Zarah Gutierrez is the owner and CEO of the Gutierrez Group of Companies. JONATHAN YBERA/EXPAT MEDIA

Zarah Gutierrez walks into the room draped in Louis Vuitton from head to toe—black LV jacket, pristine white LV sneakers, and gold rings adorning both hands. At a glance, she looks like the textbook image of success. But behind the polished appearance is a story that’s anything but conventional. Zarah’s journey is shaped by hardship, grit, sacrifice, and divine detours—from struggling student to accidental receptionist, to now the powerhouse behind the Gutierrez Group of Companies in Dubai. In a rare interview with Expat Media, Zarah shares the raw, unfiltered story of how this Filipino built a business empire from the ground up. Born and raised in Pampanga, Zarah’s early life was marked by poverty—but not by defeat. “We weren’t rich. My family came from scratch,” she says. The youngest of four siblings, she quickly learned the value of hard work. Their parents, both worn out from trying to make ends meet, almost gave up on sending her to school. “I told them it wasn’t possible. I had to finish my education and get a degree. From that moment, I told myself, ‘I can do this. I have to fight.’” Zarah juggled work while pursuing her Bachelor of Elementary Education, eventually enrolling in a master’s course in Public Administration at Philippine Christian University. “I was working at night and going to school in the morning—or the other way around. One of my first jobs was at Jollibee,” she says with pride. Zarah initially wanted to be an engineer. “I really wanted to be an engineer, but it was expensive. I chose education because my friends did,” she laughs. But even as she finished her degree and briefly worked as a teacher, Zarah was always looking for something more.

Unexpected UAE detour

Zarah initially had her eyes set on Canada, where relatives promised to help her migrate. “But along the way, that changed,” she recalls. A twist of fate came when a college professor saw her mopping floors at Jollibee and reminded her of her potential. “That woke me up,” she says. She pivoted to teaching Grade 1 students—an experience she says gave her closure on her education degree—and then took a leap of faith in 2008 by moving to Dubai. “I arrived during the global recession,” she remembers. “It took me two months to find the right job. And even then, I got the interview by accident!” A company had mistakenly called her instead of another applicant with the same name. The real candidate didn’t show up—Zarah did. “They asked if I could do the job. I said yes to everything—even to what I didn’t know!” she laughs. That job was as a receptionist at a business setup firm. It would be the start of a decade-long chapter that would define her future. Zarah’s first years in the UAE were far from glamorous. “I rented a partitioned room. Slept on the floor. I didn’t even have a bed,” she says. “I survived on Boy Bawang for lunch and wouldn’t take a Dh5 taxi so I could save every dirham.” But she never considered giving up. “I saw my father struggle to sell textiles under the sun all day. That stayed with me,” she says. “Now, I make sure my parents are comfortable.” Her commitment paid off. She rose through the ranks at her company and built a reputation for integrity and professionalism—traits that would follow her into her next venture. After a decade in the corporate world, Zarah was pushed into another direction. “My mentor and I had a bit of a misunderstanding and on top of that I had to fly home for my grandmother’s funeral. I thought maybe it was time to go back to the Philippines. My family was okay by then. I thought I’d done enough,” she says. But fate, once again, had other plans. A client who met her after she cried her heart out at St. Mary’s Church offered an unexpected solution: “He tore up his contract and said, ‘You start your own business.’” That seed became the Gutierrez Group of Companies. With only her integrity to bank on, Zarah launched her business in 2018 with just one client and her business partner. “We worked for almost 24 hours, no sleep,” she recalls. “People told me, ‘Why are you working for someone when you could be your own boss?’” Her clients followed. “They didn’t know the company, but they knew me.” Today, Zarah’s businesses include Vestor Corporate Services Provider, a business formation and corporate services company; Gutierrez Project Management Services providing virtual admin and project support; Gutierrez Education Services, a KHDA-accredited online learning provider and G8 Nexus, her events management arm. What sets her apart? “Transparency,” she says. “I don’t overpromise. I make sure my clients understand the process and risks. And I never let money blind me.” She recounts an incident where a client handed her Dh150,000 in cash to help him set up his business in the UAE. “When I called him the next day to say we can meet and finalize the business setup, he confessed that he couldn’t sleep all night. He thought I’d run away with the money,” she says. “I told him, ‘Sir, I value my dignity and integrity. I will not run away. I can earn that through honest work.’”

More than just a business

For Zarah, business isn’t just about profit—it’s about purpose. “My goal has always been to help people. I’ve been where they are,” she says. Whether it’s supporting her team or guiding budding entrepreneurs, Zarah leads with compassion and authenticity. “My clients become family. My team is my pride. There’s no ‘I’—only ‘we’.” Her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs? “Don’t start a business just for the sake of it. You need financial stability. You need a Plan A and a Plan B. Because it’s not going to be Christmas every day.” She adds, “It’s not about having thousands of clients. It’s about those who stay. Integrity brings loyalty.” Despite her success, Zarah’s dreams are still unfolding. ‘I’ve achieved so much already—from my journey as an OFW to building a business and helping others rise—but deep in my heart there’s still one dream I long to fulfill: to have a child of my own,” she says with a smile. “Life isn’t just about the goals you reach—it’s also about the silent hopes that give your journey meaning and remind you to stay grounded, grateful, and human,” she says. Each day, she wakes up saying, “Thank you, Lord.” And perhaps that’s the heart of her story—not the luxury brands or business titles, but the humility and gratitude that never left. PIA/Expat Media

Quick fire questions

Best business advice you’ve ever received? You can do it. Your guilty pleasure? What is that? Pass! Song that pumps you up. Starting All Over Again. Best compliment you’ve ever received? You’re great. Your stress relief. Coffee. Treasured item on your desk right now. Santo Niño, a photo of Our Lady of Manaoag and a blessed Mother Mary figure from India that my friend gave me. One skill you’d love to master. Events management. Weirdest thing you’ve said in a pitch. Oh my God, I don’t know if I’m going to do this. If your company had a theme park, what would be the main ride? Rollercoaster. One thing you’ve done that felt like a total movie moment? The story of my life. Your life motto but in Gen Z slang. Stay chill. What’s your I-mean-business power outfit on a daily basis? Smartwatch. If your smartphone could talk, what would it scold you for? You’re not charging me enough! If your life were a movie, what would be the title? Starting All Over Again. I love that song! This story also appears in the Expat Media Special Edition magazine
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