In this Conversating with Yhorlife we got to conversate with Best-Selling Author and CEO Powerhouse Maha Abouelenein. Maha is so kind and giving and her authenticity of wanting people to succeed shone through. She has also perfected his ‘serious face’ which is why I was quite nervous for this Conversating. Hope you enjoy this Conversating as much as I do - Enjoy!

Thank you so much for conversating with Yhorlife today…

How would you introduce yourself to those who are unaware of you…

First, I introduce myself as a dog mom, I am an aunt, and I am a professional storyteller. I like to help people build and protect their reputations, and I do communications.

Now I am a best-selling author with the book, ‘7 Rules of Self Reliance’. I am proud and excited for people to read the book. As well to embrace it and adopt the rules in their lives. Especially as we move into 2025.

What type of dog do you have … I have a Shit-Zhu. Oh my gosh so do I, her name is Fluffy!  And she totally runs me. Oh yes! I get a lot of side eye.  Yes, me too!

I love your new book, ‘The 7 Rules of Self-Reliance’.   Thank you! Now why are you so passionate about helping people gain confidence, and going after what they want? I think the biggest misconception, coming from a communications background is that this book applies if I am going into Public Relations. No, the book helps if you are going into any industry. So, why are you passionate about helping people gain their confidence…

I think when people learn what they need to learn, what they need to do to rely on themselves, they become unstoppable. Relying on yourself to build relationships, and your own network. Rely on yourself to build your reputation, brand. That should not be outsourced to anyone. Rely on yourself to learn how to create value for other people. Rely on yourself to invest in yourself.

You do not have to rely on someone to teach you something, you can go online and learn it. You can go online and learn it for free. So, that is why I think self-reliance is important.

It is not about needing anyone, you should rely on yourself, you are the only person that can do what is best for yourself. You need to have skills, and you need to have the weapons to operate in today’s world. And I want to give you those tools.

As we move into 2025 do you think the biggest thing about being, self-reliant, self-contained and staying low is that you cannot be afraid of what is new, embrace it? Also, pivoting as well is a real thing. Yes!   How do you think people should pivot? Yes, they have the knowledge, but how do they know where to pivot too?

Yeah, that is a great question … I love it. I think that if you want to be in the market and you want to work at your career, or grow, or you are an entrepreneur and you want to grow your business. You can be a leader in transition, or work at a company and you want to move into entrepreneurship. I feel like you need to be able to adapt to what is in the market, adapt to it, and you can leverage it.

It is the idea of being agile, being open to change, that will help you to grow. If you can grow you can get better opportunities, and better chances of income. You must be open to change, and you must be agile because the market is moving fast.

So, it is critical for you to constantly stay relevant in today’s market.

What are your tips for a healthy mindset? Because we are inundated with social media, and the boasting (on social media). We all know that it is not the haven for mental health…

For a healthy mindset you must schedule your days better. How much time are you allotting to a certain activity? Make sure that you are taking a break, and not grinding all the time. Learn new things. It is important to learn new skills – it could be a sport or making blankets. Having a healthy mindset is having the capacity in your mind for growth and learning. 

Also, look how to schedule your day. How do you schedule your meetings? Having a healthy mindset is about scheduling your day properly. As well having time for rest, making time to learn things, and making time to build healthy relationships – who is in your circle matters.

I saw on your Instagram Post last week … ‘A personal brand does not mean that they have access to everything.’ Why do you think to make that divide is so crucial …

Yes, I talk to a lot of people about investing in your reputation, investing in your personal brand. Often their response is ...’ I do not want to put my life out there on the internet’.  I am not talking about that; I am not talking about sharing your personal life. The reason you build a personal brand, is that you are intentional about how you want to show up in the world.

When someone Google’s you, what shows up is what you have put out there. You are not letting other people decide your reputation or who you are. The reason I say it is not your personal life, is that you do not have to show your vacations, your home, you control the narrative, and that is the point.

In your book you discussed using your difference as a superpower and not a hindrance. When did this happen for you? I remember mine … 

I grew up in Minnesota, a very small community, and I was the only brown girl in my class. I always knew that I was different. I did not blend in, from my name and how I looked. I tried to spend my life when I was young to fit in with everyone else, the crowd.

Later, I found out the importance to not blend in and to stick out, and not be like everyone else. That you need to celebrate your differences and use it to your advantage. Use it to bring value to other people, and to build a business doing that. And that is what I did.  

You have your business, career in Egypt, Dubai, and the Middle East. Embracing your cultural background was that the catalyst to going more where you see yourself. Or was it more that you have a great opportunity and let me jump on this …

It was more that I have a great opportunity and let me jump on this, but also let me do what I can do to create value. To help people in the United States understand people in the Middle East.  

People want to go to Dubai, Egypt, and they want to do business in Saudi Arabia. I have been living there for 23 years, so why can’t I be that catalyst for that? I have been doing business in the region for 27 years.  

I feel that if there is something that you are uniquely qualified for, and you have experience in you should use that to create value for other people, and that is what I did.

What would you say was your ballsiest moment? Where you were given an opportunity, and you were winging it, they did not know that you were winging it in your career, but you knew … that is actually the opening story in the book, where I was asked to write a speech for the Prime Minister of Egypt.

I said that I do not write speeches for heads of State, that is not something that I do. They thought that I could do it, and why didn’t I think that I could do it? So, I had to rely on myself and figure it out.

I started not knowing what to write and freaking out. So, I then thought what would I want to hear if I was sitting in the audience. The minute that I did that, that was my ‘Ah Ha’ moment. I literally got out of my head, and everything just flowed. I did a good job, and I became his speech writer.

Now, I want to know what got you your first communications client. That is what I want to know, I am a tad Nosie…

No, it is not being Nosie! My first client when I was in Egypt when I started my company was Coca-Cola. I got a big flagship client because I am an American. I did not look like everyone else, nor did I look like everyone else in Egypt.

So, the question became who is the American woman in the room. And I was like I am both – I am American and Egyptian. I used both to secure that client, because I knew both cultures – how they do business, and what they care about.

I worked with Coca-Cola for more than ten years, and we became very close. I created value for them. As the job grew, I ended up growing with them.

We had a great relationship of how to tell Coca-Cola’s story in the market and kept steadfast with their goals and values in the U.S.; as well to be locally relevant and speak to the culture in Egypt. It was a great relationship, and experience.

How do you define resilience ….

You know everybody goes through tough times in their life and at work … that are not easy to navigate or manage. I find if you have a good grasp on self-awareness – what you are good at and not good at, you will be able to weather a storm.

You will be able to ask those questions and to know when you need to ask for help, or support in certain areas. That is what people that are self-aware know how to do.

Are you falling behind on something that you know that you are not going to make it, so how you can you push through with resilience so that it does not push you back. Because there are setbacks that do happen at work, just make that a part of that equation.

Also, the key is how you react to the change. Yes, that makes me think of the quote from the Four Agreements – ‘Do not take it personally’. It is hard though, we are human. I see a lot of companies that are laying off people now. There is a story about eight employees that got laid off at Google, and it follows how they reacted to being laid off. It is easy to say, but not easy to do.

Then go down that path, then make another decision point. Like we do not always have the answers, we do not always see the whole staircase when we take the first step.

It is important to not beat yourself up about your decision. You must go left or right, there is no wrong answers, those are the opportunities that you have at that point.

You know I am really trying to think if there was ever a time when I said – that is it I am giving up. No, I honestly cannot think of a time that I said that I give up. You know that is awesome, and that is what I call a hair-flip moment! (Maha, flips her hair). Yes!!!  I love it!   You have made my day.  Yeah, I like that a lot.

Why did you now decide to become an author … you have been in business for over 20 years, so why now …

That is a very good question… I did not wake up saying I want to become an author. No, but I did know that I had a story to tell, and that I could help a lot of people.

I wanted to write a book that was practical, where people could read it. They have reflection exercises; they have cheat sheets, and they can take it and put it to work.

That for me is everything. When I see the comments and feedback what reading the book had done for them – it is everything. I wanted to make something that was worth reading.

You know there are times when you know that what you are going to do was going to be your moment. When you were writing the book did you know that this book was going to be a bestseller? Or did you hope that you were putting in invaluable information, and that you hope people receive it and that it grows to that…

No, you do not know. I did know that I was going to work hard to put it out into the market. That I would outwork everybody. If you were supposed to do four things, I was going to do ten. I knew that about myself. I was going to do this and empty the tank and leave nothing on the court.

I must put in the effort; it is not going to sell itself. I have a very weird name… my first and my last name. I am a brown girl. I am not famous, and I do not have a huge social media following. But I am very good at what I do, and I have an expertise.

I have a strong network. I have a message worth listening too. I have practical advice and experience. I believe in what I am doing and what I say. And that is why I had confidence that if people could just read the book, they would love the book.

I need to get the book in people’s hands, that is why I am grateful to be on your show. I want people to buy the book, and I want them to read the book. I want people to hear, share, and tag me their feedback, or what rule resonated more with them. That is what matters.

Now switching to our fun questions… what are the three staples of clothing that make you feel your most confident. There is always something…

I want to dress confidently because that projects my image of how I put myself together, that is a big thing. Showing up for yourself is more important than anything. It sets the tone for your day – doing your hair, putting on your make-up, is a big part of it.

Secondly, it is how I structure my day, how I spend my time my schedule. That sets me up for success. I always think through my day, my schedule, so that I am not putting myself in a position that I am out of breath by the end of the day.

Is there an article of clothing, or jewelry that you wear that is lucky for you - and you know that it seals the deal for you. Yes, one thing is that I wear light blue. There is science behind it, it promotes sales indirectly and promotes calm and tranquility.

How do you deal with negative comments and people,  that is more directed towards social media…

I don’t take it personally. If  someone that doesn’t know me is judging me based on the information that they have, I can’t judge them for what they are saying.

Secondly, it is important to have a level of self-awareness. If you are going to put yourself out there and then get attacked, then maybe not put yourself out there. Know what you are comfortable doing, and make sure that you do not put yourself in a situation that could spiral you into depression, or mental health issues.

You mentioned earlier and it was a large part in your book about connecting with people, and networking. I do think in my generation and younger we have lost that art of communicating. We are very ‘three seconds’, if it is not that ‘three seconds’ we do not know how to react or relate.  I am very old school, but I am aware (of the ‘three seconds’). What do you think that a Gen Z-er can do to connect to people in a meaningful way…

I think that if you are a Gen Z-er and reading this book, good for you. The biggest thing that I want them, everyone, to take away from this book is how to build your reputation, and your personal brand.

If you do that you will be good at creating relationships, storytelling, adding value, and learning. It really starts there. You have a reputation – you need to build it; you need to protect it.

To do everything in your power to manage it, a lot of people don’t. They think that they can give it to someone else to do that ( to build your reputation). I just want you to think about that.

What is your favorite way to unwind…

Oh my gosh so many things – I go for walks, I play tennis, I play with my dog, and I hang out with my family. I watch shows, and I go out to dinners. I do all the things, and I like to travel for fun, and not just for work. What is your favorite show right now… I just finished ‘The Diplomat’, that was amazing, and I am obsessed with it. Yes, I saw that one too! It is sooo good!

Thank you so much for your time! I am so grateful that we were able to sit down together.

I have read your book … I have encouraged others to read, and  get their hands on your book – It is a must!!!