‘Money is energy': How this wellness entrepreneur builds wealth with purpose

Mari Chirinashvili, 44, the founder of Connect Pilates Studio, is active in the UAE’s surging wellness community. The health and wellness coach from Georgia has called Dubai home for more than six years and has grown since moving to the Emirate, personally and professionally, understanding that opportunity is made not given.

If you had to use one word to describe money what would it be?

Resource.

If you had to write a letter to money, what would you say?

Dear Money, I’ve never chased you or tried to control you. I’ve always known that when I work with intention, dedication, and heart, you come. You’ve been my partner in building, creating and expanding what I believe in. From the beginning, I understood you respond to clarity, effort and purpose. You’ve helped me bring dreams into reality: a studio, education, teams, and communities. Together we’ve built something that moves people, connects them, and gives them a space to grow. I see you as a flow, something that moves through me, through my work, through others—always returning in new and unexpected ways. My promise is to keep using you with awareness and integrity: to create opportunities, to support people who believe in the same values, and to build health and beauty that lasts. Let’s grow with purpose, ease and balance.

How would you describe your relationship to money?

I treat it with care, but don’t let it define me.

How do you think this relationship was formed?

From early on, I understood that no one was going to hand me opportunities; I had to create them. I became financially independent at 19, and even though I was always aware of the need for money and worked hard for it, it was never what defined how or why I worked. My drive has always come from growth, creativity and purpose. I’ve experienced scarcity and abundance, and that contrast taught me not to depend on money emotionally, but to respect it as a partner in creation. It’s something that flows with clarity, effort, and vision. My relationship with money became rooted in trust: in myself, my work, and in the natural rhythm of giving and receiving.

What good or bad lessons about money management did you learn from your mother?

My mother went through very difficult times financially, as did most of her generation in Georgia after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the civil war in Tbilisi. She tried to teach me to save for the bad days, not to take risks, and to prefer “today’s egg over tomorrow’s chicken”. But that was never really my way. I’ve always loved to move forward, to explore, and to trust that things would work out. I’ve always believed that as long as I stay true to my path and work with purpose, I’ll have what I need—maybe not always more, but always enough. Her lessons gave me grounding; my instincts gave me freedom. Together, they shaped a relationship with money that balances trust with responsibility.

Who do you speak to about money matters and is it something you consider ‘taboo’?

I don’t see money as a taboo topic. I speak about it openly with people I trust—my advisors, partners, and a few close friends. For me, money is simply energy and responsibility, not something to hide or fear. Honest conversations bring clarity and growth.

Who has taught you the most about financial management?

Life itself has been my biggest teacher when it comes to financial management. I’ve learned through experience — by taking risks, making decisions, and being fully responsible for their outcomes.

What do you think has been the most profound experience you’ve had so far in relation to money, good or bad, and what has it taught you since?

One of the most profound experiences I’ve had with money was realising how much of it I was willing to risk—not for luxury or status, but for vision. Investing everything into creating spaces, education, and opportunities taught me that money is never just numbers; it’s energy that expands when it’s used with purpose. There were moments of pressure, uncertainty, and even fear—but they all reminded me that courage and clarity attract abundance. I’ve learned that money comes and goes, but trust in yourself, in your work, and in the flow of what you’re creating is what keeps you truly rich.

How do you think living in the UAE has changed your relationship with and perception of money?

Living in the UAE has expanded how I see money and wealth. It’s a place that inspires big dreams and shows what’s possible.

If you could give your child or your younger self one piece of advice about money now what would that be and why?

I’d tell my younger self, trust more, worry less. Money will always come when your intentions and actions are aligned.  

wknd@khaleejtimes.com