Nobody's Famous Podcast

Alaa Abi Ali was the wildcard. The rough around the edges, do it differently type person. He was dorm mates with Host Ali Rifai and through their time at the American University of Beirut, developed a lasting friendship that was only resurfaced during this show. Alaa has always been eccentric, interesting and everything if not a hard worker but also weirdly in touch with the philosophical, the ethereal and the creative. Through his music, he creates. Through his professional career, he develops. Always tapping into his soul and creative side to just be making content for himself. On the verge of launching his new merchandising brand, Alaa gave us a very different type of show, sending us topics instead of us asking questions. Join us on wild ride with Alaa Abi Ali as he reacts to some of the most interestingly weird statements he's ever made.

What a special treat Episode 28 is! Join us in this first of its kind special episode with the co-founder of the Nobody's Famous Podcast, Alex Wheeler! Ali and Alex took the opportunity to tackle certain topics in special episodes; and for the first topic ever, it's going to be Video Games! Join us as we take a walk down two very different memory lanes from two very different gamers and their experiences with the medium. Whether you're an 80's or 90's gamer, this episode tackles the very early experiences of video games and how the experience was either growing up in Abu Dhabi or Trinidad!

Episode 27 takes on the outspoken, self expressive, mighty and comedic Stephanie Haddad. No stranger to bottling things up, Stephanie was always considered on the fringe of how a “normal girl” should act like. She never shied away from speaking her mind and sticking to her values of self-expression, staying true to yourself and not really caring about what others might think. Fast forward a few years from her childhood, in 2018, Stephanie’s frustration with Lebanese drivers manifested into a video which went viral. Not only did this reassure Stephanie that her message of just speaking your mind resonated with others, she suddenly had a platform to build on. And build on it she did by conveying her messages of positivity, discussing the undiscussed and unraveling the taboos that society has created. Deep dive with us into this extraordinary episode with an extraordinary guest where we discuss anything and everything when it comes to speaking your mind and sharing your thoughts with the world.

It's not that often when you come across someone who can make you laugh in a few simple words. Funny man Shawn Chidiac - or better known through his Instagram account: "myparents_are_divorced" is that kind of guy. In Episode 26, we sat down with Shawn and he took us through the multitude of characters he's developed throughout the years, all through his personal experience through life situations. Shawn also expressed his views on stereotyping, common in this field of comedy, and why there's truth to it. Shawn also discussed how channeling a negative moment in your life can really lead to positive outcomes in the future. From childhood bullying to tough times, Shawn never shied away from creating his content, even through all the criticism and backlash. Join us in another stunning episode with the one and only Shawn Chidiac!

In Episode 25 of the Nobody's Famous Podcast, we sat down with self-proclaimed philosopher and funny man Issam Atallah. Issam had since left his comfort zone in Abu Dhabi, 14 years ago to pursue his professional career wherever it took him. Whether it was Florida, Singapore, UAE or Lebanon, Issam manages to make every place his home. A podcast like no other, we talked about various topics ranging from creativity, the difficulties of different generations, the tragic events in Lebanon and really what Issam's next steps in life are. Join us an fun and light-hearted show (possibly the best ever) between two high school friends who always find themselves in very different circumstances given their common upbringing.

Naser Al Sughaiyer has an interesting journey. From realizing he doesn't fit into the corporate world to attending the "World Domination Summit" in the United States, Naser has really detached himself from a previous life. Naser takes careful account of the things he lets into his life. Not cluttering his mind with too many things and being very specific on the things he spends his time on. As a matter of fact, his social media accounts get deleted on 31 October, 2020 and our show releases just in time to showcase him after a long break from speaking online! Join us in the opening episode of Season 3, where we talk to one of our most exciting and eccentric guests to date, Naser Al Sughaiyer.

Tarek was born and raised in Abu Dhabi to Lebanese/Palestinian parents and got both his education degrees in Business Administration and Hotel Management & Tourism in the same city. With over 11 years of professional experience, he has excelled in the events industry and specifically marketing B2B and B2C events in the UAE and across the region. A constant seeker to travel, Tarek has travelled to over 20 countries and 3 continents, connecting with people from different backgrounds and cultures, which always played a major role in his self discovery and identification.

At the onset of the Pandemic, one would think firstly of the safety of kids and their education. One would think how on Earth are these kids going to live in a safe and healthy environment while still getting the education they need? Enter Farah Massoud. A teacher who not only focuses on the educational needs of her students, but also their overall attitude and personal states during the most difficult Pandemic the world has seen. Farah Massoud teaches students from Grades 8 through 10 who are arguably quite difficult to teach but Farah's experience and adoption to e-learning coupled with her friendly approach to education allows for a different experience. An experience where students can thrive and step out of their comfort zone even in the comfort of their own homes. Join us as we take a new approach on the Nobody's Famous Podcast and discover the world of e-learning with Farah Massoud.

Amine Najjar is a songwriter from Lebanon who has worked with some of the music industry’s biggest names. The story to create this show was a true back and forth problem, after writing a blog post almost 6 years ago, Ali said it was time for a face to face show which never materialized. But when the Pandemic hit, we had to go with a remote call. Amine has written songs with multi-platinum selling songwriters such as Pam Sheyne who wrote Christina Aguilera’s “Genie in a bottle”, William Larrsen who wrote Nico & Vinz’s “Am I wrong” as well as Mohombi & many more. Amine also pitches songs to International artists across the world. Known for his lyrics & catchy melodies; Amine knows exactly what it takes to make a song memorable and ultimately, a hit.

A half French, half Colombian, Jeannette Peyre grew up in an international home. She’s a strong 32 year old who’s found a home in Paris in the last 12 years after city-hopping across New York City, Brussels and Geneva. Jeannette works for Caron, a French perfume company founded in 1904, as a Product Manager in the Marketing Division. A company that had already dealt with a pandemic and two World Wars some 100 years ago. Jeannette loves to travel, cook and she’s sincerely passionate about art, architecture and design. Join us as we listen to the wonderful world of Jeannette Peyre.

Born & raised in Beirut, Abdallah had a passion for building LEGO ever since he was young, which led to him graduating as a Civil Engineer from the American University of Beirut. Graduating in 2010, Abdallah moved to Qatar to work in engineering for 2 years, then decided to change industries & pursue his masters in management degree in Madrid, Spain. After graduating in 2013, Abdallah decided to join the Fast Moving Consumer Goods industry because he always wanted to work in a dynamic & challenging environment. He's been exposed to several roles in supply chain and planning which definitely makes him the Ops guy you want on your team. On a personal level, Abdallah is passionate about sports and has always been a great basketball player. He still picks new hobbies yearly be it skiing, wake boarding, biking, boxing, you name it! Sit back and enjoy this lighthearted episode touching on various topics like the FMCG industry, new hobbies and coping with long distance relationships.

Our first Quarantine Series Video is now live! This series aims to continue discovering the wonderful people of our world. During these difficult times, its beneficial to keep ourselves engaged and open to the world around us and the people experiencing it in different ways than us. Our first guest is Rami Hajj Deeb and here are his own words on who he is... "This is me, Rami Hajj Deeb, in social media lingo, a Lebanese based in Madrid. Grew up in Beirut to a family of four, studied civil engineering at the American University of Beirut and before I knew it I was expatriated, like many of the Lebanese youth, to Doha. Though I'm grateful to what that city offered me, I never felt like I belonged there. I just knew…It was time to trust the magic of new beginnings. I pursued a Masters degree in Madrid with no intentions of staying but here I am 8 years later in the Spanish capital that I now call home. Our homes are not defined by one particular location, but by memories, events, people, and places that span the globe. I'm a strong believer that by going away you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving. Travel early and travel often. Live abroad, if you can. Understand cultures other than your own. As your understanding of other cultures increases your understanding of yourself and your own culture."

Finally, EPISODE 23 is here! We sat down with Arqam Al Abri who has just burst onto the music scene, bringing with him the soulfulness and cool vibe of his spectacular voice. Reminiscent of Sam Cooke, Musiq Soundchild, Otis Redding and D'Angelo, Arqam struggled with comparing himself to such great artists and ultimately felt he wasn't worthy if he didn't sing like them. However, Arqam took the plunge to focus on himself, his music and accept the concept of how singing is personal by Nature. Join us in this epic episode where we take a soulful trip into the musical mind of the one and the only, Arqam Al Abri.

In Episode 22, which is coincidentally Mohammad Al Qadi's favorite number, we take a trip into his mind and his process into creating the first Emirati Board Game! Mohammad Al Qadi's journey into creating Conquest - Final Conqueror was not an easy one. Many moving parts such as how he wanted it to look like, marketing it and finally how it would play are just some of the variables considered. Mohammad gave us a look into his process as he saw it. Two types of people with two very different types of processes. Overthinkers and Doers. Mohammad saw himself as the Doer just making the best of what we had and finding out along the way.

Khalid Iskandar joins us in this hard-hitting and honest episode about finding your true potential, working on different interests in life and about the restrictions we put on ourselves to not attain our goals. Khalid has gone through many motions in life. From delving deep into architecture, studying it and eventually creating his own studio, Zkandar studio, to becoming a Jiu-jitsu competitor, Khaled is no stranger to constant change. Khaled's experience fighting on the mats alone opened his eyes to simply being someone who'll try something to do it - eventually moving on to continue to better himself. Through his next stage in life, he ended up creating VLOGs that would inspire and show people what a day in his life looked like. Athleticism, positivity, enjoying time and simply going about their day became his way of creating content. Finally, Khaled really hit home with a strong statement that why wasn't Ali doing the show on a full-time basis. Khaled highlighted the point that all these restrictions are in one's head and in the end, you need to work to your passion as your end goal.