The design transforms people, ideas, and the world around them, and today marketing shapes a lot of our perceptions, including food, family, body shape, beauty, and more Khansa'a is the Founder & MD, at Meshbak. In the mid-1990s & until soon, Arab culture was preoccupied with uniformity. This motivated Khansa'a to start her own company. She created a women's community to empower women to reach their goals and set a strong foot in the creative industry, crushing the persistent bias. In an exclusive interview with her, Khansa'a shares her interesting journey with Meshbak.

1. Give us a brief overview of Meshbak. What are some important features about your expertise as a business leader that you want us to highlight through the article?

Founded in 2015, Meshbak is a specialised design and creative agency with avision to serve the local creative industry and empower women in all roles. I like to define Meshbak as a storytelling company that works among strategy, branding and creative campaigns. Meshbak perfectly crafts stories that connect to every individual's heart and help connect the dots, uncover more opportunities and potential.

The creative industry has ample opportunities, but coming from the heart, the culture and environment are biased towards women. The supporting fact is that females make less than two percent of the advertising workforce. In addition, fewer women make it to the top, like the executive roles or C-level management.

It's such a loss that creative talent among women goes undiscovered and unchanneled for growth, particularly in the case of conservative ones who prefer to work in a private setting. Off late, the change should start at the top management level. The female let management will crush the bias, and strong voices can emerge, leading to an increased ratio of women in organizations with different presences. Therefore, high time we change the status quo of the creative industry.

Meshbak has transformed my life and empowered many other women in multiple ways. I'm astonished and grateful for its success and the success of our clients. Meshbak provides a community where women can achieve their true potential and succeed. Meshbak has become a popular name in the industry by breaking the glass ceiling. There were certain barriers that we had to cross along the way to be where we stand today.

Despite the many wrong pursuits, wrong investments, and wrong team choices, the company succeeded because I didn't give up. I've realized the importance of working on the grass-root level than being on the top. I've found taking a passionate leap to be much rewarding. I am aware and proud that the vision has inspired other women to move forward with their dreams and venture into their creative businesses. In short, I've passed the torch on!

2. Take us through your early educational journey and prior industry experience that you bring to the table. What are some key business lessons you have learned through your prior industry experience that is still relevant to your approach to leadership?

As a self-learner, this question intrigues me. Though I was a science student and biochemistry was my core subject, I was always passionate about design. I persuaded my family to get a design diploma alongside my science degree. In those days, there were limited institutes offering design education, and I had to knock on the doors of international agencies to join as a trainee. This gave me tremendous insight into the creative industry. I completed my MBA from the University of Leicester in 2015 and focused on marketing & branding to complement my experience. However, my immersion in agencies and large projects educated me the most. I started in college as a freelance designer for internal events. I worked on more than 280 projects in the first decade of work. I attended every creative and marketing event, started a blog, organized two local design events, and even started my own design association.

The whole journey revolves around my passion for design and creativity. Meshbak allowed me to explore an entirely new capability of building and managing a team. It wasn't an easy nut to crack.

Working with a team that shares the same values and passion is crucial as aleader. Enormous pressure and patience are involved in the process to keep the communication channels flowing and to keep motivating. It particularly requires equal participation and belief in the vision and mission to keep the whirlpool moving and autonomy that allows the team to think and innovate.

3. What drew you towards the field of marketing and branding? Also, what led to you founding Meshbak, a creative design?

I am blessed to have a family that values culture and literacy. All my summer vacations went in reading, drawing, and exploring our library, the largest room in our home. My mom has been my biggest motivation towards art and writing. I sold my gold bracelet for a computer in High School, and that's how the journey to designing began. My mom trusts in my capabilities to overcome obstacles with passion & determination. My family was not particularly adventurous, but they appreciated art and culture. My parents were professional writers. Meshbak was the next step to express my passion for design. It is also a storytelling platform that enables me & other women to be the boss around their life and destiny. This stems from the belief that women are great storytellers. Our grandmothers and mothers have been the best at weaving stories as children.

"Passion is your sustainable fuel" ­ khansa'a abu naji

My role is particularly involved with management, but this doesn't take away my passion and creativity. Brands and marketing allow you to innovate, explore, and be unique.

4. What approach do you take while working on a new brand? What strategies do you leverage to create brand strategies that resonate with the right audience?

We define the concept as 'Human to Human'. Empathy is our first step towards the client's needs and aspirations. Powerful marketing targets people's fears and aspirations by digging deeper. Women possess the natural ability to empathise.

In each of our projects, we conduct exploration workshops to understand the brand personality, tone of voice, target audience and the kind of messages to communicate until we reach the perfect master brand idea. You need to resonate with the goals to deliver. A creative design team then translates the brandmaster idea into a visual logo or theme using colours.

5. How has your professional journey been so far? What have been some of the most significant milestones or achievements that you have earned throughout the years?

I am grateful for every twist and hump along the way. I love the adventure that life continues to offer. The beauty lies in the unpredictability of the future.

Switching between several agencies gave me an insight into client management and team building. I worked at the client front at a government entity, which taught me about corporate politics and internal communications. Freelancing expanded my network and gave me access to events and activities. Rejection is the pathway to success.

“Never stop learning. Every opportunity in your career is a learning milestone, including your professional behaviour and your marketing & design abilities”

I consider the moments of rejection as my biggest achievements. I have done it several times throughout my professional career. No matter if it's for an investor who wants to change the company's direction, a project where we cannot make an impact, or for a team member who doesn't fit in within the company's culture.

The biggest achievement for me is my realization of the need for a female agency and creating value that goes beyond. I bridged the gender gap while working with ambitious Saudi brands and huge national projects.

6. How do you keep yourself well aligned with the periodic evolutions occurring within the marketing industry and the tech world in general?

An agency keeps you from falling behind. I stay abreast with the events and workshops that take place in the industry and stay ahead of the curve. Subscribing to newsletters and magazines, taking online courses, and networking with specialized marketers pay off.

On the other hand, being an active member of the marketing community through talks, events, and articles has been beneficial. Besides marketing, I love changing the way things work, including business development, product development, and innovation. I believe that magic happens when innovative marketing is layered on top of a great product and great operations.

7. As a successful professional with vast experience, what advice would you present to young women and girls who aspire to foray into the field of marketing & branding?

My advice to young women will be to - Never stop learning. Every opportunity in your career is a learning milestone, including your professional behaviour and your marketing and design abilities. It's better to ask than waste time in figuring it out. As the saying goes, always network with the best people- never eat alone. The bigger the network, the better opportunities. Focus on having a voice and creating an impact. Create your own brand.