"Don't confuse comfort with alignment. Just because something is familiar, stable, or impressive on paper doesn't mean it's meant for who you're becoming or what the universe has in store for you."

What happens when you land the job that seemed perfect only to find, deep down, it isn't right at all? In this episode, Cara-Lyn talks about the daunting process of leaving a high-profile role that simply wasn't a fit, and how that closed door became fuel for reinvention.

From wrongly ignoring her intuition, through the physical toll of staying somewhere misaligned, to finally making the leap into entrepreneurship Cara-Lyn shares how being forced out was the best thing that ever happened to her. Now, she's built a thriving leadership development business, continues to grow, and is on a mission to help others trust their gut and step into possibility.

If you're in a period of transition or questioning your current path, this conversation is well worth listening to.

Highlights:

00:00 Why growth often follows tough endings

02:01 The dream job that wasn't and what happened next

06:21 The physical signs it's time to move on

08:23 Why leaving (even not by your choice) can be the best thing for you

11:06 The power of mindset in reframing "bad decisions"

13:51 Listening to intuition even when it goes against logic

15:01 Taking the leap: from layoff to launching a business

17:39 Building up confidence through experience

18:44 The difference relationships made in her new path

24:12 Why honest conversations with leaders matter

26:43 How to know you're on the right track

28:13 What doors are next: new programmes, speaking gigs, and more

Cara's Change Toolkit:

Soundtracks: 'Rain' by The Teskey Brothers and Recomposed: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons by Max Richter

Book: Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg – for building better relationships and expressing what you need

One piece of advice:
"Trust your intuition and don't confuse comfort with alignment. Ask yourself who do I want to be on the other side of this transition? The hallway between closed doors is your moment to decide who you become."

About Cara Lyn:

Cara-Lyn Giovanniello or CLG 😉, is an ICF-certified CPCC and PCC from San Francisco, California, and it is her belief that impactful leadership is a choice we each get to make. Cara-lyn believes the keys to success and fulfillment stem from emotional intelligence, tough love, and commitment to active development. Cara-lyn's work is about how to master emotional, relational, and strategic intelligence towards creating deep influence and impact in your leadership, and throughout your organization.

Work with Eleanor

Buy the Book - Another Door Opens; 5 steps for navigating change. Described as 'Game changing' 'Brilliant' 'A must read' 'The best book on change'.

Eleanor supports individuals, teams and organisations through change. Whether it's coaching or large scale organisational change through communications and training.

Work with Eleanor 121 as your coach, when you are starting something new, to develop the idea, to create the idea, to get it launched.

Book in a Change Mastery for a team session - when your team is navigating change.

Book in a 90 minute workshop - to think through change at work.

Join the Another Door Opens 5 Step Programme - a course and community to guide you through the messiness of change to find calm, joy and opportunity.

Instagram:instagram/anotherdooruk

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

Website: www.another-door-opens.com

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

Ever wondered what happens when you say "yes" to life's weird coincidences and let them lead you somewhere completely new?

In this episode I talk to Joy France, a retired teacher turned poet, performer, and battle rapper about her wild ride into creativity and adventure… all by simply following unexpected doors as they opened.

Joy shares her story of evolving after retirement: from socially anxious, shy, and "ordinary" to poet-in-residence, rap battler, stand-up comic, and "collector of chance encounters."

If you're feeling stuck, bored, or ready for change, Joy's approach to following coincidences, no matter how leftfield, will have you rethinking what's possible, and might just nudge you to open a new door to creativity.

Here are the highlights:

​​00:00 The retired teacher who followed coincidences and said yes to opportunities

09:09 Retirement sparked a creative adventure

10:37 Pitching a free creative space for all art forms, and they said yes!

19:57 Embrace courage, ignore opinions, and the world becomes limitless.

28:15 Take opportunities for change without fear of judgment.

Joy's change toolkit:

Soundtrack: "Brimful of Asha" – Cornershop

Book: "I used to read a lot when I didn't have a life. Now I barely read, I'm too busy living!"

One Piece of Advice:

"People are presented with opportunities for change but don't step into them. My advice? Don't be terrified. If you're not hurting anyone, why not do the thing? Don't wait for 'one day', you never know what's ahead. If there's something, why not go for it now?"

About Joy France:

Joy's life has been one of 2 halves. She was a quiet, unassuming teacher, always worrying about what others thought. That is, until her mid-50's when she finally found her voice and the courage to embrace life. Joy challenged herself to do 60 new things at the age of 60 and had so much fun that she's continued to "grow old playfully." Joy is an all round creative - a multiple slam-winning poet, stand-up comedian, and writer who travels around delivering talks, running workshops and performing at a variety of festivals and unusual venues. There is nothing Joy loves more than helping others find their voice and embrace their potential.

Watch Joy's Documentary:
Joy Uncensored – search online for the uncensored version (and be warned: it's not for the easily offended!)

Work with Eleanor

Buy the Book - Another Door Opens; 5 steps for navigating change. Described as 'Game changing' 'Brilliant' 'A must read' 'The best book on change'.

Eleanor supports individuals, teams and organisations through change. Whether it's coaching or large scale organisational change through communications and training.

Work with Eleanor 121 as your coach, when you are starting something new, to develop the idea, to create the idea, to get it launched.

Book in a Change Mastery for a team session - when your team is navigating change.

Book in a 90 minute workshop - to think through change at work.

Join the Another Door Opens 5 Step Programme - a course and community to guide you through the messiness of change to find calm, joy and opportunity.

Instagram:instagram/anotherdooruk

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

Website: www.another-door-opens.com

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

#168: Paying attention to endings, the power of closing things well with Philip Atkinson

"Keep moving, keep learning, keep investing in your own development. Don't hang on to the value that you used to have that's no longer relevant, no longer fit for purpose."

Have you ever felt the seasons of your own life shifting, nudging you to find the courage to start anew? That's exactly what we're exploring on today's episode. When I sat down with Philip Atkinson, we talked about his unique journey. After 25 years in a big multinational, he walked away from the comfort and certainty, stepping into the unknown to build something entirely his own.

This is the bit I love, part of that journey Philip has written a great, however not just a book about leadership or change. His book, Bee Wise: 12 Leadership Lessons from a Busy Beehive, brings together his wisdom and observations from work experience with his love of bees, and specifically the rituals of bees. He weaves together what bees can teach us about teams, cycles, and closure. It's a brilliant read, with so many intriguing layers to the insights.

This is the perfect conversation if you want to activate your curious mind!

Highlights:
00:04 The power of letting go, lifelong learning, and personal development
06:01 Understanding emotional exits
10:53 Why Western cultures struggle with endings
13:02 Ceremonies, rituals & why we need to mark our endings
14:56 Projects or experiments? Why reframing failure helps us grow
16:37 How reward systems make closure difficult (and how to break out)
18:42 Why Philip combined his love of bees with leadership coaching
20:01 Building HiveLogic
22:45 Why seasons matter (for bees and personal reinvention)
24:00 Lessons from the beehive
34:30 Pay attention to endings. Close every meeting, project, and phase well.

Philip's Change Toolkit:
Soundtrack: "Don't Stop Me Now" – Queen
Book: Time to Think – Nancy Klein

One piece of advice:

"Pay attention to endings. If it's time to close something, close it well. Make sure that meetings close well. Make sure that projects close well. Make sure that career phases close well. And think about your head, your heart, and your body and where you are. Every single ending, make sure you've got enough time to close it well."

About Phillip Atkinson:

Philip is based in Alsace, France, and is the founder of hive-logic.com Coaching & Communications with offices in Basel, Switzerland, and London, UK. Philip is a leadership team expert and organisational coach.

As a beekeeper, Philip loves to spend the summer tending to and observing his precious bees and spending the winter learning, reading, and writing about them. Throughout the whole year, Philip supports leadership teams and leaders worldwide to grow and develop.

You can contact Philip by email on philip@hive-logic.com

Buy the book - https://beewisebook.com/

Work with Eleanor

Buy the Book - Another Door Opens; 5 steps for navigating change. Described as 'Game changing' 'Brilliant' 'A must read' 'The best book on change'.

Eleanor supports individuals, teams and organisations through change. Whether it's coaching or large scale organisational change through communications and training.

Work with Eleanor 121 as your coach, when you are starting something new, to develop the idea, to create the idea, to get it launched.

Book in a Change Mastery for a team session - when your team is navigating change.

Book in a 90 minute workshop - to think through change at work.

Join the Another Door Opens 5 Step Programme - a course and community to guide you through the messiness of change to find calm, joy and opportunity.

Instagram:instagram/anotherdooruk

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

Website: www.another-door-opens.com

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk