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Award-winning podcast where two Arab women and best friends come together to talk about what's on their mind and the mind of their peers today. Join co-hosts Marilyn Zakhour and Rhea Chedid as they unpack their multifaceted identities through conversations between themselves and with other (wo)men from across the region and the world. Gold winner of the "Acast Moment of Comedy" at the 2021 International Women's Podcast Awards.
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3 months into her new gig as a team manager, Rhea sits down with Marilyn to reflect on what she’s learned about herself and her managerial style throughout her leadership journey. Our best friends then take your most burning questions about becoming a new manager. Not sure how to be assertive? Worried about micromanaging? Afraid you’ll lose steam a…
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Things get real and personal for our dynamic duo this week as Marilyn shares with Rhea her recent feelings of burnout and exhaustion. Together, our best friends share what a burnout has looked like for them, how they’ve dealt with it, and what they need from each other and from their community as they work their way through a burnout episode. Went …
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You have a great job doing something you’re passionate about. It pays great. You live in a bustling city with an active social life. You’re also overworked, burnt out, and something about your life just doesn’t feel right. What do you do next? In this episode, Marilyn and Rhea invite friend of the pod and sports consultant Elise Kossaifi to share s…
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People of all ages – including Marilyn, Rhea, and Marilyn’s daughter Gabi – know what it’s like to wake up cranky and moody from a bad night’s sleep. For parents and caregivers, that issue is compounded by having children who are challenging sleepers. While some might choose to let their children establish their own sleeping habits, others might ch…
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Ramadan Kareem, WRTW fam! To celebrate the holy month, Marilyn and Rhea invite WRTW’s producer and resident Muslim Ahmed Ashour to reflect on what Ramadan means, share memories, and exchange favorite traditions. Then, Marilyn and Rhea compete for the title of “The Queen of Ramadan” by solving fawazeer/riddles, guessing at the plots of Ramadan shows…
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Ever tried picking out a book for a child to read? Marilyn and Rhea can confirm: it’s not easy, nor is it easy to get the child to actually read the book and enjoy it. In this episode, Marilyn and Rhea sit down with the founder of Oh The Books Deema Al Alami to understand how we can get children to love reading outside the classroom. They share tip…
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Ramadan Kareem, WRTW family! To kick off a month of reflection and introspection, Marilyn and Rhea have a very real and honest conversation about how they’ve seen their friendship change after Marilyn became a mother. What are their pet peeves when it comes to friends treating each other differently post-motherhood? What advice would they give them…
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Lots happening this week in WRTW Land (which is about 25.6km away from Barbie Land). March is Women’s History Month. March 8th is International Women’s Day. Marilyn and Rhea both finally watched Barbie (yes, THAT Barbie, which is up for some Oscars later this week). They also just finished watching season 2 of the hit Netflix show AlRawabi School f…
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In an October 2023 episode with OB/GYN and fertility specialist Dr. Gaël Abou Ghannam, Marilyn and Dr. Gaël encouraged Rhea to freeze her eggs. Well, listeners…drum roll, please…she did it! Not only did she do it – she’s also ready to tell you all about it. In this episode, Marilyn sits down with Rhea to understand what led to her making this decis…
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Choosing to pursue a career as an actor and media personality is hard. Choosing to pursue such a career as someone of South Asian or SWANA descent is hard. Becoming a mother is…you guessed it, also hard. Doing all three? That’s just awe-inspiring. In this episode, Marilyn and Rhea sit down with Dubai-based Pakistani actor and media personality Raba…
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On Valentine’s Day 2019, a little show by the name Who Run the World was released into the world. 5 years later, that little show is thriving! Who would’ve thought? Marilyn and Rhea certainly did. In this 5th anniversary special, Marilyn and Rhea look back at the show and its (humble) beginnings, before sharing their favorite episodes. But what abo…
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In the wake of the International Court of Justice's ruling on January 26th, 2024 stating that Israel must do all it can to prevent genocide, Marilyn and Rhea sit down with the Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch Omar Shakir to understand the dimensions of South Africa’s landmark case. What are the provisional measures that the world…
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WRTW is back! As the show approaches its fifth birthday (stay tuned), Marilyn and Rhea sit down to reflect on the year that was and the year to come. How did they do when it came to their 2023 words of the year? What words did they select for 2024? And how can you, our dear listener, choose your own word of the year instead of new year's resolution…
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What are the holidays if not the most magical time of the year? After a few months that lacked magic (to say the least), Rhea and Marilyn take the Hogwarts Express from Platform 9-3/4 towards Hogwarts (duh) for a bit of Christmas (and other non-secular holiday) cheer. Along for the scenic trip is their producer Ahmed Ashour, a notable HP-films-over…
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Marilyn and her husband Hadi recently decided to buy a new car, a decision that turned out to be an 8-month ordeal. Making big financial decisions as a couple can be quite daunting, but that doesn’t mean that spending your money individually is a walk in the park. In this episode, Rhea and Marilyn invite Marilyn’s financial advisor Sharon Calderini…
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As the Israeli occupation’s brutal operation in Palestine enters its third month, Rhea and Marilyn take a moment to take stock of how they and the people around them have processed recent events. In what ways have we felt helpless, hopeful, and activated? Rhea and Marilyn then go on to highlight concrete ways in which we can make our actions for Pa…
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What do we know about the history of Zionism, colonialism, and occupation in Palestine? More importantly, what do we not know? To mark the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Marilyn and Rhea invite Palestinian-American professor, lawyer, and writer Tamara Reem to provide listeners with an overview of significant events in …
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In 2023, Rhea and Marilyn experienced loss in more ways than one. They both lost their dear friend Dounya, and Marilyn lost her beloved father-in-law Noor. On top of all that, recent events in Palestine have been weighing heavy on their minds and hearts. How can they process all of this personal and collective loss of life? How can they grieve? Sii…
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In October 2020 (deep pandemic era WRTW), we released an episode titled “Let’s Talk About Our Periods” with Dr. Gaël Abou Ghannam that broached all sorts of taboo topics for Arab women, like taking the birth control pill and experiencing period pain. 3 years later, we’re back for round 2. Returning guest (and friend of the pod) Dr. Gaël helps Rhea …
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WRTW is back next week with its regular biweekly episode, but in the meantime, Marilyn and Rhea wanted to give you a little something extra to tide you over - Who Run the Time style. The 2023 Cosmic Conference is upon us, organized by Marilyn’s very own company Cosmic Centaurs. To mark the occasion, Rhea just had to sit down with Marilyn to get all…
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Fall has officially arrived, yet it is still hot and sweaty in Dubai where our two best friends Rhea and Marilyn reside. And that? Is an excuse for them to tell you all about their summer adventures. In this episode of Who Run the Time, Rhea and Marilyn recap their summers, from the highest of peaks to the lowest of pits. Every summer topic you cou…
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Rhea's Ode to Freedom and Marilyn's Yearning for Solitude. Get ready for a funny episode as Rhea talks all about the glorious perks of living alone, while Marilyn pines for a taste of the chaos. As a self proclaimed introvert, Rhea reveals her love for the peaceful solitude and the freedom to do whatever her heart desires, whenever she wants. From …
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In this episode, join us as we unravel the intricate web of asking for help. Rhea and Marilyn dive deep into the diverse forms of help people can provide, shedding light on their personal journeys of battling their own internal stigmas surrounding seeking help. We also share recent anecdotes of how people extended their helping hands, illustrating …
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In a candid conversation, Marilyn spills the beans about the remarkable changes her body has gone through since becoming a mother. From falling tampons to bigger feet and deflated boobs, Marilyn fearlessly unveils the journey her body has embarked on over the past year and a half. Join us for an unfiltered and lighthearted exploration of the raw re…
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Join us in this episode as we talk to Hadi Kabalan, the First Husband of Who Run the World, about the ever-growing influence of AI in our daily lives. From organizing our travel plans to crafting the perfect emails, AI has become our ultimate brainstorm buddy. Together, we explore the exciting future implications of AI's continued expansion and its…
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On this episode, we are sad to announce… Just kidding! We're thrilled to be back with a story from Maria and Fidan. They take us on a journey through a friendship breakup, sharing their experience of grieving the loss of their friendship, rediscovering themselves, and ultimately finding their way back to each other. Their story highlights the signi…
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Back by popular demand, this episode is all about Rhea’s dating life and how to survive the online world of dating. Whether it be Bumble, Hinge, Tinder, The League or any dating app, online dating can really be a slog. Do you talk to one person or to a whole bunch of people at the same time? To use marketing terms, how do you widen your top of the …
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Happy 2023 everyone! In our first episode of the year, Rhea and Marilyn share with each other what their word of the year is. We breakdown our thoughts about new year resolutions and intention setting. As always, we are two kinds of people with two different approaches to goal setting and measuring (one of us loves excel sheets while the other one …
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In the last part of our Who Run the Holidays series, we talk all about how to manage family dynamics during the holiday season - or as we like to call it: the official guide to your family offsite. Whether you are the one visiting family or if family is coming to see you, we breakdown how to manage expectations, guarantee alone time and make sure y…
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This episode is part of a three part series we are releasing for the holidays! In this episode we talk all about the art of gift giving. With the holidays coming up, we wanted to share with you a framework on how to find the best gift for the people you love. We also share examples of some of the best gifts we’ve given each other and why we sometim…
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This episode is part of a three part series we are releasing all for the holidays! Part 1 is all about the activities that we are nostalgic (and not so nostalgic for) to maybe help inspire you with activities to do this holiday season What are some of the things you used to do and no longer do? We’d love to hear your stories! Write to us on sayhi@w…
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Ever since Marilyn became a mom, she’s noticed an infuriating pattern: her friends started leaving her out of things. She decided to bring up her frustrations on the microphone which led to a conversation about how single and married friends with kids could bridge the gap and not lose their friendship just because they are at different stages of th…
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In honor of our 100th episode, we decided to celebrate what got us here in the first place: our friendship. We discuss the different facets of female friends with the help of women of all ages from around the world. Our female friendships have been incredibly important to us in our lives. Not only have they shown up for us in times of trouble, but …
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In this episode, Rhea opens up about her struggles with body image. Rhea shares how the negative feelings she’s had about her body made her feel like she is living a half life. Later on in the episode, Marilyn and Rhea talk about how friends can support friends with negative body image, and what are some of the things we can do to improve our feeli…
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We are back in Dubai and kicking things off with Marilyn telling us all about her birth story: how contractions felt, how she got through the pain, the role of her support system, including her husband Hadi, her doula Valerie, her mom and her brother. Marilyn also updates on the cliffhanger from last episode: did she or did she not get an epidural?…
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Marilyn is inching closer to her due date, and that means she has a few key decisions to make around her labor. Epidural or no epidural? Constant monitoring of the baby’s heartbeat or sporadic monitoring? Where to give birth and which care provider to have? Vaginal or cesarean? Do you want to induce the birth or not? Which interventions will you al…
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We start this episode off with a very special announcement: Rhea has moved back (or forward - depends how you look at it) to Dubai! She has started a brand new job at Spotify, and on this episode she breaks down her decision making process that got her there. We also talk about growth (it’s no secret that Rhea’s mental health struggled this last ye…
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This episode is all about the 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy as Marilyn shares everything she has experienced in the last 6 months. She tells Rhea about all the ways her body has changed, and how her little girl has been sucking the energy out of her (we love you Gaby!). She also talks about the importance of her tribe, friends and family show…
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Something that many Arab women have faced in their lifetime is single shaming. In this episode we dive deep into single shaming: how it shows up, how to respond to single shaming and Marilyn even hits us with some stats (since the pandemic single shaming has been on the rise). We even try to understand how single people and people and relationships…
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We spent all last week immersed in the latest gossip taking over the ton. In other words, we binge watched season 2 of Bridgerton, and we have a lot of things to say about it. We rank our favorite subplots, play a good old game of kill, fuck or marry, while comparing and contrasting the actors’ butts and debate on what we really think of Anthony Br…
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Marilyn has been going through a little witch obsession, and she got Rhea to watch her latest TV binge that has witches at the center of it all: Wheel of Time. On this episode, we discuss what we liked and disliked about this Amazon Prime Video original: from the acting to the plot to the fun names of the characters. Marilyn finishes off this episo…
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A few episodes ago we announced that Marilyn was expecting! This week, she openly discusses the different range of emotions as she navigates through this new chapter of her life. Marilyn candidly shares about the feelings of power pregnancy has given her, but also how she is navigating becoming a mother while running her company. Finally, Rhea and …
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After months of being apart, Rhea spent one month staying at Marilyn’s in Dubai. In this case, absence did not make the heart grow fonder, but it did make the brain notice weird quirks in your best friend. So in this edition of Who Run the Time, Rhea and Marilyn point out each other’s quirks and oddities. The two finally talk about each other’s wei…
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Over the break, We both binged watched Netflix’s Emily in Paris, and we have a lot of things to say about. In this episode we discuss plot twists of season 2, what we think of Emily’s fashion and take a look at how the show adequately describes the French Labor Law. We also break down the two love triangles at the center of the show, and stake our …
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On this episode we welcome for the second time on the podcast Tala Odeh, who just like Marilyn, is expecting a little girl later this year. We talk about the different (and ridiculous) old wives tales about pregnancy. After doing some research on the internet, we found that the majority of old wives are around guessing the gender of the baby, and a…
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Who Run the World turns three years old this week! In honor of our podcast’s birthday, we answer questions from you, our audience, about the podcast, about our friendship, our creative partnership and so much more. In this episode you’ll get a sneak peek into the behind scenes of Who Run the World, you’ll find out about the different areas of confl…
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Last month Netflix’s Arabic movie Perfect Strangers quickly became the number 1 streamed movie across the Middle East. So just like everyone else, we recently watched the Arabic adaptation. The movie is set in Lebanon, and the plot revolves around a group of friends who decide to read every message they receive on their phones over the course of a …
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After two years of successfully avoiding the CoronaVirus, it got Rhea on December 31st 2021. While visiting Marilyn in Dubai, Rhea tested positive for COVID19. Rhea spent eleven days stuck in Marilyn’s spare bedroom, where all her deepest insecurities were flared up. The quarantine period came with enlightenments and a persistent cough. In this epi…
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On our very first episode of 2022, we have a very special announcement. We have a new co-host who has been stealthily present and growing for the last couple of episodes: Marilyn is pregnant! In this episode, Marilyn shares how she and Hadi found out, she talks about the stresses of the first trimester, as well as how she copes with everyone sudden…
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Just like everyone and their mothers on social media, we present to you our 2021 Spotify wrapped, sharing different moments and memories associated with each song and artist. In this episode, we learn that Rhea likes but does not love music, Marilyn has 7 songs from the same album in her 10 most played songs, both Rhea and Marilyn love Beyoncé, and…
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