Hady Hajjar. Supplied
The entertainment industry is constantly evolving, but you don’t have to tell Hady Hajjar that. For 20 years, the Lebanese businessman has worked with the Arab world’s biggest stars as cofounder of HuManagement, the first celebrity marketing agency in the Middle East. With three locations and an all-star client list – including Yousra, Nancy Ajram, and Maya Diab – HuManagement is a bona fide success. After two decades of highs scattered with a few lows, Hajjar shares his entrepreneurial tips.
1. Be prepared to take risks
“There was no formula, I just decided to move – and it was the best one I made in my entire life. You need to have passion and courage to follow your dream.”
Hady Hajjar with French Montana and Maya Diab
2. Be prepared for a major time commitment
“To compete and be successful, you cannot do a job from eight to five. These are the regular, normal working hours for everyone but if you want to be successful and you want to be different, you always need to go the extra mile. I can do 80% of my work while sitting on an island.”
3. Be a leader not a boss
“It’s better to be a leader than a boss. I have a great team and I’m trying to inspire them to grow on a personal and a career level. A boss is someone who gives orders, a leader is someone who leads by example.”
Hady Hajjar with Neymar Jr
4. Be part of a strong team
“I focus on multitasking, loyalty, commitment, and teamwork. Competition is high and you need to be willing to learn.”
5. Be on top of new trends
“Fast learner, early adopter. This digital era is growing rapidly. If you don’t nurture your knowledge and have a long-term plan, you will be forgotten. I keep my heart young.”
6. Be honest
“The hardest thing is not reaching the celebrity, but knowing how to manage them. I listen and offer my honest opinion. What you see on social media is not always what you get. My job is to be honest in an industry where it’s lacking.”
Hady Hajjar with Elissa and Majed Al Muhandes
7. Be as good as your reputation
“The best advice I got from my father was to market yourself and your success. You need to show people what you’re good at. I’m proud of HuManagement’s reputation. For me, a moral compensation is always better than a financial one.”
8. Be accountable for your mistakes
“We are not perfect. We might be leaders but yes, we sometimes fail. The first and most important thing is to raise your hand when you make a mistake. Half of the solution is to admit that you’ve made an error and the second half is correcting it.”
Originally published in the Spring/Summer 2020 issue of Vogue Man Arabia
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