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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Hi everyone, this is Manjusha Radhakrishnan, I'm the entertainment editor Gulf News.
00:14Today I have with me Nicole Rodriguez, she is the Dubai diva as I call it.
00:19We are at her home at the Palm Jumeirah.
00:21She calls herself the Queen of the Palm by the way, because she's lived here for a long
00:25time, she's worked here, she knows this posh area like the back of her hand.
00:30How does one get a home like this?
00:32You are a self-made entrepreneur, you've done so beautifully and you have a beautiful home
00:37as well and you have an eye for detail, but how does one make their first million?
00:42It's a small tiny step in the right direction.
00:45To be very honest, I never really sort of imagined I would be living this life.
00:51I just stayed focused, focused on working hard and ensuring that I was giving myself
00:58into serving others and that was it.
01:01You know, how could I serve, I mean, what was my purpose?
01:04You know, I wanted to create a platform that would be, that would, you know, create opportunities
01:08for talents in the region, that's how it all started, right?
01:11And I just wanted to pour all my energy into that because that's what I wanted and I wanted
01:15it with all my heart, soul, mind, body, the whole nine yards.
01:20So that I could create a safe space for like young girls and women to be able to also,
01:24you know, get into the media space and sort of like clean that and more structure that
01:27sort of like platform and I guess, I guess, I guess just life just takes you where it
01:34takes you.
01:35Really?
01:36You know, I think that, you know, if I were to say that I was actually chasing, I mean,
01:40okay, I wouldn't say that I was, I mean, I'm also very responsible, so I also am very clear
01:45that, you know, your finances are your heart of your business or your, your, your life
01:49for that matter and always ensure that you treat it well and, you know, you always, you
01:53know, work on your finances, create your projections, do your expenses, you know, set targets, goals,
02:01you know, understand how to maximize your, your sort of, you know, investments, things
02:07like that.
02:08But I don't think that, that, that was my sort of focus, that was just something that
02:13needed to get done for the journey.
02:15Right.
02:16And I think that, that I think the money just comes, money is just the award and, you know,
02:22the awards that we sort of get after but journey is setting your purpose right.
02:27Okay, brilliant and when you first came to Dubai, you are from Bombay, what were your
02:31first impressions of it and do you think Dubai really embraced you and, you know, helped
02:36you?
02:37So, I actually didn't come from Bombay because I was in Bahrain before that and then I was
02:40in Copenhagen in Denmark and I actually relocated here with my ex-husband 22 years ago.
02:46Okay.
02:47So, initially when I came to Dubai, I was not a big fan 22 years ago but I can tell
02:51you that, that Dubai is me and I am Dubai, you know, I connect with the energy of Dubai,
02:57she's, she's vibrant, she's alive, she's constantly growing, constantly changing, constantly evolving,
03:04she's generous, she's kind, she's, she's just epic.
03:10I love that.
03:11On that epic note, do give us a tour of your epic mansion because I have to tell you it's
03:17going to take some time and it's one of the most beautiful homes I've seen, it's brilliant,
03:21it's large and tastefully done.
03:23Thank you so much for inviting us into your mansion.
03:25Oh, thank you.
03:26It's been such a pleasure meeting you.