An accomplished woman indeed… Behind the scenes it was not always sunshine and laughter.

Nada is the Founder + CEO of PragmaDoms and is one of the most recognized entrepreneur coaches in the region, having built a coaching and consulting enterprise that certified and coached thousands of entrepreneurs, business owners, executives and individuals.

Today she is also Founder + CEO of Coaching In Lebanon a non profit initiative to support coaches in developing their skills in going from good to great and providing organizations, entrepreneurs and individuals with coaching and support.

Nada is host of One Coach A Day podcast, and is considered an authority in the coaching field.

Nada was always driven by her love of learning. A top student, she was curious and on the quest for knowledge. There was also that love for helping others, maybe still shy at that time. A year before she graduated from high-school, Nada applied to the AUB medical program. Of the 700 applicants, only 3 received an acceptance letter. Nada was one of them.
But life had other plans for her. As she began her academic journey, she met a boy and fell in love. At 18, she eloped away from her studies and into a culture she didn’t quite understand.

“I grew up with my son.”

Nada was raised by an enlightened father who empowered his daughter and allowed her to experience life to the fullest, to go to the pool, to dress any way she liked, to travel and to learn, which at the time was frown upon to say the least. In her marriage, Nada was transported into a traditional culture that had a defined role and standards for women, and that clashed with her avant-guard upbringing. At 19, she had her first born. The young mother didn’t know how to raise her son. So, she bought books, and read… and like she beautifully describes it, grew up along with her son.

In this tough environment, Nada found solace in study and self-development. By correspondence, she delved into business, specialized in family business, and earned her M. A. Her thesis concentrated on letting go of the family business to the younger generations without having it affect your quality of life. Even back then, her coaching instinct was alive and kicking.

When the father of her children’s financial situation took a bad turn, she decided she would put her knowledge into action. Over the years, Nada filled many positions, mainly in teaching, but it was her job at the British Embassy that showed her the potential of Human Development. She was involved in a development program (IIP) and discovered how the same improvement program could make such a difference in people, irrespective of their credentials, background, diplomas, language skills, social standing…. “The program I was involved in was attended by every single employee in the embassy, from the custodian to the ambassador himself… and I watched improvement unravel in each and every attendant. It was almost magic.”

“Coaching came to me”

During that same period, Nada began experiencing some eyesight problems and she was lead to believe that she might lose her sight. She looked for options that would allow her to keep on working despite this looming handicap. And that’s when she discovered coaching, or as she likes to say it: “Coaching came to me.” She entered the CTI and flew back and forth to Dubai to complete her certification. She consolidated her diploma with an executive coaching certification that she completed in Florida with the Centre for Executive Coaching and later from INSEAD business school.

By then, her vision was clear. As soon as she graduated in 2006, she established PragmaDoms and booked her first client, little by little gained momentum and in 2011, booked her first big name, Azadea Group… followed closely by Afkar Holding. Since then, she has been a change agent for many establishments and individuals.

Nada truly believes in the power of coaching. It is that belief that lead her to be the first to bring the ICF certification to Lebanon and Middle East which she consolidated with the establishment of Coaching in Lebanon. “I always ask myself how can I give more value. Listening to my students and graduates I noticed a need for a special hub that will tackle the business aspect of the profession. And that’s when I came up with Coaching in Lebanon. And continued with Coaching Catalyst.

The secret behind it all? Grit and Faith.

Nada believes her grit was, and continues to be her drive forward. At a young age, her father moved his family to Mexico for work. Nada joined school not knowing a single word of Spanish. Just six months later, she was on stage, giving a speech to the whole school, IN SPANISH. “Grit accompanied me my whole life. It allowed me to move forward, to keep on going despite it all.”

Faith is also a big part of Nada’s life. The first offices of PragmaDoms were in a shared hub. “I remember I had a single client for 500 USD and the rent was for 500 USD at the time. I didn’t care that I was not making any profit because I had faith. I believed I was going to make it. And I did.” Today, Nada is an authority in the coaching field, changing lives and enhancing performances and inspiring people to be their best selves.