#132 From tech giant to embracing entrepreneurship with Glenn Block
Release Date: 10/03/2024
#144 How six words can tell your life story with Larry Smith
Another Door Stories
"We tell stories in times of transition because in good times, bad times, lateral movements, figurative movements, we need to make sense of the world. Stories help us help us process. This is what makes us human." Can six words help you process change, and tell your life story? On the podcast Larry Smith shares how a simple Twitter experiment 15 years ago turned into a global storytelling movement - the Six Word Memoir project. Our conversation is not just word count. Larry shares his closing door life moments, from divorce, to relocation, to career change....
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#143 - Finding the courage to keep pushing forward with Devon Harris
Another Door Stories
“I grew up watching the Olympics and you see these athletes from around the world marching in the opening ceremonies. And then one day, you are setting foot in that stadium. 50,000 people screaming and you look to your right and you see more cameras than you can count. And in that moment that you are on TV around the world and some little kid is probably looking at you the way you looked at some other athlete." How do you find the courage to push forward when fear and uncertainty stand in your way? In this episode, I speak to Devon Harris, member of the legendary Jamaican bobsleigh team that...
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#142: How to start again after selling your business with Aimee Bateman
Another Door Stories
“My new mission in life...is about helping women be seen, heard, and valued in their space, whether that's in work and beyond” In this episode, I talk with Aimee Bateman, an incredible entrepreneur and advocate for women in the workplace. Aimee shares her story of how experimenting helped her through a closing door after selling her business Careercake. She had spent 10 years building a successful company, then sold it, which was the plan all along. But after the sale, she faced a new challenge: What’s next? She was also adjusting to life as a new parent,...
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#141: After the music stops, life after the boyband with Lee Murray
Another Door Stories
"For me opening the door was the same door that had shut in my face previously. But going back there and thinking, well, what am I able to do? …I tried many things, but I realised it's music. So I sat down with a blank piece of paper and thought, I've got to make my way again." Imagine being at the height of music stardom in the 90s, performing on Top of the Pops, being helicoptered between gigs, and having fans waiting outside your house. Then suddenly, there is silence. In this episode Lee Murray shares what happens when the music stops. Lee was the drummer in the band Let Loose, which...
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#140: Do the maths and then change your life with Dr. Claire Handby
Another Door Stories
"It's okay when you fundamentally change your perspective, and it makes different anchors in your life to what you had up to a certain moment of a door closing. I think the door closing on me was about not wanting to be an employed person anymore and wrestling with it.” Ever felt the whisper of your dreams urging you to make a change but hesitated because of the safety net of a steady job? In this insightful episode, I sit down with Dr. Claire Handby as she shares her transition from a 25-year corporate career to embracing entrepreneurship. Of course, there is a lot to be said...
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#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...
info_outline“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 tech’ and launch not one but two of his own businesses. We discuss the magic of having unfiltered conversations with people when you first have an idea, our love of books and the importance of watching out for your mental health during life changes.
"Leaving corporate politics felt like closing the door on a toxic relationship; it was a necessary step towards reclaiming my mental health and professional integrity."
Here are the highlights:
06:47 MBA led to realisation: Leave the corporate for new opportunities.
20:39 Enjoying flexibility and fulfillment outside corporate environment.
22:30 Launched business in 2023; in a struggling economy.
30:01 ADHD's hyperfocus can lead to extreme productivity.
33:10 Learned more being self-employed than in a corporate job.
42:07 Seeking music to inspire hope during change.
51:57 Runway provides security and focus for success.
Glenn’s Another Door go-tos
The things that helped Glenn navigate change.
Book: “Leadership and Self Deception” by The Arbinger Institute
Music: "My Life" by Billy Joel
The one piece of advice: "Planning is crucial. Having a financial runway, for me it was a year-long plan, gave me the stability I needed to make the leap from corporate life to self-employment with confidence."
About Glenn Block
Glenn is a product and innovation leader with almost 30 years of experience in the tech industry. Throughout his career he has been at the forefront of building innovative enterprise solutions and advancing cloud computing. He has led initiatives at a number of top tech companies including Microsoft, Docusign, Auth0, and Splunk. After many years of witnessing the deep systemic inequities in the tech industry and how that impacts product development, Glenn started ProdSense where he advises organizations on how to build more inclusive products.
Glenn’s mission is to create a more inclusive and safe environment in tech. He invests a large amount of his energy in mentoring, advising, and sponsorship especially for black women, women of color, and the LGBTQ community. He has also worked in multiple organizations to change culture and policies, and has collaborated with several non-profit organizations as part of his mission including TechBridge Girls, Tech2Empower, and Code Nation.
He is a lifelong learner and received his executive MBA in leadership and social justice from Seattle University
Find out more: https://prodsense.net
Connect with Glenn:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gblock/
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