An Indian woman who once earned nearly ₹1 crore a year in London has sparked conversation online after revealing how moving to Australia pushed her into an unexpected phase of life, cleaning Airbnb apartments in Melbourne. In a candid Instagram video, 37-year-old Shweta Desai spoke about losing her sense of identity after stepping away from a senior corporate role and why the experience changed the way she now looks at money, work and self-worth.
But after moving to Melbourne with her husband and two children, things did not unfold the way she expected.
“The job market in Melbourne is very different, so I couldn’t find what I wanted,” she explained.
Unable to secure a role similar to the one she had in London, she accepted the first opportunity that came her way, managing Airbnb apartments. The work involved cleaning rooms, handling laundry and responding to guest queries.
“I went from Head of Product in London to cleaning apartments in Melbourne,” she said in her Instagram post. “And for a long time I thought I’d lost myself completely.”
But the move to Melbourne changed her lifestyle overnight.
“I went from a big job, a big title, and a pretty big salary to cleaning apartments in Melbourne,” she said.
“So Shweta who lived in London always had clothes in her wardrobe. She had six or seven pairs of shoes, branded makeup, handbags. She lived life queen size,” said the Indian woman. “The title. The salary. The wardrobe. It was all gone.”
The shift, she admitted, left her emotionally shaken and unsure about her place in life.
“The person who remained was like a shell,” she recalled. “She was bending over backwards for everyone, making sure that any needs that she had didn’t really get done, were not prioritised, were not asked. And it was bad.”
She said being unemployed for a period made social situations uncomfortable too.
“Everywhere we went, people would ask me, so what do you do? I didn't really have an answer. I would say stuff like, I'm figuring it out, I'm a housewife. And no disrespect to housewives, but I felt like I was putting on a mask. I just didn't feel like I was living my life anymore,” she said.
Yet the unexpected job managing Airbnb apartments slowly helped her regain confidence.
“It’s a functional job. It gave me a small part of myself back, so I do it.”
“But here’s what nobody tells you about losing a career you worked fifteen years to build. When the title goes, you find out who you actually are underneath it. And I found someone I really like,” she said.
She also spoke openly about what money means to her now.
“I’ve realised that money equals freedom,” said Shweta. “It means not having to explain why a lip balm costs as much as it does!”
“Jokes apart, money means options, freedom and sometimes happiness too. I’ve also realised that I put too much value into what the job title meant for my identity and my ego and how I cuddled my sadness and pain. Now I do 3 different jobs- one cleaning apartments for an Airbnb,” said Shweta.
Following the popularity of her Instagram reels, she launched “The Rebuild Room”, a WhatsApp community aimed at women going through major life changes.
“It grew organically from my Instagram content,” she said. “Women started reaching out saying they were living similar experiences, career loss, relocation, identity shifts, and wanted connection.”
“I’m also building a coaching practice specifically for women navigating these transitions. The community and the coaching work hand in hand,” said Shweta.
A fresh start that did not go as planned
Shweta, who was born and raised in Mumbai, moved to London in 2008 for higher studies and spent the next 15 years building her career there. Before relocating to Australia in late 2023, she worked as Head of Product for a commercial business website in London.But after moving to Melbourne with her husband and two children, things did not unfold the way she expected.
“The job market in Melbourne is very different, so I couldn’t find what I wanted,” she explained.
Unable to secure a role similar to the one she had in London, she accepted the first opportunity that came her way, managing Airbnb apartments. The work involved cleaning rooms, handling laundry and responding to guest queries.
“I went from Head of Product in London to cleaning apartments in Melbourne,” she said in her Instagram post. “And for a long time I thought I’d lost myself completely.”
‘The title. The salary. Gone’
By 2023, Shweta said she had built a comfortable life in London. She earned close to £100,000 a year and enjoyed the financial independence that came with it.But the move to Melbourne changed her lifestyle overnight.
“I went from a big job, a big title, and a pretty big salary to cleaning apartments in Melbourne,” she said.
“So Shweta who lived in London always had clothes in her wardrobe. She had six or seven pairs of shoes, branded makeup, handbags. She lived life queen size,” said the Indian woman. “The title. The salary. The wardrobe. It was all gone.”
The shift, she admitted, left her emotionally shaken and unsure about her place in life.
When career loss becomes personal
Shweta described the transition as more than just a professional setback. According to her, it slowly turned into a personal identity crisis.“The person who remained was like a shell,” she recalled. “She was bending over backwards for everyone, making sure that any needs that she had didn’t really get done, were not prioritised, were not asked. And it was bad.”
She said being unemployed for a period made social situations uncomfortable too.
“Everywhere we went, people would ask me, so what do you do? I didn't really have an answer. I would say stuff like, I'm figuring it out, I'm a housewife. And no disrespect to housewives, but I felt like I was putting on a mask. I just didn't feel like I was living my life anymore,” she said.
Yet the unexpected job managing Airbnb apartments slowly helped her regain confidence.
“It’s a functional job. It gave me a small part of myself back, so I do it.”
A different understanding of money and freedom
Shweta’s reflections on financial independence have struck a chord with many women online. She said the experience made her rethink how deeply she had tied her self-worth to her designation and salary.“But here’s what nobody tells you about losing a career you worked fifteen years to build. When the title goes, you find out who you actually are underneath it. And I found someone I really like,” she said.
She also spoke openly about what money means to her now.
“I’ve realised that money equals freedom,” said Shweta. “It means not having to explain why a lip balm costs as much as it does!”
“Jokes apart, money means options, freedom and sometimes happiness too. I’ve also realised that I put too much value into what the job title meant for my identity and my ego and how I cuddled my sadness and pain. Now I do 3 different jobs- one cleaning apartments for an Airbnb,” said Shweta.
Building something new from scratch
Today, besides managing apartments, Shweta also teaches English to children and is working on her own coaching business.Following the popularity of her Instagram reels, she launched “The Rebuild Room”, a WhatsApp community aimed at women going through major life changes.
“It grew organically from my Instagram content,” she said. “Women started reaching out saying they were living similar experiences, career loss, relocation, identity shifts, and wanted connection.”
“I’m also building a coaching practice specifically for women navigating these transitions. The community and the coaching work hand in hand,” said Shweta.
