The Journey Of Self Development With Hanan Al Sammak, Founder of HAC: Sharing positivity and happiness is an essential aspect of our lives. However, only a few people succeed in both of these aspects. While searching for inspirational leaders, we came across Hanan Al Sammak. She is a qualified life coach and well-being expert. Furthermore, Hanan is also the founder of HAC, a consultancy for the growth and development of individuals and teams.
Let’s learn and get inspired by the journey of Hanan Al Sammak.
It Starts with Self Development
What is the idea behind HAC?
“I started my self-development journey in 2014. I did a lot of intensive courses about self-development, train-the-trainer, and life coaching from the international coach federation and even studied a lot about human psychology. What makes us happy individuals, what makes us elite performers, and what makes someone successful? These questions helped me start my inner journey of self-discovery.
Later, I started my YouTube channel, where I began talking about myself, my findings, and my experiences. I noticed that several people were engaging with my channel and topics. They even shared their positive feedback with me through messages and comments. After that, I became more curious to learn, to help, and to support more. So I started writing books as well. After publishing a few books, I needed to learn more, so I traveled to Australia and took a diploma in positive psychology. Later, different companies began contacting me to discover more about positive psychology and how we can integrate it into the workplace. This was when companies in the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and other parts of the GCC started to integrate well-being and happiness into the workplace. This was the emergence of HAC. Basically, the whole point was to help individuals become happy. HAC specializes in delivering corporate training for groups like employees and managers and also for individuals.
2020 was full of changes. With COVID, my parents being separated, and my business not doing well enough, I had to reach out to therapists and healers for help. This was in order to deal with all the chaos. While healing myself, I found myself doing the same for others. So coaching was the aspect that fell into place. I even started one-to-one coaching as well. This was how we started training individuals, says Hanan.
Starting The Entrepreneurship Journey
How did you start your career journey?
Hanan says, “When we talk about the technicalities of the career journey from 2014 to 2016, I was working in the government because my initial major was marketing at the American University in Dubai. But something felt out of place, and I thought I wasn’t performing well enough. Then in 2016, I decided to quit what I was doing and start my own training company. That’s how my journey with HAC began.”
Do you have any advice for beginners?
She advises, “The mistake that I made was thinking that entrepreneurship was easy. It’s not only about getting an idea, obtaining certifications, getting licenses, and setting up. Entrepreneurship is much more than building strategies, focusing on social media, and planning it out. What people don’t think about is the emotional chaos that comes with the price of being a business owner, especially if you aren’t fully prepared. Even now, for example, one month, you have clients and make money, the next month, you don’t. It’s very unpredictable. Hence, it’s crucial to be resilient and understand that failure is just part of life. So you need to have a resilient and wealth-driven mindset and be prepared for anything that happens.”
Spreading Awareness Of Inner Issues
Would you like to talk about your goals?
“What I have noticed from working with several individuals in our region is that there is a lack of awareness when it comes to speaking about inner issues. So, there’s always this stigma regarding speaking about my depression or speaking about my sadness. So one of my main goals was to break the stigma, be the beacon of hope, and raise awareness that every change starts from within. If we want to help other people, we need to help ourselves. It all starts with you if you hope to have a good family, company, and relationships. And all the courses I create focus on the individual and their limiting beliefs that prevent them from becoming happy and successful. The point is that I want to give back to the community and contribute more,” she continues.
Okay, that’s such a nice thought. In your opinion, what makes a team successful?
“A team is not just here to support you or grow your company. It’s also about you helping them grow. Suppose you work with some people and hire a few members or freelancers. Now, if they get an opportunity, you can let them grab it. That’s the whole point. If you don’t, then you aren’t doing what’s right for you and your people. You should always be supportive and see it as a win-win situation. It’s not just a manager and an employee. It’s a team. So, have that leadership mindset that your team also has dreams and goals, and you can always lend a hand to them,” shares Hanan.
The Importance of Being Happy
When we asked Hanan how significant an employee’s energy levels are to the company’s success, she replied:
“Very important. Scientific research shows that happier people are more productive. They have enhanced productivity because their cortisol (stress hormones) levels are lower, and their dopamine and endorphins (happy hormones) are produced in the brain. Therefore they can focus more. So I always ensure that my team and acquaintances are having a good time either by listening to some music, talking, having dark chocolate, etc. Even simple things like asking them about their day help you get us both on the right foot.”
Focused Towards Happiness
What keeps you moving forward even during challenges?
She continues, “Actually, this is a question that I’m always asking myself, so I don’t really have the right answer, but I am a work in progress. And it’s not easy. Most of the time, I wanted to quit and give up since I was my own supporter. Since a very young age, I have done everything without any sponsors or financial assistance. I used to invest in myself using my pocket money. I invested in certifications, learning and therapy. When it comes to investing in my company, I invest in the necessities, equipment, people, etc.
What kept me moving forward was the fact that all of it was having an impact on people and helping them in some way. I remember working with someone for 3 years. He didn’t believe in love. However, we kept working on his issues for 3 years so that he could start believing in love and himself. And the best part is that it’s his wedding this week!
Such types of success stories help me keep striving. Everyone needs to remember that we’re not just left alone to do our own things. We’re also here to make this world happier, especially with all the chaos surrounding us.”
The Ultimate Assistance Of Technology
Is technology helping businesses, and is it helping you as well?
“Definitely. The whole point I’m here is because of my YouTube journey. I started posting episodes, and that’s how people got to know me. Eventually, I reached out to publishers and published my books. I promoted my training through my YouTube videos, and companies began reaching out to me. Even now, social media helps me a lot as I generate clients through Instagram as well. So I’m grateful for technology. As they say, it’s a sword with two edges. Basically, it’s how you use it. So if you use it to your advantage and to your benefit, you can really have a lot of impacts,” says Hanan.
You were currently discussing your books. Is there any specific book that you have written that is your favorite?
Hanan shares, “Well, it’s always the first baby, as they say, and my first book was HayaTech. I called it HayaTech, which is the technical steps to happiness and life since ‘Hayat’ in Arabic means’ life.’
I wrote it while I was working at my job in 2015. So I remember leaving my job and feeling so enthusiastic and excited that I was about to finally write my book. And I started doing self-study and then published my second book, ‘Sip of Happiness’ and ‘Peace,’ my third book.”
Do you use innovative ideas to be unique?
“As a content creator, it’s crucial to be creative and innovative. I used to talk about different things on my YouTube channel. I used to talk about motivational and self help topics for personal growth.” says Hanan.
Focus Towards Personal Growth
Could you please share a bit about your services with our viewers?
She says, “Currently, I am promoting a program for personal growth. It’s a five-week program. I also have my self-development and communication program, where I help people learn public speaking. I was an introvert who actually stepped on stage and spoke. It took a lot of studying, practice, and confidence. So if I can do it, other people can do it as well. That’s why I am passionate about coaching them to become better speakers. I believe that if you are a speaker, you can have an impact whether as a manager, parent, student, employee, and so on. I talk about self-esteem, well-being, and performance, which are all linked to positive psychology tools.”
We also asked, “While talking about your services, it just reminded me of your books. You have been publishing books for the past few years. So are you currently working on any book or project that you may publish soon?”
“Yes, I am working on a novel I used to work on when I was in high school. It’s a pending project, but I think I’m planning to finish this novel. It’s a story about a girl who faces many challenges. And there are so many exciting chapters in it. I still haven’t thought of publishing it yet, but it’s surely my next project in terms of books,” says Hanan.
Approach To Marketing And Life
Apart from coaching and writing books, what services do you focus on?
“Yes. Along with my coaching career, I love marketing because this is what I studied and this is what I’ve been doing. Even when it comes to coaching, you need to have a marketing background to know how to market your products and services. It’s not just about the core business, you need to know a lot about personal branding and all that, a fascinating science. I do marketing consultancy for other businesses that want to grow and focus on their personal brand. I’ve also worked with the Ministry of happiness and Dubai Police on their security and happiness campaigns for years, promoting and creating videos, content creation, and working on the whole marketing strategy. I worked with Selah App, which is an app that helps families connect. So I do a lot of marketing projects since it’s my passion to help businesses grow because that’s how I began. And so I love to support entrepreneurs through my experience,”” replies Hanan.
Our last question is would you like to say anything else to our viewers?
“I don’t want to sound cliche, but truly, in this life, everyone needs to just keep moving forward. If you think about giving up, it can be a temporary pleasure or a relief. We have been programmed to think or hear that we aren’t good enough. However, it’s not true. Therefore, believe in yourself as your contribution can make a huge difference for others,” concludes Hanan.
Connect with Hanan Al Sammak on LinkedIn.
