We recently connected with Laura Somma and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Laura thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
I have a long and successful background as event and wedding producer but there is a time in your life that what you are doing is simply not enough.
The concept for “Women Empowering Women” in Dubai emerged from my passion for creating events that not only celebrate life’s special moments but also foster positive change. As an event and wedding creator, I’ve always been inspired by the power of bringing people together to make a difference.
Dubai is a city known for its innovation and diversity, and I saw a unique opportunity to harness this energy to focus on women’s empowerment. The idea was born from observing the incredible strength and resilience of women in various communities and realizing that we could create a platform where they could support, inspire, and uplift each other. Women need to understand that only when we support each other, when we are united we can achieve everything.
I envisioned an event that would not only provide a space for meaningful connections but also offer resources, mentorship, and opportunities for women to share their stories and expertise. The goal was to craft an experience that would resonate deeply, inspire action, and create lasting impact. By leveraging the vibrant and dynamic environment of Dubai, we aimed to showcase the strength of women and encourage collective growth and empowerment.
In essence, “Women Empowering Women” is about creating a nurturing environment where women can come together to celebrate their achievements, confront challenges, and support one another in their personal and professional journeys.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I was born in Italy, and we are surrounded by beauty in every corner. Italy has always been full of tourists and I was fascinated by different languages and how words can create a bridge between people. I started to learn languages in the high school but my path forward was still unclear. I decided to go to Germany where I studied German literature, by chance, I was involved in a presentation of a famous automobile brand and from that moment literature became just a hobby.
The universe or, in my case God, will always find a way to drive to what is meant for you. Trust the journey, because every twist, turn or setback is leading you to when you are truly meant to be.
The love for beauty, creativity and the perfect organizational machine that, despite I didn’t study anything close to event organization , I was capable of bringing together was noticed in a short time frame. My planning experience was requested for events in Japan, United States, India, China, all Europe and Qatar where I worked for the Tribeca Doha Film Festival and the Brookings Doha centre.
In addition to the privilege of working for the royal family of Qatar, I organized weddings for Bollywood stars, Naomi Campbell’s birthday, and numerous private parties for Russian and American tycoons. Today I am a successful event & wedding producer and live in Cyprus where I still dedicate myself to organizing very exclusive parties and weddings, but my major focus now are two projects: empowering women start-ups and organizing charity events to support breast cancer awareness. When you reach your goals you do not want stop there! Focusing on helping others help me to continue to evolve.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
Funding my business as an event planner was indeed a significant risk. I invested all my savings from my previous employee job into launching the venture, which included purchasing computers, developing a professional website, and setting up the essential infrastructure. At one point, I was nearly out of funds, facing the possibility of financial strain.
Despite the initial challenges and the financial strain, I remained committed to my vision. Slowly but surely, clients began to come on board, and I started to see the fruits of my labor. Each new project and client was a step towards establishing my business and proving that my investment was worthwhile.
It was a leap of faith, but the journey taught me the value of perseverance and the rewards of following one’s passion. Fear is an inevitable companion when you are chasing something big, especially when it’s something personal. It creeps in every step, the fear of failure, fear of judgment, and sometimes even the fear of success itself. But fear is good! It’s a reminder that you are in uncharted territory, chasing something that many never dare to.
Today, I’m grateful for those risks and the opportunities fear created, allowing me to build a successful business in the event & wedding planning industry.
I am here now to help others to reach their destination, to remind them that the light is ahead!
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
Dreams must be pursued because if you don’t you are always left with a sense of something unfinished inside. And this I can say with absolute certainty. Too many times we let other people’s dreams take over from us. Your mother’s, your partner’s, someone close to you, but that’s never going to give us that sense of being accomplished people, of feeling like we’re where we want to be, it’s always going to give us a sense of discomfort. I was able to be of help to other people when I had achieved what I wanted, when I had achieved my goals, my dreams. When in the airplane you hear the famous phrase: “before you help others, put on your mask and start breathing”. This is the metaphor of life, if you want to help someone you must first help yourself ! This is what my project is for, to make it clear that first put yourself in the center and then help other people, but unfortunately we women, by nature, always try to help others first. Women should remember that only when you are truly comfortable with yourself, you can truly and fully offer support to others. Putting yourself at the center is not selfish, it’s necessary. Your happiness, your well-being, your growth is a priority. Cultivating the self love and self respect is my foremost concern and should be the priority of everywoman. Your life will flourish only when your well-being is at the center. Never feel bad for putting yourself the center , the way you treat yourself sets the standard for how others will treat you. Self love is the foundation of all kind of love.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.womenempoweringwomen.ae
- Instagram: womenempoweringwomen2024
- Facebook: womenempoweringwomen in Dubai