Yara Alnamlah on Building a Saudi Beauty Empire & Defying Expectations

We sit down with Yara Al Namlah, Saudi entrepreneur, beauty influencer, and founder of When Minds Meet, a lifestyle company spanning beauty, wellness, hospitality, and food and beverage. From starting as a beauty blogger at 15 to launching her own brands in Sephora and Selfridges London, Yara shares the journey behind her success, the challenges of building businesses, and the lessons learned along the way. We explore the reality behind social media fame, her personal struggles, the influence of family, and the importance of staying true to herself. Yara also reflects on Saudi Arabia's transformation, the rise of homegrown brands, and the opportunities shaping a new generation of entrepreneurs. A conversation about ambition, resilience, identity, and building a legacy beyond fame. 0:00 Intro 3:07 From Beauty Blogger to Entrepreneur 4:31 Building a Community, Not Just Followers 8:21 Why Supporting Small Businesses Matters 13:07 The Curiosity Behind Her Success 15:24 From Architecture to Beauty 19:37 Family Support and Saudi Identity 23:06 Sharing Only 1% of Her Life 26:29 Inspiring the Next Saudi Generation 29:29 Launching Moonlgaze in Sephora 33:46 Influencer vs. Entrepreneur 36:15 Building a Lifestyle Business Empire 40:42 The Future of Saudi Beauty 46:38 What Global Brands Misunderstand About Saudis 53:38 Learning From Failure 57:52 Seeing Her Success on Billboards 1:00:11 Disconnecting From Social Media 1:05:25 Burnout, Creativity and Taking Breaks 1:08:15 Advice for Aspiring Saudi Entrepreneurs 1:10:23 Lesson From Her Mother 1:14:05 Her Proudest Moments 1:18:37 Taking a Saudi Brand Global 1:23:33 Dealing With Criticism and Public Opinion 1:25:58 The Real Yara Behind Social Media 1:30:33 How Social Media Affects Attention 1:32:10 Faith, Timing and Trusting God's Plan 1:37:29 Does She Regret Being Famous? 1:41:06 Saudi Arabia's New Tourism Destinations 1:46:51 Finding Purpose and Starting Something New 1:50:06 Beauty, Failure and Life Lessons 1:50:49 Changing the World's Perception of Saudi Arabia 1:56:41 How MBS Inspired Her 2:01:04 Saudi Women's Growing Opportunities 2:03:44 Closing Yara Alnamlah Instagram https://bit.ly/4z421zB X https://bit.ly/4zLKGLA Snapchat https://bit.ly/4sjho4x LinkedIn https://bit.ly/4iyXGhY TickTock https://bit.ly/4BjfZiq Website https://www.yaralnamlah.com Powered by Podeo — Listen to this episode