Christine Assouad is a serial entrepreneur with 28 years of experience across food, beverage, retail, investment and leadership. Published author, head of The Catalyst of Growth, founder of Dunkin Lebanon, Semsom and a Shark Tank Lebanon judge, she mentors entrepreneurs across MENA and beyond. From boardrooms to Shark Tank, she explains why saying yes became her most powerful leadership move.
Why was now the right moment in your journey to write “The Power To Say Yes!”?
“The Power to Say Yes” began as a simple letter written for my daughters sharing guidance and lived wisdom. I have two daughters now aged 22 and 20 who, like most young adults, resist advice from parents. Therefore, I started documenting lessons in my forties that I wished I had known during my twenties. Moreover, those lessons were shaped by life, work and thousands of conversations with women across backgrounds and generations globally. In fact, the letter kept growing and eventually, I realized the message extended beyond my daughters to many other women.
I understood it was for women of different ages navigating life, seeking a voice, purpose and independence. As a result, I spent six months shaping and formatting stories and lessons inspired by work with over 3,000 women. I wanted the book to feel like a companion you revisit beside your bed through life’s different seasons. Furthermore, it needed to be simple, relatable, accessible and relevant for women across multiple generations and phases of life. Notably, the most rewarding outcome is hearing about grandmothers, mothers and daughters reading and connecting across families.
Finally, I never wanted this to remain just a book. Instead, I wanted it to become a catalyst for change, action, growth and courage. Therefore, we are launching workshops and retreats to bring book exercises alive within supportive group environments, encouraging practice. Ultimately, it is about action that supports every woman to create a happy meaningful life on her own terms.
Your journey has been marked by key milestones. How have these moments shaped your sense of responsibility as a leader and role model?
I started out very young, launching my first business at 22, when women entrepreneurs were rare globally. Back then, I was uncomfortable with visibility and to be honest, I was uncertain how to navigate recognition, attention and responsibility early in my career. However, someone once said something that stayed with me about visibility, growth, evolution, opportunity and allowing yourself to be seen publicly. So, I learned that visibility matters deeply and carries responsibility. This is because authenticity creates the space for other women to rise confidently too, wherever they are. I take my role as mentor, guide and storyteller seriously across platforms and in community spaces, locally, regionally and globally. Moreover, through Instagram workshops and this book, I share wins, struggles and difficult realities, driving transformation, change, growth, reflection and honesty. Crucially, understanding that life unfolds in seasons releases pressure, comparison, impatience and fear of falling behind for many women everywhere. Importantly, we learn to say yes to the present and redefine success personally with clarity, confidence, purpose and intention. This philosophy is at the heart of “The Power to Say Yes.” It’s about supporting women to define success authentically, independently, sustainably, bravely and fully. Additionally, joining Shark Tank Lebanon sealed my decision, making my reflections on leadership, responsibility, accountability, influence, visibility and growth public. Significantly, when invited to join as a shark, I said yes within 24 hours, confident that it aligned with the mission, values, purpose and vision of entrepreneurs. On the first shoot day, I ensured I was mentally prepared beforehand for structured analysis, checklists, frameworks and fast decisions. Tellingly, despite 30-minute decisions, the process proved to be an emotional and deeply human collaboration. It drove relationships that were unexpectedly powerful, authentic and grounded. Importantly, it is always about people – the chemistry, the energy and the support of the founders’ growth beyond the cameras. Key to the process is the next stage, continuing the relationships and mentorship, tackling the challenges and facilitating access to opportunities. Finally, saying yes to Shark Tank embodied the book’s message of choosing growth, challenges and the meaningful impact of courage, alignment, expansion, purpose and fulfillment.
How has your entrepreneurial journey shaped the way you assess people, ideas, risk and resilience?
I wear many hats and I genuinely love that. Each role feeds into the others, expanding how I see people, possibilities and potential. First and foremost, I am a mother and that role has taught me unconditional love that continues to grow and evolve. As an entrepreneur, I have lived the full rollercoaster: fast decisions, real risk and real reward. I have built, scaled, failed, pivoted and through that journey, gained a deep understanding of what it truly takes to build something from the ground up. As a mentor, I have learned the importance of listening deeply, stepping into someone else’s shoes and guiding without taking over. Moreover, as an adventurer, I have visited 83 countries, skydived 389 times, reached the North Pole as the first Arab in 1996, flown planes and raced cars, you name it! These experiences completely transformed my relationship with fear and expanded my comfort zone. That mindset shift has supported me in business more than anything else. Today, as an investor on Shark Tank, I assess ideas through the lens of sustainability, alignment and impact. It is not just about investing capital; it is about investing in trust. Additionally, it is about supporting founders, while honoring the confidence of those backing us. Every role I have played – mother, entrepreneur, mentor, adventurer and investor – has shaped me and helped me evolve into the next version of myself. That is truly what “The Power to Say Yes!” is about: embracing growth, leaning into fear and saying yes to the journey that leads to expansion, in life, in business and in who we become.
Looking ahead, how do you hope “The Power To Say Yes!” will empower women across the region to fulfill their potential?
I’m deeply grateful for the thousands of women who have read the book, embraced the journey and are already doing the work. The message I keep receiving is: “I read it in just a few hours… now I need that little push to take action.” That’s exactly why I wrote this book – not just to inspire, but to help create real transformation. So now, we’re building the next layer: community and accountability. We’ve launched a series of online workshops where we go through the exercises in the book together, step by step, with support, reflection and clarity. Moreover, this May, we’re hosting our first retreat in Georgia, a four-day experience for participants to completely disconnect, dive deep into their values, dreams and boundaries, and come back with a clear, actionable plan for life. “The Power to Say Yes!” isn’t just a book; it’s the little push we need sometimes. It’s your life, your terms. And the best version of your life begins the moment you say yes with intention and clarity.
