Kamilla Omarzay is the founder of The Snack Society, a vegan food producer offering cakes and desserts free from gluten, dairy, and refined sugar. Born in Afghanistan, the 32-year-old moved to Dubai when she was three after her family fled the Russian invasion. Kamilla worked in marketing and advertising for 12 years before quitting corporate life in March 2016 to set up her online retail business, which delivers directly to homes and offices in Dubai and Sharjah, with plans to expand to other Emirates. Kamilla founded The Snack Society after she was told to give up gluten and dairy due to digestive issues. She realised that giving up her favourite treats would be hard, so she decided to make healthy alternatives!
Interview with Kamilla Omarzay
Why did you want to pursue a career as an entrepreneur? Was this something you always wanted to do?
I’ve always wanted to do something on my own, I just didn’t know what it was. I went through my 20s trying to figure that out. I got certified as a yoga teacher in 2012 thinking that was a career for me, gave that a go for 2 years and realized I love yoga and it taught me a lot but becoming a level 3 personal trainer and I absolutely love it, but again, it's just not a career option for me. Then I went on to become a level 3 personal trainer and I absolutely love it, but again, it's just not a career option for me.Why did I start The Snack Society... I've been making healthy snacks for myself for years now and they are so incredibly delicious, I wanted to share them with everyone and educate people that you can have healthier versions of pretty much anything.
What were the greatest difficulties that you faced in order to get to where you are today?
Every day is a learning curve and every experience is here to teach us something. The biggest challenge was and still is to get the brand name out there. the food industry is a highly competitive market.
What's the best part of your job?
Eating all the left over food that I make as recipe testing! Hahaha, it’s the best!
What piece of advice can you give to aspiring entrepreneurs, specifically in the food industry?
Don’t start a food business or a food blog, if you’re not passionate about what you are doing. You could inject huge capital into a food business or try to get the best retail location etc, but at the end of the day, passion is always a winner! If you do something with love and enthusiasm, it always wins.