This week, we speak with Persheng Babaheidari, Founder of BY BANOO, a brand that creates work bags for women, who aim to pursue their career goals.

Welcome to the Emirates Woman weekly series ‘How I got my job as…’ where we speak to some incredible 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.

The brand was founded from the lack of chic and functional work accessories, designed with the businesswoman in mind. The core mission to create the optimal work bags and accessories for the modern careerist.

To delve into her journey, Emirates Woman sat down with Babaheidari to see how it all began.

What was your favourite subject at school?

I’ve always loved math and language. Math because it was never-ending problem solving which was great for my curious mind. Language because I’ve always found it easy with grammar, spelling and could focus on more complex tasks such as writing articles, debate and public speaking.

What was your first job?

My very first job was as a gymnastics teacher for 8 year olds. I was only 14 years (double their age) when I started, and my salary was 3 GBP/hour. My first professional job after finishing my university degree was as a management consultant.

What brought you to Dubai?

Having heritage from the Middle East (my parents are from Iran), I have watched Dubai from far growing to what it is today, and it’s a truly fascinating place with a lot of talent and potential. We’re also happy to have many BY BANOO customers in Dubai.

What inspired you to enter the fashion industry and launch BY BANOO?

I started my career within management consulting. On my very first day, I reflected on how difficult it is to find a work bag that’s elegant yet functional. I’ve always loved fashion and love to dress up, so not finding a suitable work bag bothered me. In fact, all my female colleagues were struggling, while our male colleagues wore their briefcases to work. After some time, I decided to design what I’ve been wanting, which resulted in launching By Banoo with my sister.

Talk us through the concept?

We’re a brand specialising in functional and stylish work accessories for businesswomen, with a special focus on work bags. All our work bags have a padded laptop pocket, several pockets for easier organization and a luggage strap to easily put your bag on to a suitcase. Every small detail has been worked through to make sure it’s the best work bag. We work with Italian leather and suede and produce them in small family-owned factories in northern Portugal, to ensure quality in every step. We have several work bag models to ensure every woman finds their perfect match, but we also have a travel bag collection, accessories and after work bags. One of our most popular accessories is our Cable Pocket, which is an organizer for your tech cables.

What are the key elements of your role?

I’m the CEO and Designer of our products. It is my responsibility to develop our collection with creative and functional designs, as well as run the overall operations with focus on growth, finance, and logistics.

Talk us through your daily routine.

My workdays are different but I’m keen on starting and ending my days the same way, as well as utilizing when I’m the most productive to do certain tasks. I’m a morning person, so it’s important to me to start the day early, and I need to have some time for myself before heading to the office, ideally 1-1,5 hours. In that time, I drink my coffee while getting ready, eating breakfast while watching the local morning show and set the intentions for the day. In the evening, I wind down by not using my phone the last hour before going to bed, and most importantly, I don’t sleep with my phone in the same room. Sleep is very important, and I’ve found that this is the best way for me to get quality sleep. In terms of the actual work, I start the day with the most intense and sometimes boring work, because in the morning when I have the most energy, I will be the most efficient in doing those tasks. Running a company means that I have a million things on my to-do list, and I’ve found that the most efficient way is to focus on 2-3 areas per day in order to ensure I’m moving forward.

What advice do you have for anyone looking to follow in the same footsteps?

It sounds cliché but just do it. Nothing will happen if you don’t start. The best way to start is by doing the part you like. For me, it was by designing my dream work bag. You don’t need to know designer tools; I designed mine in PowerPoint and it worked out fine. Also, remember you don’t need to quit your job to start building your dream, you can do it on the side, meaning you’re not taking any risk. Once you get more invested into your idea, you will naturally work more on it until you’re ready to resign from your job to continue full-time. It took me three years from sketching to resigning. Remember that this is your life, and you’re capable of living the life you want once you start taking action.

Tell us more about the pieces?

Our products are luxury work bags designed to be both elegant and highly functional, because we couldn’t find both in one. Each piece is handcrafted in Portugal using premium Italian leather, with features like a padded laptop compartment, luggage strap, and smart internal layout. It’s everything you need in a work bag, wrapped in a timeless, stylish design.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

That your thoughts lead to feelings, your feelings lead to action, and action leads to results. If you’re not happy with what your life is resulting in, look at your thoughts. It’s so easy to downplay ourselves and think that we can’t do it, but if we think these thoughts, it won’t take us anywhere.

And what is the worst?

I don’t think that I’ve received bad advice in that sense. Most people mean well. It’s more that people are so opinionated and that they know what’s best for your business. I would say that the worst advise comes from people who haven’t built or experienced what you’re doing, because how could they know? At the end of the day, it’s good to listen to people, but only you know what’s good for you and your business.

What’s the biggest challenge you have had to overcome?

I’ve overcome many challenges in my life, and they keep coming, that’s what it’s like to build a business. My biggest challenge was going from having an idea of a brand to fully executing it, and not knowing all the pitfalls along the way.

What’s lies ahead for the brand?

Growth. We want more women to know about our brand. When new women discover us, they always say “I’ve been searching forever for the perfect work bag and finally I found it”. We’re so grateful to have thousands of women purchasing from us worldwide, and we want to continue the journey of building a global work bag brand for women.

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