Dubai: One of the biggest lessons Indian national Rakhi Bhadauria says she has learned in her time in Dubai, is this: Starting over is not failure.She said: “Sometimes starting over is exactly what growth looks like.”The 35-year-old Dubai resident moved from India to the UAE eight months ago, with a very different career plan than the one she pursues today.Bhadauria was hired as a beauty salon operations manager in Dubai. But once she settled in, she started creating and posting related social media content, and quickly discovered how people and businesses in Dubai were genuinely connecting with her message.She said: “That made me think, if I’m already creating content, why not understand the strategy behind it too?”So, she began learning digital marketing, social media strategy and content creation, in a city that’s full of stories and storytellers. Bhadauria said: “Dubai felt like the perfect place to explore this, because it’s such a fast-moving, visual and business-driven city. There’s always something new happening, and there are so many brands, entrepreneurs and experiences that need to be communicated digitally.”Her career shift is paying off. She said: “It’s honestly going better than I imagined. What started almost as a side interest has opened doors I never expected. I’m getting invited to places and experiences I never thought I would, meeting new people, working with brands and discovering a completely new direction for myself.”Just this week, she received her content creator licence – a small career milestone that acknowledges her commitment to her new chosen path. Even on her days off, Bhadauria finds herself shooting videos, learning, networking and working on her digital marketing journey, “but I genuinely enjoy it because I know I’m building something for my future”.Taking a risk over and over againBy embracing the Dubai-it mindset – of manifesting bold ideas into reality – Bhadauria said she realised that she doesn’t have to choose just one version of herself. Picture credit: SuppliedWhile switching tracks to a seemingly unrelated career may seem risky and terrifying for some people, for Bhadauria, it’s just life. She has done it before, after all.She grew up in Etawah, Uttar Pradesh, India, where her parents still reside. Her career began with engineering, but Bhadauria left it behind for a field she was passionate about – beauty and make-up. After training in professional make-up, she went on to work in other segments of the beauty industry in India.She said: “I managed salon operations, led teams, worked with clients and built experience over the years. I had a routine, relationships, a familiar city and a professional identity that I understood. But somewhere along the way, I started feeling that I had more to explore. I remember thinking, ‘What if I start again? What if I put myself in an environment where I have to figure things out from scratch?’ That thought was exciting and terrifying at the same time. So, I chose Dubai.”She didn’t have a plan – in fact, the biggest thing she left behind was “certainty”, and a comfortable life. Bhadauria said: “I left behind a version of myself who knew exactly what her everyday life looked like.”In Dubai, she transitioned to content creation, and is learning search engine optimisation (SEO) and digital marketing – all while navigating a new life in a new city.Bhadauria doesn’t consider her non-linear professional career as something strange – each moment was leading to the other, and bringing her to the place where she was always meant to be.She said: “Engineering taught me how to think logically and solve problems. Make-up taught me creativity, attention to detail and, most importantly, how to understand people. When someone sits in your make-up chair, you’re not just applying make-up, you’re understanding what makes them feel confident. Salon operations taught me leadership, business, sales, customer experience, team management and the reality of running a business. Content creation taught me storytelling and communication. And now, digital marketing is bringing many of those pieces together: creativity, strategy, business, people and communication.”Looking back today, she doesn’t see five different careers: “I see one journey where every chapter prepared me for the next one.”The Dubai chapterSo, what does her Dubai chapter hold for her?Bhadauria is just getting started. She said the biggest adjustment has been learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable: “Dubai is incredibly fast paced. Everyone seems to be doing something, building something, achieving something. And when you’re new, it can sometimes feel like everyone else has already figured out the rules. You have to learn about a new city, new systems, new work culture, new people and, at the same time, rebuild your own confidence.”She said she is taking her time and celebrating the small victories, like learning a route home, finding a new favourite café, and figuring out how the Dubai Metro works.Bhadauria has also been enjoying surprise encounters that life brings her way.She said: “I’ve met women here who are running businesses, building brands, starting completely new careers and reinventing themselves. I’ve met people from so many different backgrounds. Dubai constantly reminds you that there isn’t just one way to build a life. I think that’s when it slowly started feeling like home – not because it became familiar, but because I started becoming comfortable with the unfamiliar.”Lessons learnedIf the first lesson Dubai taught her was that starting over is not failure, then the second lesson is “you are capable of much more, when you stop waiting to feel ready”. She added: “I definitely didn’t feel completely ready when I moved here. I just decided to go anyway.”The third lesson Bhadauria is taking away from her big move to Dubai, is that independence changes you. She said: “When you move to a new country and have to figure things out yourself, you discover parts of yourself you didn’t know existed.”Now, Bhadauria is finding that she isn’t just building her career in the city – she’s building a new version of herself, too.She explained: “When I came to Dubai, my primary focus was my career. I wanted better opportunities, exposure and growth. But somewhere along the way, I realised I was changing personally, too. I became more independent. I became more comfortable walking into rooms where I didn’t know anyone. I became more willing to ask questions, approach people, create opportunities and put myself out there. I started saying ‘yes’ to experiences that I would probably have overthought earlier. And perhaps most importantly, I stopped defining myself by one job title.”By embracing the Dubai-it mindset – of manifesting bold ideas into reality – Bhadauria said she realised that she doesn’t have to choose just one version of herself. “Before moving here, I think I had a much smaller idea of what was possible for me. Living in Dubai has exposed me to people who have reinvented themselves multiple times. It has made me realise that age, geography or a previous career don’t have to determine what you do next. Sometimes you just need the courage to change your environment.”Eight months into her life in Dubai, Bhadauria is already dreaming big. She wants to bring her family to the city and experience Dubai with them. She also wants to reach a point where she is financially independent, “where I can create opportunities not just for myself but for the people I love”.She knows she will get there – one step at a time. She said she’s ready for whatever the future brings, and wants others who are in the same season of life as her, to stay confident, too.Bhadauria shared a message for people who often look around them and wonder if they are ‘behind’ on milestones and key moments: “You are not late. You are not behind. And your previous chapters are not wasted just because your next chapter looks completely different. I spent years thinking I needed to find the one thing I was meant to do. Now, I think the better question is: ‘What can I build with everything I’ve learned so far?’ Moving to Dubai has given me the opportunity to find out. And honestly, I feel like I’m still at the beginning of that story.”
