Elisabete Reis

Elisabete Reis is an appearance, etiquette and protocol consultant and the owner of Glam Your Image.

She moved to Qatar with her family for the 2006 Asian Games. Her mother died suddenly from a stroke in 2010 at the age of fifty-nine, and her father died five years later, losses that reshaped her priorities and outlook.

She was born in Mozambique in 1972 into a close and open Portuguese family consisting of her parents and brother. Her parents had settled in Africa years before their marriage. Her mother had grown up in Mozambique, where her grandfather—one of the continent’s prominent Portuguese businessmen—had settled while serving in the army. At a time of exceptional prosperity, the country was sometimes described as ‘the New York of Africa’. Her parents met and built their life there, hoping to raise their children in the country that had brought them together.

Civil war overturned that life before she was three. The family lost what it had built, left everything behind and began again in Portugal. Although her parents faced difficult circumstances and repeated disappointments, they protected their children’s sense of happiness through the support of a large extended family. The experience taught the children to value what they had, work hard and prepare for change.

Above all, they learnt that material losses could be recovered while family could not be replaced. That conviction gave her an exceptionally strong bond with her brother, whom she regarded as an example and source of support. Mozambique itself remained present through family stories and photographs, combining gratitude for a beautiful past with longing and grief over what the country had endured.

She had long wanted to become a flight attendant. Although the profession did not then require a degree, she chose to enter it with a university education and studied tourism and languages, gaining qualifications in English, German and French. French became her strongest subject, and a course she had expected merely to support an aviation career eventually opened a much wider professional path.

Further study in etiquette and protocol reflected her growing interest in the social meaning of appearance, dining, body language and conduct. It became the basis of a later specialism in international etiquette, protocol and professional image.

At twenty-two, she joined a Portuguese airline. In 1995, an advertisement seeking Portuguese-speaking cabin crew for a new airline in Macau prompted her to resign and move to China. A planned two-year adventure became a longer chapter after she met her Portuguese husband there, echoing her parents’ experience of building a family outside their country of origin.

She helped launch the airline and progressed from senior flight attendant to service and safety trainer. Courses in Macau expanded her professional skills, while design sessions with Chinese friends and colleagues awakened a serious interest in design. Their relationships remained close despite substantial cultural and intellectual differences.

China was an intense lesson in adaptation. Working with crew members from different cities exposed her to Mandarin, Cantonese and many regional dialects, as well as to a culture she found rich, competitive and markedly different from her own. She came to believe that anyone who could adapt there could live almost anywhere.

In Qatar, she quickly felt at home. Similarities between Arab and Portuguese social life eased her entry into the community, and Qatari women opened their homes and friendships to her family. Speaking several languages allowed her to communicate across nationalities and cultures without feeling isolated.

The clothing of Qatari women nevertheless prompted new questions. Head coverings, loose garments and differences in practice among Muslims led her to study local etiquette and deepen her understanding of Islam. Curiosity about appearance thus became a means of learning about belief and culture rather than judging either from the surface.

Once the family had settled, she reconsidered her career and spent nearly two years studying and travelling. Training for image consultants exposed her to different cultures, markets and approaches to design, and led to the creation of Glam Your Image. The company established a strong position in Qatar and worked with prominent clients and recognised brands.

Image consultancy alone did not satisfy the range of needs she saw. She expanded into international etiquette and protocol, training clients to build confidence, strengthen social and communication skills and understand the influence of body language.

Her decision to complete a degree, even when aviation did not require one, remained central to her outlook. Languages opened professional and cultural doors, and continuing education became a principle she encouraged in others. At fifty-one, she was still enrolling in training every year and described investment in oneself as the most valuable investment available.

Moving repeatedly between countries required decisions that changed the direction of her life. Each transition demanded adjustment, yet she regarded change as a force that enlarged her experience and enabled further professional achievement.

Her three children remained her first priority. Although they grew up in Qatar, she ensured that they understood their Portuguese roots, spoke Portuguese and knew the national anthem while also speaking Arabic and remaining open to other cultures.

Family relationships were grounded in service, dialogue and mutual support. She taught her children to help the communities around them without expecting reward and tried to guide rather than impose. Her husband, Miguel Heitor, was both companion and constructive critic, consistently encouraging her through the choices and changes of their shared life.