Amal Mahmoud, shareholder and CEO of Diwan: Each week, My Morning Routine looks at how a successful member of the community starts their day — and then throws in a couple of random business questions just for fun. Speaking to us this week is Diwan’s CEO Amal Mahmoud (LinkedIn). Edited excerpts from our conversation:

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My name is Amal Mahmoud. Human connections and community-building are two pillars that have always been my main focus, even before Diwan. I majored in psychology with a minor in computer science at the American University in Cairo. After graduation, I worked as a systems analyst and software developer — and even then, I was drawn to the human side of technology and how people interact with systems.

My career hasn’t been linear. After moving back to Egypt from Saudi Arabia, I joined Diwan as a store manager in its early years. At the time, Diwan was transforming from a single bookstore into a growing chain. It was my first real experience in business and retail, and it was challenging, rewarding, and full of learning. I knew very quickly that Diwan and I fit perfectly together.

Then, my family and I moved to Dubai. I used that time to explore more of what I really like and found that I love community, I love books, I love stories, and I love psychology. Preparing for the next chapter of my life, I continued my studies in psychology and earned a certification in Positive Psychology from the Wholebeing Institute in the US. I also became certified as a life coach, thinking that it would be my next career.

But upon moving back to Egypt, I was asked to join Diwan — I was excited by the prospect of going back and trying to grow Diwan again. At the time, co-founders Nadia Wassef and Hind Wassef were both away, and I found myself, former Diwan colleague Layal, and one of the original co-founders Nihal Schawky at the helm.

Our main focus was growing Diwan through what we know and love — human connection, by taking care of our employees, our customers, and our community. But we also learned that passion alone isn’t enough — you need to pair it with sound business thinking. So I began focusing more deeply on strategy, collaboration, and operational sustainability.

It’s wonderful to do what you love, but if you only focus on the emotional or creative side, you risk losing the business that sustains it. For me, the real challenge (and joy) has been finding the balance between purpose and performance.

For us, it’s all about community. We see ourselves as a chain of bookstores — each branch is a neighborhood hub with its own rhythm, character, and audience. Every Diwan branch is shaped by the people it serves, but Diwan’s essence, values, and experience are consistent throughout.

The current industry challenge is the digital world. We’ve been focusing on extending into the digital sphere on different platforms to continue connecting and expanding the community of readers, even during the age of digital alienation. Even as things shift online, there are always people who still want human connection, to experience things on the ground as a community. You can find any music you want online, but people are going to more concerts than before. We want to keep the bookstore experience rich, relevant, and engaging.

At the same time, we want to be part of the digital world and reach people that way as well, which is part of the motivation behind our podcast Fil Diwan.

The most interesting trend in the book industry right now is the rise of audiobooks. It has been a long time coming, but it is now very, very trendy in the Middle East. It’s reaching new audiences who aren’t necessarily readers and giving them the chance to listen to literature and explore libraries of books.

Another trend is the revival of the bookstore as a cultural destination, which I think Diwan has always been. I read a study that showed that what survived when Amazon started taking over the business of bookselling wasn’t the big chains, but the independent bookstores. Again, this is why I think it’s all about human connection and community.

I wake up around 5:30am every day. After I pray, I have my coffee. This is the quality time I spend with my husband. This is when my energy is at its highest, so I use it to get a jumpstart on my work before heading to the office or to meetings — I work for around two hours from home, looking at reports, replying to important emails, and drafting things I need to prepare. The rest of the day doesn’t have a specific structure — no two days look the same after my morning routine; it all depends on what I have to get done.

The one constant in my day, besides coffee, is connection. There is always a moment of connection throughout the day. Whether with a colleague, with a customer, or anyone. This is something that recharges me — it gives me purpose.

I stay focused and organized by learning to prioritize rather than multitask. I was a great multitasker, and it was serving me before, but now it’s not. Now, I’m more into having things in order. I’ve been introduced to bullet journaling, and I’ve found it to be very helpful — you plan out your goals, your to-do lists, and your reflections for the day, and have it all laid out in front of you.

I believe more in wholeness rather than a work-life balance. Maybe I’m lucky that Diwan’s values align with my personal values. So for me, work is a continuation of that — an intertwining instead of a balance. I make sure that the team knows we’re a family and that we’re here for each other.

I have a lot of book recommendations, but the ones that really changed me or helped me grow were The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck, Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, and The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav. They helped me accept and embrace difficulty and struggle, using my purpose to overcome these obstacles, view them as challenges instead of crises, and answer questions about our intention and calling, as Diwan.

Why am I here? Why are we here? We’re here to do good, to have an impact. And that doesn’t mean that we aren’t focused on growth — but growth is a means, not an end. The end is to contribute to the community and to do good within it.

What’s next for me is helping Diwan become a key cultural player, and not just in Egypt. Since the launch of Diwan Publishing, we’ve been attending book fairs around Arab countries. We’re hoping to have the Diwan bookstore experience in other global cities, and one of the locations we’re in conversation about is Montreal. Our edge would be our collection of Arabic literature, which will be available to people who speak Arabic and in translation for people who don’t.

The best piece of advice I’ve been given was “When you appreciate the good, the good appreciates.” It was told to me by a professor — it appealed to the logical and analytical part in me, and I enjoyed the wordplay. It helps me step back and consciously focus on the good in the big picture — to see the potential and envision the improvement. It works with people too. When you identify someone’s strengths and skills and help build them, it grows and gives back.

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