The Career Catalyst Chronicles by Susan Baird, Advantage Coaching

In this episode I am speaking to Caroline Allen, Founder and Director of Yorkshire Finanical Planning Ltd. Caroline set up her own business in 2020 after taking redundancy after 18 years with Nationwide Building Society.Caroline shares her career journey from taking a job on the counter without any longer term plans and then seizing the opportunities that came her way eventually creating a business that she loves and where she feels she can positively impact the lives of her clients.

In this episode I am speaking to Simon Gregg of Fusion. He is a professional networker, specialising in connecting the right people together. Simon shares his career journey from IT Sales to where he is today. Networking is a word that fills many people with feelings of dread but Simon helps us to see how we can reap the benefits as well as well as making it an enjoyable experience.

In this episode I explore the feelings of guilt we can experience when we consider doing something different in our careers. Where do these feelings of guilt come from? How do they hold us back? How can we overcome them so we can move forward? There is no need to feel guilty about wanting to feel engaged, enthused and fulfilled in our career and the advantages are too many to hold ourselves back.

In this episode I am speaking to Mandy Beech, Director of Retail Services at Nationwide Building Society. She is also a mother of three, has an MBA and has run the London marathon. Mandy shares her inspiring story where she started her career in the back office at RBS at 18 years old to where she is today and how she has managed to juggle the demands of family life, studying and outside interests alongside a busy career.

In this episode I explore Career Reinvention: Whatever Your Age. People often wonder if they are too old to do something different in their career and whether they should instead wait it out until retirement. The reality is, it's never too late to reinvent yourself professionally and take those years of experience, knowledge and skills and put them towards a career that inspires you and makes you feel like you are making a difference. In this episode we will explore the next steps to take.

In this episode I speak to Dr Emma Bray, a Health and Nutrition Coach who works with busy professionals who want to regain their energy and zest by helping them tranform their habits for life. Emma shares her own career story, as well as practical tips we can adopt as individuals, organisations and leaders to help promote healthier lifestyles despite the challenges we face as busy professionals in today's world.

In this episode I explore five warning signs that it's time to make a change in your career. These are signs not to be ignored but to take as a signal that it's time to take action. It doesn't always mean leaving your job but it does mean raising your awareness and putting steps in place to shape your next chapter to having a fulfilling career.