Natasha Hatherall (or Tash as she likes to be known) has over 20 years of experience in Media, Marketing and the PR World. Tash holds a PhD in psychology and marketing and has a genuine passion for people and understanding what makes them tick.
With a varied career across account management, media planning and buying, public relations, and marketing, Natasha Hatherall’s experience span clients in many sectors like beauty, fashion, FMCG, travel, financial, retail, automotive, and property. Her CV includes leading global agencies McCann Erickson Worldwide, Euro RSCG, and Havas Global, and global corporations L’Oreal and Diageo.
Natasha Hatherall moved to the region in 2010. After spending time working for Abu Dhabi Media, heading up marketing for a number of their brands, Tash took a leap of faith, setting up a boutique beauty and wellness communications agency, TishTash, in 2012 and hasn’t looked back since.
In nearly years, 10 TishTash became one of the most sought after and respected independent agencies in the Middle East, using their know-how and passion for the latest trends to create campaigns that get brands noticed, which saw them Win PRCA Middle East Best Agency in 2021, with Tash also scooping Best PR Leader. Current agency clients include ASICS, The Body Shop, Bath & Body Works, Lego, Medcare, Sukin, Neal’s Yard, Mamas and Papas, Gap, Sukin, Rodial, and FACES Middle East name just a few. 2022 will see TishTash open offices in KSA and the UK. The company also has social media handles on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Let’s learn more about Natasha Hatherall, her lief and her company below.
1) Full name
Natasha Hatherall (but please call me Tash).
2) What is your nationality? Where are you from?
I’m British, born, raised, and educated in the UK.
3) Natasha Hatherall Tell us something about your work
I am the founder and CEO of TishTash Communications – a PR, digital and marketing agency based in Dubai, and established in 2012 – with over 30 staff and opening new offices in KSA and
the UK in 2022.
4) What keeps you going?
Next to my husband Rafat and my family, I am passionate about growing and nurturing my agency and staff. Nurturing their talent, learning and development are really important, not just for TishTash but also the wider industry as a whole. Building great relationships between clients and stakeholders and getting results that work for them in ways that matter make the fast-paced agency life worthwhile!
5) What’s your life philosophy?
I believe in kindness, and not just as a platitude. We can extend kindness and empathy throughout our daily touchpoints with family, friends, and business with our employees and clients. The world is currently confusing, and we do not know what anybody is facing behind closed doors and in their personal lives. I believe in striving for balance, rationally in our work/life environment and that by communicating kindly, collaboration over competition and simply acting like gracious, grateful, thoughtful humans.
6) Tell us about your education.
I’m a big fan of education! I have a BSC in Psychology, a Masters degree in Marketing, and I studied for a PhD in Management, combining Psychology and Marketing at the University of Exeter, in the UK.
7) kindly share a little bit about your life’s journey with us.
I spent the first part of my career in Academia as a graduate teacher at the University of Exeter, combining my passion for psychology, research, and consumer habits in marketing.
then i decided that I didn’t wish to pursue an academic career. I made my first turn into the client-side and agency world of marketing and advertising with roles in the UK across major brands and agencies, including Havas, McCann Worldwide, L’Oreal, and Diaego. In 2010 I moved to the UAE to work with Abu Dhabi Media Group, and after 2 years,
I left to launch TishTash Communications.
10 years later, we’re still going strong, we’re an award-winning PR and marketing agency, and we will be expanding into KSA and the UK this year. I met and married my Husband, Rafat, in the UAE, and we have settled here. It’s our home!
8) What made you embark on this journey?
I always believed that I wanted a career in Academia due to my strong passion for consumer psychology and marketing. After working as a graduate teacher throughout my PhD studies, I decided it wasn’t for me after all! Hanging up my research hat, and after working in account management and marketing across global agencies and brands,
I had always wanted to live and work abroad – this is what brought me to Dubai in 2010. It was a tick off my bucket list. When I left employment in 2012, the plan was to freelance for a while in communications – life had other plans, and TishTash was born!
9) What are the lessons that you’ve learned?
Having ‘accidentally’ fallen into the role of agency owner, first as a small boutique agency, specialising in beauty and wellness, I now oversee over 30 staff and a medium to a large-sized, award-winning agency in TishTash. To say there have been ‘lessons learned over the past decade is an understatement. All of the typical challenges in starting, building, and growing a business in the UAE come to mind, but with the benefit of hindsight, the biggest lesson I have learned is always to trust myself, my experiences, and my instinct when it comes to making decisions.
I have never let myself down there, and whilst everyone has regrettable experiences, We can always learn and move on. It’s how we deal with them. I have also learned that we are only as good as our people, and as employers, we must hire slowly, fire fast, and always nurture, develop and look after our team’s best interests.
10) What advice would you like to give to people?
- Always trust your instincts – they will not let you down.
- If nothing changes – nothing changes! If you want to make a move, do it.
- Treat your ‘people’ well – they are your business, and its success stands on them, as well as your leadership.
- Collaborate, don’t ‘compete’ – there is power in numbers, and we cannot work
- successfully in siloes
- Follow your passions.
- Always be kind!
11) Tell us something about your plans.
Dubai is very much our home. My husband and I have been here a long time and have no plans to uproot anywhere else. Whilst expansion regionally and internationally for TishTash is happening this year, Dubai remains our base and home, and we’re so grateful for all the opportunities we have been granted here.
12) How long have you been in Dubai?
12 years. I came over for 2 years to experience living and working abroad like most of us – still here!
13) Is this your first city away from home? If not, please cite places you’ve been and worked in?
I’d travelled a lot with work before and even for some long periods working a month at a time in other cities, but this is my first experience living and working overseas.
14) How do you find Dubai — an ex-pat city of people from over 250 countries? How has the city been treating you?
Dubai is our home now, and after 12 years, we do not want to leave. One of the major benefits is the multicultural ex-pat mix – bringing with it the colors, flavours and cultures from across the world and a mix of different opinions, attitudes and thoughts. What could be better?
15) They say Dubai is an expensive city. Do you agree? Why? Why not?
It certainly isn’t cheap, but it is all relative. No major global hub is cheap for property etc.; it comes with the territory. Also, like anywhere else – life can be as expensive as you make it. You get to choose your own lifestyle and spend your money where it works for you, either budget or higher end.
16) Natasha Hatherall Which part of Dubai do you love most? — the old one by the creek? The marina area why?
I live on The Palm, and I always joke, and everyone knows if I didn’t have to leave The Palm for work, I would never leave! It has everything I need.
17) Would you consider settling down here in UAE?
We already have. My husband and I have businesses here, we own property here, and we’re in the process of arranging our Golden Visas. We’re here to stay!