What does it really take to build a hospitality business in the UAE?In this episode of Last Flight Out, Mike sits down with James Simmons, an American entrepreneur who moved to Abu Dhabi as a teacher and went on to build an events business before opening Atlon Restaurant & Lounge and Café Nota.James shares how he spotted opportunities in Abu Dhabi's hospitality scene, built a community through events and took the leap into owning his own venue alongside business partner Cliff.They discuss the financial risks of opening a restaurant, how much investment is needed, working long hours while maintaining another career and what it really takes to turn a busy hospitality venue into a sustainable business.From hosting events at Emirates Palace to navigating food costs, staffing, operations and business expansion, this conversation explores the realities of entrepreneurship that people don't always see.In this episode:- Moving from the United States to Abu Dhabi- Building an events business and community- Creating opportunities in luxury hospitality venues- Risking personal savings to open a restaurant- How much it costs to start a restaurant in Abu Dhabi- Managing food costs, staffing and profitability- Expanding the business with Café Nota- Lessons for aspiring entrepreneursIf you're interested in entrepreneurship, hospitality, business ownership or building a new life in the UAE, this conversation is for you.Subscribe to Last Flight Out for more conversations about taking risks, creating opportunities and building a life on your own terms.Follow James Simmons: https://www.instagram.com/jsentertainment81/FOLLOW OUR HOSTS: Jay ➡️ https://instagram.com/jloubriel26 Mike ➡️ https://instagram.com/ifmikewashere FOLLOW LAST FLIGHT OUT PODCAST: YouTube ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@LastFlightOutPodcast Website ➡️ https://www.lastflightoutpodcast.com Instagram ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/lastflightoutpodcast/ TikTok ➡️ https://www.tiktok.com/@lastflightoutpodcast Apple Podcasts ➡️ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/last-flight-out-podcast/id1711422290 iHeart ➡️ https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-last-flight-out-podcast-323371807?cmp=ios_share&sc=ios_social_share&pr=false&autoplay=trueSpotify ➡️ https://open.spotify.com/show/2xZJhd2qIw5IxV4VBQufZn#mikeandjay #lastflightoutpodcast #lfo #lastflightout #shorts #bts #dubai #abudhabi #uae #nyc #expat #latino #blackpodcast #latinpodcast #expatlife

SUBSCRIBE & WATCH MORE ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@lastflightoutpodcast His parents arrived in America through the Port of Seattle. Today, Commissioner Sam Cho helps lead it.In this episode of the Last Flight Out Podcast, Jay sits down with Port of Seattle Commissioner Sam Cho: the son of South Korean immigrants, a former Obama administration political appointee, an entrepreneur, and the youngest person and first person of color to serve as Port of Seattle Commission President.In this episode:1. Growing up as the son of immigrants and leading the port that welcomed his family; 2. American University, the London School of Economics, and what living abroad taught him about the U.S.; 3. Working in the Washington State Senate, U.S. Congress, the State Department, and the Obama administration, and how government decisions really get made; 4. Founding Seven Seas Export during the 2017 avian flu egg shortage and exporting millions of pounds of American egg products to AsiaHelping preserve the Northwest Asian Weekly, a legacy AAPI publicationRunning for Port Commission, global trade, sustainability, and the fight against human trafficking; 5. Leadership under pressure and his perspective on immigration as an elected official; and 6. His Last Flight Out momentFOLLOW OUR HOSTS: Jay ➡️ https://instagram.com/jloubriel26 Mike ➡️ https://instagram.com/ifmikewashere FOLLOW LAST FLIGHT OUT PODCAST: YouTube ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@lastflightoutpodcast Website ➡️ https://www.lastflightoutpodcast.com Instagram ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/lastflightoutpodcast/ TikTok ➡️ https://www.tiktok.com/@lastflightoutpodcast Apple Podcasts ➡️ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/last-flight-out-podcast/id1711422290 iHeart ➡️ https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-last-flight-out-podcast-323371807?cmp=ios_share&sc=ios_social_share&pr=false&autoplay=trueSpotify ➡️ https://open.spotify.com/show/2xZJhd2qIw5IxV4VBQufZn#mikeandjay #lastflightoutpodcast #lfo #lastflightout #shorts #bts #dubai #abudhabi #uae #nyc #expat #latino #blackpodcast #latinpodcast #expatlife

From Pro Basketball to Dubai's Most Connected Man | Amer Rustom on Last Flight OutEveryone knows Amer Rustom as the face of Dubai nightlife and luxury. Almost nobody knows how he got there.Before La Dolce Vita, Amer was a professional basketball player in Lebanon with one plan for his life. When that dream ended, he went back to the unglamorous grind of importing goods from China, then caught a flight to Dubai with almost nothing and built one of the most talked-about lifestyle communities in the Middle East.In this episode, Mike and Jay sit down with Amer not as press, but as two guys who also bet everything on Dubai. We get behind the flex: the moment basketball was over, building abroad while Lebanon was collapsing, what's real versus rented in the Dubai lifestyle, what people get wrong about La Dolce Vita, and the advice he'd give any man who just landed somewhere new with nothing but a plan.Some flights change your life. This is the story of his.🎙️ Guest: Amer Rustom, founder of La Dolce Vita Entertainment and Num6ers Matter📸 Follow Amer: https://www.instagram.com/amerrustom29/https://www.instagram.com/ladolcevita.entertainment/FOLLOW OUR HOSTS: Jay ➡️ https://instagram.com/jloubriel26 Mike ➡️ https://instagram.com/ifmikewashere FOLLOW LAST FLIGHT OUT PODCAST: YouTube ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@LastFlightOutPodcast Website ➡️ https://www.lastflightoutpodcast.com Instagram ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/lastflightoutpodcast/ TikTok ➡️ https://www.tiktok.com/@lastflightoutpodcast Apple Podcasts ➡️ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/last-flight-out-podcast/id1711422290 iHeart ➡️ https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-last-flight-out-podcast-323371807?cmp=ios_share&sc=ios_social_share&pr=false&autoplay=trueSpotify ➡️ https://open.spotify.com/show/2xZJhd2qIw5IxV4VBQufZn