Not From Here

Jaafar Issa
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You don't feel like you belong here, you go home and don't feel like you belong there either. Congratulations, you're not from here. Join the club.

  1. Yaza Founder: I Had No Money, No Network, No Plan & Built The #1 Labneh In Whole Foods Nationwide!

    21 HR AGO

    Yaza Founder: I Had No Money, No Network, No Plan & Built The #1 Labneh In Whole Foods Nationwide!

    Karim Khalil is the founder of Yaza Foods, the #1 selling labneh in Whole Foods nationwide. His apartment in Beirut was destroyed in the Beirut port explosion. He moved to the US with what he had left, knew no one, and started building a Lebanese food brand in a country that had no idea what labneh was. In this episode, we get into: — Why he picked labneh — Why it's technically illegal to strain labneh in the US — The 500-store Whole Foods shipment he threw away — Losing his mother during the biggest growth year of his life — Why money was never the motivation — A blind taste test with four labneh brands where I made him guess his own A conversation about food, identity, immigration, and what it costs to actually be the best at one specific thing. Sponsors: 🏠Venture Title Agency: https://vtclosings.com/ ☕️ Detroit Perk Coffee: https://detroitperk.com/ Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detroit... ⚖️ Hall Makled: https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 Connect with Karim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-karim-khalil-8b615b185/ https://www.instagram.com/karimkhalil1/ https://www.instagram.com/yaza.foods/ Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v 00:00 - Intro 01:28 - Karim’s journey around the world 04:13 - August 4th, 2020: The Day Beirut Exploded 09:03 - Why Labneh 13:12 - Ad Break 14:15 - Why Labneh (continued) 8:55 - "$0 in Your Pocket and a Map of the World" 20:17 - What "Outworking Everyone" Actually Looks Like Day to Day 27:23 - The Production Failures That Almost Killed Yaza 34:36 - When He Knew the Product Would Actually Work 42:32 - The Dark Side of Building a CPG Brand 46:23 - Where the Name "Yaza" Came From 50:17 - "This Isn't Even Lebanese" — The Pushback He Gets 51:43 - Ad Break 52:22 - Blind Labneh Taste Test 59:29 - The Best Advice Karim Gives Every Founder Who Reaches Out 01:10:45 - The Trap of Comparing Yourself to Everyone Else 01:12:15 - The Bucket List That Matters More Than Whole Foods 01:13:36 - Losing His Mother While Building the Company

    1hr 19min
  2. Clinical Psychologist Reveals What 1.3 Million Displaced People Are Actually Going Through

    3 MAY

    Clinical Psychologist Reveals What 1.3 Million Displaced People Are Actually Going Through

    1.3 million people in Lebanon are displaced right now. This episode is about what that actually does to a person. I sat down with Hassan Koubayssi, a licensed clinical psychologist who spent the war dispatching teams of psychologists into Lebanon's shelters. We get into why displacement is trauma by itself. Why people in shelters started unraveling over things that had nothing to do with the war. What really happens inside those shelters when structure breaks down. And what no one tells displaced people about going home. If you're carrying this from near or far, this one is for you. Connect with Hassan: https://www.instagram.com/hassan_kob/ Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v Sponsors: 🛏️ Detroit Furniture: https://detfurniture.com/ ☕️ Detroit Perk Coffee: https://detroitperk.com/ Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detroit... ⚖️ Hall Makled: https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 0:00 Intro 1:30 Why displacement is trauma by itself 6:22 Forced displacement vs. choosing to leave 9:30 The rupture in your personal story 11:31 Ads 12:29 The threshold model: when everything explodes at once 18:30 Why symptoms appear out of nowhere 22:45 When shelters re-traumatize 26:00 Week one vs. month one vs. year one 29:20 Can people return to who they were before? 35:40 The on-and-off switch of displacement 38:08 Ads 38:46 Stabilization, not therapy 44:30 Why children remember everything 47:30 Faith, anger, and the people who reject everything 51:30 What happens when the war ends and people go home 54:00 Society-wide effects of accumulated trauma 56:30 Hassan's advice to anyone displaced right now 1:00:00 Why families fight more in displacement 1:03:30 How this work affects Hassan personally

    1hr 9min
  3. Inside The Hidden World of Narcissism | Berak Hussain

    27 APR

    Inside The Hidden World of Narcissism | Berak Hussain

    Narcissism is one of the most misused words on the internet right now. Everyone's ex is a narcissist. Every difficult boss is a narcissist. The word has lost its weight. This episode puts the weight back on it. We covered: - The four-step manipulation pattern (DARVO) that makes victims feel like they're the crazy one - Why love bombing should always feel off, even when it feels good - What narcissism looks like inside a marriage when no one else is watching - Why so many narcissists end up in positions of power, including religious and communal ones - What to do when the narcissist is your own mother or father - The cycle of abuse, apology, and charm that keeps people stuck for decades - Whether a narcissist can ever actually change - And why the world right now feels like it's being run by them If you've ever walked out of a conversation questioning your own memory, your own sanity, or your own worth, this episode is going to give you language for what was happening to you. Sponsors: 🏠Venture Title Agency: https://vtclosings.com/ 🛏️ Detroit Furniture: https://detfurniture.com/ 💆🏻‍♂️💆🏻‍♀️ Thrive Physical Therapy and Massage: https://thrive1.simplybook.me/v2/#book +1 (313) 429-9079 ☕️ Detroit Perk Coffee: https://detroitperk.com/ Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detroit... ⚖️ Hall Makled: https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 Connect with Berak: https://www.instagram.com/berak_hussain/ https://www.instagram.com/the_muslim_counsellor/ Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v 00:00 Intro 01:30 Catching Up A Year Later 02:00 What Narcissism Actually Is (And What It Isn't) 07:30 The Spectrum: Confidence, Arrogance, And Something Darker 12:00 DARVO: The Manipulation Playbook Every Narcissist Uses 15:46 Ad Break 17:23 Are They Aware Of What They're Doing? 19:18 Love Bombing And Why It Should Feel Off 25:00 Charm As A Weapon: Narcissists In Positions Of Power 33:44 How They Choose Their Prey 34:35 Inside The Marriage: The Charming Husband, The Broken Wife 45:36 The Original Narcissist And The Lesson Of Drowning 47:45 When It's Your Mother Or Father 57:39 Ad Break 58:35 Bosses, Workplaces, And Power You Can't Walk Away From 1:08:00 Diseases Of The Heart: The Spiritual Side Of It 1:18:54 Can A Narcissist Actually Heal? 1:20:28 Red Flags You Should Never Ignore 1:25:00 Standing Up To Tyrants: Strength, Lineage, And Confrontation 1:32:30 Where Do You Draw The Line In A Marriage? 1:36:30 Does Cheating Tie Into Narcissism?

    1hr 39min
  4. We Keep Losing Men To Suicide And Everyone's Too Afraid To Say It

    20 APR

    We Keep Losing Men To Suicide And Everyone's Too Afraid To Say It

    Ahmad Hamade lost his brother Muhammad to suicide. In a community where this is taboo, where a death gets a post and then silence, he refused to stay quiet. In this episode, Ahmad sits down to talk about who Muhammad really was, what actually happened, and why we keep losing our men without seeing it coming. He opens up about the guilt of not knowing, the version of himself that died with his brother, and what he believes really happened in Muhammad's final moment. We get into the bag of bricks men are taught to carry in silence, the 8-minute rule that can pull someone back from the edge, the red flags most of us miss, and a direct message to the wives, mothers, and sisters who hold these men together. If you've ever loved a man who won't open up, or you are that man, watch this one all the way through. Connect with Ahmad: https://www.instagram.com/gunnysgarage1/ Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v Sponsors: 🏠Venture Title Agency: https://vtclosings.com/ 🛏️ Detroit Furniture: https://detfurniture.com/ 💆🏻‍♂️💆🏻‍♀️ Thrive Physical Therapy and Massage: https://thrive1.simplybook.me/v2/#book +1 (313) 429-9079 ☕️ Detroit Perk Coffee: https://detroitperk.com/ Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detroit... ⚖️ Hall Makled: https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 00:00 – Intro 01:30 – Who Ahmad Sees in the Mirror, and Who Muhammad Saw 04:20 – The Bag of Bricks: What Men Are Actually Supposed to Carry 10:39 – Who Muhammad Was and What Happened to Him 15:02 – Ad Break 17:05 – Losing a Brother and the Version of Me That Died With Him 20:52 – Why I Refused to Stay Silent About This 23:33 – The 8-Minute Rule and How to Actually Show Up for Someone 38:47 – The Best People at Hiding It Are the Ones We Lose 43:32 – Ad Break 44:48 – Ask the Question Three Times 51:34 – A Message to the Wives, Mothers, and Sisters 53:34 – The Last Conversation I Wish I Had 56:08 – How Muhammad Wants to Be Remembered 1:02:33 – Was It a Mistake? What Ahmad Really Believes Happened

    1hr 5min
  5. I Found 200 Dead Babies in A Hospital Basement | Najah Bazzy

    12 APR

    I Found 200 Dead Babies in A Hospital Basement | Najah Bazzy

    Najah Bazzy has spent 40+ years inside American hospitals, Iraqi refugee homes, and the living rooms of families most people never see. She's the founder of Zaman International, a CNN Hero, a nurse, a mother of four, and one of the most requested guests we've ever had on Not From Here. This conversation covers the questions she asks young people before they get married, why she thinks 60% of marriages are failing, what she found in the basement of a Dearborn hospital in 2002, and the 12-page document she wrote for her own funeral. We get into: * The moment under the Golden Gutter at the Kaaba that changed how she prays * Growing up in a "Sushi" household (Sunni father, Sunni mother) in 1960s Dearborn * The 1967 Detroit race riots through the eyes of a 7-year-old * How her family arrived in America 135+ years ago * The green disposition form that led to hundreds of Muslim babies being cremated * Her actual checklist of questions to ask before you marry someone * Why she thinks kitchens, privacy, and grandparents are the missing pieces * Point of entrance to point of exit: the leadership model she teaches young people * What she wants her kids to carry when she's gone Sponsors: 🏠Venture Title Agency: https://vtclosings.com/ 🛏️ Detroit Furniture: https://detfurniture.com/ 💆🏻‍♂️💆🏻‍♀️ Thrive Physical Therapy and Massage: https://thrive1.simplybook.me/v2/#book +1 (313) 429-9079 ☕️ Detroit Perk Coffee: https://detroitperk.com/ Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detroit... ⚖️ Hall Makled: https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 Connect with Hajje Najah: https://www.instagram.com/zamaninternational/ Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v 0:00 Trailer & Intro 1:36 How Najah sees herself: servant first 4:30 The moment everything started 9:30 Growing up in a "Sushi" household (Sunni-Shia) 14:03 135 years in America: her family's arrival story 28:30 Nursing school, her mother, and pulling all-nighters 37:30 The Iraqi refugee family and the baby on the ventilator 47:32 The green disposition form and cremated babies 1:04:30 "Servant" vs. being created to serve 1:21:32 Why the kitchen matters and privacy in an age of social media 1:24:30 What's broken: divorce, discipline, and raising kids 1:31:30 Why she studied world religions 1:41:31 Zaman's cookie program and who it's really for 2:09:30 Lower brain vs. higher brain at the end of life 2:14:01 Point of entrance to point of exit

    2h 24m
  6. Why Most People Don't Donate (And Why They're Wrong)

    6 APR

    Why Most People Don't Donate (And Why They're Wrong)

    You think your donation doesn't make a difference. You're wrong. In this episode, I sat down with Haj Emo to break down what's really happening on the ground in Lebanon right now, and more importantly, what your money actually does when it gets there. We're talking a million people displaced, medicine completely cut off, families sleeping in cars, rent going from $600 to $2,000 overnight, and organizations that won't help people because they're from the wrong village. Emo runs Amity, a nonprofit that delivered over 54,000 hot meals, 12,000 medical services, 35,000 articles of clothing, and 4,800 mattresses and blankets, in three weeks. He brought the receipts. He showed me what $10 does, what $100 does, and why the people who think their contribution is too small are the ones who need to give the most. Sponsors: 🏠Venture Title Agency: Close on your house with the best title agency! https://vtclosings.com/ 💆🏻‍♂️💆🏻‍♀️ Thrive Physical Therapy and Massage: Book your next session NOW! https://thrive1.simplybook.me/v2/#book +1 (313) 429-9079 ☕️ Detroit Perk Coffee: Try The Best Coffee In Town https://detroitperk.com/ Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detroit... ⚖️ Hall Makled: When You Can’t Afford to Lose, Make the Right Call https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 Connect with Amad:
https://www.instagram.com/elzayatemo/ Donate through Amity: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/2649dc79-3c26-4fca-8941-21bd49584853 Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v 0:00 Intro 1:51 How Bad Is It on the Ground in Lebanon? 4:47 The Medicine Crisis 7:31 Shelter, Price Gouging & Displacement 8:55 Ad Break 9:53 Sectarianism Is Killing the Relief Effort 13:50 The Stadium They Turned Into Housing 16:50 Donor Fatigue & Trusting Where Your Money Goes 19:30 What Your $10, $100, and $1,000 Actually Does 23:00 It's a Marathon Not a Sprint 26:06 Ad Break 27:10 The Emotional Toll on the Diaspora 30:30 Looting, Tribalism & Moral Collapse in Wartime 35:00 Keep Giving

    40 min
  7. How Do We Deal With The War (Living in the West)

    30 MAR

    How Do We Deal With The War (Living in the West)

    This episode was highly requested since the beginning of the war. What are we supposed to do here, living in the West, while our families and communities back home are living through a nightmare every single day? In this solo episode, I break down the psychology behind what you're feeling and why these are normal, documented responses to what we're going through. Then I explore what the research says about why some people break under this kind of pressure and others grow through it. And finally, what we can actually do about it. This podcast is a self-development tool. For me and for you. I learn from prepping these episodes and they make me a better person. I hope this one brings you value. If this resonated, leave a comment and let me know what solo episode topics you want next. Sponsors: 💆🏻‍♂️💆🏻‍♀️ Thrive Physical Therapy and Massage: Book your next session NOW! https://thrive1.simplybook.me/v2/#book +1 (313) 429-9079 ☕️ Detroit Perk Coffee: Try The Best Coffee In Town https://detroitperk.com/ Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detroit... ⚖️ Hall Makled: When You Can’t Afford to Lose, Make the Right Call https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v 00:00 — Intro 01:40 — How personal is this war to us? 03:05 — Learned Helplessness 06:28 — Compassion Fatigue 08:33 — Ad Break 09:54 — Why numbness doesn't mean you stopped caring 12:23 — Survivor's Guilt 15:04 — Why some people break and others grow 17:37 — Faith is not mysticism 18:46 — Post-Traumatic Growth 19:48 — Locus of Control 22:14 — So what can we actually do? 25:16 — Ad Break 25:49 — Moral Elevation: Your goodness is contagious 27:12 — Tawakkul 29:19 — Performative vs. meaningful action 31:53 — Why your donation matters more than you think 34:52 — Final message

    36 min
  8. Food Specialist: This is Why You Haven't Been Able to Lose Weight (and keep it off)

    23 MAR

    Food Specialist: This is Why You Haven't Been Able to Lose Weight (and keep it off)

    We've been lied to about the Mediterranean diet. In this episode, licensed dietitian Zeinab Soueidan breaks down the biggest misconceptions around food, weight loss, and health. From detox myths and carb fear to the truth about Ozempic, emotional eating, and why the scale isn't the full picture. If you've ever struggled with dieting, cravings, or figuring out what actually works long term, this one's for you. Sponsors: 💆🏻‍♂️💆🏻‍♀️ Thrive Physical Therapy and Massage: Book your next session NOW! https://thrive1.simplybook.me/v2/#book +1 (313) 429-9079 ☕️ Detroit Perk Coffee: Try The Best Coffee In Town https://detroitperk.com/ Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detroit... ⚖️ Hall Makled: When You Can’t Afford to Lose, Make the Right Call https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 Connect with Zeinab:
https://www.instagram.com/haydahealthy/ Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v 00:00 Intro 01:28 Who is Zeinab 03:05 Losing Home: Zeinab's Story from Gaza 06:00 "Clean" vs "Dirty" Food: The Toxic Labels 10:59 Ad Break 11:46 The Detox Myth & Dangerous Food Trends 17:22 Restrictive Diets & Why You Regain the Weight 21:34 The Mediterranean Diet Myth 28:42 Cutting Sugar: What Actually Happened 34:21 Building a System That Works 41:41 Move More Before You Eat Less 46:27 Why "Cheat Meals" Need a New Name 48:00 Ad Break 48:38 Weekend Indulging: Are You Ruining Your Progress? 54:20 PCOS, Insulin Resistance & Women's Health 58:50 Sleep, Stress & Why You Crave Junk 01:03:49 Ramadan, Delayed Gratification & Self-Control 01:09:34 The Truth About Ozempic 01:13:05 Beyond the Scale: What Actually Matters

    1hr 22min
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About

You don't feel like you belong here, you go home and don't feel like you belong there either. Congratulations, you're not from here. Join the club.

Information

  • Creator
    Jaafar Issa
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    122

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