There is no man as single as a married man in Dubai.

Um, we should gossip. We can gossip.

Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Thank you for having me.

You are absolutely right because even at work, when I talk to my colleagues, they always say the same things, like Anna, you are so brutally honest and you don't have a filter. You're like a kid. If you don't like, you don't like. If you like, you like. If you're feeling irritated, you're like, you are not fake. And I hear it from actually everyone and sometimes I'm like, maybe I need actually to count to ten, slow down, calculate my moves, what I say, how I do, but it's not in my nature so I'm just always like this. I've been always like this.

My name is Anna, I'm from Moscow originally and I've been living in Dubai since 2020. I came here just one month before COVID happened. And also I'm a founder of a plug staffing company. It's an event staffing company and we provide part-timers for various events in Dubai, in Abu Dhabi, Dubai.

Actually, I saw the gap in the market because it's lacking reliable professional staff and what we do is we connect businesses with reliable people, part-timers for different types of events. We provide hostesses, we provide event securities, waiters, waitresses, singers, musicians, yeah any kind of musicians, MCs, dancers, so all kind of part-time reliable staff we provide as plug staffing.

It's not even about parties, mostly we focus on expos, because when they do different types of expos, they always need reliable staff who come on time, leave on time, who do their job properly. Yes, so mostly for expos.

Yes. I am the CEO and she is the COO. So we are doing it together building the company from the ground together.

I think it's been always in me because I grew up in a family of entrepreneurs. And my parents they left their full-time job long time ago when I was a kid, when me and my sister were kids, and they started their own business. They had flower shops, then they did another business, we had a couple of stores selling Italian underwear. So and my parents they never worked for anyone as far as I remember. And yeah, I think I got it from them, yeah that kind of mindset that just go for it, try, start small, grow, just try and do what's gonna happen.

It's not easy to run your own business and of course you're gonna go through different type of obstacles but it's it's a beauty on it because you learn through it. And it's funny when people come to you asking for advice, now at this point I would love to give, but I always say I think you should do it on your own and I can't just really tell you how it works. Also because every business is different, right? Right, even the same business people ask, I'm like well you can do it on your own and go through all of this on your own because I can't tell you how I did it. I was learning on my own from scratch so I can't even really tell you.

It's a it's a hard question. For me, I don't know, when you do any kind of business it's about people. And it's about building connection and building trust. So I guess success to me, the more people trust me, the more successful I become. I don't know really, this is a hard question right? It's a hard question. What is success? I mean I guess I guess success is that you are reliable business provider, service provider, and more people trust you, the more successful you become because this is all about your reputation in the market. I think yes, of course, I don't know if you measure success with money. Some people do, right? But you can build a company and make the money but how do you make those money? What kind of like some people doing all kind of business and I'm doing like honest business and for me I'm building relationships with people because I want them to trust me. The more people trust me the more successful I become and this is successful. Yeah.

I've been doing... you know it's funny, it's funny you asking me this but I never really thought that it's such a big deal. Because to me it's like, like air I breathe, it's natural. And I always help, I never really talk about that, I give charity, like some clothes I bring to the to the charity. But I believe you need to give 10 to 20% out of your income to charity because you are blessed, you are making money so you are blessed to receive this amount of money and you can bless other people as well, maybe who is less fortunate than you.

Yeah, I did. Yeah I had situations like this.

Maybe I'm bad with money! But I'm sure my friends gonna watch this but I don't know why but many of my close friends come to me when they need help. And I feel it's like a good sign as well because they feel like okay Anna is the one who can help me. But anyway, I don't know, I've been always like this. Since a child, since being a kid, teenager, always wanna give, give, give. It's not even money at like when I was a kid or teenager, which money? I didn't have any money. But I would give my last like sharing a food or giving some clothes or I know I don't know, it's like how you call it love languages they have? Act of service? Yeah.

I have... I don't know, it's not a... it's something if if it resonates with my spirit, my intuition is telling me okay this is it, I do it. So there is no like specific topic you are... because some people say they are giving to cancer charity, others are supporting uh I don't know single mothers, others are, you know like... Actually I do support in Indonesia there is a orphanage how you call it house place. So I do support them because those kids growing up without parents so I support this organization. Then in Nigeria something going on they persecute Christians and I also support that organization that helps them. And also there is a place here I'm not gonna call names but they also you can donate clothes and that clothes go also to the kids around the globe who has no parents, orphanage. So mostly I would say for kids right.

I just made this one permanent post and that's it. But of course I don't post a lot of things that I'm doing and yeah.

No but of course I encourage my friends if they ask me I'm like okay let's do this let's do that you can help someone yeah that's good.

I am I am very single. I have no situationship that I'm involved into, no toxic relationship, I'm single. I'm in a season of singleness.

We should gossip. We can gossip. It's a joke, it's true because not even single, being not they sell it differently no? For example they say like oh he doesn't text me you know and stuff like this but then you meet someone and he actually married and he has all the time and text you and not busy but it's okay it's different. Okay so...

Well... Well well well...

I think dating in Dubai is interesting because everyone come from different backgrounds different culture different expectations they have, experiences. I think it's interesting. But in the same time I think in Dubai everyone using apps, dating apps. And it gives them illusion that there is always someone better. Just like one swipe away and I have more options I have more options. I say maybe maybe it's not even in Dubai because of this dating apps people just swiping swiping swiping and can't stop and they have an illusion of having all this multiply options. But dating in Dubai maybe it's hard as we all expats coming here and we coming here to work and everyone hustle and bustle.

Right. But also I think dating in Dubai it's difficult as well because people come here for some certain period of time. It's like a transit zone. They come and go so okay. Then others they just come and get so busy and tired they don't even want to go anywhere. But it's also interesting, it's true as you said, there are so many men pretending to be single, but they actually in a relationship, they have a whole wife or a girlfriend that they live with in the house. But they in those dating apps, lying to those other ladies, taking them on different dates and they're like living a double life.

Well, I'm a girls girl. No, I think we can talk about females as well. Women can be promiscuous and can also feel the like oh I need some adventure or yeah.

But yeah, it's kind of sad if you think about that.

Actually no. I would not want to know... You know, not telling something is not lying I feel.

If you agreed on something. Like for it's not for me. I'm a one woman's man and I need that also one man's woman like yeah... I don't do all this different energies exchanges.

Yeah by the way I'm 40. Did you have birthday? Yeah 19th of March. I turned 40.

Really?

Congratulations! Happy belated birthday!

Because the older men they prefer the younger women probably. I guess we got to that age that we attract younger men who wants more mature woman because who've seen it all.

Yeah, that's actually that's the thing because we are not needy, we have our things going on now. We past that stage of being needy and like, yeah yeah, now we're like we have our things going on, we don't really we care but we don't really care. If you respond, if you don't respond, yeah we're not gonna be controlling like we're not controlling.

Yeah, it's interesting because when I was younger I was attracting more older men. Yes, same, same thing. Now that I'm getting older, and I don't know how it happens still because in my head I'm still 21. But now I see for some reasons I start attracting younger men. Same. It's so weird. But I like it. I love it. No, I don't like it, I love it. You love it. Yeah, I love it. I love the attention. Of course. I'm being honest, I love the attention. It gave me a lot of confidence, you know.

The biggest red flag I have couple of those red flags. So the first one, love bombing. In the beginning extremely consistent and then somehow getting busy inconsistent, red flag. Yeah. If you don't know what you want, don't even try. Why would you play with someone's heart and feelings? So another red flag I would say only texting at night. Yeah I mean like at 10, 11, I'm working whole day, I'm busy. Then I don't hear from you the whole day and then 10, 11 hey what's up what are you doing? Yeah. Hmm this is a red flag. And many men younger men or older men they do that. Yeah why do you think that they do that? You know I think they are testing the water, how far they can go because some woman might entertain such men and such things and they see okay if she entertain me at night maybe you know... That's an interesting thing. Yeah I think like this. That's a good theory actually. Because he is bored 10 11 pm whatever he is doing in his crib at night, he's like let me text Vanessa, Anastasia, Monica let me see who's gonna respond and maybe when she respond to me and we gonna establish some sort of connection conversation maybe I can tell her by the way come and chill we should be maybe talking at my couch or watch some movie together. So this is a red flag. Another red flag I would say never make plans like taking you on proper dates like maybe you can have a first date but then for one, two, three weeks the chats still in like you still in this box like chatting and you don't go outside of that chat so the guy is not making any plans and is just. He's just keeping you warm. Just breadcrumbing like like a pen pal. You became becoming like a pen pal. And I feel they do it's a red flag but they do it to keep you like around whenever. Yes. In case they need you. In case in case. Oh my god yeah that's so true.

I think this is crazy to me wanting intimacy physical intimacy with you before even building any emotional connection just anything they just want you. I mean okay we are human beings but still the spirit of lust is too strong I guess.

Yeah yeah okay. I'm just saying about my red flags. There are women who are fine with that. Okay let's go. Let's have fun. And yeah I think those are the red flags and mixed signals. Also mixed signals.

My sister's name is Kate, Katrina. And she is five minutes older. I think that's the most asked question who is older and can you read minds each other's minds. Okay. No we can't. It's just two different human beings. But I think it's a blessing. I have forever a best friend till day one and it's truly a blessing even now in Dubai, we live together and we even work together. And we doing life together. Of course we had moments when I live abroad somewhere and she live abroad or we had relationships and we've been not together, we've been separated, but we always I don't know, we have that bond that now we are together but we have that strong bond like it's my best friend for life I can gossip with her about everything and we know each other's stories that nobody knows. I love that. I think it's cool, it's cool, it's a I think you know sometimes me and her we are like deep thinkers and philosophers. We're like how it would be if the whole world would have a twin? You have a twin I have a twin like every single person on earth would have a twin.

Even siblings fights. Yeah.

I mean we do, of course, we have disagreements. We fight. Yeah, we do. Because she is more chilled, more like introverted I would say that. Okay. And I'm more like outgoing.

Yeah you know, as we joke like I kicked her out of mom mom's womb to check it out how it's going then yeah. No but so you your personalities are not similar would you say?

I think we've done this with grandparents. Okay. Yeah we had similar clothes growing up. Mom would dress us same. Okay. Now of course we have different style but sometimes I take her clothes sometimes she take mine. That's so cool to have someone you can borrow clothes and do they also have the same shoe size? Same shoe shoe size as well. That's so cool. Oh my god. Sometimes she might take my shoe and break it I would be upset or I would do that.

You know we do understand each other with no explanations like no need any explanations. Um but you know it's a good question like sometimes I could say yes but sometimes you also meet different people through life you meet people that got close to you your best friends. Of course my best friends for life is my sister but I do meet people she meet like you get close to this kind of person they also understand you and you understand them even you didn't grow up together not like they also becoming part of your life like family to you like I have girls who became my friends and now they're more like friends they're like my sisters.

Um I don't know, I don't think so. Yeah? I don't think so. We're just getting old together. We're just getting old together.

Absolutely yes. Yes? Okay so she knows exactly. Actually when I used to I used to have a dating app, I don't have dating apps right now, I think it's waste of time for now, I'm like taking a break. But when I had dating app and she had dating app, uh we would she would connect match with the same guy for example I went on a date with. And I would talk I was like oh my god that's so funny. But did the guy know he must have known? And and and I had situations where I would text the guy saying hey what's up how are you doing? Oh didn't you just match with someone who looks like me? Actually it's my sister. Oh wow like yeah I had situate that's very weird. Yeah. Oh you guys doesn't even look alike. Maybe there are guys who think like okay I didn't like her I will try her twin sister. She looks the same but maybe she's different you know? You know that's the thing about dating in Dubai. They don't even know they don't even care the face for them like they're just swiping okay connecting with this one maybe didn't go on a date yet but had connection moved to chat from dating app to the chat but they don't even remember anything they just keep swiping that's so true while talking to you so then I realized they don't really care they don't even pay attention how you look like. Oh my god. Okay but that's funny.

There is no one else. That's what you say. That's why I sometimes feel a little bad for children who like who don't have siblings, for people who don't have siblings because I feel this is such such a special thing to have. And no matter if how many years you are apart or because me and my sister when we were teenagers we were fighting all the time. So only when we were adults we built this very strong connection.

No. But she has a partner. Oh that's nice. Okay. But I think I agree with you because um it's it's forever your bestie. Yeah. And and sometimes when I think about things like how life can be... And I and yesterday on Instagram I saw a very interesting reel and I wanted to talk about this here because this is something that I'm sure you can relate to. So they were asking if you are in a coma and you wake up with no memory, which person would you trust to tell you who you are so you remember? And for me this would be my sister 100%.

It's a very interesting question but um but yeah for me Kate and me even now that we live together in Dubai doing life together you know when when she is feeling down I'm there for her when I'm down she's there for me so we're like it's a balance balancing because like when you are here she's here like we're balanced each other and of course I'm helping her as much as I can she's helping me as much as she can. And you can pick each other up when there's yeah trouble. I can count on her.

We don't have anyone in this big world only me my sister and my parents. No but I mean could have been that you have like a brother or something. That would be fun right? Yeah I wish I have a brother. Yeah I always wanted to have an older brother who would drive me around in the car when I was a teenager! Really? That would have been so fun but unfortunately I didn't. For me I was only thinking I would love to have a brother who would school me on boys. So I would have more knowledge how guys are now that I learned my lessons through years and years and I would be like listening how guys are because I didn't have that. Yeah I didn't have that either because yeah you didn't have you have a sister. Yeah. How cool it would be to have a boy like a brother and then you hang out with him with his boys and you learn from the age yeah that would have been so cool like 12 14 16 20 you already know how guys are. Oh my god. I think we will never figure out how guys are. My son is 12 and he recently said to me he's playing like this Microsoft flight simulator and he said to me I know that I have so many hours already on this game I think I could land a plane in worst case. And then I said to him you know like playing game is maybe a little different than like flying the real thing but it's very realistic and he said to me but this is easier than figuring out women. Like he's 12 and he said that. Your son? Your son is 12 he say that? Yeah. And it was so funny to me. Wow. Yeah. It's so interesting he say landing a plane easier than understanding women. Well he is actually right probably. We should be mysterious. Yeah mysterious. They cannot figure us out. They should not. Never. Oh my god I love that.

Well thank you, thank you for having me. I was such a lovely time talking to you, such pleasure. And I think my closing message I would say whether it's business or dating, rules applies for both. The right people will make it feel easier. And also you shouldn't chase clients who don't value your work and you shouldn't chase people who don't value your time. And the right relationship whether professional or personal should be built on trust consistency and respect.

Thank you so much for having me. Thank you. Wonderful. Let's ask him to take picture for teaser. We will. Ah we will? Ah thank you I got so nervous.