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.Â
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✨ Note: All features in this series are unpaid and shared as a way to honor and amplify real stories of transformation.
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"Above all, learn to be resilient and persevere"
Head of Recruitment responsible for talent acquisition and Emiratization. This was Samira Daoud position when she decided she wanted out.
Dissatisfied with corporate life and the challenges, including office politics, gender bias, and limited opportunities to drive change, she knew she needed to do something to feel empowered and to empower others.
That something was starting out on her own.
Samira knew nothing about running one’s own business—nothing about the financials, hidden costs, strategy, or revenue forecast.
In timing, it was during the 2007–08 financial crisis. Businesses and investors were cautious.
Yet, she went ahead.
Armed with her experience and a thriving network, she started SDP Management Consultancy, today SDP HR Consultancy.
It was a difficult transition from an employee to a business owner. But she learned every single day. She learned that diplomacy, patience, honesty, and integrity are essential. Some lessons came the hard way. Like spending on rentals and office overheads before realizing that a flex desk would have been wiser.
“I wish I had advice from someone more experienced,” she says.
She remained resilient and developed a creative approach to problem-solving. “Have faith in what you can do,” says Samira, adding, “Know your strengths.”
With extensive client’s-side experience, she understood operations and business constraints. This became her advantage. Today, Samira can choose the work she wants to do and has diversified her services.
But the learning doesn’t stop. “The more projects you get, the more you need to be on top of the game,” she says.
She advises aspiring entrepreneurs to take “baby steps”. “Know how much money you can risk. Keep a buffer. And above all, learn to be resilient and persevere,” she says.