“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.

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

“Until that moment I had never left a job with nothing to go to. I've always had something lined up. So this time I was like, Iesha, what are you gonna do? I had no idea. And that was perfectly OK. I had to trust myself”

Today's guest, Iesha Small, shares her journey from engineering to the world of education to her current role as Head of Comms, and now encouraging others with her writing and coaching.

We talk about the twists and turns of career change, and pivoting. Where you aren't always sure what your next move is, but you make it anyway.

Sometimes doors close for us, and we have to decide what to do next, other times we are closing that door for ourselves, and we are in full ownership of why it’s important and what we want next.

Iesha shares her thoughts and ponders in a brilliant weekly blog, and takes the pressure and perfection out of career changing.

"What's the point of achieving all this stuff if it is not gelling with what you actually think is important in life?"

Here are the highlights:

11:19 First time quitting a job without backup.

16:26 Decided to take breaks and rest intuitively.

20:59 Serendipitous job came from conversations during time off.

25:20 Started career pivot talks on LinkedIn.

31:42 Choose family time over earning more money.

32:26 Intentional career shift after realising future uncertainty.

42:19 Weekly emails help with career strategy and values.

55:58 Show Your Work: Share expertise, attract opportunities.

The things that helped Iesha navigate change.

Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho; Show Your Work by Austin Kleon.

One piece of advice: “ If you don't fail, you're probably not doing anything hard enough.”

About Iesha Small:

Iesha Small is a communications professional who has navigated a diverse career path from mechanical engineering to education and now communications. She leverages this experience to help leaders and professionals confidently pivot careers and build profitable passion projects. As a Head of Communications and founder of Cute Fruit Ltd, Iesha combines corporate expertise with entrepreneurial insights. Her accomplishments include publishing "The Unexpected Leader," appearing on BBC, writing for The Guardian, and speaking at the National Theatre. Iesha's approach, rooted in her background as an introvert from a working-class family, offers practical advice for career development. She's found success in building an online presence, particularly on LinkedIn, which has transformed her understanding of digital communications. Iesha provides online workshops, one-on-one career strategy sessions, and a Career Pivot Pro course, helping others achieve their professional goals through continuous learning and adaptation.

Find out more: https://ieshasmall.com/

Connect with Iesha:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ieshasmall/

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

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

Are you looking for speakers with a fresh voice for your next workshop or conference? Check out

https://recommended.anotherdoor.co.uk

"I just started to ask myself, as many people do ‘Do I want to do this for another 20 years? Is there something else?’. I got curious, maybe there are some other doors I want to look through and maybe it's time to shut this door and find out."

Does a dream job really exist? We’re joined by the seasoned journalist and career coach Rachel Schofield to talk about ‘dream jobs’. We explore the themes of unearthing core passions, overcoming imposter syndrome, and finding stability amidst the chaos of change. And what if you have, on paper, a dream job, but have a feeling there might be something else you want to do?

Rachel shares her own story from a 20-year career at the BBC to creating a new career in coaching and training, offering insights and practical advice for anyone starting a new career chapter. Listen to rediscover joy in your work and the permission to experiment and try new things.

“Maybe I'll go up to that tree house and see what's behind that door. Just go and take tiny little steps of experimentation. In career terms that might mean, I've often thought I'd like to do X. So let me go and talk to someone who does it. I've often thought it would be fun to be a graphic designer. So between now and Christmas, I'm going to do a weekly evening class at my local further education college. I don't have to be ready to upend my whole world. I'm just going to go and play.”

Here are the highlights:

04:15 Doubts arose about a lifelong TV news presenting career.

07:23 Career transitions evoke mixed emotions and considerations.

12:00 Transitioned from news to coaching; misses presenting.

18:56 Repurpose experience; embrace new directions confidently.

20:54 Juggling journalism, coaching and presentation training.

25:32 Embrace challenges; expertise grows through experience.

31:38 Coffee chat led to a book opportunity.

34:07 Social media fosters envy; practice graciousness instead.

36:45 Being last doesn't necessarily mean you failed.

The things that helped Rachel navigate change.

Book: ‘Big Magic’ by Elizabeth Gilbert.

Music: ‘Closer to Fine’ by the Indigo Girls.

The one piece of advice:

"When you're thinking about particularly a career shift...really lean into experimentation. So rather than thinking you need to sit there and figure it all out...just think maybe I'll just knock on that blue door over there. Maybe I'll just look in that little tiny door that looks like a fairy door at the bottom of the tree."

About Rachel Schofield

Rachel Schofield is a career coach, author, facilitator and speaker. Before making her very own career pivot, Rachel reported and presented for the BBC for over twenty years. Her book "The Career Change Guide: Five Steps to Finding Your Dream Job" was published by Penguin in 2023. She works with private clients and also corporate workshops and coaching groups within women's leadership programmes for the brilliant DEI consultancy, Shape Talent.

Find out more: https://rachelschofield.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reworkyourlife/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelschofield/

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.

Instagram:instagram/anotherdooruk

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-tweddell/

Website: eleanortweddell.com

Are you looking for speakers with a fresh voice for your next workshop or conference? Check out

https://recommended.anotherdoor.co.uk

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk