In this episode of Something to Consider, we sit down with Kuwaiti interior designer and founder Meshary, whose story-led approach to space and design has gained recognition across the region.

But this conversation is not only about design.

It is about the search for self in the space between expectation and alignment. It is about growing up feeling misunderstood, choosing a path that was not always understood, building a creative business, leaving home and carrying it with you while trying to grow somewhere else.

Together, we talk about family, sacrifice, Arab identity, Kuwaiti hospitality, creative ambition, gatekeeping in the design industry, the emotional cost of building something of your own, and what it means to create work that reflects who you are, not just what looks beautiful.

At its heart, this is a conversation about home, belonging, and the courage it takes to design a life that actually feels like yours.

We hope you find something to consider.

Connect with the guest:

Website: www.mesharyalnassar.com

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

Aleena Khan is the co-founder of CTZN Cosmetics, a homegrown beauty brand she built alongside her sisters that has since scaled into the US market — one of the most competitive beauty markets in the world. But this conversation goes far beyond lipstick.

We talk about growing up in a multigenerational matriarchal household in LA and Dubai, what it actually looks like to build a business with family (the romanticised version vs. the reality), and why CTZN chose to tackle inclusivity in a category everyone else overlooked: nude lipsticks.

Aleena also shares how she built Full Disclosure, a podcast and founders community designed around growth and genuine connection, and the intentional strategy behind every single move she made to build it.

This is a conversation about observation, patience, and building things that actually mean something.

We hope you will find something to consider.

Connect with the guest:

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

Full Disclosure Podcast: youtube.com/@FullDisclosure-Podcast

Citizen Cosmetics: https://www.instagram.com/ctzncosmetics/

If you enjoyed the episode please subscribe leave a review. It genuinely helps us grow this platform!

In this episode of Something to Consider, we sit down with Reem Madkour, co-founder of Dardasha and the Arab Child Summit, for a deeply personal conversation about language, identity, belonging, and what it means to raise Arab children in a world that rewards English.

Together, we unpack the quiet disconnect many Arabs feel growing up between cultures, languages, and expectations, especially those raised in private school systems, diaspora communities, or westernized environments where Arabic slowly became secondary.

What began as a personal effort to help her son build a stronger relationship with Arabic eventually evolved into Dardasha, a platform creating Arabic books, toys, and experiences designed to make the language feel joyful, lived, and emotionally connected rather than intimidating or academic.

More than a conversation about Arabic, this episode reflects on what happens when an entire generation grows up feeling “in between” and the responsibility of intentionally passing something deeper on to the next generation.

We hope you will find something to consider.

Connect with the guest:
Website: https://dardasha.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dardashakids/
ACS: https://arabchildsummit.org