & trust. At the time, no one called it “Personal Branding”, but that was exactly what we were doing! The work, communications strategy, content, media interviews, publishing books and public speaking was...

If you’re a founder or working on becoming one, this episode will give you lifeline advice that will impact your entrepreneurial journey. In this episode, my guest is Helen McGuire – a founder who pioneered 2 global diversity-focused platforms all while building her family of 5. We talk about her entrepreneurial experience, her purpose principles in founding a business, building a business from a...

Fascinating your audience with the “right” content takes a mindset shift towards content creation and how it is received by the audience – starting with understanding that to create a connection, the content needs to tick several boxes: Leveraging storytelling when applicable Creating a clear emotional connection Consistency with brand voice, purpose & mission Hosting it on the right platforms...