Other Women's Jobs // A Day In The Life & Career Of Asha Sherwood

When Asha moved from London to Abu Dhabi in 2012, she quickly noticed something missing.

The city had world-class dining, vibrant culture, and a growing events scene - yet no single platform captured that energy in a way that felt truly community-driven. Where others saw a gap, Asha saw an opportunity, and Abu Dhabi Review was born.

Her background made the leap possible. In London, she built a career in commercial radio and publishing, sharpening her instinct for how stories can inform, inspire, and connect people.

Entrepreneurship wasn’t originally part of her plan - having watched her parents run their family business growing up - she knew how much sacrifice it demanded. But as she settled into life in the UAE, the idea of creating something of her own kept returning, this time in a field that had always been her passion: media.

The early days were tough. No corporate backing, no readymade network, and plenty of competition. Funding and credibility were constant obstacles. Asha’s response was simple but relentless - just keep showing up. Gradually, Abu Dhabi Review grew from a one-woman project into a platform with real influence.

Today, Abu Dhabi Review shines a light on Abu Dhabi’s hidden gems, amplifies small businesses, and creates spaces where the community itself becomes the story. Through the ADR Podcast, the ADR Network, and the first-ever ADR Community Champions Awards (launched this year), Asha has built a thriving ecosystem that celebrates the city and the people who shape it.

Behind the scenes, the journey has demanded late nights, weekends, and personal investment. There were moments when the weight of it all threatened to tip the balance. But time and again, feedback from the community reminded her why she started.

For Asha, leadership has meant learning to trust her instincts and hold resilience and empathy in equal measure. Storytelling, she’s realised, is most powerful when it’s honest and human.

Today, Asha shares with us a typical day in her life and career:

5:45 AM – Wake up calls

My day starts with my most important job: trying to get a teenager out of bed. It takes a few reminders (actually, a lot), but eventually she’s vertical. My husband sorts her lunch while I get myself together, which means mornings are calm-ish. By 7:30, I’m dropping her at school and either heading to the gym or back to the laptop to get a head start.

9:00 AM – Tackling my Inbox

I’m usually head deep into emails and writing stories for the website. If big news lands, everything else stops. I usually start posting, publishing, and pushing it out on socials before most people have finished their first cuppa.

10:00 AM – Meetings & content creation

I block this time for meetings and content shoots, because this is when Abu Dhabi’s restaurants and venues are quieter. Some days that means back-to-back calls, while other days it means driving across the city with my social media manager, eating half of Abu Dhabi, and filming it all. I mean, it’s work, and yes, it’s fun - but no, it’s not as glamorous as it sounds.

2:00 PM – School pick up

This is my favourite time. The car ride home is where my daughter gives me her daily download - funny stories, playground dramas, and occasionally, a karaoke session to whatever’s on the radio. I don’t interrogate her with questions (teenagers only reply in one-word answers anyway), so I let her talk when she’s ready.

5:00 PM – Mum Taxi Service

Tennis, singing, after-school clubs…

I’m basically Uber with a free snack policy. While she’s busy, I crack open the laptop again as there’s always a story to write, a post to publish, or news to chase.

7:30 PM – Dinner time made simple

After a full-on day, thinking about dinner becomes a chore. We get meal kits delivered with pre-chopped ingredients – they have been lifesavers recently. Whoever gets home first, cooks. (And yes, I always hope it’s not me.)

9:00 PM – Netflix & laptop

I don’t really switch off. Even when the TV’s on, my laptop is still on my lap. Owning a media business means the news cycle will own you too. My team clocks off, but if something breaks, I’m back at it.

11:00 PM – My reset time

I’ve never been an early sleeper. After the day’s chaos, I sit in the lounge to decompress. Sometimes I scroll, sometimes I put on a series, sometimes I just sit in silence and process everything. It’s the only moment where things slow down.

Final reflection

No two days are the same. One day I’m chained to my laptop, the next I’m at an event, meeting a tourism board, or running between shoots. People say I should rest, but honestly? I thrive on the busy. My real quiet time is in the car, when I can tune into my favourite station: Silence FM (basically turning the radio off). Sometimes I blast music and sing at the top of my lungs, sometimes I just let my thoughts catch up with me. I love what I do, and while I’ve got the energy, I’m not going to miss out on opportunities that could grow my brand - and me.