Kelly Lundberg is a Scottish entrepreneur, author, and brand strategist who has spent more than two decades building her career in Dubai. Originally from Edinburgh, she moved to the UAE at 24 and embraced the city’s energy and opportunities. With no family or network in the region, she relied on determination and vision to make her mark. What began as a love for style and confidence led to the launch of the Middle East’s first personal shopping business, a bold step that laid the foundation for her future success.
For 15 years, Kelly styled clients from around the world, working with luxury fashion houses like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Harvey Nichols. Her career highlights included styling royalty and building relationships with global clients. Over time, she realized that her work was not only about fashion but also about the power of perception and personal branding. She noticed how her own brand grew alongside her business and began to see the importance of strategy, storytelling, and visibility. This insight inspired her to expand beyond fashion and create a new path in branding.
In 2021, Kelly founded Brand YOU Creators, a personal brand agency designed to help people move from hidden to seen. She describes her approach as “branding in between” – the transformation that happens in the spaces between who someone is and who they want to become. For her, branding is more than polished photos or profiles. It is about building confidence, amplifying authenticity, and showing up with impact. In 2024, she also published her second book, The Lemon: How to Elevate Your Personal Brand One Pip at a Time, which offered practical insights into strengthening personal identity.
Her journey has not been without challenges. Being the first to introduce personal shopping in the Middle East, and later personal branding as a service, meant she had to educate her audience from the start. Many people did not understand why they needed these services, so she became an educator before becoming a seller. This approach built trust and turned her early clients into loyal supporters. Entrepreneurship also brought the challenge of uncertainty, but she learned to treat unpredictability as freedom rather than fear. By diversifying her work, embracing innovation, and building relationships, she ensured her business remained strong through market changes.
One of her proudest achievements is launching her first business at 24 and building it into a career that has lasted more than two decades. Another highlight is publishing her books, especially since her English teacher once told her she was not good enough to study higher English. Presenting him with a copy of her book became a personal victory that reflected her resilience and belief in self-growth.
Looking ahead, Kelly believes personal branding will only grow in importance. As technology and AI shape the digital world, people will continue to seek authenticity and connection. She views AI as a collaboration tool that can handle technical work while humans focus on creativity and storytelling. She also sees companies placing more value on personal branding for their teams, knowing that when individuals thrive, businesses do too.
Kelly’s leadership style is based on leading by example and helping others feel empowered. She calls it “authentic authority” – being visible, consistent, and supportive while amplifying strengths without losing individuality. She prefers collaboration, working with clients to uncover their stories rather than applying a fixed formula.
Her advice to young professionals is to start early and not wait for permission. She believes personal branding begins with every interaction and action. She encourages people to embrace visibility, share their achievements, and position themselves as experts. Most importantly, she urges them to stay curious, evolve with opportunities, and never fear reinvention.
For the future, Kelly is excited about developing tools for teenagers to understand their digital footprints early and launching a personal brand accreditation that will create an industry standard for personal brand strategy. Through this initiative, she aims to continue empowering others to realise that what feels obvious to them can be truly remarkable to others, paving the way for scalability and growth. Whatever comes next, her vision remains the same: to help people go from hidden to seen while staying true to themselves.
Kelly Lundberg’s story is one of reinvention, innovation, and authentic leadership. From launching a business in a new city to becoming a respected voice in personal branding, she inspires others to step forward, embrace individuality, and create impact with confidence.