#143 - Finding the courage to keep pushing forward with Devon Harris
Release Date: 02/13/2025
#169: Following coincidences; from retired teacher to battle rapper with Joy France
Another Door Stories
Ever wondered what happens when you say “yes” to life’s weird coincidences and let them lead you somewhere completely new? In this episode I talk to Joy France, a retired teacher turned poet, performer, and battle rapper about her wild ride into creativity and adventure… all by simply following unexpected doors as they opened. Joy shares her story of evolving after retirement: from socially anxious, shy, and “ordinary” to poet-in-residence, rap battler, stand-up comic, and “collector of chance encounters.” If you’re feeling stuck, bored, or ready for change,...
info_outline
#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,...
info_outline
#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...
info_outline
#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...
info_outline
#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...
info_outline
#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...
info_outline
#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...
info_outline
#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...
info_outline
#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...
info_outline
#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...
info_outline“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 inspired the film Cool Runnings. Devon shares his journey from growing up in Kingston's neighborhoods to becoming an army officer and eventually an Olympic athlete - despite being afraid of both speed and heights!
Devon shows us how keeping focused on moving forward is often the only real choice we have.
Here are the highlights:
04:51 Uncertain future after High School
09:06 Nervous summer running up to Army Selection
12:33 From Jamaica to Sandhurst Training
37:19 Dream-fulfilling moment of participating in the Olympics opening ceremony
43:40 Balancing soldier duties and Olympics
56:25 Persistence and selfishness misunderstood
The things that helped Devon navigate change -
Book: “Think and Grow Rich” - Napoleon Hill
Music: “We Built This City” - Starship
The one piece of advice: “Don't give up. You can't give up. I know how frustrating it can be, and how incredibly frustrating the journey can be and sometimes it feels like you're running out of time. But you're not running out of time. Keep pushing forward.”
More about Devon
Devon Harris, born on Christmas Day 1964 in Kingston, Jamaica, transformed his life from a violent ghetto upbringing to become an Olympic bobsledder and inspirational figure. Overcoming adversity through determination, Devon graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and served as an officer in the Jamaica Defence Force. He gained fame as part of Jamaica's first bobsled team in the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, inspiring the film "Cool Runnings." Devon continued competing in two more Winter Olympics and later founded the Keep On Pushing Foundation to support disadvantaged youth. As an athlete ambassador for Right to Play and an Olympian For Life, Devon now inspires others through motivational speaking and authorship, sharing his remarkable journey from Jamaican ghetto to Olympic glory.
Find out more: https://devonharris.com/
Instagram: @officialdevonharris
Tiktok: @officialdevonharris
About your 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 Get-Recommended.com 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