The Sassiest Mama: Meredith Damouni

 Meredith is one of our Sassiest Mamas 2016…

An Australian mama of 4 (yes, 4! – Wolfgang aged 14, Leila aged 11, Ryder aged 3 and Renzo aged 1), Meredith clearly has family life sorted – balancing her brood with apparent effortless ease and still seeming to have plenty of time for fun! And then there’s her work. As CCO of Capital D Group and Editorial Director of online magazine D-Journal, this mama has many strings to her bow, supporting her fashion photographer husband with the launch of his business and growing her fashion background into one of the most successful production houses and creative agencies in Dubai. In her spare time she loves to spend time at Desert Palm, her guilty pleasures include the Gorgonzola Gnocchi at Cipriani and as a child she dreamed of being a teacher – or a singer.

Tell us about your businesses and why you started them.

My husband is a fashion photographer and when we moved from Sydney he was so frustrated with the standard of studios and equipment rental in Dubai. The idea for Capital D blossomed and we were lucky enough to make it reality in 2008. I left my job as Fashion and Beauty Director at Motivate Publishing and came to work with him at Capital D as Creative/Fashion Director for our clients and our in-house brands.

Our brands from there have all grown out of needs and passions. Each has started with a spark and a natural flow of ideas to service a client base who were asking us to supply that particular service.

What kind of cake would you order for your birthday?

Hmmmm, either something healthy …. a non-fat, gluten-free Chia Pudding or something that I thought my family would like … a Mille-feuille.

If we handed you a concert ticket, who would you wish it was for?

LOL either Gypsy Kings or Enrique Iglesias. I think I may be part Latino.

What colour do you wear the most?

Black, white and neutrals for work and colourful bohemian style for the weekend.

When did you last cry?

Hahaha, last night, with laughter, watching the movie, Masterminds.

What’s the best thing you can cook?

Risotto and more recently Arabic food!

Where do you get your hair done?

Jet Set

What do you feel have been your biggest achievements both in your personal life and career so far?

Wow! It’s hard to say as I really enjoy every little success every day and try to work on myself to become stronger and more powerful as a positive soul in this world. I like to think I am able to do many things without getting too stressed so I regard this as a major success as it allows me to make the most of the time I have with my kids without being distracted. Ayaad and I have had so many great milestones with our business turning it from a team of 3 to a team 35 with over 60 talent represented and partnerships globally. But deciding to have two more children after an Eight year gap is, for me, a great achievement, particularly as there was a time when I was told it would be extremely unlikely that I would be able to have a child at all.

As a child, what did you dream of being when you ‘grew up’?!

A teacher or a singer – random. Later I started a Law degree before switching to Design. I’m not sure if I’m ‘grown up’ yet …

If you had 3 wishes, what would they be?

That everyone in this planet learned to love themselves for who they are and get on with what they are meant to be doing released from fear and inhibitions.

The end of world hunger and the abuse of children (so ridiculous in this day and age with all the incredible minds, science, charity and leadership we have on this planet, not to mention all the resources and wastage).

More travel in my life – it frees the mind.

What does being a Sassy Mama mean to you?

To me ‘sassy’ is the perfect balance of having attitude and gusto combined with an appealing personality that lets one get away with just about anything 😉

Guilty pleasure?

Caviar and bubbles with my hubby …. oh and the Gorgonzola Gnocchi at Cipriani …. very guilty!

Tell us about a typical day?

Get up at 6am. Get the kids off to to school. Play with the baby. Head to the office. Meetings. Events. Shoots. Interviews. Strategy meeting. Client briefing. Brainstorming. Management meeting. Dinner with my husband and kids. Something with friends. Make sure everyone is asleep. Sleep. Repeat!

Honestly I don’t really have a typical day – I have some structure over a monthly cycle but I’m working on many projects so 24 hours is not enough to form a routine!

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given in your personal life and career?

Enjoy the small steps in between.

What do you most enjoy doing as a family in Dubai?

We love going to the beach and also spending time at Desert Palm. My husband is a polo member and my son is also starting to play.

If you were on an island and could bring only 3 things (family not included) what would they be?

I hope I’m in the Maldives!

Sunblock, the perfect bikini and a towel. LOL

Describe your style?

Uncomplicated but not ‘comfortable’.

Tell us something funny that your kids have said or done?

The other day our three year old referred to the fact his father’s beard was scratching his face; “You’re hurting my Ryder!”

How do you juggle work and family?

With balance and a firm understanding of reality.

A huge thank you to Monica Chindalia for the beautiful pictures of Meredith and her family.
To book a photoshoot visit facebook/monicachindaliaphotography