Warmth, hospitality and cooking have been integral ingredients of my life since I was a child.
I learned so much from my mother and father and my surroundings that now as a wife, mom and businesswoman I can focus on finding the right balance between work and family life.
I grew up in a very hospitable and loving family environment. My mother was a master cook and very articulate in the way she presented meals at home. She would always take extra care in everything related to the preparation and presentation of food, from choosing pretty dishes to making the whole eating experience a gratifying occasion.
I derived a great sense of comfort and enjoyment from her efforts and I learnt that everything around a meal can contribute to its pleasure.
My father is a man of integrity and he has always been my first support.
I gained a master’s degree in business administration from Alfaisal University in Riyadh and soon after realized that I wanted to run my own business. Although my aim was to be an entrepreneur, I had no idea what product or service to concentrate on.
I have always enjoyed entertaining, and planning decorative, intimate dinner parties for family and friends.
I believe that gathering around the table is at the heart of family life and I make sure that happens in our home as much as possible.
On one occasion, I threw a party for a cousin to cheer her up after her recovery from illness and put extra care into the small details to add lots of love and a touch of glam to the gathering. It was my sister, who is my inspiration, who pointed out my knack for planning and organizing such events and she suggested I turned my talent into a business venture.
In 2017, I founded Tana’s Touch Tablescapes and Design, a luxurious tabletop rentals and design company. I focused on combining modernity with tradition and ensuring that quality came before quantity. I feel strongly that creating memories, rather than just settings, makes the dining experience exceptional and extraordinary.
I always put family first, and as difficult as it can be juggling work and home life, I try to involve myself as much as I can in what is important to my family. It really helps that my family is very supportive of what I am doing and cheers me on.
I know that my greatest contribution may not be something I do but someone I raise, and I do my best to have a wonderful work-life balance, giving each area the attention needed.
My husband is my greatest supporter. He drove me to have my own business and has inspired me to do better every day. As the saying goes, behind every great man there is a great woman, and I believe too that behind many successful women are supportive men.
My children are the fuel to my growth. Each day they inspire me to improve and I try to involve them in my business as much as I can so that they can understand what it is that I do, learn about hard work, realize that failure is OK, and learn lessons along the way. My hope is that they learn and develop skills of their own from an early age.
Tana’s Touch offers all that is needed to equip a table for intimate dinner events, formal dinners, business meetings, or even casual gatherings.
Since opening my business, I have always offered the best materials and settings while ensuring that the company sticks to its ethos of doing everything with love and care to create lasting memories.
It is something I take pride in and we have received excellent feedback from customers which has given us the confidence to move the business forward.
Our next step is focusing more on raising awareness of the importance of hospitality, table manners and table etiquette in Saudi Arabia.
This could be achieved by turning the specialization from service only into a broad field of interest. An example would be to establish a school specialized in teaching the art of entertaining and social etiquette, with the chance to blend table manners and cultural differences from around the world in line with our Saudi culture.
The first steps toward achieving this goal have already been made through our special workshops and collaboration with etiquette workshops in Riyadh.
I want to set an example as a Saudi woman with passion who follows her aspiration. I want to contribute my ideas to the largest audience possible, shed a light on my dream, and build a network that helps ideas to grow.
If you can dream it, you can do it!
Follow Ruthana Hadhrawi
Instagram: @tanas.touch
Facebook: @Tanastouch
Twitter: @Tanas_Touch