Money & Me: ‘Working from home with a newborn is a silver lining in this crisis’

Sophie Simpson is the founder and managing director of Atteline, a retail, wellness, design and consumer corporate public relations agency in Dubai. She started the company four years ago and clients include Careem, Aspinal of London, Gant, La Senza and Liverpool Football Club. The Briton, 32, who moved to the UAE eight years ago, lives in the Springs in Dubai with her husband and seven-week-old daughter.

How did your upbringing shape your attitude towards money?

I grew up in Bermuda from about age three, because my parents owned an insurance company there. It was a huge leap of faith for them to move to Bermuda [from the UK], which is one of the biggest insurance hubs in the world, and they seized an opportunity just at the moment when the market was starting to see a lot of traction.

It’s a very interesting place; it’s a British colony that works in US dollars and is just two hours away from New York. It’s a very understated place, considering how successful it’s been, and it has a beautiful community feel.

In terms of my mindset towards money, it was always very much centred around: ‘you must first and foremost have good values and fundamentally hard work pays off’. I grew up in a very entrepreneurial household and my parents owned the business together, which ended up going public and it was across the globe. So my upbringing definitely guided me to be very entrepreneurial and hardworking, but also with that I suppose comes some financial success.

One of the things my parents always said is: ‘if you can, be your own boss’. And here I am today.

How much did you get paid for your first job?

I got paid £16,000 (Dh72,473) a year and it was a PR job at an agency in London. That was my first proper job, when I was 21-22, just pretty much fresh out of uni. Before that, I worked for Vogue and the Sunday Times style magazine part-time to full-time until the end of university.

What led you to PR?

I studied fashion, with a course of fashion history and theory, at Central St Martin’s College of Art & Design in London. I, 100 per cent, wanted to go into fashion. I was very much into art and designing, and I followed my heart in that sense.

But when I got to my last year of university, I realised I don’t know if I want to go work for a designer; it’s a long, hard slog. That’s why I then hopped into editorial, as it still allowed me to be creative and gave me an opportunity to write, which I realised I loved so much. From there, I realised that PR was something I hadn’t really considered and that it would be a good fit.

Were your parents supportive of your career choices?

Extremely supportive. My father said, ‘don’t join insurance, it’s depressing’. They always guided us, but never pushed us into any role or career, as long as we were happy. My twin brother works in insurance here in Dubai; I’m the only one who escaped.

What brought you to the UAE?

I was working for La Perla in London and I met a gentleman when I was doing New York Fashion Week who gave me the opportunity to consider the Middle East. It was already on my radar, I was already having conversations, I wanted to come. This is where people have money, where there are amazing new designers coming out. So I made the leap to Dubai to work for a start-up PR company.

Why did you set up your own company?

I got to a point where I thought, I now have a good enough idea of how I’d like to structure my company, I have enough understanding of the business and the industry to go forward. I thought, I’ve got to do it now while I don’t have children, I’m not married and I don’t have the financial responsibilities.

Do you consider yourself a saver or a spender?

A saver, 100 per cent. I just think you should always plan for the future. I’m very much into savings for future investments, be that a house or education or retirement. Ultimately, that may also make me a spender, but it’s all about planning ahead.

How do you invest?

When I first started working, my parents encouraged me to ‘make your money work for you’. They set up some stocks and shares accounts for me and educated me on that.

Do you use a financial adviser?

Yes, I do. I completely wholeheartedly believe in surrounding yourself with people who know more than you and you must find those people who you trust and be guided by them.

 

Read the full interview between Sophie Simpson, the Founder and Managing Director of Atteline and The National Newspaper on this link https://www.thenational.ae/business/money/money-me-working-from-home-with-a-newborn-is-a-silver-lining-in-this-crisis-1.1018990