Hollie Briant, founder and chief executive of You&I Bridal Boutique and Dazed and Engaged, grows her wealth through overseas investments and property. Antonie Robertson / The National
Hollie Briant, founder and chief executive of You&I Bridal Boutique and Dazed and Engaged, grows her wealth through overseas investments and property. Antonie Robertson / The National
Hollie Briant, founder and chief executive of You&I Bridal Boutique and Dazed and Engaged, grows her wealth through overseas investments and property. Antonie Robertson / The National
Hollie Briant, founder and chief executive of You&I Bridal Boutique and Dazed and Engaged, grows her wealth through overseas investments and property. Antonie Robertson / The National

Money & Me: ‘I launched two businesses in one year with no investment’


Deepthi Nair
  • English
  • Arabic

Hollie Briant remembers moving to Dubai from Surrey in the UK in 2014, four days after graduating in retail management and textile design.

She began her career working in visual merchandising for cosmetics brand Huda Beauty.

“I always had an entrepreneurial head and had a wake-up call when I lost my dad to cancer four years ago,” says Ms Briant, 32.

“I realised life’s too short and started my business last year. Now, I've got two.”

Her first venture is You&I Bridal Boutique, an international, luxury designer bridal boutique in Dubai Media City.

She noticed a market gap in bridal dresses for foreign residents in Dubai.

Ms Briant drew on her experience working as a bridal stylist in the UK and made a profit in her first year of operations – where 100 brides said “Yes to the Dress!”

She cites bringing seven exclusive designers to the Middle East as her biggest achievement.

Ms Briant launched her second business, a hen party e-commerce website called Dazed and Engaged, in April, with her business partner, Amelia Smith.

She lives on Palm Jumeirah in Dubai with her husband, a marketing professional from South Africa.

In her spare time, Ms Briant hosts a podcast called The People of Dubai, where she interviews residents from different walks of life.

She enjoys early morning walks with a cup of tea and listening to music, date nights with her husband and exploring new restaurants. She also loves travelling, listening to audio books as well as hosting guests and friends at home.

Did wealth feature in your childhood? What did you learn from it?

My dad had his own property business. I was taught to never forget the value of a pound and always taught to save for a rainy day. I got paid less than £5 ($6.4) an hour for my first job. When I looked at stuff to buy, I always connected it to the number of hours I had to work.

We never discussed money. I never asked anyone how much they paid for something. I think it's something very private. The wealthiest people don't discuss their wealth. But we always talked about valuing and respecting money.

Hollie Briant says her best investments have been her first property in Dubai and training courses to upskill herself. Antonie Robertson / The National
Hollie Briant says her best investments have been her first property in Dubai and training courses to upskill herself. Antonie Robertson / The National

How did you first earn?

I started off cleaning a bridal shop and steaming the dresses. However, I just put myself out there and started interacting with customers. The manager saw sales coming in and noticed the way I was communicating.

I got promoted to a bridal stylist. That's how I learnt the ropes of the industry, to communicate and, most importantly, the foundation of selling.

Any early financial jolts?

I have never been in debt. My parents always taught me to pay off my credit card and not live beyond my means.

But when I was at university, I had to fend for myself. I had two jobs and it was a real wake-up call. That was the first time I was dropped in the deep end.

I was pretty much living by week by week. I wouldn't call it a setback. It was a learning.

How do you grow your wealth?

I have overseas investments. One thing I've learnt in the past five years is to use the exchange rate to your advantage.

I've been fortunate enough to own my first property in Dubai ... that's been a huge asset.

Are you a spender or a saver?

A bit of both. I always have saving in the back of my head. But in the first two years of being an entrepreneur, I've not been able to save much as I always put money into my businesses and been focusing on the numbers.

We track our finances and spending. Anyone can cut back and save but it's something we're doing more and more of. It comes in waves, especially living in an expensive city.

Have you been wise with money?

Being self-employed, you have to be wise with money. If not, you won't survive.

I've always saved, been mindful and done what I can to grow and not forget my worth.

Health and the freedom to travel are luxuries. Being able to travel and see the world is a luxury in itself and it educates you
Hollie Briant

What has been your best investment?

Buying my first property, especially for the price we paid versus what we would have paid as rent, it's allowed us to save. So, we've invested very well on that.

Another one is investing in myself. When you're in sales, you need to be in the right mindset. If you're in a negative mindset, it’s hard to deal with the challenges you face every day owning your businesses. If you're not investing in your mindset, the people around you, your sleep and quality time, that will have a huge impact on the financial numbers.

I don't believe there's a set textbook on selling, it is an art. You need to be able to read body language, listen, work with the customer’s budget and their emotions. I invest in growing those skills through training.

I'm very conscious of the people I have around me.

Any financial advice for your younger self?

Save for a rainy day. I remember when I was buying my property and simultaneously looking to set up certain things in business, I was falling a little bit short.

If I would have saved that amount five years ago, I would have had it. But if we had hindsight, we would be millionaires.

Any key financial milestones?

Launching two businesses with no investment in one year. My businesses are not consultancies, they involve a lot of investment in stock, rent, branding, with huge outgoings.

What luxuries are important to you?

Health and the freedom to travel are luxuries. Being able to travel and see the world is a luxury in itself and it educates you. I think it's one of the best degrees you can have.

What are your financial goals?

To try and double sales in You&I Bridal and Dazed and Engaged. Also, to have investments within the next few years to grow the business.

In five years, I also want my bridal boutique to become one of the market leaders in luxury and bespoke wedding dresses in the region.

How do you feel about money?

It can be a blessing and a curse. I've learnt to respect and appreciate it.

Money doesn't define what you are, but I love the feeling of earning, as it gives me a sense of independence.

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

W.
Wael Kfoury
(Rotana)

The specs

Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six

Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm

Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto

Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km

Price: From Dh796,600

On sale: now

Brief scores:

Manchester City 2

Gundogan 27', De Bruyne 85'

Crystal Palace 3

Schlupp 33', Townsend 35', Milivojevic 51' (pen)

Man of the Match: Andros Townsend (Crystal Palace)

Five famous companies founded by teens

There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:

  1. Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate. 
  2. Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc. 
  3. Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway. 
  4. Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
  5. Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima


Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650

Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder

Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm

Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
BRAZIL%20SQUAD
%3Cp%3EGoalkeepers%3A%20Alisson%2C%20Ederson%2C%20Weverton%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EDefenders%3A%20Dani%20Alves%2C%20Marquinhos%2C%20Thiago%20Silva%2C%20Eder%20Militao%20%2C%20Danilo%2C%20Alex%20Sandro%2C%20Alex%20Telles%2C%20Bremer.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EMidfielders%3A%20Casemiro%2C%20Fred%2C%20Fabinho%2C%20Bruno%20Guimaraes%2C%20Lucas%20Paqueta%2C%20Everton%20Ribeiro.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EForwards%3A%20Neymar%2C%20Vinicius%20Junior%2C%20Richarlison%2C%20Raphinha%2C%20Antony%2C%20Gabriel%20Jesus%2C%20Gabriel%20Martinelli%2C%20Pedro%2C%20Rodrygo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES

UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)

  • Saturday 15 January: UAE beat Canada by 49 runs 
  • Thursday 20 January: v England 
  • Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh 

UAE squad:

Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles
Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly,
Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya
Shetty, Kai Smith  

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Healthcare spending to double to $2.2 trillion rupees

Launched a 641billion-rupee federal health scheme

Allotted 200 billion rupees for the recapitalisation of state-run banks

Around 1.75 trillion rupees allotted for privatisation and stake sales in state-owned assets

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Updated: August 18, 2024, 7:42 AM`