Interview: Haneen Asfour, Design Management & Marketing Student, Founder of Level Up DXB

By Angela Tai

You’re an incredibly accomplished individual and you haven’t even graduated from college yet! How do you balance school, work, and your social life? And, what advice do you have for others in regards to time management? 

Thank you so much for welcoming me! I’m so incredibly glad to meet people like you. For me, I think being a student at University is a hustle and it’s already pretty difficult. I have my time and classes; I also have a bit of time in between. One of the ways I manage my time is by using a planner and I plan every single day by the hour. Planning and not overwhelming myself  has helped a lot. 

At the American University of Sharjah, you’re a Design Management major with a minor in Marketing. You’re also a member of Model UN and the Jordanian Cultural Club. What sparked your interest in digital marketing and design? And, what has been the most rewarding part of being a part of Model UN? 

Well, I think that since I was a kid, I’ve always wanted to study fashion design and it actually has to do with your hands quite a bit. I wanted to study fashion marketing but that major wasn’t available at the American University of Sharjah and I had to stay at AUS. Design Management focuses on solving problems using design and studying companies like Nike, Coca Cola, Starbucks and so on. I decided, you know what, I have zero experience with Model UN but I joined anyway. They liked how extroverted I was and they liked how I was organized and could keep track of things. I just had to plan the event as their Director of External Communications. As part of the Jordanian Cultural Club, it’s great to meet people from different backgrounds. I’m definitely more of a creative person, I’m not logical whatsoever. 

A little over a year ago, you launched “Level Up DXB”, a startup aimed to create personal development events for members of the youth. What were your top three motivations for starting “Level Up DXB?” 

The main motivation that pushed me to start an initiative like this was that I always had a goal - my goal was to always write a book but then I realized that I knew nothing about writing and didn’t know what I would even write about. I found that there was nothing focused on the youth, they were all focused on finances, investments and all that. At age 19, I started Level Up and one of my biggest motivations was solving this issue in the marketplace. I wanted to show people that you don’t need to be 35 or 40 years old to accomplish something big. 

What do you think are the most common mistakes novice entrepreneurs make? How can they avoid making them?

I think something they teach you is to keep your users in the center of the decision-making process. Most people start companies because they find a gap in the market but if you don’t keep your clients and customers at the center of your thinking process, then you’re not going to do well. It’s important to understand their needs and provide the best solutions. 

You have an effective way of using social media to reach your audience. How do you decide what is the best platform to use (TikTok vs IG, Twitter) for what content? 

I’m mostly active on 3 platforms - Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok. On Instagram, it just stemmed out of me following my friends back on the platform but lots of entrepreneurs and public speakers are using the platform to engage with their audience. I use LinkedIn for more proper and formal posts. For TikTok, it’s more fun but I try to deliver more fun content by giving tips on personal development. 

You recently appeared on a panel for ‘She Is Arab,’ discussing the effects of COVID on young individuals. This is such an important (yet difficult) topic to discuss. How have you had to adjust due to the impact of the pandemic? 

Yes, I think the one thing that the pandemic has taught us is that even though we have all this free time in the world, we’ve all been hit pretty hard, my family included. It was difficult at AUS, a lot of different things happened physically and emotionally and we had to say goodbye to our professors and had to study virtually. I had to switch my business from being a physical business to a virtual business. But I realized, I have a ton of time so I had to use my time wisely and take courses on time. I delivered more workshops virtually than I ever did physically so it was much easier for us to set up. It was pretty awesome for us, we also started a youth community where we developed a community for Arab and English speakers; we would all give advice to each other so it was pretty awesome. 

How do you think the effect of COVID changes young people’s behavior and way of thinking, and perhaps how they decide to live their lives in the future?

The pandemic has taught us that we’re not all super flexible or adaptable. It was not easy on all of us. Lots of youngsters were hit hard - you have to figure out how to be very flexible and adapt under certain circumstances and this is something that the youth have been forced to learn. 

Level Up DXB focuses on providing free self-development workshops taught by professional speakers around the UAE, in addition to creating a safe community for youth to unleash their inner potential. What does professionalism mean to you?

I think professionalism for me is aiming to be the best person I can be at any time — constantly thinking I need to be my best — learning to think this way and teach this way has helped me deal with lots of panic attacks, that’s what professionalism means to me. 

You’re a TEDx speaker as well. Tell me about the moment when you found out you were invited to be a speaker. Is public speaking something you’re used to?

When I was a kid, my parents always used to tell me that “I swallowed the radio.” I think for me, public speaking stems from performing so it wasn’t difficult for me to speak in front of an audience. I used to always present the speakers that were coming in, I pretended like I was a professional speaker and people thought I was a professional speaker and that’s when I applied to become a TEDx speaker. A school approached me to be a part of their event and actually chose me out of 100 applicants. They really wanted someone that was young to represent the youth and they wanted to hear my story on why I think personal development is so important to youngsters. 

Congratulations on winning the Arab Woman Award for the Young Talent Category for Level Up DXB’s work during the pandemic. You’re such an inspiration to other young women! Did you have people you looked up to throughout your young adult and adult life? 

I think someone that I definitely looked up to was my mom. My mom was the definition of the superhero - during her lunch break, she’d rush home, take care of us and cook dinner, then rush back to the office. After work, she still had to deal with our homework and take us to Karate practice. I also love the queen of Jordan and I look up to Oprah - she is the definition of someone who has risen from complete darkness and becoming who she is today is something that’s remarkable to me. 

You appeared on “The Drive to Succeed” podcast and talked about educating yourself in different ways (which doesn’t always include a formal college education). Aside from your coursework, how else have you been educating yourself? And, what virtual resources would you recommend to other young people who may not have the financial means to attend university? 

Yes, it is a privilege. Coming from the Middle East, it’s so different from the U.S. Especially considering the price of tuition, it’s okay if you don’t go over there. But here, you have to receive your college education. People look down on others here if you don’t finish your degree. University does teach you how to adapt and work under pressure which is great. I love buying those $10 courses, they have a really wide variety of resources. There’s a website called EDX.org and they’re all completely free as well. 

You’re a strong believer in developing a positive mindset. What are some practical tips to achieve a positive mindset (which might not be the easiest thing to do right now?)

I think I was born a positive thinker. My parents were always those types of people — coming from a religious family — it’s part of our religion to constantly count our blessings and say thank you. When you constantly recite what you’re thankful for, you’re rewiring your brain. Owning a laptop is a privilege that not a lot of people have. My life completely changed after understanding the law of attraction. Once you realize your thoughts are physical in the universe, your thoughts are a magnet and learning that taught me how to think positively. 

You participated in Provis Estate Management’s Facebook Live discussing your TEDx topic: Mediocrity vs. Mastery. For those who feel like they’re stuck in a rut, how can they transform themselves and choose a life of mastery? 

Your life begins at a single decision - if you decide today that you’re going to make a promise to yourself or be the best version of yourself in whatever situation you’re in, then that’s when your life truly begins to change. I was watching this documentary on Tony Robbins and I wanted to take every opportunity and do some more research to develop myself, even if relationships get ruined or if I lose friends, I have to promise myself to become a better person so it starts with a single decision. 

Is there a catalyst in your life that made you a different person today? 

For myself, I just had this goal of not graduating until I achieved something. I felt like it was bigger to tackle an issue that was bigger than me but I decided to start with baby steps. It's definitely made me the person I am today! 

What drives you to be your best everyday? 

I think it’s truly about thinking, “How do I want to impact people and how do I want people to view me?” I want people to view me as a representation of young people, someone that is able to do things (I am pretty privileged), so I use this to my advantage. I think about how I want to impact people. Bezos & Musk invested in things that they thought would impact peoples’ lives so I strive to do the same. 

Can you use an adjective to describe yourself? Or a couple of adjectives? 

I think ambitious and determined best describe me. 

How would you describe your experience this year in 2020? 

I think transformative, the reason why I say that is because it has been very challenging but I believe that everything happens for a reason. Lots of people have lost their lives or have lost their jobs but staying positive is key so that’s what the pandemic has done for me.