15: To 2020, with Love !

As a passionate entrepreneur with 7 years of experience, I founded Eighth Element Spa, my own brand of Spas, in 2019 with a vision to spread out in multiple locations and Internationally, as well.

Within just 4 months of operations, I had two branches, operating successfully in the best-known locations of Dubai. This initial success led me to believe that I could most definitely open two more outlets before the end of 2020.

When we neared the end of February 2020, the walk-ins and the tourists or hotel guests dwindled in number, as the news about this never heard of virus ‘Covid-19’ started to spread. Even then, I had no idea of the impact that this virus would have on my business and more importantly, in my life.

In mid-March, I received a notice from the Government, that across Dubai, spas and salons would have to be shut with immediate effect, until further notice. As I grappled with this news, I was also consoling my staff that this would be a short-term closure and that we’d be back in business soon.

Worse still, and at the same time, my son who studies at a boarding school in India had to return from the airport in India, as countries shut their borders with immediate effect. It was an incredibly emotional time. The hopes of opening my spas back and getting my son home, here with me… were going to be crushed.

I struggled each day, as I woke up with hope and prayers, for being reunited with my son and for some positive news regarding the reopening of my industry. My routine over the next 5 months was to wake up and ask for help from the local contacts, groups of other moms in a similar situation, overseas friends, using all the social media channels and encouraging my staff to just hang in there! I had to stay strong, for myself and for everyone else that looked up to me.

One of the reasons that I became an entrepreneur was to be able to create more jobs and contribute to the livelihoods of others. But during those months, I questioned my capability to do that in future. Everything was a question with no answers.

When I was in that situation, I did not realize that apart from the refusal to give up, I survived those months because I was surrounded with a beautiful set of people who cared and helped. With every call or message that I received, with an offer to help in any way possible, strengthened me!

And as I look back on 2020, I want to share my lessons with all of you:

Invest in good relationships. When you have a strong network of people to help you, you can survive anything. I was lucky to have my tribe around me.
Never give up. It’s cliched but it’s the ultimate truth. Tough times don’t last, tough people do.
Don’t be ashamed to ask for help! It only shows you are human. And I believe that the world is full of people with big and warm hearts.
If you have all your family around you, happy and healthy, you are truly blessed!

I survived 2020 and emerged as a stronger and a better person than before. I was able to bring my son in, and business has restarted. I have lessons that I will carry in life and work, way beyond 2021.

Thank you 2020, for being the biggest teacher ever!

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