We are a huge fan of a community group at the Raemona office. Admittedly there are some questionable ones but when you find a good one they can really save you in your hour of need, along with bringing support and the chance to meet new people. That Dubai Girl is one of the good ones. It was started as a safe community for the woman of Dubai. They have loads of ways for you to get involved as an individual or business, along with expanding to take on the events market and much more.
We chatted to the founder Kirsty Campbell about how the idea came to life...
If you had to summarise That Dubai girl in three words what would they be?
Inclusive, visionary and fun!
We pride ourselves on being a safe space for all women to feel a part of our amazing community. We like to think we are paving the way in our field and are constantly evolving, our new and innovative ideas are what sets us apart. Life is short and we don’t see why we can’t love what we do and have fun throughout the process.
Tell us about the name and how it came about?
I am an Essex girl born and bred, which comes with a certain amount of stigma depending on who you talk to! People started calling me That Dubai Girl as I was always in the know and connecting people through my network. I feel like it was in a jokey way and although I didn’t take offense (I’m pretty thick-skinned) I did feel some people thought “who does this girl think she is!?” and directed it at me in an attempt to belittle me. When the business came about I thought why not make this a positive. People who maybe didn’t think I could make this a sustainable business for the long term have in fact given me this incredible branding for which we are now becoming synonymous. So thank you to them!
Describe an average day in the life of you and your team?
Well, this could take a while! One of the things I love about my job is no two days are ever the same, this definitely keeps us all on our toes. A huge amount of my day is client-facing so having an incredible team to support me is essential, I am so lucky to have them behind the scenes making my “brain dumps” into realities. One constant every day is the need for gallons of coffee and comfortable shoes….my step count is rarely below 15,000!
What do you find most challenging and most rewarding about That Dubai Girl?
Running your own business is of course challenging. You are never really off duty and the commitment and pressure can be overwhelming at times. I am in a committed relationship with my laptop (we spoon most evenings) and I am surgically attached to my phone. That being said the rewards are endless and when a client is happy with the work, event or advice we have provided, this makes everything worthwhile.
Can anyone be a part of the That Dubai Girl community or is there a criteria?
You need to be a girl (which comes as a disappointment to some keen males!) living in the UAE and most importantly we have strict rules when it comes to kindness. If you can follow the rule of “if you have nothing nice to say, keep it to yourself” then you are welcome, you can sit with us.
What advice would you give young “That Dubai Girls” and girls in general?
There’s a line from a movie called “the help” which I love which is “you are smart, you are kind, you are important.” This is such a special mantra and I feel like it’s everything ALL females, young or old, need to remember. Your brain is your best muscle which needs nurturing to ensure you can do anything you want. Kindness is key in life both personal and professional and we should always make each other feel important, no matter what our field. Let’s build each other up ladies, we’ve got this!
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