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When you picture building a business, you might not immediately imagine someone answering emails at 5am with a baby on one hip and a dog lead in the other, but in the case of Annie Stacey, that’s her reality.
Noticing a gap in the secondhand market in the UAE, the mum-of-one and now entrepreneur embarked on a journey to build Reloved – a new sustainable resale marketplace for those living in the region.
In this edition of the GRAZIA career edit, Annie shares with refreshing honesty her approach to tackling the unknown and how she’s building a business from scratch, while navigating new motherhood and dreaming big for 2025.
My current role is…
AS: HR manager (currently on mat leave) & Founder and CEO of Reloved.
When I was younger…
AS: I wanted to be a mermaid! But in all seriousness, I wanted to have my own business.
My favourite subject at school…
AS: …was the playground at lunch time, or I loved practical classes like science, catering, IT or childcare.
My career path so far has been…
AS: Incredible and filled with a lot of right place at right time moments. People have given me opportunities, and I have always felt so grateful and lucky. I left school to train in beauty therapy, which I soon realised I hated and just did it because one of my best friends was studying it too. I then got an opportunity to work for my dad, who is a finance advisor and then moved into an office manager role for an electrical company. I was bored with the UK and decided to go travelling when my boyfriend (now husband) said he would move somewhere if we could still both work, so we agreed to move to Dubai for one year. I managed to get a role working for the investigations and forensics team as a project coordinator in which I have managed to transfer to HR and progressed there, where I was extremely lucky to have the most amazing maternity leave in the UAE and currently off spending each day with my baby.
The role the UAE has played in my career is…
AS: Opportunities. I am a believer that your network is your net worth. I launched Reloved in November 2024, and the people who have supported me is why it has been such a success so far.
I was inspired to enter the tech space because…
AS: There was a gap in the market and I needed an easy platform to buy and sell my items! It’s a daunting place and you’re relying on tech rather than a person, but it also has its advantages and it’s exciting!
My daily routine consists of…
AS: – 5am wake up, emails and reply to DMs
– 6am baby wake up, feed and dog walk
– 7am gym
– 8am Reloved work and strategy
– My afternoons are often spent on the beach, dog walks or being outdoors with my son.
– 5pm – 6.30pm is time with the baby where my husband and I split dinner, bath and bed.
– 6.30pm – 7.30pm is time with my husband where we have dinner at the table and catch-up, plan our week and next couple of days.
– 7.30pm – 9.30pm I work on the business and try and give myself a 30-minute device detox before bed!
The biggest hurdle I have experienced in my career is…
AS: Starting my business from scratch, teaching myself tech lingo, and my biggest hurdle in my corporate career has been public speaking and visiting high-risk locations such as Iraq – I am in the best hands when I visit these places, but it’s still a surreal moment.
The biggest milestone I have achieved is…
AS: Launching my business and having a baby all within the space of a couple of months of each other. I am mad and honestly wonder how I juggle things at times. My poor husband is my sounding board and I am a hormonal mad woman at times!
A quote I live by is…
AS: You only live once, enjoy life – money will come back around, but your time won’t.
What I hope for 2025 is…
AS: To bring Reloved to everyone’s attention and hopefully receive an award or two, as well as being recognised for being a sustainable and up-and-coming brand!
