Zahirah Variawa (in red dress), managing director of Think Liquorice, wearing Reemami, and colleagues Felicity Stokes (right), wearing Zena Presley, and Elise Butler, wearing Reemami

Zahirah is the managing director of Think Liquorice, a boutique PR and brand management agency in Dubai, as well as a part-time TV presenter and event host. The company looks after the brand and communications needs of lifestyle, hospitality and fashion brands in the region and abroad. South African Zahirah has recently expanded her business into a new office – so we decided to show her and the team in the workplace. How do you think being in the UAE has helped you build your business? The UAE has opened endless doors of possibility. It’s given me a renewable source of energy to see no limits and in doing so allowed me to achieve great things. The region’s ‘anything is possible’ approach to buildings, lifestyle, travel and more has laid the foundation for me to see fruitful benefits of hard work and big dreams. That strength in possibility has allowed me as a young, new business owner to see past the risks and challenges in everyday and long-term decisions, and soldier on to the next level. What do you love most about the UAE? The cosmopolitan society – on any given day you hear several accents, meet people from a variety of countries, have access to almost any international cuisine and are located in the middle of the world making travel and global discovery that much easier. What does the future hold for you? Failing to plan is planning to fail, they say, so while I do like to plan I think life has its own path for us and I do enjoy the surprises. If I had the opportunity to select a few things I’d like to see happen it would definitely be starting a family, growing the business within the region and in key target markets like the US and Australia – and in general doing great things!