Hebah Zamzami: Leadership, Resilience, and the Power of Growth
We had the pleasure of speaking with Hebah Al-Zamzami, a leader whose journey spans entrepreneurship, corporate leadership, and personal growth. Heba’s story is a testament to resilience, self-discovery, and the impact of authentic leadership.
Discovering Leadership Through Life’s Challenges
Hebah believes that leadership exists within everyone, but it often emerges through life’s most challenging moments. For her, the sudden passing of her father at the age of nine was a pivotal moment. It taught her responsibility, resilience, and the importance of leaving a meaningful impact. Later, her experiences navigating marriage, divorce, and single motherhood further shaped her leadership, proving that true growth often comes from overcoming hardship.
Motherhood and Rediscovering Curiosity
As a mother of two daughters, Hebah emphasizes how children teach us to see the world with fresh eyes. Through their questions and curiosity, she reconnects with life’s simple joys and learns to approach challenges with a renewed perspective. Motherhood, for Heba, is both a personal journey and a source of continuous learning.
Entrepreneurship and Professional Growth
Hebah’s professional path is marked by bold decisions and adaptability. After studying computer science, she explored entrepreneurship, founding By Express, a ready-meals business built around her mother’s recipes. Hebah navigated the highs of growth, partnerships, and distribution across major supermarkets, as well as the lows of financial crises and eventual closure. These experiences taught her resilience, strategic thinking, and the importance of learning from every stage of the journey.
Following her entrepreneurial journey, Hebah transitioned back into the corporate world, completing an MBA in entrepreneurship and exploring digital marketing, a field that allowed her to combine creativity with her technical background. She now serves as Senior Brand Manager at Gudi Kitchen, where she connects with consumers through experiential marketing and community-building.
Values, Authenticity, and Legacy
Throughout the conversation, Hebah highlighted the importance of values in leadership. She describes herself as authentic, loyal, caring, and a good listener, qualities that guide her personal and professional interactions. Her perspective on legacy is especially profound: leaving a positive impact doesn’t always mean achieving grand accomplishments. Sometimes, it’s the small acts of kindness, guidance, and love that define the mark we leave behind.
Lessons for Aspiring Leaders
Several key themes emerged from Hebah’s story:
Resilience: Life’s challenges are opportunities to grow and discover leadership within yourself.
Continuous Learning: Every stage of life offers lessons; staying curious and adaptable is key.
Authenticity and Values: Leading with love, integrity, and empathy shapes meaningful connections.
Flexibility in Career: Exploring different fields and roles can provide a broader understanding of leadership and strategy.
Hebah’s journey reminds us that leadership is not just a title; it is the courage to face challenges, the willingness to grow, and the commitment to make a positive impact, both professionally and personally.
Listen to the full episode on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Anghami.
