This week, we speak with Maria Dowling, the founder of mariadowling salon and the OG hair stylist and colourist in Dubai.

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.

Mariadowling salon is known for its hair colour techniques that lend a natural and an all-year sun kissed effect for a subtle and flattering transformation. Specialising in hair colour treatments, this gem of a hair salon, tucked quietly away on an assuming neighborhood along Al Mina Street, attracts a loyal client base of residents looking to refresh their look.

What was your favourite subject at school?

I absolutely loved English at school.

What was your first job?

During the school holidays I worked in a salon in my native town of Kilkenny in Ireland. Initially, when I left school, I wanted to be a police officer, but I was too young to enter the profession. So, I ended up going back into the salon and spending a year working there. When I finally was the age, I needed to be to enter the police force, I realized I had enjoyed working at the salon so much that it was what I wanted to do for a living, so I moved to Dublin for two months to do a finishing course.

What eventually brought you to Dubai?

To become a fully qualified hair stylist takes four years but as I had only completed one year and two months, I spent the next two years working in Ireland. Then I relocated to London and started to work in a salon that had 25 staff. After six months, I became assistant manager and after one year I became the manager even though I had only been in the hair industry for three years at that point!

One of my favourite hobbies in London was horse riding and at a lesson, I randomly met a girl with whom I had been at school but hadn’t seen in eight years. She had moved to London because of the Iraq war but when she went back to Dubai, we stayed in touch, and I went to visit her multiple times. I just loved Dubai. I had always wanted to live in a hot climate and so I decided to relocate!

What inspired you to enter the beauty space and launch mariadowling salon?

When I first came to Dubai, I spent six years managing a salon for someone else. But I had a clear vision for the type of salon I wanted to open. The attention would be solely on hair, with a special focus on colour. I have never wanted to have a salon that also had nails or beauty – I have always just wanted a hair salon and to curate a team that is comprised of experts who are as passionate about hair as I am. I have stuck to that vision, and this is why I think the salon has been so successful.

What are the key elements of your role?

As well as working with my team on the salon floor, I manage the team. I empower my staff and ensure everyone takes full responsibility for their assigned roles within the salon, whether they work in reception, or are a stylist or head of assistants. This means that I can focus on my clients completely and make sure they have the best possible experience in the salon and emerge with beautiful hair.

Talk us through your daily routine.

I get up at around 530am. I go walking for an hour in the desert behind my house. When I return, I do wordle and spend time with my dogs in my garden. I love plants so I spend time as much time as I can in my garden. As I follow an intermittent fasting routine, I skip breakfast and instead I get ready for the day. I often listen to a motivational podcast while I put on my makeup. Once I leave the house, it takes me about 45 minutes to drive to work so I will listen to BBC news or continue listening to the motivational podcast that I started earlier. I spend the whole working day in the salon. I love my work: laughing all day with clients and following up with them about what’s going on in their lives. Once I finish work, I will call people to catch up with them while I drive. I will either meet people for dinner or head home. If Annabel, my housekeeper, is on her day off and there is no dinner ready for me, I will order food as I hate cooking. In the evening time, I will either play tennis or padel or if I am at home, I will simply sit out in my garden and just let my mind wander as I chill out. If it’s a full moon, I will meditate. As I am an early riser, I will try to go to bed just after 9pm.

What advice do you have for anyone looking to follow in the same footsteps?

Be passionate about your job. If you are passionate, the love you have for it will shine through and this will attract people and opportunities. Be authentic and true to your professional and personal ethics and what you believe in, and this will ensure success. Most importantly, when it comes to running a business, know your figures. It is one thing to be creative and good with people, but to run a successful and profitable salon requires you to have business acumen, a good sense for numbers and to know how to build a team.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received?

Dubai is a small place. Everyone knows everyone and you never know who is connected so you need to be mindful about what you say to people about others. I tell that to anyone who comes to work with me.

And what is the worst?

I look for the good in any advice given to me as it is always kindly meant. That said, if the advice is not helpful, I disregard it and throw it from my mind!

Tell us more about the services offered?

We were the first-ever colour specialist salon in the entire Middle East. We focus solely on hair. This means we offer hair-related services, namely cuts, colours and blowdries.

What has been the biggest challenge you had to overcome?

Covid was the biggest challenge I have had to face professionally. I closed the salon two days before the order came to close as I noticed many of my clients were becoming sick and I was worried about my team being around so many people and being exposed to the virus. When I closed the doors to my salon that evening, I had no idea when I would reopen and if I would even reopen. During the following six-and-a-half weeks, there was great anxiety generally. I am a member of a whats app salon owners group and we communicated regularly to try to keep each other’s spirits up as no one knew really what was happening. I also had to stay in contact with clients and motivate staff. It was an incredibly difficult time, as no one had any idea when it would end and where the future would lie.

What are your goals for the future?

I want to continue to propel the salon to success. It has been recognised both regionally and internationally as the premier salon for hair colouring in the Middle East and it has won many awards. I want to protect our fantastic reputation and ensure it reaches even greater heights as the team grows. I have one product already, the mariadowling hair and scalp clay, and it has received great acclaim with hair industry insiders and beauty editors, so I plan to launch more haircare products and grow this business in the coming years.

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