#131: Career pivoting and making leaps into the unknown with Iesha Small
Release Date: 09/26/2024
#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...
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#158 How to keep going through the setbacks with Mike Morrison
Another Door Stories
“When you're too comfortable, when you have space to overthink, then nothing happens... But when there’s fire under you, you have to move, or you die.” In this episode, we are joined by Mike Morrison, entrepreneur, founder of Membership Geeks, and a true veteran of life’s unexpected detours. Mike shares openly about the many doors that have closed throughout his career and personal life, including the literal locked door that ended his "secure" marketing job, relationship breakdowns, and the surprising, sudden departure of his co-founder. Each setback forced Mike to reimagine...
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#157 The layoff journey: from dismissal to discovery with Steve Jaffe
Another Door Stories
“Resist that urge to jump right into job applications and start applying. You want to give yourself some space to process what you've been through and maybe avoid making any big decisions." In this episode, we have Steve Jaffe, author of The Layoff Journey: From Dismissal to Discovery. Steve has been laid off four times during his career each time making space for reflection, resilience, and ultimately, growth. We talk about the messy middle: what it really feels like to lose your job, how to process grief and anger, and why hope, connection, and self-care make all the difference....
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#156 The importance of empathy at work in times of change with June Hogan
Another Door Stories
“Sympathy is rushing to turn the light on into someone’s darkness so that we feel better, whereas empathy is being prepared to sit with somebody in their darkness and connect with them and just be there for them.” In this episode, I’m joined by June Hogan. June helps organisations to do redundancy and layoffs well! So of course I’m a fan. It’s never easy or simple when companies have to let people go, but it can be done well, and with empathy and fairness. This is what June’s work is all about. We talk about the difference between empathy and sympathy when you are leading...
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#155 The no bullsh*t approach to life, career and leadership with Chris Hirst
Another Door Stories
"You can have a bad day, some days, that's fine. But then at some point, you've got to go, all right, I've got to take a little bit of responsibility now and get on with this." In this ‘epic’ (long!) episode, I sit down with Chris Hirst, author known for his “no bullsh*t” approach to leadership and work. We go deep, wide and around the block talking about the realities and myths of career progression, change, redundancy, and what it really means to be a leader. Chris shares transformative moments in his career, including going to Harvard and facing redundancy, and how...
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#154 Breaking barriers and empowering the next generation with Marie-Ange Eyoum Tagne, PhD
Another Door Stories
“I want to frame my journey to be an example, to be a road map, to hand the baton to somebody else, to the next generation.” In this episode, Marie-Ange Eyoum Tagne, PhD, a product leader, and technologist, shares the inspiration behind her new memoir “For Such a Time Like This”. From her childhood in Cameroon, dreaming of going to the moon, to leading teams at Meta, Amazon and Yahoo, Marie-Ange’s journey is a powerful testament to following your heart, staying strong, even when everything around you suggests you should be doing something completely...
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#153 Finding a different way to use your magic (and humour) with Emma Djemil
Another Door Stories
“There has to be a different way for me to use my magic in the world. My magic can't keep mopping up messes that are created by ridiculous decisions like this.” When HR Director Emma Djemil hit a moment of ‘enough is enough’ she knew it was time for her skills, energy, passions to be directed elsewhere. Stuck cleaning up the messes of others, she knew it was time for a big change. In this episode, Emma talks about what it really takes to walk away from a toxic job, where to find the drive for something new, and why humour is such a powerful tool for getting through...
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#152 Starting all over again with Mark Green
Another Door Stories
“There were two significant moments, two significant doors. One was the thought of that's it. I'm dead. Door closed on everything. And the other moment was when the consultant said, you can have all this back. You've just got to work for it. Door open.” In this episode, Mark Green, founder of Change Rebellion, shares his wild story of a door closing, nearly for good, and how it changed him and his perspective for life. It’s not just a story about navigating professional change; it’s about survival, resilience, and finding purpose. When COVID hit his family in late 2020,...
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#151 The Art of Being Brave: Strength in Breaking, Power in Rising
Another Door Stories
“I think whenever you feel yourself being resistant, the challenge is to find acceptance. Because you have to accept something to shove that resistance out of the way. And once you've accepted it, you can move beyond it.” In this episode, I’m speaking with Kreena Dhiman, a friend, and an incredible keynote speaker who leaves you feeling like you can achieve anything! Kreena shares her story of unexpected redundancy after a decade in a successful accounting career, and how that shock forced her to confront not only her professional identity but also lifelong struggles, setbacks,...
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#150 Finding your voice and your value in times of change with David James
Another Door Stories
“It was a phenomenal time looking back, of anxiety at the beginning and disbelief that this was going to do anything for us, to finally being acquired at the end of 2021 in a life changing deal.” In this episode, I speak to David James about the reality of walking away from a, on paper, dream corporate role in search of something else. David left the Walt Disney Company and joined the startup world, he shares the story of facing into the setbacks, the moments of wonderful serendipity, the moments of deep, dark doubt (my words, not David’s!). We talk about the emotional...
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
Are you looking for speakers with a fresh voice for your next workshop or conference? Check out
https://recommended.anotherdoor.co.uk