Spotlight Interview: Social Entrepreneur & Branding Strategist from UAE!

Thank you for taking the time to do this interview with me! Please tell us a bit about yourself and what you do currently…

Thank you very much for this interview opportunity, I feel honored to have it.

My name is Nousheen Mukhtar and I have been fortunate to live in the UAE for about 10 years and I consider myself a global citizen. Driven by a mission to support entrepreneurs and women in specific, I am working to make a positive contribution towards empowering aspiring business owners as well as women who wish to build ideas into substantial realities.

My business through Buraq Media envisions to empower personal brands so that they are able to thrive through consistent visibility and image building on a global level. I have a women’s magazine named Stylfemina that fosters a feminine culture where women share their ideas and views to help others grow.

I have also been managing a business networking community over the years; under the title of YesGulf the community is thriving and churning business referrals for hundreds of business owners that roll in and out of monthly networking events in Dubai. The community is a local business hub and a business solution for referrals and relationship building, much needed, as a business in isolation will do nothing better than struggle. I am personally involved in all of my ventures as my passion towards helping business owners and building local opportunities keeps me on toes. This is pretty much about what I do.

When it comes to speaking about myself, I see myself as a dedicated social entrepreneur who believes in playing her role to her best potential. My social contributions are primarily made through YesGulf and Stylfemina and both platforms are for the public and they work towards making opportunities for others.

What inspired you to start doing your own business venture?

My natural ambitious self could not fit in any box. When I had a full time job and was serving in an organization, I knew I could do more and I had to do more. I was offered a promotion as head of department, when I was thinking of resigning in my last job in 2012. I did resign, as the offer showed that they could expand the box, they were trying to fit me into, only by a fraction. That was not what I needed. I needed to live a fuller life. I started my ventures for my personal fulfillment. I needed to lead a fuller life. I needed to live up to my potential. I needed to unbox myself and set myself free to live the way I liked, and to the depth and breadth I deserved.

What has been your biggest achievement so far?

I will not count success in business as my biggest achievement as that is something relative and it will continue to grow with time as God wills it. My biggest achievement so far is to do away with self-limiting beliefs and to recognize my true strengths for who I am. This achievement has made everything else possible for me.

I believe every person must first work on him or herself because everything starts from you. Once you realize who you are, what is the purpose of your life and what do you want to do with your life going forward, only then anything could actually come your way be it failure or success. I strongly believe that any person who wants to make a difference in life can only do so once he or she understands himself or herself. Doing away with self-limiting beliefs is my biggest achievement.

What fuels you to keeps you going each day?

I am an achiever and I have always been like this. I have this fire inside that does not let me rest until I accomplish. My inner drive and desire to achieve and accomplish keeps me going. Nothing more and nothing less! Yes, it comes from within!

Who are the top 3 celebrities/experts you’d love to work with? And why?

I’d like to work with Oprah Winfrey, Jan Koum the founder of WhatsApp and Bill Gates. The reasons are obvious as these are driven, passionate entrepreneurs who have built great systems and evolved their businesses. They have achieved a level of success that is inspiring. I believe I can learn a lot from the examples they have set and working with them as my mentors could be a great experience.

Take a moment to close your eyes. Where do you see yourself in 5 year’s time?

When I give myself the moment and close my eyes I find myself at the beach (smiles) yes, I love the freedom that the vastness of the sea offers.

Well yes in 5 years’ time, I see my community growing and expanding to other regions and becoming an international business relationship platform that supports entrepreneurship globally allowing SME owners to generate referrals and build their businesses. I see Buraq Media evolving as a powerful media relationship platform and myself adding more ventures to my bucket that I wouldn’t want to disclose at this point of time as it is a little early to talk about some of my plans.

If you could get the perfect help from an online tax return service, what would they do for you?

Well I thought about it

And I am still thinking about it!

Can you give our readers 2 key tips for success in business?

Yes, there are many tips that I can provide to my readers so that they are successful in business. I will mention just two here as you asked for two:

1. Be resilient, do not let anything or anyone pull you down and deviate you from what you aim to do. Adversity and prosperity are phases, they will come and go. Take them as phases and do not let either influence you on the inside.
2. Be open and receptive. When you are willing to receive you live on, grow and expand in different directions. Do not close your doors or say no to anything that has the potential to help you grow. Experimentation and openness may bring in new vistas of success from places you might never have imagined earlier.

If you were stuck on a desert island and could only bring 3 things what would they be?

I will carry a few books, my laptop/wifi or a notebook to write, and some food to live with.

How do you describe yourself in 5 words?

These are 5 words I use for myself, they all are adjectives:

Ambitious, Dedicated, Driven, Resilient, Honest

Thank you for taking the time to do this interview with me! Where can we find and follow you online?

My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nousheenmukhtar/

Instagram: @nousheenmukhtar