SHARJAH,
(WAM) — The first day of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival 2025 (SEF 2025) offered attendees a diverse agenda including two talks from world-famous wellness experts providing a blend of inspiration and human potential. These talks, ‘The Resilience of Ice’ featuring Wim Hof; and ‘Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges’ with Dr. Amy Cuddy, proved that successful entrepreneurship is equally about mastering the mind and body.
“The Iceman” Hof screened videos of him submerged in icy waters, climbing snow-capped mountains in nothing but shorts, and explained how his methods; combining powerful breathing techniques, cold therapy, and mental focus; can unlock the fullest human potential. “The cold is your warm friend,” he quipped. He also shared personal stories of overcoming grief and hardship after losing his wife to depression, using the cold as a metaphor for life’s challenges. “When you face the ice, you face yourself,” he said. “It teaches you to stay calm, to breathe, and to trust your body’s innate ability to adapt and heal.”
Hof emphasised that true power comes from feeling, not just thinking. “It took me years to move from my head to my heart,” he said. “The strongest power in the universe is love. And there’s nothing I cannot overcome because the soul has no fear!”
Hof believes inflammation is the root of disease and has found ways to combat it by connecting consciously with pain. “Go to nature. Go to your inner nature. You’ll find an immune system that can handle it all,” he urged. “Bring disease down to ‘at ease.’ Don’t go into the mind. Go into the heart.”
If Wim Hof’s talk was about building one’s self up by conquering external extremities, Dr. Amy Cuddy’s session focused on mastering the internal ones, on overcoming self-doubt and embracing personal power.
Cuddy introduced a distinction between ‘social power’ and ‘personal power’, describing social power as control over others, resources, or status. “Personal power, on the other hand, is infinite. It’s the power to act with intention, and show up authentically,” she stated.
“When people feel powerful, their body language becomes expansive,” she said, demonstrating by stretching her arms wide. “Think about how athletes celebrate victory—they open up, they take up space. But when people feel powerless, they contract, they make themselves smaller. This isn’t something we’re taught; it’s built into us.”
Cuddy concluded with a powerful insight: “Trust is the conduit of presence.” When we trust ourselves; our abilities, our values, our authenticity; we can show up fully in any situation. This trust allows us to approach challenges with excitement, execute with calm confidence, and leave with satisfaction, rather than regret, this is especially relevant to entrepreneurs who are faced with stressful situations.”
Together, these sessions set the tone for SEF 2025, reminding attendees that entrepreneurship is as much about inner growth as it is about external success.
