Dev Vaswani

About Beyond Cubicles

📢 #BeyondCubicles is a weekly LinkedIn series created by Carolina D’Souza, born out of her own experience transitioning from a corporate career to independent consulting. Since its launch in June 2024, the series has evolved into a platform that showcases the inspiring journeys of several founders who have redefined the traditional 9-to-5.

Through authentic narratives, #BeyondCubicles highlights themes of courage, resilience, and purpose. The stories feature individuals from diverse industries—ranging from tech and education to wellness and adventure—who share their experiences of stepping away from conventional roles to pursue passion-driven careers. 

✨ Note: All features in this series are unpaid and shared as a way to honor and amplify real stories of transformation.

“Make it about the larger vision, not about you.”

After years of leading campaigns for global brands, Dev Vaswani felt an unshakable restlessness.

“It was a combination of thing —the job, my firstborn, maybe my age. There was a sense of restlessness simply no getting away from,” he says.

He saw a gap in Dubai’s production industry. Only a few agencies specialized in representing directors. “Repping was common internationally, but absent in the Middle East,” he says.

That realization, in 2008, led to Milkshake Media, connecting directorial talent to opportunities. The name, he recalls, came to him while watching TV. “Milkshake, which is easy to remember and connects the East and West, is about offering different ‘flavors’ or different directorial talents,” he says.

His passion for video production, however, started long before Milkshake, shaped by early experiences at home.

“My elder brother used our family home as a set,” he says. The adrenaline of production fueled his drive to explore industry roles, from production manager to executive producer.

The transition to entrepreneurship came with its hurdles. “The biggest challenge wasn’t customers or capital; rather, it was managing contacts. You need support, you need help, you need favors. But how do you ask the right person for the right favor at the right time?” says Dev.

Slow periods made financial stability a concern. “I had to keep my company as a ‘brand’ and move away from it being about me,” he says.

Through branding and consistency, he established credibility. “Make it about the larger vision, not about you. Our design and colors have not changed, and I believe people have come to recognize it,” he says.

Now, more than 16 years later, Milkshake Media, symbolizing creative variety, remains an industry player.

Success, he believes, comes down to mindset, discipline, and recognizing pivotal moments. “There are times which are make-or-break moments. Learn to start recognizing these.”

He also emphasizes the importance of perception. “If you think first-class, if you think BIG, you are perceived that way.”

Reflecting on his journey, he says, “There’s no turning back, no matter how hard it gets.”

For those who want to make it on their own, his advice is: “If you feel it in your bones, just do it!”