#515 Execution Over Ideas: Soha Ashrafian on Building Businesses That Last

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Mehmet: Hello, and welcome back to a new opposite of the City O Show with Mehmet today. I'm very pleased. Joining me from Dubai Soha, Ashrafian Soha. She's the co-founder of Temis. Usually I don't like to talk much about my guests. I keep it to them to introduce themselves. So Soha, [00:01:00] thank you very, very much for being here with me on the show today.

Um. I get a little bit excited when I have someone from Dubai. Majority of the time people are coming from outside. But without further ado, tell us a little bit more about you, your journey, and what you're currently up to. And then we're gonna start the discussion from there. So the floor is yours. 

Soha: Hello Mehmed.

Thank you so much for having me today. I'm so excited to bring here as your guest, and I hope we have interesting conversation together today. So, uh, if I want to actually start about my journey, uh, I would like to start from very beginning. Sure. Um, I was born in Iran, Iranian family, where my father had a very traditional mindset, you know, about raising girls.

It was like, um, the traditional mindset that, okay, we have, uh, they own the, uh, decisions of their own girls. [00:02:00] Until, uh, they find a husband for them and pass this decision and this responsibility to someone else. I grew up in a society like that in Iran that was kind of male dominated society, but, um. Iran at that time was something between the modern and traditional, you know, transition.

Uh, so in the same time my dad was like pushed my, me and my sister to study, uh, different books and she liked us to study different books. So from a young age, I immersed myself in books and magazines and I started reading different biographies from. Uh, great people like Mery, Steve Jobs, uh, different entrepreneurs and different inventors in the world, and they, uh, became my window to the world without limitations.

You know, I just look at the [00:03:00] world like an. I am American teenager. Look at the word of word. I, I didn't see the limit limitation that actually, uh, were around me. So, uh, I grew, I grew up imagining myself as an inter uh, inventor and entrepreneur, uh, even when reality around me felt more restricted. Um.

That's what led me to study aerospace engineering in university in one of the, yeah, top universities in Iran because I was obsessed with the idea of building a flying car, which is kind of weird now that I'm thinking about it, but I still have that dream as well. Um, but along the way I realized that I truly love, um, my true love was, uh, building businesses.

So I changed my major from aerospace engineering to you know, business [00:04:00] and at 21 I launched my first company Neuron. And over time, actually, I started my first company with zero money and zero experience and zero knowledge. I only had a, um, startup idea for a platform, uh, which failed. And we pivoted, uh, from that idea to a digital marketing agency.

And over the next three years, I could work with more than 1000 clients across 70 countries from Iran, which is kind of Europe also, because Iran is. Has so many limitation and restriction and I'm not sure if you know about it or not, but we are not allowed to, um, do money transferring with other countries and something like that.

So it was so many barriers along the way, but uh, we could manage to work with more than 1000 clients over 70 countries from Iran. [00:05:00] Uh, since then I've built multiple ventures, uh, digital marketing agency, and we registered in Dubai, uh, a beauty brand with innovative devices, a mobile gaming business, uh, that I invested on it.

And, uh, recently a marketing start startup platform, um, that is on its early stage. Uh, so my past has really been about, um. You know, taking that imagination I had as a child and tourniquet turn it, uh, into real tangible ventures. And, um, in my past, I, I forgot to mention that I. Uh, studied two years in Italy in master of Business, also during the process of, you know, uh, launching different ventures and registering my companies in Dubai and something like [00:06:00] this.

So yeah, here's a short bio about myself. Great. 

Mehmet: Uh, you know, I love to hear these stories, so, um. Especially, you know, from, uh, women, you know, because we need to empower more women to be entrepreneurs. So I'm a big believer in this, uh, despite, you know, all, you know, the difficulties and you mentioned some of the obstacles that you have faced and both are, you didn't choose.

Some of them, maybe they came down the road later, but yeah, so it's, it's a fascinating story. It's like a, a source of, of inspiration. Indeed. Now you mentioned like showing interest in multiple things and then you picked up, you know, being an entrepreneur, right? So did you know that time, you know, when you started it and you told me like it failed and then you had to pivot, but like.

Were you just knowing what you're doing [00:07:00] and it's fine if not, or, or did you know? Like, okay, it's not an easy path because there is a thing that goes, like, entrepreneurship is not for everyone. So yes. Did you know this fact before you start and you know, at any stage did you say, you know what, I think this entrepreneurship is not for me.

Like, maybe I should go back and, and find something else. So. You know, the, this phase for you, uh, how was it? Did you know, you know, what's, uh, waiting you ahead of time? 

Soha: Um, yeah, um, actually, um, I didn't know that if entrepreneurship is for me or not, but there was a time in my life that I started my first business at 21, um, and everybody.

Everybody told me I shouldn't do that. You know, my family and my friends and everybody were against that. The [00:08:00] society tried to push me back and everybody were trying to tell me that it's not a right path for a start. You have to be employee. You have to at least start couple of years being employer, uh, employee, and.

After that, maybe if you gain some, you know, skills, some knowledge, you, you can go and start your own business. But I, I decide so fast. So I already started that before I let anyone consult me about that. 

Mehmet: Yeah. So 

Soha: I was in the middle of the way when they started to telling me, you cannot do this. So I didn't have any choice unless I become successful, because if I failed.

After I started it, I never had the chance to start it again. I knew that if I fail now, my family won't let me start another business anymore. And the society and the people around me never will believe me [00:09:00] again. So I didn't have any choice. And for the first year, you know, I just, it was like, uh. I could make enough money to survive.

It wasn't enough money. I didn't make that much money, and I had to, I had to pretend like it's good because I didn't want to, people push me out of it. I didn't want people tell me, I told you it wasn't work, and you know. Yeah. So it was a, it was so many moments that I thought. I wish I started just being employee because the past, as you know, is not easy.

There are so many barriers, so many obstacles. As a girl, there are so many mores. As a Iranian girl is, you know, huge. 

Mehmet: Yes. 

Soha: And, but I didn't have any choice. I, I had to continue just the past I started. 

Mehmet: Yeah. So [00:10:00] this is, you know, uh, I, I mentor, um, fellow entrepreneurs, you know, and one of the things that I tell them you need to do to have is you need to have this, uh, determination, right?

And, uh, passion, and you need to have this resilience also as well. So, uh, it looks like you, you had it by, by, by nature, and of course, maybe of course, the experiences you've passed, uh, through. You know, empowered you to to stay because, and this is, you know. I'm not sure if I should say fortunately or unfortunately, uh, it happens across all cultures, but especially for us people in this region, regardless the country.

Like it can be Iran, it can be Turkey, it can be, you know, so, oh yeah. You know, like, uh, you're gonna study, finish University. You're gonna work either as a government officer, right. Uh, you're gonna be maybe a doctor or engineer and that's [00:11:00] it. Right? And, and we had, yeah, we had generations, um, you know, who were raised like this.

Like, oh, like don't take risks, uh, calculate everything. Yeah. We need to calculate the risks, but we need to take risks sometimes. And I think you, you, you did fantastic on there. Now you mentioned you started couple of ventures, so from. You know, gaming, marketing, beauty, uh, what was the common theme, you know, that brought you in, in, in starting these ventures?

Was it something you were curious about? Like, was it, uh, you know, maybe something that attracted you? What was that exactly? 

Soha: Um, actually I was always in love with starting and diversifying what I'm doing. Um. I, I always was interested in different businesses and in different industries, and on the surface [00:12:00] they might, they might look, uh, unrelated.

Um, but the common threat has always been the same in business for me. I mean, marketing, distribution and making sure the business is not just profitable but stays profitable. It's. Is that I think main point of starting a business and make it successful marketing, marketing, distribution, and keeping the business profitable.

So, um, I think it doesn't matter which industry you start, if you can be good at these kind of things, you can, you can work in any different industry, of course, you have to have knowledge about those industry or you have someone in your team that has. Enough knowledge about that industry to consult and to perform something and to bring connection to the team.

But one thing that really made a difference for me was having the right [00:13:00] partner in the business that I was starting. I am, I'm marketing brand, you know, I love creating new channels, experimenting with ideas, and getting things, uh, off the ground. But I'm not the best at scaling and keeping the business alive over the long run because I'm not the, I'm not someone who continues things over time.

Uh, that's where my partner shines together. We balance each other out. I start and push and his sustains and skills. And that BA balance, uh, has been a huge part of why we've been able to build and grow across so many different ventures. And, you know, uh, working in different industries, um, has its upside and downside in a same time.

I mean, when you. I start working in [00:14:00] different industry. There are so many things that you don't know about that industry, but it's so interesting to learn. For me at least, you know, there are so many new people with different mindset, with different challenges, and I love to just. Going to new challenges, and maybe this is not the best business decision, uh, for people to take, to go through different industry and work through different industry.

Because if you say one industry and deep, uh, go deep on that and work on that, you, uh, create new connections. You'll learn new things. You can be one of the best on that industry. But, um, for me it's like, okay, before 30 maybe I can learn. New things from different areas. So after that, maybe I choose one to continue for the rest of my life.

This is what I'm thinking about right now. 

Mehmet: Yeah. So, you know, to me when you're talking, like you had the, you know, the [00:15:00] spirit of being a serial entrepreneur, you know, by nature because, um, some of the successful entrepreneurs, you know, there are like two types I've seen. Like there are the ones who start.

What they call it iconic companies, and they, you know, uh, stay in, in, in the company that they started it, you know, until they're gone. Right. Uh, and there are the ones which are also not to, to, to, to be like underestimated like yourself, who loves to start things. So there are people who there. Uh, areas where they are strong is to start things from scratch and take it to the next level.

Right, exactly. And this is what we call them, you know, the, the serial entrepreneurs. Now you mentioned a couple of things, uh, and it's just a, sorry, it's a question that came to my mind now. Uh, but, but, but from, from what you mentioned now, so. If, if you had, you know, very limited, uh, budget, [00:16:00] right? And you can prioritize one thing only, which one you would prioritize more?

Is it the brand, the product, or the distribution and, and the growth? Uh, 

Soha: um, I think if I had choose only one thing, I chose distribution and marketing. Mm-hmm. Because there, um, when I want to start a new idea and start a new business, I just try to figure out what can be, it's. MVP and you know, what is MVP's minimum viable product For the people who don't know, it's the minimum thing that you can provide as a product or a service.

And you, um, actually release it into the market and see how people. Um, react with it. So the first thing first is [00:17:00] creating a MVP. I don't care that the MVP is good, is bad. You just have to present it in the best way you can. And, uh, you have to define it very wisely. I mean, can you name a business idea for me?

Give me a business idea. We can do again with that. Okay, nice. Uh, 

Mehmet: any domain. 

Soha: Yeah. 

Mehmet: Business idea. Yeah. You surprise me. Rarely. I love one of my guests ask me questions, which, um, let's say, uh, a marketplace for event organizers. Okay, 

Soha: perfect. Imagine you want to create a marketplace for event organizers. So.

One side are event organizers and one side are companies or people who want to have an event and are looking for event organizers, right? [00:18:00] Yeah. Okay. You have two choice. First. Go and develop a website and try to create a beautiful ui. Try to develop a very good, uh, website with a very complicated, uh, you know, codes and UI and uix and immerse yourself with this kind of things.

And the second way is to have an MV p on on that, which is a very simple landing page. And it says what your idea is about. Okay, yeah. You have a landing page, you explain what is the main idea, and you start launching advertisement on that landing page. So you put $100, $200 on the landing page and see.

People like the idea or not. People go to, for example, event organizers, go to [00:19:00] sign up the forums. Are they interested in being on a platform? Are the people that are the other side go sign up the forum for finding their event organizers? You know, you have to make it as simple as possible, and with less than $500, you have to be able to test an idea in.

48 hours, you know? Right. And after that it works or it doesn't work. You. If it works, you go and create the platform. If it doesn't work, you try to. Improve the idea. You try to improve the actually MVP to see it works or not, because it might be your MVP is so poor so that people didn't respond. So you have try twice, three time and see it works or not.

If it doesn't work, you didn't spend that much money on a website, on a marketing, and. Anything else and didn't put [00:20:00] that much time and effort on that before, you know that it's really, that something is needed in the market or not. Um, so yeah, I think I, I forgot what was your question, but I think answered for that.

Yeah, 

Mehmet: no, actually, you answered it because I asked you what do you prioritize? Is it the brand, the product, or the distribution? Oh, yeah. And, and, and absolutely. You nailed it. You know, because this example, so my people might say like, what's the relation? So what you just described is like the first thing you should be doing, which is basically kind of a marketing, putting your idea for test, right.

And exactly. E, even before you started the actual business. A lot of mistakes that happen here that I've seen personally, and although you know, like this is, maybe this is the nature. Uh, of, of us humans, like we see things and we know like they might go wrong direction. A lot of people say, Hey, like, don't go, [00:21:00] which is, see, don't get me wrong.

I like people to try things. Maybe they will succeed. I don't know. But I mean, it's very well known, especially, you know, for a starting up a business, you need like the MVP as you described it, and then. Like if it's not something technical, maybe the idea that I mentioned is, is little bit, uh, you can do kind of an MVP, but maybe sometimes it's, it's not feasible to create a even landing page.

I tell people, okay, there's another way of doing this. MVP, which is basically go offline, you know, the old fashioned way. And have a notebook with you and they pen and go ask people, you know, stop, stop them. You know, if you are planning, for example, because I get this question a lot, like, uh, go on the corner of, uh, of the mall that you are deciding to open, shop there and ask people, would you stop here if I had this concept?

Just simple, right? Yeah. Um, so I know like some people they also think, oh, [00:22:00] someone will take my idea and they will, uh, they will do it. Copy that. What, what, what you tell these people. So, 

Soha: um, I'm telling them that the idea is $1. You know, the worst of an idea is $1 only because. The world is full of ideas, very great ideas that people couldn't implement yet, and the worst of the worst of an idea is the implementation.

So don't worry about your idea being copied or something like that, because. Uh, it's just not like that. You know, people, people are not looking for it. Everybody has so many ideas in their mind to start a business. And the thing that make difference between a successful business and a failed business is not a good or bad idea.

Is that good or bad implementation? You know, [00:23:00] we start, same thing today. When our get failed, when us get succeed, and it's about implementation. 

Mehmet: Absolutely. Like, uh. It's all about execution. Uh, and I tell people look like there, and especially now, nowadays, we cannot find really, I mean very rarely we see new businesses, which are unique as ideas.

We always see a business which is enhancing something existing with some of course special touch. Yeah, ideas are, ideas are words and words are nothing without putting them, uh, to, to, to, to be on action. Um, I want to stop a little bit on the marketing still here. Um, and you know, you, you do it, you do it very well, and I can see from even talking to you here today to her, uh, storytelling.

How much is important and why? You know, especially when you are still [00:24:00] new, you should avoid being, you know, in the selling mode and go to story selling mode, storytelling mode. Sorry. 

Soha: Yeah, of course. Um, I think, actually, I don't think the statistics says. When you start with telling a story, you increase the chance of, uh, selling your product or services goes higher with 80%.

Um, and you know, it's like, uh, people, people just like to hear stories. They don't like to be presented and they don't like they are. Seeing advertisement every day, everywhere, every second, you know, and they're just tired of seeing advertisement and to hearing the, you know, [00:25:00] product pitch services page and something like that.

So you have to, um, play with their feelings and it happens through a storytelling. I think a storytelling is something that can, um. Go beyond their, so it can goes through their me memory and stick in their mind. And it is something that can actually, um, touch them. So it, it's, it goes beyond marketing, of course, and is something that, um, can.

Stick in with them for longer time than a simple advertisement. Of course, a simple advertisement can lead to sale, but it doesn't stick with people. It doesn't stay with them. It doesn't stay in their mind, in their heart. So if you want to create a brand, if you want [00:26:00] to have a a company to sell products, you go direct.

But if you want to create a brand, it's important that people feel connection with your story of your brand. 

Mehmet: Right. Um, and I, I, I know, you know, like, uh, when, when I was preparing for the episode, like you, you talk about like good marketing. It is not about being seen, it's about being remembered. And I think this is exactly, um, I tell people like, if you want to have.

Of course you are the expert. So, and this is why they need to come to people like yourself to work, uh, on their branding. But I tell people, if you want to go and understand, you know, an, an ultimate scenario or, uh, if you want to see an idol, at least for me. Right. Uh, and, and someone who you mentioned, you, you read, uh, his biography is Steve Jobs, right?

Yeah. Um, [00:27:00] when, when. He launched, there's a famous video you can go and, you know, find on YouTube, uh, like when he's talking to his team, launching the think different, uh, you know, campaign and. You know, you want people in one of the things, of course I'm rephrasing what he said, like, you need people to remember, you actually remember not what you do.

You need them to remember what, how they feel when they interact with your product or services. Right? So for example, he was, you know, he, he was giving the example of Nike, right? And you know, like even you as a consumer. Uh, you remember the athletes not exactly the shoes, right? And the same thing. He brought it to something which people thought not possible because when we talk about tech, we talk about megahertz at that time.

Now gigahertz and bytes, and you know, like how much speed it is. But he completed this and honestly, I'm not sure, like I'm taking [00:28:00] your opinions to her. I never saw. A company that does this better than Apple till our day, at least in, in the electronics and, and, and technology. Do you think any company nailed it well also as well?

Soha: Um, actually there were, there are some company in my mind, like for example, Nike that you mentioned that like, I dunno, red Bull or some other company that are working great. On this field. But yeah, apple is something else. And every great advertisement that I remember from Apple is about the early years that Steve Jobs were in charge.

Yeah. You know, really if he was brilliant in marketing and branding and in the storytelling, of course, he just made people feel special. With the commercial he created and feel, [00:29:00] you know, it's great that you make people feel special if they use your products. I think it's brilliant to do something like that, uh, to make your product in a way.

Okay. If you are using our products, you are smarter than other. You are more special than other, and it's something brilliant that only he could do, maybe. 

Mehmet: Yeah, I agree with you. Right. Yeah. So of course like, I'm not saying like Apple is the only company, but you know, like really, um, they put the bar very high and to your point, yes.

So Steve Jobs has two phases. So his first, uh, phase is when he was much younger, but he did the crazy campaign against IBM at that time. And you know, it like it was because. He's very young and going and challenging a giant like IBM, right in the 1982 ad, it's very famous. You can go guys and, and search it.

And the second time when he was like. More mature. He was like close to [00:30:00] his forties almost, and he had his second come back to Apple and, you know, he launched the, the, the new, uh, campaign for, uh, for the new Apple, let's call it this way. And this brings me, uh, soha to being creative and problem solving, right?

Um, mm-hmm. So yeah. And let's do it by example. I'm liking, you know, because you gave the example of the MVP and you asked me about this idea. So how we can, you know, describe to us, you know, a situation where you had to come up with a creative solution. And at the beginning it seems weird or unconventional, but actually it worked brilliantly.

Soha: Um. I actually don't have any specific, uh, example in my mind, but, um, you know, [00:31:00] maybe 

Mehmet: not from you, maybe not from you, maybe from anything like you can share. Yeah, 

Soha: yeah. Uh, creativity to me. You know, uh, I like to keep things as simple as possible when I hit a problem. I don't try to over-engineer the solution.

I just test very fast. Uh, for example, I think even, uh, coming up with the idea of a good MVP before starting a business, before starting out a campaign event, uh, it can be a good example of creativity because you have to see. Different aspects of a product, different aspects of the business, and you have to, um, come up with a good idea for MVP, which in the same time that is like your final product for final business version.

It has to be still simple and it has to be [00:32:00] a still, uh. Uh, actually developable by low cost. 

Mehmet: Yeah. 

Soha: And, uh, you know, it's like, um. So it's, it's an example of creativity for me. Come up with ideas that you can test something and don't over-engineer things before you are ma you ma you can make sure that, um, the business idea would be successful and people really need it.

People really are, uh, willing to, uh, spend money for it or not. And I think the problem that's lots of, uh, entrepreneurs. Especially the ones that comes with engineering background has, mm-hmm. Is, uh, they over-engineer thing. They come up with very complicated ideas and they think, okay, if it's so complicated, it would work.

If people don't [00:33:00] understand it, it works better, you know, but Yeah. But it just doesn't work. You shouldn't, you shouldn't look at things. From your engineer mindset, you have to look at things in the way that people see it, and you have to be able to come up with the simplest version of the business idea you can.

Um, so yeah, I define the creativity with making things as simple as possible and, um, it, it's also creativity for me also shows up in branding as well. I mean, mm-hmm. Um, sometimes you come up with, for example, you have a very, uh, regular product and you come up with different packaging. You come up with different creative advertisement.

Uh, you come up with gorilla marketing idea [00:34:00] and something that happened, for example, for do white chocolate. Yeah. You know, it wasn't anything special product wise. But the marketing idea behind it was brilliant, I think, and it could go viral and, um, yeah, in branding it makes sense as well for me. 

Mehmet: Um, back to, you know, creativity and the branding at the same time, because I think, you know, especially when you start a business, uh, maybe in consumer more than a B2B business, um.

I tell people you need to expect, I'm, I'm not expert in B2C by the way. I'm not, I'm not expert in business to consumer, but I see things in the lens of a consumer and I see what, what works. So people expect sometime things to be perfect, as you said from the first time. And I tell some guys like, you, you, you should know that you're gonna do a lot of iterations [00:35:00] until you nail it.

And every time you take this feedback and, and you get something. Better. Uh, but people get stuck. So on. Okay, we are getting you, but it looks like so big for us, you know, like, uh, it looks so complicated. So what maybe kind of something that worked for you that it make, you know, these very big obstacles, or let's call them challenges.

Uh. That in my mind, in our mind because, you know, sometime we are like also programmed somehow to, to, you know, resist and not, uh, go and take the extra step. So what are like some of the things utilized to break things down? I mean, to, to, to, to look like much easy? What can we do? 

Soha: Um, I think there are some steps that you can do.

First think what is your core value? I mean. Imagine you are going to launch an application. Imagine you are going to lo launch an, I don't know, [00:36:00] you are going to, uh, create a agency, for example. Okay? What's the, uh, core value of your agency? What is your main offer that you are going to offer to other people?

It starts with that. It starts with the core value and then go to people, as you said. Go person by person or, or go through landing page and advertisement through social media. Um, I think first you have to find out what is your core value. Some businesses say, I've heard from young entrepreneurs that say, okay, my business, um, starts to meaning when all the features are together, and I'm telling them, you don't have any idea.

Because your idea have to have a core value. If it doesn't have core value, your idea is not good enough. You know? [00:37:00] And when you find out the core value starts to writing some, some competitive advantage for that. Something that your core value has and other competitors in the market don't have. And it starts to create.

Some advertisement for that. This is what I'm doing. I, I don't know, maybe there are so many other ways, but I'm doing this. I starts writing some advertisement for that, starts creating some posters, some widows for that, and it costs nothing in compare with starting a business. You know, hiring some peoples, developing something, it's, it costs nothing.

Just some simple posters with some simple copies on it, and one simple call to action and see how many people click on your poster. How many people are really interested in your product, and how many people go and invest time on, on the landing page you created on the product that you think [00:38:00] it works.

You know, you can define some simple steps. That how many people really interact with the idea you have and how many people push the buttons. It gives you very good idea that the market really needs your product, your service or not. 

Mehmet: Absolutely. Uh, you know, so you're giving really, uh, me at least, and I'm sure the audience, um, you have this, uh, acumen.

Of of being a real entrepreneur and you know, like you did it at a very young age and you're still young of course, but if you want to go back and warn your younger self, if you want to, you are today as soha, you want to, to, to, to go back to when Soha was. Like just starting her first business and you want to warn her about one thing in entrepreneurship, not tell her [00:39:00] don't go and do it, but you want to warn your younger self about something and say, Hey, like you always, you need to take care of this.

What would be, 

Soha: um, I think I was fearless. But I encourage myself to be more fearless, even, you know, and somehow I scared of people, opinion always. I scared to be bold. I scared to be loud. I scared to come up with my opinion in the, um, around the table when all the other people were, were men, maybe. And if I go back, I would be more brave and I have to work on it until now.

Um, I, I encourage people to be bold [00:40:00] and brave and to know that, uh. They are the one that have to take responsibility in their life. And other people, uh, opinions doesn't matter because other people opinions won't pay their bills and won't pay for their tickets for traveling for anything else. So just work for themself.

Do whatever they think is right for them. 

Mehmet: Uh, yeah, this is the great, great advice and yeah, to be, to be, uh, you said you, you were not like, uh, uh, you know, afraid of, of trying, which is, you know, this is why I uploaded you at the beginning and, and your story. But yeah, being fearless, uh, of course, like, no, this is for the fellow entrepreneurs.

Yeah, no, like, the past would not be easy, but yeah, like, be, be consistent also with, with what you're doing. Um, where do you see, uh, so like. The [00:41:00] biggest opportunities for, you know, marketers and creators, especially, you know, who are based maybe here in Dubai and, you know, in the MENA region in the next, especially, you know, with AI now and all these things coming.

So I don't, I'm not asking you what should we fear about ai? I'm asking you what not necessarily only AI from AI and other perspective opportunities ahead for marketers and creators in our region. 

Soha: Um, I think the thing that we have to be more focused on, um, with emerging the AI these days is to try to be more creative, to be ahead of the ai, you know, um, AI is so creative nowadays, but it can't define the workflow still.

It can define the approach that we have to be creative. So, [00:42:00] um, whenever we go, um, over the time, um, the thing is we have to actually try, uh, be ahead of the AI with using it properly in marketing, in branding, and we, we have to learn about that and try to give it good. Orders to be able to actually, um, use it as well as we can.

And some people say, okay, we are afraid of it. Some people say we, um, we will lose our job. But I think with ai, marketing will develop a lot. Marketing would enter to the next phase and next areas. And what we have to do as marketers is just, um, increase our knowledge about that. 

Mehmet: Great. Of course. Yeah. We should not be afraid, [00:43:00] again, from ai.

Uh, it can open a lot of doors. To your point, still us humans, we have the upper hands for creativity, so. Um, and, and you know, steering this AI because I tell people ai, AI doesn't work by itself. Of course you can automate it to do things for you, but I mean, it doesn't put the plan still us, the humans. We have to put the plan for it.

Um, so as we are almost coming to an end, any final advice word you want to share and where people can get in touch with you? 

Soha: Um, no, thank you so much. It was really nice talking to you. It was really, uh, enjoyable conversation for me and thank you for having me today. Um, my Instagram, so underline Asraf is where people can connect to me and uh, it was a pleasure talking.

Mehmet: Great. Thank you so much to, I, I really enjoyed, you know, it's an inspiring story and thank you for being here with me today, so I appreciate that. So, uh, I'll [00:44:00] put, you know, your, your social handles. Uh, they will be in the show notes. So if people, they are listening on fav, on their favorite podcasting app, uh, if they are watching this, uh, on YouTube, they can also see this in the description.

And this is how usually I end my episode. This is for my guest. Uh, so if you just discovered this podcast by luck, thank you for passing by. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, so give me a small favor, subscribe and share it with your friends and colleagues and if you're one of the people who keeps coming again and again, thank you so much for your support.

Thank you for making the podcast. You know, I'm repeating this again and again, but we are trending. We are in the top 200 podcast charts across multiple countries in, uh, the upper podcast platform. And you know, this unseen. So since I started three years ago almost, this is the only year where we never missed a week without being at least in two to three countries, sometime eight.

I'm aiming to break the record and having [00:45:00] like maybe nine or 10 countries at the same time. So this cannot happen without the support of you, my followers, my, my supporters, and of course my guests, including you, Soha. And as I say, always stay tuned for a episode very soon. Thank you. Bye-bye.