S1:E29 | My honest career change from NHS to entrepreneur

Feeling stuck in a well-paid job you’ve outgrown? This week I share my own , unfiltered journey, from NHS radiographer to small businesses, to show how tiny steps make big shifts.In this week’s episode, I sit down with myself ( David Birchmore) for a solo “Just Me” conversation on identity, reinvention, and what it really takes to build a life you want. I cover my path from radiographer in the NHS to global med-tech roles, through redundancy and side hustles (yes, even a bouncy castle company) to launching a cleaning business and a mission to help 1,000 people leave jobs they hate. You’ll learn practical ways to map your transferable skills, run low-risk experiments, reality-check your finances (time vs money), narrow options without overwhelm, and push past self-doubt and outside opinions.I try to give you straight-talking on validation, market testing, and the first small actions that build your exit plan.Follow, like, and subscribe for more real stories on career change and how you can create your own exit planFollow David / Via Nova here:⁠⁠David's LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠Via Nova LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠Via Nova Website⁠Free Personal Exit Plan / Work With MeFrustrated at Work? Want to know if you are ready for a career change? Answer these 10 questions and find out!#CareerChange #Entrepreneurship #Resilience #Redundancy #WorkLifeBalance #SideHustleChapters:00:00 Intro & why this episode00:08 Episode 29 gratitude & purpose01:39 First guest shout-out (Dr. Kyle Stewart & watercress)03:31 Childhood dream of medicine & early pivot04:44 NHS radiography and reality check06:52 Corporate med-tech, travel & chasing titles08:51 Parenthood, priorities & time vs money10:00 Leaving London for Devon—first big leap11:28 Lightbulb moment: starting the bouncy castle business12:43 Redundancy, COVID & launching a cleaning business14:58 Seeing the bigger mission: helping people17:00 Goal: help 1,000 people make a career change18:59 Don’t wait—start with one small step20:42 You’re not “just a” job title: mapping skills23:55 Imagination exercise: design your future25:51 Affordability & lifestyle trade-offs28:50 Time richness vs salary30:26 Narrowing options: start with the “no” list32:23 Overcoming self-doubt & unhelpful opinions35:59 Validation & market research that actually helps38:16 Start small, keep going & wrap-up