How do you feel about your approach to food? Are there changes you’d like to make that currently feel inaccessible or out of reach? Alia is here to help…and the best is yet to come.
Welcome, Alia. Would you mind telling our readers who you are and what you do?
I am a nutritional therapist running a nutrition consultancy in the Kingdom of Bahrain that offers advice to the Middle East community and beyond. I write health articles for various publications, produce TV and radio programs on health and nutrition, give lectures and seminars on the subject, and lead life-changing health trips called AliaRetreats. I am the author of I Want Healthy Kids, a book on how to raise healthy children; The Dream Body Eating Plan, a weight loss guide; and I Want a Healthy Pregnancy, a book on how to enjoy natural pregnancy and childbirth. Additionally, I co-authored 101 Ways to Improve Your Health. I am the founder and host of the award-winning Arabic TV show Shrayha Alia, and I run AliaApproved, the fastest-growing brand in my family of products.
When did you become interested in the world of nutrition, and why? How did it all start?
I never set out to become a nutritional therapist. In fact, I didn’t even know the field existed until much later in life. My undergrad was in public relations and media, and my master’s degree was in marketing communications—but a personal illness forced me to look for natural solutions. I ended up falling in love with the subject, and made the difficult decision to change careers and attain certification in a field I knew very little about. Luckily, my media and marketing expertise did not go to waste: I now run my own business and produce my own show, both of which require these skills.
Did you get any funding from supporting organizations like Tamkeen when you first started? If so, how was your experience?
Tamkeen did not exist when I started. I had to grow very slowly and patiently.
Some might think that because you come from a wealthy family, establishing and financing your business was a piece of cake. Is this true?
It was not, in my case. I funded my own way up, so it took a long time.
You’re married to Mr. Suhail Al-Gosaibi, a successful and prominent Bahraini entrepreneur. Marriages between entrepreneurs can be extra-stressful. How do you manage that?
Thankfully, it works well for us, alhamdulillah. Our conversations are often about business. I’ve gotten some of the best advice about career moves and marketing from him.
IF YOU HAD TOLD ME 20 YEARS AGO THAT THIS WAS THE KIND OF BUSINESS I’D BE RUNNING, I WOULD NOT HAVE BELIEVED YOU!
What are some of the worst eating or nutritional habits in our culture that you hope to fix?
Emotional eating is big in the Gulf, and so is weekend bingeing at family gatherings. We show love with food. For my clients, I try to separate the two.
What is something most people don’t know about you and your business?
I was not always a believer in alternative medicine, and my diet was very unhealthy at one point. In fact, there was a time in college when I would eat junk food daily. If you had told me 20 years ago that this was the kind of business I’d be running, I would not have believed you!
What have been some of your biggest challenges so far?
For entrepreneurs, the lines between work and regular life become blurred. My challenges are the same as those of all working mothers: finding a balance, and remembering to be fair to myself in the process.
Why did you participate in the Bahrain Award for Entrepreneurship?
There’s a project that has been brewing in my head for a while. It will help lead a lot of people into alternative health, and show them how it can work for them. If I win, you’ll know what it is—and I hope you’ll be able to benefit from it directly.
Do you think winning the award will reduce some of the challenges you’re facing, and help grow your business?
Yes, of course. I hope to create good-quality media productions that will be able to compete at the international level.
Do you think the awards program encourages creativity and entrepreneurship in Bahrain?
There’s quite a lot of creativity and entrepreneurship in Bahrain already. I’m glad there are now a lot more avenues that new businesses can take in order to succeed.