NAME: Nikki Martin
INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @palmlivingae
JOB TITLE: Managing Director of the Palm Living Group
Nikki is a serial entrepreneur and proud Dubai resident of over 10 years. Today Nikki is the Managing Director of Palm Living Interiors, a Dubai-based interior design company. With a love for interiors and a background in fashion, together with her business partner Karen she has grown Palm Living Interiors from a small owner-run business to a team of 80+ amazing people in just five years.
Nikki is all about building something special, and she is determined to continue the success at Palm Living, one of the UAE’s leading interior design and furniture manufacturing businesses.
When Nikki is not working, you’ll find her spending quality time with her kids and family, always squeezing in a holiday to unwind and have some fun!
Today Nikki shares with us her biggest life learnings to-date:
#LIFELESSON – 1 - Get comfortable being uncomfortable!
Let’s be honest—no one loves the unknown. As an entrepreneur, you’ll hit different stages throughout your career, each with its own challenges. In the beginning, that fear of failure is always there, but the excitement of growing the team and seeing the revenue increase quickly pushes that fear aside. The determination to make your ideas a success has to shine through!
As your company grows, the responsibility of hiring staff and managing more showrooms and factories can be a serious pressure. It’s stressful and, honestly, really uncomfortable at times. But I remind myself of the thrill that comes with helping the team with their personal goals, or the rush of winning a new client, and the immense pride when our team delivers the perfect home to one of our clients. It’s all worth it.
#LIFELESSON – 2 - Urgency is Your Superpower
Time is the killer of all deals. We’ve all learned this the hard way, right? Similar to the first lesson, getting uncomfortable is part of this journey too. I’m all about pushing myself to not wait for tomorrow but to make today count. I get it done, and I get it done now.
Every evening, I set my to-do list for the following day and don’t stop until I’ve ticked off everything—Team calls, accounts meeting, you name it. I make sure that every day, I’m moving forward toward both my personal goals and the company’s vision.
Urgency is my superpower. Don’t wait for things to happen—be proactive with your time! If you want to make an impact and make it now!
#LIFELESSON – 3 - Remember the 'why'
It’s easy to lose sight of your 'why'—whether you're running a big or small business, it’s something we can all forget along the way. For me, my 'why' is all about building a better future for myself and my family. I work hard, sometimes long hours, but seeing my children grow and develop their own personalities is what keeps me going.
When they come to the showroom and proudly call it "Mummy’s shop," it fills me with so much pride. It reminds me of how far we’ve come and motivates me to keep building a company they can be proud of, too.
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