Hala Taha: Transform Career Setbacks into Business Success | Entrepreneurship | 7 Years of YAP

Hala Taha gave up everything for her dream job in radio. She worked for free, dropped out of college, and showed up every day for three years at Hot 97 with blind faith, only to be quietly fired and blackballed from the industry she loved. With no way back, entrepreneurship and personal branding became her lifeline. She built her own brand, grew her own audience, and transformed rejection into a multimillion-dollar podcast business. In this special 7 Years of YAP series, Hala joins Matt, Aaron, and Leah on The Lonely Office to share how career setbacks became the foundation of her influence and success. In this episode, Matt, Aaron, Leah, and Hala will discuss: (00:00) Introduction (03:38) Early Career Struggles and Toxic Workplaces (11:30) The Pivot to Blogging and Entrepreneurship (15:37) Building a Side Hustle While in Corporate (25:18) How Hala Leveraged Personal Branding for Success (33:45) Why Personal Branding Is Non-Negotiable (40:48) The Future of Work: Thriving in the Age of AI Hala Taha is the host of Young and Profiting, a top 10 business and entrepreneurship podcast on Apple and Spotify. She’s the founder and CEO of YAP Media, an award-winning social media and podcast agency, as well as the YAP Media Network, where she helps renowned podcasters like Jenna Kutcher, Neil Patel, and Russell Brunson grow and monetize their shows. With her business on track to hit eight figures in 2025, Hala stands out as a leading creator-entrepreneur. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/profiting Indeed - Get a $75 sponsored job credit to boost your job's visibility at Indeed.com/PROFITING  OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first 6 months at OpenPhone.com/profiting Airbnb - Find a co-host at airbnb.com/host  Mercury - Streamline your banking and finances in one place. Learn more at ⁠⁠mercury.com/profiting⁠⁠  Policy Genius - Secure your family’s future with Policygenius. Head to policygenius.com/profiting  Framer - Launch your site for free at Framer.com, and use code PROFITING Resources Mentioned: Hala’s Podcast, Young and Profiting: bit.ly/_YAP-apple  Hala’s Agency, YAP Media: yapmedia.com    The Lonely Office by Matt, Aaron, and Leah: bit.ly/TLO-apple  Active Deals - youngandprofiting.com/deals  Key YAP Links Reviews - ratethispodcast.com/yap YouTube - youtube.com/c/YoungandProfiting LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/htaha/ Instagram - instagram.com/yapwithhala/ Social + Podcast Services: yapmedia.com Transcripts - youngandprofiting.com/episodes-new  Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship Podcast, Business, Business Podcast, Self Improvement, Self-Improvement, Personal Development, Starting a Business, Strategy, Investing, Sales, Selling, Psychology, Productivity, Entrepreneurs, AI, Artificial Intelligence, Technology, Marketing, Negotiation, Money, Finance, Side Hustle, Startup, Mental Health, Career, Leadership, Mindset, Health, Growth Mindset, Passive Income, Online Business, Solopreneur, Networking