Brainz Magazine Exclusive Interview
Maha Abouelenein is an American Egyptian with more than 30 years of global communications experience advising global corporate giants, startups, governments, CEOs and high-net-worth individuals. She is the CEO of Digital and Savvy, a strategic communications consulting firm with offices in the USA and Dubai. A sought-after strategist and speaker, Maha is an expert on personal branding, reputation management, modern communications and the transformational power of storytelling. She is the former Head of Global Communications and Public Policy at Google and the Founding Managing Director of Weber Shandwick in MENA. She worked in Promotions and Sports Marketing at General Mills before becoming an entrepreneur. Maha is on the Global Board of Directors of the Associated Press and hosts the “Savvy Talk” podcast. Her first book, "7 Rules of Self-Reliance: How to Stay Low, Keep Moving, Invest in Yourself and Own Your Future," will be published by HayHouse/Penguin Random House on October 8, 2024.
What´s the story behind your business? Can you give us a brief overview?
I founded Digital and Savvy in Cairo in 2004 with a simple yet powerful motivation: I wanted to take control of how I spent my time, how I served others, and help people communicate better. At the time, I knew communications inside out, but running a business was a whole new challenge. Like many entrepreneurs, I found myself wearing all the hats—HR, business development, legal, operations, you name it. Back then, Egypt was an advertising-heavy market with a limited focus on strategic communications and reputation management, which is exactly where I wanted to make an impact. The market had only one other global PR firm, so I saw an opportunity to bring value to companies and individuals.
Starting out was tough. I was cash-strapped and barely able to pay my first employee. We needed a proper workspace but didn’t have the luxury of a garage like some startups. Fortunately, a friend with an ad agency let us set up in his conference room. As our team grew, he continued to support us, and we eventually became neighbors. We stayed there for nearly a year until our own office was ready.
Fast forward to today, Digital and Savvy is 20 years old with offices around the world. I opened an office in Dubai in 2014, and then in the U.S. in 2020 during the pandemic. The journey has been incredible, filled with challenges and triumphs, and I love what I do more every single day.
Reflecting on your journey so far, how did you find your way to your current role and career path?
My childhood blended classic American experiences like 4th of July parades and high school sports with a rich Egyptian heritage at home, including traditional food, language, and music. My parents ensured we stayed connected to our roots by taking us to Egypt during summers and holidays, immersing us in our culture, religion, and family traditions. Growing up in the 80s in the US, being one of the few diverse students made standing out challenging. However, as I got older, I embraced my identity to bridge the cultural divide between the East and West, particularly with the rise of the internet. Moving to Egypt at 27 was a significant challenge; despite my Egyptian heritage, I faced difficulties with the language and had to build a new network from scratch. While caring for my mother, who had Multiple Sclerosis, I also launched my career, beginning with a role at Orascom Telecom under Naguib Sawiris. My career then expanded across the Middle East with leadership positions at Weber Shandwick, Google, Netflix, and Careem, including a role with the Executive Office of the Ruler of Dubai. Ultimately, I founded my own strategic communications firm, Digital and Savvy, with offices in the US and Dubai.
We all go through tough times in our careers. Can you share a challenging moment you´ve faced and how it shaped your professional trajectory?
I once lost a job I loved because I mishandled a salary negotiation. When the HR person offered a salary I felt was unfair, I muttered something under my breath that she heard, leading to my dismissal. It was a huge mistake on my part, and I felt devastated and embarrassed, thinking my life was over. However, I learned valuable lessons about how to approach salary discussions and vowed never to make the same mistake again. Not only did I learn from it, I got a second chance and the Chairman of that same company offered me the opportunity to start and lead a new company, turning what seemed like a setback into a major career breakthrough.
What fuels your passion and motivation in your day-to-day work?
My passion is helping people communicate better. It took me nearly a lifetime to discover and articulate this simple yet powerful mission. This purpose reflects my values and intentions, whether it´s through crisis communications, media relations, personal branding, or real-life networking. My goal is to help others improve their communication across all areas, both online and offline.
Your upcoming book. "7 Rules of Self-Reliance" is generating interest. Could you share a little peek into the main themes or lessons you want readers to take away?
I really want readers to walk away with six things:
● Confidence to Trust Their Own Wisdom: My book teaches you how to take proactive steps to create a better life by trusting your own judgment rather than waiting for opportunities or seeking permission from others. The tools of self-reliance empower you to make decisions that are best for you, transforming uncertainty into confidence.
● Ability to Turn Setbacks into Comebacks: Everyone faces challenges, but setbacks can become comebacks. Through my personal anecdotes and other stories of resilience and grit, readers will discover how to turn struggles into strengths and view obstacles as opportunities for growth.
● Tools to Make Yourself Indispensable: By building powerful relationships and becoming a value creator, you can enhance your credibility and sense of purpose, making yourself indispensable to others. My book has an entire chapter dedicated to how you can become a value creator.
● The Knowledge that You Can Reinvent Yourself at Any Age: It´s never too late to adapt, learn, and start over. My book acts as a guide to show you how being nimble and agile is key to thriving, regardless of age or stage in life.
● How to Deploy Your Most Powerful Asset—You!: Readers will learn to build your personal brand and leverage it as your most valuable asset. This book provides a step-by-step guide to finding your narrative, attracting opportunities, and building meaningful relationships.
● Practical Tips and Tools: Beyond inspiration, this book offers practical tips and easy- to-implement tools in each chapter to help you apply these lessons right away.
What are the current goals you´re working towards for your business, and what´s your strategy to achieve them?
My current business goals for Digital and Savvy are focused on two key areas: scaling our training programs throughout the US and helping businesses and brands tap into the exciting opportunities to do business in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. I am working on scaling our masterclasses to help individuals and executives communicate more effectively. This includes programs on personal branding, executive media training, and finding one’s story and narrative. We are continuously enhancing and updating our course offerings, leveraging digital platforms for broader reach, and tailoring our content to meet the diverse needs of our clients. I love training and teaching everyone an important skill - communications will never go out of style and with AI here - more than ever we need to be smart communicators and learn how to do effective storytelling and connect with audiences.
I am also significantly expanding our operations in the Middle East, particularly in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Our focus is on being super-connectors and helping U.S. businesses establish a strong footprint and find synergistic business partners in these regions.
Is anything exciting coming up on your agenda? What projects or endeavors are you looking forward to?
I´m really excited about the launch of my book, 7 Rules of Self-Reliance, which is all about how to invest in yourself and become valuable to others by betting on yourself. This is such an important endeavor because communication is the number one soft skill everyone needs to thrive in today’s business world. We´re creating a platform to help people sharpen their communication skills, which will enable them to grow their businesses, tap into the creator economy, and build strong, resilient brands. This is especially crucial in preparing for economic challenges and attracting new business opportunities.
Looking into the future, what personal and business-related achievements do you aspire to?
Looking into the future, I aspire to make a significant impact both personally and professionally. On a personal level, I’m deeply committed to seeing my book resonate with a broad audience, empowering them to embrace self-reliance. I believe self-reliance is a powerful and transformative tool that everyone should incorporate into their lives, and I hope my book serves as a catalyst for that change.
On the business side, my goal is to underscore the critical importance of reputation. I want to help people recognize that investing in, building, and nurturing their reputation is not just beneficial but essential. It´s a key driver of longevity in business. By fostering strong relationships and maintaining a solid reputation, individuals and companies can achieve sustainable success and stand the test of time. You can have the best marketing, best sales teams, incredible prices, products, services or even supply chain, but if you don’t have a strong reputation none of that matters.
To conclude, could you highlight a moment from your career that you consider a significant accomplishment?
One of the most significant accomplishments in my career was becoming an entrepreneur and starting my company 20 years ago in Cairo in the conference room of a friend’s ad agency. Digital and Savvy has since grown to include offices in Dubai and the United States. A particularly challenging yet rewarding experience came later when I expanded operations in the U.S. during the pandemic. Despite the unprecedented difficulties, this period ultimately highlighted our resilience and ability to adapt, solidifying my company´s presence and success in the U.S. market. Building this company from scratch, especially under such circumstances, remains one of my proudest achievements.
Additionally, how do you envision success for your business in the long term?
I define long-term business success by cultivating a happy and productive team, fostering a meaningful and positive culture, and consistently creating value for our clients in impactful ways. When my team is fulfilled and motivated, it drives innovation and excellence, which leads to lasting relationships and significant outcomes for our clients. We will continue to grow, evolve, and be value creators by helping people communicate better.
For more info, follow Maha on Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, X (Twitter) and visit her website!
