Ghada Chehaibar is the CEO and creative director of Purple Advertising. The ambitious woman behind the establishment of this independent Beirut-based boutique agency opens up with utmost candor through this informal questionnaire.
What gets you up in the morning?
The morning light is all I need. And my cat Silver!
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I love communicating with people and finding ideas and solutions for what they need.
Who do you ultimately want to become?
The best of MYSELF.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Luxury addict.
What’s your motto in life?
Enjoy life, we only live once!
What keeps you in the game?
The excitement of dealing with new challenges, new dynamics; nothing ever stays the same in this business!
What keeps you up at night?
Unnecessary tension, deadlines and too many cocktails!
What would be your worst nightmare?
Feeling helpless confronted with the sickness of a loved one.
What inspires you most?
I find inspiration in everything, culture, music, nature and especially people’s behaviors in different countries.
What music have you been listening to lately?
Aznavour, and of course ‘tlet Da2atttttt’!
What is the gadget you cannot live without?
My Iphone.
What can we find on your phone?
A photo of my parents as my wallpaper, and my favorite apps are Insta & Pinterest.
What quality do you most look up to in a friend?
Loyalty.
Who would you like to sit next to on a seven-hour flight?
Gandhi.
If you could live for one day the life of another person, who would it be?
Nefertiti.
If you could have dinner with someone, living or dead, who would it be; and what question would you ask him/her?
Camille Chamoun, I would ask him, “Where is Lebanon heading to?” (‘Hala2 lawein’- and now where to?).
If you were to be reincarnated, what would you like to come back as?
Elissar, The Queen of Cartage
If you were to change profession, what would you choose to do?
If I had to, I would become an architect and work to make Lebanon more beautiful.
What do you consider to be the greatest headline of all time?
‘La Force Tranquille’ for Francois Mitterand’s presidential campaign.
Lebanese one: ‘3mol mni7 w ma tekeb bil ba7er.’ (Do good and don’t throw into the sea).
What business tip would you give the newbies?
Being Agile!
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
To fully appreciate every moment in life.
“If you wait for happy moments, you will wait forever. But if you start believing that you are happy, you will be happy forever.”
Where can we find you on a Friday night?
At a concert or a music show.
If you could choose one superhero power, what would it be and why?
The power to control TIME.
What would you do if you won the lottery?
I’d buy the emerald jewelry from Topkapi, or Guernica by Pablo Picasso.
What is the one word you catch yourself saying too often?
‘Maba3rif’ (I don’t know)!!! Although I definitely know!
What would you like to be doing five years from now?
Investing more. Exploring more. Being more selective.
If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?
Bora Bora.
What’s the last book you read or movie you saw?
Movie: The Post… beautiful script and cast, a little slow action.
Book: From the Vault by Walid Azzi, interesting and enriching.
What is the one thing you wish you have designed?
Chanel logo.
WHO ARE YOU?
I am... Ghada,
I like…beauty
I want...the moon
I have...confidence
I wish... for the best
I hate... hypocrisy
I fear... the war
I Google... everything
I wonder... if there is a second life.
I regret... nothing, non rien de rien!
I love...life
I need... more time
If I ruled the world...I would spread peace
I dream… of Plato’s Republic
My Favourite…
Dream Destination: Tahiti
Restaurant: Alain Ducase
Hotel: Le Negresco /Nice
Meal: Tabbouleh
Quote: “Where there is love there is life.”
Book: The Prophet
Movie: Gone with the wind
Flower: Red Roses
Animal: Cat
Poet: Jacques Prévert
Music/band: Sting
Painter: Michael Angelo
Hero: Jesus
