In this Behind The Brand episode, I'm reflecting on my recent conversation with Wynton Harvey, and one thing he said that really stuck with me: even when you think no one's paying attention, someone's paying attention.

Wynton grew up around fame, so he understood early that people are constantly forming opinions about you. Not just when you post something or get a promotion, but in the small interactions most of us don’t think about.

How you treat someone at a restaurant. Whether you respect people’s time. Whether you do what you said you would do. How you make someone feel when there’s nothing to gain.

Sometimes, those are the things people remember most.

Wynton spoke a lot about respect and never wanting someone to feel less than because they have less than him. And to me, that says more about someone’s personal brand than their job title ever could.

We’ve become so focused on looking like we have a good personal brand that we forget about actually having a good reputation.

I feel lucky that, as a millennial, I experienced networking before everything moved online. Early in my career, it was conferences, business cards, after-parties, conversations and seeing the same people again and again.

You built your reputation through touch points. Being kind. Listening. Remembering people. Being genuinely interested without always having an agenda.

I think we’ve lost some of that.

Your real brand still lives in the real world. Online gives you visibility, but your reputation is built through the experiences people have with you.

So, what are people saying about you when you’re not there?

Because whether you’re actively building a personal brand or not, people are already building an idea of who you are.

Maybe the goal isn’t to be seen by everyone. Maybe it’s making sure that when you are seen, people remember you for the right things.

00:00 Introduction: Behind the Brand on Reputation and Perception
00:28 The Wynton Harvey Insight: Someone's Always Watching
01:25 The Human Touch: Respect, Time, and Making People Feel Valued
01:39 Personal Branding Beyond the Online World
02:03 Looking Good vs. Being Good: Reputation Over Appearance
02:11 The Millennial Advantage: Real World Before Online World
03:38 The Question That Matters: What Are People Really Saying About You
03:55 Closing Thoughts: Be Remembered for the Right Things

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YouTube: / @girlnamedrobyn (https://www.youtube.com/@girlnamedrobyn)
www.girlnamedrobyn.com

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In this episode of The Brand of YOU, I sit down with Wynton Harvey, photographer, DJ, producer, and creative force building a legacy that goes far beyond the name he was born with.

Yes, his father is Steve Harvey. But Wynton is so much more than that.

We talk about growing up under the spotlight, what it was like switching schools constantly, and how those early years of travel and change shaped him into someone who thrives in the unknown.

Wynton opens up about finding his creative voice through photography, building a signature style that people remember, and why his goal isn't to be the best photographer or the best DJ, but to be one of the greatest all-around artists.

We dive into what it's like living under constant scrutiny, the moment he told a brand to remove "Steve Harvey's son" from his flyer, and why he's done enough work as an individual to stand on his own.

He talks about the pressure, the FastPass mentality, and why success isn't optional for him. When you've seen what life can be like with options, it's hard to go back to standing in line.

We also get into staying grounded, treating people with respect no matter how successful you become, and why you can never get so big in this industry that you're indestructible. The same people who build you up can take it all away.

Wynton shares what's next for him, from music and design to building partnerships that align with his values, and why every deal should feel like a marriage, not a transaction.

And we end with the most important question: Who is Wynton without the Harvey name?

00:00:00 Introduction: Meet Wynton Harvey, Not Just Steve Harvey's Son
00:01:57 Growing Up Harvey: A Childhood of Travel and Change
00:05:35 The Photography Journey: Finding His Creative Voice
00:08:17 Fashion and Flair: Building a Memorable Personal Brand
00:09:51 The Artist's Path: Not Chasing Perfection, Chasing Versatility
00:11:35 Living Under the Spotlight: Fame, Scrutiny, and Staying Cautious
00:13:47 Breaking Free from the Name: I'm Wynton Harvey, Period
00:15:39 Taking Charge: Multiple Moments of Enough is Enough
00:19:52 The Packages Get Delivered on Faith Street
00:23:07 Motivation vs. No Other Option: Why Success Isn't Optional
00:26:33 Everybody Wants the Table, Everybody Wants the Fast Pass
00:26:44 Staying Grounded: Respect, Gratitude, and Treating People Right
00:30:53 You Can Never Be Indestructible: The Power of the People
00:32:40 What's Next: Music, Design, and Building the Wynton Harvey Legacy
00:37:29 The Power of Partnerships
00:41:39 Asking for Help: Assistance vs. Handouts
00:44:13 Final Words: Who is Wynton Without the Harvey Name

Follow Me on Socials:
LinkedIn: / robynabouchedid (https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynabouchedid/)
Instagram: / girlnamedrobyn (https://www.instagram.com/girlnamedrobyn)
YouTube: / @girlnamedrobyn (https://www.youtube.com/@girlnamedrobyn)
www.girlnamedrobyn.com

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In this Behind The Brand episode, I'm reflecting on my recent conversation with Joe Trad, one of Lebanon's most recognised actors, and the approach he took to completely reinventing his career.

We talk so much about taking risks, blowing everything up, and going all in. Social media celebrates the person who quits their job and chases the dream with no safety net. But Joe's story was different.

He had a successful marketing career in Dubai. Good money. Comfortable life. But he wanted something else. And instead of making a reckless leap, he approached it differently: 50% emotional, 50% rational. Stability first, then chase the dream.

There's this weird pressure now that if you're ambitious, you should be an entrepreneur. Having a job can almost feel like you're not ambitious enough. But Joe's story reminded me that you don't always have to go all in to go after what you want.

Throughout my career, I've felt that pressure too. It looked like a fun life to quit your job, become an entrepreneur, and have all the flexibility in the world. But that's not the only option.

We romanticize quitting everything to chase a dream. Sometimes the smartest move is to prepare before you leap. You can want more without destroying what you've already built.

Maybe the answer isn't going all in. Maybe it's time to stop feeling the pressure and just start building the experience towards it. Building yourself, building your name, one day at a time.

00:00 Introduction: Behind the Brand with Joe Trad
00:20 The 50/50 Approach: Emotional Meets Rational
00:41 The Pressure to Be an Entrepreneur
01:04 The Romanticization of Quitting Everything
01:18 Building Stability Before the Leap
01:32 You Don't Always Have to Go All In
01:46 What Are You Putting Off: A Challenge to Listeners
01:57 Building Your Name One Day at a Time

Follow Me on Socials:
LinkedIn: / robynabouchedid (https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynabouchedid/)
Instagram: / girlnamedrobyn (https://www.instagram.com/girlnamedrobyn)
YouTube: / @girlnamedrobyn (https://www.youtube.com/@girlnamedrobyn)
www.girlnamedrobyn.com

If you enjoyed the episode, subscribe for more conversations with entrepreneurs, creators, leaders and personalities sharing the story of building a powerful personal brand.

In this episode of The Brand of YOU, I sit down with Joe Trad, one of Lebanon's most recognised actors, to talk about the moment he left his marketing career in Dubai to chase a completely different dream.

More than a decade ago, Joe was working in advertising, managing big brands, living the comfortable life. Today, he's known across the Arab world for playing characters like Rami, Khalil, and the villain Nawras.

But the transition wasn't easy.

We talk about the risk of leaving stability for the unknown, the moment his parents didn't believe in him, and why he almost regretted the decision when he found himself chasing producers in Lebanon just to get paid.

Joe opens up about what it was like starting from scratch with no connections, no acting background, and no safety net. He had to believe in himself before anyone else did.

We dive into how he built his name across Lebanon and Turkey, the loneliness of sacrificing time with his family to shoot for 15 hours a day, and why he loves playing the villain more than the romantic lead.

Joe also talks about his relationship with social media, why he still stresses over posting content, how he deals with negativity online, and why he's leaving Turkey after seven years to start a new chapter between Lebanon and Dubai.

This is a conversation about reinvention, resilience, and what it means to build a name that goes beyond the roles you play.

00:00 Introduction: Meet Joe Trad
01:03 From Marketing in Dubai to Acting in Lebanon
03:51 The Moment He Decided to Leave Everything Behind
06:08 Why His Parents Didn't Believe in Him
10:42 Taking the Risk: Emotional and Rational
13:53 Starting from Scratch with No Connections
16:07 The Hell of Not Getting Paid
18:56 When Turkey Opened the Door
23:48 Playing the Villain: Nauras vs Rami
25:48 Do People Know the Real Joe?
28:10 The Sacrifice: Missing Weddings, Funerals, and Family
33:23 Why He Does His Own Stunts
37:05 Dealing with Rejection and Social Media Hate
40:15 Why Social Media Stresses Him Out
44:18 Launching His Own Perfume Line
46:55 Leaving Turkey After Seven Years
51:30 The Next Chapter: Dubai and Saudi
55:20 Who Is Joe Trad?
58:45 Closing Thoughts

Connect with Joe Trad:
Instagram: / joetrad (https://www.instagram.com/joetrad)
TikTok: / joetradofficial (https://www.tiktok.com/@joetradofficial)

Follow Me on Socials:
LinkedIn: / robynabouchedid (https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynabouchedid/)
Instagram: / girlnamedrobyn (https://www.instagram.com/girlnamedrobyn)
YouTube: / @girlnamedrobyn (https://www.youtube.com/@girlnamedrobyn)
www.girlnamedrobyn.com

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In this Behind The Brand episode, I'm reflecting on one of the most powerful career pivots I've ever witnessed: Chef Hala Ayash.

More than a decade ago, Hala was my personal trainer. Today, she's one of the region's most recognisable chefs. And I watched her make that transformation happen.

So many people are thinking about switching careers right now, changing paths, doing something different. But how do you actually find the courage to do it?

I wanted to break down Hala's story because it's a masterclass in reinvention.

We talk about the imposter moment that changed everything: standing on the set of Top Chef next to a Michelin-star chef, being asked what she did, and realising she couldn't say "personal trainer" anymore. Even though she was a chef, no one saw her that way yet. She had to believe in who she was becoming before anyone else did.

That moment forced her to decide who she wanted to be.

We also dive into how she built visibility, both online and offline, and the first time she was paid to post on social media. Hala actually felt it was unfair that a brand wanted to pay her. Her mentor reminded her: people weren't paying for a picture. They were paying for years of experience, travel, experimenting, and influence. That's when Chef Hala became a business.

This episode is about backing yourself, valuing your brand, and understanding that reinvention isn't about losing who you were. It's about becoming who you're meant to be.

If you're thinking about making a change, I hope this gives you the courage to take the leap.

Welcome to Behind The Brand

And I’ve actually watched Chef Hala do it.

More than a decade ago, I knew Hala from the Strongman classes she ran in Dubai. Back then, she was a personal trainer. Today, she’s Chef Hala, one of the region’s most recognisable chefs.

So I wanted to know: what does it actually take to reinvent your career in a completely different industry?

In this episode of The Brand of YOU, we go right back to the beginning: from personal training and culinary school to the Top Chef opportunity that forced Hala to decide who she wanted to become.

We talk about building Chef Hala into a recognisable name, the role TV and social media played in her career, and the first time she realised her influence could actually make her money.

Hala also opens up about consistency, finding what you're naturally good at, being yourself online and why successful women need to stop dimming their light to make other people comfortable.

And the conversation gets personal.

As two daughters who have both lost our dads, we talk about grief, how losing a parent changes your relationship with time, and why it can make you stop overthinking the decisions that don't matter nearly as much as you thought they did.

This is a conversation about changing careers, backing yourself and building something new without losing the parts of you that got you there.

00:00 Introduction: Meet Chef Hala
01:03 From Personal Trainer to Celebrity Chef
03:51 The Strongman Circuit Days
06:08 Training Women and Finding Her Niche
10:42 The TV Opportunity That Started It All
13:53 The Moment She Decided to Become a Chef
16:07 Culinary School: Seven to Seven, Six Days a Week
18:56 Her Daughter Lana as Her Greatest Drive
23:48 The Competitive Side: Born to Win
25:48 Women Supporting Women vs Toxic Competition
28:10 The Top Chef Identity Crisis
33:23 Choosing One Career Over the Other
37:05 The First Time She Got Paid for Social Media
40:15 Understanding Your Value and ROI
44:18 Being True to Yourself Online
46:55 TV Voice vs Real Voice
48:12 What's Your Superpower?
51:30 Advice for Starting on Social Media
55:20 Staying Disciplined with Content Creation
58:45 Losing Her Father and Finding Strength
01:03:10 Who Is Hala?
01:04:25 Closing Thoughts

Connect with Chef Hala:
Instagram: / chefhalaayash
Tiktok: / chefhalaayash
https://chefhala.com/

Follow Me on Socials:
LinkedIn: / robynabouchedid
Instagram: / girlnamedrobyn
YouTube: / @girlnamedrobyn
www.girlnamedrobyn.com

If you enjoyed the episode, subscribe for more conversations with entrepreneurs, creators, leaders and personalities, and steal the lessons they’ve learned on reinvention, visibility and monetising their name.

Most people think comedy is about being funny. Ali Al Sayed, one of Dubai's original stand up comedians, believes it's about something else entirely.

This conversation goes beyond the punchlines. We talk about the audacity it takes to unmask yourself in front of strangers, why listening is his real superpower, and how comedy became the language he never knew he was searching for.

Ali opens up about growing up as the youngest of five with anger issues and why he still doesn't think he's funny.

This is a conversation about unmasking, resilience, taking up space, and the courage to be unapologetically yourself.

00:00 Introduction: Meet Ali Al Sayed
01:03 The Moment He Realised He Was Funny (Or Wasn't)
03:51 Listening as a Superpower
06:08 Comedy as Journalism: Absorbing Life to Make People Laugh
10:42 Authenticity Is About Unmasking, Not Performing
13:53 The Audacity to Be Judged by Strangers
16:07 Why Arabs Apologise Instead of Compete
18:56 Folding the Lebanese Sandwich: Identity and Belonging
23:48 Why We Judge People at 2pm
25:48 The First Time He Monetised His Name
28:10 Ali on Stage vs Ali off Stage
37:05 Comedy as a Duet Between You and Your Audience
40:15 Moving Out to Struggle on Purpose
44:18 What He's Chasing Next
46:55 Who Is Ali Al Sayed?
48:12 Closing Thoughts

Connect with Ali Al Sayed:
Instagram: / alisayedcomedy (https://www.instagram.com/alielsaeedcomedy)

Follow Me on Socials:
LinkedIn: / robynabouchedid (https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynabouchedid/)
Instagram: / girlnamedrobyn (https://www.instagram.com/girlnamedrobyn)
YouTube: / @girlnamedrobyn (https://www.youtube.com/@girlnamedrobyn)

If you enjoyed the episode, subscribe for more conversations with entrepreneurs, creators, leaders and personalities sharing the story of building a powerful personal brand.

Most people know Mohammad from Love Is Blind: Habibi, but this conversation goes far beyond what you saw on screen.

We talk about the moment everything changed after proposing to Safa, why he realised he was meant to entertain, and how he walked away from the life he thought he was supposed to live.

Mohammad opens up about battling depression, learning to love himself, balancing life as one half of a well-known couple while building his own identity, and the responsibility that comes with millions of people watching.

This is a conversation about identity, reinvention, visibility, and what happens when the world thinks it knows you.

If you enjoyed the episode, subscribe for more conversations with entrepreneurs, creators, leaders and personalities sharing the stories behind their success.

00:00 Introduction: Meet Mohammad Kiswani
01:03 The Boredom That Changed Everything
01:42 The Proposal Moment: A Slow Motion Awakening
03:51 Taking the Crossroad: From Depression to Determination
04:56 Born to Entertain: Discovering His True Identity
06:08 Building a Brand Beyond the Power Couple
07:45 Confidence Through Self-Love
10:42 The Weight of Responsibility: Kids Are Watching
13:53 Comedy in the Age of Offence: Can You Make Fun of Anything?
16:07 Monetising Visibility: From Sales to Personal Brand
18:56 The Art of Acceptance and Authentic Sales
21:05 Safa's Success: Supporting Your Partner's Bigger Following
23:48 Power Couple or Individual Brands?
25:48 Reality TV Love: Embracing the Spotlight
28:10 Acting Dreams: Expressing the Alter Ego
33:23 The Vulnerability That Changed Him
34:52 Almost Cancelling: The Situationship That Saved Everything
37:05 Who Is Mohammad Kiswani?
38:28 Closing Thoughts

Connect with Mohamad Kiswani:
Instagram: / the.kiswani
Tiktok: / mohammadkiswani07

Follow Me on Socials:
LinkedIn: / robynabouchedid
Instagram: / girlnamedrobyn
YouTube: / @girlnamedrobyn