Made in Dubai with Spencer Lodge

What an absolute pleasure it was to sit down once again with Dr Sara Al Madani for the start of Season 2 of the podcast. After having had Sara as the first guest on my podcast at the beginning of 2019 - I am so pleased to have her back to kick off the second season. Sara Al Madani is a Mother, entrepreneur and figurehead for the rapid evolution of women in the Middle East, a profound public speake...

In Part 2 of my interview with Farhad Azizi, we spent the day in the car on site at one of his many real estate projects in Dubai. Having spent that time with him, in his natural environment, it became clear to me that he has such a passion for the work that he does, and as the CEO of Azizi Developments, that means that every one of his projects receives all of the dedication that he can give, fro...

From learning C++ and computer programming, to Saudi Aramco, starting a Burger Shop, and now his own Real Estate Investment company; Abdullah Alajaji has an amazing story to tell. We got into his background, his upbringing, and the lucky breaks and deliberate decisions that have made him into the entrepreneur he is today. Abdullah Alajaji is the founder and Managing Director of Driven Properties,...

Trading for a living is as simple as it sounds when Darren Winters tells you his secrets behind how to learn trading. The top trader from the UK takes you behind the curtain and tells his story of rags to riches. From a complete beginner to seven figures in trading in only a few years. When you find out why he had to learn so quickly, you'll be amazed at how quickly life can turn itself around. If...

For the first time ever, I am so excited to bring my slightly nerdy strategy review to the podcast. It's short, but packed with insights and advice. So, do let me know what you think once you've listened to it! July's review was a surprising one. I really didn't expect to have to repeat things 6 months down the line. I shouldn't need to explain why it's necessary for owners and business leaders to...

David Balfour is not only a long-time friend, he is also a brilliant entrepreneur, and on this episode he discusses his journey in business, his own venture - Lightblue, an experiential creative agency that works with the likes of Playstation, Adidas, and Mercedes Benz! We also spent some time discussing our views on social media, how to use it effectively, and the entrepreneurs and thought leader...

What's the best way to get revenge on a cheater? Show off your travels and creativity on social media of course! That was exactly what Rawan bin Hussain did, but fate and NBC (the american broadcast company) stepped in to show the world what she was doing! Growing her Instagram to over 3.6 million followers, this Palestinian-Kuwaiti social media superstar has taken the world by storm, and her stor...

What would it take for you to get from zero to 7000 followers in one week? I spoke to someone who's done it! It's no wonder this guy's turning the social media industry on its head! Paul O'Mahony is a digital media specialist, mindset coach, and best-selling author of 'Rethink Social Media'. I sat down with him and dissected his thoughts on the future of the industry.

This is a story of the triumph of optimism and hard work in the face of adversity. Liam Ryan is a property investor, entrepreneur, trainer, and host of The Deal Maker Podcast. Facing the depths of drug addiction and alcohol abuse early on in his life forced Liam to make some tough decisions that changed the course of his life completely. Liam now, with the help of his business partner, Jay Munoz,...

Mahmoud AlBurai has one of the most incredible stories I have ever had the privilege of hearing. Born in Palestine and destined for greatness one way or another - through tireless work and self-improvement, Mahmoud's journey has taken him across the globe; earning him 5 masters degrees, a Phd, and the recognition from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President of the UAE, a...

As the CEO of Azizi Developments, Farhad Azizi isn't following in his father's footsteps. He's changing course. With the help of his learnings of doing business in Asia, the Middle East and Europe and having studied in the United States - he's got a world view that is allowing him to guide Azizi Developments to new heights. I really enjoyed this episode, as Farhad is an incredibly down to earth gu...

Greg Secker is a self-made millionaire, having worked in foreign exchange and financial trading, before setting up Learn to Trade in 2003 to provide forex workshops and courses. Greg also owns SmartCharts software and the regulated brokerage, Capital Index. This episode of the podcast delves into Greg's background as an enterprising youngster - hiring his mates to wash cars when he was a child, ho...

Will working in a Chinese takeaway joint make you your first million? No, but the drive to break free from the rat race will. From minimum wage to multi-millionaire - John Lee - CEO and Founder of Wealth Dragons, has made it his mission to free people from the 9-5 routine. Hear him elaborate on overcoming hurdles in life and business, and the importance of social media to multiply your wealth.

This is one of my favourite episodes of the Spencer Lodge Podcast so far. Grant's first podcast interview in the region certainly didn't disappoint, but I'm not going to give anything away just yet. All I'm going to say is if you want the real secret to 10X thinking - then put this episode on immediately! Grant Cardone is a New York Times Bestselling Author, the #1 Sales Trainer in the world, and...

Raza Jafar is a serial entrepreneur and a philanthropist. His focus is on investments with a fervent pursuit of economic, environmental and social sustainability. He's also the founder of the Global Sustainability Network - a community and platform that's passionate and committed to delivering Goal 8 of the 17 Global Goals: promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and p...

Firas Al Msaddi is the Chief Executive Officer of fäm Properties, one of the largest, most successful real estate brokerage firms in the UAE, and Executive Chairman of the fäm Group. At the age of 25, he founded the agency in 2009, built in the midst of the global economic crisis, and was driven by his unfaltering belief in the sustainability and endurance of Dubai. There are few people that have...

With the Bayut Big Broker Event coming up next week here in Dubai, I had the opportunity to sit down and interview their Chief Executive Officer - Haider Ali Khan. With a fascinating background in tech and engineering, a knack for understanding the way that consumers behave, and knowing how to solve problems with the way we engage with real estate - this conversation was one that gave some great i...

They say that it's a sign of a true entrepreneur when someone is able to fail, stand up, brush themselves off, and keep going. There aren't many "Entrepreneurs" that I know of these days that are really able to live that in their day to day. Umar Bin Farooq, Founding Partner of One Broker Group, is one of those people who after spending many years in Dubai truly embodies the spirit of Entrepreneur...

What do you do in a world where massive billboards on motorways are ignored in favour of a smartphone screen, and nobody believes that your product actually looks like the one on your website? Andrew Burgess is an expert in helping brands to incorporate User Generated Content into their marketing and communications. He proves that there is an entire world of content at your consumer's fingertips a...

This interview is one that I was really excited about, because it gave me the chance to really dig into the world of podcasting with two other podcasters who are a bit further along in their journey than I am. It was amazing to have the chance to speak to them about the role that podcasting has played in their business and why they believe all businesses need to be using this and other content pla...

It's a first, but I wanted to break up the show after 10 episodes and bring you an interview where I was the subject at a local radio station here in Dubai called Dance FM. I went in at the beginning of the year to speak about why the sales industry is a bit of an orphanage, maintaining New Year's Resolutions and goals in general, as well as advice that I still give to the senior leadership teams...

Last week I spent some time catching up with a good friend of mine, Mat Wilson, CEO of Einstein Marketer; in Meribel in the French Alps. Skiing has always been something that we both gravitated towards, so it was wonderful to get the chance to meet up with him on the slopes. As you'll hear in the interview, we're in our hotel room in our ski gear, fresh off the slopes - discussing the state of the...

Harvey Bennett is the Co-founder of an Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning based Recruitment tool used to determine whether or not a candidate is a good fit for an organisation, in terms of values, behaviour, or even work ethic. Harvey brings past experience as a startup founder with experience in scaling businesses through securing massive clients, high-quality investors, as well as bui...

Gaining 250,000 organic followers in only a few years is no easy feat. Neither is moving to a new country as a teenager and being forced to learn two new languages. Eljammi Gozalli is no stranger to hard work, and it's clear that in her life and businesses, she is willing to put in the work to gain the reward. I loved doing this episode as Eljammi is a close friend of mine, and someone in whom I s...

As a football fan myself, having seen Mikaëls successes over the years as a professional athlete, I was so excited to get the chance to dig deeper into the psychology behind that success, and what it meant to retire from his profession at such a young age. After having played professionally across the globe in France, England, Italy, Germany, the US, and India - Mikaël's story has taken an amazing...