#140: Do the maths and then change your life with Dr. Claire Handby
Release Date: 01/23/2025
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#146 How kindness shows up in moments of change with Graham Allcott
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#145 Fusing engineering with creativity to unleash rebellious curiosity with Yemi Penn
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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