Life
This week, we speak to the Founder and CEO of Perowne International, Jules Perowne.
Welcome to the Emirates Woman weekly series ‘How I got my job as…’ where we speak to some incredible wellness, fashion and beauty entrepreneurs and businesswomen both based in the UAE and globally to find out about their career paths that led them to where they are now; what their daily routines look like; the advice they’d give to those starting out; and the hurdles they’ve had to overcome.
Based in London and New York, Perowne International collaborates with their world leading clients to create bespoke campaigns to meet their business specific needs through our experts in international media relations, sales, marketing, social media, digital marketing and consultancy.
Exceptional luxury brands deserve exceptional consultancy. With years of experience in the complex international luxury hotels and travel arena, Perowne International has made its mark in the industry.
To delve into her journey as an entrepreneur, spoke to her to see how she launched a successful agency.
What was your favourite subject at school?
History. I absolutely love the subject. I had an incredibly inspiring teacher when I was at school and it’s begun a lasting love for anything to do with the subject. It’s also invaluable to my job – because I can see a destination with a wider perspective; Understanding the background, culture, stories of the people and their political background.
What was your first job?
My first role was in PR. Unfortunately, I spent several months post-university interviewing for the Secret intelligence Service but didn’t get chosen. Then I fell into hospitality PR rather by mistake and instantly realised it was the place for me with the opportunity to travel and really get under the skin of a destination.
What inspired you to launch Perowne International?
I felt there was a gap in the market for a future-focused agency that did something different to the traditional PR companies out there. Everything seemed so stale and slow, and I wanted to do things differently; to rip up the rule book and forge a new path for hospitality communications and marketing.
What are the key elements of your role?
As CEO of Perowne International and its sister company, Navigator – a digital marketing and content business – my job is to be strategic, to be honest, to be creative and help my team deliver what I call ‘the magical 20 percent’ that helps our clients really stand out in the market. I love encouraging clients to be very individual, to think outside the box, and dare to be different. Oh, and to have fun.
Talk us through your daily routine.
I wish I had a set routine but alas, with my travel schedule, it’s very difficult to predict! When in London, I get up at 6am, do an hour of work, before waking my 3-year-old son, Freddie. I then spend a magical 45 minutes with him before heading to the office at 8am. Then, it’s a day of meetings – internal and external – usually a lunch or drinks meeting and team catch-ups. Some days I pack in 6 or 7 meetings in one place to catch up with lots of people one after another. Then I try and get home to do my son’s bath and bedtime before heading out to an event. Last year I did nearly 80 flights so you can imagine, I’m rarely sticking to this schedule! I’m on at least one long haul trip per month and every 8 weeks or so, I head to NYC to our office there to spend time with the team. I have a very strict travel routine especially when it comes to food and beauty routine. I always pre-order a healthy meal, never eat sugar onboard, immediately change as soon as I get on a long-haul flight so that I feel fresh on arrival and take out my contact lenses.
What are some of the services you provide to your clients?
Strategic consultancy to help our clients become the best they can be. That’s critically important. Communications – beyond the realm of traditional PR – this is about communicating with a range of different stakeholders, not just media. Connecting people – a vital part of our business. Word of mouth is such an important medium and I love creating a buzz about a place through brilliant influential glamorous people. Sales – we have a B2B sales team who are out in the market networking with travel agents, concierges, high-net-worth and family offices. They are sensational networkers.
What advice do you have for anyone looking to follow in the same footsteps?
Do as much work experience as you possibly can. Fill your CV with a range of jobs that ensure you know what you want to do. Our industry looks very appealing from the outside, but it’s not as glamorous as it seems, and work experience is essential. Also, reading. Knowledge is king. There is so much incredible travel content out there – my advice is to pick 10 to 15 brilliant travel journalists and read everything they say. Mark Ellwood, Mary Holland, Annie Fitzsimmons, Sophy Roberts, Ruaridh Nicoll, Sarah Turner, Susan d’Arcy, Jacqui Gifford and more.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received?
Seize any opportunity; go to as many events as possible, and always be open to meeting people. It will always lead to something valuable even if years in the future. I’ve met future clients in airports, on planes, at events, on safari, and beyond.
And what is the worst?
It’s not advice, but it’s certainly the worst decision I made. Going into business with a very difficult business partner. I knew from the start that it was the wrong decision, and I should have trusted my gut. Eventually I managed to get out of it, but it was a tough process. It ultimately made me stronger and more focused though.
What has been the biggest challenge you had to overcome?
Starting a business as a young woman. I was 30 when I started my own company. It was tough to be taken seriously at the start and I often used to pretend that I was older than I am. And, of course, the Pandemic. Which rocked the travel industry to its core. I had just decided to open an office in the US when Covid struck, and we lost a huge amount of money at the start. So, it was a double hit. But we got through it, we kept our team together and strong, and we came out of the pandemic stronger than ever.
What are your goals for the future?
We are aiming to expand Perowne further internationally with offices in other key markets such as Latin America and Australia. We may look too at the Middle East. We currently have offices in the UK, New York, and Milan. Also, a little more time to look after myself and spend more time with my son. I want to start to ride again and spend more time at my house in the countryside which grounds me and keeps me sane with all the travel!
