Stop Public Speaking for Free and Learn How To Get Paid | Saana Azzam

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chatGRG

23 episodes

1 week ago

chatGRG explores how careers are built, shaped, and evolved in an AI-driven world. In a region where opportunity moves fast, careers are rarely linear. Being skilled is not enough. How you position yourself, how you show up, and how your experience translates into opportunity matter. chatGRG brings together leaders, founders, hiring managers, and regional influencers to share honest perspectives on building careers in the Gulf. We speak openly about getting hired, navigating multiple career moves, and understanding how decisions are made behind closed doors. Across these conversations, we also explore how personal brand and career visibility influence hiring outcomes, progression, and long-term credibility, especially in a market where reputation travels quickly. Produced through GRG, the region’s largest independently owned recruitment firm, the discussions are shaped by real access to senior hiring environments and market insight. This is not theory or motivation. It is experience-led discussion on careers, visibility, hiring dynamics, and what it takes to build long-term momentum. If you are building yourself or navigating your next move, this is the insight most people only gain after years in the market.

Society & Culture

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Society & Culture

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Stop Public Speaking for Free and Learn How To Get Paid | Saana Azzam - Founder of MENA Speakers

chatGRG

29 minutes 37 seconds

1 month ago

Stop Public Speaking for Free and Learn How To Get Paid | Saana Azzam - Founder of MENA Speakers

Public speaking is something we all do, but for Saana Azzam, it became a business, a career, and a way to reshape how an entire region finds its voice. She built a platform that turns people’s stories, ideas, and expertise into paid opportunities and meaningful impact.

In this episode of The Brand of You, Saana Azzam, Founder of MENA Speakers, joins us to uncover the craft behind speaking, and how to build a career from it.

We chat about:

↳ How Saana went from economist to one of the Middle East’s most in-demand speaker coaches.

↳ What separates a good speaker from an impactful one.

↳ Why so many people still speak for free and how to start charging for your voice.

↳ The inner critic, stage anxiety, and the surprising mindset shift that changed her approach to confidence.

↳ How personal branding shapes every opportunity on and off the stage.

If you want to learn how to step onto any stage with clarity, own your message, and get paid for the value you bring, tune into this episode now!

(00:00:00) Opening: The $100,000 Speaking Fee Reality(00:01:00) From Finance to Founding MENA Speakers(00:02:06) Why Events Need Great Speakers(00:02:59) The Speaker Pyramid: From Educational to Transformational(00:04:49) The Three Pillars: Narrative, Delivery, and Personal Brand(00:07:33) Stop Speaking for Free: Understanding Speaker Rates(00:09:36) The First Paid Gig: From Student to Paid Speaker at 20(00:13:05) Battling the Inner Critic: Finding Your Power on Stage(00:17:31) Stage Presence: Why Standing Changes Everything(00:26:49) First Impressions and What You Wear Matters

Listen on:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/02EKSscXVhhrhazoAKA2d4?si=LozewuMxRWWmN6Zs5mNAnw

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stop-public-speaking-for-free-and-learn-how-to-get/id1781880969?i=1000738106453

Connect with Saana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saanaazzam/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saanaazzam/

MENA Speakers:

Website: https://mena-speakers.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/menaspeakers/

Follow Our Host - Robyn Abou Chedid:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynabouchedid/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlnamedrobyn/