Other Women's Jobs // A Day In The Life & World of ANNA STRANACK

NAME: ANNA STRANACK

AGE: 43

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @thebrightmindsinstitute @brightmindsforkids @annastranack

JOB TITLE: FOUNDER AND CO-OWNER OF THE BRIGHT MINDS INSTITUTE (DUBAI) AND BRIGHT MINDS FOR KIDS (LIVERPOOL)

MOVED TO THE UAE IN: 2011

Over fifteen years ago, Anna packed her bags and moved to Dubai to begin a new chapter as a drama teacher at a highly respected children's theatre school. At the time, she thought that she knew exactly where her career was heading having been in the performing arts for many years. After a few years, she felt ready for a change. She wasn’t completely sure what that change should be!

In 2014 Anna was introduced to the owner of a whole brain training company for young children. It completely changed her perspective. Watching children, of such a young age, flourish through these classes, and seeing the confidence and joy it brought to families, made her realise she'd found something truly special.

Anna was trained in their whole brain training method and within a year became Head of Teaching at the company. Then everything changed. At the end of that year, the owners relocated back to their home country, and the company closed. Over the Christmas period, her inbox became inundated with messages from parents asking what would happen next? They weren't just disappointed that the classes had ended, they were genuinely worried about losing something that had made such a positive difference to their children's lives. That was Anna's eureka moment. Instead of seeing the closure as the end of a chapter, she recognised it as an opportunity to create something even greater. Anna immersed herself in research, studying methodologies such as Shichida and Heguru, while drawing on her own teaching experience to develop a curriculum that reflected what she believed children needed most.

The Bright Minds Institute was launched in 2015. Today, The Bright Minds Institute is recognised as one of the pioneers of whole brain training in Dubai, offering an educational approach that combines sensory and motor play, visualisation, language development, music and problem-solving activities to strengthen memory, focus, confidence and emotional wellbeing through purposeful activities. Anna took the programme to her home town of Liverpool and opened Bright Minds For Kids in 2023. Both companies provide 45-minute, group location-based and private-at home-Whole Brain Training classes, alongside seasonal camps during the school holidays.

Looking back, Anna has realised that life gives us moments of ‘opportunity’ far more often than we think. The real difference isn't simply recognising the opportunity, it's having the courage to act on it.

Today Anna shares a typical day in her world with us:

6AM: A little calm before the day begins

I’m very much a morning person, so by 6am I like to be up and out for a walk around Dubai Marina. There’s something lovely about seeing it before the day gets going. It’s quieter, more peaceful, and gives me a chance to gather my thoughts before my attention turns to running two businesses. Getting my body moving and spending some time outdoors makes such a difference to how I feel. It’s a simple routine, but one I really value: a little time for myself before the working day begins.

8AM-12NOON: Two businesses, one desk and a little slice of home

By 8am, I’m usually at my desktop with a cup of green tea and BBC Radio 2 playing in the background. It brings a comforting little slice of home to Dubai. Strangely enough, I concentrate better with the radio on. Silence clearly isn’t my secret to productivity! I work from home, and these hours are usually dedicated to administration and business development for The Bright Minds Institute in Dubai and Bright Minds For Kids in Liverpool. There’s plenty happening behind the scenes to keep both businesses moving forward, alongside any meetings or events in my diary. Mornings are when work feels most natural to me. I’m more focused, decisions come more easily, and I tend to get through things without quite so much effort. Wherever possible, I schedule meetings during this window. I’ve learnt that knowing when you work best is useful when you’re organising your own day.

12NOON: Lunch, a breather and Liverpool coming online

I don’t usually feel hungry until lunchtime, so midday is my chance to eat and take a proper breather from the morning’s work. It’s also when I first check the UK business phone. With Liverpool a few hours behind Dubai, the UK morning is getting underway as I reach the middle of my day. Working across two countries means keeping an eye on two clocks, but this rhythm helps me give each business its attention.

1PM-4PM: Staying curious and creating for our classeMy afternoons are a mixture of managing the UK business phone, researching Whole Brain Training approaches and creating new materials for our Bright Minds classes. This is a part of the job I really enjoy. Our 45-minute sessions are designed for children aged six months to five years, so there’s a lot to consider when developing activities for different ages and stages. I enjoy exploring ideas and thinking about how to turn them into something engaging, practical and enjoyable for the children. There’s plenty of creativity behind the scenes. An activity might look simple once it reaches a class, but choosing and developing it takes thought. That process keeps me interested in the work: there’s always something to explore, refine or create.

4PM-5.30PM: Moving away from the screen

After several hours at the computer, I’m ready to move. I aim to go to the gym at least four times a week and use the sauna afterwards at least three times a week.

When so much of your working day involves sitting down, making time for movement feels important. Exercise helps me clear my head, and the sauna gives me a chance to slow down afterwards. This is usually where the winding down part of my day begins, although there’s often one final visit to the desk before I’m finished!

5.30-6.30PM: One last hour of creativity

I tend to spend my final working hour on social media ideas and content creation. It’s a chance to think about how we share Bright Minds with parents and communicate what happens in our classes. There’s a different kind of creativity involved here: finding ways to make our work interesting and accessible to someone who might be discovering us for the first time. I want parents to get a feel for the classes and the care that goes into them. Of course, ‘one final hour’ sounds ideal but when you run your own business, there’s usually another idea waiting just as you’re about to finish!

7PM: Dinner and time with loved ones

Dinner is something I look forward to. I really enjoy cooking and try to make meals from scratch as often as possible. After a day spent at a screen, it’s satisfying to do something hands on and have something delicious at the end of it. Some evenings, dinner means sitting with loved ones and catching up over conversation. Other evenings, it means enjoying a meal in front of the television. Both have their place!

I like having this time to enjoy the ordinary things: good food, good company and a chance to relax.

9PM: A book and an early night

By around 9pm, I’m heading to bed with a book. Given my enthusiasm for a 6am start, my enthusiasm for an early night probably won’t surprise anyone.

I like to read until my eyes become heavy and sleep takes over. How far I get depends on the day… sometimes the book gets considerably less attention than I intended! It’s a quiet, familiar way to end the day, and usually exactly what I need.