This week, Emirates Woman spoke to Alana Guymer, Marketing Manager at Sisters Beauty Lounge. It’s the premium beauty destination in the UAE.
Welcome to the Emirates Woman weekly series ‘How I got my job as…’ where we speak to some incredible entrepreneurs and businesswomen both based in the UAE and globally to find out about their career paths that led them to where they are now; what their daily routines look like; the advice they’d give to those starting out; and the hurdles they’ve had to overcome
Sisters Beauty Lounge was launched in 2003, to create a revolutionary beauty concept that would appeal to the thinking woman. With award-winning hair stylists, the salon provides the highest quality services, from hair cuts and blow drys, to hair coloring, hair treatments, and hair extensions.
To delve into journey, Guymer tells us how her journey began in this field.
What was your favourite subject at school?
My favourite subject at school was always Art although I was never very good at it. I think you can have a creative mind and not be creative – if that makes sense. I always loved thinking of new ideas and ways to do things. This has lent itself into my career now, thinking of creative campaigns and ideas but working with talented team members to help put my ideas to paper.
What was your first job?
My very first job at the age of 13 was washing dishes in a local restaurant in England. It was my 13th Birthday, and I got a job the same day. I quickly realized that was not what I wanted to do forever…however I was always so motivated to make my own money and achieve my dreams and I really didn’t mind what job that meant doing. My first big job was a Marketing Executive for a global F&B franchise brand in the Middle East and I’ve pursued Marketing ever since.
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What brought you to Dubai?
I call it the Dubai Dream. 21-Year-old Alana, with big dreams and a vision to succeed and the desire to be in a country that was filled with positive people was what bought me to Dubai. I didn’t know anybody, I moved completely on my own but the excitement of the challenge to set up my life here was so exciting.
What inspired you to enter the beauty space and work at Sisters Beauty Lounge?
Growing up, I have always been around inspiring women in my family that were in the beauty industry. It was always a dream of mine to work around hard-working, empowered and strong women and Sisters is just that. It’s truly a Sisterhood. My vision was to help take Sisters Beauty Lounge to the next level, this was my inspiration to make a difference on an already incredibly successful business. The sky is the limit.
Talk us through the concept?
The concept of Sisters Beauty Lounge is that we’re an award-winning beauty destination for 360 degree pampering. What does that mean? It means we truly strive to deliver the best experience across Hair, Nails, Face, Body and more. It’s an added bonus that you can also get all your services in one place at one time which really is a game changer for on the go girlies.
What are the key elements of your role?
Most marketing professionals would agree that we wear multiple hats, and I love that. I get involved in areas of the business that aren’t so related to marketing but support the overall ideas and strategy. The key elements of my role is to help turn SISTERS from a Salon into a brand, create campaigns and pioneer the latest trends, support the growth and awareness of the brand.
Talk us through your daily routine.
I wake up, give my two cats Bear and Turtle lots of kisses and cuddles and get ready for work. At 8am, I spend the drive to work dancing to music, speaking to our Managing Director Mette or voice noting friends. I then open up the laptop, jump on calls with any scheduled meetings, write a to-do list for the day. My working day consists of lots of meetings with external companies and brands, planning campaigns, writing content and approving artworks and planning new strategies. I then head home for a nice home cooked meal and catch up on lots of good TV (current fav is Love is Blind!) and then me and my partner video call our family in the UK for a daily catch up.
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What advice do you have for anyone looking to follow in the same footsteps?
Don’t fear the unknown. Dream big, work hard and have a vision in your mind or where you want to be and who you want to work for and with. I wrote my dreams on a piece of paper, I put it in my card holder and let the universe do it’s thing. It’s worked every single time. It doesn’t mean if you sit back good things will just happen, but you must be willing to put in the hard work to see the rewards.
Tell us more about the services at Sisters Beauty Lounge.
We have a saying ‘Created for Sisters, by Sisters’. We want to stand out and offer services no one else has that have been developed in-house by our team. For example, our 24K Liquid Gold Hair Treatment, 24K Gold Facial, Pure Cover Hair colour and more. We also have the famous BIAB manicures which are utterly transformative for your nails!
Are there any new launches to know about at Sisters Beauty Lounge?
We have just launched a ‘Dopamine Beauty’ campaign which is all about how beauty is a feeling! Whether that’s switching up your hair colour for a new job, celebration, getting a cut and blow-dry for a dinner with your friends or because you feel like it. Transforming your hair really has the power to change your emotions in a positive way! We also have a very exciting launch going live in November so keep your eyes peeled… its celebrity approved!!
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
‘Figure out your why’ – I apply this a lot when it comes to my role at Sisters and in general life. It’s a really great reflection question that you can mentally ask yourself and answer for yourself if you’re ever stuck on ‘why’ you are or are not doing something.
And what is the worst?
Good question, I am an optimist, so I like to think of the positive. But ‘good things come to those who wait’, I strongly disagree. I believe good things, come to those who do good, work hard and goes after what they want.
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What’s the biggest challenge you have had to overcome?
The biggest challenge I’ve had to overcome is being in the corporate industry, in a senior position at a young age. I’ve really had to prove my skills, my knowledge and my willingness to learn from others and to become better at what I do. I’ve hard to earn my seat at the table, but when you’re working for the right company, they pull the seat out for you.
What’s lies ahead for the brand?
The simple answer is growth. Growth of market share, growth of our people, growth of service offerings and growth of guests. We are a sisterhood, who is making noise and have no intentions of slowing down anytime soon. So, watch this space and follow our journey.
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