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
⨠Note: All features in this series are unpaid and shared as a way to honor and amplify real stories of transformation.
When Evelyn Kimani was preparing for the birth of her second child, she did not want to repeat the cycle of maternity leave followed by job hunting.
âI wanted agency over my time, and having something of my own would allow for that,â she says.
At the same time, she was advising friends with small businesses and began to notice a gap: solopreneurs and small companies could not hire a full-time COO but still needed operational expertise.
In May 2021 she launched Amini Business Consulting. âThe ‘Amini’ in my business name means âBelieveâ in Swahili, our national language in Kenya. It was daunting but I kept encouraging myself to believe,â she says.
The name also reflects her determination to show up in spaces where she rarely saw people like her. âMy mission is to create legacy businesses. Growing up, I was surrounded by brilliant minds and relatives who would start businesses. Still, those businesses would not be passed on to another generation.â
As she built the business, she realized the toughest hurdle was overcoming the âemployee mindsetâ.
Even with an MBA, her training was too corporate for the realities of startups. A certification gave her the tools to develop the Amini Methodâ˘, a framework that maps vision, values, and goals into a clear 90-day roadmap.
âWhen my clients started referring to me as a strategic advisor, that felt very validating,â she says.
This journey also reshaped her sense of self. âI saw myself as an introvert, really good at fact-finding and bringing beauty to messes. I remain all this but grown into a fact finder who leads, transforms, brings change, and owns the space she is in.â
Her advice to others is to expect âthe messy middleâ and to stay adaptable with a cycle of three: one person ahead, one peer, and one person you pull up.
Originally from Kenya, she moved to Dubai a decade ago after working with the United Nations in her home country, and later with McKinsey & Company in the UAE. Her husband, her family and mentor Warsha Joshi supported her, whom she describes as âblessed to have in my cornerâ.
Today she says her personal brand has evolved âfrom faceless to a natural voice,â and fulfillment is being present for her two boys while building a business that excites and fuels her.