Jackson was born in Manchester in the United Kingdom. When she was three, her parents moved to Ireland with her and her brother, David, to a beautiful coastal town called Galway. She went to school there for several years, until her family moved back to the U.K. when she was 15. At 16 she received her GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education, which is the British equivalent of a high school diploma), and then she had to get a job. “It could’ve been any job, as long as I was working,” she recalls. “I wanted to go to college, but I didn’t get the opportunity to go.”

Although she would’ve liked to pursue higher education, she didn’t dwell on it. As she explains, “I don’t like negativity. I only want to talk about the positive things in life.”

So, she got a job at Hampsons Bakery. Soon enough, she learned that she enjoyed the fast pace of the food industry. “Everyone’s running around and shouting orders,” says Jackson, “and I loved it.”

At the beginning, she worked part time because she had a small son, Michael. Once he started school, Jackson began working full time at the bakery. Eventually, she was promoted to store manager, then to area manager. “I covered all the stores in the northwest of the U.K.,” she says. “In total, there were over 80 employees reporting to me.”

She thrived with the responsibility. However, at some point, she had no work/life balance. She wanted to continue working in the industry but with more of a say on her schedule. So, she quit and opened her own sandwich shop called Jackson’s Sandwich Bar. “I knew this would allow me to have more time with my son, which it did. It was great. I worked from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and I didn’t work on weekends because the store was located in an industrial area, so there was no business there on Saturdays and Sundays.”

This schedule worked well while Michael was young, but, as children do, he eventually grew up. As he started becoming more independent, Jackson was bored in the afternoons. To add insult to injury, running the sandwich shop became too much of a routine. Every day was the same. She started questioning what else she could do. “When you wake up in the morning and dread going to work, it’s time to move on, so I sold the business. I can’t stand routine. I need excitement in my life.”

After she sold Jackson’s, she decided to take a few months off work to figure out what to do next. “I wanted to do something completely different,” she says. As someone who loves embarking on new adventures, she became curious when, in 2006, she stumbled across an online ad for Apex Self-Storage. “I looked at it and said, ‘Who the hell is Apex Self-Storage, and what is self-storage anyway?’” Since she had nothing to lose, she sent her CV (resume). As she thought about what self-storage could possibly mean, she thought that maybe it referred to renting hotel rooms or something along those lines. She didn’t have to wonder for too long.

“I got called in for an interview,” says Jackson, “and when I went to the facility in the Manchester City Centre, I immediately noticed that there were no women there.”

Then she received a call for a second interview; this time at one of their facilities in Cheadle. “Guess what?” she says. “No women there, either.” At the end of the interview, the general manager, Steve Dawber, told her, “In case you haven’t noticed, there are no women working here yet. You’d be the first.” Jackson thought it sounded like a challenge, but she replied with, “Let’s do it!”

She was hired to work as an assistant store manager. “I was on the floor every day, taking inquiries, creating invoices, and putting them in envelopes. I’d show customers around the facilities, sweep units, paint the unit floors, and clean toilets. You name it.”

Just as when she was working at Hampsons, she rose through the ranks. She was soon promoted to site manager and spent a few years in that position. She was becoming enamored with the industry and knew that she wanted to continue working in self-storage for the long haul. She was then promoted to senior manager. In this role, she was responsible for all Apex sites. “We had five of them at the time,” Jackson says. “I was in charge of training, marketing, networking, drafting contracts, and helping to close deals. I reported directly to Steve, who at this point had become my mentor.”

As the years progressed, she wanted to keep growing as a professional. Working for a good employer such as Apex proved to be a double-edged sword. “Apex was such a great company that nobody ever left, but this wasn’t good for me because I couldn’t continue growing.”

As with her previous jobs prior to joining the industry, she started wondering how she could solve that problem. “What could I do next?”

Jackson knew she wanted to continue working in self-storage. But this time, she added some of her adventurous streak to the mix. “I had been holidaying in Dubai for a few years,” she says. “I loved the sunshine, and the place always felt so safe, so during one trip I started to look into self-storage there.” The industry was still in its infancy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), so she knew its horizon was full of opportunities.

When she returned to the U.K., she told Dawber about it. Although he had enjoyed spending so many years working with her, he encouraged her, saying, “One day, you will be the queen of self-storage over there!”

She started looking online for available jobs in Dubai. The Box Self-Storage kept popping up at the top of all search results, so when she saw an ad advertising a job there, she sent her CV. That same evening, she received an email from the CEO, Wadih Haddad, asking when she’d be back in town. “This was in August 2012, and I had already booked a trip to go in November for my birthday,” she recalls. “So, he told me, ‘OK, let’s meet up for an interview then.’”

She went on her birthday trip, interviewed for the position, and upon her return to the U.K., they offered her the role of operations manager.

On Feb. 1, 2013, she started her new job in Dubai. “There were four or five of us in this tiny office, and some of them are still with me today.”

Similar to its growth in the U.S. and the U.K., the self-storage industry in the UAE has experienced an extraordinary expansion over the past decade. “Back then, self-storage units were little more than cages inside warehouses. They lacked the polished panels and colored doors we see today,” says Jackson. “Everything stored inside was visible, which highlighted the lack of expertise at the time. Even the general public was largely unaware that such facilities existed, so we had to build awareness.”

When comparing that with how the industry is today, it’s like she’s talking about two different universes. “Self-storage is so different here now,” she says. “We go to customers’ homes or businesses to pack their items and move them to the units.”

Tenants don’t have to lift a finger. “When I worked in the U.K., the industry was very price sensitive. Here, it isn’t,” she says. “People want the services. You handle everything from A to Z. They don’t want any hassles. The lifestyle is very luxurious, so people are used to having everything done. Why would it be any different when it’s self-storage?”

In addition, The Box facilities offer coworking spaces, which are often used by startups. “We have a lot of ecommerce startups,” she adds. “They have so much stuff and nowhere to put it. Renting a warehouse would require paying for huge spaces. Here, they can rent a smaller space with us.”

At The Box, they get even more: The company also offers management of the facilities, stock inventory, and even order fulfillment. “We run them like mini Amazons.” This is a significant competitive advantage with The Box, since they are the only self-storage facility that currently offers these services.

The Box also does international shipping and importing. “Since the pandemic, a lot of people moved to Dubai from Europe and the U.K. because of the rising taxes,” says Jackson. “So, a lot of high-net-worth individuals moved here, and they come to us to import their items, whether it’s residential or business. We even do all of the logistics.”

The Box’s suite of white-glove services has positioned it as a leader in the self-storage industry. One of the standout features is their customer-driven approach, illustrated by their “customer wish list.” “If we hear the same request two or three times, it’s clear there’s a genuine need, so we find a way to make it happen,” she says.

Their commitment to service doesn’t stop there. When customers move to a new home or office, The Box handles the entire process, delivering their belongings, unpacking, and even hanging decorations to create a seamless transition. Every detail is designed for convenience and comfort. “You’ll never see tenants pushing carts,” Jackson says with pride. “Our team is always on the ground, ready to assist with anything customers need. It’s truly a premium experience.”

When looking back at her career trajectory, it’s clear she’s a hard worker with an admirable work ethic. While these traits have brought her so much professional success, when asked about her biggest accomplishments, she’s quick to mention motherhood.

“My son, Michael, without a doubt,” she says. “I was a single parent and brought him up on my own. And now, he’s all grown up and settled down with his lovely girlfriend, Chloe, whom I love very dearly; and they have my granddaughter, Amelia. Seeing him so happy and how he’s such a good dad makes me really, really proud. He’s definitely my greatest achievement.”

She then mentions that she’s also proud of the recognition The Box has received over the years. Most recently, The Box was listed as the 12^th greatest place to work for women in 2024 and the 15^th greatest place to work for millennials. “The women’s recognition was a particularly meaningful achievement, especially in this part of the world,” she notes.

The Box’s achievements extend beyond workplace culture. The company was named the Independent Store of the Year by the Self Storage Association Asia in both 2023 and 2022, a testament to their consistent excellence in operations. Their dedication to customer service was also acknowledged when they won the Best Customer Service Award at the DMCC Member Awards in 2018.

Reflecting on their earlier milestones, Jackson highlights The Box’s ranking among Dubai’s top 100 SMEs, coming in at No. 51 in 2015 and No. 72 in 2013. These achievements, combined with accolades like the Green Business of the Year Award at the Stars of Business Awards in 2015, showcase the company’s commitment to both innovation and sustainability.

She’s also happy to report that Wadih Haddad has become a great mentor, just as Dawber was and continues to be from her time in Manchester. “A great mentor doesn’t just guide you. They empower you to trust your instincts,” Jackson says. “Wadih taught me that mistakes are not failures but steppingstones to growth. As he often says, ‘We need to make mistakes to learn, but strive to make new ones, not the same ones over and over again.’ That mindset has given me the courage to move forward with confidence.”

Leadership at The Box is built on trust and empowerment, and Jackson appreciates the responsibility. “Wadih handed me the reins to run the operations,” she says, “and I always bring my best to the table.”

When not working, Jackson loves spending time with her bulldogs, Churchill and Diva. “They keep me busy.” On weekends, she likes going to the beach. This past year, however, she’s been going back to Manchester almost every six weeks because she doesn’t want to miss out on her first grandchild’s first year of life. Thankfully, The Box has been pretty flexible with enabling her to balance her personal life.

“True success isn’t just about what we achieve at work; it’s about creating space for what matters most in life. The flexibility I’ve been given allows me to prioritize my family. As long as we’re meeting targets and driving results, there’s freedom to live fully.”

When she’s back in Dubai, she loves to enjoy the local food. “We have a saying as expats: You will definitely gain some Dubai kilos. The food is so amazing. Arabic food is to die for—grilled meats, salads, and hummus—all sharing platters, so you enjoy them with friends.”

All in all, Jackson is an example of how great life can be when you listen to your heart and let it guide you. She only does what makes her happy, and everything has turned out exponentially well. In her own words, “Hard work pays off.” And once it does, the sky’s the limit!