Today we’d like to introduce you to Ziad Itani.
Ziad, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started out as a curious kid who loved asking “why.” Why do people make the choices they make? Why do some stories stick, while others disappear?
That curiosity led me into marketing—not for the funnels or metrics, but because I was fascinated by how ideas move people. Along the way, I worked across different industries, helped scale businesses, managed 6 figure budgets. But behind all the strategy, I always felt a tension: growth at what cost?
There came a point when I didn’t just want to help things grow—I wanted to help the right things grow.
So I stepped back, re-evaluated, and started building in a way that felt more grounded. More human. I wanted to work with people who care not just about what they’re building, but why they’re building it.
That’s still what drives me today. Not chasing every trend or metric, but trying to do meaningful work with people who give a damn. It’s not always easy, but it feels honest. And that matters to me.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road definitely hasn’t been smooth, but every challenge helped refine the mission.
One of the hardest parts early on was navigating the tension between performance and purpose. I saw so many brands chase short-term ROI while sacrificing their positive brand association — and others stay mission-driven but struggle to scale. I didn’t want to choose between impact and growth, so I set out to build a framework that integrated both.
There were also the classic founder hurdles — wearing too many hats, hiring too fast (or too slow), and figuring out how to lead a team while still doing the work. But over time, those challenges became lessons. They taught me how to build systems, set boundaries, and stay anchored in the “why.”
And I’ll be honest — as an Arab American Muslim in the marketing and tech space, I’ve had to work twice as hard to earn trust and get a seat at certain tables. That experience shapes how we work at Barakah: we don’t just serve brands, we help lift others as we grow.
Still learning. Still building. But now with a lot more clarity.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Barakah Agency is a full-service ethical growth marketing agency that helps purpose-driven brands scale revenue and impact — without compromising values.
We specialize in brand strategy, performance marketing (paid media, PPC, SEO/SEM), creative, social media, and web deisgn/development — with a sharp focus on conversion and legacy-building. Our approach is rooted in a framework we call ROI²™: Return on Investment. Return on Impact.
What sets us apart isn’t just what we do — it’s how we do it. Every campaign launched with us helps launch another. Through our “Launch One, Lift One” initiative, a portion of client revenue is reinvested into an impact campaign for a nonprofit, founder of color, or social enterprise ready to scale.
We’re most proud of building a model that proves marketing can be both high-performing and human-centered. We don’t just help brands grow — we help them matter.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Books
• Start With Why by Simon Sinek — a constant reminder to anchor purpose in everything.
• Made to Stick by Chip & Dan Heath — brilliant framework for crafting messages that resonate.
• Atomic Habits by James Clear — not just for personal growth, but great for building brand systems that scale.
Apps
• Basecamp (for organizing everything from client strategy to creative flow).
• Slack (obviously).
• Spotify for deep focus playlists that power long build days.
Pricing:
- One-Time Projects – $5000+
- Monthly Retainers – $3k/minimum
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.barakah.agency
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/barakahagency/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BarakahAgency
- Other: https://clutch.co/profile/barakah-agency
