Mohamed Gamal, MBA

Reach 4 Growth Podcast

In August 2024, I launched Reach 4 Growth, a podcast born from my passion for sharing real, actionable insights on performance marketing, e-commerce growth, and leadership. 

Starting this podcast was more than just a creative project. It was a commitment to build a space where professionals across industries could find practical guidance and inspiration on their own growth journeys.

From my base in Dubai, I’ve had the pleasure of hosting in-depth conversations with industry leaders and experts, each bringing their unique experiences and perspectives. 

These discussions aren’t just interviews; they’re opportunities for listeners to gain insights they can actually use, whether that’s optimizing a campaign, balancing work and life, or leading with purpose.

Running Reach 4 Growth is a hands-on endeavor. I manage everything remotely, from production to distribution, ensuring that each episode is polished, timely, and packed with value. 

It’s been incredible to see the impact this platform has made, and I’m driven to keep pushing forward, making each episode a little more insightful than the last.

For me, this podcast is about much more than content. 

It’s a chance to contribute to the growth of others, sparking ideas and empowering people to reach new heights. 

If you’re ready to dive into a world of growth insights and stories that inspire, join me on this journey with Reach 4 Growth.

Founder

PPC Legends

In October 2022, I started PPC Legends, a community built on a simple yet powerful idea: bring together performance marketers and digital growth enthusiasts who are passionate about PPC and eager to learn, share, and grow together. 

Based in Dubai, PPC Legends isn’t just a group, it’s a space where connections spark, knowledge flows freely, and genuine friendships are formed.

Creating PPC Legends was about filling a gap I noticed in the industry. 

I wanted a place where people could not only access expert insights to solve real challenges in their business but also build meaningful relationships in a casual, open environment. 

Our community thrives on monthly gatherings where we don’t just talk shop; we connect as people, share stories, and have a little fun along the way.

Members benefit from access to industry experts, tailored guidance on overcoming business challenges, and regular webinars to stay updated on the latest in PPC. 

Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or just stepping into the world of performance marketing, PPC Legends offers a supportive environment to grow, learn, and navigate the ever-evolving landscape together.

Interested in joining us? Drop me an email at Gamal@reach4growth.com and let me know what drives you to be part of our community.

PPC Legends is more than a network; it’s a journey we’re taking together, one growth story at a time.

In October 2023, I stepped into a new challenge as the Director of Growth for GMG’s sports brands in the UAE, bringing with me a decade of insights, a vision for strategic growth marketing, and a mission to make an impact that goes beyond just the top line.

My role here is like navigating a high-stakes game, where every move has to be calculated and proactive. Leading an incredible team across CRM, performance marketing, SEO, and affiliate marketing, our mission is clear: drive sustainable growth that boosts profitability without wasting a single dollar.

One of my proudest accomplishments so far has been forecasting e-commerce KPIs with pinpoint accuracy. Anticipating market shifts is no small feat, especially in the fast-paced world of e-commerce, but by building out various scenarios and planning for every possibility, we’ve stayed agile and ahead of the game.

The best part? We’ve managed to improve e-commerce marketing efficiency by a full 30%, not by increasing budgets, but by optimizing every dollar we spend. 

This focus on efficiency has boosted our profitability while allowing us to invest more in what truly matters: creating value for our customers and growing our brand impact.

For me, this role isn’t just about achieving targets; it’s about building a growth story that inspires others. 

Every day, I’m committed to making GMG’s sports brands stronger, more profitable, and better prepared for the future. And if that means challenging the status quo and pushing the boundaries of what e-commerce can achieve, I’m all in.

Director of Growth - Sports

Tamanna.com

In November 2022, I took on the role of Senior Manager - Performance Marketing at Tamanna, diving headfirst into a mission to support their international expansion plan with a holistic, 360-degree approach to performance marketing. 

My year with Tamanna was filled with challenges, growth, and a relentless focus on driving results in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

I was responsible for overseeing a broad range of channels, everything from Programmatic, Search, and Display to Email and Push notifications (It evolved overtime). 

Managing these channels meant wearing many hats: strategist, creative advisor, budget planner, and A/B test conductor. 

My goal? To ensure that every digital advertising dollar was optimized for maximum impact.

One of my key focuses was on mobile app engagement. 

I led initiatives to increase app installations and drive user engagement, leveraging tools like Branch, and Google Analytics 4 to measure and refine our approach. 

By testing and tweaking landing pages and high-relevancy ads, we consistently drove better traffic quality and engagement, bringing measurable value to our campaigns.

To keep us on track, I developed a long-term marketing roadmap, complete with clear ROI expectations, quarterly targets, and detailed performance reports. 

This roadmap wasn’t just about hitting numbers; it was about setting a sustainable strategy that aligned with our growth goals and provided a clear path forward for all stakeholders.

Every day, I worked to keep Tamanna at the cutting edge of digital marketing, identifying new technologies, setting KPIs, and fine-tuning our approach based on real-time insights. 

It was a role that demanded adaptability, innovation, and constant learning, and I’m proud of the impact we made during my time there.

My journey at Tamanna was about more than campaigns; it was about driving strategic growth and helping the brand reach new heights in a competitive market.

Senior Manager - Performance Marketing

Al-Futtaim

From January 2021 to November 2022, I had the privilege of leading performance marketing for Al-Futtaim’s diverse portfolio of e-commerce brands, from global names like Toys R Us and Guess to regional favorites like Muudha and Ace. 

My role was about more than just hitting targets; it was about crafting strategies that elevated each brand’s digital presence and drove sustainable growth across multiple channels.

As the Sr. Performance Marketing Lead, I was responsible for every aspect of paid performance—from budgeting and forecasting to branding and user acquisition. 

With a focus on optimizing spend across channels, I implemented data-driven strategies to boost visibility and reach for each brand, tailoring our approach to fit both industry giants and niche brands alike.

My time at Al-Futtaim taught me the power of balancing a comprehensive digital strategy with the unique demands of each brand. 

Whether we were expanding awareness for Watsons, fine-tuning ad creative for Sandro, or driving app engagement for Ted Baker, I ensured that our performance marketing efforts weren’t just effective but impactful.

This experience wasn’t just about numbers and KPIs; it was about creating value for both the business and its customers, driving brand loyalty, and building a solid foundation for long-term growth. 

Leading such a diverse range of brands honed my ability to adapt, innovate, and lead a team through the ever-evolving landscape of performance marketing.

Sr. Performance Marketing Lead

Sprii.com

In 2020, I joined Sprii.com as the Performance Digital Marketing Manager, stepping into a role where every decision could directly impact the top line. 

Over the course of the year, I managed an advertising budget in the millions (AED) with a clear goal: to drive growth through effective budget allocation and strategic channel expansion.

One of my proudest achievements was generating a remarkable 10 ROAS, a 25% year-over-year improvement. 

By carefully analyzing performance data, I was able to open new, high-performing channels, ensuring that every AED spent brought maximum return. 

This wasn’t just about managing a budget; it was about rethinking our approach to digital strategy and uncovering opportunities where others might have seen limitations.

Reducing customer acquisition costs (CAC) was also a major focus. 

Through a cross-channel acquisition strategy, we cut CAC by 20% year-over-year while increasing new customer numbers by 33%. 

It was a balancing act of optimization, innovation, and precision, where every tactic had to align with our larger growth goals.

This role taught me the importance of agility in performance marketing. 

The e-commerce landscape shifts quickly, but by staying data-focused and customer-centric, I was able to drive substantial results for Sprii.com. 

Looking back, my time at Sprii wasn’t just about achieving KPIs; it was about transforming challenges into sustainable growth, one strategic decision at a time.

Performance Digital Marketing Manager 

Jumia Group

From February 2018 to January 2020, I had the incredible experience of working as a Performance Digital Marketing Manager at Jumia, driving digital growth across Jumia Uganda, Jumia South Africa, and Zando. 

Working with Jumia pre-IPO, I was immersed in a high-stakes environment shaped by Rocket Internet’s culture, where speed, innovation, and relentless execution were paramount.

Jumia’s ambitious expansion across Africa, fueled by substantial budgets, gave me the freedom to push the boundaries of performance marketing. 

In this role, I was responsible for delivering on aggressive targets: hitting NMV goals, slashing customer acquisition costs (CAC), and accelerating new customer growth across unique and dynamic markets.

In my final year, I met my NMV target, overachieved my Net CAC goal by 40%, and boosted new customer acquisition by 14%. Each market demanded a unique approach, and the Rocket Internet philosophy taught me the value of adapting fast, testing boldly, and iterating constantly to keep up with shifting dynamics.

One of the highlights was leading high-stakes campaigns like Jumia Black Friday, Jumia Anniversary, and Mobile Week. 

These campaigns embodied Jumia’s high-speed, innovation-driven culture, challenging me to manage large budgets, optimize performance across channels, and deliver results that reverberated across multiple regions.

Jumia didn’t just teach me about performance marketing; it shaped my mindset for driving growth in high-intensity, high-growth environments. 

The Rocket Internet culture instilled in me a passion for agility and innovation, a foundation that continues to influence how I approach digital strategy today.

Peformance Digital Marketing Manager - Jumia Uganda, Jumia South Africa, and Zando

AWstreams

In early 2017, I joined AWstreams as a Digital Account Executive with a clear purpose: to build a strong foundation of technical skills in digital and performance marketing. 

I knew that to truly understand the digital landscape, I needed hands-on experience in a high-pressure environment, and AWstreams delivered just that.

Working over 10 hours daily in a fast-paced, client-driven setting, I was immersed in every aspect of digital marketing. 

My role involved managing social media accounts, coordinating website and app development, and delivering end-to-end solutions for a variety of clients. 

I was responsible for leading a team of creatives, strategists, content creators, designers, videographers, and more to execute campaigns that were both innovative and results-oriented.

I was also heavily involved in client pitches, working closely with clients to understand their needs and align our strategies with their goals. 

This experience taught me how to translate client visions into actionable plans, even under tight deadlines and intense pressure.

Beyond the technical skills, the demanding nature of the role taught me resilience, adaptability, and the value of collaboration. 

Every day at AWstreams pushed me to grow, to innovate, and to exceed expectations, a foundation that has shaped my career in digital marketing ever since.

Digital Account Executive

Le Garage Auctions

In February 2016, I took on my first digital marketing manager role at Le Garage Auctions. 

Stepping into this position was both exciting and challenging; it was here that I had the opportunity to shape and execute a complete digital strategy for the first time. 

I was responsible for bringing Le Garage’s website presence to life, creating campaigns that captured the brand’s essence while driving engagement and growth.

Managing multi-channel marketing campaigns was new territory for me, but I was eager to learn and adapt. 

This role taught me how to balance creativity with strategic planning, making every campaign not only visually compelling but also data-driven.

As a one-person digital marketing team, I wore many hats, strategy, execution, analytics, and even a bit of seller relationships management and customer service. 

This hands-on experience was foundational, teaching me the intricacies of digital marketing from the ground up. 

Every day presented new challenges and learning opportunities, but it was precisely what I needed to build the confidence and skills for a career in digital marketing.

Looking back, my time at Le Garage Auctions was invaluable. 

It was the start of a journey that has taken me through multiple facets of digital marketing, and it instilled in me a passion for helping brands grow and connect in meaningful ways.

Digital Marketing Manager

Vodafone

In April 2014, I took on the role of International Account Advisor at Vodafone UK, a position I pursued on the recommendation of my mentor. 

The goal was clear: to strengthen my customer service skills, improve my English, and ultimately become a more empathetic, effective marketer. 

Looking back, this role became one of my secret weapons in the industry, arming me with two often underrated skills, listening and empathy.

Handling client relationships for UK customers wasn’t just about answering calls. 

It was about building trust, actively listening to their needs, and finding solutions quickly and effectively. 

Every day, I worked to exceed service level agreements, going above and beyond to ensure that our customers felt genuinely valued.

This role pushed me to be proactive, constantly looking for ways to improve our processes and elevate the customer experience. 

I also had the privilege of mentoring new employees, helping them navigate the fast-paced environment while fostering a culture of teamwork and support.

The experience taught me the value of empathy, how understanding a customer's perspective can turn a challenge into an opportunity. 

It also honed my listening skills, a fundamental but often overlooked aspect of communication. These skills became a cornerstone of my approach to marketing, where understanding the customer is everything.

My time at Vodafone was more than a job; it was a lesson in human connection. 

It taught me that no marketing strategy succeeds without truly listening to and understanding your audience, a lesson I carry with me in every role I take on.

International Account Advisor (UK)

Senior Manager | Performance Marketing | Sharing Learnings on LinkedIn

Growth Should Be Predictable, Not a Gamble

Too many brands burn ad budgets without knowing whether they’re fueling real profitability or just chasing vanity metrics.

That’s where I come in.

With 12+ years of experience in performance marketing and e-commerce, I help brands scale profitably without the stress, inefficiencies, or guesswork. 

My approach ensures every marketing dollar is an investment, not a risk.

What I’ve Done:

✅ Developed data-driven growth strategies that prioritize profitability over vanity metrics

✅ Increased e-commerce efficiency by 30% - without increasing budgets 💰

✅ Launched “Reach 4 Growth” - a podcast where I help marketers & entrepreneurs scale smarter

✅ Led digital marketing for one of the Middle East’s largest retail groups, covering 🇦🇪 🇸🇦 🇰🇼

But my journey didn’t start with big budgets or big brands.

Growing up in Aswan, Egypt, I learned that progress isn’t about speed, it’s about strategy. That mindset drives my mission to help businesses achieve scalable, predictable, and stress-free growth while giving back to the marketing community.

How I Can Help You:

1️⃣ Subscribe to my YouTube channel (Trusted by ~20K subscribers)

2️⃣ Join my newsletter for my exclusive, first-hand performance marketing insights

3️⃣ Book a consulting session for tailored strategies that drive profitability & efficiency

Not ready yet? No problem. I’ll be here every Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 4:00 pm Dubai time, helping you remove the guesswork from growth.

💡 Marketing shouldn’t keep you up at night. Let’s make it predictable, scalable, and stress-free.

📩 Sponsorships & Booking: ingy@reach4growth.com

A community for performance marketing and digital growth based in Dubai. Our purpose is to guide and connect people interested in PPC

By Joining our community, you will have the following benefits:
1. Access experts who can guide you with the challenges you face in your business.

2. Make new friends, as we will have monthly gatherings where we have fun and get to know each other.

3. Free webinar to navigate through the latest industry updates.

Now you can join our community for free; send me an email to: Gamal@ppclegends.com explaining your motives for joining the community.

Mohamed Gamal, EMBA

عمري ما كنت متخيّل إن ييجي يوم وأكتب الجملة دي…

 بس الحمد لله، النهارده عندي شركتي في دبي،
 وبشتغل مع شركات في المنطقة وبرّه في Performance Marketing
 على معادلتين محدش يقدر يهملهم:
 إزاي نكبر صح،
 وإزاي نقلّل الهدر ونخلّي كل دولار يشتغل.
بس بصراحة…
 اللي وصلت له ماكانش واضح زمان،
 ولا كان مضمون.
خلّيني أرجع شوية ورا.

وأنا في الجامعة، كنت بشتغل في Vodafone UK.
 والحمد لله، رغم إن ظروفي كانت بسيطة،
 قررت آخد دبلومة التسويق من AmCham
 والحقيقة؟
 الخطوة دي كانت فوق إمكانياتي وقتها.
 الكورس كان غالي جدًا بالنسبة لواحد لسه طالب،
 وفكرت أسيبه...
 بس والدتي قالت لى:
 “لو دي هتفتح باب… اضغط على نفسك وخده.”
 والحمد لله كانت من أنفع القرارات في حياتي.
وبعد التخرج…
 جات اللحظة اللي كنت فاكرها “الوصول”:
 اشتغلت Digital Marketing Manager.
 مرتب كبير بالنسبة للي حواليا،
 مسؤوليات كتير،
 وكنت ماسك كذا حاجة في نفس الوقت.
 وحسيت فعلاً إن الدنيا بتفتح لي أبوابها.
 وقلت لنفسي:
 “أنا خلاص… وصلت.”
بس الحمد لله اللي بيكشف لنا الحقيقة بدري…
 وقعت.
 وفشلت.
 وفهمت إن اللقب مش النجاح…
 وإن اللي بيبان “وصلت” ممكن يبقى مجرد بداية الدرس الحقيقي.
ومن هنا بدأت الرحلة بجد.
وكان قدّامي Offers بفضل الله:
 واحد مريح… نفس الـTitle ونفس المرتب،
 والتاني من Agency
 Title أقل…
 ومرتب أقل…
 وطريق أصعب.
بس الحمد لله، اخترت الصعب…
 لأني كنت عايز أتعلم التسويق من جذوره:
 Tracking، Analytics، Optimization…
 الحاجات اللي فعلاً بتبني Marketer محترف.
وبرغم التعب والشَك،
 كنت كل يوم أسأل نفسي:
 “يا ترى اللي بعمله ده هيوصل لفين؟”
وفي الوقت ده كملت كمان دبلومة التسويق في AUC.
 كنت بذاكر وقت ما أقدر،
 مفيش جدول ثابت،
 بس كل خطوة، والحمد لله، كانت بتزودني قوة حتى لو أنا مش شايف ده وقتها.

لحد ما جات Jumia.
 وهنا حصل أول تغيير كبير.
اشتغلت على أسواق مختلفة،
 بس أكتر بلد غيّرت فيّ كانت أوغندا.
 جوميا كانت تقريبًا ناوية تقفل البلد…
 الأرقام ضعيفة، النمو واقف.
 بس الحمد لله، شفت فرصة.
 اشتغلنا مع الفريق،
 غيّرنا طريقة الشغل،
 وعدلنا الهيكلة،
 لحد ما أوغندا بقت واحدة من أسرع الأسواق نموًا
 وتخطّت بلاد أكبر منها بكتير.
وقتها فهمت إن الـScale مش بس بحجم السوق…
 الـScale عقلية.

بعدها قررت أجي دبي.
 قرار كان مخيف،
 بس الحمد لله حسّيت إن اللي جاي أكبر.
دخلت ستارت أب…
 كبرت…
 وبعدين وقع فجأة.
 وقعت معاه… لكن الحمد لله وقفت بسرعة.
وبعدين Al-Futtaim،
 وبعدها Alshaya،
 لحد ما وصلت لـ GMG كـ Director of Growth Marketing.
كنت ماسك تيم من 14 شخص:
 Performance، SEO، Affiliates، CRM.
 ومعاهم مسولية P&L 
 قرار واحد ممكن يطلع ربح… أو يعمل خسارة.
 ومن التجربة دي الحمد لله فهمت يعني إيه Growth بجد.
وفي النص خلّصت MBA في الابتكار من Hult
 لإني من زمان وأنا بشتغل وأتعلّم في نفس الوقت،
 والحمد لله الطريق دايمًا كان بيكمل حتى لو أنا مش شايفه كامل.

النهارده…
 لما أشتغل مع شركات عايزة تكبّر،
 وتقلّل الهدر،
 وتبني Performance Marketing صح…
 عارف إن الخبرة مش من لقب،
 ولا حظ.
الحمد لله…
 هي جاية من طريق طويل،
 قرارات صعبة،
 وفترات شك،
 وتجارب كتير،
 وإصرار مابيقفش.
وبكتب ده بالعربي علشان أي حد لسه في أول الطريق يعرف إن النجاح مش خط مستقيم،
 ولا بداية مثالية،
 ولا ظروف جاهزة.
النجاح إنك تكمّل…
 
والحمد لله اللي بيعلمنا نكمّل حتى وإحنا مش شايفين آخر الطريق.
ودي بداية رحلتي معاكم بالعربي.
 واللي جاي بإذن الله أعمق وأقرب.

 Mohamed Gamal, MBA

Founder Gambra Digital | Helping businesses increase sales, profit and acquire more customers through performance marketing | Host of Reach 4 Growth Podcast

We are hiring...

Gambra Digital is growing. 

We are building a strong team to support our expansion in performance marketing, automation, and content.

We are hiring full-time, remote roles for Arabic and English speakers across Arabic-speaking countries.

Open roles include: 

- Cold Email Growth Specialist
- Copywriter and Short-Form Content Writer
- Performance Marketing Specialist

You’re a great fit if you:
- Speak Arabic + English fluently
- Have a growth mindset
- Communicate clearly and confidently
- Move fast, learn fast, and enjoy solving problems
- Understand marketing, content, or digital performance
- Want to be part of a modern, high-performance digital team

If you’re interested (or know someone who might be)
comment “interested” below or send me a DM, and I’ll reach out directly.

Your e-commerce performance is lying, and bots are the ones writing the numbers.

Let’s cut straight to it:

Up to 37% of your “traffic” isn’t human.
Which means your “best-performing” ads… might be complete fiction.

I’m seeing this in more and more accounts we audit 
brands don’t have a creative problem…
they have a traffic truth problem.

I dug into this with 🤖 Nasser Oudjidane (founder of Tapper), and here are the takeaways every performance marketer needs to see:

→ Fraud silently inflates the metrics you trust most
 ROAS, CPA, sessions, all look better when bots pad the numbers.

→ Bad traffic poisons your optimization engine
 Algorithms can’t tell humans from bots.
 So learning breaks. Fast.

→ Clean traffic beats creative testing, every time
 When we remove non-human sessions, CPAs drop immediately.
 Not over weeks. Instantly.

→ AI is making fraud smarter
 And if your filtering isn’t evolving…
 you’re scaling noise, not revenue.

That's why it is always smart to test traffic quality for performance campaigns.
(Full episode link in the comments.)

محمد صلاح غلط.
 
بس الغلطة مش في الكورة…

 الغلطة في "إزاي بتنهي المرحلة".

القصة دلوقتي مش قصة ليفربول.
 
القصة قصتي أنا وإنت.

إنت ممكن تكون النجم،
 المحقّق كل الأهداف،
 شايل الشغل على كتافك سنين…

وبعدين فجأة مدير يتغيّر،
 سياسة تتغيّر،
 معاملة تتغيّر.

وساعتها…
 تاخد قرار إنك تمشي.
تمام.

بس اسمع دي كويس:
لو هتمشي… امشي صح.

امشي واقف، مش باكي.
 امشي محترف، مش عاطفي.

عُمرك ما تلعب على مشاعر الناس.
 عُمرك ما تنتقد علنًا.
 النقد بيتقال في أوضة مقفولة…
 مش قدّام الدنيا كلها.

لإنك لما تنتقد في العلن؟
 إنت مش بتهاجم شخص…
 إنت بتهاجم منظومة كاملة.

 وأي شركة عالمية ما بتمشيش بالمنطق ده.

والحقيقة اللي محدش بيقولها:
احترافيتك في “النهاية” أهم من كل إنجازاتك في “المنتصف”.
لأنها الأصدق والأصعب.

وصدقني…
 ده كان واحد من أكبر أسباب نجاحي 
بعد توفيق ربنا سبحانه وتعالى.

إني دايمًا بسأل نفسي قبل ما أقفل أي مرحلة:

عايز الناس تفتكر نهايتي إزاي؟
كشخص محترف و حكيم؟
ولا كشخص اتخذ قرار عاطفي وهو غضبان؟
عايز اكون فعل ولا رد فعل؟

الخلاصة:
 مهما كنت ناجح…
 قيمك هي آخر حاجة بتسيبها وراك.
 امشي من قوة… مش من ألم.

وإنت؟
ايه رائيك؟ يهمني أسمع أراء صريحة.

أكبر سبب بيخلّي نجاحك محدود في شغلك... وكريرك واقف عند حد معين؟
مش السوق.
 ولا الظروف.
 ولا الحظ.
 السبب الحقيقي موجود… في طريقة تفكرنا

خلّيني أشرح…
في مجتمعات فيها منافسة طبقية عالية
(زي مصر، الهند، باكستان)
 الشباب بيتربّوا من بدري على فكرة خطيرة جدًا:
“لو غيري نجح… يبقى أنا فشلت.”
من أول الثانوية العامة ← للجامعة ← للشغل…
 السباق ما بيقفش.
 العقل يتبرمج تلقائيًا على إن النجاح مساحة محدودة…
 لازم حد يخسر عشان حد يكسب.

وده بيخلق عقلية الندرة:
- الغيرة المقنّعة
- الهجوم من ورا الظهر
- التقليل من نجاح الآخرين
- الخوف الدائم من المقارنة
والعقلية دي مش بتظهر بس في المدارس والشغل…
 دي بتبان أكتر لما الناس تكبر.

خلّيني أحكيلكم قصة…
عندي صديق مشهور في مجال معيّن بيحكيلي …
جروب من الناس بيشتغلوا في نفس المجال.
من برّة؟ شكلهم فريق واحد وصحاب جدًا:
- بيخرجوا مع بعض
- بيتصوروا مع بعض
- وLinkedIn مليان دعم و"proud of you" و"👏🔥❤️".
لكن الحقيقة؟
 الحقيقة كانت قبيحة جدًا.
أول ما واحد فيهم عمل نقلة كبيرة…
 الاتفاق غير المُعلن بين المجموعة اتكسَر.
الكلام اتقلب:
 “ليه هو؟ ليه مش إحنا؟”
"ده اصلاً مش مجاله" 
“أكيد مش مستاهل.”
 “أكيد عنده واسطة.”
 “أكيد عمل حاجة مش واضحة.”
الدعم اللي فوق السطح…
 اتحوّل وراء الكواليس لغيرة وطعن وتشكيك.
وصاحبي قاللي جملة ما بنساهاش:
 “جمال… الموضوع مش أنانية.
 الموضوع conditioning.
 إحنا اتربّينا على إن النجاح محدود.
 ولو واحد خد خطوة أكبر… يبقى الباقي اتأخر.”
والحقيقة؟
 ناس كتير بتخسر نجاحها بسبب العقلية دي…
 مش بسبب skill…
 ولا market…
 ولا حظ.
 لكن لأنهم شايفين الدنيا سباق صفرى.

لكن هنا المفارقة…
العقلية دي أصلًا مش جاية من ثقافتنا ولا من عقيدتنا.
إحنا (في جذورنا وثقافتنا الإسلامية )
 مؤمنين إن الرزق بيد الله وحده.
 مؤمنين إن ربنا:
- واسع
- كريم
- عليم
- خبير
ومؤمنين إن:
 “ما كان لك… لم يكن ليخطئك.”
 وإن الرزق مش limited edition.
لو الإنسان مؤمن بده…
 إزاي يعيش طول حياته مرعوب من إن حد غيره ينجح؟
 إزاي يغار؟
 إزاي يطعن؟
 إزاي يشوف كل نجاح حوالينه تهديد؟
ده مش دين…
 ده conditioning مجتمعي ضد طبيعتنا وضد معتقداتنا.

الحقيقة اللي بتغيّر اللعبة:
الناس اللي بتنجح وتستمر بعد توفيق ربنا…
 هي الناس اللي كسرت عقلية الندرة وفهمت إن النجاح مش zero-sum game.
الترقية الحقيقية في حياتك مش Skill ولا شهادة ولا MBA…
 الترقية الحقيقية هي إنك تغيّر العقلية اللي اتزرعت فيك من الطفولة.
تهزم الندرة.
 تبني وفرة مبنية على اليقين… مش wishful thinking.
 وتفهم إن نجاح غيرك ما بياخدش منك…
 نجاح غيرك يفتح لك.
وهنا… تبدأ فعلاً:
 Reach 4 Growth.

سؤال للناس اللي وصلت لآخر البوست:
إيه أكبر درس اتعلمته عن المقارنات و الغيرة المهنية في حياتك؟
(ردّك هو اللي هيعلّم ناس غيرك.)

A Saudi client wanted to achieve 20 million riyal in his first year.
Here’s why I couldn’t help him.

For the past month, I was speaking with a Saudi client whose goal was to generate 20M SAR in year one.

When we discussed his marketing strategy, he believed that running ads on his website alone would get him there.
That was the entire plan.

But the truth is: it doesn’t work like that.

I told him I couldn’t help him because without proper brand marketing, ad spend becomes pure waste.
Nothing meaningful happens.

Brand vs. Performance Marketing  
(most people get this wrong)

People think these two compete.
In reality, they complement each other.

- Brand marketing → long-term direction
- Performance marketing → short-term results

But without direction from brand marketing, performance marketing becomes clueless.

Yeah, we can run campaigns…
But to what point? To what extent?

What happens without brand clarity?

Brands end up paying money just to Demarket themselves.

They:
- Communicate the wrong message
- Target the wrong customers
- Run ads that unintentionally tell people why they shouldn’t be customers

And with today’s competition, the only way to reduce CPL, CPO, ROAS, or POAS is to have a unique, well-directed ad approach.

And here’s another red flag nobody talks about

If someone promises they can “do everything” for you, run.

Marketing today is too big, too complex, and moves too fast for one person (or even one company) to deliver everything at a high standard.
Specialization matters more than ever.

Anyone claiming they can handle all of it is either overselling… 
or doesn’t understand the depth of the work.

The simple truth

If your performance marketing partner isn’t curious about your brand marketing,
then most probably… they’re going to waste your money.

Attended Xploration Day about The AI Revolution.

On a Saturday.
With Dubai weather being too good to stay indoors.

A lot of noise around AI.
Very few conversations about strategy and real impact.

What stood out was the quality of discussion especially the practical and honest perspectives shared by Ali Nehme, Rami Yazbek, and Gonca Güner.
Real insights. Real dialogue.

My big takeaway?

Service businesses won’t scale through hierarchy-heavy, pyramid-like structures anymore.

The future model is leaner:

- Fewer layers
- More senior expertise
- And people who can control, and orchestrate AI, not just use it


AI reshapes how expertise is organized and valued is delivered.


Once again, the Hult Alumni Association network proved its strength in bringing smart, curious people into the same room.

Special thanks to Olga Ivanova and the team for organizing a thoughtful and well-executed day.

I cut Meta Ads CPL by 75% in just one week.
(Yes… cost per qualified lead from 140 AED to 35 AED.)

Here’s exactly what worked for me after Andromeda 

I’m not claiming this will work for every account, but this combo delivered the drop.

1. Short videos. Very short.
People don’t watch your 30-second masterpiece.
They barely survive 15 seconds.
So I used multiple totally different short videos (15–20 seconds)
Each with a completely new angle.
Not the same video with new subtitles
Not the same video with different hooks  
I mean different angles, different stories, different hooks.
This alone boosted attention and dropped costs.

2. Zero overlap.
I killed every campaign structure that was making us bid against ourselves.
One clean campaign.
One audience.
One direction.
The moment we removed overlap between campaigns/ad accounts, the results stabilized and costs started falling.

3. The weird one… but it’s real.
When I had multiple ads running, Meta allocated the budget beautifully.
But when I tried to “optimize” manually and turn off underperforming ads…
Performance tanked.
Every. Single. Time.

I can’t prove it scientifically, but I’m convinced there’s a hidden penalty when you start interfering too much.
Leave the ads running. Let the algo cook.
Manual optimization ≠ hero moment anymore.

Same budget. Same product.
But a 75% reduction in CPL.

If you want the full breakdown + my PDF checklist on how to fix messy Meta accounts…

Comment "guide" and I’ll send it for free.

Mental-health ads don’t scale?

Here’s the playbook that worked for us.

At Gambra Digital, we work deeply in the mental-health niche across the GCC and the UK.

And one thing became very clear:

What normally works in performance marketing… 

doesn’t work here.

- Click behaviour changes.
- Conversion intent drops.
- Messaging must navigate stigma and cultural nuance.

So we rebuilt our approach from scratch.

Because mental health in Arab world is difficult:
- Therapy stigma
- Low conversion confidence
- Sensitive messaging
- High hesitation to book

UK feels like beginner mode.
The Gulf feels like boss level.

Here is what we tested and didn't work:
- Founder-led content
- UGC
- Expert/doctor videos

Doctors added value 
but value ≠ action.
People watched…
but they didn’t book or subscribe.

What actually converted: 

(Employee-Generated Content)

The breakthrough was EGC.
- Real employees.
- Simple language.
 - Relatable.
 - Non-judgmental.
- EGC delivered the lowest CAC, CPQL, and CPO across the Gulf.

 It removes stigma and builds trust faster than any other format.

And for brands without huge awareness budgets, trust is everything...

And getting customers trust FAST is the key.

Here is the performance loop we use to gain fast results:

Our performance loop
1. Produce diverse employee content
2. Identify content that resonates
3. Turn winners into ad creative
4. Test hypotheses weekly

Example:
 A funny employee video about a manager with OCD performs well.

We test three angles, humour, manager/employee dynamic, OCD topic, then scale what works.

The results:
- Lower CAC
- Lower CPQL & CPO
- Better conversion intent
- Predictable paid growth

If you're building a mental-health platform…

There is a way to scale profitably in the Gulf.

But not when performance is treated in a silo.

You need a performance marketing partner who is/has:
- brand align
- cultural nuance
- creative discipline
- a genuine belief in making mental health accessible in the Arab world.

When these align, performance becomes a growth engine  

Not an expense.

Comment “ME” if you want the PDF breakdown. 👇

خليني أحكيلك موقف
خلاني أعيد التفكير في معنى الثقة في الشغل.

الموضوع مش عن مهارة.

ولا عن استقالة.

الموضوع عن
إزاي الناس بتقفل الأمور.

من كام سنة، وأنا Director of Growth Marketing، كنت بعيّن حد في performance marketing.

قابلت ناس كتير.
مستويات مختلفة.
كلهم كويسين على الورق.

البيئة عندنا وقتها كانت صعبة.
ضغط عالي.
وتوقعات أعلى.

وكنت دايمًا صريح في الإنترفيو.
بقول الحقيقة زي ما هي.
من غير تجميل.

في الآخر اخترت شخص.
واثق.
عنده أساس تقني.
مش كامل، بس قابل للتطوير.

بدأ معانا.

في الشهر التاني
جه قالي إنه مش مبسوط
وعايز يعمل أكتر.

قعدت معاه.
وكنت واضح.

قلتله
إنت لسه ما اكتشفتش قدراتك كاملة.
والشغل هنا بيبنيك واحدة واحدة.

وحطيتله خطة.
واضحة.
خطوة خطوة.
إزاي يكبر
وإزاي نوسّع دوره.

كان مبسوط.
وأنا كنت مبسوط.

الأسبوع اللي بعده
قدّم استقالته.

المشكلة مش إنه مشي.
دي بتحصل.

المشكلة
في القصة اللي اتحكت بعدها.

قصة
مليانة إحساس بان هو الضحية.

وكأن اللي حصل
ظلم
مش اختيار.

بعد ما مشي
بعتلي رسالة اعتذار.

وبعد فترة
فتح شغله الخاص.
وبدأ يطلب دعم
وتوصيات
ومشاركة شبكة علاقات.

ومقدرتش أعمل ده.

مش لأني زعلان.
ولا عندي مشكلة شخصية.

بس لأني فقدت الثقة.

بالنسبة لي
الثقة أمانة.

ولو اتكسرت
صعب ترجع زي الأول.

قصة تانية
مع شخص مختلف.

رشحته لفرصة
مش في فريقي.

تعامل بقلة ذوق مع HR.
بيتفاوض قبل ما يقابل مديره أصلًا.
وتصرف باستحقاق غريب.

ولا حتى كلّف نفسه يكلمني
لا قبل
ولا بعد.

وساعتها فهمت حاجة.

الشخص اللي ما عندوش عرفان
غالبًا
مش بيعرف يقفل حاجة صح.

أنا ممكن أدي فرص.
ممكن أعلّم.
ممكن أستثمر وقت ومجهود.

بس التوصية
مش حق.

التوصية
ثقة.

وإنهاء الأمور باحترام
جزء من مهنيتك
مش تفصيلة.

ممكن أكون غلط.

بس دي قناعتي.

حابب أسمع رأيكم
هل إنهاء الأمور بشكل محترم
قيمة حقيقية؟
ولا إحنا بنستهين بيها؟

🔔 Follow my journey in the Middle East 📹

Not a consultant. Not an agency. Your temporary co-founder for innovation and growth.

I help ambitious business owners, creators, and startups grow through creativity and strategic use of cutting-edge technology (including AI). As founder of Baviyo, I lead a small but powerful team of creative thinkers and tech experts dedicated to solving your biggest growth challenges.

Many businesses fail with tech because they lack clarity on the real problems they're solving. Trendy tools and software alone won’t create meaningful results. At Baviyo, we:

👉 Start with creativity: Fresh, bold ideas to rethink your challenges.
👉  Deploy tech strategically: Selecting technology (AI included) that truly amplifies your growth.
👉  Deliver clear results: No flashy tools without real purpose.

When you work with us, expect:

✅ Deep problem or opportunity discovery.
✅ Genuine partnership and hustle.
✅ Innovative and creative solutions tailored for lasting impact.

Ready to elevate your business? Message me. Let's make your vision a reality.

Manuel Kistner

Today we’re celebrating 54 years of unity, ambition, and all the moments that make the UAE the incredible place many of us call home.

From big dreams to bold ideas, this country keeps inspiring us every single day. Thank you to the UAE for being the ultimate proof that vision builds reality. Proud to be part of the story.

Happy Eid Al Etihad everybody 🇦🇪❤️

And speaking of big dreams and bold ideas... I've been quiet over the last couple of months. But for good reason. I’ve been heads-down building and working on a few of my own ideas and dreams. I’ll soon share more. Stay tuned. 👀

Re-Inventing... ███████▒▒▒ 70% complete...

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