a talk with Hanan Challouki, writer of the book "Inclusieve communicatie"

Meet Hanan Challouki, Communication expert with a mission to build a more inclusive society for everyone. This decision led her towards entrepreneurship and starting her own business. She started her first communication platform when she was still studying and now runs her own agency Inclusified. Besides writing a book ‘Inclusieve communicatie, alles wat je moet weten om een divers publiek te bereiken’ on the subject and hosting her own podcast series “Wat zij wil”, where I was also a guest speaker during the first season.

When Lies was invited to a dinner with four other female entrepreneurs,, she was very excited to meet Hanan for the first time. After having an evening full of interesting conversations, they decided to stay in touch and help each other out when and where needed. Having several coffees and talks about growing your own business and life goals, we wanted to share some of Hanans insights on these topics here.

How would you define/describe yourself in three words/sentences? 

Determined, ambitious, caring. I am determined in whatever I try to achieve and I have to admit my goals might be quite ambitious. At the same time, I don't believe in getting somewhere regardless of how it impacts others. I care a lot about the people in my environment and I would always consider the impact my decisions may have on them. 

What’s inspiring you in life right now? 

Mehdi, my 10-month-old son. Becoming a mother has given me a new reason to do what I do, to make sure that I am creating a world for my son that's a little better than the one I grew up in. He's without a doubt the best motivation I've ever had. 

Where do you go to escape? 

Nature, whether that's the beach or the woods. Preferably a quiet place. My garden will do just fine most of the time too. 

What do you like doing in your spare time?

 I like to read, a good habit I've picked up again very recently. With a new e-reader and a long list of books I wish to read, I always have some titles to look forward to. Below are two of my personal favorites and my own book on inclusive communication.

- De inclusiemarathon / Zoë Papaikonomou & Kauthar Bouchalikt

- Creatieve generalist / Murielle Marie & Suyin Aerts 

- My own book / Inclusieve Communicatie,  alles wat je moet weten om een divers publiek te bereiken - Hanan Challouki

What kind of bag person are you? The one that carries everything with her all the time, the one that eliminates the essentials?

 I always have my laptop with me, a notebook, my wallet and my keys. For me, these are the essentials. Others might leave something else behind.

What does a better future look like to you? / What are you looking forward to in the next few years? 

On a private level: more balance, staying the creative entrepreneur I am but also enjoying my work with peace of mind. A better future is one where I learn to balance these things out. 

On a professional level: a better future to me is a more inclusive future. As a strategist who's been working on diversity and inclusion for a long time now, I do see progress. I just hope we continue in that direction. That means more equality in workforces and inclusive work cultures, more diversity at the top of companies and inclusive marketing and communications being the new normal.