"Go Where You Don't Belong"

I came down to Riyadh for work this week, and as I unwind at a local coffee shop after a busy day, I notice a couple of young Saudis struggling with their video editing tool. I can tell they're YouTubing a solution. This reminds me of my work philosophy: "Go where you don't belong." I've learned time and again that growth happens when one puts themselves in places where they don't feel like they belong.

Flash back to when my journey began in 2004, I started in ad operations at Impact Proximity, BBDO. Over the next 16 years, I worked my way up through the ranks at OMD and a big part of my growth was driven by one motto - stay at the heart of change. I believe that if you keep yourself at the center of change, you'll always be learning, and that keeps you relevant—especially in our industry, where change is the only constant.

My journey has been filled with moments of self-doubt and fear (like any other individual), but it was also marked by incredible growth and learning. The times when i grew the most were in places where I felt like I might be "the dumbest" in the room. That way, I put the onus on myself to learn from the people around me in the room and be the hardest working person. It was difficult at the time but in hindsight, I prefer to be in places like that as it disproportionately accelerated my learning curve and growth!

In 2020, I took a leap and joined the TikTok GBS team. It was a significant change, a new environment with new challenges, but it was also an opportunity to grow even further. The fear of being an “outlier” was there, whispering that I didn’t belong, but I pushed through it to evolve from an agency leader to a tech one. I realized that everyone has something of value to contribute to a conversation. Your experiences, your unique lens through which you view the world, are valuable; you just need to reframe the nervousness into excitement, Find what you resonate with, embrace the fear and just do it. ?

In 2023, I followed my itch to become an entrepreneur. This was another major leap, moving from the relative security of a corporate job to the uncertain world of entrepreneurship. The fear and uncertainty were intense, but so was the excitement. I began to understand that it's these feelings of discomfort and uncertainty that signal you're on the brink of something special. They are indicators that you are pushing your boundaries, stepping out of your comfort zone, and entering a space where real growth happens.

I strongly believe exploring/owning discomfort is good as long as it is rife in lessons. But I also believe that one should never fully leave their comfort zone i.e. good things need a conducive environment to do well with transferrable skills to build upon. There's too much talk about leaving comfort zones. A whale wouldn't do much in the Sahara desert.

To anyone reading this who feels like they don’t belong, I urge you to take the leap. Step into those places. Explore the unknown. Engage in those conversations. Offer your perspective. You never know who you might inspire, who you might connect with, and what opportunities might arise.

When I look back at my journey, I see a path filled with places where I didn’t belong, moments where I felt out of place, and situations where I was sure I was in over my head. But I also see immense growth, lifelong lessons, and achievements that have made my family proud. It was in those uncomfortable, challenging spaces that I found the most growth and success.

Remember, that feeling of uncertainty, and discomfort is usually a sign of growth. Embrace it. Go where you don’t belong and take the leap.

As I finish writing this, I turn my head to see that these two Saudi girls have almost completed their video edit, and they seem quite proud of their work! So that serves a good self-reminder to always celebrate those little wins and pat yourself on the back for going places!