Why I Moved to Dubai & Started a Podcast in Burj Khalifa 🇦🇪🎙️

Welcome to a special episode of the Dubai Builder Podcast. 🎙️🇦🇪 For the first time, the tables are turned. After interviewing founders, creators, community builders, and entrepreneurs throughout Season 1, one of my guests: Achraf stepped into the host's seat and interviewed me. We talk about my journey from Germany to Dubai, what I learned during 12 years at Zalando, and why I decided to start a podcast from inside Burj Khalifa. We also dive into: ✨ Why I moved to Dubai 🎙️ The story behind the Dubai Builder Podcast 🏙️ What it's really like living in Burj Khalifa 📚 Building a book club and local communities 🤝 The power of networking and meaningful relationships 🚀 What I've learned from recording the first 10 episodes 🔮 What's coming next in Season 2 This conversation is a behind-the-scenes look at the person usually asking the questions. Whether you're building a business, a community, a new life in Dubai, or simply curious about the story behind the podcast, I hope you'll find something valuable in this episode. Thank you to every guest, listener, supporter, commenter, and community member who helped make Season 1 possible. This podcast started as an idea and has already become so much more than I imagined. Enjoy the conversation! 🎙️✨ timestamps: 1:05 Franzi discusses her 12-year career in a major e-commerce company in Germany, detailing her path from an entry-level position to head of program management before moving to Dubai. 3:31 Franzi explains how she started her own community, which eventually evolved into a book club, to fill the gap between traditional business networking and casual social events. 5:12 A practical tip for networking: Franzi shares how carrying a specific book (like Atomic Habits) at events naturally sparked conversations and helped her connect with like-minded people. 7:20 Franzi and Achraf discuss the importance of discovering Dubai government initiatives like Creators HQ and Founders HQ to better navigate the local entrepreneurship ecosystem. 12:33 Franzi compares the German business approach, which is often more transactional, to the UAE culture, which emphasizes building long-term, trust-based relationships. 16:03 Franzi shares why she started the podcast: to scale her curiosity, learn from guests about various programs, and share those insights publicly for others to benefit from. 21:38 Franzi provides a behind-the-scenes look at what it's like living in Burj Khalifa, describing it as a dream apartment with high-level service that offers everything needed for a seamless lifestyle. 📍 Recorded inside Burj Khalifa, Dubai 🔔 Subscribe for future conversations with founders, creators, community builders, and the people shaping Dubai and the UAE. LINKS: Women Choice: https://womenchoice.org Creators HQ: https://creatorshq.com Founders HQ: https://www.dubaifoundershq.com/en/ Coders HQ: https://ai.gov.ae/codershq/ Books: "Atomic Habits" by James Clear "The Culture Map" by Erin Meyer Franzi on Instagram:   / franzichopra   Franzi on LinkedIn:   / franzi-chopra   Franzi on Youtube:    / @franzichopra   Achraf on Instagram:   / walkbesidemeblog   Achraf on LinkedIn:   / achrafaouadi   #DubaiBuilderPodcast #Dubai #BurjKhalifa #Entrepreneurship #CommunityBuilding #FounderStories #DubaiBusiness #UAE