We had the good fortune of connecting with Sara Shouhayib Alawar and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sara, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
If you think about it, everything in life involves risk. With every decision, big or small, mundane or exciting, there is always some risk to contend with on a daily basis. Everything from the foods you eat, to the job you devote yourself to, to who you decide to spend your life with. It’s all a risk to your health, prosperity and happiness.

The risky scenarios that stand out the most though are often associated with what someone may lose in a situation. Instead of seeing risk as, “What do I risk losing?” in my view, risk should be reframed and thought of optimistically, “what do I risk gaining?”

I’m not here to say risk of loss should not be taken into account. It certainly should, but the positive gain the opportunity could provide should be at the forefront. Gearing your mindset toward possibility and the will to succeed is a powerful framework to operate under. Play to win, don’t play to not lose.

It’s not lost upon me how prudent it is to crunch the numbers, sort out a financial plan, and if you’re fortunate, carve out a safety blanket if things go awry. However, the strong belief in your product, idea and yourself, should supersede doubts to achieve your goals.

As you can probably tell, I’m not exactly risk averse. I credit this to my upbringing being surrounded by risk takers in my family’s real estate business. We’ve operated under the “when there is a will, there is a way” warrior mentality. Risk is always going to be there, after doing your due diligence and financial forecasting, in my view, it comes down to how bad you want it to work out.

If we all take inventory of our life decisions, we’ve all taken risks, and depending on your attitude and willingness to find solutions, these risky decisions have probably worked out for you.

That’s thankfully been the case with me. In the past year and a half, I’ve started numerous business endeavors: a professional emceeing and auctioneering company, a women’s wellness retreat, a children’s book, a partnership in making promotional videos for Houston based businesses in addition to a few other projects in the works.

I wouldn’t have gone for these opportunities if I didn’t think I had a lot to gain.

“You miss every shot you don’t take,” Wayne Gretzky. Don’t forget that.

What should our readers know about your business?
I am the owner and founder of Capital Emcee where I specialize in professional emceeing, auctioneering, voice over and promotional video production services. I’ve been fortunate that my job as an emcee and auctioneer has taken me all across the united states raising funds for various non-profit organizations I’m passionate about and helping Houston-based businesses with their marketing needs.

What sets me apart from most auctioneers and emcees is that I offer a variety of other services with my packages. I can serve as a one-stop-shop for an organization to work with to write, prepare and deliver programs for their live in-person events, fundraise, do the voice over for their marketing videos, create promotional videos advertising the event, in addition to singing the American national anthem.

If non-profits were to get someone different for each role, it would run them a pretty penny. I offer value in a variety of ways.

My experience as a former Emmy award wining tv news journalist is also notable. This decade of live news experience has prepared me to be quick on my feet, easily adapting to inevitable changes in a live program.

Most importantly though, I come with passion and charisma with every event or project I assist with. I take on causes as if they are my own. I pride myself on my team mentality and immersing myself in the trenches with organizations and businesses.

While I’m so proud of Capital Emcee, which I started in 2022, my latest venture in the wellness space is what I’m most excited about. This past March, I hosted my first all-women’s wellness retreat here in the Houston, TX area. I became certified as a mindfulness meditation instructor last November and it’s been such a rewarding chapter. I was honored to host a dozen women from all over the United States at a 5-day retreat focused on self-betterment, female empowerment, and exploration of self. I plan to host more in the future and continue to grow in the field of helping of others in this way. I feel so blessed!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I could choose a time of year for my bestie to come to Houston for a visit, it would be in March. Mostly because of the fantastic weather, but also to make sure she gets to experience the rodeo.

When people come to Texas, they want the Texan experience. The rodeo is always a fan favorite and a place you could spend an entire day, whether at the rodeo events themselves, watching live stock auctions, going to the petting zoo, shopping for western clothing, decor and products, going to the carnival, and catching a concert – it’s all exciting and in the spirit of Texas.

Majority of the rest of our time, would be centered around which restaurants we would eat at too, of course. Houston’s food scene is epic, so I would definitely flex that muscle. Given I live on the edge of River Oaks and Montrose, I’m partial to restaurants in this area. My top restaurants for lunch or dinner would be: Roost, Riel (specifically for their caviar spread), Brasserie 19, a’Boozy, Empire Cafe, as well as Bloom and Bee at the Post Oak Hotel, to name a few.

For brunch spots on the weekend, I’d take her to Toulouse in River Oaks, to dine outside while listening to a live band play french music and for Sunday brunch I’d take her to a more casual spot in Montrose, called Echoes, to sit on their gorgeous second floor outdoor patio.

If we have a sweet tooth that needs some satiating, we’d pick up a slice of carrot cake from Barnaby’s Cafe and VooDoo donuts (although it’s not native to Houston per say, it’s usually what my out-of-town guests request when they come for a visit).

As for how we’d fill our time in between meals, the opportunities are also endless. Most of my recommendations are “inside the loop”, but some would require a little driving outside of the city’s walls.

In no particular order, I’d suggest going for a walk around Hermann Park. They even have cute pedal boats you can take out and rent on their pond that’s riddled with ducks and turtles.

The other park I’d recommend her to visit is Buffalo Bayou Park at sunset, so we could catch the bats take off from under the bridge at dusk. This is a well-known tourist attraction for folks visiting Austin, but what most people don’t know is we have our version of it here in Houston too.

Discovery Green Park in downtown, Houston also has a variety of night-time events, but the one I’ve enjoyed the most is their roller skate night. There’s a disco ball spinning in the middle of the roller rink with funky 70s and 80s music playing in the background. It’s the perfect way to spend time outside, while activating your inner child.

While I love our city parks, I’d also like her to experience a sense of calm and quiet during her stay, since we live in the heart of the hustle and bustle in the city. So, I’d suggest going for a hike in the Sam Houston National Forest about an hour and some change outside of H-town. While there’s no steep mountains to climb, the forest reveals some beautiful trails lined with greenery and palms that you wouldn’t expect.

Keeping the Texas experience in mind, I’d also take her to Cypress Trails Ranch in Humble, Texas to go horseback riding. You can take a trail by horseback most days there and it’s only roughly a 35 minute drive outside of the city.

On the days we would want to stay within Houston, I’d suggest taking a walk through Montrose along Westheimer for some thrift store shopping and to check out local boutiques. For a pit stop, we could head to Common Bond, Agora, or Wild for a beverage or snack. They’re all within walking distance to each other and staples of the Montrose culture.

We have some really amazing rooftop experiences in our city too that I’d want her to experience. One afternoon we could head “The Post” in downtown Houston. We’d pick up lunch from their cafeteria, boasting cuisines from every corner of the globe, and enjoy it on the rooftop over looking Houston’s skyline. Another rooftop experience would be to catch a movie under the clouds and stars at the Rooftop Cinema Club in Uptown. They play a variety of older and new age movies on a big screen projector.

If we wanted to be active, I would suggest hitting up a black swan yoga class. While it originated in Austin, it is a studio unique to Texas. Plus, it’s one of the more reasonable studios, being that it’s donation-based.

If we want to watch other people being active, I’d take my bestie to a Houston Rockets game, mostly because the NBA is the only professional sport, I enjoy watching. Plus being that it’s March, they’d still be in season.

So there you have it: a mix of the outdoors, exercise, Texas flare and the best part? Lot’s of eating!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I owe a great deal to my beloved husband, Rawad, for supporting me to be whatever I want to be. I’m fortunate to be married to a business minded, philanthropic, and family oriented person. He doesn’t only mirror my values, he amplifies them.

When I moved to Houston in 2022 from Bakersfield, California, I had a clean slate. This sounds refreshing to most, but I felt more lost than I had ever felt before. After nearly a decade in the television news world, I left the industry behind with my move to Texas. My husband and family all encouraged me to take a break after waking up at 2 a.m. for five years while doing the morning news. Life in the fast lane had taken a toll.

While it was uncomfortable for a high achieving, type A personality to not have it “all figured out,” I can look back and say the advice my husband gave me to reflect and take some time off, was so wise and beneficial for my growth as the person and entrepreneur that I am today.

While I kept busy doing volunteer work and remodeling our home our first year in Houston, I didn’t work for nearly an entire year. I recognize how fortunate I am to have had this time to sort out my life purpose and eventually establish the businesses I am now running. My husband has served as my businesses advisor, confidant and best friend.

As I wrote in our wedding vows, my husband accepts me for who I am, but pushes me to be better. I couldn’t be more blessed. I hope everyone finds their “Rawad.”

Website: www.capitalemcee.com

Instagram: @saracapitalemcee

Linkedin: Sara Shouhayib Alawar

Facebook: Sara Shouhayib (page)

Youtube: @sarashouhayib4663

Image Credits
Ayman Ali Ray Alghadban Shadia Amen

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