About Beyond Cubicles
đ˘ #BeyondCubicles is a weekly LinkedIn series created by Carolina DâSouza, 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 industriesâranging from tech and education to wellness and adventureâwho share their experiences of stepping away from conventional roles to pursue passion-driven careers.Â
â¨Â Note: All features in this series are unpaid and shared as a way to honor and amplify real stories of transformation.
How One Woman Built a Life of Purpose and Profit
For Beth Clay, entrepreneurship wasnât a sudden leapâit was a spark ignited years ago.
Today, she leads two ventures: Finance Her Well, a full-time financial wellness coaching business, and a recently launched communications consultancy Creative Clai, specializing in branding strategy for CEOs and founders and streamlining communications for SMEs through AI tools.
âIâve always been entrepreneurial,â she says. âAt university, I took an extra-curricular graduate course on business and even explored launching an e-commerce idea.â
After a year abroad in China, she followed a more traditional path, rising through the ranks in the Civil Service and later joining a corporate PR agency in Dubai.
Bethâs coaching on financial wellness evolved into something bigger when she began sharing her insights on social media. âThe response was overwhelming,â she says, adding that it opened doors to corporate engagements and expanded her reach.
The transition to running two businesses wasnât without its challenge. âEven with a financial safety net, I couldnât shake the question, âWhat if it doesnât work?ââ she admits.
Balancing a 9-to-5 job, childcare, and her growing business pushed her to her limits. âThere were long workdays, balancing family responsibilities, and carving out time in the early mornings or late at night,â she says.
To manage, she refined her offerings, outsourcing tasks like hiring a virtual assistant. A breakthrough came when she applied her own coaching techniques to reframe her limiting beliefs.
âI used the same mindset shifts I teach my clientsâit was like coaching myself,â she says. A trusted mentor also provided crucial guidance during pivotal moments.
Her background in communications has given her an edge in personal branding. âProviding raw, honest, and relatable conversations has been key to building trust and authenticity,â she says.
Reflecting on her journey, she acknowledges that personal growth comes with leading her own ventures. âRejection feels more personal as a business owner, but Iâve learned to see it as redirection,â she says.
Her advice? âStart small, test your ideas, and gather feedback. Trust the processâitâs worth it.â
With more control over her time, Beth, originally from Yorkshire, now enjoys life in Dubai, surrounded by its vibrant energy and while making time for regular day time Pilates classesâa testament to the independence and flexibility of being her own boss.