Welcome to this week's episode of The Bistige Podcast. I'm delighted to have Eagle with us today, CEO of Madelis. So with that, hello. Hi, hi everyone, nice thanks for having me at this moment. You're so welcome, thank you for coming and you know we just catching up just before and your story is really inspirational. So can you just give us a bit about you and your background? Yeah sure, me is, let's say for the last 15 years I, I crossed the big challenging way of being here and all my spheres which I was participating, which I was part of, from the very different areas, from the very different perspective. It started with a totally new life for me in Philippines with zero knowledge and zero experience in the international English school and it became a big part of my life. I appreciate everyone who, who gave me the biggest idea that everything is possible in our life because for the people who listened this podcast, who, who went through the difficulties in studying English, I think knows that at one moment you just start to, you just realized that now you, you are able to discuss with other people, with other people and now the world is open for you. I was very happy that this moment happened in my life because I was studying English 13 years in my school for with the zero results. And Philippines did the, the incredible things with me just in two months. So that literally learned English in two months. That's incredible. Yeah, totally. Like after the first two weeks of studying, I start to tell the things which I just heard from the people. To be honest, still I have no maybe only 70% the, the translation of the 70% of the words which I'm using, the others for me is just the things what I'm using. And that moment when I just started, my wife usually asked me like, do you understand what did you tell to the people right now? And I was telling her to be honest now, but I told and for now it's their problem. Do they understand me or no? So it's funny because when I was in, I spent a couple of years in Brazil and love Portuguese. And I used to say to my team, like before 12 all in Portuguese, like after 12 p.m. then we can switch to English. And I was like, save the bringing form stuff until after 12. Because sometimes I just didn't know, I just be like, yeah. Yeah, but you know, for me, the biggest thing which, which really helped me that nobody around could speak my, my language. And that moment I realized that not, that it's not about that I have to, that it's more about that I don't have any other choices. Yes, I can speak with my wife on my language. But what we will do with others, what we will do in the environmental around us, how we will buy the food, how we will survive, how we will do anything. So that moment, I realized that there is no other ways. And this is actually the thing. I think the main part which changed my mind and which gave me, which gave me that possibility to learn. Yes. And thanks for Philippines for that incredible two years, which I spent there. I was very lucky to, to move from Philippines back to my country exactly before the COVID started. And yes, COVID changed the plans, like totally. We were planning to go to, to US just to see the life, how the life is there. But the COVID started and we should change our plans at all. We bought a, we bought a house there, we understood that this should be something like a home ground, a hometown where we can come back anytime from any place around the world. And we decided that this place will never be sold. Because you like, it's something which was not enough for me. The only thing which was not enough for me in the Philippines to feel ways my home, you know, to feel that somewhere I can feel that I can stop, I can relax, I can like take rest or whatever. So yes, the plan was changed. I have appeared the, actually the big furniture manufacturer in my country with a big branch, big amount of branches. And did I know anything about the furniture that moment? No, that's, that's the thing why actually they had me because they wanted to have a fresh mind, you know, just the fresh look at the situation. And it helps them, it helps me. We grew together in the big project within almost two years. And after we accomplished most of the things, almost all of the things which owner wants to get. Yeah, that was the moment when I should, I should have a next step. And this next step arrived in my life, accidentally. Yeah, I was on the wave from Russia to Brazil to my friend to start the new life there. But the, but the station between them was Dubai. So that arrived here and they started the new life here. Yeah, once you, I think once you get here, it's difficult to leave, you know, like when I first came here, I was like, I'll do two years and then I'll go to Singapore, Hong Kong, because I used to work in banking. And then I was just hooked, like such a nice place to stay. So tell me, you arrived in Dubai, and then what did you do? I know like one day before my departure to Dubai, I realized that's actually the wife of my friend told me why you did not look like why did not choose the Dubai for your next destination, because it will be easier for you. There is everyone can speak English, and it's not like Brazil, where it will be the difficult for you. And that moment I just asked myself, yeah, why not? I asked my wife, why not? She doesn't have anything to answer it. So that moment I just opened again about the luck. Yeah, I just opened one telegram chat with like with the recruiters. I found one post, I sent one request, and I got an offer. So I arrived actually here. It was meant to be. After two hours, I was already on the workplace. Like from the from the flight, yes, I just dropped my staff at the hotel and I came to the workplace. So once we finalize the things, yes, they gave me just one day to let's say to get the things done here. And after one day, I start to be working every single day. That moment I moved just alone without my family. Like my family was waiting the time when I will be able to bring them here. So that's why I had a lot time. I had a lot of energy to do the things done as soon as possible. And this is actually something which is unusual here, like to be in a career. So this this hurry made me the like made from me the big, not really big, but anyway, some community of the people who knows me well, who realize what kind of person I am and what like in which I like which way of my vision to this world. And they they have promoted me to a few other companies. And the one moment I received few offers and one of them literally sounds like do you want to start the first brewery in UAE? And even the other offers was with the higher payments and with let's say very, very easy and then the understandable results in the coming future. But this target to open the first and only brewery in UAE become for me is like too much attractive, let's say, but nothing. And the only things for me was how to make a game the impossible things seem so possible. And that's how our journey begins. As as usually I'm trying to look at the situation a little bit, not deeply, but from the other side, not from the side, which is like the relevant people looking usually. As I mentioned, I will definitely ask the guys who who is professional in this sphere, I will definitely analyze the things what they will tell me. But in most of the things I will do, like, I will choose the other way. I will use their information as a part which which I can call to say, which I can base my decisions and my next steps, but not the way how usually it works. So actually that's why that's why we are now the one and only Halal certified brewery in the world, as per the certification company. I have tried to search by myself and that was him a lot through all the Google and tried to find anyone who got the Halal. Actually, we couldn't find anyone. And the certification company confirmed for us that we are the first, and that's why it's a difficult challenge. Usually the Halal certification take for the company is around two, three months, but for us it took 10 months, because nobody from the certification from the Islamic affairs could believe that it's possible. Nobody from when they come to each of the time, they were looking at me like with some fun phase, because I believe that it's possible. It's amazing because I have a bit of a background in this, and we try to create something similar that got nowhere near as far as you have, but it was down to how we actually create something that is completely halal and not have any alcohol in it. So can you tell us, I know you talked about the way that you think, which is very futuristic and strategic, and you take other people's points of view, but then you manipulate it to like really think like in the what could be. How did you do that with something like this, because it's really difficult to not have like a fruit juice or something that's got like really low out. I started with talking a lot of the brewers, and not only in my home country, but in Europe, in such countries like in Germany, in Czech Republic, I start to ask guys like how to make it possible, and I heard all the time only one answer that it's impossible. So that makes me more crazy about these things to be done. And that's about the other look at the situation. I just start to ask the question, a little bit questions from the side, let's say, and according to that answer, I start to make my own plan how to make it works. And even the brewery, actually the head brewery, which we have here, once I signed with him, once he come here and once he starts to work, even he that moment did not believe that he could do that. That's the way of doing, you know, like during the first brewing here, like anyway, we redeveloped the recipe of the first product already eight times. And yes, on the first time when we started, it was the deep insights for me, and I ask, why are you doing that part? What if we do this way? What if we do this way? Okay, if this doesn't work, how it doesn't work completely? No, have you tried it? No, have tried someone else or not? Because from the beginning, it feels like to brew beverage, it's something like to make a soup, as I thought, that moment, yeah? But it's quite, quite deeper. But the main thing is, we've been to everyone now, to any of the customers, to any of our actually, we did not do something very, very unusual, nothing. We just use the steps which most of the people use, but we use the steps in different menu. That's the only thing. Yes, here is some like invention from our side. Yes, the way the temperature sides and the amount of the product and other things. Yes, it's a little bit different. But completely, the procedure is similar, very, very similar. There is nothing which is, let's say, like a deep secret which nobody knows. That's about to make the ordinary process different way, the only. And that's, that think what was with me all the time, and they did, I have to tell that to brewer as well, all the time that brought for sure it can be done. It can be done. And we will done. And we will not have to say, we will not get this secret during our dreams or whatever. No. Yeah. And we just made the necessary things, completely ordinary procedure, just with some small, small changes on each of the steps. And we've done the things which we've done. So why our product is the only one halal? It's about the way that we do not want to pretend as a non-alcoholic beer, let's say. For us to call a beer, it's not appropriate for like, we are totally avoiding this kind of describing of our product. The main thing about us is a transparent process, transparent process, just because we want that everyone clearly understand what is happening. It's not about to be looks like something. It's not about to be pretending as non-alcoholic alcohol. For us, it's completely different way. So we started to make this recipe to try to rediscover the recipe, which is made 10,000 years ago. Actually, why the product called Arabian L because the first Arabian L was produced more than 10,000 years ago. It was produced accidentally because the guys tried to make the flat bread. And during the hot weather, the fermentation starts and it was very fast. And it made this product more like a liquid. They just tried to add water, they tried to drink it, and they feel that it works. Why it works? Just because there is a lot of probiotics inside, there is a vitamin inside as well. So it helps the digestion. It helps that moment, it helps now. And the people start to use this beverage, start to brew this beverage just because they feel that it helps them. And that's the main thing which we want to deliver, that this is not about to be called as a non-alcoholic beer. The Arabian L is a different product, even if it's made from the same ingredients. Yes, our ingredients, clearly, it's almost the same as many the beer products are making. But the way how do we produce is different. Even the steps like the ordinary procedure is quite similar, but the controlling on each of the moment is very, very different. Once we started with our head of brewery, the first thing what I heard from him that the brew, the alcoholic version, very easy. Very easy because alcohol is the thing which will cover all of your mistakes. If something added during the time of the brewing, if some, let's say, some of the bacteria come or whatever, ethanol will kill them. The ethanol will make the round taste, even if you add a little bit more or a little bit less of the hopes or whatever, it will be rounded. So don't worry about that. But once you do the non-alcoholic version, nothing can cover your mistakes. So it's why, for us, the biggest thing is about to control each and everything on each of the steps. We redeveloped the recipe of the original product eight times. We redeveloped it just because we made it according to all the Muslim traditions and the halal requirements. And after that, we let's say the polish of the taste. And we do call it taste, not the flavorings because we never use any flavorings. We never use added sugar. We never add anything which is not natural. That's why the product is 100% natural. The product somehow is very, very similar to the ancient product because it's made from almost the same ingredients. Of course, we add in hopes, which is actually growing in Europe, in countries, because here hopes never was growing. But we do it just because we want to have the ancient product with more convenience for the current aviatoric taste. That's the only thing. And in our facility, actually, prohibited three things. First, think that something can be impossible. The second, adding flavorings or sugar. And the third is to close the eyes of the mistakes. So these three things never happen in our production. That's why we have the product as it is. Amazing. So it's like continuous learning. Can you delve back a little bit because the product's really beautiful in the name and everything because it links back to Arab history and culturally things have changed now. And I know you're afraid of using the word beer. It's a Arabian ale. Can you tell me how are you appealing to the, I guess, the non-drinking Muslim market? Actually, from the beginning, we understood that it will be the biggest challenge. The biggest challenge for us to deliver the right idea. We are not convincing anyone to drink it. And we will never do that part. But we want that the things will be at the proper paneer. Actually, if we are talking about the ancestors, ale is ancestor of the beer. The beer appeared after a few thousand years after the ale, just because the Western culture saw that kind of product. They tried it. They like it. They put it in the barrels and bring it back. Of delivering the product in the barrel was very, very long. That's why the fermentation process continually works on that. And once the product appeared in the Western territories, let's say, the ethanol already was there. The alcohol appeared. The sugars, which is natural sugars, from the mild, almost disappear because it's supposed to eat something, right? So the ethanol appeared and the sugar is lessened. And technically, even if you took the non-alcoholic product right now here, let's say 10,000, 7,000 years ago, whatever, this is the history. Many people rewrite history. But we are convincing on the most common version, right? And that was, the taste was one. But after they delivered to the liberal countries, the taste different. The ethanol contained different. And that's why the product is different. And that's why they start to call it beer. Absolutely normal, even if it was prepared the different way with a different taste. But now it's another product. That's the same thing. Let's say in France, they have the Boishelen war season, right? Like when it's the fresh and just like the fresh wine, which is not aged, but at the same moment, if you will use the same ingredients, I mean, like, or at least very, very similar, but you will go with the aging, like it will be different product, right? And that's something, that's something about the procedures. And we are totally okay that the beer has itself calling and like that it's appearing. I'm not convincing anyone to tell like, no, you should never drink a beer. No, like that's everyone is choosing for himself. But why, why we totally understand why it starts to be part of the European culture, because the place here is quite hot. The place there at the winter time is very cold. And of course, the most of them needed something to like to warm their bodies and it's absolutely normal. That's about not only different culture, it's about the different temperature sizes and the other things. And that's why for us, for us, for our production, for our marketing team, it's completely different products. And we are okay if somebody comparing that part, but we are not okay with comparing Arabian L to be calling that Arabian L is pretending to be as a non-alcoholic beer, because it's supposed a beer ale after a beer beer. And we now just rediscovered and red developed the old recipe. That's all. And we are not hard about if somebody is calling this non-alcoholic beer, but we are trying to explain this information in the game, the game. Why this information need to be delivered for the big auditory? Not because we want to tell everyone that this is actually the Arabian legacy and no need to call the beer the beer. Like let's call it everything started from Arabian ale. No, we just want that the local auditory, actually because the product appeared in Arabian Peninsula, we want that the local auditory can feel themselves, that they are not trying to follow the Western technology, they are not trying to follow something which is which is Kharan by Kharan here by the Holy Kharan. It's something which was appeared a long time ago, and it can be absolutely common and normal for them to experience. And experience not because it's non-alcoholic version of something. Just because it's healthy, it's tasty and it helps them, helps their digestion. I think that's the biggest challenge. And that's also the beauty of being somewhere like the UAE, because West, East, Middle Eastern culture, we all kind of take the things that we like anyway. You know, like it's so mixed, like there's lots of things that we do that are more kind of Middle Eastern by nature. For example, like smoking shisha, we like can enjoy that. And there's loads of practices and cultures and it's so mixed. I think people are just open to different things and it's not a beer but it's a nice drink. You know, and I think if you take something like a a zero alcohol, like a sparkling wine, it's nice to sit with a different glass shape and enjoy that. And you know, but it's just kind of like learning what could be for each other. I'm really interested to know. So obviously you're kind of big picture kind of guy and you have a big vision like you're relatively new in this journey. But where do you see the company going? Like what could you do with Madgeley's over the next two to three years? First of all, which I did not mention earlier, the merges. Why the brand is merges? Yeah, because the merges is the time and the place of sharing. And this is the time when the friends gathering together. It's time when you can discuss the actual happening things around the world. This is the place which is usually allocated at the home but a little bit separately. This is the part of the life of the Arabian culture as well. And that's why first of all, of course, the product is supposed to be available at all the Arabian territories. And this is the premium product. We are doing everything very careful. We use only natural ingredients. We bring it here. Like we are not comparing ourselves to why we can tell that there is no competitors for us. And I will be happy if somebody will do the same thing, the same thing. I mean, like the proper same thing because for me, it will be the possibility to grow more. To compare us with someone and to make it even more better. So that's why the merges is time to gather with the friends. It should be all the Arabian territory. Right now we have already around 12 requests from many countries to open the breweries there. So as we decided and we told to to everyone, we will be ready to open the breweries in each of the country. But only once we have the proper position in here in UAE. For us, it's very important that this product will be feeling by everyone that it's something which is supported by the local auditorium as well. And this is part of the basic marketing campaign as well. But the thing is the product is interested not only in many countries. Right now we have requests from Japan, from US, from Canada, from UK, which for me like a half year ago was absolutely unbelievable that it could happen. Because in that countries, there is so many breweries. There is so many very smart guys who can find the way how to do that part. But they did not do like they just the way which is somehow easy for them. Or in the other hand, they were studied in university. And if in university somebody told that this is like a axiom that this should work this way, they're just following that. They never check it with other side. They never go deeply with the microscope to check to check each and everything how it's actually going. And how you can how you can put a wall in front of the east to be stopped at the specific amount as you need. And yes, nobody taking care. Nobody taking that care about that things. That's why in the world right now there is a lot of non alcoholic beers. Most of them to be honest, quite nice. But it's not Hallelujah. That's the Muslim auditory. That's why yeah, the Muslims are around the world. And they supposed to have something which they can drink without any without any ideas. Should I can I or no? So it should be something obvious which like similar to drink water, you know, nobody taking care about that part. Everybody knows that water is helping us, right? This is about the registration, like the refreshment. The much this like the much we sell is the same. It's also like it's refreshing. It's like it's fulfilling us with the minerals, with the vitamins, with the probiotics that something what like in the perspective for three, five years should be delivered in the biggest city of the world. And this idea and this part of the plan appear only once we start to have the requests, you know, like we from the beginning to be honest from my side, I never thought from the way to be dispatching it somewhere somewhere far. But we just have been exhibited on some of the exhibition. Yeah, start to receive this like the guys tried the product and the most important they not just see the the the market and they like only once they try the product, they realize what kind of product is it, what is the real thing. And after that, we start to discuss the things. And yes, probably, if we will do everything right with our team in the coming three, five years, it will be something, first of all, which you should must like, which you must try in UAE, for sure. And the second thing, it will be part of the, let's say, the the mark, which will, which will be feeling by the people that it's something for sure allowing, yeah, that there is nothing to be there is nothing to be think about. Like, this is something what just you can buy from where you can see. And it will be our, our target to be sure that nobody will how to say nobody will make nobody will try to to copy us from somehow I'm receiving the comments, you know, in our social media that, why are you telling that you don't have the competitors? I told and I'm telling it to everyone to any time. If somebody will do something really similar, like, we'll do the proper way, we'll not use the sugar, we'll not like use the any ethanol and we'll do the things the similar way, which is not so difficult. Yeah, we will be happy. It's not amazing. Yeah, because I think like the big breweries have taken comfort because they haven't actually tested the demand because there's no supply. So I'm not surprised, actually, that markets like the UK and Japan and stuff are reaching out to you because it just doesn't exist, you know, and the rest are all like 0.05, 0.05 or whatever it is and percent or they taste like juice, which is not what you want from it. It's exactly what you guys have created. And yeah, just one more question before we close out. So you have achieved a lot, you know, you've been, you move to the Philippines, couldn't speak a word of English, you learned it in two months, you've really well in that role, you went back home and tripled the profits of another company and then you came here and you've obviously done really well to be moved into this position as CEO and leading the charge in this industry. But who do you think of when you think of a successful person? Have you got anyone in mind? Actually, I was telling to my colleagues a few days ago, I'm not, I would say, I'm not thinking that somebody is supposed to be as idle or like showing direction how to go or whatever, but the thing which Elon Musk do for me is incredible. Incredible, especially the thing that the commercial guy can do the absolutely uncommercial things with the flying to the space here. The space program all the time for all the countries, it was the huge spending without any income. But he started a commercial business in that sphere and he did not just succeed, but he did more things than actually any other countries did. And that he did it on the commercial base and he continued to do that part and now he's telling that some parts of the US government stopped him to do the things, to move forward, to do more things and if he will not open the marks, it will be only their mistake. Like this type of thinking, you know, that's very not similar, but that's very inspiring, you know. Because we can tell, we can imagine many things, but when we see the proofs that actually works, that it works not only on the period of one, two, three years, but actually this company works a long time and they have huge results already and they have a big target like in front. Nobody now already, how to say, everybody believes that that's the thing, you know, nothing is impossible in our life and that's what inspiring me, inspiring me just to be sure that unless you want to stop, nothing can stop you. Yeah, I love that. And I do think you like we are over worse enemies and we put like limiting beliefs onto ourselves and I think if you want something, you just got to go for it and you just got to keep the grit and determination, learn, move on, change it slightly, but it's that like anybody can do anything, you know, you look around at people and you thought like sometimes I think, oh, I had that idea and now look at them and you're like, I didn't actually, you know, like, I just, it was just a conversation, I might not even have said it out loud and you just, yeah, there's just so much opportunity, particularly in the UAE, I think. By the way, for last two and a half years in UAE was registered, we were registered 32 companies with the same license activity, non-alcoholic mild beverage production, 32 companies were registered. Have you heard about anyone? No. Between the idea, I don't want to hurt anyone, yeah? I had a huge amount of ideas which I did not do and other companies did and they are very good in that, yeah? And I'm happy that they did it. The thing is like between the nice idea and the result, there is a big and massive work which is based on your belief. Yeah. You should believe and you should share this belief with everyone who is touching your company and your product from the scratch. Only that moment, you can do the things done. In other cases, you can spend the time, like, useless time for nothing without any results and I had better results in my life as well. Nobody, like, nobody perfect and it's absolutely normal for us. The things only, like, you should, as part of the advice, you should start and you should put in part and the things which you are doing, whatever it's your company or no or you just the hard manager or even if you are not a manager, yeah? The thing is you should do some impact. You should spend your time only in things which you believe. If you just losing your time, you're just losing your life. You have only one life. Sorry for the guys who believe that there is more lives. Right now here in this, yes, you have the one life and you should spend on the things which will fulfill your life. Do not spend time for nothing, but to be honest, at the same moment, it's not something, like, about the successful success. I hate these, like, successful success. I do not believe that part, but what I mean when I tell that you should do the things which you believe, sometimes you start to do when you believe, but after you start to regret the idea that it's possible and you start to believe what you continue doing. In this case, you should choose one of two ways. Start to believe again and accomplish or change the other thing. Like, no need to spend time. That's the thing. Like, nobody should convince you to truly believe. If you cannot put yourself to the way to really believe that it works and it will done and you like the product. Agree. Agree. Look, what a wonderful way to finish and I just want to thank you from me and everyone listening. It's truly inspiring and I'm super excited to see where you guys go and definitely try the product soon. So, thank you very much. Yeah, thank you for having me again. I hope we only think what I want to deliver. It's not about the margins, to be honest. It's not about the product. It's not about me. It's about that nothing is impossible. Yeah. Go ahead. Love it. That's all. Perfect. Thank you.
