In 2014, Kushal Desai took a leap of faith and resigned from his cozy job in India to take a one-way ticket to Dubai where his Dad worked as a sales manager for 25 years. Like every other expat who lands in Dubai with a 3-month visit visa & crazy ambitions, for Kushal, this was a start to his journey in the city of dreams.
“Jobless for 5 months and about to head back to India”
But similar to the story of thousands of Dubai based expats, despite multiple interviews, nothing materialized during the first five months and he was about to head back to India & take his old job again. Just 10 days before his visa was expiring, he finally found a role at a mobile app development agency for a salary of AED 2,500 per month.
“Selling business directories door-to-door in Dubai Summers”
Sagar Chotrani, whose highly praised sales career in Dubai began with a role at Yellowpages, where he spent three years doing door-to-door sales in Al Quoz and DIP. Carrying 15 Kgs of Yellow pages books door to door in summer days was one of the memories he says which made him the person he is today. Sagar’s journey in sales started in Mumbai as a tele-caller responsible for calling American Markets.
How Kushal & Sagar met was mere destiny!
Both, Sagar & Kushal joined the same company in 2016 and 2017 respectively & within a span of few years, they managed to be the regional heads of their respective departments. Working together for years, they had perfect synergy and big ambitions. They complemented each others strengths.
Lovin Dubai spoke to these two friends, the founders of Publsh, a Dubai-based Media & Communications agency
Both men worked their way up in their career, starting in traditional 9-5 roles before overcoming fears, abandoning traditional employment and embracing entrepreneurship.
Publsh is a Dubai-based agency that’s redefining how brands connect with their audiences through a seamless blend of digital innovation, media strategy, and experiential marketing and this powerhouse has rapidly emerged as the trusted partner for over 85 clients in the last 2 years across diverse sectors, from education and real estate to Fin-Tech and hospitality, crafting stories that captivate and engage across all channels.
But how did it all start? In a city where everyone’s chasing the next big thing, it takes a bold move to stand out!
“A golden opportunity in a crowded market”
Back in 2020, when the world was facing a pandemic, these two saw a golden opportunity in a crowded market. With a huge number of companies launching every month in Dubai, they knew they had to think outside the box to make their mark. Sagar and Kushal weren’t just looking to start a business; they were on a mission. They wanted to enable startup, SME’s and ambitious entrepreneurs like them, to be able to reach their target audience leveraging the power of media houses and channels which generate results.
“Next to doing the right thing, the most important thing is to let people know you are doing the right thing.”
They realized that many local startups, SME’s & even enterprise level companies were struggling to get the media attention they deserved. Start-up’s or SME’s either had no accessibility to the media or were under the impression that reaching out to a mass audience via media or experiential events/activations was costly. Companies relied on agencies who would promise them efforts but little or no results.
“A leap of faith”
They took a leap of faith and left their cushy corporate jobs to create Publsh. For the first 8 months, they worked tirelessly, juggling a 9 to 5 job in a Finnish multi-national with their evenings focused solely on Publsh. They worked 18-hours a day until they cracked the code of “storytelling” in the UAE’s competitive market.
Driving innovation in a relentless city
In a city known for its rapid growth and relentless innovation, it takes more than just a traditional approach to stand out.
Soon, Publsh will launch Publsh.ai, a groundbreaking GCC focused DIY PR platform that guarantees results & tier-one media coverage for brands & enterpreneurs. This platform highlights Publsh’s commitment to enabling SME’s, start-ups or even MNC’s delivering measurable impact through integrated communications.
Their creative vision and strategic brilliance make them the go-to choice for brands looking to make a lasting impact. Keep your eagle-eyes out, next time you spot a groundbreaking campaign, remember there’s a good chance it’s the work of Publsh’s incredible team!
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