#LifeLessons - The Biggest Life Learnings Of Reim El Houni

NAME: Reim El Houni

AGE: 44

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @reimelhouni

JOB TITLE: The Alchemeist AKA CEO & Executive Producer, Ti22 Films & dubai ON demand

Reim has spent over 25 years telling stories through television and film, producing shows for broadcasters from National Geographic, the BBC, and Dubai One, to name a few. In 2014, she launched Dubai ON Demand, a YouTube-based community that supported thought leaders in growing their visibility through video. In 2024, it gave birth to Mission Visible, the community Reim leads today. Both were built from the same conviction: that visibility is not just for celebrities, it belongs to everyone. Reim knows what it feels like to hold back, to wonder if what you have to share has value, to question whether you can really do it. Nothing excites her more than seeing someone step forward into their voice, on video, on stage, or even on TV.

Today Reim shares with us her biggest life learnings to-date:

#LIFELESSON – 1 Make Your Own Luck, Say Yes and Have No Regrets

My first real break came at the BBC. I used to record TV shows, write down the names from the credits and email people. I had worked out that every BBC email address followed the same pattern, firstname.surname@bbc.co.uk, so I just kept sending until eventually, I received a reply from Watchdog. It might have looked like luck, but in truth it was persistence, creativity and refusing to take silence as an answer.

On my last day as an intern on Watchdog, I did the same thing in person. I walked department to department, telling people I was available and willing to do anything. The seventh door I knocked on was BBC Education. They asked if I could research. I said yes. That yes led to a two-year stint as a researcher and at 18 years old having my name in the credits for the first time.

That same mindset fuels my pursuit of Expo 2025. I’ve posted about it for 100 days, hired a Japanese-speaking liaison, reached out to networks, contacted pavilions, sent proposals and even flown to Osaka without a confirmed meeting. Some may call it extreme but I need to ensure I have tried everything in my power.

When people tell me they’ve “tried everything,” I always ask: have you really tried everything? And how many emails did you send? Because if you do, you’ll never live with regret. Making your own luck often requires thinking differently, finding unusual routes and refusing to accept the usual “no.”

#LIFELESSON – 2 Trust Your Gut and Move Fast

Some of the best decisions in my life have come from trusting my gut and acting quickly. I moved to Dubai on a one-week holiday. Something inside me knew this was where I was meant to be. I bought a guidebook, contacted every company listed, landed five interviews, three offers and signed a contract, all in a matter of days. If I had hesitated, I would never have built the life I have here.

The same instinct guided me when I launched Ti22 Films. I was freelancing when a client asked me to produce more videos. At first, I said I couldn’t, I didn’t have a trade licence. But my gut told me not to let the opportunity slip. That night I researched how to start a company, booked an appointment and within a week Ti22 Films was born.

Even leaving Dubai One was an overnight decision. Everyone thought I was crazy to walk away from a senior role reporting to the CEO. But I trusted my instinct and that decision freed me to take on Mission Impossible, a project that changed my confidence and my path.

I always ask myself: what’s the worst that can happen? If I can live with the answer, I go for it. That’s where faith comes in too, believing that a door will open if you’re brave enough to knock.

#LIFELESSON – 3 Never Stop Learning

If there’s one constant in my career, it’s that I have never stopped learning. When I left Dubai One as an executive producer, many people thought I had lost my mind by stepping into a role as a transport coordinator on Mission Impossible. To outsiders it looked like a step down. But I learned more in that experience than I could have imagined. I saw firsthand how Hollywood blockbusters operated, realised that the same mistakes happen whether you’re running a team of 50 or 500 and walked away with the confidence that feature films were within my reach.

That mindset has shaped every stage of my journey. I have travelled to conventions in the US, always curious about what was next. Hearing early conversations about YouTube’s growth inspired me to launch Dubai ON Demand in 2014, a decade before others in the region began to embrace the platform. Even today, I invest in learning through Tony Robbins trainings, global events and local sessions, often with a notebook in hand like any student.

I also believe in learning through community. As an engaged member of networks like BNI, CorporateConnections, The Marketing Society and others, I find I am constantly learning from peers. Each community teaches me something different and I have discovered that what you put in is always what you get out. I also take positivity seriously, your state of mind affects how you show up, what you absorb and how you grow. I’ve learned that if you carry a positive outlook, you’ll always find lessons, even in setbacks.

For me, learning is what keeps you relevant. Industries evolve, opportunities shift and challenges change but if you stay curious and connected, you will always be ready for what’s next.