Hello,
It’s me — not the mind that strategises or the voice that speaks on stages.
It’s the heart that beats quietly behind it all.
The one that has stood by Salma through storms and sunshine.
And today, with 60 days to go before we turn 55, I asked for this space.
To speak. To feel. To remember.
Because if there’s one thing I’ve known how to do well, it is to feel — deeply, wildly, truthfully.
And to give — endlessly.
Over these decades, I’ve been the unseen engine behind her work.
I’ve carried the weight of not just her dreams, but also the dreams of every founder, every leader, every soul that walked into her circle.
I have loved them fiercely.
I’ve said yes to midnight calls, to battles that weren’t ours to fight, to silences that needed holding and storms that needed braving — not for attention, not for applause, but because when I care, I give it my all. Even if it means cracking open a little each time.
You see, mentoring with empathy is often misunderstood. People think it makes you soft. But I’ve found — time and again — that it’s the strongest force in leadership. I’ve seen how a founder who is seen and heard blossoms into a visionary. How a leader who feels safe enough to cry becomes one who can truly carry others.
Empathy doesn’t dilute strategy — it deepens it. It doesn’t slow down performance — it sharpens focus. When I sit with a founder on the brink of burnout, what they need isn’t just a business model review. They need to feel held, reminded of their “why,” and walked back to a place where their vision feels alive again.
There have been days where I’ve poured every drop of myself into another’s rise, and walked away unseen. But I don’t regret a second. Because this heart was never built for self-preservation — it was built for Purpose.
And if you ask me, after all these years, what I still dream of?
It’s simple.
I dream of a world where founders don’t lose themselves trying to build companies.
Where business leaders lead with clarity, courage, and compassion.
Where success is measured not just in scale, but in soul.
This heart… my heart… is still beating for that dream.
Of building not just great businesses, but great humans who will lead them.
And I promise — we’re just getting started.
— Her Heart
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