Well Rooted

Haneen Jarrar

Well Rooted is a platform dedicated to uplifting and celebrating MENA entrepreneurs, creatives, and industry leaders. Each episode dives into the journeys of inspiring individuals who are breaking barriers, building legacies, and making an impact in their fields. From artists and innovators to business visionaries, our guests share their stories, insights, and strategies for success. Whether you're seeking motivation, practical advice, or a deeper connection to the MENA community, Well Rooted Podcast is here to fuel your dreams and help you grow.

  1. May 27

    Paul Elia on Being a 'Good Son,' Chaldean Assyrian Identity, and Breaking Into Hollywood

    Paul Elia is a Chaldean Assyrian comedian who almost became a lawyer - until Hollywood had other plans. On this episode of Well Rooted, we sit down with Paul to talk about his brand-new stand-up special Good Son, now on YouTube, and the winding road that brought him here: from law school dreams to becoming a Hollywood regular, to finally leaning all the way into where he comes from. We get into what it really means to be Chaldean and Assyrian in America, how Hollywood sees - and often misreads - Middle Eastern artists, and why his most personal work is also his most fearless. To follow Paul on Instagram, click HERE To learn more about Paul's upcoming shows, click HERE To watch Good Son on YouTube, click HERE To follow Well Rooted on Instagram, click HERE To learn more about Jarrar & Associates, click HERE

    1h 1m

  2. May 13

    Lara Salmon on art as resistance, the Middle East's transformative power, and why FYVP is clothing with a conscience

    What happens when art stops being decorative and starts being dangerous — in the best possible way? Lara Salmon has spent her career asking that question. A world-renowned Irish-American performance artist and co-founder of social justice apparel brand For Your Viewing Pleasure (FYVP), Lara has built a life at the intersection of radical creativity and deep human solidarity. In this conversation, she joins us to talk about all of it — the work, the world, and the cost of paying attention. We trace her journey from immersive performance practice to years spent living in the Middle East, where proximity to conflict, beauty, and survival fundamentally shifted how she thinks about art's purpose. Her time working alongside refugees and marginalized communities didn't just inform FYVP — it became the reason for it. The brand she built with her partner and designer Vanessa is clothing as conscience: wearable resistance for people who refuse to look away. We also go there on the art world's relationship with Palestinian liberation — who's speaking, who's staying silent, and what that silence costs. This is a conversation about creativity as a form of courage. About what it means to make something when the stakes are real. To shop FYVP, click HERE To follow FYVP on Instagram, click HERE To follow Well Rooted on Instagram, click HERE To learn more about Jarrar & Associates CPAs and book your free consultation, click HERE

    52 min

  3. May 8

    ROOTED RECAP | Culture is Not For Sale and Other Musings on the Met

    This week we're doing a quick recap on the Oligarch Gala: who showed up, why it's embarrassing, and why money and power do not translate to cultural currency and relevence. We're also shining a light on one of our previous guests, Sylwia Nazzal, and sharing why we want to see here-plus more Arab artists-celebrated at future (hopefully less problematic) Met Gala carpets. Catch up on Sylwia's episode down below!   Listen to Sylwia's episode HERE Watch Sylwia's episode HERE Follow us on Instagram HERE

    23 min

  4. May 1

    Acne, Sobriety, and Building a Skincare Empire with Marya Khalil-Otto of VI Peel

    Marya Khalil-Otto didn't just inherit a company - she inherited a mission. As CEO of VI Peel, the first painless chemical peel formulated for all skin tones, Marya carries forward the legacy of her father, Dr. Khalil, who originally created the peel to treat her own acne. In this episode of Well Rooted, Marya gets real about what it took to step into leadership after losing her father, relocate to LA, and go back to school to get her aesthetician license - not because she had to, but because she wanted to truly understand the brand and the people it serves. We get into the actual science behind acne and why it's never just a skincare issue, how sobriety completely shifted her relationship with herself and her work, and what inclusivity in the aesthetics industry actually looks like in practice. Plus, what it's like to run a thriving company while showing up as a mother and a whole person.   To follow Marya on Instagram, click HERE To follow VI Peel on Instagram, click HERE To follow Well Rooted on Instagram, click HERE To learn more about Jarrar & Associates and schedule a free consultation, click HERE

    1h 36m

  5. Apr 23

    ROOTED RECAP | Nochella, Coachella, and the SWANA Takeover

    I'm back from Coachella where I watched SWANA artists, representing Palestine to Algeria and Egypt to Pakistan unleash their incomparable energy on the festival stage. I'm sharing my thoughts on DJ Habibeats and Zainab's Coachella premiere, DJ Snake's legendary back2back trap takeover, and what I really think about Sabrina Carpenter's response following the now infamous "Zaghrootagate." Plus, I'm unpacking the brilliant execution of the community led Nochella event that saw brands like For Your Viewing Pleasure and Diaspora People's Place raise over $31,000 for Palestine and Lebanon while uniting LA's finest to celebrate community, resilience, and art.  Listen, comment, or send us a DM (see below for details), and we'll feature you on the next Rooted Recap! Follow Well Rooted on Instagram HERE Listen to our episdoe featuring Lara Salmon of FYVP HERE Listen to our episode featuring Nael Atweh of Grassfed Music HERE

    19 min

  6. Apr 8

    Building Power with Layla Shaikley | Identity, Entrepreneurship & Emotional Intelligence

    What does it take to build power when the system wasn't built for you? This week, I sit down with Iraqi-American entrepreneur, startup founder, and one of the most trusted voices in entrepreneurship and career strategy on social media, Layla Shaikley. Layla's story spans architecture school, NASA, MIT, building a multi-million dollar tech startup, and even a viral Muslim hipster music video. She didn't wait to be chosen. She built her own table. In this episode: ·        Growing up Muslim and Arab in post-9/11 America with zero representation ·        Why your identity is your greatest strategic asset ·        The "super founder" concept and what your first business actually teaches you ·        Why emotional intelligence is the most underrated form of generational wealth ·        How to find your voice as a creator (even when it feels embarrassing) ·        Why representation is just the first step, and ownership is what gives us real power This one is for the founders, the creators, the first-gen dreamers, and every parent thinking about the environment they're building for their kids.   To follow Layla on Instagram, click HERE To learn about Layla, click HERE To follow Layla on Substack, click HERE To follow Well Rooted on Instagram, click HERE To learn more about Jarrar & Associates and schedule your free consultation, click HERE

    1 hr

  7. Apr 3

    ROOTED RECAP | The Duality of Arab-American Identity, Judgment, and Community

    Apparenlty, we listen and we do judge! Wow, guys-our last episode featuring the talented and relatable Farah of Lesh La2 really resonated with so many of you and inspired me to share a bit of my own experience and perspective growing up as a first-gen Arab-American. I also reflect on the role judgment and scrutiny plays in our society (you know aside from uplifting the patriarchy), and I offer up some practical ways I've cultivated the community I seeked and how I found confidence in identity. Reclaiming ownership of the MENA/SWANA narrative starts with us sharing our stories, so enjoy a snippet of mine.   Follow Well Rooted on Instagram Here

    28 min

  8. Mar 26

    "Why Not?" Rewriting the Arab Narrative with Farah Fezz of Lesh La2

    In this episode of Well Rooted, Farah, founder of Lesh La2, shares how she built a design-led creative brand rooted in Arab nostalgia, culture, and storytelling. What started as teaching Arabic on TikTok quickly evolved into Lesh La2-a platform blending design, typography, and Arab pop culture to reshape modern Arab identity and narrative ownership. Farah breaks down how she transformed digital content into a purpose-driven brand, and how nostalgia can be used as a creative tool to inspire the future. We also explore entrepreneurship, pivoting careers, and the importance of Arab women reclaiming their stories through design, media, and culture. This episode is a deep dive into Arab creative entrepreneurship, cultural storytelling, and the rise of design-driven brands in the digital age.   To follow Lesh La2 on Instagram, click HERE To follow Farah on Instagram, click HERE To follow Well Rooted on Instagram, click HERE

    1h 9m
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5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Well Rooted is a platform dedicated to uplifting and celebrating MENA entrepreneurs, creatives, and industry leaders. Each episode dives into the journeys of inspiring individuals who are breaking barriers, building legacies, and making an impact in their fields. From artists and innovators to business visionaries, our guests share their stories, insights, and strategies for success. Whether you're seeking motivation, practical advice, or a deeper connection to the MENA community, Well Rooted Podcast is here to fuel your dreams and help you grow.

Information

  • Creator
    Haneen Jarrar
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    34
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2024
  • Show Website
    Well Rooted