Sharon Missah is the marketing and communications lead for Clyde & Co in Dubai. She is also the founder and host of the podcast platform Let’s Talk DXB.
An experienced communicator, Sharon created Let’s Talk DXB to encourage honest and open conversations around divorce, depression, job loss and so much more. It is where she and her guests address real Dubai life.
Sharon Missah tells The Professionals about her other life.
Introduce yourself and your day job?
I am Sharon, a marketing, media, and communications expert with over 15 years of experience creating digital content, marketing strategies, and multi-channel campaigns for different professional services firms and audiences across the UK, the Middle East, and Africa.
In my day job, I am a marketing and communications lead for one of the largest international law firms in the Middle East and Africa, which entails supporting the firm’s external market profile across various initiatives such as digital marketing, campaigns, public relations, brand awareness and events across nine markets. My role is diverse, and every day is different.
I am fortunate enough to work with and learn from various professionals. I believe in diversity of thought and collaboration, and I bring this into how I work with the team. Each person’s view should be shared to allow us to find the most creative and successful ideas and output.
Home for me is Dubai, where, over my ten years, I have had the opportunity to see the city grow and transform, more specifically, the creative and digital marketing industry – which is dynamic and ever-changing.
I cannot introduce myself without also mentioning one of my most significant roles and titles. I am a mother raising an energetic 4-year-old boy. He constantly teaches me the art of patience, the beauty of creativity, and the innocence of dreaming big with no fear or limitations – which also encouraged me to challenge myself outside of my day job and start my ‘other life’.
And tell us about your ‘other life’?
During early mornings (before school drop off and work), evenings, and weekends, I am the founder and host of Let’s Talk DXB (a separate project from my main corporate role).
Let’s Talk DXB is a bold and creative communications platform providing digital content that addresses various topics with professionals across a number of industries.
Having led the marketing and communications for some of the largest regional and international law firms, I have also used my experience and passion for digital content creation to address timely legal topics which have touched on areas such as:
· Employment law and unfair dismissal
· Diversity and representation within the legal industry
· Family law, i.e. custody and divorce
· Media law and the creative space
· Mental well-being in professional services
Beyond my goal of providing a platform that offers educational, authentic, and topical insights, I have always had a passion for creating a forum where we have more diversity of thought, representation, and inclusion. Since the launch of Let’s Talk DXB, I have been grateful to be able to profile a diverse range of experts, all sharing different perspectives, experiences, and valuable takeaways.
How did you come to start Let’s Talk DXB?
One of the best parts of my career is the range of people I have connected and collaborated with. Marketing is a very people-orientated role, and I quickly realised that I enjoy hearing about other people’s experiences, backgrounds and life journeys. I combined that with my love for content creation and started my passion project and communications platform – Let’s Talk DXB, where I get to create authentic, diverse and educational conversations/content.
I also started Let’s Talk DXB in a challenging season (from a personal perspective). During this time, I focused on what I enjoy, what I am good at, and what I want to spend my limited spare time doing (outside of work and parenting). The process of starting Let’s Talk DXB taught me that sometimes, the most challenging times (whether in your career or personal life) can also be the doorway to looking at life differently and exploring new things.
I also wanted to give back to the community and create a platform that provides free knowledge-based and constructive conversations and content – somewhere which provides relatable and insightful information on various topics and profiles a diverse range of people.
What impact have you had so far?
When asked this question, I like always to go back to my ‘why’. I started Let’s Talk DXB to challenge myself, but equally to give back and create informative content that others would find beneficial.
When I ask others for feedback on the value of Let’s Talk DXB for them, I am told that it is rare to find such a diverse platform providing relatable and more ‘human’ content. The insights and information are easily digestible, including the more technical and legal topics. Being able to use my passion and talents to help others makes the late nights worthwhile,
I mentioned earlier that diversity and representation are important to me. I have intentionally sought to create a diverse platform – there is so much value in learning from different perspectives and equally allowing the less represented to be heard. Through Let’s Talk DXB, my work has been recognised by Women Who Thrive Awards (a reputable award for women making an impact) for my contribution to diversity and inclusion in the Middle East.
Since the launch of the communications platform (May 2023), it has gained well over half a million views across all key digital platforms. I highlight this as it shows the value that people have found in the relatable, diverse and educational insights.
What are you hoping to achieve with Let’s Talk DXB and what is next?
The aim is to structure Let’s Talk DXB around three core pillars:
- Let’s Talk DXB conversations: Diverse knowledge-based conversations – digital content.
- Let’s Talk Live: Bespoke and curated community conversations and live events.
- Let’s Talk DXB community: Members-only additional resources and a forum to connect with peers and professionals.
What’s next? Growth and more collaboration.
As Let’s Talk DXB grows, I look forward to collaborating with other professionals and companies to provide more valuable insights and work with them on initiatives that would support the objectives of Let’s Talk DXB.
How do you juggle the day job and Let’s Talk DXB?
I get asked this a lot. Some days are better than others. For me, there is no magic formula. It is mainly being disciplined, having a good work ethic, and assessing the to-do list and priorities for the day.
Planning and flexibility – I plan ahead as much as possible. It doesn’t always go according to plan, and I have learned it is OK. It is part of life rather than stressing over last-minute changes.
Sacrifice – there are times when I may need to decline a social activity, commit an evening after work, take an annual leave day or dedicate a weekend to Let’s Talk DXB.
Early starts – I start my days a bit earlier so I can tick off one thing for Let’s Talk DXB before work begins.
Multitasking – this is something I picked up early on in my career and mastered even more when I became a mother. There are always so many moving parts to Let’s Talk DXB, and I am currently the only person covering all areas. So, multitasking is a must for me.
Downtime – I am also improving at juggling and adding downtime to my busy schedule. Finishing ‘work’ – whether it’s my day job or Let’s Talk DXB at a decent time. Taking time out of the week to recharge. That is also very important.
What advice would you have for other marketing and BD professionals who want to explore their other lives?
Work is a big part of our lives, but after 15 years in my career, I have realised that we are not our job titles and there is more to life than placing all of our identity in our work. Having a good work ethic, a passion for what you do and taking pride in your job is essential. However, it is equally important to explore and invest in your other interests and talents (if that is what you want to do).
You may enjoy specific aspects of your role that you want to upskill and do more of outside of the office. Or you may have completely separate interests and hobbies. Allowing yourself to balance your role and additional interests (outside of office hours) can make you feel more fulfilled, adding more strings to your bow.
Beyond enjoying the work I do for Let’s Talk DXB, I have professionally enhanced my digital marketing and content creation skills. My public speaking and interviewing techniques have advanced, and the freedom to create content I genuinely enjoy has fuelled my passion for learning to better myself.
Visit https://letstalkdxb.com/ to learn more.
