Flying High with Kelly Lundberg
In the early 2000s, a young Scottish woman with a passion for fashion and a serious case of wanderlust made a bold leap from the grey skies of Edinburgh to the gleaming horizons of Dubai. Kelly is now an internationally recognised personal brand strategist and business mentor, but she never planned to become a pioneer in Dubai’s emerging business scene. What began as a flight attendant job turned into a launchpad for an incredible entrepreneurial journey – and she hasn’t looked back.
When asked why she left Scotland for the UAE, she laughs. “I love being Scottish, but I don’t like Scottish weather at all! On a dreary November day in 2002, I saw an ad for cabin crew in Dubai. I didn’t know where it was, but I knew it had 365 days of sunshine.”
“Personal branding isn’t just talking about yourself – it’s about what you can bring to the table for others.”
At 21, Kelly was already drawn to the allure of new experiences. Working for Emirates Airlines allowed her to see the world, visit bucket-list destinations and discover new cultures. Yet she soon realised that Dubai had much more to offer. Back then, it was a city of transformation. “Twenty-plus years ago, Dubai wasn’t yet built. It was a near-barren desert with virtually no skyline,” Kelly recalls. “But it had this contagious energy where anything seemed possible.”
After two and a half years, that undeniable sense of possibility led Kelly to take a daring leap into the unknown. She ‘hung up her wings’ and dove headfirst into the thrill of building her own business. “Why did I take that leap?” she reflects with a smile. “Honestly, it was naivety. I was young – what did I have to lose? If it didn’t work, I’d just get another job. I always believe it’s better to try and know than to wonder forever ‘what if’.”
Dubai’s rising reputation as a global, luxury shopping hub was the perfect backdrop for Kelly’s next act. Sparked by her love of fashion, she knew that having just a tiny piece of that world would be really exciting and launched into what has become nearly two decades of entrepreneurial adventure. However, she quickly discovered that starting a business came with challenges beyond the glamour of styling elite clients. Though Dubai’s vibrancy drew her in, launching a styling agency in 2005 was no easy feat.
One of her first big lessons was in managing finances – unexpected costs, trade licenses and hidden expenses piled up fast. “I thought, ‘If I have five clients, I’ll be set,’ but reality hit hard,” she recalls, shaping the advice she now gives aspiring entrepreneurs. Cultural barriers added to the challenges. Dubai wasn’t accustomed to female business owners, especially in niches like personal styling. “I remember going to the bank with a male friend, just in case they didn’t take me seriously. The manager ignored me and only spoke to my friend until he was politely reminded that it was me starting the business!”
In those early days, Kelly’s clients were mostly tourists. As a former cabin crew member, she knew how to help travellers discover the best boutiques and local designers, making personal shopping a natural service to offer. But there were still hurdles. She found herself having to explain personal styling; people didn’t know what it was. Some asked her to hang curtains and one luxury hotel even requested she carry a guest’s bags!
“I underestimated the people I needed to educate just to sell my services,” she explains. Hotel concierges didn’t understand why anyone would hire a stylist, so she decided to change that narrative. She wrote a press release and sent it to every local magazine she could find, resulting in coverage in publications like Eminence Woman and Time Out. This experience opened her eyes to the power of PR. “It’s about your personal brand and story. People wanted to connect with me because I was female and had cabin crew experience.”
Soon enough, that media attention paid off and her first serious client inquiry came from a woman who had read about her. “She asked if I’d help her clear out her closet, and I thought, ‘Yes! This is exactly what I want to do!’” That call marked a shift, as her focus turned from tourists to Dubai’s growing expat community. Within just three months, Kelly was fully immersed in helping them to navigate the city’s fashion landscape, setting her on the path to becoming a prominent figure in Dubai’s style scene.
“Dubai was very dressy in those days,” Kelly recalls. “Foreigners didn’t always understand the dress code. Yes, it was hot, but you needed to be a bit covered up. You didn’t have to wear an abaya to go out to dinner but you did need to dress up as if you were going to a wedding back home.” In a city with lavish shopping malls springing up everywhere, people often felt lost in the luxury retail landscape and Kelly quickly became their guide, advising on everything from style etiquette to the best boutiques. Her reputation grew and soon her clientele included not only expats but entrepreneurs, celebrities and royalty, extending beyond Dubai to Saudi Arabia, New York and around the globe.
Her transition from stylist to brand strategist began with an unexpected nudge from Harvey Nichols. Invited to host a styling event, she was surprised when her submission was turned down – the answer was that they only collaborate with individuals. Realising she needed a brand identity of her own, she created a personal logo, built a website and ignited her brand beyond just her business. As her career evolved, she sold her successful styling agency after 15 years, but her personal brand remained strong. Before long, Kelly was guiding others to build bold, authentic personal brands of their own.
“In the US, personal branding is highly valued and Americans won’t think twice about investing in it because they recognise how essential it is,” Kelly explains, noting how the openness and self-assuredness that characterises American culture extend naturally into the professional sphere.
“In the UK, however, there’s a certain reservedness. People are more reluctant to talk about themselves, partly because they don’t fully understand personal branding and hesitate due to a misconception that it means constant self-promotion. “But personal branding isn’t about talking just about yourself – it’s about what you can bring to the table for others.”
“When employees are empowered in their personal brands, it strengthens the business itself.”
And where does Dubai fit in? “It’s somewhere in the middle,” Kelly says thoughtfully. “Dubai is such a melting pot of cultures, so you get a mix of attitudes from around the world. That variety makes it quite exciting.” For her, Dubai’s unique position allows for an innovative and dynamic personal branding scene; one that combines bold, American-style openness with the British flair for subtlety.
Interestingly, Kelly has also noticed a new trend within Dubai’s corporate world. “Organisations are starting to invest in their employees’ personal brands,” she observes. While in the past, companies might have been nervous about empowering employees to become the ‘faces’ of their business, Dubai’s leaders are beginning to see the benefits. “It’s about showcasing why people would want to work for them. When employees are empowered in their personal brands, it strengthens the business itself.”
In her work, Kelly also sees how confidence struggles can hold back talent, especially among women who often feel a cultural pressure to avoid ‘making a fuss’ which can lead to self-doubt. “Some of my clients are running incredible businesses, but they’re held back by imposter syndrome,” she shares. Guiding clients through these barriers is central to her role as a personal brand strategist. “I help them focus less on what people think and more on how they can help others,” she explains. “When they view their work as service, it quiets the self-doubt.”
She also tackles common misconceptions about personal branding, like the fear that it means dancing on TikTok or doing things outside people’s comfort zone. “Personal branding should feel like an extension of who you are,” she assures. “When clients realise they can approach branding in their own way, a lot of the fear disappears. I can give them the tools, guide them on LinkedIn posts, help shape their stories, but they have to press the button,” she says.
Years ago, Kelly’s mentor gave her a challenge: to speak publicly four times a month. “I thought, where on earth am I going to find that many opportunities?” she laughs. “But it set a goal, and I’ve kept practising consistently ever since. One of my most significant experiences was delivering a TEDx talk – without notes. It terrified me,” she admits, “but something shifted that day and I haven’t used notes since.”
“People worry that repeating a keynote will bore their audience, but in reality, most people haven’t heard it as much as you think.”
After the pandemic and longing for a return to face-to-face gatherings, Kelly began hosting her own monthly events, starting with modest expectations. “I didn’t care if only four people came,” she says. Yet these events soon became an effective sales funnel and for four years she’s run monthly in-person sessions, growing more comfortable with each one. “The more you practise, the more it feels natural. It stops being a performance and becomes second nature.”
Kelly often sees entrepreneurs, eager to stand out on stage, constantly churning out new content rather than refining a signature talk. “People worry that repeating a keynote will bore their audience, but in reality, most people haven’t heard it as much as you think,” she says. “I gave the same talk for two years to refine my delivery and storytelling. Consistency is what makes an impact.”
This approach has proven effective. “When you’re at ease with your material, your presentation becomes more powerful. I rarely have to sell directly in my talks and often have six follow-up calls, with half turning into clients.” She continues by emphasising how public speaking is a marketing amplifier. “People love to tell others they were at your event. It creates a ripple effect that’s magnified by social media. Master one talk, perfect it, and let it work for you. Focus on consistency, not reinvention.”
She recalls how transformative it was to write her first book in 2009. “It gave me immediate credibility and a calling card that opened doors. Authorship is seen as a mark of authority and can be the difference between getting on a stage or not.” Her latest book, Deseeding the Lemon, takes the reader through seven crucial elements (or slices) of building and growing a personal brand and is crafted to broaden that influence. “Not everyone can afford high-ticket coaching, but a book can make my insights accessible to anyone ready to build their brand.”
Looking toward 2025, Kelly is expanding her podcast, her storytelling, and her speaking engagements. “I’m focused on making the Kelly Lundberg Podcast a must-listen for Dubai visitors,” she shares. With over 130 episodes, she aims to reach a larger audience and bring on high-profile guests like Marissa Peer, while exploring sponsorship and live episodes in the UK for growth.
“Authorship is seen as a mark of authority and can be the difference between getting on a stage or not.”
Reflecting on her journey, she says, “If you’d told my 24-year-old self that I’d still be here in Dubai, running my business 19 years later, I wouldn’t have believed it. Nor would I have thought I’d become a 5 am club kind of person either, but fitness has become a non-negotiable part of my routine,” she smiles as she remembers her earlier resistance to exercise. Now it’s part of who she is. Kelly and her husband wake up at 4:30 am, work out together and then take a 25-minute walk home where she gets to unwind and brainstorm ideas. “It’s 25 minutes of me-time, and by 7:30 am, I’ve already hit my 10K steps,” she says.
For Kelly fitness isn’t just physical, it’s the key to keeping her energised for work and life – she knows how tricky that balance can be. And while Saturdays are her sacred recharge day, she’s all about staying on top of her game – even if it means working a bit on Sundays.
“If I’m healthy, I can show up for my clients, my family and myself,” she explains. Fitness fuels my success, making sure I’m always at my best for the people and things that matter most.”
INTERVIEW BY OLIVIA MAROCCO – EDITOR-IN-CHIEF – BRAND YOU MAGAZINE
Article published in Brand You Magazine – Edition 34
Kelly Lundberg – Personal Brand Strategist / Keynote Speaker / Author
Kelly is an international multi-award-winning entrepreneur, personal brand strategist, speaker, author and founder of BrandYOU Creators, empowering her clients to grow their personal brand and business for maximum impact and income.
Website: kellylundbergofficial.com
Instagram: @kellylundberg.official
