chatGRG

About chatGRG

chatGRG explores how careers are built, shaped, and evolved in an AI-driven world. In a region where opportunity moves fast, careers are rarely linear. Being skilled is not enough. How you position yourself, how you show up, and how your experience translates into opportunity matter. chatGRG brings together leaders, founders, hiring managers, and regional influencers to share honest perspectives on building careers in the Gulf. We speak openly about getting hired, navigating multiple career moves, and understanding how decisions are made behind closed doors. Across these conversations, we also explore how personal brand and career visibility influence hiring outcomes, progression, and long-term credibility, especially in a market where reputation travels quickly. Produced through GRG, the region’s largest independently owned recruitment firm, the discussions are shaped by real access to senior hiring environments and market insight. This is not theory or motivation. It is experience-led discussion on careers, visibility, hiring dynamics, and what it takes to build long-term momentum. If you are building yourself or navigating your next move, this is the insight most people only gain after years in the market.

Publisher

chatGRG

Category

education · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

18 Nov 2024

Latest episode

25 Jun 2026

Latest episodes

41 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   25 Jun 2026

   Why Saudi Arabia Is Winning the Global Fintech Race | George Harrak, CEO of Jeel

   Before George Harrak was helping shape the future of fintech in Saudi Arabia, he was serving customers in his family's corner shop in Australia and watching his parents work from before dawn until late at night. The lessons they passed on weren't about banking or technology, but about hard work, resilience, humility, and treating people well. Today, George leads Jeel, the digital accelerator of Riyadh Bank, helping drive innovation in one of the world's fastest-growing fintech ecosystems. The question is: what does it take to build great teams, stay ahead of change, and lead through a period of extraordinary growth? Joining host Mohammad Osama on #AboveCLevel, George shares the experiences that shaped his approach to leadership, from his upbringing in Melbourne to building digital banks and leading teams across Australia, Singapore, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. George opens up about: ↳ Why Saudi Arabia is becoming one of the world's most exciting fintech markets ↳ The lessons he learned from watching his parents build a life through hard work ↳ Why great leaders expect their best people to outgrow them ↳ How to build teams that people want to follow from company to company ↳ His perspective on Gen Z, ambition, and career growth From leading digital transformation to navigating the rapid rise of AI and fintech, George shares a grounded perspective on leadership, talent, and what it really takes to build a meaningful career. Because success rarely comes from one defining moment, but instead is built over time through the people who influence us, the lessons we learn, and the choices we make when nobody is watching. Catch the deeply insightful conversation now. Chapters 00:00:00 Opening: Saudi's Bold Fintech Vision - 525 by 2030 00:01:32 The GCC Fintech Leap: From Competitor to Enabler 00:03:42 Jeel's Banking-as-a-Service Platform: The Sandbox Explained 00:06:04 Local Saudi Talent: Youth Pushing Boundaries in Payments and Lifestyle 00:08:07 The Family Business Foundation: Lessons From 4am to 11pm Workdays 00:11:36 Sports, Competitiveness, and Building Teams That Follow You 00:12:54 The Bold Promise: Half of You Will Leave in 12 Months 00:14:07 Hiring Introverted Wizards: Making Candidates Comfortable Before the Interview 00:17:30 Gen Z Reality: Ambitious, Efficient, and Smarter Than We Were 00:21:48 AI in Financial Services: 40-50% Faster Development Despite Regulatory Caution Listen on: Spotify: Apple: Connect with George: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-harrak/ Follow Our Host: Mohammad Osama: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammad-osama-8395b88/

2. 

   10 Jun 2026

   How to Become Financially Free (Even If You’re Starting From Zero) | Jason Graystone, "Always Free"

   Jason Graystone grew up on a South London estate, hiding behind the sofa while bailiffs knocked at the door for unpaid electricity bills. Years later, he became financially free by 29. But this conversation isn’t just about money, but about the fear that drove him there in the first place. Joining host Robyn Abou Chedid on #TheBrandofYOU, Jason gets deeply honest about financial freedom, identity, fulfilment, and the emotional reality behind building wealth. From becoming a young dad before he felt financially ready, to obsessively chasing security after growing up without it, Jason shares the mindset shifts that completely changed the trajectory of his life. But what makes this conversation different is what came after the success. Because once he finally had the freedom he thought he wanted… he realised money alone was never the answer. It was time. Jason opens up about: ↳ Growing up without security and the childhood experiences that shaped his relationship with money ↳ Becoming financially free at 29 and why it still didn’t fulfil him ↳ The simple “maths” behind financial freedom that most people overcomplicate ↳ Why so many high earners still feel trapped, stressed, and unhappy ↳ The dangerous side of chasing success just to escape your current life ↳ Building leveraged income, buying back time, and redefining what freedom actually means This episode goes far beyond “get rich quick” advice. It’s about understanding what you’re actually chasing… and whether it was ever really yours to begin with. Chapters 00:00:00 Opening: From Necker Island to Zero Goals - The Always Free Philosophy 00:02:13 The Richard Branson Connection: How Energy and Giving Unlocked Opportunities 00:05:22 What Financial Freedom Actually Means: The Maths Behind the Movement 00:06:58 Mental Freedom Over Money: Why Most People Chase the Wrong Thing 00:10:23 The Dubai Vacuum City Reality: Why Investing Beats Saving 00:12:04 Leveraged Income Explained: Time, Space, and the Restaurant Example 00:13:46 It's Just Maths: The Formula That Guarantees Financial Freedom 00:14:25 From YouTube Struggles to Fulfillment: The Four-Hour Video That Started Everything 00:18:17 South London Estate to Swing Trading: The Childhood That Shaped a Money Mindset 00:19:39 The BMX Bike Lesson: Learning Leverage at Seven Years Old 00:20:41 The Baby That Changed Everything: From Engineer to Financially Independent at 29 00:21:39 The Parenting Paradox: When Security Creates Chaos 00:23:35 Why Dubai Won't Be Home: Nature, Deer, and Not Chasing Money Anymore 00:24:16 Zero Goals and Living for Today: The Necker Island Revelation 00:24:55 The Contentment Epidemic: Working Out What Your Dream Life Actually Costs 00:26:44 The Train Metaphor: Why People Miss Their Stop Chasing Someone Else's Dream 00:27:54 Finding What's Important to You: The Photo Roll Exercise 00:31:19 Always Free: The Name, The Newsletter, and The Movement 00:36:39 Congruency and the 24/7 Camera Test: Would You Live Stream Your Life? 00:38:47 Closing: The Millionaire and The Paper Boy - A Story About Real Freedom Listen on: Spotify: Apple: Connect with Jason: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j_graystone/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/jasongraystone Website: https://jasongraystone.com/ Book - Always Free: https://shorturl.at/y7SWo Follow Our Host - Robyn Abou Chedid: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynabouchedid/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlnamedrobyn/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@girlnamedrobyn

3. 

   3 Jun 2026

   Why I’d Leave a Role Empty Instead of Hiring You | Chris Radoszewski, Ex-COO & VP of HungerStation

   Some of the best leaders don't start their careers looking like future leaders. Chris Radoszewski certainly didn't. A failed business venture. A stint as a bartender. No clear roadmap. Fast forward a few years and he's helping scale Uber, leading hypergrowth businesses, and hiring hundreds of people across multiple markets. The question is: what changed? Joining Mohammad Osama on #AboveCLevel, Chris Radoszewski shares the lessons he's learned from building businesses in some of the world's fastest-growing companies, including Uber, CloudKitchens, and HungerStation. But this isn't a conversation about titles or career milestones, but one about resilience, ownership, and the difficult decisions that determine whether a company grows or stalls. Chris opens up about: ↳ Why he'd rather leave a role vacant than hire the wrong person ↳ The hiring mistake fast-growing companies make over and over again ↳ What scaling Uber taught him about leadership and accountability ↳ Why many leaders focus on authority instead of ownership ↳ How to build a culture that survives rapid expansion ↳ The leadership trait he struggles most to find in senior hires From navigating failure early in his career to helping build businesses at scale, Chris details the experiences that shaped how he leads, hires, and makes decisions today. Because building a successful career isn't usually a straight line. And sometimes the experiences that feel like setbacks at the time end up becoming the reason you're ready when the opportunity finally arrives. Catch the must-watch episode now. Chapters 00:00:00 Opening: The Hiring Struggle - Why Senior People Don't Get Things Done 00:00:45 The GCC On-Demand Market: Is There Room for Everyone? 00:05:42 The Amazon Playbook: Scaling at a Loss Before Profit 00:07:41 Hiring at Hyperspeed: The 20-Hour Interview Week Reality 00:12:08 The False Positive Problem: Why Hiring Under Pressure Backfires 00:15:36 Decision Paralysis: When Companies Hire 6 People Instead of 60 00:19:48 It's Okay to Change Your Mind: The Recruitment Reset Conversation 00:22:08 The Uber Breakthrough: From Bartender to Launch Team Leader 00:25:19 The Creative Exercise: How Uber Hired for Attitude Over Experience 00:29:21 Living in Saudi: The Stigma That Should Have Been Gone Years Ago 00:32:54 Generalists vs Specialists: What You Need at Each Stage of Growth 00:34:00 The Radical Candor Gap: Why Senior People Don't Challenge Leaders Here 00:36:02 Extreme Ownership: Roll Up Your Sleeves and Do It Yourself 00:40:06 Closing: Define What You Need or You'll Never Hire It Listen on: Spotify: Apple: Connect with Chris: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisrado/ Follow Our Host: Mohammad Osama: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammad-osama-8395b88/

Who has been a guest on chatGRG

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Ainsley Duncombe
• Ahmed AlDhraif
• Maya Sarji

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

65,543

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Podcast Authority Score: 28 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

26

Social presence

0

YouTube

76

Engagement

0