#129 From ‘Corporate Hangover’ to the Happy Startup Coach with Sarah Clarke
Release Date: 09/04/2024
#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_outline“The problem with having ‘a corporate hangover’ is that it doesn't allow you to be authentically yourself. And in order to be a successful business owner, you need to be authentically yourself.”
On this episode we have Sarah Clarke, who closed a door on a corporate career after being made redundant and discovering she was pregnant for a second time. Sarah shares how motherhood and the redundancy gave her the impetus to start her own business. She now helps women start and grow their businesses as "The Happy Startup Coach."
"I kind of remember mulling over my idea for this new business with the friend I was staying with at the breakfast bar. I was like, well, you know, lots of people have really crappy returns to work, don't they?"
Here are the highlights:
04:26 Enjoying work, learning, culture change, OD and got the bug.
11:00 Taking a three-month contract to cover maternity pay after redundancy.
18:38 Prepare properly before taking action, gain clarity.
25:25 Navigating and caring for yourself through entrepreneurship.
30:34 Find your business coaching niche in yourself.
35:19 Reflect on passions, dislikes, and energising activities.
Sarah’s Another Door go-tos
The things that helped Sarah navigate change.
Books: ‘Be a Free Range Human’ by Marianne Campbell and ‘The Source’ by Dr. Tara Swart
Music: ‘Go your Own Way’, Fleetwood Mac
The one piece of advice: “I wanted to take action. I wanted to do. Because you feel like you're taking back control of a crappy situation. If I could possibly recommend anything, I would recommend the opposite - to not do, to just be.”
About Sarah Clarke:
Sarah Clarke is a Mum, wife, optimist and self-confessed personal and career development geek. Sarah is on a mission to help talented women unlock their potential and find more happiness at work, by showing them how to design their best work lives – on their terms.
“I’ve worked in the fields of employee happiness and development for nearly 2 decades and am incredibly passionate about the professional potential of women.I left the corporate world of employee engagement and development in 2016 and went freelance.I then set up my own career and leadership development coaching business, Shine Brighter, in March 2018.”
Since 2018 Sarah has helped hundreds of talented women reconnect with their unique strengths, values and personality preferences and rebuild their self-belief, allowing them to unlock their potential and shine brighter in their careers and businesses. Find out more: https://shinebrighterconsulting.co.uk/
Connect with:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehappystartupcoach/
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahjclarke/
Get Recommended
Are you looking for speakers with a fresh voice for your next workshop or conference? Check out
https://recommended.anotherdoor.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
Podcast produced by winteraudio.co.uk