When Toronto influencer Huda Alvi flew to New York City for The Global Synergy Forum, she had no idea what was in store for her.
She knew the details of the weekend of course - she would listen to fabulous speakers, like Richard Branson, Jack Welch and the real-life Jordan Belfort. She knew she would leave her trip inspired and informed about some of the trending topics floating around in today’s media and business landscapes - but she never imagined she would ultimately join the conference herself, helping with PR, social media and press.
Huda is an entrepreneur and influencer and she is a natural born hustler who is always eager to both learn and contribute.
Upon arriving at the Global Synergy Conference with her brother and father, Huda was both confused and disgruntled as she and 5,000 other attendees clustered in Madison Square Garden.
The event was supposed to begin promptly at 9am and yet guests stood disorganized and ajar in the lobby. Always the doer, Huda quickly reached out to the organization and social media teams, to see what the commotion was. In truth, the event had been thrown together somewhat haphazardly, despite the high-profile speakers and thousand-dollar ticket prices.
Huda began reaching more and more people until she landed face to face with the main organizer and inquired about the conference’s schedule and operations. The two were able to chat about their social media and PR presence, both of which Huda noticed weren’t performing to the best of their abilities. Having notable social and PR experience, Huda offered her own time and services to help aid in the conference, simply because she felt like they needed her help. The conference instantly took Huda up on her offer and before she knew it, she was given full access to all of their socials, mics for interviews, and a backstage pass.
Throughout the course of the weekend, Huda made sure the conference moved smoothly, navigating through PR and press events, meeting and interviewing some of the industry’s finest minds like Gerrard Adams, Richard Branson and Naveen Jane. She was offered several different network opportunities from PR representatives and entrepreneurs, all thoroughly impressed with her work ethic and drive. Huda insists that she didn’t offer her services with any intention other than to help. “My dad always told me I don’t care what I do in life, as long as I’m a good person,” says Alvi. “I definitely follow that advice. It’s amazing what you can accomplish by simply asking someone if they need help.” In exchange for her time and that weekend, Huda was rewarded with opportunities and experiences you truly can’t buy, proving exactly what the power of kindness and good-will can provide: one in a lifetime memories, contacts and experience.
Since starting her personal brand @hudaalvi, Huda is transitioning her content from beauty, fashion, lifestyle and family to conveying a more philanthropic, spiritual and inspirational message to her thousands of followers. In the past several months, she’s started various projects like her iammore initiative, where Huda profiles the many facets of successful women, as well as @workshopsbyhuda, a workshop series that features a panel of professionals to offer knowledge and insight to attendees.