Full Transcript for EP1 Mazin Gadir

Durham per month at some point. 00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:38.399 But as a as a young student? 00:05:38.639 --> 00:05:46.160 As as a young student, as a as a as a tell my kids that but they stopped in the early 80s, I think, and then school was just free. 00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:49.120 So my parents were enjoying the free education in the UAE. 00:05:49.279 --> 00:06:02.079 The good, I mean, it wasn't just good, it was outstanding education in the UAE, public uh public schools, to the point that I got my PhD based on the notes that I've taken in my school, public school days in the UAE. 00:06:02.399 --> 00:06:03.519 That's how amazing it was. 00:06:03.680 --> 00:06:09.439 So free schooling, free almost free food, uh, free um clothing, free books. 00:06:09.600 --> 00:06:11.120 I mean, God bless UAE. 00:06:11.199 --> 00:06:27.600 Abu Dhabi gave us an amazing public schooling system that built us and built all my me and my three siblings actually got all educated in public schools and they all got their higher education in the UK because of the strong educational system that we have in Abu Dhabi. 00:06:27.839 --> 00:06:28.879 Yeah, that's amazing. 00:06:28.959 --> 00:06:29.680 So much has changed. 00:06:29.759 --> 00:06:37.600 You know, if you think about now in schooling, the cost of private schooling is just uh, you know, it's it's incapacitating for many parents, right? 00:06:37.920 --> 00:06:38.959 Absolutely, absolutely. 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:48.319 I mean, uh, I'm paying uh for um for one of my kids, and I have three, um, what my dad used to pay me to get to university in Leeds. 00:06:48.720 --> 00:06:50.160 Yeah, it's equivalent. 00:06:50.639 --> 00:06:51.839 It's crazy, it's crazy. 00:06:52.240 --> 00:07:02.399 So um if you look back at when you were six year six years old and think about what you've achieved, like what are you most amazed by? 00:07:02.560 --> 00:07:06.000 You know, you've spoken about how things have changed, but what are you most amazed by? 00:07:06.079 --> 00:07:09.600 And where are you compared to your other junior school friends? 00:07:10.079 --> 00:07:16.639 Look, I mean, I I cannot tell you, but uh I'm I'm blessed and I'm thankful to God and the support of the family, obviously. 00:07:16.720 --> 00:07:28.399 And alhamdulillah in Arabic, we say all thanks to Allah that that um the the path that I took wasn't mine, was dictated, I think, by God, number one, and number two, the advice of my father and mother. 00:07:28.480 --> 00:07:33.920 I mean, I owe it to my father who passed away in 2010, for all the mentorship and advice he's given me. 00:07:34.079 --> 00:07:39.680 And I cannot forget also my brother who has been paving the way for me, specifically the move to Leeds. 00:07:39.839 --> 00:07:48.560 Yeah, I think that was very um very uh a huge step, uh stepping stone for me to grow into my uh career. 00:07:48.800 --> 00:08:07.360 So um uh I I look I if I compare myself to my uh my my other friends and colleagues who studied together with me in the in in schools back, I I think uh I I still feel blessed, but also with you with these blessings, I feel there's a lot of responsibility on my shoulder. 00:08:07.680 --> 00:08:19.839 I I the career that I took or the path that was was paved for me um um was dictated by the family, uh uh was dictated by the mentors that I had in schools. 00:08:19.920 --> 00:08:33.600 A lot of the teachers who I still owe it, uh owe them my um uh I owe them a lot of gratitude, uh, has helped me to grow um into that into that pathway that was paved um uh by God. 00:08:33.840 --> 00:08:50.080 So uh I think uh the the the the main two reasons that made me be who I am at the moment were definitely uh apart from God's blessings, is uh the family support and the mentorship that has helped me grow into this. 00:08:51.200 --> 00:08:54.639 Now you're you you did a PhD, but not in healthcare, right? 00:08:55.279 --> 00:08:58.720 You you did it it's on the back of engine your engineering qualifications. 00:08:58.799 --> 00:09:01.919 So how did you get into healthcare from your your PhD? 00:09:02.080 --> 00:09:16.320 Because you would have assumed after a PhD in uh in what was it, uh quantum electronics and nanotechnology, you would have assumed you'd go into more an academic route, like getting published and getting getting research out, but you you went a different route. 00:09:16.399 --> 00:09:19.440 So how did you how did you flip over to healthcare? 00:09:19.679 --> 00:09:20.879 Yeah, so that's a good question. 00:09:21.039 --> 00:09:23.519 Again, nothing nothing was planned. 00:09:23.919 --> 00:09:45.600 Um getting into the PhD was a blessing also from God because uh in 2000 uh Leeds University um issued a new scholarship program called Overseas Research Student Scholarship that was a UK um uh program for all the non-British students, and at that time I was still holding my Sudanese nationality. 00:09:46.000 --> 00:09:49.600 Um I got into the PhD because of that scholarship. 00:09:49.840 --> 00:10:03.519 That scholarship um was selected because my supervisor was the nicest and the most amazing supervisor ever, and the selection was based on his amazing proposition that I will make more money if I do this PhD. 00:10:03.759 --> 00:10:08.960 So uh, Professor Harrison, Paul Harrison, I know you're from Liverpool, I know you love Liverpool. 00:10:09.039 --> 00:10:14.399 If you are listening to this, I owe it to you because you've paved the way for me to come to this PhD. 00:10:14.559 --> 00:10:16.639 And that was the only reason why I joined the PhD. 00:10:16.720 --> 00:10:17.759 I wanted to make more money. 00:10:18.080 --> 00:10:19.120 Well, you know, that's interesting. 00:10:19.200 --> 00:10:27.279 My wife once said to me, I was considering a PhD, and she said, uh, listen, Russell, uh um less learning, more earning. 00:10:27.519 --> 00:10:28.000 There you go. 00:10:28.159 --> 00:10:28.559 There you go. 00:10:29.440 --> 00:10:32.240 So I'm

glad that I'm I'm adopting that approach. 00:10:32.480 --> 00:10:43.120 But um, in the PhD, um, it helped me to research the use of quantum technology and the applications of quantum nanotechnology in the different industries. 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:57.840 And what caught my eye, what um what the what healthcare uh and cancer screening could hold for uh uh if we implement quantum screening and quantum sensing devices implementation in in the industry. 00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:06.960 So that that that started my inquisition or inquisitive or in uh my my curiosity into jumping into healthcare. 00:11:07.039 --> 00:11:24.000 So the quantum physics was just the door opener for me to understand, um uh, for example, from a medical devices perspective, how cancer cells can be screened using quantum uh devices or quantum sensing devices, and that's the topic of my my PhD. 00:11:24.159 --> 00:11:26.960 But that started my curiosity in that angle. 00:11:27.360 --> 00:11:36.080 But then the other uh reason why I joined healthcare, um you remember 9-11 happened and I was still being a Sudanese national at that time. 00:11:36.399 --> 00:11:41.120 Part of my PhD was sponsored and funded by the US Air Force Laboratories in Boston. 00:11:41.279 --> 00:11:54.240 And for me, I was always aspiring to be a scientist and go and work in the US uh and and join um you know the major labs in in Boston to true uh to continue my research. 00:11:54.399 --> 00:11:59.679 Uh at that time, because of security clearance and tightened um um restrictions, I wasn't able to do that. 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:00.399 That's interesting. 00:12:00.639 --> 00:12:06.559 So the next thing was is actually look at healthcare and see how we can actually bring this technology into healthcare. 00:12:06.639 --> 00:12:15.200 And that's what brought me into an interview for Cerner in the UK at that time, and they were recruiting heavily for the national program for IT. 00:12:15.360 --> 00:12:37.279 And my pitch um um I had to present during my interview, and I presented on the use of quantum electronics and nanotechnology uh and the use of devices that I was researching and how this will put all the x-rays and um MRIs out of business because quantum sensing technology is non-radiative, non-harmful, or it's not harmful to your body. 00:12:37.440 --> 00:12:41.679 And they love the presentation, but they put me into digital health transformation. 00:12:42.960 --> 00:12:44.000 Oh, that's very cool. 00:12:44.159 --> 00:12:48.720 I had I had a similar uh route into CERNA for the new as well, you know. 00:12:48.799 --> 00:12:53.360 So um and and CERN was a great uh employer, especially around the national program. 00:12:53.600 --> 00:13:01.759 And I I got involved after the national program in about 20 uh 2012, but um it was a it was a great great employer when when we were there. 00:13:06.320 --> 00:13:17.600 Now I want to move like most people know you here not from your PhD or not from the work necessarily

at Alvarez and Marshall, but they know you as like the networker extraordinaire. 00:13:17.840 --> 00:13:24.480 So I want to understand do you have like an underlying philosophy of networking that that you can share? 00:13:24.879 --> 00:13:39.039 Yes, it started in the university, um, you know, being very active and social uh socially um um how do you say socially um active in the area of the university and the different communities being part of multiple communities? 00:13:39.200 --> 00:13:42.480 I started the love of networking at the university life. 00:13:42.559 --> 00:13:52.480 That's why Leeds, the biggest nightclub uh uh hub of the UK, helped me to become the the hottest networker uh in industry. 00:13:52.639 --> 00:14:00.320 Um I learned the essence of networking from um the the beautiful communities that I was part of back in the university. 00:14:00.399 --> 00:14:03.600 And I had an advice by uh by a guy from Serbia. 00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:08.799 The guy was a genius, he was also another PhD student in Leeds in Leeds um university. 00:14:09.039 --> 00:14:16.720 Uh he joined us from um uh uh from uh Belgrade, and he was a genius in quantum um physics. 00:14:16.879 --> 00:14:27.840 He became later on um uh uh a financial analyst who moved uh to do modeling in uh uh in London in Canary Wharf at that time or the financial hub in London. 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:36.320 Uh he told me, Mazin, try to use your strongest uh trait and skill to build your business around that. 00:14:36.399 --> 00:14:44.799 So rather than you trying to be good at, for example, um uh Excel sheets, if you're good at networking, utilize that to your uh favor. 00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:52.240 So use your strongest skill, your strongest um trait, and build your career on this. 00:14:52.320 --> 00:14:58.879 And this advice came from a younger lad uh who came from Serbia, and that advice stayed with me. 00:14:59.039 --> 00:15:03.679 It was his name is Vlad, so if he's hearing, I hope he's uh he's in good well and good health. 00:15:03.919 --> 00:15:07.759 Um Vlad told me that, and that just became my ethos. 00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:17.360 Okay, shall I I'll just grow into my strongest um skill set, and that got reinforced by obviously the the the mentors that I picked. 00:15:17.440 --> 00:15:25.120 One of them was a Nigerian entrepreneur that uh was my uh uh my um uh uh my dormitory mate. 00:15:25.279 --> 00:15:27.039 So we lived in the same flat. 00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:45.759 Uh he was amazing, he was just like a run relentless networker, and I got a lot of the essence and how to handle rejection, believe it or not, back in the university days, and then coming to the Middle East uh when I was relocated in 2009, I realized that there is no nothing like your network, your network is your net worth. 00:15:45.919 --> 00:16:05.519 Yeah, and I started learning through my career in the private sector that I can elaborate later on, that the my safety net is my network, and who you know will determine how you get uh pivoting or how do you pivot into the next career move or the next uh uh position that you want to be promoting to? 00:16:05.919 --> 00:16:06.159 For sure. 00:16:06.240 --> 00:16:18.480 You've spoken about building up your network and your network being your net worth, and uh but you've built up networks in uh in Abu Dhabi, in the UAE, and Saudi, and Qatar, in the in the UK. 00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:26.320 Are there differences in building networks in different uh countries and different regions that that you've picked up? 00:16:27.279 --> 00:16:33.039 Um yes, in the sense that um it it will determine the way you follow up with them. 00:16:33.200 --> 00:16:35.360 Your network is useless if you don't follow up. 00:16:35.759 --> 00:16:41.440 So if you are in Abu Dhabi, making sure that you're keeping your network active, let them know that you're there. 00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:43.759 You you can at least have that one-to-one. 00:16:43.919 --> 00:16:48.399 So your network is useless if you're not able to connect with the people that you're meeting. 00:16:48.559 --> 00:16:59.840 And now with obviously the WhatsApps and uh LinkedIn, the use of LinkedIn was helpful, making sure that I know whose birthday is happening, you know, is is uh uh uh is when is happening when. 00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:09.200 Um, the use of LinkedIn, the use of WhatsApp, um network in the UK uh is ke still kept because of the the use of those channels. 00:17:09.279 --> 00:17:23.039 Um uh so my my answer to that question is the way you uh keep your network active is how proactive you are in in communicating with those people in your network one-to-one, and also customizing. 00:17:23.119 --> 00:17:32.400 So the way I I keep my communication with the UK um um contacts is not the same as the for example the Saudi contacts, even within Saudi. 00:17:32.799 --> 00:17:34.079 So, what would the differences be? 00:17:34.240 --> 00:17:40.559 Uh it depends on the the the need and what's the ask or what are the topics that they want to discuss. 00:17:40.799 --> 00:17:59.599 So, for example, uh the UK, I just flew in from the UK two days ago, and um um the UK uh contacts would probably talk about um you know what are the new trends and the job-seeking opportunities or what are the different projects that I can get uh get them involved in. 00:17:59.759 --> 00:18:07.119 In Saudi would be definitely if it's a national day in Saudi, you'll probably reach out to the network in Saudi and congratulate them on the national day. 00:18:07.279 --> 00:18:10.559 In Abu Dhabi, there is a big conference coming up in October. 00:18:10.720 --> 00:18:26.079 I make sure that my network is activated and so based on the time and the topic and perhaps the needs of the hour, that's how you can activate your network on on uh on a continuous uh basis. 00:18:26.480 --> 00:18:37.759 You know, previously your job has been even just director of partnerships, and at what point does the networking

stop being a consequence of the job to being the actual job? 00:18:38.319 --> 00:18:42.000 Um uh at a very early stage from that uh from that role. 00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:57.519 That role began in 2020 uh in my previous company, and the idea was to try and build um a ecosystem of partners that would allow my company to resell um products and services through. 00:18:57.680 --> 00:19:38.799 So at that stage, the network became uh networking became the weapon to commercialize the services and products, and that's why I was so proud to create the largest partner ecosystem uh portfolio of companies that exceeded 400 and was obviously um passed on on a succession plan from the persons that came over after me uh to try and and activate this network of partners for the purpose of business growth and um client um um client um uh um penetration or client um engagement. 00:19:39.039 --> 00:19:49.599 So so the network wasn't really the career as such, but it was uh a critical piece of personal infrastructure you needed to have to be able to do to do the job, right? 00:19:49.839 --> 00:19:51.039 Absolutely, absolutely. 00:19:51.279 --> 00:20:05.680 And and and that has to be part of the different skill set that you need to when you build, when you actually um use network in the corporate um uh setting, you have to make sure that there is compliance at attached to it, contracting. 00:20:05.759 --> 00:20:16.240 Yeah, there's a lot of um uh um caveats that you need to have as you network and to push those partners into uh into the ecosystem of business. 00:20:16.480 --> 00:20:16.720 Yeah. 00:20:17.039 --> 00:20:31.200 Now, as someone with uh at last count, 38,655 followers on LinkedIn, there's obviously a big incentive for um companies to get you on as an advisor an advisor and take an advisory role. 00:20:31.519 --> 00:20:38.960 But do you think there's a point where the number of companies that are being advised stops compounding? 00:20:39.519 --> 00:20:40.400 I I believe so. 00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:47.039 I think there is an element of focus as well because you need to make sure you prioritize where the forward the network is actually utilized. 00:20:47.200 --> 00:20:55.200 So for now, my priority is to utilize my network for the growth and the business uh development of my um current employer. 00:20:55.519 --> 00:21:11.599 Um so, yes, there will be uh a stage where you'll have to say no because time is limited and there's only enough hours in the day to dedicate, but you also have to prioritize that you have to keep in mind that there is no conflict of interest that needs to be uh adhered to. 00:21:11.759 --> 00:21:38.160 There is also the business ethics and professional uh professionalism that you need to keep in mind when you when you deploy that network accordingly, and hence you are as you as you said, you get exposed to multiple uh attractive requisitions or requests to join a company as an advisor to help them expand, but then you'll have to make sure

that you manage your time and make sure that the professionalism and no conflict of interest is adhered to. 00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:39.279 Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. 00:21:39.359 --> 00:21:47.359 So eventually the uh the benefit for additional companies cost to wane off because you just don't have the bandwidth to be able to absolutely and and and you know what? 00:21:47.519 --> 00:21:48.880 Maybe I'm not the right person. 00:21:48.960 --> 00:21:53.039 Maybe I need to mentor somebody to actually get into those uh roles. 00:21:53.200 --> 00:22:12.720 So if if I'm not able to be an advisor, I can suggest from my network some people who are better than me and that's Role so that you become a kind of a door opener for others to take that position that could have been yours because I cannot fill all the positions that is required, despite how much I want to. 00:22:13.200 --> 00:22:21.920 But it's you enable others to jump in and support these advisory roles that are requested upon you by other companies. 00:22:22.079 --> 00:22:29.920 So you enable the either the younger generation or the other amazing people that are surrounding me in the network to jump into those roles. 00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:37.920 So I don't have to, I don't have to always uh if I don't have the capacity, I know I can bring you from my network the person that will have the capacity. 00:22:38.160 --> 00:22:38.799 Yeah, 100%. 00:22:39.119 --> 00:22:43.680 I I definitely believe that reciprocity is massively important in networking. 00:22:43.759 --> 00:22:56.880 And it's really uh I kind of almost feel like the more people you can help, the the better, because that that comes back in different ways and sometimes unknown ways, but it it definitely comes back to to help you on your on your journey. 00:22:57.839 --> 00:23:02.880 There's a saying that um that person would go to the opening of a garage door. 00:23:03.119 --> 00:23:03.440 Okay. 00:23:03.839 --> 00:23:08.799 Uh with your crazy schedule, how do you attend so many events? 00:23:09.440 --> 00:23:19.359 Um, I'm I mean, I I'm still first of all grateful that I have first of all the health and the family understanding that allows me to be incorporated. 00:23:19.519 --> 00:23:24.319 Uh look, I mean, uh one one negative thing about it is the FOMO effect. 00:23:24.480 --> 00:23:24.720 Yeah. 00:23:24.880 --> 00:23:25.119 Right? 00:23:25.279 --> 00:23:30.799 So um that's something that I've been tackling in the last few years and try to focus myself on the priorities. 00:23:30.880 --> 00:23:37.119 And the priority is serving who I work with and serving the family in a way that I give them enough time. 00:23:37.359 --> 00:24:01.119 Um my my my from what I've learned in the career that I've uh I've I've been part of um has showed me that the sense of insecurity might have been the driver for me attending so many network, um so many events, trying to connect and expand uh my net worth because I'm always um on the on the survival mode. 00:24:01.279 --> 00:24:03.200 But then this will burn me out. 00:24:03.279 --> 00:24:05.359 I know that, and it has burned me out. 00:24:05.519 --> 00:24:12.400 Um I I I I believe I started attending so many events out of that insecure feeling. 00:24:12.640 --> 00:24:19.599 Um, and then slowly, slowly, I started trying to learn that FOMO is not a good thing and I have to prioritize. 00:24:19.839 --> 00:24:22.240 But again, you have to be targeted. 00:24:22.319 --> 00:24:26.240 If you wanna, I I would advise people not to attend all these events. 00:24:26.319 --> 00:24:28.400 I would advise you not to follow my path. 00:24:28.559 --> 00:24:32.559 In fact, be more focused, be more uh value-driven. 00:24:32.640 --> 00:24:38.720 Look at the events that you want to focus on that serves your priorities, and also enough time. 00:24:38.799 --> 00:24:51.599 You you make sure you manage your time properly because at the end of the day, look, um, as we approach uh the end of our our time in this uh in this life, who's gonna be around you in those last few days? 00:24:51.759 --> 00:24:55.519 It's only gonna be the people that you you focused on the least. 00:24:55.759 --> 00:24:58.400 And that's always an equation that I'm reminding myself of. 00:24:58.559 --> 00:25:04.480 So spend time with the family, with the kids, and focus on the areas and the events that you need to focus on. 00:25:04.880 --> 00:25:13.039 So you you're moving on from being a professional attendee with uh a FOMO addiction problem to being trying to be slightly more balanced, right? 00:25:13.279 --> 00:25:15.519 I'm trying to uh uh cure myself. 00:25:15.680 --> 00:25:18.079 I'm trying I'm trying to go through the treatment. 00:25:18.400 --> 00:25:24.640 Well, this comes to my next my next question, which is you know, you've spoken about burnout in clinicians so many times. 00:25:24.720 --> 00:25:26.880 I've I've heard you speak around this. 00:25:27.039 --> 00:25:30.720 And so the question about that I have is around the risk of burnout. 00:25:30.880 --> 00:25:36.079 And I I see you you're on calls, you're juggling so many things, sometimes multiple calls at the same time. 00:25:36.160 --> 00:25:40.960 You're like a DJ on a DJ booth, you know, and a demanding travel schedule. 00:25:41.119 --> 00:25:43.680 Are you concerned about you burning out yourself? 00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:49.599 Yes, I am indeed, and I do advise people multitasking is not healthy, so don't do it. 00:25:49.759 --> 00:25:59.839 I just again I'm still operating on that survival mode, which I'm trying to pick myself out of and try to calm down a little bit because life is too short for you to multitask. 00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:06.480 But yes, I am I've seen burnout when I was at the Big Four uh, you know, big four environment. 00:26:06.640 --> 00:26:24.720 And again, uh my equation was built on top of insecurity, toxicity led me to be insecure, and this is the toxic culture that I've exp I've been exposed to, and that's

why my my initial um uh um reaction was either fight or flight, right? 00:26:24.799 --> 00:26:35.680 So my reaction was to try to make sure that I have all these um avenues of opportunities around me to feel secure and hence driving me to burnout. 00:26:35.920 --> 00:26:43.680 But as I grew and I started seeing my kids and my mom, and we lost my mother-in-law last year, and life is too short, man. 00:26:43.839 --> 00:26:47.920 I think um um it's it's sometimes you think, okay, I run. 00:26:48.079 --> 00:26:58.640 We have a saying in Arabic, you know, you run, you run like a will a wild beast after you pray, and all what you will get what God has already planned for you. 00:26:58.799 --> 00:27:03.920 So you can run like a wild beast, but all what you will get is what is written for you. 00:27:04.000 --> 00:27:19.279 And that's that's been my um my first um injection of treatment for the formal effect, for the um, you know, for the the fact that burnout should come from the uh from the mindset. 00:27:19.440 --> 00:27:29.839 So accepting the fact that this what I'm doing is not right, I should calm down, I should actually um uh realize the fact that whatever I'm doing cannot last. 00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:30.400 Number one. 00:27:30.559 --> 00:27:47.839 Number two, trying to start picking up uh methodologies or approaches that could help me slowly, slowly um um uh pin myself out of that mindset of insecurity into a mindset of appreciation, gratefulness for the life that I've I have been given. 00:27:47.920 --> 00:28:00.640 Uh understand that I'm at 48, I will, you know, that now I have to look at my health, for example, being pre-diabetic or being hypertensive or with high, for example, cholesterol levels is not gonna help me. 00:28:00.799 --> 00:28:06.079 Calming down, spending time with the family, doing some um exercises is the remedy. 00:28:06.240 --> 00:28:08.559 But again, burnout is a big problem. 00:28:08.720 --> 00:28:17.119 Um, I've seen it in healthcare, I've seen it in consulting, I've seen it across um, you know, um across the board in multiple industries. 00:28:17.279 --> 00:28:19.839 But the remedy always starts from within. 00:28:20.079 --> 00:28:28.640 The acceptance of this uh of this status, understanding that this is not gonna, this is not good and it's not gonna last. 00:28:28.799 --> 00:28:31.599 And it will damage me, and it's damaging me. 00:28:31.839 --> 00:28:37.039 This is the first realization, and then start thinking smartly on how to work smart but not hard. 00:28:37.279 --> 00:28:37.599 Yeah. 00:28:37.839 --> 00:28:46.160 You know, I think there's there's clearly been a very strong hand guiding you through your career and and your journey to date, you know, and and that's clearly uh apparent. 00:28:46.319 --> 00:28:59.359 But also I think that a lot of people will resonate with that that issue of insecurity, you know, like it's almost like there's a there's a real imposter syndrome, there's a real insecurity that that ever that everyone wrestles with. 00:28:59.519 --> 00:29:11.839 And I think it will come as a surprise to many people that that you uh uh suffer with that as well as what many other people do, because they would look to you and they say, Well, this is someone that's highly connected. 00:29:12.240 --> 00:29:20.160 If you just had to put out an uh a message on his network, it'd probably be able to secure a very powerful role within weeks and everything like that. 00:29:20.319 --> 00:29:28.960 And even if that was the case, and who knows if it is or isn't, it doesn't get away from the fact that inherently we we all secure about our positions, you know? 00:29:29.200 --> 00:29:35.039 And and it's how we how we manage that and how we deal with that that that's important and really difficult to do. 00:29:35.440 --> 00:29:45.920 I I completely agree with you, Russell, and and don't forget, um my first insecurity was resolved when I got a British passport and become um naturalized as a British citizen. 00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:49.839 That was a gift from God, and I will never forget that in 2009. 00:29:50.319 --> 00:29:53.119 Um uh 2006, I beg your pardon. 00:29:53.279 --> 00:29:54.799 Um and that was the first thing. 00:29:54.960 --> 00:29:58.640 Getting a job in the UK as a UK citizen was a blessing from God. 00:29:58.799 --> 00:30:01.839 That's the first resolution for some of the insecurity I had. 00:30:02.079 --> 00:30:10.079 Second resolution for the insecurity that I had, obviously, getting married and starting a family and knowing that there are people that care about me. 00:30:10.319 --> 00:30:19.200 Third level of resolving my insecurity was the golden visa that helped me to think about the UAE as a home now that I can actually come back to it. 00:30:19.359 --> 00:30:29.920 My I'm planning other obviously resolution to my insecurity and hence, for example, my current decision or current thoughts about moving to Saudi Arabia and getting, for example, the premium residency. 00:30:30.079 --> 00:30:37.039 Um and maybe establishing my uh my presence in the UK through my sister and my family members who moved to the UK. 00:30:37.119 --> 00:30:46.160 So I'm trying to resolve this insecurity through multiplying my um um chances to have different options that I can rely on. 00:30:46.319 --> 00:30:51.680 So uh I summarized my journey in those four insecurity resolution uh stages. 00:30:52.000 --> 00:30:53.119 No, that's very good. 00:30:53.519 --> 00:31:01.519 Finally, like if you had to give some advice to your 16-year-old self, what what piece of advice would you give that person? 00:31:02.480 --> 00:31:03.440 Be grateful. 00:31:03.599 --> 00:31:09.279 I think we are all put in this earth to do something, know your purpose, and be grateful. 00:31:09.599 --> 00:31:17.119 Because um karma is a reality, and what you do, if you do a good thing, will always come back to you. 00:31:17.359 --> 00:31:24.960 So being grateful, uh appreciate the people around you,

be genuine, and have a purpose will always uh go a long way. 00:31:25.279 --> 00:31:29.839 Do you think when you were 16 you didn't realize that you had so much to be grateful for? 00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:31.680 What why would that be your advice? 00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:39.200 Uh uh because I wasn't enough I wasn't grateful enough to the per to the people who helped me be where I'm at where I'm at. 00:31:39.359 --> 00:31:50.559 I'm not I'm not I mean I'm grateful to God and and and and I started understanding that there is always the hidden uh hand or the hidden um uh protection that I had throughout my life. 00:31:50.720 --> 00:31:54.400 But uh I never had the time to thank my dad. 00:31:54.559 --> 00:32:00.000 I wish I was there to actually appreciate him more and he had to go to a better life, inshallah. 00:32:00.400 --> 00:32:06.559 And uh obviously now I'm I'm showing that gratefulness to my mom who also helped me be who I am. 00:32:06.720 --> 00:32:30.880 And and I think that's why I'm trying to um make up for the time lost while I was um running after tangible and material things now by trying being by try uh by by making myself more grateful, making myself more spiritual, making my f myself more attached to the family and the people who have been uh helping me get where I where I am. 00:32:31.039 --> 00:32:44.559 Not just the family members, but those who have helped me uh in my career growth, um in my education, who opened doors for me, and I promise that I will take that and and return it back to those who need help. 00:32:45.279 --> 00:32:52.000 You know, I think there's a real um it's it's a real ambition to try to live your life without regrets, right? 00:32:52.240 --> 00:33:10.480 And and that means being open to reaching out to people, telling them how much they care, uh how much you care for them, and uh having those conversations because sometimes you just don't get the chance to have those conversations and then something happens and that opportunity is missed and you live with that regret for the rest of your life. 00:33:10.640 --> 00:33:27.680 So you know if you can try get yourself into a position where you're open enough to be having those sometimes difficult conversations where you're honest with people, I think it will make uh people's lives so much more pleasant long term because they won't be living with those with those regrets all the way through their their lives. 00:33:28.079 --> 00:33:28.880 Absolutely, absolutely. 00:33:28.960 --> 00:33:36.640 And and showing of those emotions and stating those words to those people that you want to show gratefulness to will go a long way. 00:33:36.880 --> 00:33:44.240 It will only take a WhatsApp message, a few split of seconds to make somebody's day uh a happy day. 00:33:44.559 --> 00:33:45.359 Yeah, 100%. 00:33:45.759 --> 00:33:48.960 Matthew, just an aside, what is your earliest memory? 00:33:49.119 --> 00:33:50.559 Do you have an earliest memory? 00:33:51.519 --> 00:34:04.640 My earliest memory was in um a kindergarten called Al Manhal in um in uh Abu Dhabi, where uh a teacher, uh I think she was from Jordan, I fell in love with that teacher. 00:34:04.799 --> 00:34:09.599 That's my earliest memory, is like how I loved that teacher while I was in kindergarten. 00:34:09.679 --> 00:34:11.519 That's that's as far as I could remember. 00:34:11.679 --> 00:34:11.920 Yeah. 00:34:12.079 --> 00:34:13.440 How old were you would you have been there? 00:34:13.599 --> 00:34:15.679 Oh kindergarten, uh, three, four years. 00:34:15.920 --> 00:34:16.719 Gosh, that's amazing. 00:34:16.880 --> 00:34:19.199 Yeah, I just could not forget her. 00:34:20.239 --> 00:34:21.360 Your first crush. 00:34:21.679 --> 00:34:22.880 Exactly, exactly. 00:34:23.199 --> 00:34:25.840 Mazin, I I really appreciate your time today. 00:34:26.320 --> 00:34:36.079 One of the negatives of the conference and exhibition circuit is that the conferences are so the the conversations are so limited to like 40, 45 seconds, one minute. 00:34:36.239 --> 00:34:40.639 So sitting down with you, asking some questions, and hearing from you, it's been a real honor. 00:34:40.719 --> 00:34:41.280 Thank you very much. 00:34:41.519 --> 00:34:41.920 My pleasure. 00:34:42.000 --> 00:34:42.719 Thank you, Russell. 00:34:42.800 --> 00:34:44.239 And I always support what you're doing. 00:34:44.320 --> 00:34:45.760 You guys, you're doing a great job. 00:34:45.840 --> 00:34:46.400 Thank you, Mike. 00:34:46.559 --> 00:34:47.360 Thanks, man, my friend. 00:34:47.519 --> 00:34:48.320 Thank you.