Why Khadijah?
In 2019, when I returned to France after 11 years in the Middle East, I pulled a card from a tarot deck called The Divine Feminine. The card was Khadijah.
Since that day, I have never stopped thinking about her. Not as a religious figure, but as a frequency. A blueprint for what sovereignty actually looks like when fully embodied.
Khadijah was the wealthiest merchant of her era, around 550 CE. A formidable entrepreneur who built an empire. She proposed to a man 15 years her junior. She provided heaven and earth for herself and her family. She was the original Sovereign.
This is not a religious programme. Khadijah is a symbol of unlimited power, fully owned. Of someone who did not wait for permission. Who did not shrink. Who did not settle.
In my 20 years of working with high-achieving professionals across Europe and the Middle East, from INSEAD MBAs to luxury executives to entrepreneurs building seven-figure businesses, I see the same pattern again and again:
Extraordinary humans playing an ordinary game.
Unleash Your Inner Khadijah is the answer to that pattern. Five days to dismantle it. Five days to activate the version of you who would never accept playing small again.
About Emilie Cousteau
The methodology behind the programme
For over 20 years, I have worked at the intersection of presence, etiquette, and personal sovereignty, across Europe and the Middle East.
I am a researcher and teach "Power Codes: The Unwritten Rules of Business & Influence" at INSEAD, where I also author business cases on branding and soft power, including a case on Louvre Abu Dhabi (2026) and contributions to INSEAD Knowledge.
I designed Guerlain's Luxury Customer Experience Train-the-Trainer programme across the GCC, India, and Africa.
I have trained global leadership teams at Cartier International High Jewellery.
I deliver INSEAD keynotes in partnership with The Chalhoub Group for global executive leaders in the Middle East. I coach executives through The YPO, SEO Europe, and the most elite networks in the world.
I have built a seven-figure business while raising two children. I co-founded The Presence Agency, which helps overworked founders achieve 2 to 3x more profit and divide their work hours by two, in 6 months or less.
Unleash Your Inner Khadijah is not a motivational workshop. It is the distillation of two decades of research, practice, and real-world results, compressed into five transformative days and made available to a cohort of just 8.
INSEAD · Guerlain · Cartier · The Chalhoub Group · The YPO · SEO Europe
What People Say
"I was super impressed with Emilie's etiquette deck at INSEAD. Excellent information. It was fantastic having her teach us."
Brontë G. · Consultant at BCG, INSEAD MBA Graduate, ex-McKinsey
"This workshop was really insightful on professional, personal and networking codes. From the history of French art de la table to the arts of conversing, I learned so much."
Valentine M. · Strategy Consultant, Monitor Deloitte (via SEO London at BNP Paribas)
"It was a fabulous session. Today's session showed me there's so much more I can do. Very useful. I'd like to take on two projects moving forward."
Unaiza G. · INSEAD, Antique Jewellery Expert
"Truly inspiring. She gave me a new perspective on etiquette and presence that I carry with me in every professional interaction."
Nathalia M. · Senior Consultant, Bain & Company
"I am very interested in how the concept of etiquette could be applied to Online Learning Platforms. Developing a thoughtful 'virtual classroom etiquette' could significantly enhance the learning experience."
Chantal G. · Directrice Générale
"Essential skills! My team really enjoyed Emilie's approach and the practical frameworks she shared."
Robert S. · Regional Retail & Education Director, Guerlain
"Emilie est passionnée, rayonnante et engagée. Son programme de 21 jours a profondément transformé ma façon de me voir et de me comporter."
Marie H. · Programme participant · Google 5-star review
"I really enjoyed the workshop. I like your feminine energy and style. It is rare to find someone who combines rigour with warmth the way Emilie does."
Claire P. · INSEAD MBA
"Amazing experience. Very interactive and tailored to what we needed. I left with concrete tools I could apply immediately."
Maria K. · Workshop participant · Google 5-star review
"Your research on 'Luxury Immersion & the Lifestyle Revolution' was really insightful. What stuck with me most was your finding that in tougher markets, it's the brands who build true emotional connection that will win."
Anushka C. · Consultant, Dubai · INSEAD x Chalhoub Greenhouse attendee
"It was great to meet Emilie at the INSEAD Luxury Forum in Fontainebleau. Her insights about the luxury industry were remarkable."
Katya B. · Investment Banking Associate, Morgan Stanley
Questions You Might Have
Is this a religious programme?
No. Khadijah is a historical figure who happens to also be significant in Islam. I chose her as a symbol of sovereignty and entrepreneurial power, not as a religious reference. This programme is for people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures. What matters is that you recognise yourself in the desire to stop playing small.
Who is this for?
High-achieving individuals who know they are playing below their real value. You may be an executive, an entrepreneur, a consultant, a professional in transition. What you have in common is this: you have already accomplished a great deal, and you know there is a version of you who would operate at a completely different level. This programme activates that version.
What does "5-day intensive" mean practically?
Each day includes a structured session with exercises and reflection work, plus 3 live group calls across the week and one private 1:1 activation call with Emilie. You will also have direct access to me and to the cohort via a private channel. Plan to dedicate meaningful time each day. This is not a passive course. It is an active transformation.
Why only 8 spots?
Because transformation at this level requires intimacy, not scale. I want to know your name, your story, your specific patterns. I want to coach you directly, not broadcast to a crowd. Eight people means everyone gets real attention, real feedback, and real results.
Is the programme online or in person?
Online. This allows participants from anywhere in the world to join, and in my experience, the online format creates remarkable intimacy when the group is small and committed.
What if I am not sure this is right for me?
You get out of this programme exactly as much as you are ready to put in. That is why there is a qualification call before you join. This is an intimate format, and I am intentional about who is in the room. I am looking for bold and humble, growth-driven individuals who will support and lift each other. No cattiness, no competition. People who are ready to work hand in hand, in full safety and confidentiality. If that sounds like you, let us talk.
Why 2,777 €?
This is the founding cohort price and reflects the level of access, intimacy, and expertise you are receiving. The methodology I am bringing to this programme is what I charge significantly more for when delivered to corporate clients and leading business schools. A cohort of 8 receiving this level of personal attention over five days, including a private 1:1 session, with direct access to me throughout. This is deliberately priced below what it would cost in any other format.
