Final fille inspiring business leaders making a difference 2021 vol 3 compressed

The Biblical stories are some of the most
abundant and creative contributions of
Christianity to human culture. The depth of
character in the Biblical stories is astounding. The
story of Noah's Arc, however, is a particularly
interesting one. The story goes like this…
God despairs the corruption and malice that has taken
over humanity. Reluctantly, he decides to wipe out the
human race. But Noah stands as the only one not
corrupted. With an urge to give humanity a second
chance, God tells Noah to construct an arc that will
save him, his family, and a multitude of animal life.
When he is ﬁnally done constructing the arc and about
to board it, God says to him, “for you alone, I have
seen to be righteous before Me in this time.” In a
literal sense – the whole world was doing what was
wrong. But did that prevent Noah from doing what
was right? Conclusively – No!
Noah led the species of this world to salvation
because he did what was right even when no one in
the whole world was with him. This perfectly
encapsulates one of the most important characteristics
of being a strong leader in today’s world: Leaders do
what’s right even if they are alone.
Everyone makes choices daily, and everyone has to
decide which direction they should propel their life
towards and face the consequences of their action or
inaction. All of it culminates into the personality that
EDITOR’S DESK
www.insightssuccess.com
Making the Final Call

they live out and keep updating daily. But what does it take
to be a leader amongst people?
In this edition of Insights Success magazine – ‘Inspiring
Business Leaders Making a Difference 2021’, we attempt
to dissect the actions and characteristics of some of the
innovative and transformative business leaders of their
respective fields while understanding what makes a good
leader. Let’s have a brief look at what distinct qualities we
have come up with.
Leaders are not the kind of people who revel in the confines
of their comfort zone. Being disillusioned with the status
quo, they are always looking for ways to better themselves
and those around them. The phrase ‘be yourself’ doesn’t
really satisfy them.
Great leaders are confident about their ability to deliver
results. Confident leaders have no trouble sharing credits
with others, knowing that they can deliver in turn and that
success needs the team’s support.
Many-a-times, leaders are quick to start and late to finish.
They take the time to consider everyone’s opinions and
needs on the team and make the right decisions based on
that information. Google, the tech giant, came way too late
to the web engine party after AltaVista and Yahoo.
A leader knows that oftentimes a misinformed or straight-
out wrong decision is better than no decision at all. ‘Failing
faster’ is the art of trying out a lot of different ideas (while
avoiding saturation), failing at most of them, and keep
trying nonetheless till you get to a point where you are
happy with the result. Leaders know the importance of
failing.
In turbulent times such as the ones presented to us by the
ongoing pandemic, where many well-established businesses
were forced to shut down, leaders must keep a calm mind.
Leaders have to reassess assumptions, re-evaluate
scenarios, and trust their ability to sense and respond.
All this and we are still not even close to exhausting the list
of what it takes to be a good leader. Read through the pages
of this edition to better comprehend what fits the bill of
optimal leadership in the business sphere.
So, sit back, relax, take a break from worrying about when
the theatres are opening up, and take your mind off the
‘Don’t Rush’ challenge because this is going to be
exhilarating!
Have fun reading!
Aditya Umale
Aditya Umale

Cover Story
08
Jim McNeese
Leading with the Dynamic
of Technology and Human
Talent
Articles
18
DIY Leadership
6 tips on how to manage
your remote team
28
Tech Takedown
How AI is changing the
Email marketing niche

14
32
36
C O N T E N T S
C O N T E N T S
Cara Scharf
Empowering Companies with Her
Digital Marketing Prowess
Mona Yousuf Almoayyed
An Epitome of Resilience and
Exemplary Leadership
Renee Welsh
Inspiring Gender Equality in
Tech Business
22
Edward Sawiris Banayoti
An Epitome of Ethical Leadership

sales@insightssuccess.com
March, 2021
Circulation Manager Tanaji
Research Analyst Eric Smith
Editor-in-Chief Sumita Sarkar
Anish Miller
Senior Editor
Jenny, Michael
Business Development Executives
Managing Editor
Sherin Rodricks
Business Development Manager
Abhishaj Sajeev
Art & Design Head
Art & Design Assistant
Vishal Pawar
Visualiser David King
Rashmi Singh
Co-designer
Art & Picture Editor
Priyanka Rajage
Marketing Manager Joseph D'souza
Technical Consultants Pratiksha, Aditya, David
Technical Head Jacob Smile
Assistant Technical Head
SME-SMO Executives Gemson, Renuka
Digital Marketing Manager Alina Sege
Assistant Digital Marketing Manager Amol Wadekar
Copyright © 2021 Insights Success Media and Technology Pvt. Ltd., All rights reserved. The content and images used in this magazine should not
be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission
from Insights Success. Reprint rights remain solely with Insights Success.
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Insights Success Media Tech LLC
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Sales Executives Kelly, Mark, Alice
Amar Sawant
Assisting Editors Trishika, Aditya
Rohit Shinganapurkar

Company Name Description
Featuring
Switchfly
switchfly.com
Ernie Herrman, CEO
Jim McNeese, CEO
Jon Smith, CEO
Maarten Vandecruys
Founder
Cara Scharf, President
Edward Sawiris Banayoti
CEO
Daniel Farrar, CEO
Karsten Böhrs
CEO and Co-owner
Specializing in the entertainment, retail, education, and tech
verticals, Fearless Media's dynamic approach to marketing
developed out of a focus on data and analytics, with digital at
the core of every campaign.
Switchfly helps travel brands, including airlines, hotels, and
their loyalty programs, offer high-margin travel products that
create customer value and drive loyalty.
Defence Unlimited International are defence and security
consultants/brokers, with one of the largest network of defence
consultants around the world.
The TJX Companies, Inc., is the leading off-price retailer of
apparel and home fashions in the U.S. and worldwide
C2XCEL is an unbiased, professional telecommunications
consulting firm providing strategic technology solutions for
SMB, mid-sized and enterprise level companies.
Pobble provides teachers with exciting lesson ideas, resources
from leading educational partners, and access to the world’s
largest bank of writing examples.
simpleshow is the pioneer platform for digital products and
services around explainer videos.
Urban Crop Solutions creates automated controlled
environment vertical farming systems and has the ambition to
be the global reference in the urban farming industry.
Fearless Media
fearlessmedia.com
CEO and MD
Renee Welsh, CEO
Y. K. Almoayyed & Sons is a diversified business group,
comprising of Y. K. Almoayyed & Sons, Ashrafs, Almoayyed
Contracting Group and National Concrete Company.
Booking Boss is a cloud based reservation software designed
specifically for attractions, tour operators and activity providers
and as a world first, with an in-built channel manager.
Defence Unlimited
International
defenceunlimited.com
TJX
tjx.com
C2XCEL LLC
c2xcel.com
Pobble
pobble.com
Simpleshow
mysimpleshow.com
Urban Crop Solutions
urbancropsolutions.com
YK Almoayyed & Sons
almoayyed.com
Bookingboss
bookingboss.com

my team faces,” he says. He also
worked on the sales side locating
customers and selling them service
(data, voice, etc.)
Personally, he prefers the sales role, as
it allows him to build relationships
with potential clients. “This may not be
how the next guy would do it, but it has
been very successful for me,”
expresses Jim.
A Dynamic Leadership
When Jim closes a deal with a client,
he receives a great understanding of
what happens behind the scenes to get
that service installed and get it
functioning. This creates an
atmosphere in which many
perspectives allow comprehensive
solutions that, in turn, allows the
company to grow and expand while
bringing in more talent.
As Jim has hired people he trusts, he
knows that his team will get the job
done and each of them are able to
focus on their respective roles and
responsibilities due to such approach.
“I look back at my career, my previous
roles and responsibilities, and know
that each of them built a foundation
from which I was able to start my
business,” describes Jim.
After many years working for
technology carriers, he realized there
was a niche for him that would not
only allow Jim to be his own boss but
would create the ability to better assist
clients in achieving their technology
goals/needs. “I receive great
satisfaction from helping my customers
attain their goals, without being boxed
in by a carrier’s limitations,” he adds.
Knowing he is capable of creating and
implementing a solid technology
backbone by bringing the very best
options to the table each and every day
is his motivation.
Currently, C2XCEL’s employees work
from home. This is a norm for them,
not a result of the Covid-19 situation.
Therefore, Jim’s job of making the
work environment vibrant is not as
easy as it might be if the whole team
worked together in an office. “It is a
challenge for me to get creative in this
area,” informs Jim.
He has budgeted an amount for each
employee to spend as they wish each
month. They can go out to each, get a
massage, order from Amazon, etc. It is
100% up to them how they spend these
funds. Also, he plans a team
event/outing each quarter. This ensures
that they have time as a team to have
fun and get to know each other on a
personal level. “I am always thinking
of ways to make work a better place for
my employees, as I believe that is a
small investment for their dedication
and hard work,” confirms Jim.
An Excellent Tech-Enabler
According to Jim, remote workforce,
collaboration, and security are heavy
hitters in the industry. This could
change at any time, which is why he
loves this business. It is never dull, and
no two businesses are alike. He has
created a process that ensures
C2XCEL’s team handle each customer
as an individual project and locate and
present solutions to fulfill their
individual needs.
Every business requires data
connectivity, which then requires
security measures to protect what they
have built. Also, business requires
voice services, so there is really no end
to how C2XCEL can assist a client.
Jim is very excited for the growth
C2XCEL has shown this year. Even
with the pandemic, the company has
grown and is looking forward to
prospective expansion opportunities.
Technology has changed our
lives for the better. It is still
doing that on a dynamic level.
Helping us to get where we need to go,
without even stepping out of the door,
receiving things right in your hands,
accessing information from a distance,
delivering commands with a gesture
and more; technology has enabled the
world at our fingertips.
Technology has surely made our
lifestyle easy, but the most important
thing is the deployment of the right
technology, may it be your home or
office. Your technological needs should
be suited as per your requirement
where you always remain in control.
Jim McNeese, President of C2XCEL,
advocates greatly about the utilization
of technology to the best extent in
business and provides the right
guidance towards employment and
deployment of the same to C2XCEL’s
clients. He has been in the technology
industry about 25 years. Jim’s early
years in the business were spent
working for different service carriers in
different capacities.
“I worked as support for the sales
team, giving me the insights needed to
understand the administrative aspects
‘‘
‘‘

An Expert Advice
Younger people have had the
advantage of growing up with
technology in every aspect of their
lives. This does allow such individuals
to enter the industry with a lower
learning curve, but they face
challenges that Jim and his
contemporaries did not face. This is
still very much a people and
networking industry.
If someone is not able to communicate
effectively in face to face meetings or
network effectively, they will find it
extremely difficult to be successful
because most of the CIOs, CEOs, and
IT Directors/Managers are from the
prior generations and do not like
communicating via text, chat, and
email for the higher level deliverables.
In many instances face to face
meetings are the only way to
accomplish the goals and close a deal.
“My advice would be making a change
in your communication style that will
enable you to seek and have successful
face to face communications,” Jim
elaborates.
“They must separate themselves from
the competition, which is very
challenging, but doing so will elevate
the business without much effort,
allowing the business owner to focus
on the business,” he further adds. Of
course, opening and running a
business, of any type takes a huge
amount of time and effort, so hiring the
right people is key. It is also very
important to know when to say ‘No’,
although it becomes very tough to turn
business away. “Unless you are able to
WOW the customer with the finished
product, it is better to decline,”
concludes Jim.
Jim believes he has created a positive
and happy atmosphere for his
employees. “I trust them and know
they work hard every day,” states Jim.
He wants to continue in this trajectory
and have a team that will help one
another expand within the industry,
which will ensure growth for
C2XCEL. It is a delicate balance, but
when it is balanced, C2XCEL works as
a finely tuned machine.
Talking about the essentials of being a
good business leader, he thinks that the
development of the business and the
entrepreneur depends upon the
business venture; however, hiring the
right people and knowing one’s
limitations will help guarantee a
successful business. Jim is of the
opinion that without the right people to
support the initiatives,
projects/products will not be completed
on time, or not at the best quality.
Every business needs to understand
their market, their abilities and make
sure they can always support every
opportunity. “I would not recommend
taking business for the sake of taking
business, if the finished product leaves
the client underwhelmed. Don’t bite off
more than you can chew,” he opines.
‘‘
‘‘

14| March 2021|www.insightssuccess.com

Digital Media has opened up
avenues for marketing today
like never before. For any
company, the prospective clients are
just a click away. To compel digital
media users to buy a particular product
or a service, a company needs media
campaigns which are attention
grabbing and unmissable.
Cara Scharf, the President of
Fearless Media, a division of
ReKTGlobal, is doing just that and
more.
Fearless Media is a full-service, NYC-
based digital marketing agency,
specializing in the entertainment, retail,
education, and technology verticals. It
creates beautifully integrated solutions
and communication across all media
and helps companies develop
marketing strategies, execute
campaigns, and drive revenue. The
company believes that every element
of a campaign is vital and informs each
next element, which is why its
approach is always integrated.
A Leap of Faith
Comfort zone is a beautiful thing. It
keeps you happy in your own little
space, where you can bask in the
achievements of your world. However,
it makes you too comfortable to
explore your own strengths. You never
know what you can do if you don’t
give it a try.
Cara, until the year 2009, worked as
Executive Vice President at an agency
where she successfully led the
agency’s growth and business
development, by boosting the
company’s revenue from 10 million to
50 million USD.
For someone like her, who thrives in
challenges, the sense of comfort soon
became overbearing. She says, “I’d
risen to the highest level I could with
that firm, but I found myself feeling
unsatisfied and unhappy. When my
former employer asked me to go into a
dumpster to get a paperclip, that was
when I knew. It was time. Leaving was
a huge decision, but a quick one. I
knew I had to be my own boss so I
would never feel taken advantage of
again.”
Cara’s years of experience and
motivated persona resulted in the
establishment of Fearless Media. After
taking the huge decision of starting on
her own, she was now faced with
everyday decision-making to keep her
new company at the top of the charts.
The initial two years got her working
on all aspects which were tiring and
gratifying at the same time. Cara soon
became a successful and renowned
businesswoman.
Following is a list of the awards and
recognition Cara has earned so far
30 Most Valuable Brands of the Year
Award 2021 — Silicon Review
Inspiring Women Leaders Making a
Difference 2021 – Insights Success
Influential Businesswoman of the
Year 2019/2020 – Leading Ad Agency
in Market Channel Integration
Global 100 – Most Innovative
Marketing Business Leader - 2019 –
Fearless Media
Insights Success 2019 – The 2019
Elite Business Woman to Watch
Clutch Awards 2018 – Top New York
Marketing & Advertising Agencies US
Oprah/Entrepreneur Magazine
September 2018 – Top NY Women in
Business Section Feature
Corporate Excellence Awards of
2018 – New York - Marketing &
Advertisement Entrepreneur Northeast
US - Most Innovative Marketing &
Advertising President
Fearless Solutions
Under Cara’s tutelage, team Fearless
Media has developed a proven
combination of strategy, planning, and
overall innovation which enables its
clients to be Fearless. The company
creates powerful integrated solutions
and communication across all media
for the client company. It can build and
develop marketing strategies, execute
campaigns, and drive revenue to bring
the company to the front lines of its
respective industry.
Everything at Fearless Media begins
with ‘digital’ at its core. Its proprietary,
customized analytic dashboard gives
the client’s brand management team
the exact data they need to make
informed decisions.
“
Inspiring Business Leaders Making A Difference 2021
“

Its core competencies include Strategic
Planning and Buying, Programmatic
Buying, Co-Marketing Strategic
Alliances, In-Depth Analytics, and
Traditional Media. The company also
works in the core demographic of the
18–34-year audience, and it knows
how to reach them. It has a vast
understanding of the eSports,
videogame, and consumer electronics
categories.
As the digital entertainment industry
soared while people stayed home
during the Covid lockdown, Fearless
Media was acquired by ReKTGlobal.
“During Covid, I had a lot of time to
think about how I wanted my company
to grow and who I wanted to work with
in the future. Being a solo entrepreneur
doesn’t give you much time to think
about growth planning, since you’re so
focused on the day-to-day,” says Cara.
“During the 14 years I had been in
business, I had received many offers,
but with each opportunity, the
relationship was either not a good fit,
or I would be required to give up
responsibility or money. When
ReKTGlobal approached me with an
offer, it was a natural fit. Like my
company, they were laser-focused not
only on gaming culture, but also on
being THE entertainment company for
GenZ. I knew the relationship would
open up a wealth of resources (aside
from media) that had not been
available to me before. Joining them
was a great decision!” she adds.
Launched in 2017, ReKTGlobal is a
leader in digital entertainment,
connecting brands with sports, music,
and esports brands around the globe.
The company was founded by Amish
Shah and Dave Bialek, and is led by
Kevin Knocke, Chief Creative
Officer; Parrish McIntyre, Chief
Operating Officer; and Brad Sive,
Chief Revenue Officer.
ReKTGlobal’s ownership team
includes Summit Partners, Nick Gross,
Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith, musical
artists Steve Aoki, Imagine Dragons
and Nicky Romero, pro athletes Rudy
Gobert, Landon Collins and Taylor
Fritz, and superstars Josh Richards and
Griffin Johnson.
Cara shares that the team at ReKT
were people that she knew and
respected as industry leaders. The
founders of the company acquired
other businesses that were also owned
by entrepreneurs, so they were already
well-versed at working with business
owners. They were smart to hire people
who were already quite driven and
didn’t need a lot of handholding. “We
have all built teams, had our own
success, and are self-motivated to
win,” she expressed.
As one of the few female executives at
ReKT, Cara was excited to leave her
mark on the company in the same way
she has blazed trails in the world of
gaming and digital marketing — with
campaigns such as working with
Conan O’Brien to integrate Biomutant
into his final Clueless Gamer segment.
People Matter
As a valued leader, Cara believes that
success in business depends heavily on
the kind of people you hire. She states,
“You need to hire skills for today and
aptitude for tomorrow. It’s crucial to
hire smarter people than yourself.
Every year the bar is raised for an ad
agency, which means your hiring needs
are even more important. It is
imperative that you have the right
skillsets and adjust your staffing as
needed based on where you see the
market heading.”
At the same time, as a woman, she
feels that woman empowerment
shouldn’t be talked-about but worked-
on. The need for diversity, not only in
the marketing and advertising industry
but across all industries is irrefutable.
Citing her own example, Cara states, “I
think people take for granted how
driven you need to be to run your own
company. They typically reserve that
‘drive’ for a man and resent when
women are tigers. You don’t need
confidence to start, you need guts. The
confidence comes with knowing you
have been able to beat all the odds.
Only 0.1% of the founders in
advertising are female. That is what I
think about, if I ever start to doubt my
abilities. I am still here 10 years later,
and I keep learning every day.”
Driving Digital Experiences
For a decade, Cara and her team have
been building and delivering
compelling digital marketing
experiences. They have been creating
personalized experiences which engage
and convert client’s customers in
memorable and enticing ways across
all platforms. They have been
combining storytelling with data-
proven insights to create social media
messaging that’s not just compelling,
but also profitable.
Going forward, Fearless Media will
continue to unify media, creative, and
buying strategies to create
omnichannel campaigns that will
increase reach, awareness,
engagement, and retention.

Email marketing has been in
existence for just as long as the
invention of email.
Email marketing is somewhat of a
dinosaur when it comes to digital
marketing. Emails have existed since
the 1970s, and businesses have been
using emails for marketing ever since.
It is one of the most eﬀective ways of
digital marketing and is very relevant
in today’s generation, with all the new
technologies surfacing in digital
marketing.

Tech Takedown

The importance of big data –
Both personalization and automation of
an email require big data to function. It
is unnecessary to be a big company to
deal with this concept, especially if
you’re creating personalized emails for
your subscribers.
Big data gives you a chance to stand
out in the huge pool of emails your
clients receive every day. The concept
of segmentation is possible through the
data your subscribers provide while
they sign up.
Apart from this, you can also gather
more personal data to craft bespoke
emails that will catch the eye of your
client.
Optimizing email timings –
sending frequent emails to your
subscribers might push them to opt out
of your subscription, and sending too
few of them might get you overtaken
by your competitors. AI does the work
of sending just the right number of
emails to keep your subscribers hooked
based on their activity history.
AI can also factor in your subscribers'
downtimes, time zones, and personal
habits to correctly schedule the time of
sending out emails. AI does the
guesswork of identifying each of your
subscribers’ individual preferences and
time zones and sends emails
accordingly.
Personalized promotions –
AI accurately identifies what promos
work best for your subscribers based
on their habits, choices, and browsing
history, whether it’s freebies,
discounts, or product
recommendations.
AI in email marketing is advancing one
of the most popular digital marketing
outlets, and in the following article, we
will explore the same.
The ease of automation –
The AI-powered computer systems
allow you to set up automated or drip
campaigns based on the customer’s
journey. AI calculates the customer’s
history of purchasing, interests, and
buying behaviors to generate emails
accordingly. This method is very clever
and effective in generating your
potential leads.
AI also helps determine what images
and content will be most suitable in
drafting your welcome emails,
retention emails, and order update
emails to achieve the highest amount
of conversion possible. Automation in
emails will make your job of creating
engagement easier to lengths.
Intelligent personalization –
Everything becomes better
personalized. The most successful
email marketing campaigns focus on
generating emails that look like they
were written personally by a human
and not some machine.
AI technology helps analyze customer
behavior and formulate emails
according to that. This allows you to
create customized emails that are
tailor-made for each of your clients.
The best way to gather for this process
is by asking for your customer’s
preferences while they sign up or after
sending them the welcome mail. In this
way, AI can help you create content for
the email that best resonates with your
client.
AI can retarget the customer to their
abandoned shopping cart by emailing
them to reconsider or recommend a
similar item to purchase. Personalized
emails have a CTA that will guide the
client on the landing page to easily
complete a purchase.
The probability of conversion increases
significantly with the help of
customized product recommendation
emails.
Optimized subject lines –
Choosing the accurate subject line
increases a customer’s chances to open
the sent email. Having the subject line
in place is one of the most important
parts of your overall strategy.
A great email subject line will stand
out in the receiver’s inbox and compel
them to click on it and read through the
email. AI uses clever algorithms to
generate great subject lines that will
significantly increase the click-through
rate. It improves the subject line over
time by analyzing past email marketing
campaigns.
Email marketing still is one of the most
popular digital marketing platforms
because it works. Even though
technology has reached new altitudes,
email is still relevant because people
still read their emails every day, and
most of the professional discourse
happens via email.
Including AI in your email marketing
campaigns will make this already
effective strategy more resultant and
convert your potential leads into active
subscribers. Like every other field, AI
is rapidly changing the email
marketing niche, and it is smart to
incorporate AI in your email marketing
strategy and grow exponentially.
- Trishika R.

32| July 2021|www.insightssuccess.com

Diana Williams
Founder and Managing Director
Womenʼs Health Clubs
www.insightssuccess.com
2021 | VOLUME-04 | ISSUE-02
WORLD'S 10 BEST AND FRANCHISES TO OPEN IN 2021
FITNESS GYM
Eating Right
The role of appropriate
nutrition in a tness regime
Consume Wisely
Health and tness content on
social media – a boon or a bane?

More than a year ago, the COVID-19 pandemic
forced the whole world to remain indoors. The
rapid spread of the lethal virus made it essential
for everyone to do all their daily activities, maintaining
social distance.
This meant for most businesses to abruptly shift to a remote
work setting or to shut their business altogether. The
businesses that managed to shift to remote working had the
biggest challenge in front of them: How to manage their
remote teams?

DIY Leadership

The following tips will resolve this question and lend you
the key to managing remote teams effectively.
1. Establish expectations clearly -
When managing a remote team, you must state expectations
clearly to your team. Doing so will give a guideline to your
team to work towards the tasks they have been assigned.
When you properly set deadlines, employees stay on edge
to do the given task on time, which helps them maintain a
healthy work-life balance. Communication expectations
early and often to the employees will result in achieving all
the goals in time, which is a necessary aspect of running a
successful business.
2. Choose the right platform to communicate -
Interpersonal communication becomes a difficult job when
working remotely. So, you must choose the right platform
to communicate with your team, depending upon your
organization’s work culture. The medium can be emails,
phone calls, texts, video calls, or any other medium of
communication that is available and suitable for your staff.
You also have to remember to strike a balance in how often
you communicate with your employees; it neither should be
a constant bombarding of messages nor should it be radio
silence. The frequency of communication amongst staff will
reflect in the final product/service of the organization.
3. Bond with your team and be available to them -
One of the essential things to keep in mind while running a
business remotely, especially in times like this pandemic, is
that you should build connections with your employees.
Working from home can make employees feel isolated and
insecure. You must make genuine conversations with your
employees and check on their well-being. This will create a
sense of belonging in the employees’ minds for the
organization, which will result in them working more
enthusiastically.
4. Be flexible and organized -
When working remotely, it is beneficial to allow flexible
working hours to maintain consistency in the employees’
zeal. Although it is important to have a concrete plan, you
should stay open to adjusting strategies as needed. As long
as your employees are putting in the efforts to give you a
quality product/service, it doesn’t matter if they’re working
in the morning or evening hours. This gives them the
freedom to work in the hours that they are most active and
productive. One benefit of working remotely that your
employees will have, is flexible working hours, which will
be simultaneously beneficial for your company.
5. Don’t micromanage; trust the process -
Whether working remotely or in office space, it is important
to keep track of your employee’s performance. But this
doesn’t mean that you micromanage them. Micromanaging
employees results in them having self-esteem issues, which
doesn’t reflect the organization’s overall output. It is crucial
in a remote setting that you trust the process, as it takes
time for anyone to get used to a new setup, efficiently will
show eventually. Have faith in your employees and allow
them some time to adjust to the setup.
6. Celebrate successes and milestones -
To keep your team passionate in a remote setting, you must
celebrate their milestones and successes. Celebrating their
successes act as a positive reinforcement for them to work
just as or more passionately for the organization. Even a
little appreciation for consistent and good work to your
employees can act as a massive positive booster in their
performance. In isolated times like this pandemic,
providing positive affirmation to employees helps them stay
motivated to work efficiently and instills a sense of purpose.
The tips mentioned above will help you find your way
through a previously seeming chaotic and complex task of
managing a remote team. One thing to remember before
applying all the tips and start working is to trust the process.
Working remotely can also be just as dynamic as working
in an office space if you remember to come up with
innovative ideas to keep your team engaged and conduct
team bonding activities often.
- Trishika R.
30| July 2021|www.insightssuccess.com

If you have your
own business, you
must look at its
profit by reducing
its expenses and
using clear and
effec ve marke ng.
In the last century, women have made tremendous
strides in their quest for equality and empowerment.
This is especially true when it comes to the world of
entrepreneurship.
Recently, several female entrepreneurs have been making
waves as they are able to take on leadership roles that were
once reserved exclusively for men.
The success stories of Oprah Winfrey, Marissa Mayer,
Muniba Mazari, Sheryl Sandberg and Indra Nooyi show us
what can happen when you dare to be different and embrace
your identity as strength.
These powerful role models remind us that we have the
power within ourselves to create the life we want with
confidence and in that journey, inspire others to do so too.
We bring to you a similar story – that of Mona Yousuf
Almoayyed, the CEO and Managing Director of YK
Almoayyed & Sons (B.S.C).
An Epitome of Resilience and Exemplary
Leadership

In the following interview, Mona shares a few insights of
her journey and her contributions towards the success of her
company.
Brief our audience about journey as a business leader
until your current position at YK Almoayyed & Sons
(B.S.C).
As a young lady, I wanted to be a social worker but then my
father gave me his advice which I appreciate until this day.
He told me that if I study business, I will be able to grow
the family business and at the same time practice my love
for social works through our Corporate Social Responsibly
in the business.
After my graduation, I joined the family business of YK
Almoayyed & Sons in 1974, as part of its furniture division.
My frequent visit to furniture shows across Europe and the
U.S. enabled me to improve the furniture collection of the
company. In the early 90s, I got promoted to the automobile
business. After the demise of my father, I became the
Managing Director of the company, which became the
turning point of my life.
Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the
key industry sectors and market segments, from
automobiles, to electronics and luxury goods from your
expertise in the same?
We have an executive committee that meets every week. All
the managers report to the committee, and we make
decisions. We also have an audit committee that is doing a
very good job examining all the risk factors, how to
improve things and how to close loopholes for corruption.
The company’s H.R. committee looks after the employees
and follows a performance management system to motivate
and improve their positions. The quality committee ensures
everything runs efficiently.
We also do a balanced scorecard, which is a way to look at
the four pillars of the business – profitability, customer
satisfaction, innovation and training, and the proper
processes to run the business.
As we approach the third-generation era, we are organizing
the company to be run by professional management with
policies and procedures. Family members are involved only
on the board level.
We have appointed a consultant to meet all members of the
nd rd
2 and 3 generation and come up with corporate
governance principles and review our family constitution.
Our biggest challenge is to protect the family business and
keep it for many generations to come.
What are the challenges you and your team come across
in your day-to-day operations?
Being a family business, in existence for over 80 years,
employing over 6,000 employees most of whom are with us
for decades, poses its challenges. We need to move with the
time with top priority on the training of our employees and
invest on the latest Information Technology. We continually
reward good employees to achieve more and care about the
satisfaction of our customers.
Being an experienced leader, share with us your opinion
on how the change from traditional processes to
technology-based processes in the Distribution Service
Market space has transformed the industry and what
more could be expected in the near future?
The world of business has changed drastically from the
seventies when I joined the business. Computers were not
invented; all the accounts were manually recorded in the
ledger. My father used to send a letter to his dealers by post
and wait a week or two weeks for the reply. Now with the
fast emails and telephone, we can achieve much more.
Taking into consideration, the current pandemic, and its
impact on global economies, how are you driving your
organization to sustain operations and ensuring safety
of your employees at the same time?
The outlook of the economy is showing promising signs of
recovery despite the prolonged pandemic with growth
projected at 3.3% this year after a 5.4% contraction in 2020,
as per the International Monetary Fund. The projected 3.3%
growth this year reflects an expected 3.9% recovery in the
non-oil sector, boosted by widespread vaccine distribution.
The automotive sector which is the strongest of the business
verticals (main revenue earner) of our organization was
heavily impacted due to the pandemic, not only with the
economic distress but also due to the disruptions caused in
the supply chains. However, we anticipate the sector to
stabilize and sales to rise by the end of the year as tourism
picks up and borders open.
We have made big advancements in the digital operations of
our business and are catering to their demands by delivering
our items directly at their doorsteps. At our automobile

service outlets, we are providing pick-up and drop-off
services for all our customers. All our deme vehicles are
disinfected regularly.
We were audited and certified by bureau veritas, an
international audit, and inspection firm as a safe place for
work and business, weekly review meetings with the
management to implement measures necessary for
prevention.
We have implemented several safety protocols like enabling
remote working across various divisions, holding all our
meetings and employee training programs virtually, limiting
the number of employees at a location and those present to
adhere to social distancing measures, provide protective
equipment to all our employees.
Acrylic barriers between workstations have been placed to
maintain social distancing between employees, encouraging
our employees to get vaccinated with more than 98% of all
our employees been already vaccinated, periodic
inspections of workstations carried out by our Health and
Safety officer and regular disinfection of all our offices and
employee accommodations.
What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs
who aspire to venture into the Sales, Distribution and
Service Industry?
Work hard and never give up. If they have their own
business, they must look at its profit side by reducing its
expenses and using clear and effective marketing. They
need to know their customers thoroughly to satisfy them.
Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run,
and what are your future goals for Y K Almoayyed &
Sons (B.S.C.)?
We envisage a future where technology is a dominant
player in many aspects of business as well as in our overall
lives. We will continue to invest in technology which will
help streamline our operations, reduce overheads, and help
improve business presence through greater customer reach.

“How important it is for us to
recognize and celebrate our heroes and
she-roes!”
I
st
n the 21 century where gender
equality has become a burning
talk on every platform, American
poet Maya Angelou's words show how
its mind over matter. That true gender
equality begins in one's mind
thoughtfully shaping the actions that
further inﬂuence and inspire others.
Renee Welsh, CEO of Embed and
Booking Boss, is one such inspiring
leader who has been creating a
milestone by leading a Chief Executive
team with 50% gender parity, a goal
other large and small organizations
aspire to achieve.
As an executive and ambitious
entrepreneur, Renee's passion lies in
building businesses and transforming
industries. As a natural innovator,
Renee launched her ﬁrst tech business
at the age of 27 followed by prominent
start-ups across the world, including
lastminute.com, Wotif, Monster, and
RedBalloon.
In 2013, Renee launched Booking
Boss, an award-winning ticketing and
booking management platform
dedicated to attractions, tours, and
entertainment industries. In 2017, after
Helix Leisure acquired Booking Boss,
Renee was appointed CEO to both
Booking Boss and sister-company
Embed, an integrated cloud-based
business solution platform that enables
business owners in the family

entertainment space to achieve greater
operational efficiency.
“I don't believe you can effectively
lead a team, build confidence, and
influence everlasting positive change
without the following,” Renee says,
“It's important to take everyone on a
journey and be the change you want to
inspire. The only way to get the best
out of others is to expect the best from
yourself and lead by example,” she
further adds.
During this thrilling successful journey
Renee, like any other entrepreneur
faced challenges, especially during the
COVID-19 pandemic. But her industry
expertise, leadership skills, and desire
to help others to march forward
together made it possible for Renee
and her teams to create new
milestones.
In March 2021, Renee achieved one
more milestone by founding Crone
Queen, a passion project to bring
women together in a collective that
harnesses the uncompromising power
of authenticity to illuminate and
elevate women as they power through
their next life chapters.
Read the following interview where
Renee shares her inspiration to become
an entrepreneur and how by setting an
example, she's driving gender equality
in the tech business.
What is your source of motivation
and inspiration that drove you to
become an entrepreneur?
I've always been ambitious and self-
driven, always considered myself an
entrepreneur, and will push boundaries
whenever I can, especially when it
comes to gender parity in high-tech.
I'm proud to be the CEO of a tech
company with an Executive Team that
boasts a 50% gender parity.
Many factors drive entrepreneurial
success, some of which include:
Ÿ Communicating a vision and the
strategy to achieve it together.
Ÿ Helping others, whether they are
team members, clients, or partners,
achieve their goals.
Ÿ Courage.
Ÿ Live your values, be an active
example of them.
I am committed to providing equal
opportunity across our organization.
Only 17% of Fortune 500 CEOs are
women and only one in four start-ups
has a woman on the founding team. I
believe in the value of diversity in our
talent pool.
Embed has a shared commitment to
gender parity at all levels of an
organization because Embed believes
in the boundless intellectual,
leadership, cultural and commercial
strength that results from harnessing
and realizing the talent capital of
gender equality.
I take great pride in not only leading a
company that is gender equal but
putting an end to gender inequality in
the tech sector. With a Chief Executive
Leadership team made up of 50%
women, Embed is proud to be an
example of what other companies,
large and small, aspire to achieve.
As far as your industry dynamics go,
what type of challenges did you face
during the pandemic?
When COVID-19 was declared a
pandemic, many hunkered down and
went dark. During that time, I led
Embed to work in 6-week cycles of
innovation. I wanted to bring the light
by bringing the industry together and
demonstrate our commitment to the
industry's recovery by leading Embed
through a dramatic pivot to deliver a
series of initiatives that would help pull
the industry through the pandemic
crisis.
In March 20, we pivoted our business
to focus on surviving the pandemic and
actively huddled with the industry to
pave the path forward together, as well
as spotlighting industry insiders to
share their insights through
EmbedLIVE shooting close to 100
episodes and published free Insight
Paper: FEC 2.0, Getting to the Other
Side. When so many went dark, we
wanted to bring the light and stay close
to the industry, our customers, and
friends, reassuring us all that we're in
this together.
In April 20, we implemented Embed's
COVID-19 Relief Act giving our latest
award-winning innovation, the Mobile
Wallet, to everyone for free for 1-year,
to demonstrate our commitment to our
industry's recovery.
Embed is the only FEC business
solutions provider to partner with
Google and Apple to gain compliance
approval for the product. This
“
“

breakthrough makes Embed the only
non-banking finance-payment or
loyalty card that sits in the mobile
wallet. There's no app download
required, so guests add the virtual
game card to their Mobile Wallet and
play, topping up anytime, anywhere.
In May 20, we launched the COVID-
19 Resource Center which includes
free creative toolkits for all the
operators to use that facilitate a
successful reopening and supporting to
expedite their business recovery. We
did this because we knew FECs did not
have the cash flow to invest in
developing creative signage for
handwashing, social distancing
measures, etc. that they would need in
their operations when they reopened.
This was an act of our commitment to
our industry's recovery.
In July 20, we demonstrated our
commitment to our customers by
joining the fight to eradicate COVID-
19 with a new approach to hygiene
protection – Embed Hygiene Defence
products - powerful 100% natural
hygiene protection that's safe for
families. With the pervasive
accelerated pace of cleaning, family-
friendly industries require non-toxic,
all-natural cleaning products.
In Nov 20, we started giving away free
Mobile Wallet printed assets (creative
kits) to help our customers successfully
launch the Mobile Wallet and drive
uptake and adoption. This is ongoing
and free to all operators who've
launched the free Mobile Wallet. All
these initiatives are done to support our
customers in their business recovery
and drive return visits future-proofing
their business and accelerate their
recovery in this industry.
In March 2021, as more countries
administer the vaccine and most
businesses start to re-open, we
published and distributed our 2nd
insights whitepaper – Road to
Recovery for free to help our operators
rebuild their businesses and thrive.
“
“

Final fille inspiring business leaders making a difference 2021 vol 3 compressed

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