Soumaya Fikri : from burnout and call center to teaching Darija, turning a side idea into a calling

#5 What if the breakdown was actually the breakthrough? This episode is in English At 20, Soumaya dropped out of business school to work night shifts in a call center and support her family. The paycheck was there, but the cost was huge: constant breakdowns, chronic anxiety, and the feeling that her life force was being drained day after day. Years later, she quits without a plan B, goes back to university to study English, and almost by accident finds her calling: teaching Darija, the Moroccan dialect she grew up with but had always taken for granted. Her program Darija Daba now helps hundreds of people – especially Moroccans in the diaspora – reconnect with their language, their roots, and their loved ones. In this conversation, we talk about: dropping out and the mental health toll of a job that doesn’t fit you going back to school after years in the corporate world creating a full Darija curriculum from scratch, with no existing structure to lean on Darija as more than a language: connection, heritage, spirituality, healing internalised shame around our mother tongue imposter syndrome, especially for women, and how to confront it with real evidence why reinvention is less about a perfect plan and more about following your curiosity, one small step at a time Soumaya’s story is honest and incredibly powerful – a reminder that what we take for granted (like speaking Darija) can become the most meaningful work we do in the world. 🎧 Listen to the full episode and if it resonated: subscribe to the show leave a rating and review share it with someone who needs a little courage to try something new And for behind-the-scenes, updates and upcoming guests: 👉 Follow us on Instagram: @reinventionsbyaicha 00:00 Introduction and Early Life 03:32 Career Decisions and Call Center Experience 05:44 Struggles and Breakdowns in the Workplace 08:01 Transitioning to Coaching and Content Creation 10:28 Returning to Education and New Beginnings 12:51 Teaching Derija and Building a Community 26:54 Designing a Curriculum for Derija 29:16 The Emotional Connection to Teaching Derija 31:55 Personal Growth Through Teaching 35:23 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome 39:13 Identity as a Language Teacher 41:33 Vision for the Future of Derija Daba 45:51 Creating a New Life Beyond Unfulfilling Jobs