A Step In The Right Direction
At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, on 5th August 2020, I boarded a plane out of Kenya – my home country – to the promising land of Dubai. My family was apprehensive but supported my decision to embark on a new career and a new life in the UAE.
Dubai welcomed me with a scorching temperature of about 35 degrees Celsius on the morning of 16th August 2020, the first indication that it was not going to be the rosy bed I imagined but a struggle for those who are strong at heart and resilient.
The tall skyscrapers, the fast-moving electric train, and the smooth flow of the traffic were all immediate awakening calls to me, telling me that everything here depended on one’s fast survival thinking.
Patrick, my friend, welcomed me like a brother and accommodated me in his apartment. He became my guardian, reminding me of my purpose here and the timeline to achieve the same – 3 months. I had to find a job within these three months or spend more money to extend my visa.
Turns out that three months were not enough.
After 4 months of intense job search and attending interviews, I was finally shortlisted and recruited by Emirates Leisure Retail (Costa Coffee), a leading coffee franchise in the UAE, as a Barista – a business I had no knowledge of. However, I had to accept the offer as it was my only option at that time.
I worked for costa coffee for a year and three months, climbing the ranks to the level of a store in charge which I considered to be an immense achievement.
However, life had other plans. As they say – God is always on time.
While I was working at the Costa outlet in the Dubai World Trade Center, I met a lady who was a regular customer who appreciated my customer-centric approach and dedication to work.
On one Friday, this lady came down to the outlet for a lunch break and wanted a sandwich. Since it was past the usual lunch hours, there were only a few sandwiches left.
On the shelves, we had this particular vegan sandwich which was among the most expensive sandwiches in our stores. Since we didn’t have her favorite sandwich, she was reluctant to order this particular sandwich. I went out of my way and convinced her to give it a try since I was upselling and I needed to close the sale.
When I went to serve her lunch and coffee, she asked me about my level of education. To me, when someone asks that question, the answer is just on the tip of my tongue. I gave her a straight-to-the-point answer and told her that I had a bachelor’s degree.
Then she asked me what field I had a bachelor’s in. I answered, “Maám, it’s in Banking and Finance”.
Within a few weeks, she offered me a position in Client Servicing with Xanara Investment Management, an investment management firm. Turns out, this lady was none other than the founder of Xanara Advisors, Jyoti Iyer.
I later came to learn that she hired me because she was impressed with my ability to sell her a sandwich that was good but was not moving because it was expensive. I learned that day that whatever assignment or job you do, you must do it wholeheartedly and to the best of your ability and you will be successful in life.