Podcast Summary: The Determined Society with Shawn French

Episode: How Hala Taha Built Young and Profiting After Losing Everything
Guest: Hala Taha
Date: January 30, 2026

Overview

In this inspiring and candid episode, host Shawn French welcomes Hala Taha, founder and CEO of YAP Media and host of the Young and Profiting (YAP) podcast. Hala shares the compelling journey of building her media empire after facing intense personal and professional setbacks—from being blackballed in the radio industry and family skepticism to overcoming discrimination after 9/11. The conversation digs into the realities of rejection, the evolution of creator culture, and the mindsets necessary to prevail and thrive, especially as a disruptor.

The episode delivers value for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, personal growth, podcasting, or social media mastery, offering tactical insights as well as emotional truths from Hala’s path.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Life: Navigating Rejection and Discrimination

• Hala’s Identity as a Palestinian-American Post-9/11

  • [01:01], [46:22] “When I was 16, 9/11 happened…in one day, I was an outsider. I got rejected so much…literally every activity in high school, I was denied. But it gave me thick skin. I just figured rejection is part of the process.”
  • Hala discusses how these years forged her resilience and shaped her later ambition.

• The Power of Rejection

  • [46:22] “I wasn’t Hala anymore. All these opportunities were stripped away…But I’m grateful now, it made me fearless of rejection.”

2. Breaking the Mold: The College and Radio Years

• Pursuing an Unconventional Path

  • [04:09] Hala dropped out of college to intern at Hot 97, aiming to become a singer.
  • “[I] worked for free at that radio station for two and a half years…my parents thought I was just this wild party child and not happy with me at all.”
  • She was the youngest of four in a family where all siblings (and even cousins) were in medical school, making her the “black sheep.”

• Industry Betrayal and Reinvention

  • [04:09-08:11] After being overlooked and then fired by Angie Martinez—in an event that not only cost her a job but led to being blackballed—Hala channeled her devastation into creating the “Sorority of Hip-hop,” a blog that would generate massive traction.
  • “[Angie] fired me, cut me off, and blackballed me from the industry. I felt like somebody died.” [04:09]

3. Family, Self-Belief, and Defining Success

• Handling Family Pressure and Isolation

  • [08:47] “I really had nobody in my corner—except for my father. He would always tell me, ‘Don’t worry, you’re a star. You’ll be their boss one day.’”
  • After an MTV reality show fell through, Hala briefly tried to conform, even applying to speech language pathology programs and facing rejection again—before pivoting to business and ultimately media entrepreneurship.

• Advice On Whose Opinions To Trust

  • “Never listen to people who haven’t been where you want to go.” [12:03]

4. Podcasting and Media Empire Building

• Launching YAP Podcast

  • [12:59] “When I started my podcast…I was already crushing it in a corporate job and just went for it. I didn’t ask for anybody’s permission.”
  • Despite skepticism and being told she was “too old” at 30, Hala leaned into her strengths (radio, editing, social media) and built quickly, mobilizing a volunteer team early on.

• From Hobby to 7-Figure Podcasting

  • [23:22] “Even two years in, I truly believed you couldn’t make money from podcasting—now my show’s made $1.4 million in sponsorships this year alone.”

• The Creative Leap: Founder-Led Agency

  • [24:42] Hala parlayed her podcast into a social media agency after guests, noticing her influence and growth, began hiring her.
  • “Our second client was a billionaire—we were running all his platforms and growing his podcast…before I knew it, I was making over six figures a month, still working my corporate job.” [26:00]

5. Secrets Behind Social Media and Podcast Growth

• Differentiators of YAP Media

  • [28:01] “I’m my own customer—the same team that grew my platforms works for clients. I experiment on myself first, then scale what works. I’m more innovative than other networks because I’m ahead of the curve.”

• Hacking Social Media

  • [31:03] “Hacking social media is just understanding your growth levers and algorithms…and everything is now the ‘TikTokification’ of social: it’s no longer who you know but how good your content is.”
  • The power of passionate topics, emotional triggers, shareable content, and platform-tailored strategies is stressed.

• Content Formats and Platform Tactics

  • [40:35] YAP Media creates strategy around thumbnails, engaging headline graphics, carousels, and even involves comic-book style graphics for variety and to break the monotony of talking-head videos.
  • [43:46] Short-form, non-podcast video content and intentional multimedia approaches are key to standing out today.

6. Mindset, Affirmations, and Determination

• Reprogramming Self-Belief

  • [52:51] “Don’t let others’ beliefs define you. I literally used affirmations—wrote down who I wanted to be, recorded and listened to it on repeat, until I really felt that way and showed up with confidence.”

• The Power of Personal Voice in Affirmations

  • [57:00] Shawn observes the effectiveness: “Most people listen to affirmations, but you recorded them in your voice. That’s the key.”

• Obsession and Action

  • [54:42] Hala attributes her progress to pairing belief with obsessive action—studying, prepping, recruiting volunteers, working all hours: “I was obsessed…I would stay up late and study 20 hours a week for interviews.”

• Definition of Determination

  • [59:27] “Determination means showing up every day and doing your best. Some days it’s 50%, some days 300%. Just keep putting in the reps—and respect yourself enough to do what you say you’re going to do.”
  • [60:08] “You can’t have a zero day. And you can’t judge yourself—you just gotta keep going.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Facing Family Expectations

  • “I was the only one, not only taking an alternate path, but taking a very alternate path.” [08:47]
  • “I love my siblings…but I’m way more successful than them. It just goes to show you do not need to follow anyone’s path.” [08:47-12:03]

• On Monetizing the Podcast

  • “People thought: your ‘little podcast.’ That hurts, right? But you have to have faith in yourself…That’s a special person.” [24:04]

• On Social Media Algorithms

  • “Hacking social media is just understanding the algorithms…” [31:03]
  • “You want to stop the scroll…and sometimes that means breaking whatever everybody thought is best practice.” [41:23]

• On Affirmations & Self-Belief

  • “Don’t let other people’s beliefs infiltrate you. For me, that was using affirmations…I’d write it, I’d record it, I’d listen on repeat until I believed it.” [52:51]
  • “I think the key was you recorded it in your voice…If you don’t believe it yourself, and you don’t hear it in your own voice, it’s not going to work.” —Shawn French [57:00]

• On Determination

  • “Show up every day…Do what you say you’ll do, and hold yourself accountable—even when nobody else is.” [59:27-60:08]

Important Timestamps

• Facing Identity & Rejection Post-9/11: [01:01], [46:22], [51:10]
• The Radio Years: Ambition, Betrayal, Reinvention: [04:09–08:11]
• Dealing with Family & Cultural Expectations: [08:47–12:03]
• Launching the YAP Podcast & Early Adopter Insights: [12:59–14:34]
• From Hobby to Multi-Million Dollar Podcast: [23:22]
• Building the Social Media Agency: [26:00]
• YAP Media’s Unique Approach: [28:01], [31:03], [40:35], [43:46]
• Adversity, Mindset, and Affirmations: [52:51], [54:42]
• Definition of Determination & Final Thoughts: [59:27–60:49]

Final Takeaways

• Resilience Steams From Rejection: Early experiences of exclusion and prejudice gave Hala a rejection-proof mindset.
• Belief Paired With Action Is Unstoppable: Affirmations plus relentless effort created the conditions for Hala’s success.
• Trailblazing Means Building Systems for Yourself—Then Others: By innovating for herself and letting clients benefit, Hala’s agency stays ahead.
• In a Changing Social Media Landscape, Depth Wins: Understand platforms, tap into emotion, iterate courageously, and don’t be afraid to disrupt the mold.

Connect with Hala Taha

• Podcast: Young and Profiting (YAP) — all major platforms & YouTube
• Agency: YAPMedia.com
• For podcasters: YAP Media Podcast Network

“Never listen to people who have not been where you want to go.” — Hala Taha [12:03]