Natasha Golubeva, Managing Director, Maison de Fleurs

Multicultural entrepreneur Natasha Golubeva became the Managing Director of luxury florist Maison de Fleurs in 2015. Since taking on the venture in London, she has also become the Managing Director of Maison des Fleurs Dubai. With a background in events and hospitality, she plans to continue building her floral empire, specialising in fresh, faux and preserved flowers to suit everyone’s needs.

There will always be an element of risk in any business you start, develop or product you launch. But risk needs to be taken if you are to become and remain a game changer in the industry. Without it you and your brand get lost in an ever changing marketplace. And why shouldn’t we take risks? After all, as leaders and entrepreneurs in the luxury industry, I feel it is our duty to be pioneers, who continually create products to meet the needs and wants of our clients. We live in a world where each industry is saturated with options; but what sets a luxury brand apart from the others is the unique experience we tailor to each of our clients. This means taking more chances if we are to inspire and remain engaged with our client base. Every risk taken always needs a purpose. Whenever I am looking into a new idea or concept I always keep these two questions in mind: what is my inspiration and who is my audience? It is important to keep your focus at the centre of your ventures, as without it your brand authenticity risks being lost. I don’t like to sit back and wait for things to happen, I’ve always wanted to be the person that makes it happen. As entrepreneurs we always strive for excellence, and excellence is never achieved by those

unwilling to take risks.

Sometimes there can be many challenges along the way. Entrepreneurs are known for their creativity, being pioneers, visionaries, but being a great leader is not always the first thing that comes to mind. It can take time, practice and lots of patience. One of the biggest concerns of an entrepreneur is: “will my team be able to fully understand and realise my vision?” When you have an idea you want to grow, there is an urge to want to do it all by yourself and that’s when the art of delegation needs to come into play. Know your strengths and your weaknesses and learn how to manage them. A successful method I have found, is to build a team that has different and complementary skill-sets to yourself. Train and guide them as if the company were their own. I have found this to be very rewarding and supportive to the growth of the company and the team, as it allows creativity and ideas to flow easily. If, as entrepreneurs, we strive to bring new ideas and concepts to our clients, then we should apply the same dedication and focus to our working and leadership methods. If done correctly, you go from having an idea on

paper, to building a small business and eventually an empire, surrounded by a team who are as invested in the company growth as you are.