#140: Do the maths and then change your life with Dr. Claire Handby
Release Date: 01/23/2025
#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...
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#149 Success isn't static: why we keep redefining what matters with Anna Lundberg
Another Door Stories
“What does success actually mean to me? Why did I quit my job really? How do I build this freedom, flexibility, fulfillment? How do I redefine it?” In this episode, I talk to Anna Lundberg, an executive coach, business mentor and strategic adviser who challenges us to think about success and what it means to us. Anna shares her career change from corporate marketing to creating a business with more freedom and fulfillment. We explore the evolution of success, exploring unexpected paths and random connections that shape our careers and personal growth, like finding me on...
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#148 Getting comfortable with the unknown with Suzanne Penny
Another Door Stories
“Sometimes the doors closing are not just physical things. Sometimes it is about closing the way we do something, the way we think, so that we can step into a different space for ourselves.” Have you ever felt the weight of certainty pull you down, trapping you in a life that doesn’t truly fulfill you? In this episode I sit down with Suzanne Penny, a transition and career coach, who shares her own transformative journey of leaving behind certainty in favour of embracing the unknown. Suzanne shares key turning points in her life that could have easily anchored her in fear and...
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#147 From law courts to catwalks: following your heart with Taiwo Meghoma
Another Door Stories
"I thought, if dressing people and making people look good makes them happy, then I would love to do this." Have you ever felt the weight of questioning your career path and wondered if there might be something else out there that's truly meant for you? In this episode, we take you on a journey with Taiwo Meghoma, a lawyer-turned-fashion-stylist. From a young boy in Nigeria discovering his love for fashion by helping his mother with her outfits, to sitting front row at major fashion weeks alongside his idols, Taiwo's story is about boldly opening new doors even when the world might tell...
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#146 How kindness shows up in moments of change with Graham Allcott
Another Door Stories
"When you have kindness in the culture, you build psychological safety. And from there you have high performing teams, better staff retention, creativity, resilience, like it really stacks up in terms of all the different benefits that you get by increasing levels of kindness and empathy in your business." Kindness can transform not just your personal well-being but also the landscape of work and leadership. In this episode, I reconnect with Graham Allcott, productivity expert, author, and now a passionate advocate for kindness in the workplace. We share the inspiration for his new book Kind,...
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#145 Fusing engineering with creativity to unleash rebellious curiosity with Yemi Penn
Another Door Stories
"The biggest thing was I wanted to be more responsible as a thought leader. And in a world where we have so much information, misinformation, disinformation, it was important that I went through a process of acquiring knowledge and creating new knowledge and it was the PhD." Ready to lead a curiosity rebellion? We have the inspiring Yemi Penn as our guest. Yemi is a trailblazer who has navigated and embraced change across continents, careers, and personal transformations. From her early beginnings in engineering to becoming a documentary creator and author, Yemi has followed her...
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#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...
info_outline"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 about just going for it, making the leap, feeling the fear, but there are also some realities that come with change. This conversation is about following a dream, but how you can do it without it feeling like a risk.
This conversation will resonate with anyone feeling trapped by the familiar who is yearning for the freedom to craft their own path. We explore the importance of diverse perspectives, emotional connections, doing the Maths and the courage required to step finally through the door to the life you desire.
Here are the highlights:
05:33 Pandemic restrictions inspire Claire to want the freedom that came with entrepreneurship.
09:28 Adjusting post-lockdown: trying to balance work, wellness, and resilience.
12:55 Pursue self-employment for autonomy and impact.
17:03 Change alters perspective; involvement obscures perception.
20:03 Nature boosts creativity and productivity.
21:35 Left a 25-year corporate career to start a business, motivated by a podcast.
26:00 Job security is uncertain; have savings and plan finances accordingly.
34:15 Do the maths to change your life.
The things that helped Claire navigate change.
Music: ‘This is Me’ from The Greatest Showman
Books: ‘Never Give Up’ by Bear Grylls; ‘Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway’ by Susan Jeffers
The one piece of advice: “Do the maths. What do you need monthly to have a really nice life? And then both your subconscious mind and your conscious mind get to work and put actions in place every day that gets that number to come through. And I think you'll be amazed. The universe opens up in front of you, but you've got to spot and accept when doors are closing and reach for the doors and walk through them. So it's about being decisive as well. When you've done the Maths and you get those numbers, accept the numbers because they give you a pathway to change your life and to pivot, and it's okay to pivot again in the future if the numbers change. But that’s what gave me the road map.”
More about Claire
Dr Claire Handby FCIOB MAPM is an energy radiator. A complex system integrator across commercial, transformation, operations and assurance performance improvement she has a past on 3 of the Big4 (15 years 8 @EY 4.5@Deloitte and 2.5@KPMG), prior to this she completed 10 years in the Construction and Infrastructure industry. Across her 20+ year career she continues to support private business and Government to realise the opportunities of Major Enterprise, Portfolio, Programme and Projects. Seeing change through the lenses of People, Culture, Assets, Organisation, Technology, Processes and Data. With integrity, a proven track record, analytical ‘can do’ turnaround mind-set Claire has experienced much change over the years, with a most recent pivotal moment happening last year when she decided to stop climbing the corporate ladder, instead moving to setting up her own leadership business instead, a move which has seen her now actually own the ladder.
Website: www.drclairehandby.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dr-claire-handby-fciob-mapm-509553a
More about the host Eleanor
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 the author of Why losing your job could be the best thing that ever happened to you.
Instagram:instagram/anotherdooruk
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-tweddell/
Website: eleanortweddell.com
Produced by winteraudio.co.uk