I quit academia one year ago. Here’s what I’ve learned

Dr. Laura Beltran-Rubio reflects on her first year after leaving academia and what that shift has meant in practice, emotionally and professionally. This episode is a personal solo reflection on career change, but it also offers concrete takeaways for anyone navigating a major pivot, especially across academia, cultural work, and independent practice. Full episode transcript, photos, and further resources: https://laurabelru.com/i-quit-academia-one-year-ago-heres-what-ive-learned/ ------------ WORK WITH ME 🧚🏻‍♀️ 👗 Style coaching: https://laurabelru.com/style/ 🎙️ Speaking and guest lecturing: https://laurabelru.com/speaker/ 🗺️ Luxury fashion tours of London: https://laurabelru.com/storytelling/ 👩🏻‍🏫 Writing, editing, research, and other academic support: https://laurabelru.com/contact/ ------------ STAY IN TOUCH 🌹 ✨ Redressing Fashion archive: https://laurabelru.com/redressing-fashion/ 📧 Substack: https://laurabelru.substack.com/ 📱 Instagram: https://instagram.com/laurabelru 📱 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@laurabelru ------------ RELEVANT LINKS 5 questions that unlock your personal style and make fashion feel effortless: https://laurabelru.com/5-questions-that-unlock-your-personal-style-and-make-fashion-feel-effortless/ Apply for style coaching: https://laurabelru.com/redress-your-style/ ------------ CHAPTERS 00:00 Hello again! 00:41 An end-of-summer reflection 04:06 The disillusionment with academia 10:48 Five lessons from my first year out of academia 11:38 Lesson 1. On academic PTSD 16:20 On breaking free from academic structures 24:19 Lesson 2. On the value of the humanities 27:24 What building a business means 29:58 Lesson 3. No part of the journey is wasted 34:59 Applying academia into style coaching 36:20 Lesson 4. On transferable skills 45:34 Lesson 5. The contradiction I've been living with 50:00 Episode recap