Cabin crew to branding queen: How Kelly Lundberg built her Dubai empire and wants you to do the same

Dubai: For someone who didn’t even know where Dubai was on the map two decades ago, Kelly has built an empire on hustle, reinvention, and relentless optimism.

From her early days as a cabin crew member with sky-high dreams to becoming a TEDx speaker, bestselling author, and a blazing personal brand expert, Kelly’s story is a masterclass in transformation and evolution.

As I told her during our chat, "You are truly the queen of reinventions, because ma'am, can you hustle!"

Nineteen years ago, she identified a gap in Dubai’s style scene and boldly pivoted from the skies to the streets—launching a personal styling business that not only catered to high-flyers and fashionistas but also shaped the very guidelines of events like the Dubai World Cup.

"We met when I had just started my styling business, so I had transitioned from being cabin crew... and thought, amazing, I want to start helping people that are visiting Dubai, that live in Dubai, with what they wear, how they show up."

But styling was just the beginning.

When a marketing team told her, “We want Kelly, not your agency,” she had an epiphany.

"The penny dropped... Kelly is a brand."

That moment sparked a deep dive into personal branding, and what followed was an entrepreneurial journey grounded in strategy, storytelling, and purpose.

"People buy from you. Whether you're an employee or a CEO, it’s your personal brand that inspires loyalty."

"There’s a common misconception that having a personal brand is all about you... It’s not the Kelly show. It’s not me, me, me, me, me... I share value. I don’t keep things in."

Whether she’s helping clients prep for TEDx talks, mentoring leaders on how to show up memorably, or running her virtual business from "cloud spaces," Kelly stays one step ahead—always evolving, always learning.

When I asked her what the most challenging part of reinventing yourself was, she didn’t hesitate: "Always knowing you can go back to that version of yourself if you don't like it. What if you never did that? And then you go into this life and you're like, this is so much better?"

Through breakups, business transitions, and bold career leaps, she’s proof that reinvention isn't just possible—it’s powerful. "I would always rather regret the things that I’ve done than the things I haven’t done," she told me. That mantra has seen her build a business, sell it, and start again—better and bolder each time.

She openly shares how 2016 marked a period of big personal and professional transition: "I went through a breakup, I had to move. But then I look back and go—this is so much better."

We met early in the morning for this chat, and I couldn’t help but ask if she was part of the 5am club. Her answer? "4:30 is painful enough," she said with a laugh. But behind the laughter lies serious discipline: "The key is the night before... if you want to be consistently early in the morning, you have to consistently go to bed in the evening. That is 9 o’clock."

"I love the gym, but the key to early mornings is the night before. I go to bed at 9pm. It’s discipline. Today in the lift, someone said, ‘You clean up good!’ because they only ever see me in my gym clothes."

She runs her business with the same clarity. Gone are the traditional office rentals; her team is global, her HQ is virtual. "I think one of the things you want to think about as you're growing a business is the fluidity... how quickly can you adapt?" Her remote team spans Spain, the UK, the US, and the Philippines. "They want to live where they want to live... and then the joy of being able to, hey, come and play table tennis—I don't need to find space in my office for the table tennis table."

Her insights into money were equally grounded and real. "I think I told myself I wasn't good at school, at maths... and with that, then I would always go, 'I can't do this.'" But that has changed. "I've got so obsessive — in a good way — about tracking results... what’s coming in, what’s going out, what content performs well, how many conversations close." Her new mantra: "Your personal investment into you will far more pay off, in my opinion, than any personal investment you put in stocks and shares."

And yes—style still matters. "I once wore trainers on stage… never again," she said. "Heels just make me feel a bit more confident to empower the room. Style is one of the seven pillars of personal branding."

It’s not just about clothes, though. As she explained: "It’s not just what you wear. It’s your voice. Your tone. Your presence."

"What I was doing through clients was helping them build their confidence through clothing... but it's also your tone, your voice, your email. That’s your personal brand."

"There weren’t networking groups like there are now. It was lonely. That’s why mentorship matters."

"I want to inspire a minimum of five people a day to just do one thing they might not have done."

Kelly’s journey is not just about professional milestones or perfectly curated moments. It’s about grit, evolution, and owning every version of herself. From those early days as cabin crew googling where Dubai was, to standing on stages inspiring others, she’s carved out a space that’s authentically hers. And who said success is linear?

And if there’s one thing Kelly Lundberg proves, it’s that you can build a brand, a business, and a beautiful life—one bold re-invention at a time.