It is always fun to catch up with Dubai old-timers. Kelly has been in Dubai for some 19 years and has seen Dubai become this glittering city that it has morphed into.

I remember first connecting with Kelly in 2004 when she was the very first ‘branded personal shopper’ in Dubai. The Dubai Economic Department back then did not have an appropriate business category so bundled her in the ‘gifts and novelties’ business!

Right from the time Kelly arrived in Dubai in 2003, she was attracted to the city that had built this amazing airline that was flying all over the world and adding new destinations every fortnight. As you may have guessed, her first job was indeed as a cabin crew with Emirates. While flying all over the world and striking conversations with passengers from various countries, Kelly hit on this idea of helping tourists find the right products at the right price. And so began her entrepreneurial journey.

One of the challenges Kelly faced back then was the lack of a start-up-friendly ecosystem. Opening a company bank account needed capital and sponsors. Kelly managed to organize all of that through some out-of-the-box thinking.

Within a few weeks of launching her business, Kelly converted some close friends into clients. How smart is that!

One thing led to another and her business kept growing. Over the years, Kelly has worked with many incredible men and women, styling for extraordinary international events and helping them with their brand and style.

From royalty to entrepreneurs, corporate companies, and luxury brands some of the key highlights have been:

• Retail Training for Louis Vuitton, Harvey Nichols, and Bloomingdales
• Personal Brand development for Chanel Beauty Team, Dubai
• Personal Brand development for VIP Hostess at Arsenal FC, UK
• Styling client’s for Bafta’s, Dubai World Cup, Brit Awards

Kelly now helps entrepreneurs grow their brand and business for maximum financial return. Some of her work is showcased on her website.

Recently, Kelly has launched ‘The Kelly Lundberg Podcast’ – a series of fireside talks uncovering storylines of success and profitability from women who trail-blaze and make waves in their industry.

Kelly is like a self-motivated dynamo and her business is headed for the skies!

I wish her well.

Penned by Sharad Agarwal