#128 Coming back from your darkest day with Andy Coley
Release Date: 08/01/2024
#168: Paying attention to endings, the power of closing things well with Philip Atkinson
Another Door Stories
#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 Stories
“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 Stories
"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 Stories
“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 Stories
“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 Stories
“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 Stories
"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 Stories
“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...
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#160 The best thing you’ve ever done is ahead of you and will always be ahead of you with Dan Kieran
Another Door Stories
“If you look back on your life and see that you would have done something differently, that means you’re wiser now than you were then. And that means, by definition, the best thing you’ve ever done is ahead of you and will always be ahead of you.” What happens when you walk away from the thing that defined you, your job, your identity, your sense of success and step into a space of not knowing? In this episode, I speak to writer, entrepreneur, and all-around inspiring human, Dan Kieran. The co-founder of the pioneering publishing platform Unbound, Dan shares his...
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#159 5 lessons from failing Ninja Warrior with Brandon Clift
Another Door Stories
"Are you at least willing to push through the discomfort so that the team can win, so that your family can win, so that the mission can win and ultimately perhaps so that you can win?” Have you ever had life slam a door in your face maybe even in the most public way possible? What if, in that moment, you could hit pause, dig into the mess, and come out the other side with fresh lessons (and maybe even a laugh or two)? In this episode, I talk to executive coach and all-around inspiring human, Brandon Clift. Brandon shares his spectacular "door closed" moment on national TV as a contestant on...
info_outlineContent Warning: This episode mentions attempted suicide and despair.
“If you put me back 13 years ago when I was going to run my car into a tree I never ever would have believed that this life I have right now is possible. I would have called you absolutely fucking bonkers to ever thought that was possible." Andy Coley
In today's episode, we have Andy Coley, who shares his story of his “epic life fail” as Life took over, ‘wrong’ decisions, foggy thinking, where everything felt out of control in the pursuit of being in full control. Andy shares the moment he felt like there was only one way out of it, and the moment he realised there was a better way.
We talk about how our inner voice can beat ourselves up, create unwanted noise, the constant chatter and how clarity comes in amongst the confusion. Andy shares how he found a new path through coaching and neuro linguistic programming (NLP), but it wasn't without the ups and downs of navigating a transformative journey.
Andy shares how being in control is sometimes more about letting go, and knowing you can trust yourself, rather than keeping a tight grip that is surfacing your progress.
“Don’t let life happen to you, be in control, but not so tight it hinders”
Here are the highlights:
05:35 Struggled with suicidal thoughts, found hope and support.
07:55 Inner turmoil and self-doubt overcome with help.
11:40 Seeking help and support to overcome debt.
16:02 Struggling business turned around through coaching and NLP.
18:32 Discussing the importance of therapy and coaching for help.
25:10 Struggled at boot camp, but found support.
30:18 Extensive NLP training business, coaching and team development.
31:33 Focus on leadership and management in business.
34:51 Motivational speaker focuses on impact, not money.
40:07 Seek and embrace support in tough times.
48:11 Take control of your life, make changes.
Andy’s Another Door go-tos
The things that helped Andy navigate change.
Books: “NLP at Work”, by Sue Knight
Music: “Times Like These.” Foo Fighters
The one piece of advice:
“Get support and perspective. Find someone who's a good listener, not a good teller. Or journal, get it out of your head…just write it. Set your intentions for your future. Your unconscious mind needs some direction. What is it you'd love to have happen? What would you like it to be like in a year's time from where you are right now? Don’t be afraid to have bold goals for yourself. They are a signal to yourself that you mean it”.
About Andy Coley
Andy is an award-winning TEDx speaker (he won TEDx speaker of the year last year) and is also an executive coach and leadership development trainer who works with major plc businesses, the NHS and organisations such as Meta, The Cabinet Office and a lot within the computer games industry.
He's currently working on a leadership development book which is due to hit the shelves in October 2024.
Find out more: https://www.andycoley.com; https://www.gamestudiotraining.com
Connect with Andy:
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/andycoley/
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