#163 Being confidently lost and finding joy in the chaos with Gavin Oattes
Release Date: 10/30/2025
#174: The power of rebellious play in moments of change with Gary Ware
Another Door Opens
"We, as adults, go from seeing the world as a playground of possibilities to a proving ground, the need to prove to ‘myself and to others that I'm worthy’. And when you have that mindset, the playfulness goes away because you're not seeing the world as something that is playful that you can experiment with." What happens when your life’s defining door suddenly closes, not just once but in a cascade, career, home, certainty all at once? In this episode, Gary Ware, founder of Playful Rebellion, shares his journey from executive stress, pressure, challenge to rediscovering joy,...
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#173: Confidence isn’t given. Its practised, chosen, claimed with Lauren Currie
Another Door Opens
“Confidence is the first step of protest. And whether that is a protest where you make a sign and you go and stand outside down the street, or whether it's a protest when you're in a doctor's surgery room and the doctor's not listening to you, or whether it's a protest at the school gates because your kid's teacher's not taking your kid's needs seriously. Confidence is the first step of that self-advocacy and we need that so much right now because the tactics that our governments are using is fear. Fear divides people. Fear keeps people small, and fear takes your confidence away.” ...
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#172: Closing the door on a London agency and building a new creative life in France with Lucy Werner
Another Door Opens
"I have found, when I've shared my fails as well as the journey to getting to my wins, the people who are there with me at the winning line, that finish line, are more involved in that story because they've come with me on the journey. And more often than not, the fails on the journey have led to more opportunities landing for me because people want to talk to me about the fails more than the the wins." What does it really take to shut the door on a thriving city business and step into an entirely different life in rural France ? In this episode, I speak to Lucy Werner shares the honest...
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#171: Navigating life, fame, and self-discovery with Anthony Kavanagh
Another Door Opens
In this heartfelt conversation, Anthony Kavanagh shares the ups and downs of his journey from aspiring pop star to author, exploring themes of resilience, vulnerability, and authentic self-expression. This episode is about overcoming personal challenges and embracing life's unpredictable twists. Key topics we cover - Anthony's early dreams of music and the drive to succeed in the 90s pop scene The power of storytelling in healing and self-discovery Insights into writing a memoir and revisiting past traumas Memorable moments with celebrities like Madonna, Prince, and Faye...
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#170: How leaving the wrong job opened the right door for Cara-Lyn Giovanniello
Another Door Opens
“Don’t confuse comfort with alignment. Just because something is familiar, stable, or impressive on paper doesn’t mean it’s meant for who you’re becoming or what the universe has in store for you.” What happens when you land the job that seemed perfect only to find, deep down, it isn’t right at all? In this episode, Cara-Lyn talks about the daunting process of leaving a high-profile role that simply wasn’t a fit, and how that closed door became fuel for reinvention. From wrongly ignoring her intuition, through the physical toll of staying somewhere misaligned, to finally making...
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#169: Following coincidences; from retired teacher to battle rapper with Joy France
Another Door Opens
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,...
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#168: Paying attention to endings, the power of closing things well with Philip Atkinson
Another Door Opens
#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,...
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#167 Sparking Joy, Playing with Possibility and Rebranding Life with Sapna Pieroux
Another Door Opens
“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...
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#166 Turning down a ‘Dream Job’ and saying Yes before you’re ready with Katie Best
Another Door Opens
"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...
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#165 From horror to hope; the emergence of resilience and optimism following tragedy and crisis with Caroline Roodhouse
Another Door Opens
“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“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 navigate seismic life changes.
If you’ve ever faced a breakup (romantic, platonic, or creative), wondered what glimmers of joy might be hiding in the chaos, or just need reassurance that being “confidently lost” is a great place to start, this episode is essential listening.
The Highlights:
03:40 Gavin’s closing door: Saying goodbye to stand-up comedy and creative partnerships
07:33 Friendship breakups and why endings aren’t always “bad”
13:29 Knowing when to let go even if your heart’s still in it
17:26 How to honour the magic rather than mourn what-might-have-been
19:12 Family change, shifting priorities, growing through life’s phases
21:17 Getting “ghosted” and learning to move on
23:33 Gavin’s new chapter: Writing as a way out of chaos
30:29 Glimmers—a practice for finding joy when you’re lost
35:18 Reverse goal-setting & why the next “shiny thing” won’t always make you happy
39:53 Writing for yourself (and letting go of the outcome)
What helped Gavin navigate change:
Soundtrack:
Dookie by Green Day
Book:
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
One piece of advice:
“You are not everyone else. We’re each an experiment of one, and accepting that is truly door-opening.”
About Gavin Oattes:
Gavin Oattes owns Tree of Knowledge, one of the UK’s most exciting people development organisations. Working with some of the largest organisations in the world, Gavin is now regarded as one the most talented and sought after speakers, regularly delivering keynote speeches at conferences and exhibitions around the world. An award winning comedian and best-selling author, his inspiration all comes from where he began his career….Primary School Teaching.
https://www.gavinoattes.com/
Work with Eleanor:
Buy the Book - Another Door Opens;5 steps for navigating change. Described as ‘Game changing’ ‘Brilliant’ ‘A must read’ ‘The best book on change’.
Eleanor supports individuals, teams and organisations through change. Whether it’s coaching or large scale organisational change through communications and training.
Work with Eleanor 121 as your coach, when you are starting something new, to develop the idea, to create the idea, to get it launched.
Book in a Change Mastery for a team session - when your team is navigating change.
Book in a 90 minute workshop - to think through change at work.
Join the Another Door Opens 5 Step Programme - a course and community to guide you through the mess of change to find calm, joy and opportunity.
Instagram:instagram/anotherdooruk
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-tweddell/
Website: www.another-door-opens.com
Produced by winteraudio.co.uk