“It was a phenomenal time looking back, of anxiety at the beginning and disbelief that this was going to do anything for us, to finally being acquired at the end of 2021 in a life changing deal.”

In this episode, I speak to David James about the reality of walking away from a, on paper, dream corporate role in search of something else.

David left the Walt Disney Company and joined the startup world, he shares the story of facing into the setbacks, the moments of wonderful serendipity, the moments of deep, dark doubt (my words, not David’s!).

We talk about the emotional highs and lows of career change, what it means to redefine success, and how sometimes, failure can lead to the most valuable opportunities.

If you're navigating change or just curious about what happens when you take a leap, this one’s for you.

Here are the highlights:

03:17 The quiet build-up to letting go

07:45 Push vs pull: What drives us to change

09:38 Starting a business from scratch

12:21 Facing failure head-on

16:14 The free fall: Losing identity after leaving corporate

22:01 A serendipitous conversation that changed everything

29:19 Finding your voice and your value in something new

33:10 Learning to focus on the real problem

40:54 Adjusting after the business was acquired

David’s ‘another door opens’ go-to list -

Book: Broken Open, How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow by Elizabeth Lesser

Music: Saint Cloud by Waxahachie

The one piece of advice: “Own your own narrative.”

More about David:

David James is the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning and a highly respected voice in the Learning & Development industry. With a focus on harnessing technology to drive impactful learning strategies, David is recognised as one of the top 10 global influencers in the L&D space. His expertise lies in helping organisations modernise their approach to workplace learning, ensuring measurable results and business alignment.

David is also the host of The Learning & Development Podcast, which has amassed over 500,000 downloads and ranks in the top 1% of podcasts globally. With nearly 30,000 LinkedIn followers, he continues to shape the conversation around L&D innovation and best practices, drawing on his deep experience, including his time as Director of Learning, Talent & Organisational Development at The Walt Disney Company.

Find out more: https://360learning.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/?originalSubdomain=uk

About your host Eleanor

Eleanor supports individuals, teams and organisations through change. Whether it’s 121 coaching or large scale organisational change through communications and training. Eleanor’s work centres around how we, as humans, work through change, embracing the messy bits, the role of playing, with the aim to see opportunity. “Too often we get stuck in the change happening to us, when just through that next door is an exciting next chapter.”

Eleanor is the founder of Another Door, and the author of Another Door Opens - Five steps to navigating change in work and life

Instagram:instagram/anotherdoor_opens

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-tweddell/

Website: www.anotherdoor.co.uk

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

“What does success actually mean to me? Why did I quit my job really? How do I build this freedom, flexibility, fulfillment? How do I redefine it?”

In this episode, I talk to Anna Lundberg, an executive coach, business mentor and strategic adviser who challenges us to think about success and what it means to us. Anna shares her career change from corporate marketing to creating a business with more freedom and fulfillment. We explore the evolution of success, exploring unexpected paths and random connections that shape our careers and personal growth, like finding me on ChatGPT!

Here are the highlights:

03:50 The big door: Leaving corporate life and the journey since

05:06 Serendipitous lunch leading to new life paths

09:23 Embracing life changes and the idea of different life seasons

13:03 Shifting mindset from employee to entrepreneur

14:26 Moving into freelance consulting

26:25 Redefining personal career success and what truly matters

30:49 The ongoing journey - always a work in progress

The things that helped Anna navigate change -

Book: The Art of Non-conformity: Set Your Own Rules by Chris Guillebeau and "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield.

Music: Defying Gravity from the musical Wicked

The one piece of advice: " Take those little steps, don’t put too much pressure on yourself to find the right answer, and just have a bit of faith that something good will come of it.”

More about Anna:

Anna Lundberg is the founder of One Step Outside, where she helps professionals and entrepreneurs redefine success on their own terms. After stepping away from a successful corporate career, she built a business that gives her both financial stability and personal freedom - without following the traditional ‘hustle’ playbook. Through her Business Accelerator, strategic coaching, and thought leadership, she supports leaders in designing a business and career that aligns with their values, lifestyle, and ambitions. She is the author of Outside of the 9 to 5 and Leaving the Corporate 9 to 5, and the host of the Reimagining Success podcast.

Find out more: https://onestepoutside.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaselundberg/

About your host Eleanor

Eleanor supports individuals, teams and organisations through change. Whether it’s 121 coaching or large scale organisational change through communications and training. Eleanor’s work centres around how we, as humans, work through change, embracing the messy bits, the role of playing, with the aim to see opportunity. “Too often we get stuck in the change happening to us, when just through that next door is an exciting next chapter.”

Eleanor is the founder of Another Door and the author of Why losing your job could be the best thing that ever happened to you.

Instagram:instagram/anotherdooruk

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-tweddell/

Website: eleanortweddell.com

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

“Sometimes the doors closing are not just physical things. Sometimes it is about closing the way we do something, the way we think, so that we can step into a different space for ourselves.”

Have you ever felt the weight of certainty pull you down, trapping you in a life that doesn’t truly fulfill you?

In this episode I sit down with Suzanne Penny, a transition and career coach, who shares her own transformative journey of leaving behind certainty in favour of embracing the unknown.

Suzanne shares key turning points in her life that could have easily anchored her in fear and loss, yet propelled her into a space of growth, curiosity, and empowerment. We talk about that change will inevitably mean we have to face being uncomfortable, before we find a more aligned pathway.

Whether you’re facing a career transition or just needing a shift in how you view your world, this episode offers inspiration and practical insights on how to embrace change.

Here are the highlights:

04:03 Embrace uncertainty and get comfortable with the unknown

08:41 Losing job, becoming a single parent and launching a business

14:12 Taking breaks increases productivity and prevents burnout

17:33 Guided meditations can provide clarity and confidence

19:28 Embrace magic and openness

27:00 I wish I’d had business coaching earlier

30:58 Patience is a skill; with it, you win

The things that helped Suzanne navigate change -

Book/Magazine: Light is the New Black by Rebecca Campbell.

Music: Inspiration by the Gypsy Kings

The one piece of advice: "We absolutely have everything we need inside of us. We can make that positive change. If anyone's out there knowing they want to make change, you can. You totally can. And like I said, try not to just suffer alone with it. Get support around you. That's so key."

More about Suzanne:

Having started over following the death of her friend, Suzanne made some big decisions to start over. Which meant leaving her marriage of 15 years and wrapping up associate work as a career transition coach. But it didn't all go according to plan, starting a new job, getting fired 12 days later, working a fixed term contract which then expired just before the second lockdown, she found herself out of work in the pandemic. But she trusted completely that this was time for better things and she launched her training and coaching co, Empowered Space, as a single mum of two, trusting completely in her ability to impact more people through her work. It's been the biggest journey of self-discovery, navigating being a founder, being diagnosed with ADHD and navigating peri-menopause. Suzanne works with both corporates and individuals to support people to navigate career transitions, supporting new beginnings, for leaders starting new roles , new teams merging, and providing outplacement support at times of endings. Knowing that change does bring opportunity and embracing every step of the journey.

Find out more: https://www.empoweredspaceforpeople.com

Connect with Suzanne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzannepennyexecutivecoach/

About your host Eleanor

Eleanor supports individuals, teams and organisations through change. Whether it’s 121 coaching or large scale organisational change through communications and training. Eleanor’s work centres around how we, as humans, work through change, embracing the messy bits, the role of playing, with the aim to see opportunity. “Too often we get stuck in the change happening to us, when just through that next door is an exciting next chapter.”

Eleanor is the founder of Another Door and the author of Why losing your job could be the best thing that ever happened to you.

Instagram:instagram/anotherdooruk

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-tweddell/

Website: eleanortweddell.com

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk