Creating Plant-based and Other Lifestyle Shifts Worldwide with Ghanim Al Sulaiti [Episode #994]

This Week’s Episode Special Guest: Ghanim Al Sulaiti

In this episode Ghanim Al-Sulati shares his transformative journey from a traditional lifestyle to embracing a plant-based diet, inspired by Kimberly Snyder’s book the Beauty Detox Solution. He discusses the impact of food on health, the cultural challenges of veganism in Qatar, and the importance of education in nutrition. Ghanim highlights his entrepreneurial ventures, including the establishment of Evergreen Organics, and emphasizes the emotional and spiritual connections to food. He reflects on personal growth, the role of community, and the ongoing journey of self-discovery through food and lifestyle choices. In this conversation, Ghanim shares his journey of navigating challenges during COVID, the importance of building a sustainable business ecosystem in Qatar, and his commitment to giving back to the community. He discusses his deep connection to Qatar, the lessons learned from the desert, and the shift towards mindful eating and home cooking. Ghanim emphasizes the significance of presence in relationships and the evolution of family dynamics. He also outlines his vision for improving health in Qatar, particularly through increased fiber intake and promoting a vegan-friendly environment.

About Ghanim Al Sulaiti

Ghanim Al Sulaiti is a young Qatari entrepreneur passionate about creating a positive impact on society by promoting a plant based lifestyle. By trade, Ghanim is a qualified Engineer. In his spare time, he is a serial entrepreneur, founding his first business—Evergreen Organics—in 2016, and now has over 10 projects currently live or under development.

All of these projects share the same vision and values as its founder—to be vegan, sustainable, and promote a healthier lifestyle. Equipped with a comprehensive understanding of the creative and operational procedures needed to produce excellent brands, Ghanim has a personal interest in developing dialogue about healthy living, veganism and sustainability. With a mind wired for logic and strategy and a desire motivated by the passion of creativity and business savviness, Ghanim is on a mission to help and transform people’s mindsets to live a lifestyle that helps their planet, their health, and their future.

Ghanim has worked extensively with local schools and regional organizations such as Qatar Foundation, Ooredoo Doha Marathon, Qatar National Library, Qatar Financial Center, and the Qatar Investment Authority, producing educational programs to change the status quo. He holds a BSc in Civil Engineering from Drexel University, USA.

 

Episode Sponsors:

LMNT:

OFFER: Right now, for my listeners LMNT is offering a free sample pack with any LMNT drink mix purchase at DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD. That’s 8 single serving packets FREE with any LMNT any LMNT drink mix purchase.  This deal is only available through my link so. Also try the new LMNT Sparkling — a bold, 16-ounce can of sparkling electrolyte water.

USE LINK: DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD

 

FATTY15

OFFER: Fatty15 is on a mission to replenish your C15 levels and restore your long-term health. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/KIMBERLY and using code KIMBERLY at checkout.

USE LINK: fatty15.com/KIMBERLY

Guest Resources 

Website:  Evergreen Organics

Social: @ghanim92

Linked IN: Ghanim Al-Sulaiti 

Episode Chapters

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Ghanim Al-Sulati and His Journey
03:00 The Impact of Food on Health and Lifestyle
06:07 Transitioning to a Plant-Based Lifestyle
08:55 Cultural Perspectives on Veganism
12:01 Education and Awareness in Nutrition
15:00 Challenges and Support from Family
17:59 Religious and Cultural Considerations
20:56 The Evolution of Food Choices
24:04 Personal Growth and Self-Discovery
27:05 The Role of Food in Emotional Well-Being
30:05 Building a Business Around Veganism
32:59 Future Aspirations and Community Impact
37:09 Navigating Challenges and Opportunities During COVID
38:36 Building a Sustainable Business Ecosystem
40:00 Giving Back to the Community and Empowering Others
41:43 The Importance of Roots and Connection to Qatar
43:50 Embracing the Desert and Its Lessons
44:49 The Shift to Home Cooking and Mindful Eating
46:47 The Energy of Intentional Touch and Connection
49:00 Practicing Presence in Relationships
51:36 The Evolution of Family Relationships
53:35 A Vision for Health Improvement in Qatar

[RESOURCES / INFORMATION]

SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS

• Glowing Greens Powder™
• Feel Good SBO Probiotics
• Feel Good Detoxy
• Feel Good Digestive Enzymes
• Feel Good Starter Kit
• Feel Good Skincare

KIMBERLY’S BOOKS

• Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart
• The Beauty Detox Solution
• Beauty Detox Foods
• Beauty Detox Power
• Radical Beauty
• Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life
• You Are More Than You Think You Are 

OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY!

• Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance [Episode 878]
• How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877
• How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger [Episode #873]
• How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo [Episode #867]

 

Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne

Transcript: 

Kimberly Snyder (00:00.824)
Hi everyone and welcome back to our Monday interview show. I am beyond thrilled for our very special guest here with us today from across the world in Qatar. His name is Ghanem Al-Sulati and he’s a Qatari entrepreneur. He’s passionate about creating a positive impact on society by promoting a plant-based lifestyle. He has created Evergreen Organics, which since 2016 has Qatar’s first and only completely plant-based cafe. He’s working on 10 different projects all across the Middle East to support healthy living and sustainability. I started finding Ghanim when someone sent me a YouTube video and he was talking about all these incredible festivals and things he was creating in the Middle East. At the very beginning, he mentioned that he had read the Beauty Detox Solution, now over 10 years old, and it had an impact on his philosophy. And I was just feeling so honored.

And it’s so amazing that we’re here today. So Ghanam, thank you so much and welcome to our show.

Ghanim (01:03.417)
Thank so much, Kimberly. mean, this is such an honor as well from my side. I’m absolutely happy that finally I get to meet you as well virtually, but also to be able to share kind of my journey that have not only impacted me personally, but also impacted everybody in Doha because I’ve realized that I’ve taken something from your book, but then managed to create something out of it that is, you know,

Kimberly Snyder (01:12.846)
Thank

Ghanim (01:30.947)
creating a wider impact. And I think I’m just so grateful. So thank you so much for, you know, for hosting me here today. And I’m excited to share my story as well with you. And, and let me take you back actually 10, 10 years ago, actually a little bit more 12 years ago, I lived in the States, actually, I lived in Philly. I went to school there. I’m an engineer by profession. And I was actually sitting one morning, watching Good Morning America.

Kimberly Snyder (01:51.063)
Okay.

Ghanim (01:58.745)
in 2013 to be specific. I think it was either January or February of that year. And you came in on the show promoting the beauty detox, the green book. And I remember you were talking about how food changed the way you feel and how it actually inspired you to not only kind of

Kimberly Snyder (02:05.304)
Wow.

Ghanim (02:26.083)
to learn more about how food can change the way you feel, but also the way you look. And something about what you said kind of made me so interested that I actually got up my couch, went to Barnes and Noble, which was a few blocks away, picked up your book, opened the first couple of pages. And I remember the first few pages, you were talking a little bit about the concept of veganism, but not necessarily like actually like pinning it down and something about like not consuming dairy. And for me, it was a

Kimberly Snyder (02:30.413)
Yes.

Ghanim (02:56.291)
someone who never had any kind of, let’s say idea of what you were talking about, I was completely shocked and overwhelmed. So I literally closed the book, put it back on the shelf and I was like, that’s not for me. I don’t think I, I just, I felt there’s something for me, but at that moment when I read it, I remember like just putting it back. The next couple of weeks after that, I started seeing so many signs when I was opening the TV, I was watching kind of let’s say the doctors or

Kimberly Snyder (03:00.757)
Right.

Kimberly Snyder (03:20.813)
Wow.

Ghanim (03:25.293)
couple of these shows where they were talking about plan-based options. I was walking on the streets and there’s big billboards of like this alternative milks. And suddenly I’ve been seeing all of these things that are giving me signs saying like, my God, you need to go back and get the book. I said, you know what, let me just get the book. There’s nothing gonna happen. There’s no harm to read that book. So I took the book, came back home. I was living with my friend at that time. And I decided to read the book in very, like maybe,

I would say loudly in the living room with my friend. And I think I was a bit in a sarcastic mood, kind of like every time I read something, I was pretty much either kind of laughing about it or just saying, that’s never going to happen for me. And I don’t know, something changed when I reached, I think part of the book where you’re talking about experimenting and trying to incorporate more greens and more raw food and

I remember telling my friend at that time, said, there’s nothing wrong with trying. Let’s just get this recipe, the glowing green smoothie. Let’s just go to the supermarket and get the ingredients and let’s do it. And I still have the first green smoothie that I drank. It’s actually on my Instagram archive, like as a picture there. And to be very honest, it wasn’t delicious. And it was a shock for me because like, I’m not used to eating like, you know, all these fibers and kind of the

Kimberly Snyder (04:41.708)
Wow.

Kimberly Snyder (04:51.139)
Yeah.

Ghanim (04:52.057)
for me that time, the bitterness. And it started with a smoothie and then that smoothie became another smoothie and then another smoothie. And then suddenly I started kind of saying, hey, how about incorporating less meat? And then I started taking off meat. And then I said, okay, you know what? I’ve been not eating meat for three months. Let’s take off chicken. And then suddenly fish. And I remember you helped me in the book because in the book you were saying you were kind of

trying to show us how to do that transition without actually telling me to transition because you didn’t want people to actually go vegan. You wanted them to feel better. And I think that’s the philosophy that sticks with me is I was thinking every day, am I feeling better? And if I was feeling better, I wanted to continue doing that. And that’s what kept me going. And then a year later after reading the book, that’s when I woke up one day and I said, apparently I am vegan. I didn’t have any animal product. I didn’t eat anything. I never said I want to go vegan.

Kimberly Snyder (05:32.77)
Hmm

Ghanim (05:51.459)
But I feel great. How about I go for a one year vegan challenge where I actually do it like intentionally and with proper blenders and all of the product that I need. And I never went back since then. And it’s been 11 years since I’ve been vegan. And I always say this to every person that I meet. Yes, veganism was a personal choice, but I still do it today because it feels

Kimberly Snyder (06:07.16)
Wow.

Ghanim (06:20.663)
great and amazing. And the moment I don’t feel great, maybe I might explore something else. But of course, nowadays, I’m vegan for the animals, I’m vegan for the planet. So there’s a lot of other reasons as well to keep me on this lifestyle. But yeah, your book, you know, that was the initial kind of stuff. But then you came up with the next book, and I went on and kind of as well, dug deeper into the research aspect of food and how

Kimberly Snyder (06:33.997)
Yes.

Ghanim (06:50.339)
combination of food. I think you were talking about, you know, pairing certain foods and you know, got it took me a while to actually believe in it because you know, I love bread, even as a vegan, I love bread, I love gluten. And, and just recently I realized that I actually, whatever you were talking about 10 years ago is really makes a big difference if you follow it and they, and that I, sequence. so this is pretty much what happened. So I just want to kind of give.

Kimberly Snyder (06:52.417)
Yes.

Kimberly Snyder (07:02.006)
Yes.

Ghanim (07:20.055)
you know, a little bit of a, want, I want to, I want to say thank you actually properly to you because you, you, you, you, don’t think you will understand how much impact that had on not only me, but also my family, my friends who actually went to try vegan after my transition, how many people I’ve recommended the book to them and actually change their lives. So yeah, it did, it did change my life completely because I started a

Kimberly Snyder (07:44.854)
Wow.

Ghanim (07:49.667)
whole new business. became an entrepreneur and look what I’m doing now. And I think I am very proudly saying that it’s because of you. So thank you so much.

Kimberly Snyder (07:51.182)
Look at what you’re doing now.

Kimberly Snyder (08:00.994)
my gosh. I’m just so grateful and in awe, goosebumps all over the place. It’s one of the best stories I’ve ever heard. I really believe we’re all connected in humanity. We’re brothers and sisters and it just seemed like your heart, you were right there, you were ready. And of course there’s a little bit of resistance because it can feel like, this is really different. And it feels a little bit scary when you’re doing, it’s counterintuitive to how you.

raised or how you would eat before. But the fact that you kept going back and you kept going back means you were, you know, you’re something in your soul is just so ready to go in that direction. And, know, it really resonates with me when you said it’s just about feeling better, because I think sometimes get people get so caught up in labels, and then separation like, I’m this I’m a vegan, I’m an omnivore, all these different things. But really, what we’re talking about is

choosing vitality and choosing nutrient rich foods and choosing fiber. And sometimes for people, it’s not all or nothing, but like you said, you kept going down this path. And the way I started becoming plant-based from the very beginning was when I was traveling actually. And so I love that there’s this through line. We were talking before the podcast, how connection transcends space. Here we are talking across the world, across different cultures, different religions. mean, it’s all this.

know, oneness, these truths, it’s how we digest food. There’s a compassion aspect to eating plant-based, there’s an environmental aspect. And when I was in India, it just felt like, wow, I was reading about meditation and just these ideas of how light you can feel in your body. So for me, in my background, which I’ve talked about in my books, I had so much anxiety and insomnia and things you might not directly relate to food. But when I started lightening up,

diet and freeing up my digestion, it really did feel much better. And then as I shared, I cleared up my acne, all these things on my skin. And I was like, wow, all this stuff works together. It’s pretty profound.

Ghanim (10:00.867)
Yeah, you know, to add to that, think after kind of going through the first few months of following, let’s say, all the recipes and following all the knowledge that you were sharing at that time. I remember waking up every day feeling a little bit, am I doing this? Am I a crazy person? People around me were saying, Ghanem, okay, great, you’ve done this step, but it’s not going to take, you know, it’s not going to, it’s not going to

be forever, you’re doing it for a while, I’m sure you’re gonna bounce back soon. Everybody was doubting me and also I had a lot of questions, especially when it comes to our cultures, our tradition, everybody was saying, hey, as humans we evolved eating animals, so how can I answer those questions? I was not ready, so I actually started traveling. So I actually traveled to 33 countries in the next kind of two years after reading your book and it opened my mind so much.

Kimberly Snyder (10:37.473)
Yes.

Kimberly Snyder (10:52.493)
Wow.

Ghanim (10:58.553)
to not only food, but also the people that are making the food, to actually understanding how food is being made. I started kind of going to cooking schools, learning how to use herbs and medicinal botanical kind of plants. And I wanted to understand then how is our food being grown and went to the farms. And I’ve been to Nepal, I’ve been to Beijing, I’ve been to Singapore.

Kimberly Snyder (11:04.779)
Yes.

Kimberly Snyder (11:10.914)
Mmmmm

Wow.

Ghanim (11:27.417)
Jordan, of course, Egypt, you name it, like all these countries trying to really understand what happened in the last 50 years where we have disconnected completely from nature and especially from our food systems. And I remember every time I used to come back to Qatar, I was thinking, my God, there’s something missing because I’ve I’ve been exposed to all of this information and knowledge and I felt so heavy keeping the knowledge to just myself.

Kimberly Snyder (11:40.6)
Why?

Kimberly Snyder (11:57.452)
Right.

Ghanim (11:57.485)
And I’ve realized that I…

needed to share it with as many people as possible because I’ve learned this from you as well because you were traveling and coming back and sharing that knowledge through your books and through your podcasts. And I was like, I need to do the same. And that’s what I started doing. I started coming back and going to schools and getting invited to do normal public speaking events when I actually wasn’t famous at that time. I wasn’t well known. People just loved me sharing my stuff through Instagram and they loved my

smoothies that I was creating and simple recipes. And it got people so interested that I started being asked to come to schools and talk to kids. And I was 23 at that time and remember kind of talking to a couple of the kids in school. And one question I remember raising a carrot and I said, do you guys know where this come from? And one of the young kid raised his hand and said, this comes from the fridge. And I said,

Kimberly Snyder (12:30.541)
Okay.

Ghanim (12:58.271)
my God, there’s something missing like in our education system where kids think that things comes from a, you know, a fridge and not coming from a, so that’s when I realized that education is very important and I wanted to create a space that can not only raise awareness about this kind of epidemic of nutrition that we have, but also connect people back to our, to the source.

And I felt great eating vegetables. And I think a lot of people will feel great eating vegetables and eating more greens and raw food. And that’s what I did for those years. And that’s how I started my businesses afterwards, because I realized I needed to… People were saying, Ghanim, okay, whatever you say is great. How can we do it? How can we do it? I want to do it. I want to be part of it, but I just don’t have access. I don’t have the recipes. And I was like, I need to create a space that can…

Kimberly Snyder (13:46.368)
Yeah.

Ghanim (13:54.349)
resemble everything that I’ve learned from my travel and maybe set an example so that people can feel a little bit more comfortable to make the switch. since then, we have been pioneering not only the vegan movement in Qatar, but also changing that mindset and making it more normalized, I would say. Veganism is so normalized nowadays in Qatar and it actually became so…

Kimberly Snyder (14:17.07)
Mmm.

Ghanim (14:23.353)
at some point that people felt so cool being vegan, which is completely the opposite anywhere else in the world.

Kimberly Snyder (14:30.414)
Yeah, you got it. I love you know what I can feel even when you’re telling your story, this heart bursting with authenticity and just so much love and so much passion and so much wanting to help that your journey just kept going and you didn’t plan it. It was just like, I’m going to travel similarly to me and then I’m going to do this. I’m going to do this. And people follow that passion. I mean, you’re just dripping with it. So you don’t really have to try. You don’t have to convince. It’s just this.

radiating out of you. Well, in the story, when you started to change over, what did your parents say and people around you? Because at the time, even here, was still, and it did rise up, right? The vegan movement. And now there’s like, there’s pushback from people who feel threatened by it, of course, there’s always opposing ideas and forces. But when you first started, you know, were people saying, you’re not eating, you’re not getting as a protein, like some of the things that we always hear, what were some of the things that you heard?

Ghanim (15:17.785)
Of course. Yeah.

Ghanim (15:29.955)
See, I’ve done it very gradually. So when I decided to do it, I actually didn’t do it like cold turkey. So for me, it took me a whole year to actually make the transition. And I wasn’t pressured at all because my goal was not to be vegan. My goal is to feel better. So for me, it didn’t feel like I was transitioning. And then people around me kind of went with me through that transition because I became obsessed at some point on not eating anything

Kimberly Snyder (15:37.965)
Yeah.

Ghanim (15:59.661)
but only having goat cheese in my food because that’s kind of for me to transition from eating all the kind of cheeses to just eating one kind of cheese. And I think you did mention it at some point, like that you need to narrow down the choices. I think that’s helped me a lot to simplify kind of the options. And I did that for every category until I reached a place where I not eating anything. So people around me, I think kind of in the beginning, they were a bit, again, as I said,

Kimberly Snyder (16:14.294)
Yeah, and simplify.

Ghanim (16:30.041)
thinking that I will just do it for a few months and a few weeks and then suddenly I’m going to go back. So everybody was just on him. It’s okay. It’s just a phase. So don’t, don’t exaggerate. Don’t over, don’t overthink it. And, and, and then I, I, I, I, I saw people around me started kind of wanting to be part of what I was doing. And especially my mom and my dad, they started saying, can you do the smoothie for us? We wanted that. We want to have the green smoothie with you. And then that’s what they started doing. So I started doing the smoothie for them. So they used to have this amazing

Kimberly Snyder (16:52.098)
Wow.

Ghanim (17:01.069)
breakfast in the morning that gave them so much energy. They started feeling better. They started having better bowel movements and having more energy. My mom till today, she only have a green smoothie in the morning. And for me, she’s not vegan, but she took some kind of tips to enhance her diet. And I think one of the tips that she as well taught me that I can eat at that time, let’s say,

Kimberly Snyder (17:13.591)
Wow.

Kimberly Snyder (17:23.01)
Yes.

Ghanim (17:30.359)
whatever I want to eat, have the raw green salad at beginning. And that’s a habit that I still do it till today. I just eat lots of greens and then I eat whatever I want. If it’s something that I’m not comfortable eating or of course for me now it’s vegan, but if it’s like a little bit junky vegan or if it’s a bit too over oily, which I don’t usually eat, but I have to kind of have this beginning. That’s in my house. But then of course, publicly,

Kimberly Snyder (17:34.114)
Yes.

Kimberly Snyder (17:48.206)
Wait.

Ghanim (17:59.513)
You know, people were questioning my decisions and they were coming to me saying, you’re going against religion, you’re going against the culture, you’re going against what your ancestors have done for the last hundred years. And for me, it was. People felt intimidated by me every time I was choosing to eat vegan, even though I’m not making it the subject of the event. And I realized that I needed to be stronger in my

Kimberly Snyder (18:12.649)
It can feel threatening to people.

Kimberly Snyder (18:24.234)
Sure.

Ghanim (18:30.391)
defense, because I was a bit hesitant to get into the conversation. so I did a lot of research into my culture, understanding how my people have eaten in the past hundred years. and I’ve found out some amazing facts that, you know, 50 years ago, Qatar was so poor and, and didn’t have enough resources that actually people didn’t have the luxury to eat animal products.

They were eating lots of starchy vegetables, lots of rice and beans, lentils to be specific. when they want to eat meat, it was a celebration and it was once or twice a year. So it had a different cultural meanings behind it when they have consumed animal products. And I realized that I needed to kind of go back and talk to people and

Kimberly Snyder (18:59.085)
Right.

Kimberly Snyder (19:04.055)
Yes.

Kimberly Snyder (19:16.099)
What else?

Ghanim (19:29.111)
that have lived during those times. And I found amazing facts that our region is, lots of people have eaten plant-based in the 40s and 30s because they had their own farms. That was actually the most sustainable way. They didn’t have access to food. The oil industry didn’t boom yet. So actually only after the oil industry had boomed in the 60s and 70s, that’s when people got access to animal products.

Kimberly Snyder (19:30.798)
Amazing.

Kimberly Snyder (19:43.99)
Yes.

Ghanim (19:58.081)
And the funny part is that I do a lot of work as well in Cambodia to help children eat healthy vegan food. And I remember kind of going to Cambodia in 2017, promoting eating fruits and vegetables and no one wants to eat it. And everybody was so angry with me because they say, this is not good food. This is poor people food. And then that same food in Qatar, I go to schools and I show people the vegetables and I said, this is

Kimberly Snyder (20:20.941)
Yeah.

Ghanim (20:26.241)
rich people food because no one eats organic except the rich people. And I’m like, wow, look at how cultures are so different. It’s like, have people here who don’t appreciate fruits and vegetables. And we have people here who appreciate fruits and vegetables, they don’t think they can access to it. and then I had to change that mindset. And I think that mindset is about, you know, actually plant-based food is the most affordable option out there.

It’s, it’s the simplest food to be, to, to, to be stored, to be, to create, to, cook. Yeah. So.

Kimberly Snyder (21:03.904)
Yes. Well, this is an amazing story. It’s sort of like the Blue Zones too, Ghanim. You know, when you, they’re not trying to be vegan, but that’s what was available. If you look at those cultures, it was more inexpensive. And then if they had a wedding or something, they would eat a little bit of meat. But lentils, when you think about the energy efficiency for the planet and also the nutrients and the protein density, it’s amazing. So how amazing that you uncovered these misunderstandings.

Ghanim (21:09.347)
Yep. Yep.

Kimberly Snyder (21:32.546)
that people think, eating this meat. And then is there any part of the religion that’s ceremonies or certain things that did involve meat specifically, or is it more culturally?

Ghanim (21:45.229)
There is, religiously of course, and I think it’s, I get that question all the time, like what do you do? And I said, in our religion, it’s not mandated to actually do it, it’s an option. And you can opt to do good in different ways. And the intention behind it actually is not to kill the animal, the intention is to sacrifice something that is valuable to you. That is the mantra behind that. So I started challenging it.

Kimberly Snyder (21:57.623)
Yeah.

Kimberly Snyder (22:10.358)
Yeah. Okay.

Ghanim (22:14.925)
that idea when I speak to people saying, let’s go back to the original purpose of us doing that. And the original purpose is to sacrifice something that is so valuable to you today. And people used to sacrifice the animals back in the day because that was actually their currency. used to be their most valuable asset is the animals that they used to raise. Nowadays, the most valuable asset is your watch and car and bags and things that are…

Kimberly Snyder (22:38.028)
Yeah.

Ghanim (22:44.235)
I always tell people and that’s my challenge to them. Can you sacrifice those things today? This is the lesson that religion wants you to learn. So for me, a lot of people say I can’t and I’m saying this is where we have to focus on the actual feeling. It’s all about the feeling. It’s not about the creature actually. when I started kind of differentiate, of course a lot of people still don’t agree with what I say, but

Kimberly Snyder (22:47.054)
Mmm. Mmm.

Kimberly Snyder (23:05.985)
Right.

Ghanim (23:12.931)
So many people have started kind of opening up their mind and saying, you know what? It actually makes so much sense because our religion is all about the intention. It’s actually not about the physical action. It’s all about the intention. So.

Kimberly Snyder (23:24.31)
Right. Well, you know, it’s so beautiful. I love how you’re really looking so deeply and spinning everything on its head. It’s amazing. You know, my last book was about the heart and just this energy. You could say the physical heart, the energetic heart and the oneness of the heart. And it was really interesting. You hear this idea of the sacred heart of Jesus Christ and the word kalb. I don’t know if I’m saying it right.

but it translates to heart as mentioned 122 times in the Quran, this idea of feeling heart connection. And like you said, it’s not this like specific actual thing, but what’s evoking that connection from inside. And so it’s like blasting all these misinterpretations out of the water.

Ghanim (23:54.659)
Yes. Yes.

Ghanim (24:04.985)
You’re right.

Ghanim (24:10.969)
For me, have been so much, there’s been a huge gap between what are the main lessons that we need to learn from our culture and our religion. And we have kind of changed it with modernity. And we became so disattached of the actual, those senses that meant to be felt when you do good actions, when you do good to your body.

Kimberly Snyder (24:38.071)
Yes.

Ghanim (24:41.049)
And we kind of, we are in a space now where a lot of people just seeing the superficial actions from the outside and not looking to the inside. And that’s how I felt when I kind of, you know, going on this journey, I not only started questioning my food, I started questioning my, you know, the philosophy of life. And for me, it’s insane. It’s insane. And a lot of people still believe

Kimberly Snyder (24:50.721)
Yeah.

Kimberly Snyder (25:02.092)
Isn’t that amazing how that happens? It’s like layers go deeper and deeper and deeper.

Ghanim (25:09.015)
think that I’m still stuck in that kind of first phase and I’m them, no, I’m five phases ahead. I’ve gone to a different layer where I’m now dissecting different areas in my mind that used to be blocked, let’s say. it was blocked because of the way I was raised and my society. of course, any society in the world, I I lived in the States, I lived in Hong Kong, I lived in

Kimberly Snyder (25:28.078)
Amazing.

Ghanim (25:38.263)
different part of the world and pretty much most societies have the same issues, by the way, which is we are always love to be in that comfort zone where it feels comfortable and it feels good. But at some point you have to open your horizons. And I think started kind of looking beyond and seeing what are the possibilities of

when you open your hearts, how much you can actually receive. And yeah.

Kimberly Snyder (26:06.51)
Exactly. I think it feels good to an extent, right? It feels safe, but feel good. The theme of our podcast is really about such profound connection, right? And that’s like you said, connected to feeling, connected to each other, connected to who we really are, connected to our hearts. So I think it doesn’t feel good just to keep going along with what other people expect of us or just what the old patterns are. And then, know, it’s sort of like praying, but you’re thinking about something else or you’re not really present.

Ghanim (26:15.139)
Yes. Yeah.

Ghanim (26:34.753)
Exactly.

Kimberly Snyder (26:36.214)
So it’s sort of that surface aspect, which over time doesn’t feel fulfilling or satisfying. And that’s why I think there’s a lot of stress too in the modern world, because we’re just sort of rushing from thing to thing instead of being really deeply present with our food, with each other, with the moment. So I love how you said the food for me, I was so blocked, Ghanam. You know, I talked about this in the book. I was constipated. I just felt clogged from all the dairy I was eating. And my energy just changed the way that I thought.

about everything, spirituality, relationships, everything changed when I changed my diet. It really was the precursor.

Ghanim (27:13.337)
100%, I think this idea of how food is actually connected to your emotions is something that you only can actually feel it if you try eating better food and clean food. And suddenly you start kind of making that connection because I remember at some point when I read your second book, I couldn’t relate to it at that time.

Kimberly Snyder (27:23.734)
Yes.

Ghanim (27:40.469)
Even though I was doing the whole kind of, say, I was already transitioned, I was eating lots of amazing food, but I wasn’t there yet. And it took me a while and it took me time to get there. And I know that it’s a process. And I think this is what a lot of people nowadays with social media and all of these fast options that we have to get there. I always say that actually it’s not always the best option to do. The best option is to take time and do it.

Kimberly Snyder (27:45.185)
Yes.

Kimberly Snyder (27:52.599)
Yes.

Ghanim (28:10.723)
correctly and intentionally aligned, I would say. And that only takes time. And I believe that I wouldn’t be here today talking to you if I didn’t go through the 11 years or 12 years of me kind of learning and meeting people and talking about and challenging my thoughts. And I’m still in that process. It’s ongoing and I’m getting deeper and deeper. It never ends and that’s the beauty of it.

Kimberly Snyder (28:35.98)
it never ends

Ghanim (28:39.661)
And that’s why I’m still enjoying it. I’m so, I’m still traveling to explore and I’m still asking people and I’m still as curious as I was from day one. I, but I, you know, I’m, but I’m always so amazed by the power of food and how they actually can like, you know, I heal myself with food nowadays. Like I don’t use medicine. Like, I mean, let’s say artificial medicine and thankfully, of course, I mean, God knows if

Kimberly Snyder (29:04.343)
Yeah.

Ghanim (29:08.203)
anything happen, maybe I will, but until now I’ve been able to really test how strong our bodies are. When I get sick or when I feel under the weather or when a scars comes to my on my face or when I need, want, whenever I wanted to heal and it’s just so powerful to know that your body is actually capable of doing that. And it took me certain

incident to actually believe in that and believe that I need to wait because it will recover, it will heal, it will do its job. You just need to give it the space. You need to give it the right elements and environment. And I created that environment so I can always be in that healing process constantly, like on a daily basis. And that’s what I’ve been doing for the past few years. I’ve been just creating this

the perfect environment for healing because I know that I’m constantly absorbing as an entrepreneur. run a big company with 200 employees. I absorbed so many energies every day. I meet a lot of people and I do some rituals to let go as well, to release. And part of the release is, of course, I needed the right food. I need the right sleeping patterns. I need the right sun. I need the right air. I need the me time. And yeah, so.

Kimberly Snyder (30:08.342)
Yes.

Kimberly Snyder (30:13.699)
Wow.

Kimberly Snyder (30:34.254)
Right. Well, I was going to say you embody so much steadiness and so much bravery, but times where, you know, we all go through moments where it feels challenging and there’s things that come up. How do you, where do you get extra strength?

Ghanim (30:34.965)
It goes on and on and on, you know?

Ghanim (30:52.877)
That’s very interesting. See, I started the businesses or my business thinking that it would be, such a fun thing. You know, it’s an amazing kind of space that I can inspire people. again, it was a happy moment. But then with time and after I started growing from one business to now nine businesses, with again, all these amazing people that I work with, my team, it’s now a responsibility. So it’s no longer just

Kimberly Snyder (31:13.422)
Wow.

Ghanim (31:22.873)
It’s not a fun game, it’s a responsibility. I know my decisions are all about every decision is going to affect someone out there, either my team or somebody, my suppliers. So I have to be very careful. I have to be strategic. I have to be very wise as well. And sometimes as well, you can’t be always wise. You can’t always be in the right mindset, especially when you are being faced with all of these challenges.

Kimberly Snyder (31:22.968)
Like fun games.

Ghanim (31:52.545)
My area of strength would be, and it took me time to get there, but I’m really, really, really, really, really, and I can’t say really another time, made peace with me, Ghanem, inside. I am my best friend. I love myself deep inside. I love being with me, the person who’s inside.

Kimberly Snyder (32:03.374)
you

Kimberly Snyder (32:08.174)
Mmm. Mmm.

Ghanim (32:22.649)
That have helped me so much to appreciate my me time.

Kimberly Snyder (32:29.144)
So beautiful.

Ghanim (32:30.393)
I travel alone most of the time. I spend so much time with me. And I am not afraid of being alone. Even though I’m constantly surrounded by people and I’m so social, but 90 % of the time I’m by myself. And I am happy with that. And I’m satisfied and I’m able to have this amazing relationship that I built with time.

Kimberly Snyder (32:35.309)
Yeah.

Kimberly Snyder (32:39.042)
it’s there.

Kimberly Snyder (32:49.226)
Wow, that’s.

Ghanim (32:59.105)
And I hope that I continue that kind of relationship and strengthening it because it is the most powerful tool I’ve ever, I’m able to use nowadays and all my downtime and my biggest challenge, just going back and just sitting with myself and digesting everything within myself, cleansing it within myself. And that’s been the only way. It sounds cliche, but it is true.

Kimberly Snyder (33:18.734)
Mmm.

Kimberly Snyder (33:29.038)
That’s a lot of people don’t do that. A lot of people don’t have that space and that time. And same thing for me, Ghanim. If I have a free moment, I want to meditate. I want to be with God. I want to be in peace. I want to be in stillness instead of energy always going out. Wow. That’s I love this answer. So here you are today. You know, we haven’t even talked about evergreen organics. You have nine, 10 different companies. What is the through line with all these different?

projects and here in America, wherever we are, how can we find out more about what you’re doing? How can we support?

Ghanim (34:07.107)
course. So it started with Evergreen. Evergreen was the first vegan cafe in Qatar.

Kimberly Snyder (34:13.774)
It’s awesome.

Ghanim (34:14.829)
Day one, we opened on the 1st of September, 2016, 5 p.m. exactly. I was sitting 10 minutes before the opening telling my team that it’s okay if no one showed up. And I remember kind of saying to them, like, I don’t know if anyone will show up even. we were just like, let’s just do it. I will be your number one customer. I’m the only vegan that I know. And I remember when we opened the door in…

Kimberly Snyder (34:39.906)
Ha

Ghanim (34:43.417)
10 minutes the place was packed. And my dad walked in 10 minutes into the opening. And I remember my dad looked at me and said, now I get what you were working on for the last few years. Now I understand what you’re talking about. And that moment was a profound moment for me that had not only helped me to gain confidence in my decisions and my initiatives and my work, but I’ve seen something in that few.

Kimberly Snyder (34:45.837)
Wow.

Kimberly Snyder (34:54.293)
Wow.

Ghanim (35:10.553)
minutes of that opening in the community that showed up that hunger for health and people wanted something that is going to make them feel better. And I remember kind of seeing that and saying, Oh my God, there are more opportunities to create more spaces, more options, more alternatives, because there is people for it. They’re not vocal about it, but when you do it, they showed up. And that’s how it gone. It went from one restaurant to opening my skincare line, which was 100 % vegan.

to then launching a few months later, a packaging factory that does sustainable packaging for my restaurants, because I wanted to only do sustainable packaging, then realizing that actually other restaurants wanted sustainable packaging, then I started supplying them. And then it went very small, very small. All these concepts were founded by me with a few people around me that believed in what I was doing. And it just started growing.

Kimberly Snyder (35:40.782)
Wow.

Kimberly Snyder (36:10.005)
easy.

Ghanim (36:10.425)
And then we launched, of course, in 2019, it was the big jump where I launched my chocolate and ice cream concept called Milk, which is a whole vegan concept. Then I launched Telathin, which is on the National Museum of Qatar, which is a very cultural Qatari vegan food restaurant. Then at the Museum of Doha, yes, Qatar. And it was a nice project because it was linked to the

Kimberly Snyder (36:29.952)
At the museum. Wow.

Ghanim (36:40.377)
the identity of Qatar and I wanted to, and actually I was asked to open a business there. I was asked by the management of the museum saying, we want a healthier option. And I remember saying, okay, I’m going to call it a 30, a 30 means 30 in Arabic. And it has a link to the vision of Qatar 2030 and how they are seeing that Qataris need to be more healthier and they need to adapt a better lifestyle. So yeah, my business has started kind of like,

popping with the years and then COVID came in and it was a complete disaster. But then it was another step for me to grow because funny enough, everyone during COVID was looking for turmeric shots and ginger shots and hospitals were calling us at that time saying, hey, can you supply us? So actually our kitchens were supplying hospitals during that time, which actually saved us from closing down. So we had a lot of these amazing opportunities that came in.

Kimberly Snyder (37:33.838)
Wow.

Ghanim (37:39.501)
So yeah, now they’re all under a holding company called NBOT. And NBOT is, in Arabic, means to grow. And it’s kind of my umbrella that helps me manage all of these businesses, that helps me create the best opportunities, but also invest in new businesses and invest in new concepts. And I’ve been very blessed and super.

grateful for that, that I was able to have the opportunity to meet amazing companies around the world and that are vegan and or sustainable or doing something in that industry that I managed to contribute to them or be part of that or and then at the same time creating the center of it, which is the Doha, Qatar, where I feel is so much needed. Such concepts are so much needed in our region.

Kimberly Snyder (38:22.829)
Wow.

Ghanim (38:36.557)
That’s why when people say to me, why don’t you franchise? say, no, no, no, there is still more to be done in our region. Our region needs that. It needs that focus. It needs that kind of ecosystem because our businesses have allowed other businesses as well to flourish. Other suppliers, organic suppliers, you name it. mean, they didn’t exist before. Bringing spirulina and acai, I mean, back in the days, goji berries, all of these.

Kimberly Snyder (38:42.05)
Yes.

Kimberly Snyder (38:56.621)
Yeah.

Ghanim (39:03.065)
Amazing superfoods. mean, nowadays it’s everywhere, but back in the days, it was absolutely a nightmare. So yeah, I’m absolutely grateful. being a business owner nowadays, as I said to you, it’s a responsibility, but I feel as well that I have this commitment to not only to the region, to my people. I feel like it’s my way of giving back to Qatar.

Kimberly Snyder (39:07.277)
Yeah.

Kimberly Snyder (39:23.306)
your region.

Yes.

Ghanim (39:29.899)
It’s my way of giving back to my community and it’s my way of giving back to the future that we all want, which is everybody around in this industry that we’re in, me and you, we’re all kind of hoping for a better future for people where everyone is feeling better and aware about how to heal themselves, especially in a world where we’re bombarded by pharmaceuticals and constantly

false narratives, false narratives, let’s call that. Yeah. And I want to, I want to give the power back to the people. want people to have that power back up because I had it back. now I am, I am clear and I am strong to, to, be able to challenge what, what is not true sometimes. And, I want everybody to have that power. so yeah, this is.

Kimberly Snyder (40:00.332)
Noise? Yes.

Kimberly Snyder (40:11.726)
clear.

Kimberly Snyder (40:28.448)
The clarity that you embody is striking, right? Even down to, want to focus on this region, not go to Dubai or other parts, stay here. Do you envision Qatar? mean, who knows what will happen in the future, but do you envision it as your long-term home?

Ghanim (40:45.689)
I’m born here. I’m raised in Qatar. For me, it’s the land that gives me so much. It opened so much doors for me. It facilitated my businesses to be where they are today. I’ve been supported by the people of Qatar. They embraced me. They actually see me as a role model, which is something that is very, you know,

Kimberly Snyder (40:48.258)
Yes.

Kimberly Snyder (40:53.389)
Mmm.

Ghanim (41:14.699)
interesting because you know, I embody a lot of the things that a lot of people might think might not embody what this region will talk about as the vegan, as someone who’s talking about compassion, as someone who’s, and I’m so happy that they are, you know, they are still there behind me. And that’s for me, something that I know that is not available across, I’ve been everywhere in the world and I’ve heard stories that it’s not always the case. So I’m, I want to hold on to that amazing blessing that I have.

Kimberly Snyder (41:29.454)
Amazing.

Ghanim (41:43.625)
and build on it. And I, that’s what I’ve been doing. And I think Qatar will be very soon a hub for a lot of the amazing companies and people who are from all over the world to, to come in because we are a very small country and it’s so easy to test and pivot and create this amazing concepts. And, and, you know,

Kimberly Snyder (41:45.131)
Yes.

Kimberly Snyder (41:50.189)
Yes.

Ghanim (42:08.825)
For me, this is the right environment for any business. So yeah, I’m very happy here. I am a global citizen for sure. I love to travel, but Qatar is my land. It’s my home, it’s my earth. It’s the place that I love the weather here. I love the heat. I love the sun. I love the humid.

Kimberly Snyder (42:13.773)
Yes.

Kimberly Snyder (42:17.206)
Your heart is there.

Kimberly Snyder (42:30.36)
Beautiful.

Kimberly Snyder (42:37.068)
You love the desert.

Ghanim (42:38.571)
I love the desert. I started embracing that even though I just came back from Bali and I love the jungle there. for me, I’m a desert guy. I embraced that and I taught myself to love it. And I made myself to love it because it’s something very usual here for people to be like, we don’t like the weather here, let’s just move to somewhere colder. But for me, it gives me so much energy, you can’t believe it.

Kimberly Snyder (42:44.535)
Yeah.

Kimberly Snyder (42:48.855)
Yeah.

Kimberly Snyder (43:06.38)
You know, there’s something when I go to the desert, there’s this starkness. There’s like the desert feels like truth to me because you can’t hide in the desert. There’s something very powerful about the energy of the desert as you’re becoming more centered.

Ghanim (43:20.889)
100%. 100%. And it’s 100 % and it’s a very, it’s a strengthening as well environment where it, because you know, it’s a harsh environment. So you’re literally get trained to face challenges and be stronger and more rooted. And you don’t need to be fed with so much resources. You don’t need too much water. You don’t need too much

Kimberly Snyder (43:37.655)
Yeah.

Kimberly Snyder (43:44.63)
Yes.

Ghanim (43:50.539)
you know, nutrients, you actually can survive because you’re resilient. And that’s what I love about the desert. That’s what I learned about the desert. But don’t get me wrong, like all our restaurants are lush greenery and full of amazing plants and it looks like jungles and indoor jungles. so yeah, we have the benefit of both and I have amazing plants behind me that keep surrounding me as well always.

Kimberly Snyder (44:01.133)
Yeah.

Kimberly Snyder (44:16.782)
How often do you actually eat in your restaurants?

Ghanim (44:20.473)
That’s very funny. Okay, so I went on, I only eat at my restaurant, that’s for sure. Okay, I have four different restaurants and I only eat at my restaurant. Recently, I became so, let’s say detailed when it comes to what I eat. I’m more picky nowadays. So I started actually finally cooking in my house. I have an amazing kitchen that I never touched, only doing my smoothies.

But then my lunch and dinner comes from my restaurant. But nowadays I actually started cooking because I wanted to reduce my oil intake and my salt intake. So I’m actually in a very good phase where I am so sensitive to a pinch of salt that I am happier like that because my senses are more open now and I can sense a little bit of oil.

Kimberly Snyder (44:49.358)
Mm.

Kimberly Snyder (45:08.322)
Really?

Kimberly Snyder (45:15.662)
Yeah.

Ghanim (45:17.517)
It’s not great when I travel because it hits me so strong when I eat in a restaurant and that’s so much oil and process ingredients. But I love it when I’m here because I just can control everything and it really affects me. I can really sense those small feelings about even, and I’m talking about a tablespoon of oil would change my day. I love how sensitive I become. A lot of my friends hate me nowadays because I became so rigid that I can’t eat anything with them.

And I only eat cucumbers and carrots when I go to restaurants. But I don’t know, I love it. I love how I feel.

Kimberly Snyder (45:55.222)
Yeah, you know, it’s so funny because when I lived in New York, I used to love going to restaurants and now I hardly ever go to restaurants. And for me, it’s also the energy when I’m making food, very intentional. sometimes in restaurants, you know, the way people are touching it and preparing it, it doesn’t feel like the same care. And I feel, I feel it in the food. I would just rather make my own food most of the time.

Ghanim (46:21.017)
100%. Because I’m a restaurateur, I as well sit with the chefs all the time. Our chefs are vegan. I try to always remind them of the connection of their energy as well. We have a spa as well. we do a lot of facials and massages in our spas. And I actually was doing an interview yesterday and I was telling one of the therapists that like, it really makes a difference, your hand when it touches somebody else.

Kimberly Snyder (46:26.444)
Yes.

Kimberly Snyder (46:32.205)
Yeah.

Kimberly Snyder (46:36.916)
amazing.

Ghanim (46:47.891)
I can feel it. started feeling it now when I do massages and when I do any treatment, when somebody touches me, I can tell if the person is doing it with good intention or not. And it really affects me. And that’s why I became so sensitive and choosing who I go to, who get to touch me, who gets to put his hand on my face. because I really absorbed so quickly and I, it’s just so powerful. I love it. I, it is a bit, it is a bit limiting, but I love it because it’s this.

Kimberly Snyder (46:57.313)
Yes.

Ghanim (47:17.369)
The experience that I’m having right now when I choose to do something like that, it’s mind blowing when it’s the right person. Like I get to feel the energy and sometimes when the person have good energy and you connect, wow. So I totally believe in that and food and therapist wise and friendship and relationships. It really makes a big difference. Huge, huge, huge difference.

Kimberly Snyder (47:24.823)
Yeah.

Kimberly Snyder (47:32.467)
yeah.

Kimberly Snyder (47:43.662)
Well, I like how you’re not leaky with your energy. Like you said, you want to be alone a lot as I feel as well. But then if you are with someone, it’s intentional. It’s someone you really want to spend time with. And it’s uplifting for both instead of kind of leaking energy or passing the time. Because why do that?

Ghanim (48:01.721)
Yeah, 100%. I think it’s hard when, I’m transitioning, I’m evolving, I’m changing as we go. A lot of people don’t change as fast as you. So you realize that at the end of the day, you don’t want to lose everybody. So I have to adapt and kind of find ways to balance as well and be able to still hang out with my friends and people who I’m, maybe they’re not as…

Kimberly Snyder (48:16.503)
Right.

Ghanim (48:30.361)
present as I would love them to be because they’re on their phone all the time or they’re kind of distracted by all the issues that are happening around them. And I started kind of as well practicing certain habits to be present. Just keeping my phone away, making sure that I don’t touch my phone at all when I’m talking to someone. For me, you see how simple that is? And it’s just, it’s the most impressive thing I could

Kimberly Snyder (48:45.474)
Yeah.

Kimberly Snyder (48:53.698)
Yeah.

Ghanim (49:00.003)
see if somebody did it in front of me. I’d like, my God, you made that much energy to actually be with me. Because it’s so hard nowadays to leave your phone that I understand the struggle that people are going through. I am on my phone because of my work, but I know when I sit with somebody, it’s flipped, it’s on the side, and it may be exploding with messaging, but I really make the effort to be here, be there.

Kimberly Snyder (49:05.581)
Mmm.

Kimberly Snyder (49:22.872)
Hahaha

Ghanim (49:29.025)
And I made people around me respect that. My mom now is doing it and me and my mom love it because we have this amazing thing where we sit with our families every weekend when I see them. My mom is, me and her are connecting deeply and we’re kind of, let’s say, engaging and we’re not touching our phones. And all our siblings and my brothers are all on their phones and no one wants to talk because they’re on their phones. And we just joke about it. And I love that there’s somebody in my family that is connecting with me, at least on a certain level that I would love to.

connect. But and but we’re trying to get people and it’s hard. It’s really hard. People find it weird what we’re trying to do or say, Hey, it’s a but it’s okay to be quiet as well. I was telling my mom like, even if we were present and we’re not touching our phone, it’s okay not to talk like not say anything. And we made peace with that me and my mom, me and my friends as well sometimes telling them let’s make peace with not talking. It’s okay to run out of conversations, you know.

Kimberly Snyder (50:07.032)
Presence.

Kimberly Snyder (50:17.132)
Yeah.

Kimberly Snyder (50:23.768)
So.

Well, the energy can actually be felt more on, you know, when there isn’t all the noise on top. It sounds like you have a really special relationship with your mom.

Ghanim (50:28.718)
Yeah.

Ghanim (50:37.209)
It developed with time. It started not great, or let’s say, okay, and then it became better with time. And I think when I started knowing myself, and being honest as well with my ideas and my philosophies, recently I became so comfortable to talk to my mom about anything. And she is comfortable to talk.

Kimberly Snyder (50:39.544)
Yeah.

Kimberly Snyder (50:48.088)
Yeah.

Ghanim (51:04.683)
anything with me as well. And I felt this kind of respect have opened both of us to just not be scared to share anything. And I loved it because it gives me so much strength as well, that I’m now having this kind of connection with your parents and as well with my dad. My dad is as well as an amazing person and I’ve learned so much from him and I’ve learned to be wiser and

and very rooted and very strong and resilient from him. And I think having this relationship from my dad and my mom is a reason of why my business are successful and why I’m as well always aiming for a better standards or a better life or a better outcome. I’ve been always this kid even in school trying to be

the best and, know, with my grades and, and always the, the, getting, you the awards and, I went to my mom a few weeks ago and I was discussing that saying, why did I, why, why, why am I like that? Because my siblings are not like that. Um, and, and I’ve realized that there is something that my mom and my dad planted with me, especially when I was a kid. Um, that made me who I am today. That always kind of aiming for the best. Um, um, yeah.

Kimberly Snyder (52:16.43)
Mmm.

Ghanim (52:30.777)
When I say the best, mean like best for me, know, not the best in the standard of, and this is, again, now things are great. I hope that I continue to invest the right energy in those relationships. And, you know, I’m still 33 years old. So I’m, a lot of people say, you know, wait till you’re 40 for you to kind of like as well go to another, another

Kimberly Snyder (52:33.358)
Of course.

Ghanim (53:00.589)
phase in your life where you’re going to be discovering new things. So I’m excited to discover more stuff and to learn more things about myself in the next coming years and decades. And if I’m blessed enough to be on this planet, I hope that I can still give more and continue leaving an impact as much as I can to my society, to my people and to people, you know.

Kimberly Snyder (53:27.021)
Wow.

Ghanim (53:30.361)
across the world and the globe.

Kimberly Snyder (53:32.718)
The world.

So incredibly inspiring, Ghanem. mean, your story, your heart, your authenticity. mean, talk about being in your 40s. I can’t wait to hear what you’re doing in four months, two months. You’re moving at, like you said, your relationship with time. You’re moving at a different speed than the rest of the world. It’s like…

Ghanim (53:48.825)
Yeah.

Ghanim (53:58.969)
And I, I, and I, because I lived abroad, I know it’s, it’s very rare what I’m going through. And I am trying to cherish those moments and, and be humble in a very humble. am trying to remind myself to, to, to, stick to the ground and not be in the air. And just so I can really feel it, believe it, use it wisely and, and, and, and

and not be mesmerized by everything that comes with it. Because it’s very easy with this lifestyle, you get distracted. And don’t get me wrong, I am challenged daily by how the entrepreneur world is not easy. It’s not easy when you are following this kind of lifestyle, trying to be authentic, trying to be genuine, trying to be ethical, trying to be…

Kimberly Snyder (54:35.512)
Sure.

Kimberly Snyder (54:50.945)
Yeah.

Ghanim (54:56.897)
right and doing good all the time. The business world is a very tough world and sometimes it can push you to places that are not what you really want. So I’m constantly repivoting, constantly going back, restructuring, trying to take it to the origin of where it all started. And sometimes it’s opposite to how

how the economy and the industry is trying to push me. So yeah, I’m trying to always bring myself back and time is something that I know that it’s the only currency that we all have. mean, so I’m trying to be wise on how I use it. And I constantly remind myself that I am lucky.

I worked hard, I did my best, but I am lucky. I am fortunate. I am blessed. A lot of people might think that because I’m from Qatar, so I had access to all the resources. There’s a lot of people who have the resources, but not everybody is able to take the resources and create something out of it. So I always want to kind of remind myself that I…

Kimberly Snyder (56:16.462)
Force.

Ghanim (56:21.593)
just never, I don’t want to ever forget that. That’s what I want to leave it at that. I just don’t want to ever forget that, that it is a fortunate situation and I just need to always be very grateful. And I am grateful and I’m so thankful to everyone. And I’m not on, I am here talking to you today as me as Ghanem, but behind me, is a huge team that have worked hard and I’ve worked with so many amazing people from everywhere in the world.

Kimberly Snyder (56:24.759)
Yeah.

Ghanim (56:51.213)
that really made my dream come true. So I’m also very, very thankful to that and to people like you as well. And I said it in the beginning of this conversation, because if that didn’t happen, I’m gonna be just, I’m an engineer, so I’m gonna be just an engineer who does amazing in engineering, of course, but I would just be an engineer. And I think what I’ve done with that route,

I found my passion. It is something that I don’t know how, but even though it was just a choice, it was a choice to eat more greens. just can’t, I can’t even believe it nowadays how just a choice of having a smoothie can be like kind of. Yeah.

Kimberly Snyder (57:23.884)
Yes.

Kimberly Snyder (57:38.734)
This is amazing.

was a choice and then you took that first step and then it was another step and it’s just unfolding and unfolding and all this creative power. Like you said, blessed, but you took things and you’ve woven this incredible tapestry and there’s all these things just being created and interwoven and it’s like a giant web as you’re describing.

Ghanim (58:04.281)
Yeah, I 100 % 100 % and I totally believe and I have been telling this to people around me. A lot of people saying, okay, how can we, how can we attract energy? How can we attract good energy? And I always tell them, first of all, you have to be ready to, to, accept energy as well. Um, a lot of people might be like, you know, have an amazing ideas and wants to do good, but they did something to start kind of working where

they’re not meeting the right people or they’re not kind of, and I always say it’s because just you’re not, you’re not allow, you’re not creating the environment around you to, attract the right. I always tell people I’ve never actually.

Kimberly Snyder (58:36.311)
Yeah.

Kimberly Snyder (58:42.871)
Yes.

Ghanim (58:49.385)
Every opportunity that I’ve received actually came by itself. I never went for it. And until today, I’ve never run for something. I’ve been able to manifest and just plant certain seeds in my head and in different ways and constantly think about it and put the right tools that allows that thing to actually come to me.

Kimberly Snyder (58:55.287)
Yes.

Ghanim (59:18.359)
And it comes, the right team members, right platforms, right environment where I go, where people see me, where, people actually see me as well on the digital platforms or on, you know, physically. And being able to surround myself with the right people.

Kimberly Snyder (59:19.796)
Even the right team members, success partners.

Ghanim (59:46.073)
that happened. I I met one of my business partners through Instagram on a DM. And I always say to people, like, sometimes people kind of talk so much bad on social media. Most of my opportunities came from Instagram and came from just being available and being there with a platform that speaks about me. And it just attracted the right persons and peoples. And that’s why I always tell people, like, I never got approached by a company that I would not want to invest in, or it’s not

Kimberly Snyder (59:51.928)
Wow.

Kimberly Snyder (59:57.933)
Yeah.

Wow.

Ghanim (01:00:16.011)
my values or it doesn’t represent me. It’s always the people that I would love to work with and that they are doing what they’re doing. that’s, it’s just sometimes the power of knowing what you want and really deep inside believing in what you’re doing without you knowing it will just radiate and brings things to you. yeah.

Kimberly Snyder (01:00:40.842)
Yes. Well, this rootedness, it’s not painted on top of it. When you said you really do believe in yourself, you really do connect with yourself, whatever tools, whatever your journey was, that radiates as no lack, right? It’s just so abundant and whole and magnetic that it’s pulling in. You body that.

Ghanim (01:01:00.857)
100%. And again, so many people don’t want to believe in this thing, and I get it. They just like to believe in things that are more touched. But I think once you open yourself to experience opportunities that can come from that kind of angle,

Kimberly Snyder (01:01:16.544)
Yeah.

Ghanim (01:01:30.667)
It’s very hard to not believe in it. that’s how I, when I go to schools here and when I talk to students and everybody saying, what I want to do this and I want to do that. How do you do it? And how you’re constantly is kind of things seems with your life, everything is like a stairs. And I’m like telling them, it’s just because I built the stairs already in my head, but it’s in my subconscious mind and it’s not there daily, but it’s somewhere there.

Kimberly Snyder (01:01:32.781)
Yes.

Kimberly Snyder (01:01:47.874)
Yeah.

Ghanim (01:01:59.031)
And I think that’s the reason it’s kind of coming, everything is coming in and then fitting on the right step. And it might already be on the step, but I just didn’t reach that step yet. If that makes sense.

Kimberly Snyder (01:02:02.274)
It’s.

Kimberly Snyder (01:02:05.634)
Wow.

Kimberly Snyder (01:02:13.193)
So inspiring. I could talk to you forever, Ghanem. But as we close up, back to you creating so much good in the region, in Qatar, if you just had to say a few things, like really tangible things that you would love to see improved in your region, it could be physical health-wise, I don’t know. Like in the United States, there’s inflammation, there’s a lot of autoimmune, there’s overweight issues, there’s just a lot of depression, anxiety. What are just a few

Ghanim (01:02:16.697)
Yes.

Kimberly Snyder (01:02:41.708)
things tangibly that you love to see improve over the next few years, decades, as you continue your amazing work.

Ghanim (01:02:49.753)
Of course. So for me, in Qatar, we have a lot of issues when it comes to, we have the highest population with diabetes, obesity. We’re small, the population is very small here in Qatar. So we’re only like 400,000 Qataris. yeah, but the population is 3 million, but the Qataris, the nationals,

Kimberly Snyder (01:03:11.906)
Really? It’s that small?

Kimberly Snyder (01:03:17.696)
on it.

Ghanim (01:03:18.369)
are very, very small. So the rates are very huge when it comes to let’s say diseases and chronic diseases. And for me, I always would love for people to just eat more fiber. the power of fiber, fiber, fiber, fiber and how it just…

Kimberly Snyder (01:03:34.667)
Yes.

Ghanim (01:03:42.297)
And a lot of people try to eat fiber in this region and they just get immediately bloated and they get immediately like, you know, discomfort and, they just don’t get it that this is the beginning. They just have to either introduce it slowly and then continue. So this is one of my main kind of hopes and goals that just by increasing the fiber intake of this whole population, people will start feeling better immediately. There are bowel movements and

Kimberly Snyder (01:03:54.079)
Yes.

Ghanim (01:04:10.081)
and the beauty of going to the toilet and comfortably, let’s call it, and having this peace with actually releasing. It’s funny because I go a couple of times a day, sorry, I’m just like going a little bit off, but then a lot of people here, like when you talk to them, they don’t.

Kimberly Snyder (01:04:13.11)
Yes.

Kimberly Snyder (01:04:33.58)
Yeah, no, please.

Ghanim (01:04:39.221)
even go for days and that is scary. That is scary. So that’s one thing. And then the second part is the sun and the power of the sun. We live in a sunny environment and everybody’s so scared of the sun here. Everybody’s hiding from the sun. Everybody’s indoor. So much scary, like facts about how the sun is, you know, and it’s everywhere in the world, but especially here. And I always, always

Kimberly Snyder (01:04:39.404)
Yeah, we hold it in.

Kimberly Snyder (01:04:49.719)
Yeah.

Kimberly Snyder (01:04:55.703)
Really?

Ghanim (01:05:09.299)
I to kind of encourage people to go outdoor and be okay to get the sun and the amount of energy you will get from that and the amount of healing that I get from the sun. I have an amazing rooftop that I sit every day and I try to get in. So these are the two things that are part of our, I think, of environment that I think I want people to make peace with.

Kimberly Snyder (01:05:14.892)
I love that.

Kimberly Snyder (01:05:34.69)
Beautiful.

Ghanim (01:05:39.475)
And, be able to, to achieve that. one of our missions and our company is to make Qatar the most vegan friendly city in the world. So, so I think we, mean, Doha is small. We have already eight different vegan restaurants in Qatar and the city is smaller than Manhattan. So, I guess we are the most vegan friendly city, but we yet to be recognized, I guess globally, but this is again, one of my dreams.

Kimberly Snyder (01:05:47.17)
Wow.

Ghanim (01:06:08.419)
to make it so easy for people to eat plan-based and just to normalize it and make it so simple. That’s my simple, yeah. To be honest, you have to come here and you can’t believe there is a lot of fans of yours that’s really who are here. I’ve met a lot of people who read your books and who are using the probiotics and

Kimberly Snyder (01:06:17.358)
I can’t wait to come there.

Kimberly Snyder (01:06:22.016)
Amazing.

Kimberly Snyder (01:06:34.469)
my eyes.

Ghanim (01:06:38.265)
So yeah, you have to look sometimes in the region.

Kimberly Snyder (01:06:44.392)
man, God, you are such a force. And I know sometimes, you know, just to take it in, but really thank you so much for what you’re doing on the planet. Just really authentically wanting to bring people to feeling better, higher, closer to who they are, more peace in their bodies, more peace in their minds. Where can we find out more about you on social, your websites, which we’ll also link to in the show notes, everyone.

Ghanim (01:07:14.423)
Yeah, so I’m on all platforms. I’m on Instagram, I’m on LinkedIn. So my Instagram is gonim92, G-H-A-N-I-M-92. My website, our mbotholdings.com is our website. And of course, all our businesses are there. So please reach out if you’re ever in Qatar, if you’re passing by our airport, if you’re transiting with Qatar Airways, our evergreen is in the airport. So you’re…

Kimberly Snyder (01:07:14.488)
but let’s hear it called out.

Kimberly Snyder (01:07:41.422)
Yeah.

Ghanim (01:07:43.991)
You can pick healthy plant-based food on the go while transiting at the airport. And yeah, you can, know, and if you’re ever passing by Qatar and you want to explore the vegan scene, please reach out. I’ll be happy to, you know, to host you and welcome you around. And yeah, I’m excited to see how people as well will perceive kind of this conversation.

Kimberly Snyder (01:07:48.27)
I’m

Ghanim (01:08:14.189)
And I look forward to as well hearing in the future somebody who might be inspired, but we have been talking about. So, and I believe in this kind of, believe in that, in that kind of, cause I got inspired by you and I believe that this can inspire as well someone else out there. So.

Kimberly Snyder (01:08:21.102)
so inspiring.

Kimberly Snyder (01:08:33.014)
It’s true. then someone sent me a YouTube video of you talking. So we’re always just in this web. And my gosh, thank you so much, Ghanim, for everything, for sharing your amazing heart, your wisdom, your real authentic desire to do good. And you are doing good. And I can’t wait to see as your journey continues to unfold.

Ghanim (01:08:43.609)
Thank you.

Ghanim (01:08:51.971)
Thank you.

Kimberly Snyder (01:08:54.286)
So everyone, thank you so much for tuning in. Please click on Ghanim’s links and his socials. We will link to it directly on our website as well, mysaluna.com. We’ll be back here in just a few days. Till then, sending you so much love and see you back here soon.