Words By allegra Salvadori
May Barber is no stranger to reinvention. Architect, strategist, and now podcast host, she brings her cross-disciplinary insight to The Creative Hustle—a new platform exploring the behind-the-scenes realities of creative entrepreneurship in the UAE and wider Gulf.
Launched at a time when the region’s creative economy is rapidly expanding, Barber’s podcast shines a light on the stories that rarely get told. “I wasn’t interested in presenting my guests as ‘success stories’ alone,” she says. “I wanted these candid conversations to feel relatable to anyone starting or navigating a creative path—something they could connect with and take meaning from.”
More than a showcase, The Creative Hustle is a space for reflection, connection, and practical insight—especially around themes of sustainability, financial stability, and redefining success. “Titles and income alone don’t capture the full picture,” Barber insists. “Success might mean seeing a project through, making an impact in your community, or simply staying true to your passion.”
Success might mean seeing a project through, making an impact in your community, or simply staying true to your passion.
With guests spanning architecture, fashion, art, and film, the podcast also offers something rare: cross-pollination between creative fields in a region where industries often operate in silos. For Barber, this is key: “There’s so much shared knowledge and potential for cross-learning.”
Above all, The Creative Hustle aims to build community—particularly for women. “We need to let go of the idea that there’s one image of what a successful woman looks like,” she says. “It’s okay to pause, re-evaluate, recharge. Our creative energy isn’t infinite.”
We need to let go of the idea that there’s one image of what a successful woman looks like.
Asked who her dream guest would be, “dead or alive”, Barber smiles: “Gabriel García Márquez… or May Ziadeh, who I was named after. I’d ask her how she endured, and how she kept creating despite it all.”
The Creative Hustle is on Instagram, Youtube, Spotify and Apple.
