Owning Your Future: The Power of Story and Brand with Maha Abouelenein

What this episode is about

Maha Abouelenein emphasizes the importance of effective communication and brand building in business, offering practical tips for immediate implementation. She explores the integration of AI in branding strategies and discusses key concepts from her book, "The Seven Rules of Self-Reliance," while inspiring listeners to take control of their futures through storytelling and personal branding.

Key takeaways

• Building your brand isn't just important; it's essential for navigating communication in a tech-driven world.
• To create lasting value, focus on small, meaningful actions that brighten others' days—it's a win-win.
• Mastering storytelling transforms leadership: it fosters trust and strengthens relationships in personal and professional spheres.
• In the age of AI, clear communication is your shield against misinformation and fosters genuine connections.
• Your personal 'because'—the deeper purpose—can fuel your brand and elevate your impact on others.

Who speaks in this episode?

• Mick (Host) · 12 min speaking
• Maha Abouelenein (Guest) · 19 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 5:00: The Seven Rules of Self-Reliance
2. 5:00 – 10:00: Artificial Intelligence
3. 10:00 – 15:00: The Seven Rules of Self-Reliance, Google LLC
4. 15:00 – 20:00: Google LLC
5. 20:00 – 25:00: Google LLC, Barnes & Noble
6. 25:00 – 30:00: Maha Abuan's Course

Notable quotes from "Owning Your Future: The Power of Story and Brand with Maha Abouelenein"

• And so you really need to be good at communications to articulate who you are, what you stand for. And the only thing that will help you defend against the on thrust of…

  about Artificial Intelligence · at 5:33

• You've built communication strategies for Titans, Google, Netflix, and many, many others. What's a core element or what's the core element that kind of translates across all of those stories.

  about Google LLC · at 10:09

• Line when I had to think about my 30-year career that could bring value to people. The book is a practical playbook. It is every chapter has reflection exercises and questions because I want you to put the book to work.

  about The Seven Rules of Self-Reliance · at 13:09

• That is so funny. I am launching actually a course in January about how to build your personal brand using AI because I feel like people want to know what are the prompts they should use,.

  about Maha Abuan's Course · at 21:04

• It's available at Barnes & Noble, any of your book retailers that you go to, but Amazon is the fastest way. They'll deliver it and everything. No time.

  about Barnes & Noble · at 24:23

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

Books & papers

• The Seven Rules of Self-Reliance — Book · Primary recommendation · 3 mentions · first at 0:28
  Maha Abuan's book discussed as a practical playbook for self-reliance and personal development.

Companies & orgs

• Google LLC — Company · Case study · 4 mentions · first at 10:11
  Mentioned as one of the companies Maha Abuan has built communication strategies for.
• Barnes & Noble — Company · Referenced retailer · 1 mention · first at 24:23
  Mentioned as a place where Maha Abuan's book is available.

Products & tech

• Maha Abuan's Course — Product · Secondary owned · 1 mention · first at 25:06
  Mentioned as an upcoming course by Maha Abuan on building personal brands using AI.

Concepts & topics

• Artificial Intelligence — Concept · Core topic · 1 mention · first at 5:18
  Discussed as a tool for building personal brands and the challenges it presents in communication.

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 Hey everybody, just wrapped up an amazing conversation with my really good friend Maha. This episode, if communication is something you struggle with in your business, we're going to talk about it. But most importantly, we're going to talk about why building your brand is critical. And Maha gives some amazing tips and things that you can do right now to start building your brand. We're going to talk about how you can incorporate AI into all of that. We talk about the goods and branding. We go into her book, The Seven Rules of Self-Reliance. Ladies and gentlemen, buckle up. Get ready for a superstar. I present to you my good friend, Maha Abuan.

0:43 This is Mick Unplugged. Let us uncover the because, you fuels you. I'm ready. If you are, let's go. Maha, how you doing today, dear?

0:59 Thank you, Mick. I'm so grateful to be here. Yeah, it's a little bit chilly outside, but it's all relative.

1:05 It's chilly, but you said it's not chilly though right? It's like in the 40s. That's not cold.

1:09 Yeah, that's cold to someone from South Carolina. Like, we we've been in the 40s and like we're bundled up and like you guys are in the 40s in shorts and t-shirts.

1:17 T-shirts. Yeah. We're like, what? No jacket. I just I just came back from lunch and I didn't wear a jacket.

1:22 See? See? That's I can't live there. I can't live. you can live here. Maha, I'm a huge fan of yours. Um, been a huge fan for a long time. Your teachings, your methods, your mindset, your thought leadership is all shaped a large part of who I am um in the leadership space. So, I just wanted to tell you thank you for being such an amazing human being.

1:45 Oh, Me, you're making me blush. Thank you. I'm so grateful. No, I'm the honored one. And you know on the show I love to ask people about their because that thing that's deeper than your why and it shifts a lot of times. So if I were to say today in in the presence that you're in, what is your because why do you continue to do the things that you do and give the way that you give?

2:08 I think my because has a lot to do with my upbringing. Um, I feel like life I always, you know, my mom had MS, my dad had ALS. Both of my parents were very sick for most of my life. I was my mother's caretaker for 22 years. My dad got ALS and died within two years. But it is because of them that I thought what is my purpose to bring value to other people and how can I bring I learned at home taking care of my parents especially my dad when he was very sick very quickly. What can I do to bring value to him? What's the small thing that becomes the big thing? What's the little thing that I can do to make him feel a little bit better? And when I created value for my father, I actually created value for myself because I felt a great deal of satisfaction by putting a smile on his face or making his day just a little bit brighter. And I said to myself, huh, I wonder if I can create value for my colleagues at work. I

3:07 wonder if I can create value for my clients. I wonder if I can create value for the company that I worked for at the time. And that was my because is I want to do things because I want to create value for people because ultimately if I serve you or if I serve my team or if I serve my clients, that's great. But what it really reflects on is me and it makes me feel good and it makes me feel a sense of satisfaction. I get the value of saying I did that. I get the value of the confidence it built in me. I get the value of the achievement or the accomplishment that makes me feel like, hey, I can do something that I didn't think I was capable of doing.

3:46 Yeah. I get that satisfaction of knowing I help somebody out. And when you learn to live your life by creating value for other people, it's a pretty good place to live because you are giving more than you're taking and you're really putting multiple deposits in other people's trust banks along your lifetime. and that feels really good.

4:07 That's one of the many reasons that I adore you as much as I do. Um that was so very well said and and I know that it's a pillar of who you are and it's a part of the core values that you have.

4:19 You know, I love the fact that you truly believe in in helping people communicate with purpose. Talk to us about why that is so important and is a big pillar of who you are as well. Learning how to communicate is not just a nice to have skill, Mick. It is the ultimate leadership skill. If you can learn how to tell a story, you can learn how to connect with others. If you can learn how to tell a story, you can learn how to build a relationship. If you can tell a story, you can learn how to build the thing that everything needs, everyone needs today more than ever, and that is trust.

4:58 Being good at communications is not just a nice to have. It's a top leadership skill. How do you connect with your team? How do you communicate with your family members? How do you communicate with people that you work with? How do you show up in the real world? How do you show up online? Being able to articulate who you are and what you stand for is essential. Yeah.

5:18 And when we think about the presence of AI, and I was just telling a colleague a minute ago about this photo I saw online and I was sharing it with one of my clients and then I didn't read the fine print that said this is AI. Like we just you don't know what to trust.

5:33 And so you really need to be good at communications to articulate who you are, what you stand for. And the only thing that will help you defend against the on thrust of technology and AI that is shifting our worlds is you investing in your brand and you knowing how to communicate who you are and what you do.

5:53 That is so powerful. You know, I've been having this communication uh conversation with a lot of people over the last several weeks, and I even just did a post on LinkedIn that and I emphasize how how you communicate is much more important today than what you communicate, right? And a lot of people miss it. A lot of people try to put themselves in the middle of a message like, "I'm just the messenger. Don't shoot the messenger." or they don't take enough skill development into how to communicate because as leaders everything is not always perfect. We have to communicate sometimes bad news. We have to communicate losses. We have to communicate even the good news. But how you communicate is much more important than what you communicate. What are some tips, Maha, that you could give those that are watching or listening into how to into how to communicate more effectively and how to or why to put an

6:56 emphasis on how they're communicating. Yeah. So, you want to think about how you're communicating. It starts with you. Like you first of all, it's about what you're going to be saying. Like in order to figure how should I do it, you want to be confident in what you're talking about. So, start with something simple. What are you already passionate about?

7:15 What [clears throat] are you already well-versed in? That makes it easy for you not to overthink what am I going to say? Because how you do it is by having a conversation, by not overthinking it, by being your authentic self, by talking about something you feel confident in.

7:32 That is the easiest way. I don't want you to fake it till you're make it. I don't want you to perform. I want you to be yourself. And the easiest way to be yourself is to talk about something you you really feel you you know very well. And if it's talking about photography or yoga or football like we did in the beginning of this call or talking about something you really know very well then you will come across as someone who really understands the topic. You will bring that confidence. You'll be able to build that trust. So it starts with what is it that you're going to be talking about that you know you feel comfortable doing.

8:09 That's so impactful, so powerful as well. And yeah, how you communicate. Like if I want to tell Maha, hey Maha, I know you love the Vikings. They're just not that good at football. You know, we were having a football conversation and somehow you interjected the Vikings. They don't play football. But any but but it's how you do that, right? I could have just dismissed you, but I didn't. I let you engage. I listened. Even though you tried to bash my team and I'm like, wait, but look at our record. Look at yours. Look at our quarterback. Look at your But it's how we did that.

8:43 Yeah. I think it starts with that kind of being authentic. Like I'm a sports fan. I love sports. I love football. You guys had an easy record. So that's why your record is so an easy schedule. But I feel like, you know, a lot of times so many people because I coach a lot of people. I do a lot of workshops and training besides my clients and it's always like what should I be talking about? What's my narrative? How do you help me find that? It starts with what you're passionate about. What are you known for? What do people come to you for? Like there's a couple questions I can give you to share with your audience to ask themselves.

9:15 But then it also comes to like what's the thing that I can do authentically? Like do I am I good at videos? Do I want to talk on video? I'm I don't really want to be on camera. I'm really good at writing. Is that some way for me to do it? Do I not want to do it online at all? How I can do it is in person, one-on-one, small settings. That's where I feel confident. That's where I feel comfortable or going to bigger events. Like you need to find the speed that makes you be comfortable, confident, and consistent. Those are the three C's I always look at. Like what's the thing you can do to make yourself confident in a situation? How can you be consistent in doing it and making sure that you have that confidence to take it forward in your communications?

9:57 I I love that and I love that you want to give insights to the audience as well too.

10:02 I'm going to dismiss you talking about this easy schedule that we have. You still have to you still have to play the game, but but whatever.

10:09 You've built communication strategies for Titans, Google, Netflix, and many, many others. What's a core element or what's the core element that kind of translates across all of those stories even into the the soloreneur or the the the person that that runs a small team of maybe five to 10? What's a core element?

10:30 Yeah. So, I've worked at these big companies, the ones that you've mentioned. I also work with people. I work with Gary Vee and other major comp like personal brands and CEOs and the common denominator for all of those people is tell a story that's relevant in culture.

10:47 The [clears throat] timing of what you talk about has to be relevant to what people are thinking about. So if you're a small business, you have four or five people. What are you doing to take advantage of Small Business Saturday or things that have to do with small businesses or leaning into local culture or local activities or local community?

11:05 Yeah. If you are in the sports industry, what are you doing to make sure you're in the relevant conversations during times during the sports calendar? If you can be relevant in culture and know what people are talking about and find a way to tell your story, it's going to catch on. People are going to see it. It's going to get the visibility and it's going to get the attention you want. The number one thing I would advise all these big companies or these personal brands and other high-profile people we work with, find a story that can be relevant based on what people are talking about today.

11:38 Love that. And another thing that I know you coach and teach also is something I'm proud of. I I I do a lot of work with emotional intelligence and leaders and the the first two pillars of emotional intelligence, right, is self-awareness self-recognition. Um, and I know you've written a dynamic book that talks about self-reliance. Yes.

12:04 I did not know that there were seven rules of self-reliance, but I do want to talk to you about that one. What was the initial intent of saying, "Yeah, I'm going to write a book about this." Um, I want to start there.

12:20 Yeah. I mean, I I mean, my whole life, not my whole life, maybe 10 or 15 years, I really wanted to write a book, right? I I grew up Egyptian in Minnesota. I lived half my life in the US, the other half in Egypt in Dubai. I thought maybe I'll write about being part of both worlds and both cultures. I work in communications. I've worked with the I've worked with 300 secretaries of state for public diplomacy, Google, Netflix, all these tech companies on the forefront of internet and social and all these companies and and I'd gone to you know a publisher many years ago and said I want to write like not a biography and not a comm's book. I want to write like a hybrid thing and they're like people don't do that. I'm like okay well that's not my door. I knocked on that door. was on my door.

12:58 And so I perked the idea of doing the book for a while and then I came back and I said,

13:03 what's the thing that could be the most valuable for the audience would be sort of like telling a story of the through line when I had to think about my 30-year career that could bring value to people. The book is a practical playbook. It is every chapter has reflection exercises and questions because I want you to put the book to work

13:21 and the concept of self-reliance is not like oh I don't need anybody. I just need to rely on myself. I know everything. It is in fact the opposite. What the book talks about is it starts with you. What are the things you should do to make yourself valuable and powerful so that when you do want to do something, you got it. You own it. You know how to do it.

13:41 Yeah. [clears throat] So, the seven rules have to do, for example, with a couple things of I teach you how to create value for other people.

13:48 When you are a value creator, people are going to want you in their lives. People are going to want to keep you close to them because you know how to create value for them. And that's very very valuable.

13:57 I teach you how to build your own relationships and network. I can't come to you and Mick and say, "Hey, Mick, you built a lifetime of building all these relationships with these wonderful people. Excuse me, can I borrow those?" I need to be self-reliant. I need to rely on myself to know how to build a relationship with you, how to build and nurture that relationship with you, how to grow my network through you, and how to take that relationship to the next level. and it's a skill that people can learn and I want everyone to have in their pocket relationships that they own. Um, another principle of self-reliance is knowing how to build your personal brand. I say treat your reputation like a currency. It is valuable. What's its worth? What's its value? And how do you grow it? It's like money.

14:45 It is the most precious thing that you can invest in. Your name opens doors. Your name gets you relationships. Your name gets you more money. Your name gives you freedom. Your name gives you all the things if you know how to invest in it and make sure you have a strong digital reputation. So when people Google you, they find what you put out there, not what somebody else put on the internet. Like you have to be smart. People are living online. If I Google somebody, I want to make sure what they have there is what they put there. And if not, then I teach them how to improve those search results. How do you build your brand yourself? And again, this isn't about being a social media influencer. It's really about protecting yourself so that opportunities come to you because you were smart about how you built your brand.

15:32 This is a master class right here. Like there there's so many places that I want to go unpack and unplug, but I want to start with where we just were with which is the the brand reputation.

15:44 Yes. Right. And I think especially in leaders in in companies, they forget that their personal brand is almost as more important than the business brand because we're in a time now where yeah, I I love Nike. I do a lot of things with Nike, but it's the people that I actually do business with. It just so happens that Nike is a product. And I think we miss that so much as leaders, as entrepreneurs that we think big brand, but we forget who we are as individuals is the most important brand. Can you talk to the viewers and listeners about that?

16:22 Yeah, 100%. So this is what I do every day, right? So people are so busy doing their jobs, they don't focus on their careers and their brand and their image, right? And I think think of it as your behavior or anyone listening their behavior. People follow people. They don't follow companies.

16:40 And you build a relationship with a person. And that person might leave that company and go somewhere else. I was coaching somebody earlier today this morning who had a job for many years and left that job and was like, "Now what do I do?" And I'm like, "Well, you go to work and you build your personal brand on LinkedIn. Your skills that you had at that company, the secret sauce was you. You brought the effort. You brought the skills. You brought the knowledge, you need to take those skills, package them up, start sharing your insights on social media. So for example, you would go on LinkedIn and say take an article that you see, share your hot takes on it, your insights, your point of view.

17:21 Those insights matter. People want real lived experiences. So if you work at a company today, you need to build your personal brand because that's your reputation. To get a promotion, to get assigned to the good projects, to get a lateral move, to be someone that is a pleasure to work with that people will recommend. If you work at a company, your personal brand is so important within the organization so people know who you are and what your contributions are. Now, if you're an entrepreneur or a CEO of a company or you work at as a in a startup, you need to build your personal brand because that's the only way you're going to attract investors or attract the right talent or attract the right strategic partner partnership or sponsor. So, we are in the business of trust, of relationships, and your personal brand is the only thing that will carry that for you.

18:10 I'm over here taking notes because it is so powerful. Um, one of the things that you said I literally just did a video on, and now I'm going to have to maybe not put the video up because I don't want you to think I took it from you, but people follow people, they don't follow companies. Like, I literally just did a whole message on that, too. Because I don't think people understand enough the impact of just who they are now. Social media is the new PR. Like, you don't you can be your own publicist today. For sure.

18:44 You can be your own marketing agency. You can tell your own story today. And this is where I know you also

18:53 I don't throw the term genius and guru out enough, but you are that when it comes to storytelling. Talk to us about how storytelling for yourself is impactful in today's world too.

19:06 Yeah, I think like if you are not visible, you are invisible. And I really just think about that for a second. You really need to make sure that you have a solid LinkedIn profile. If you're not going to be on anything else on social media to tell stories about what you care about, the work that you do, the insights you see on industry trends. The reason why storytelling is so important is storytelling is what connects us. You know, storytelling is what makes us stop our thumb when we're scrolling on LinkedIn or Instagram or Tik Tok. Something moved us. Something made us laugh. Something made us react.

19:48 A headline caught our idea or our attention span. And you know, think about the olden days. We used to sit around the campfire and tell stories. That's where we really would really connect with each other. And I think that's the power, you know, of building a relationship and bu telling that story is you get that a way to do that with your audience and with the people that you care about. And I think of my behavior. Who are the people that I follow? Why do I follow them? Because they tell stories that are relevant to me or they tell stories in a way that makes me understand it better or they deliver in a way that it's easy to understand. And I feel like in a world where we're real time, we're 247, there's a lot of social media content, there's a lot of movement in general in the market, even if you're not online, you feel a little bit inundated. The things that stand apart are the stories

20:38 that make you listen. And your goal is to tell a story that makes somebody listen.

20:44 Totally agree. So for everybody that's listening or watching, how is AI impacting that uh storytelling prowess and how are you teaching your clients to to utilize or not utilize AI and and more importantly to stay savvy, no pun intended.

21:04 That is so funny. I am launching actually a course in January about how to build your personal brand using AI because I feel like people want to know what are the prompts they should use, what are the frameworks they need, and how could they do it fast.

21:17 Yeah, we don't have time. And so we need to figure out a way for us to do this and do it fast. And so AI can be really good at helping you structure and scale your stories in ways unimaginable before. And so for anyone who says, "I don't have time to work on my personal brand." Let me tell you, there's a fast way to do it. AI can help you. And there's just specific frameworks that you need to learn how to do about who you are, what you want to talk about, and then you can put it into action. I I really believe that it's a powerful tool if if you can use it in a way that's authentic to you and your voice and what you want to discuss. And I use it to help structure and scale stories or analyze a lot of data. And you know, I teach clients about how to use it all the time. But I feel like get in the kitchen, get your hands dirty, start playing around with it, stop being afraid of it, stop stop

22:11 like using it to do like Google search work and start to really talk to it more and get it to to help you and support you in a way.

22:19 Yeah. I mean, that's the thing. You hit on exactly what I tell my clients as well. You're going to have to play around with different things. Yeah.

22:27 Right. And and you're gonna have to find the tool that works best for you with with everything now. Video editing, there's 200 new AI software. Copywriting, there's 5,000 new software or AI tools that are out there.

22:41 Um, creating images and documents, there's a ton of AI software or AI products that are there. But you've got to understand what works best for you because what works best for Maha might not work best for Mick, but the end result should be the same,

22:57 right? And I think that's what I teach people too. Like there's no press a button and it's done.

23:02 Let me take that back. There actually are press a button and it's done, but it won't be authentically you. And that's where it has to be

23:09 trained on you, developed by you so that it can think and get the output that you want. And I think there are people that will take the lazy method. And you and I can sense that and see that really quickly, right? I can tell when someone didn't think about it. They just they had AI build something and it's not them and it's like, "Okay, I'm I'm not working with that person."

23:30 Yeah. And I here's one thing I I I I heard someone say it. I did a workout class about a month ago and it was like a 90 minute or 75 minute endurance class. I'm like, "What am I doing here? I can't do this class." And the beginning of the class, the teacher said, "It's not hard. it's new. And that stuck with me. And so when we think about AI and learning how to use a new tool or learning how to use a new app or learning something that we never think that we can take it on or understand it, I want you to say to yourself, it's not hard. It's just new.

24:07 Amen to that. Amen to that. So, back to seven rules of self-reliance. Yes. Where can people buy and get a copy of this book? It's available. It's game changing.

24:20 Yeah. Thank you. It's It's on Amazon. It's available at Barnes & Noble, any of your book retailers that you go to, but Amazon is the fastest way. They'll deliver it and everything. No time.

24:31 All right. So, I'm going to make sure I have links to to all the places. And obviously, support in your local bookstores as well, too. Yes. Go to your local bookstore, see if it's there. If it's not there, ask for it, demand it. That all helps authors. I promise you. I promise you.

24:46 So, Maha, before I get you out of here with my rapid fire quick five. Yes. Where can people find and follow you? And what are some things I know you talk about a course that you have? Like, what are ways that people can actually work with you or hire you as well?

24:59 Yeah. So, I'm Mahagabbert, which is my middle name, M Ahab R, or go to my website, which is my first name, last name.com. Please join this online course. It's gamechanging. I'm going to do it in four sessions and I'll do live sessions for the first one. It's an online course. How to build your personal brand fast using AI. It's a perfect way to start your January. Sign up uh will be on my website mahabulin.com.

25:25 I'll have links to that as well. Thank you. Everybody, please make sure you join. Um do Maha a favor and when you do connect with her, let her know that you connected through the make unplug podcast. That helps both of us just making sure that that we know that the Patriots are the best team in football and that it's not.

25:43 Okay. Okay. We're getting Oh, please hit me up on Twitter or on Instagram and say I listen to you on Mick. I'd love your feedback on this episode and then I'll also share with Mick that we connected. Okay. Patriots Drake May. I can't deny they're a good team.

25:55 It's about time you admitted that. You know that's I did. I I will admit. Step one of self-reliance is looking in the mirror

26:01 and saying our quarterback is garbage. Mitt's quarterback is good. Sorry. Okay. But you know what what I'm doing on Christmas Day? I'm going to the Vikings game. So like I'm spending my Christmas day with my team. That's Die Hard for you.

26:16 Who are they playing? They're playing the Lions. I will root for the Vikings on Christmas Day. Just for you.

26:23 Wear purple just for me and send me a selfie. I'll see what I can do. Okay. I'll see what I can do.

26:30 I'M PUSHING MY LUCK. OKAY, FINE. I'll see what I can do. Something just for you. All right. Quick five. You ready? Rack up.

26:36 I'm ready. Your favorite Viking player of all time. Fran Turkington. Okay. [clears throat] Randy Moss is mine. Okay.

26:43 Yeah. Could have been Randy Moss. Could have said Chris Carter, but I'm old school.

26:47 Okay. I like it. I like it. Uh, Vikings or Patriots? Vikings? Patriots or Vikings?

26:55 Vikings. Before you go, also outside of the Vikings, my favorite quarterback in the league is Josh Allen. Like I'm obsessed with Josh Allen. So like I have to say

27:06 the interview is over. Everybody stop listening. I was going to say Drake May Josh Allen. That's like Yeah. The mentor and the mentee, but I I bring it up, but I

27:15 No, no, no. We We do not get mentorship from people that lose four Super Bowls. Sorry, that does not happen.

27:21 That wasn't in Josh Allen's era. Oh. Oh, yeah. Because he hasn't been to one. Exactly. So we also don't take

27:27 mentorship is different. The P the Ravens are going to be out. The Bengals are out. Patrick Mahomes is not there there. There's nobody standing in our way now except for Draco.

27:38 Right. So, we're interrupting this quick five. Sorry, we just beat them. We're we're interrupting this quick five because it sounds like Maha and I are about to have a a wager. I don't want to call it a bet, but we're going to have a wager on

27:50 since since your Vikings are eliminated. You're you're riding with Josh Allen and the Bills. Let's let's put a little friendly wager on that. We'll talk about

27:58 Let's do it. I am riding with Josh Allen, the Bills all the way to Super Bowl for the AFC. That's my pick.

28:03 Okay. Well, we'll we'll come back to this episode in in the immediate future. I promise you.

28:08 Well, you think the Broncos? No. You think the Patriots? Uh, I only have one team and one team only. I don't I don't do this. My team is horrible. Let me find someone else. I don't do that.

28:20 Tells me a lot about you though, but I don't do that. I I No, I'm a Vikings fan, but I I like Josh Allen. That's That's okay

28:28 to you. Okay. Got it. Got it. Uh, I love you. Aha. All right. You're walking on stage. What's your get hype song that you're playing in your ear before you hit the stage?

28:38 Oh, I'm from Minnesota. It's Purple. It's I mean, it's not purple. It's Prince. It's Let's Go Crazy.

28:45 I love it. I love it. Let's go crazy. So, is that your favorite Prince song? Which was one of my other Okay.

28:52 Yeah. It's like that's a great walk out sign. Like, it's the best. Okay. What is the biggest lesson you've learned from a setback?

29:02 That setbacks that failure is not the opposite of success, it's part of success.

29:08 I love that. Last question. I was going to say Patriots or Vikings, but I know you're going to say that.

29:15 Yeah, I know you said Patriots. So um when the story of Maha has been completed, what's one word that's going to describe your journey?

29:29 She helped us. That was three value. I love it. I love it. Maha, thank you so much for your time.

29:42 Thank you. Um we're definitely have to do this again. This was fun. I was going to say we need more time together.

29:47 Yeah, we should have like a a recurring segment. Maybe like a quarterly sit down.

29:52 I'd love it. I'd love it. We should do like Q&A and take questions from people and answer those, too. I love doing that.

29:57 We'll make that happen. We will. Okay. I'll see you I'll see you in the Super Bowl in San Francisco.

30:01 I mean, I'm going to be there. I'm going to be there. I go for work. Not as a fan for your Patriots. But you really think you're going all the way, huh? Who you going to play? Who's on the NFC side? So, I'm gonna give you the Rams. Patriots Rams reboot.

30:18 You heard it here first. Tomorrow night's a big game. Rams, Seahawks. We'll see how that goes.

30:23 Exactly. Exactly. Well, dear, I appreciate you more than you know. I appreciate you.

30:27 Thank you so much. For all the viewers and listeners, remember your because is your superpower. Go unleash it.

30:34 You've been plugged into Mick Unplugged. Don't just listen, take action. Rate and subscribe. Follow me on social and get the full experience at mickhuntofficial.com. Keep building, keep leading, and most importantly, keep dominating.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Owning Your Future: The Power of Story and Brand with Maha Abouelenein"?

Mick (Host), Maha Abouelenein (Guest).

What is "Owning Your Future: The Power of Story and Brand with Maha Abouelenein" about?

Maha Abouelenein emphasizes the importance of effective communication and brand building in business, offering practical tips for immediate implementation. She explores the integration of AI in branding strategies and discusses key concepts from her book, "The Seven Rules of Self-Reliance," while inspiring listeners to take control of their futures through storytelling and personal branding.

What is mentioned in this Mick Unplugged Podcast episode?

5 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including The Seven Rules of Self-Reliance, Artificial Intelligence, Maha Abuan's Course, Google LLC, Barnes & Noble. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Owning Your Future: The Power of Story and Brand with Maha Abouelenein"?

The episode runs 31 min; the transcript is about 6,033 words in 104 timestamped sections.

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