#131: Career pivoting and making leaps into the unknown with Iesha Small
Release Date: 09/26/2024
#139: When it’s time to explore the other side of fear and chase a dream with Ant Duckworth
Another Door Stories
"I made the decision to jump off that entrepreneurial ledge, which was incredibly intimidating at the time… But, I was so compelled to see what was on the other side of fear, which was leaving full time, gainful, fantastic employment and chase a dream" In today's episode, we have Ant Duckworth, the co-founder of Dear Coco. I’ve been following Ant’s journey and the evolution of ‘Dear Coco’, his award winning coffee truck, since the dream started. We all have these tiny ideas, small dreams, but how many of us decide to take action and step into trying, and giving it a go. Ant...
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#138: From redundancy to championing flexible work with Elizabeth Willetts
Another Door Stories
"My big door closing moment was when I was made redundant in the pandemic with 2 small children who were 1 and 3, and thought I would never get a good job again.” Turing adversity into opportunity. In today's episode I’m talking to Elizabeth Willetts, founder of Investing in Women. Elizabeth’s company grows from strength to strength, if you follow her on socials she is smashing it. But that wasn’t always the case - and, like many success stories, starts when a door is slammed shut. Like many of us, Elizabeth found herself redundant during Covid in 2020 and decided it was a moment...
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#137: Embracing the messiness of change
Another Door Stories
In this special solo episode, it's just you and me pondering the intricacies of navigating change. The past few years I’ve had my fair share of ups and downs, and so in this chat I'm sharing my reflections on pausing, embracing messiness, playing with ideas, and the power of trying. We'll also explore the concept of restarting with a fresh perspective, anchored in self-care and gentle intention. Join me as I explore these themes, offering insights and tools to help you face uncertainty and thrive through change. This framework is part of my upcoming book, all about how to navigate...
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#136: How to keep being ‘directionally correct’ when life throws a curve ball with Michael Glassock
Another Door Stories
"Career transitions may feel uncertain, but aligning your daily actions with your core values can guide you through any ambiguity. It's not about having every step mapped out; it's about being directionally correct and consistent in your efforts." This episode I’m with Micheal Glassocks who shares his career shifts, aligning work with personal values and the power of being "directionally correct”. Michael discusses his transitions from a successful role in project management in the NHS to project managing a new career as a coach, prompted by his father’s Alzheimer’s...
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#135: How to Divorce Sober with Hannah Harvey
Another Door Stories
"I have learned so much over this process of what matters and what doesn't, how to protect yourself, what boundaries to put in place, whether you're giving up alcohol, a person, or an eating disorder." In this episode, I talk to Hannah Harvey who shares her story about closing a door on alcohol, which also led to her leaving her marriage. Hannah opened up about her liberating journey to sobriety, revealing how quitting alcohol transformed her life and led her to write "How to Divorce Sober." We talk about overcoming societal pressures, personal growth, and finding clarity through...
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#134 The moment that you are ready to hear it, the answer will come to you
Another Door Stories
"The whole time I could have left but I just wanted to believe so much that it was the right thing for me." What happens when you don’t get joy from your job anymore? I’m talking to Claire Fitzsimmons, co-founder of ‘If lost start here’. She shares her journey of closing a door on what was perceived as a ‘dream job’ in the art world and following her heart into the well-being world. We also talk about her Mum’s struggle with mental health and how it led Claire to starting a business where they create a unique "well-being prescription" designed to navigate life with creativity and...
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#133 Closing a door when you feel something bigger is calling with Dr. Enya Doyle
Another Door Stories
“If it's consulting for forever, then it's consulting for forever. But at least be the captain of your own ship and being curious about what it would be like to be the captain of my own ship.” I am talking to Dr. Enya Doyle, known as the ‘Harassment Doctor’. Enya’s closing door was the moment she decided to leave academia and start her own consultancy. Enya shares her career journey, starting from her academic roots in gender and classical music to becoming a leading consultant in anti-harassment and inclusion. The conversation is about seeing opportunity when it feels like there...
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#132 From tech giant to embracing entrepreneurship with Glenn Block
Another Door Stories
“What if I could author my life the way I want it to be? What would that look like? And the more I started to think about that it was, you know, not working for anybody. It was creating my own spaces, creating my own company where I get to do the things I really care about, and where I can structure it” Join me talking to Glenn Block, whose journey from corporate life to entrepreneurship is packed with valuable lessons and insights, and stories of how getting it wrong on the first go can turn out to be OK! Glenn shares the moment he decided to close a door on working in ‘big...
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#131: Career pivoting and making leaps into the unknown with Iesha Small
Another Door Stories
“Until that moment I had never left a job with nothing to go to. I've always had something lined up. So this time I was like, Iesha, what are you gonna do? I had no idea. And that was perfectly OK. I had to trust myself” Today's guest, Iesha Small, shares her journey from engineering to the world of education to her current role as Head of Comms, and now encouraging others with her writing and coaching. We talk about the twists and turns of career change, and pivoting. Where you aren't always sure what your next move is, but you make it anyway. Sometimes doors...
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#130 Is a dream job possible, even when you close the door on a dream job?
Another Door Stories
"I just started to ask myself, as many people do ‘Do I want to do this for another 20 years? Is there something else?’. I got curious, maybe there are some other doors I want to look through and maybe it's time to shut this door and find out." Does a dream job really exist? We’re joined by the seasoned journalist and career coach Rachel Schofield to talk about ‘dream jobs’. We explore the themes of unearthing core passions, overcoming imposter syndrome, and finding stability amidst the chaos of change. And what if you have, on paper, a dream job, but have a feeling there might be...
info_outline“Until that moment I had never left a job with nothing to go to. I've always had something lined up. So this time I was like, Iesha, what are you gonna do? I had no idea. And that was perfectly OK. I had to trust myself”
Today's guest, Iesha Small, shares her journey from engineering to the world of education to her current role as Head of Comms, and now encouraging others with her writing and coaching.
We talk about the twists and turns of career change, and pivoting. Where you aren't always sure what your next move is, but you make it anyway.
Sometimes doors close for us, and we have to decide what to do next, other times we are closing that door for ourselves, and we are in full ownership of why it’s important and what we want next.
Iesha shares her thoughts and ponders in a brilliant weekly blog, and takes the pressure and perfection out of career changing.
"What's the point of achieving all this stuff if it is not gelling with what you actually think is important in life?"
Here are the highlights:
11:19 First time quitting a job without backup.
16:26 Decided to take breaks and rest intuitively.
20:59 Serendipitous job came from conversations during time off.
25:20 Started career pivot talks on LinkedIn.
31:42 Choose family time over earning more money.
32:26 Intentional career shift after realising future uncertainty.
42:19 Weekly emails help with career strategy and values.
55:58 Show Your Work: Share expertise, attract opportunities.
Iesha Small’s Another Door go-tos
The things that helped Iesha navigate change.
Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho; Show Your Work by Austin Kleon.
Music: "You Can't Break My Soul" by Beyoncé.
One piece of advice: “ If you don't fail, you're probably not doing anything hard enough.”
About Iesha Small:
Iesha Small is a communications professional who has navigated a diverse career path from mechanical engineering to education and now communications. She leverages this experience to help leaders and professionals confidently pivot careers and build profitable passion projects. As a Head of Communications and founder of Cute Fruit Ltd, Iesha combines corporate expertise with entrepreneurial insights. Her accomplishments include publishing "The Unexpected Leader," appearing on BBC, writing for The Guardian, and speaking at the National Theatre. Iesha's approach, rooted in her background as an introvert from a working-class family, offers practical advice for career development. She's found success in building an online presence, particularly on LinkedIn, which has transformed her understanding of digital communications. Iesha provides online workshops, one-on-one career strategy sessions, and a Career Pivot Pro course, helping others achieve their professional goals through continuous learning and adaptation.
Find out more: https://ieshasmall.com/
Connect with Iesha:
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ieshasmall/
Produced by winteraudio.co.uk
About your host Eleanor Tweddell:
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 Get-Recommended.com and the author of Why losing your job could be the best thing that ever happened to you.
Connect with Eleanor:
Instagram:instagram/anotherdooruk
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-tweddell/
Website: eleanortweddell.com
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