Humans of Padel
Join your host Max Marsh Pickard, General Manager of Padel Art & Co founder of The Padel Outlet in a weekly entertaining dive into the world of Padel and the people involved in the industry
Humans of Padel
From Financial Consultant to Sports Journalist | Sawsan Saad's Inspiring Transformation in Dubai
Ever wondered how an unexpected career twist can lead to an inspiring transformation? Sawsan Saad, a renowned journalist and TV presenter in Dubai, shares her remarkable journey from financial consultancy to the limelight of sports journalism. Discover how Sawsan tackled her first live event at the Padel Master in Dubai with little knowledge of the sport and swiftly adapted to become an influential voice in the field. Her focus on the human element in interviews and transition from English to Arabic media offers valuable insights for anyone looking to pivot their career path or delve into sports journalism.
Sawsan’s story doesn’t stop there. Uncover the surprising leap she made when she was selected as a TV presenter for Fox International channels without prior notice. She shares the bold steps she took, including resigning from her job and moving out of her home, to pursue her newfound passion. Throughout the episode, Sawsan reflects on how she balances the dynamic energy she brings to her professional life with a calm and composed personal life. She emphasizes the importance of maintaining physical, mental, and spiritual harmony through daily routines and athletic discipline, which she attributes to her success and well-being.
From navigating the pandemic's challenges to discovering the sport of padel, Sawsan describes how paddle classes helped her overcome depression and renewed her zest for life. We also delve into the transformative potential of AI in padel and how it could revolutionize athlete training. Finally, Sawsan introduces her startup, Alivo, aimed at revitalizing individuals through padel and media. This episode is a treasure trove of inspiration, exploring the balance of thoughts and emotions, and offering practical advice for pushing through self-doubt and achieving new levels of success. Join us for an episode filled with compelling stories and actionable insights from the extraordinary Sawsan Saad.
Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Humans of Paddle podcast. I'm Max, your host Today. In this episode, I'm joined by Sausan Saad. She's a journalist and a TV presenter and producer in Dubai. She has some great stories about how she got involved in the sport of paddle, her first interviews and a lot of insight into how people can become sports journalists and overall motivation for people who are looking to make some major changes to their lives. I hope you enjoy the episode. Cheers.
Speaker 2:Cheers.
Speaker 1:It's been too long.
Speaker 2:Too long, max, where have you been?
Speaker 1:I mean, last time I saw you was at Paddle Park 2021. It was a very hot, sweaty summer day.
Speaker 2:Yes, and I was still playing in the morning.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and everyone was mad about paddling the UAE and I was about 25 kilos lighter.
Speaker 2:Long time, but good to see you again.
Speaker 1:Good to see you again.
Speaker 2:I'm so proud of what you do Really this podcast idea and I hope not 100 episodes, 300, 400.
Speaker 1:Well, you know, let's start with 100. Let get there, and then we'll see what happens after that. Okay, I think it's a good enough goal. Is this the lowest budget show you've ever been on in your life?
Speaker 2:uh, it's not about the money, it's about the quality okay, well, hopefully we'll put together a good episode what we're going to discuss is way more important than the equipment it comes from the heart yes.
Speaker 1:That's the most important part, so let's get into it. Maybe for the people who don't know you, when did you first get involved in paddle?
Speaker 2:Let's go back to 2015, where I was a Fox International TV presenter in Foreigner Media, Physique TV, doing the sports news in English and the coverage in the studio. So my mom advised me to be in an Arabic Gulf speaking channels, media platforms. Then I moved to Dubai Sports TV so I can speak to my people the language that I know. So I can speak to my people the language that I know. So the first ever tournament I ever covered as a TV presenter was the Paddle Master in Dubai in NAS 2015.
Speaker 1:And you had no idea about the sport.
Speaker 2:So what happened is it's a very funny story with how I started to know about paddle. So basically, I know football, I know tennis, I know the big sports. You know, I was there for three years, since 2013. In 2015, my first ever job, and I was training with my colleague, jassim Shahemi, and Dubai Sports TV about reporting how to be a reporter in the field, because I was studio TV presenting. You know we have autocue, we have our team. I've never entered the field or like the ground of the sports events and covered as a reporter, so he was teaching me the basics in the office. And then he was assigned to do the paddle master in the studio because he's going to commentate, he's going to do interviews with the athletes.
Speaker 2:That day I remember it so well I was preparing my Abaya and Shayla to go to last tournament because I'm going to have training with Jasem. He's going to teach me how I'm going to report things. I'm going to watch him, observe him to do so. Suddenly I was putting the earpiece. You know we have a lot of equipment in TV. We do put the earpiece in our headsets to hear the director instruction and we have the microphone and the receiver for the microphone and the camera.
Speaker 2:I was preparing, waiting for Jassim I was hearing that Jassim in my ear, that Jassim had a car accident and, salsam, prepare yourself, you're going live now and the athletes are about to start and we need you. So you're the replacement for Jassim, just go ahead. And I was like what, what is the tournament about? Who are Prila, agustin? Who are Tapia? Who are those people? I don't know nothing about paddle. I don't know even the rules. I don't know nothing, not the rules, not the history, nothing. I google it so fast with my phone. I was like just preparing myself, like what is paddle? Who's who's, who's famous in battle? I was like I was reading, literally reading so fast and boom, 10 minutes later we are live oh, wow and I remember uh, it was the twins match, the ladies match the twins uh yeah.
Speaker 2:So I was like, okay, they're twins, so let's play on the human elements. So what I'm gonna start my interviews with, let's play, they are twins. What a great story. Boom, I did the first interview, then bella gustin, then I don't know, and I liked it so much. It's so easy, it's a fun sport. Uh, it's a, it's, it's a great, uh, sport.
Speaker 1:Actually it turned out could any of these people that you interviewed actually speak english?
Speaker 2:they speak english, really yes, but that time they speak English and they have the TV translator with me as well. Okay, so I'd have no issue, and even speaking Spanish or other languages, because I have my Google, I have my translator with me, all fine.
Speaker 1:So how did you prepare those questions in those 10 minutes that you had? How did you decide what you were going to speak to these people about?
Speaker 2:I'm very well known now on my human side element when it comes to athletes, because those athletes, at the end of the day, they're humans like us, but they are good in what they do. They are celebrities now. They are famous for what they do. So I always direct my question to the human element side. So, for example, to the human element side. So, for example, let's see if that athlete is married, is single, is here in Dubai with their spouses or their families. Let's ask them about their feeling being away from their home country, in a totally new country like Dubai or UAE. Let's focus more on their human elements, what they feel in the court, what they feel towards their partners, towards their coaches, towards the sports itself. So, even if you're not prepared in terms of history, in terms of rules, I direct always my questions towards the human elements of that human being who I'm questioning. So I don't care about the negative sides or negative publicity. For example, if you ask an athlete about negative stuff, you know you will boom, you will trend, you will become famous as a TV presenter or a TV reporter, you know, because only bad news or bad behaviors or bad influence of that players or famous people will spread.
Speaker 2:But what about positive side? What about human element side? I would love to focus more on that. As a TV presenter or as a media anchor, I would love to get out of that person what really matters and what really will people remember him for. Because, believe it or not, people will not remember how good you are. They will remember how you made them feel or change in their life, what kind of impact or influence you did to that person. Who's watching you, supporting you, sharing for you A word you said, a behavior. You did so. For me, I really focus on the human element when it comes to interviews.
Speaker 1:So it's interesting how Paddle was at that very start of your new career. In a way, did your parents support you in that choice of career?
Speaker 2:So let's be honest.
Speaker 1:Because you said your mom told you to go into Arabic.
Speaker 2:That was later. So at the beginning of my career, nobody supported me. I was the youngest project manager at Wipro. We had an Adia project, abu Dhabi Investment Authority, and I was the youngest ever project manager working as a financial consultant with big projects finance, infrastructure, do it, the salats, google Maps and heavy core.
Speaker 2:And I was not happy about my work because my dad and my mom did not allow me to study what I like, which is media. I study something that I don't like because of them. I worked in a field that I don't like because of them, but I succeeded. But the only element was missing is happiness, fulfillment and to be content. So every time I was going to work, I was really hating myself so much and I just want to finish the hours and just go back home do what I like art, theater, standing in front of camera. I was doing things undercover. Don't put south and sad. Just put sarah, suleiman or sarah, I don't know. Put whatever names I did mcdonald's ads, homo ads, tvc's, gla, tvc.
Speaker 2:It was me, but nobody knows, even my family, my close circle, because they did not allow it, why. I understand why later I'm the only girl in the family. Plus, this field is very dangerous for a woman. By the way, it gives you blackness more than the whiteness. Media field is not an easy field for a woman. Even for a man, it's a very difficult field. If you want to compare it, you compare it to police, to army, because it has a very powerful impact in your life and others. So my dad was really afraid that I'm going to get to this hard feel Like my daughter has to be, you know, in an office job, like cute, like her. She's the only girl in the family. They were protective as a mom and dad and I understand that. But I was living their dreams not my dream which connecting with people, being on camera, being behind microphone, talking to people, influencing people, sharing stories, sharing new experiences with them and that's what I really love to do.
Speaker 2:I discovered that in 2012, where my manager was sitting behind me in the office. I was watching to one of my theater plays on YouTube back then and he was watching like sneaking out. He was telling me, sousan. I was like, okay, what you're doing here? He was like, if that's you in the screen, what are you doing in this chair? And I start crying, crying so bad. Going back home in the car. I remember in Dubai Motor City I was like he triggered me what I'm doing in this chair. Literally, how old were you at that time? 23. Okay, what I'm doing in this chair. So today I'm 36.
Speaker 1:No one needs to know you don't look a day over 21.
Speaker 2:I don't have this feeling when you ask a woman about the age. I don't have that.
Speaker 1:The only reason I ask that is because the realization that you had, maybe at the age of 23, most people have in their thirties, their forties. So the fact that you had the maturity at the age of 23 to be okay this is not what I want to do is great. You have so much time still at that time and you do in your thirties and forties. You still have a lot of time, right.
Speaker 2:So I resigned. The next day I did not tell anyone that I resigned from a prestigious everyone dream to become a project manager at Adia or at Wipro, the most powerful financial entities in UAE. I was not happy, I resigned and my manager the next day said listen, take two days off, don't do this decision, just take two days off.
Speaker 1:And I was riding in the car, the same guy who told you that you shouldn't be here.
Speaker 2:Yes, just wait. I went the next day. The graffiti zone in Dubai was for punchy jumping, you know. So Graffiti Zone. I did the punchy jumping. I'm an extreme sport athlete myself. I drive Formula 3000. I'm a punchy jumper around the world. I do free diving, I do a lot of extreme sports, I love extreme sports. So I went the next day, booked myself the whole day just jumping, jumping from 90 meter, 50 meter at gravity zone. So then I was bored jumping in front. I told him you know what, let's jump backwards. So the guy he was like holding the microphone, the first Egyptian lady in Dubai jumping backwards. And I was like Egyptian lady in Dubai jumping backwards and I was like just moving myself jumping backwards Downstairs.
Speaker 2:The director of my first ever show, jack, and his Nancy, his wife, the producer they were looking for a TV presenter that has crazy features, that she is willing to do anything, she is willing to do an introduction from a helicopter, she's willing to do an introduction out of, let's say, a helipad in Dubai, in one of the towers, and he was looking for locations for the next Fox International Channel's show called Al Batal. Al Batal in Arabic means the champ for MMA sports mixed martial arts. And he heard my name. I'm doing backboard jump. He waited for me downstairs. He was like do you want to become a TV presenter? No, and I was like look the goosebumps, max. I was like, shall I lie to him and tell him, yes, I am expert. I wanted to be, but I've never done it. I just had a couple of TV season, youtube, and that's it. A couple of theater plays, and that's it. Or shall I say the truth? Then I was like yes, I want to become a TV presenter, and a sports TV presenter. And he was like can you come for a casting when you are free to come for the casting? And I was like shall I say now, or shall I say tomorrow? Shall I? Yes, I'm free. Actually, today is my off from work, I can come today. He's like come to Media City, let's do the casting. Follow them in the car in the Media City.
Speaker 2:But by that time it was a full production house who was doing the production for Fox International channels. I did my and I entering the office, max, I saw the photos of the other TV presenters, very famous Arabic TV presenters. One of them is Sarah Houlis. She's the Egyptian queen of Egypt, very powerful, very beautiful. I was like no chance. But I'm good to be here, good to see this world, media world, but no chance. He will choose me because he will compare me to those ladies. Oh my God, I was like let's have the fun of it. I did my casting. He gave me a couple of scripts outside, indoor. You know, the casting is very essential when it comes to media production companies and media world. So the director has a feature about the TV presenter or about the actor he will choose for his they have an idea, who they want right.
Speaker 2:Yes, so they search, search, search until they found the right person. So I was lucky because I was that person for him. What he did after the casting he printed my photo. He did not ask me if I'm okay to join them or not. He went to the board, put all the pictures down, welcome Sousan Saad to the team, prepare the contract for her.
Speaker 1:I was like you hadn't even agreed this time Nothing. The contract the salary. I have zero, zero experience, nothing. They hadn't even agreed this time, nothing. The contract the salary.
Speaker 2:I have zero experience, nothing.
Speaker 1:They hadn't even given you an offer letter.
Speaker 2:It was half of my salary.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:It was only a four-month project, so I will be jobless after that. I did not say anything, I just say yes, I agreed.
Speaker 1:You believe right time, right place.
Speaker 2:Yes, and then I went the next day. I was not waiting. The day off I spoke to my manager. He was not believing what happened to me. He said you manifested salsa because that's what you wanted and you manifested, so go ahead. He accepted my resignation. I closed my home in dubai. I said nothing to my friends and my family and I did the first ever TV show for me every Wednesday, friday, saturday on Fox International channels, fx Sport and Fox Movies. And after four months I went to my dad and my mom and my brothers and my friends. Guys, I'm a TV presenter at this channel.
Speaker 1:You can watch me. What did they think you were doing for the past four months?
Speaker 2:My job, my daily job.
Speaker 1:So you were just going in the morning, coming back in the evening as if nothing? Yeah, interesting. I have a question. Yeah, you have an insane amount of energy which I believe everyone watching this, listening to this, can feel. Were you always like this or is this something you've developed?
Speaker 2:Okay, I was okay, I was born with this energy, but I've developed the skill to direct it in the right way and I'm not outgoing outside home. I'm totally a classical person in home. So when I'm at my home or my room or my comfort zone, I'm totally calm, not speaking any words, listening to classical music, calming music, reading books, learning. So I'm a totally different person when I go outside home, practicing this energy outside home. Okay, practicing this energy. So the two side I have. But what I show on social media or what I show in my platform is plant, so don't believe what you see because it's scripted.
Speaker 1:So in real life I am more calmer, more relaxed so that you've you created a bit of a persona or a character, would you say.
Speaker 2:Yes, because you know social media and media field, I cannot be calm and relaxed and it will be boring for the audience, for my work. At the end of the day, I work in the most dynamic field, which is media and sports, so I have to be outgoing. I have to put this energy, but the source of this energy I was born with. It's something that I was born with since I was young. I'm outgoing. I don't like offices, I don't like to be inside too much, I like to be outdoor, exploring, I think, something genetically good genes.
Speaker 1:I mean, I think it makes sense to create, in a way, a persona, because you also need to protect yourself, right? You are putting yourself out there a lot of people are seeing you. Of course they don't. You don't want to know everything about who you are on the inside and then also allows you, even if you're not feeling great, you can step into that other person. You can play that role when you have to.
Speaker 2:If you're not feeling great, you still have to put it put on a face right when you're going on camera I learned something people they always like impressed about the amount of energy that I have, but they don't know to reach to that level of holding a good energy for a long time or a longer period of time. It took me a lot of working on my skills, on working on my energy, on working vaccine, on a lot of things. So people think that this energy is because I'm doing something. No, it's number one, I was born with it. Number two it's because I'm an athlete. I move, I move a lot, I do sports a lot, not only one sports a lot. I do sports a lot, not only one sports a lot. So in order to reach that level of energy, you need to have a certain routine in your day that I go through in my day daily discipline every day.
Speaker 1:So how do you get to that positive mental space? Because I envy your energy, like I have 5% of the energy. This is me like enthusiastic, right, compared to you, like it's a whole different level, right. So how do you get to that mental space balance? So I make this and this and this work together all the time in balance.
Speaker 2:How I do that In my day there is time for my body, there is time for my soul, there is time for my mind. Three If there is one day I don't have something for my body, something goes off in my day. If I focus only on my soul that day, then also, so always, daily, I have these three things working together in balance and no matter what happens in my day, no matter what meeting, I have these three things working together in balance and no matter what happens in my day, no matter what meeting I have, no matter what work I have, no matter what, I never break this routine, never, even if I'm late. So my ritual in the morning is secret no phone in the morning. The first thing I wake up no phone, no connection with the human elements outside my home.
Speaker 2:My full routine goes for Sowsan only, even if I'm late to that meeting. Later we'll check how we can apologize or whatever, but now it's for me. Then I explore the world through my phone and emails and laptop and whatever. Through my phone and emails and laptop and whatever. Then I go out, do my actual work, interact. Then I have session in my day where I go to sport, ballet class, free diving, paddle beach, tennis, tennis. Then I come back with a certain different practicing spirituality together, talk confessions together, and then I go back to sleep and I repeat daily. There's no one day I don't do that.
Speaker 1:Seven days a week.
Speaker 2:Seven days a week. If you ask me what you do for a living, I will tell you I'm jobless, I don't have work. It become a lifestyle. It become part of me where I don't believe in off vacation. You're that lazy, you're waiting a vacation. Come on, you can have it every day. You can have every day as a vacation. If you change your mindset towards what you do and how you do it, then it becomes a vacation for me. People ask me like how you do it? It's a mindset. Just change the way you look at it. Start doing the skills, start learning, put some effort.
Speaker 2:It's not going to be easy. It's not an easy thing to reach to that level of energy. It's very hard. But are you willing to put your courage, your time, your intentions to it or not? Or you're lazy and your comfort zone and you want to just have this lazy life that you're having and complain about it and be victim of your life? No, I took in charge. I have the courage and I work towards it, and discipline is the key. Discipline is not something easy. Discipline requires a lot of courage. So I put a lot of discipline in my days, a lot, and I learned that from the athletes that I met throughout this journey.
Speaker 1:About all these athletes that you've interviewed and that you've spoken to. What do you think, regardless of the sport, what do you think they all have in common that makes them so?
Speaker 2:exceptional. They have a sense of destiny. Forget about money, forget about physicality or goals or all this sorry for the word, excuse my language bullshit that we hear in podcasts. They have a sense of destiny why they are there. They have a sense of purpose. Roger Federer, they have a sense of purpose, roger Federer. For example, mo Salah, they have a sense of destiny that they are there for a purpose. There is no one day they are not disciplined. Cristiano Ronaldo, you know I will tell you an incidence about about discipline.
Speaker 2:I had this one player I'm not going to mention the name in the World Cup, recent World Cup. We were going, me and my friends, and I invited him. He was going with us to watch his country playing, his country playing. So if Egypt playing, I would be like going and cheering.
Speaker 2:So he asked the waiter in the restaurant do you have 150 gram of grilled chicken without salt, without this, without without salt, without this, without this, without this? And and the waiter was like let me ask the chef. He went and came back. No, we have this. And he left us that day. He left the game of his country to go back home, let his wife cook for him this meal. He finished he came back to watch the match. Can you imagine? This is just one day in a week. So the amount of discipline those players and athletes put in their day, the dedication, so they have a sense of destiny and purpose and discipline and authenticity. They are authentic because authenticity resonates with their audience and all of them. They're not alike, like if you compare Cristiano to Missy. There is no comparison. How you compare Cristiano to Missy or to Roger. Everyone is authentic, everyone is unique, everyone having their own path, their own purpose in life. So they share authenticity, discipline, discipline and sense of destiny or purpose.
Speaker 1:That's what that's my notice throughout 15 years in a sports media industry I mean that's amazing that you can define that, because you look at these great athletes and you want, you meet so many people who are so close right to becoming great athletes and you wonder what's missing. It can be luck, it can be certain things, physicality, like you mentioned, all these things, but it's true there's a, there's a sense of purpose to these players that a lot of others don't have, that commitment to the goal and knowing that they will be number one no matter what, and nothing can stop them from getting to that goal I.
Speaker 2:I literally learned a lot of um values from those athletes that have changed my mind throughout the years, like, for example, the amount of time and energy they put towards their purpose or goal in their sports and how they teach themselves throughout the process, and they are willing to digest this learning from their coaches, from the technology. They update themselves all the time about certain life aspects. Today I heard an interview and I posted even my Instagram about Cristiano Ronaldo. He do meditation. He imagined the shots and what's going to happen through meditation and breathing. He imagined the shots and what's going to happen through meditation and breathing.
Speaker 2:So the amount of also work they put in the court or in the field. It's equal to what they put effort outside the field, in their home or in their free time as well. So they are learning all the time about new techniques, new strategies. They are willing to accept the advice or to accept learning throughout the process. They're not ignorant. They are open and flexible to become better every day. There's no one day they don't accept an advice or new techniques. So the biggest athletes in the world are really, really you can learn a lot from them because they are learners. They are students of this life too. So they're not ignorant where you. If you tell them something, they will be like I know. I know already, I have been there, so they are away from ego.
Speaker 1:I think it was Cristiano Ronaldoonaldo who said everybody wants to be cristiano ronaldo, but nobody wants to work as hard as cristiano ronaldo yes, see and I think that that kind of like sums it up very well. Like everyone sees the, the lifestyle, the body he has, the amazing life that he does have it took him, it took him I.
Speaker 2:I think it took him so hot, so much energy time to reach to that level yeah, I mean a thousand sit-ups a day or whatever, but people are lazy. They don't want they're in their comfort, they don't want to work, they just want to hear a podcast and be encouraged for one, two, three days, one week, and then let me know the next new year for their, what will happen nothing.
Speaker 1:My, my friend, she wants to start her, her, her fitness diet journey since three years now and she's like, really lazy yeah, I mean, I've been saying I'm gonna get a six pack for about 10 years and it's going in the opposite direction, so maybe I should take it. It's very easy man, I don't know. It's a lot of sacrifices that I'm probably not willing to, and also it's choices. It's choice, of course. It's what I'm willing to give up for what reward it's like I'm not willing to put in the work to do that.
Speaker 2:So that's anyway but it comes also. Do you really want six pack? No, I don't so why you work for something that you don't I don't work for it because of the other people think that six pack is wow, sexy, wow, what a man. But do max really want six pack? Absolutely not do you imagine yourself having six pack? No so why you? You have this goal. I don't Just move to another goal.
Speaker 1:Moving on Back to you, just move to another goal. Let's talk about you, not my six pack. That's never going to happen. Just kidding, it may happen. You might be surprised one day. One day. Yeah, back to paddle.
Speaker 2:Back to paddle.
Speaker 1:Back to paddle. So you were doing the world paddle tour 2015 in dubai yes, that was your introduction to the sport?
Speaker 2:when did you start playing? Imagine, I've never tried paddle until 2020 corona time. So in corona time, what happened is they moved me from sports section imagine the, the, the, the most beautiful sector and field that I love to work to the news center, to the news section. Because in Corona time, everything was shutting down Sports clubs, sports events, everything literally that has something to do with sports was off Gyms, everything. And I was thriving to just move, to go out with a group of people to play something, to do something. I couldn't, so I lost my job as a sports TV presenter. They moved me as a news TV presenter and reporter. I'm reporting everyday news. What's happening with Corona?
Speaker 2:It's always depressing stuff. I guess it's very depressing and it's not me and I succeeded in it, but I was not happy really about it, and I was studying my PhD, my doctorate degree, in that time and I was like, oh my God, what's going to happen if another virus hit us? Sports will die. So I talked to my doctor, my mentor listen, I want to change the doctorate title from media and sports. Let's change it to media and sports and coronavirus time versus the artificial intelligence in viruses time. It was like what is this subject? They're like nobody talk about it.
Speaker 2:Well, I even wrote a thesis about it. I was like, doctor, I want to search. I hate what I'm doing now. Let's find a solution between me and you how we can help the sports sector in viruses times, because I'm sure there's another big virus gonna hit one day, I don't know when. What we're gonna happen. I'm gonna lose the, the, the, the. The thing that I, I, my purpose is is it's letting people to play sports, to be active, to cheer for sports, to to be there. So it will die like this. So an instagram message pop up.
Speaker 2:I don't know if you know, coach lula lulis of course yeah so lulis was a coach in that time in greek courts, outdoor, and it was the only sports that's available in corona time, because the gyms there is no. You have to have distance between your I don't know what. Everything was closed, only paddle was open, and I was remembering playing with the mask with her.
Speaker 1:Outdoors.
Speaker 2:Outdoors. I was like, wow, let's try it. I took the first class of Paddle to, you know, to take this depression away from me, because my day job was interviewing patients, interviewing police, interviewing ambulances, stories about what's corona happening in UAE and what kind of stories is that I go back home. And I was allowed because I have, you know, the letter that I can move freely. The streets are empty like a zombie movie and the only thing that was making me happy and bringing this energy again and taking away my depression was paddle classes with Lulis. And it was one class a week, then it turned every day. Then I got hooked, addicted. I was like, how come I don't play this sport long time ago, like, this sport is amazing, beautiful, easy, and you know it takes away your depression. Forehand, backhand, boom, amazing, beautiful, easy, and you know it takes away your depression. Forehand, backhand, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Then I came back home Mama, you should learn paddle, hamoud, my brother, you should learn. How come you don't know about paddle.
Speaker 2:Then I start to gather my close circle and we go to play paddle together. And then I met Sani sisters, fatma and Hafsa. Then we tried. I was introduced to the community. What a great community, what a great mindset. Wah, wah, wah. I have to let everyone play paddle, even me myself. I was a beginner, I know nothing about. You should see my shots and in 2020, or you should see me playing pad. That I was like flying to the moon, and me and my brother. I still have these videos, funny videos. Then it took away my depression. I become happier with my daily job in the news. I become more aware flexible, why not? Why not? It's okay. Like bad situation can happen in a globe, in a globe size and a globe scale, so it's okay. So playing paddle and taking the paddle classes in 2020, it was an eye opener how much the sport bring values to the community or to the individuals or to the organizations and what's interesting is how that carried through.
Speaker 1:When covid ended, paddle didn't end.
Speaker 2:Yes, it continued to grow even people was more aware about this. Even you know what? Even the players, the athletes of paddle, they, they, the legends, juan lepron, etc. They were nourishing and nourishing and in their peak level of their career in 2020, 2021, and 2022 in the World Cup. So after 2020, really this paddle sports have changed dramatically Grown in Egypt, in Qatar, in Saudi, in Kuwait, in Bahrain.
Speaker 1:I mean you guys are the best team in the GCC Egypt, on top of the castle.
Speaker 2:Yes, we are the champions.
Speaker 1:I mean the World Cup qualifiers are happening at the end of September, so hopefully Egypt will be in the World Championship in November.
Speaker 2:It will be. There is no choice, guys, it will be.
Speaker 1:I might go actually to Kuwait and see the qualifiers. Me too. Oh, see you there. Yeah, yeah will be.
Speaker 2:I might go actually to kuwait, me too, me too, me too. Oh, see you there, yeah, yeah, see you. Another episode there. For sure, we have to be there, sharing, supporting, of course. Yeah, we have to get the back of our national teams, not only egypt, because this sport is really uh, growing in spain and in europe, so also in middle east. So the audience has a responsibility towards their national teams and it will add to the sport and it will make it grow globally.
Speaker 2:Because I really want to see, one day, paddle tennis in the Olympic Games. And how that will happen if not because of the support of the audience and the community and the individuals like me and you. We have to support it. We have to be there for the national teams. Winning or losing, it doesn't matter. We have to be in a global scale so that we can see paddle one day in the Olympic Games, we can really see this sport one day in the Olympic Games. It requires a lot of work, not from the athletes alone or federations alone. It has to be in each and every individual.
Speaker 1:Realistically, I think, 2032.
Speaker 2:2032,. You think paddle will be in Olympics?
Speaker 1:I think so yeah.
Speaker 2:I hope before that.
Speaker 1:I think it's too late for 2028 anyway.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Because I think they declared the sports a long time ahead, so I think 2032, hopefully we'll get there, we'll see, hopefully we'll be there together yes, I want to be the commentator for the arabic team as well. Hire me by then I mean, let's see, plenty of things can change. We could have that global pandemic again in the meantime, but you never know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I provided a lot of solutions through using uh the artificial intelligence, ai, uh into the sports world, because now need to think what if another virus hit us? What's going to happen to the sports sector? A lot of things are going to change. We need to start the infrastructure in the schools, universities, clubs, federations. We need to start using artificial intelligence way of training our athletes. We need to think how we can implement applications, metaverse, ai, vr in our school learning system for sports, because I don't want to put it in a negative scale, but for sure there's another pandemic. I don't know when, but we need to be ready. We need to be prepared from now.
Speaker 1:This is what you're doing with your doctorate, right.
Speaker 2:So this is my doctorate. I provide solutions for media professionals, individual and organization throughout the use of artificial intelligence.
Speaker 1:So give us a solution.
Speaker 2:So, for example, let's say cycling. Now what I like about this sport, they are starting implementing already training programs through applications. You can have your bicycle at home, linked with application, linked with a certain technology on your TV screen, and you can do training for any route in the world. You can be training on Jabal Hafid mountain route, you can train in Italy streets or Italy mountains routes. The same meters, the same intensity, the same what you get in real life, you can get it from your home.
Speaker 1:That's amazing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so we need to implement this now. In tennis, for example, novak and all the big stars now they start to use real data from the machines, from AI, in how they improve their skills In the court. No need their coach anymore. So the coach will be virtual, Based on the real-time data that they're providing for their performance or their fitness level or even the way they think. Now Shadjibati, for example. What a great evolution is going to happen in the next five years for this platform. It's amazing how artificial intelligence is going to elevate our skills, our life. I'm not against it at all. I'm with it. This is the future. This is where humanity is going to evolve in a good way.
Speaker 1:People argue that it makes us stupid. Right, it makes us lazy. But to be honest, I use it a lot, even for the podcast episode Very silly excuse. So, for example, if I have you coming on the podcast, I'll put into chat GPT, prepare some questions for a sports presenter and it will give me some ideas. I'm not going to copy paste that, but it might open some channels that I might not have thought of before. A great tool if you use it the right way.
Speaker 2:Of course, anything, anything, max in life has two sides. Anything, anything, not only artificial intelligence. Social media has two sides. Media being a coach and paddle anything you can see in this life goes with bears. It's as you said in the beginning of the podcast it's about your choice and choices. Choose your bears either good bear or bad bear so you have the full capacity and control to choose your choice. So you will use AI in a good way or in a bad way. It's your choice at the end of the day.
Speaker 2:But the thing is about good and bad. The bad is dominating most of the time, in all aspects and all fields. So I would like to position myself with the good aspect of everything and everyone. So I see the good in you, not the bad in you. The first thing I want to get out of max, or from this the good, not the bad. I'll leave you the bad. I don want the bad, no matter, no matter what it is, in all aspects of life and on the level of person level and organizational level and in life in general. So choose your choice and I hope it will be a good choice or in a positive way, because really the black side of the world is dominating I mean, this is taught a lot in psychology as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, um that your reaction to something is also a choice of course and how you decide to react to it.
Speaker 1:Like you could come to this podcast with a very negative attitude and not care, because this is below your standing, it's not fox news, it's not whatever, but you choose to come here with a positive attitude and to bring a lot of positivity into everything that you do. And choosing to be happy and choosing the right way to do things is something a lot of people don't realize. They feel like they're just a victim towards it, whereas, like you mentioned before, you're not. You can choose to take everything in a positive way, which I think is great but I'll add to it the human elements.
Speaker 2:I told you I'm really interested in the human side of everything. So artificial intelligence does not have the human element. No matter how technology they will input to it or implement to it, or no matter how the AI or artificial intelligence will reach let's say, we reach Mars it will miss the human element. It will miss the emotion side and feeling side that we have, we are privileged to have. So the only thing that will add to it is the human element. So when I came here today, it's because I know you personally. I know who is Max and I don't care about equipment. I don't care about the platform, I care is Max and I don't care about equipment. I don't care about the platform, I care about Max. Who is he as a human being? So it doesn't matter. So when you put your human elements in everything you do, then a lot of things change and you get beautiful energy out of it. So the only thing that I will add to artificial intelligence that everyone is like, afraid about, artificial, don't be, because artificial intelligence does not have the emotional feelings. No matter what.
Speaker 2:I dare anyone or any scientist till today find a way to add the human emotions and feelings and the human elements to any technology. No matter how input and information you put, you will never reach reach to that level, or the technology will never. So they will still need a human element. Until this, uh, I don't know. The humanity vanish, they you will. We still need it. You still need to, to fix the script, to add, to add a little bit your touch to it, your personal, because there is only one max, there is only one Sousan, there is only one Roger Federer, there is no two. It's like a print. So no matter what they put input to it and great it will be, it will still miss the human element.
Speaker 1:Makes sense. What do you think the role of AI is going to be in Paddle?
Speaker 2:Oh, it will play a huge role. Nowadays you can see a lot of applications, a lot of technology using AI for court walking, for connecting other communities. It will play a huge role if they will use it like tennis. So if they will use the real-time data with the athletes of paddle, it will be more dynamic. It will be more beneficial for the coaches, for the federation, for the players themselves, because it will add a lot to the quality of games we're going to watch, because artificial intelligence provides a lot of real-time data that help in elevating your skills. So let's say it took you 10 years to learn this shot. Let's say six months to learn this shot by using AI. It will take you one day, two days, three days to understand the science behind it and apply it with the use of AI.
Speaker 1:But then you have the whole muscle memory part. Like you can understand it, like I understand how to hit Roger Federer's backhand, but I can't do it because I don't have the muscle memory and I don't have the repetition, the physical repetition, to do so then we come back to the human element.
Speaker 2:There's only one, roger federer definitely, but I don't think I'm ever going to learn a shot in one day so it depends on the human intelligence that you have, the iq, that you have the muscle memory, that you have the muscle memory, that you have the way of dealing with this real-time data with your body.
Speaker 2:So by training, and only training, you can reach to that level. Because if you don't train mentally and physically together, even imagination side of it, it won't work that well, even if the AI provides for you real-time data, if your body rejected, if your body is not helping you to apply this real-time data, it will take time and it will take you longer. But there is tools that can help your body. For example, with artificial intelligence, there is machines, there is a new technology in recovering the muscles and even providing real-time data about reading your thoughts, the chip that Elon Musk was talking about, how it works this chip, how it works this chip. So it's all about bringing your real-time data from your mind and body, integrating it to the system and add to it some implementations and keep trying, trying, trying until those athletes reach to a certain level where they can learn a shot in one week or two weeks.
Speaker 1:That doesn't scare you. Having a chip in your wrist, like all this stuff Amazing, you would do it. Of course I'll do it. Or two weeks, that doesn't scare you. Having a chip in your wrist, like all this stuff, it's amazing, you would do it.
Speaker 2:Of course I'll do it. Of course. Life is about experience. So you know something my mentor always tell me if you don't experience in life, you never learn. How you learn by experience. There is two sides Bad experiences, good experiences and from both we can learn.
Speaker 1:I agree with that, but putting a chip in my wrist is.
Speaker 2:Why not? If that chip will not harm my tissues or body, why not? Why not?
Speaker 1:I don't know. I think there's the fear of losing control, of handing over your.
Speaker 2:Do you think you have control 100%?
Speaker 1:Absolutely not, but I feel like I have less.
Speaker 2:Why does fear exist, even when you fear from something that you don't have control to 100%? Why is that so? Trials and experiences will make us geniuses, will make us experience life will, will make us, um, elevate. You know so einstein always was saying in his, in his, in his science books and in his way of thinking and philosophy, um, that only with trying you can be genius. How you reach to that level of genius or that level of cleverness? By trying. You fail and you try, you fail and try. Okay, this ship was not working. Okay, let's, let's try something else. Why you put the fear? Once you put the fear in front of you as a limiting belief and trying, sorry, you will stay where you are.
Speaker 1:You're not, I mean I'm not saying it's not going to be the norm. I'm like when telephones first came out. There are a lot of people very skeptical of telephones. I'll never have a telephone, I'll never have a mobile phone, mobile data, all this kind of stuff.
Speaker 2:And now I don't know anyone who doesn't scare you more go on then do you think that it will happen step by step? They will introduce it to the market or it will happen like boom everyone put chip. So you need to be ready. I remember iphone when. Remember how it comes it suddenly it's. It was a sudden move, it it. We were not ready. Even in corona we were not ready. So don't take this life for granted or things for granted the way it is. You need to be ready for the right opportunity, for the right moment, for the right pandemic, for the right situation. You need to equip yourself with experiences and trying. So I don't think it's going to happen step by step. So take it or leave it. You need to be you know.
Speaker 1:I'm always ready.
Speaker 2:So for me to be scared of something that rarely I feel recently because I'm coaching myself with my mentor on how I can be a bulletproof in terms of fear, you know, fear is very essential to protect us. It's very essential. It's, you know, the tiny part of your back brain responsible about protecting you and responsible about fear. It's very tiny, tiny, tiny space of your whole brain, like three centimeter, is responsible about fear to protect you. So when you see a lion, you're afraid. So if you think about fear to protect you, it will change your perspective. Not to limit you. Fear was there to protect you only, not to limit you, not to let you, not to achieve things, not to let you not try things. It's only for protection. So once you see fear as a protective tool, then you're not afraid about anything.
Speaker 1:Makes sense. That's how I see it Very deep, huh.
Speaker 2:I need to repeat it. You will take it.
Speaker 1:If anyone has any questions about that, they can contact Salsan directly. I'm still learning you know coaching.
Speaker 2:I'm taking this coaching diploma practitioner coaching diploma to learn more about myself and others. I'm really curious about how our heart works and how our mind works.
Speaker 1:From a biological perspective.
Speaker 2:Everything. It's from everything, from biological perspective, from social perspective, from even like it's a very heavy core diploma I'm taking. It works in the mind, body, soul, with real-time data with other people, with real-time data with other people. So what really made me more curious to take it, because I really want to understand how other people think and feel Is it only the thoughts that are important to change our life and reality? Is it only the emotions that change, or it's both in balance? You know, I read something two days ago. Imagine they discover, uh, in 91, that the, for in the inside the our heart, there is a brain cells that think and save memories like the brain. So our hearts scientifically designed to think away from the mind and save memories. It's proven that's amazing.
Speaker 1:So how come I've never heard about it?
Speaker 2:called brain cells, brain heart cells. Imagine, google it. It's amazing, read an article about it Fascinating me. I was with my coach last week in a call and he was talking about thoughts, so I was arguing with him. I'm a woman. I put my feelings, my emotions and everyone in the podcast saying only the thoughts. If you change your thoughts, your reality will change what. But I still have traumas from childhood. I still have things. I felt it with my heart, not with my brain. So I still meet people who says wallah, I've changed my thoughts, but nothing happened in the reality because they did not change the thoughts of their hearts, the intentions in their hearts, because it has sales and memory.
Speaker 1:How can you change those thoughts in your heart?
Speaker 2:So I'm learning this throughout this coach diploma uh, how to be more open, how to express more, how to um, uh, train myself into this kind of skills, because it requires balance between your the way how you think, your thoughts and how you feel the emotions. So both it has to go together with a balance. Both has to go together with a balance. If this works alone, something off will happen. If this works alone, something also off will happen. So both has to align together in order to have this balance and you reach to a level of peace. You know what? What amazing about that?
Speaker 1:it's like whatever happens, you're zero about it, you're not impressed anymore, you're not wowing yeah, but you feel like that when you're depressed as well, if you're very depressed, if something happens, you don't care but yeah it doesn't affect you it's. It's fascinating yeah, on the two sides of the spectrum.
Speaker 2:It's fascinating Also, depression, when you're like Nothing affects you, neutral, yeah, neutral, but some people say it in a negative way, some people say it in a positive way. It depends how you see things.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:But it's fascinating. I'm still a student, by the way.
Speaker 1:When you finish your course we'll do another episode and we will go through that.
Speaker 2:Yes, maybe I will coach you, sure, because I'm going to be a life coach Really, but I don't know when.
Speaker 1:I can be your guinea pig.
Speaker 2:We can do that off record later when I have my, because there's an exam, so maybe I practice on you.
Speaker 1:I mean, I got a lot of trauma.
Speaker 2:You want to talk about my divorce? I have to. I have to finish 700 hours of coaching wow, I don't know like 700 people from where I'm gonna get those well, maybe the listeners from here can reach out a student learning in this life.
Speaker 1:It's interesting how, how, how, how the human body works exactly really interesting yeah back to our main topic yes that we haven't spoken much about. But's fine, because this episode is about the humans of Paddle, and you are a larger-than-life human.
Speaker 2:Yes, I feel a lot as a person. Really, I always feel that why?
Speaker 1:What do you mean by a lot? What's a lot?
Speaker 2:I mean, I have different characters inside me because it's because where I come from. My dad is Egyptian, so my blood is Egyptian. My mom is a Jordanian, so my mind thinks like Jordanian. I was born in UAE Al Ain city, so my heart is Emirati. Most of my circle are international circle. I have friends in Saudi, in in morocco, in belgica, in belgium, in germany. So where I come from, um, and the way I think and my energy, um, let me belong to all of these culture, so that's why I feel I'm a lot I mean it's great.
Speaker 1:It's a lot of different uh experiences, you've had, a lot of people you've met, and that all builds into such a great story.
Speaker 2:Sports made me who I am today. Sports have changed my life totally and completely, especially paddle tennis.
Speaker 1:Speaking of today, what's your current involvement in paddle?
Speaker 2:So three months ago I opened my new startup, alivo. Alivo will make you Alivo again.
Speaker 1:Oh, nice tagline.
Speaker 2:Yes, it will bring you to alive, to be alive again. How? Throughout Paddle. So we plan. We empower in Alivo the professionals, athletes, individuals and organizations throughout media and Paddle and sports. How we do it? We do it throughout sports media, educational program, online and physical. And we do it throughout sports events, organizations and digital marketing presence as well. So we do 360 approach to empower the professionals and athletes and individuals and organizations in this field media and sports. So recently I was planning Dr Paddle workshop for Paddle Basics, where I don't want to be called as a coach. So I'm a doctor, let's agree on that. Because I'm still learning, like you guys, I'm still learning the shots. I'm still learning, you guys, I'm still learning the shots. I'm still learning. I train myself with my coaches. I would love to have a session with you soon.
Speaker 1:Anytime.
Speaker 2:So for free, I don't want to pay. I paid already for my startup. Oh my God, being a business like it's very hard. It's really hard to be an entrepreneur. It's not something easy. I underestimated. I thought you know, with my connection I can get no, no, no, it's not easy. So it's something really really, really hard. I'm having fun with it and I'm blessed and grateful.
Speaker 2:So what we do is we give them theory part first hour theory, part theory, science. And thanks to Okinio Khalifa, the brother of Petada, he was my first ever dedicated coach to teach me daily Paddle. He used to tell me what's behind the shots and what's behind the things, not only training for the shots. So why it's forehand in this degree, not in this degree. So what's the science behind it and what's gonna happen if I did this shot's the science behind it and what's gonna happen if I did this shot to the other team and why this, this angle, not this angle. So you know I took this side from O'Hinney then with Roberto Rodriguez, where he he coached you in defensive way. He give you boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. He makes you like move all of.
Speaker 2:So we take the theoretical part, then the practical part where I do like Roberto Rodriguez, where he killed the students with his shots, going back forward, like I took from each coach of paddle something that I learned to give the beginners community the empowerment to start paddleel in affordable way, because I always hear padel is very expensive Usually. I can understand where it comes from, because all the racket sport is very expensive. It's not for anyone, but I want to make padel for anyone to be affordable for anyone. Everyone can play padel, everyone accessible. So, basically, we empower the beginner community because back then in 2020, I really grateful for Lully to take my hand to put me on this community, because what a great community, what a great mindset, what great values and things that I've learned from paddle that affected my life, career, my perspective, my mind, and I would love to take this with me to everyone else around me, not only from Dubai, even outside Dubai.
Speaker 2:So I want to make paddle affordable and accessible to everyone. Everyone plays paddle, even the athletes themselves, roger and Christian, everyone. It's addictive, it's beautiful, it's number one. It has human elements, max, socializing communication. So I want to take this Dr Paddle workshop to organizations where we do employee engagement with the organizational level government entities, private sectors where we do this, dr Paddle, as a sports event, regularly and always, and it's accessible for everyone, very cheap 200 dirham. I charge for two hours and a half so everyone can play paddle on time. And I really want to thank all these, the, the paddle clubs in UAE really and only in UAE we find this or in Dubai in particular, where the paddle community supports each other really the businessmen, the entrepreneur, the owners of the clubs, the federation, sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum, his Highness himself, sheikh Hamdan, the rulers of the country, everyone supports the Badr community.
Speaker 1:It's true, it's a very supportive community.
Speaker 2:Amazing. I've never seen this in any country in the world. I've never seen this so very supportive community and I thank them for this.
Speaker 1:Yeah, as the sport grows. I mean, as a club manager myself, I know most of the other club managers and we all have a very good relationship. We try to help each other. It's not it's competitive Competition is good, but I mean there's respect and we try to help each other In the best ways that we can. So this has been an amazing conversation. Amazing We've talked about so much.
Speaker 2:I feel, you took me back to the first interview I did with His Highness Hamdan bin Muhammad. You took me to that era because also it was in the battle tournament.
Speaker 1:Oh really.
Speaker 2:In NASS too. Yes, you took me to such great memories and sports fields.
Speaker 1:I feel we've barely scratched the surface with you, so I think we're going to have to do this again.
Speaker 2:Yes, we have to.
Speaker 1:Very soon. There's so much more I want to discuss with you. Yes, as we're going to do it on a closing question, is there something particular that you'd like to go back on, that you'd like to discuss more?
Speaker 2:I would love to maybe share a small story that whoever wants to be a TV presenter or a sports commentator, or even a paddle coach or a paddle athlete, to learn from this story, because I'm not here to advise anybody. I do mistakes Myself, I'm still learning, I'm still a student. But this story, I hope it will inspire everybody. Back then, when I really doubted myself to become a TV presenter because my community was not that supportive Now my dad and my mom thankfully, they are supportive and now everyone is supporting me I was alone in this journey, but when I had the first interview with His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Rashid-Maktoum, the Crown Prince, I was in that age or stage because I'm still in a new media platform, dubai Sports TV. I'm still learning, I'm still new Back in 2015. So when the NAS tournament happened you know NAS tournament yes, amazing tournament. I love it so much. It's for the community, it's for to empower the community and Dubai play an important role in empowering its community, especially sports community. So I was doubting myself because in that day they put me in the middle of the desert. So the NAS tournament, the night challenge you know the night challenge. So, where they put obstacles for the athletes and they have two to three hours to finish those obstacles, like the golf games. That happens every year. So they put obstacles, obstacles, obstacles and you finish those obstacles. And Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum, the president of the Padal Federation, was one of the participants in that NAS challenge. He was there to participate as a participant and doing the challenges and he has a fear of heights and they were a very big challenge where he had to jump in through a close swimming pool, very close swimming pool. So my TV crew, they put me in the middle of the desert Because I was still new, I was not having the skills yet, I was doubting myself a lot and still new learning. And other TV presenters, my colleagues they are very older than me in the TV channel in Dubai, sports TV, so they take the lead in the biggest events. So literally they put me in the middle of nowhere in the desert, okay, in Nadshiba. So I was there with my cameraman waiting the athletes to finish their obstacles and you know, maybe I got a couple of interviews back then in 2015. Couple of interviews back then in 2015.
Speaker 2:And then I was hearing in my earpiece Sousan I'm not going to mention the name Sousan, your colleague who was supposed to do the interview with His Highness. His camera off, his battery is off. Again, again, you do the interview now. Now you take the lead. He's coming from your side Because you know, in TV we have this drone and the camera from top, so we know what's happening, what's going on inside the field of NAS tournament. And I was like who, sheikh Hamdan, sheikh Hamdan? I was like I'm not ready yet. So I was doubting myself what am I going to ask him? Like Sultan, was the director, sultan, what am I going to? He was like finish, take him. He's coming with his buggy.
Speaker 2:So that day the Sheikh decided to come with his buggy, with his team, to support Uncle Saeed, because he was challenged by him to finish the obstacles. So I was waiting for them to finish the obstacle in the middle of the desert and His Highness came with his buggy from my side and I was like this is the moment, sausan, either you do it or you freeze, so go. So I was the shearer for myself. I encourage myself you can do it. It doesn't matter His Highness, it doesn't matter, you can do this. You're not prepared. You can do this. Ask about his human elements. That's it, like you always do. So I was cheering myself, cheering myself. He came Boom. I asked him about the human elements. Instead of one question, four questions. I finished the interview. Uncle Saeed came. I interviewed him as well about the challenges that he faced, how he overcome it.
Speaker 2:So one thing to get out of this story is never doubt yourself. Believe in yourself and you can do it easily. It doesn't matter how you do it, just do it. So believe in yourself. Never doubt in yourself, because the amount of experiences you're missing is amazing. Imagine if I doubted myself not to take this interview or not to do it. I will not reach to where I am today, and thankfully, we have this supportive community here in Dubai, and this is something that I would love to share with everyone. If you doubt, if you are in a place to doubt yourself, now just do it. Good or bad, you have enough resources. You don't have. You're prepared. You're not prepared, just take it and do it. It will take. You're prepared, you're not prepared, just take it and do it. It will take you to another level in life.
Speaker 1:That's it that is an amazing story, sasa, and I want to thank you so much for taking the time today, spending the time with me, sharing all your amazing stories. I can't wait for you to come back again and we have more conversations.
Speaker 2:I really enjoyed it yes, me too, me too and on a level and I want you really to reach to 500 episodes, 300 episodes of your Paddle podcast, because Paddle is a great sport. Paddle is not about power, it's about skills and you have an amazing skill in interviewing people, in adding to their life. Why not to take it to another level?
Speaker 1:Coming from you with the experience that you have and the amount of people you've interviewed. That means a lot to me.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much welcome max, anytime and when we're gonna have the uh, the coaching session, the free coaching session I was hoping you'd forgotten that one. Yes, we'll do it, I'll text you. I'll text you what's up.