#134 The moment that you are ready to hear it, the answer will come to you
Release Date: 11/14/2024
#170: How leaving the wrong job opened the right door for Cara-Lyn Giovanniello
Another Door Opens
“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...
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#169: Following coincidences; from retired teacher to battle rapper with Joy France
Another Door Opens
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,...
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#168: Paying attention to endings, the power of closing things well with Philip Atkinson
Another Door Opens
#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,...
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#167 Sparking Joy, Playing with Possibility and Rebranding Life with Sapna Pieroux
Another Door Opens
“Life’s been tough over the last couple of years not just for me, but economically, for a lot of businesses. If I can bring joy into business owners’ lives and make them feel better about what they’re doing, that’s brilliant.” Ever wondered how to reopen doors (or even build brand new ones) after life throws you a curveball? This episode is all about finding the spark of joy, even in your darkest moments, and building communities that thrive on play, experimentation, and authentic connection. I’m joined by brand strategist, author, and accidental entrepreneur Sapna Pieroux, who...
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#166 Turning down a ‘Dream Job’ and saying Yes before you’re ready with Katie Best
Another Door Opens
"Be brave enough to say yes even if it wasn’t in your niche or part of ‘the plan’. That’s what keeps you moving forward before you’re ready for that next door to open." Ever wrestled with the idea of turning down your “dream job”? This episode is exploring the tricky decisions we have to make in moments of change and how to solve leadership problems that are really just life problems in disguise. I’m joined by Katie Best, a leadership expert, author, and consultant who shares her personal closing door moment: letting go of her dream role in the creative industries...
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#165 From horror to hope; the emergence of resilience and optimism following tragedy and crisis with Caroline Roodhouse
Another Door Opens
“It’s not a tick box exercise. It’s a genuine need to care for people and other human beings. Ultimately they’ll thrive again given the right support…and bring a whole new level of compassion and empathy if they’re nurtured the right way.” What happens when your life changes in an instant, not by choice but by tragedy? In this episode I’m with Caroline Roodhouse, who shares her incredibly moving story of losing her husband to suicide, the surreal aftermath, and the slow journey of rebuilding identity, family, and hope. Caroline opens the door on grief: the shock, the vividness...
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#164 What really happens when you’re the only man at the toddler group with Lee Chambers
Another Door Opens
“No matter what you do in life, you’re gonna get judged. You may as well just embrace exactly what you want to do at that moment in time. Open that door. Go through it. You’ll be a bit scared. It’ll be new, it’ll be novel. You’ll definitely learn a lot about yourself. You will be challenged, you will be supported.” What happens when you choose to walk away from what society expects of you and step through a door that feels equal parts terrifying and right? In this episode, I speak to Lee Chambers, psychologist, entrepreneur, author, and leading voice in the male allyship...
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#163 Being confidently lost and finding joy in the chaos with Gavin Oattes
Another Door Opens
“If you look for them, glimmers, these little micro moments of joy, are everywhere.” What if being lost isn’t a problem to fix, but a path to joy and self-discovery? In this episode, I speak with Gavin Oattes author, speaker, creativity advocate, and former stand-up comedian for a conversation about closing doors, moving forward, and how letting go can be the bravest thing you do. Gavin shares his journey from a whirlwind comedy career (with stories of sold-out shows, almost-making-it, and friendship tensions) to running a business, writing uplifting books, and learning how to...
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#162 Why the most important goodbye you’ll ever say is to the relationship that kept you small with Elizabeth Aldana
Another Door Opens
"Start to not tolerate things, and the bigger things will become easier." What if the hardest (and most transformative) endings in our lives are the ones we choose ourselves? In this episode, I chat with Elizabeth Aldana, Breakup Artist, coach, and advocate for navigating change on your own terms. Elizabeth shares her story of moving across the world from LA to Singapore in a whirlwind week, not because she had to, but because a part of her just wouldn’t tolerate staying still any longer. It was the first major “breakup” she initiated not just from a partner, but from her old...
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#161 When one door closes, how do we get through that messy bit in the middle, to another door opening: tune into the launch of Another Door Opens
Another Door Opens
“Change is messy, but it’s also fertile ground. Pause. Rest. Play. Try. Restart. The five steps aren’t a life ‘hack’ , they're a thinking space to get you through so that you can find joy, calm and opportunity amongst the chaos.” How good are you at navigating change? What happens when life throws you out of your comfort zone and into the unknown? How do you let go, rest, experiment, and eventually restart when you’re not sure what comes next? This special episode celebrates the launch of Another Door Opens: 5 steps for navigating change, my latest book guiding you through the...
info_outline"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 joy. She also opens up about her struggles fitting into traditional roles and redefining what is important. Her story offers us invaluable lessons on embracing change and finding fulfilment.
“I just love the feeling of walking through a gallery and then being around the art and I still love that. I think that's why it was so hard to let go of because it felt really good, but what I hadn't understood was what my role in it would be, and who I had to be in that environment.”
Here are the highlights:
05:41 The struggle of leaving a beloved art world job
12:12 Monetising passions can diminish the joy
13:39 Prioritising personal curiosity over external expectations
17:57 Exploring my mother’s story to understand my own
23:53 Navigating external advice vs. internal connection
27:54 Creative spaces make therapy accessible and engaging
34:42 Different needs: nature connection, and a spiritual practice
37:09 Create your own life guide with support
Claire Fitzwilliam’s Another Door go-tos
The things that helped Claire navigate change.
Book: "Tiny Beautiful Things", by Cheryl Strayed
Music: "My Favourite Coffee House" playlist on Spotify
The one piece of advice: “Feel your way through change and I say that because I often do work around emotions with people and it's often the missing piece.”
About Claire Fitzsimmons:
Claire Fitzsimmons helps people to have more good days by developing an everyday life practice that meets them wherever they are, with whatever it is they need. Claire draws from positive psychology, transactional analysis, somatics, neuroscience, Positive Intelligence, emotions coaching, and the science of well-being to help people understand what it means to be a person in this world, and how we can possibly do life with all that life now needs to contain. Claire also works with women in mid-life, particularly negotiating shifts associated with (peri)menopause. She is one of the world’s first certified Emotions Coaching Practitioners (with In Good Company), an ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC), and earned her Certificate in Counseling and Psychotherapy from London’s CCPE.
Find out more: https://www.ifloststarthere.com/
Connect with Claire:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-fitzsimmons
Substack: https://moregooddays.substack.com/
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
Produced by winteraudio.co.uk