A Brilliant Gamble

This will be the last A Brilliant Gamble podcast for a while. As you may know I run another business specialising in leadership coaching and I speak about the future of leadership.Recently my Mum became ill and this, combined with running my other business, being a single mum, home educating and keeping on top of our smallholding has meant I’m spread a little too thin.The archive of past shows will still be here for you and I’m leaving the A Brilliant Gamble Facebook Page and Corporate Escapees Facebook Group open so you can access the resources there AND the incredible insights of the other members.Plus, of course, the courses to help you make your transition out of corporate life and in to the next chapter are still available, plus all the free resources on the website.We will continue to offer support to anyone who signs up to these programmes so if you’re planning to make your Brilliant Gamble this year all those resources and courses are still ideal to help you.I will really miss doing the show. I love meeting the guests and being inspired by their stories. And I love connecting with you through social media and your emails to me. But, as my guest this week illustrates, sometimes you have to acknowledge your own limits.Silvina Marchisio talks about her year long journey with depression and anxiety. She shares her personal experience of dealing with burnout in a foreign country and how visual thinking and visual metaphors help her share her own thoughts along her journey back to the world.Today she’s embarking on a new business as a Graphic Facilitator and is helping others suffering burnout to get themselves better, with the help of the lessons she learnt and the beautiful inspiring images she’s producing.

Do you get that little voice in your head that tells you you aren’t good enough, no one likes you, you don’t fit in….or any number of other delightfully undermining jabs?My guest today, Leah Steele, is the expert in Imposter Syndrome. A sufferer herself through her years as a lawyer she eventually developed techniques to deal with her demons and is now helping others to do the same.In our interview we talk about the signals she missed that she was suffering overwhelm and burnout, and how now she is helping others get out of this cycle.Leah speaks from personal experience and not, as she says, from the mountain top, so there’s lot of practical advice and suggestions to make a difference without having to run away from your real-life responsibilities at work and at home!You can find out more about Leah’s programmes and read her blog on her website.Click the link to get your free Escape the Rat Race Checklist from our website, where, in addition to downloading the list, you can get email support from me. There are also a bunch of blogs there to help you as you transition out of corporate life and start doing something you love for a living instead.Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter and the Corporate Escapees Facebook Group.

In just under a month, the next wave of Extinction Rebellion protests begin around the UK and elsewhere (w/c 7-Oct). Whether you’ve already been involved or you have other ways of responding to the climate crisis, the question many of us ask is, how can we, as individuals and as owners of small businesses, have any real impact? That’s why I wanted to speak to today’s guest. Zoe Cohen is a former NHS Trust board member who became a very successful executive coach. Zoe has now pivoted her life to focus as much as she can on activism and peaceful civil disobedience to push for the much needed system change to tackle the existential threat we face from climate and ecological breakdown. In our interview, Zoe talks about her values and how she stays connected with them; the sacrifices she’s made to stay congruent with those values and how we, as individual citizens and small business owners, can make a difference when in comes to the future of our planet. She also explains why she got arrested and how those of us who don’t want to see the inside of a police cell can still help. Even if you don’t have a strong sense of ‘calling’ like Zoe, I think you’ll be fascinated to know how she’s combining her two greatest passions: safeguarding the future of our one, shared planetary home with enabling and encouraging people to shine and to take action. This is a long interview - we cover her transition from corporate life to running her own business to her latest pivot AND we talk about what we can each do to make a difference. I hope you will set aside time to listen to the whole thing and be inspired by Zoe and the work of others like her. Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, the Corporate Escapees Facebook Group and of course, the website. Follow Zoe on LinkedIn and Twitter. Articles by Zoe Cohen Where were all the Coaches when the planet warmed by 3 degrees? How to declare your very own Climate Emergency An Open Letter to Coaches, the Coaching & Coaching Psychology Professional Bodies and Coach Educators “Heading for Extinction” with Dr Gail Bradbrook - This is the original ‘Heading for Extinction and what to do about it’ talk from Dr Gail Bradbrook, one of XR’s founder’s from last year. There are now more up to date versions of the talk. ICF webinar - The first of three webinars for coaches. IPCC Report - This is a huge 100s of pages thing in full, but there are loads of articles summarising the key messages, etc. Here are two as tasters: UN Secretary General’s speech in September 2018 There is no safe level of global warming

It’s September and many of us are thinking “Why does the holiday have to end?”. Well, maybe it doesn’t. On today’s show I speak to Phil Quinnan who stepped off the hamster wheel, not to start a business, but to take some time to reflect and reconnect with himself and his family in the Italian countryside. In our interview we talk about how he came to this decision, how he made it possible and the lesson’s he learnt by taking a year out. Phil has really embraced his local community in Italy, becoming part of the village, learning the language and allowing the Italian lifestyle to change his attitudes. I’m sure you’ll enjoy this interview and, perhaps, feel ready to take a Brilliant Gamble like this yourself. If you want more support working out how to escape the rat race, my 12 Ways To Transition course is the thing for you. It helps you work out your specific challenges – financial and time constraints, for instance – and then work around them so you have an exit strategy that perfectly fits your life. Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, the Corporate Escapees Facebook Group and of course, the website.

Catherine is a best selling author, VA and VA trainer. Virtual Assistance is one of the fastest growing professions today for people leaving the 9-5. VAs are administrators who work by the hour for small businesses. Increasingly they have specialisms - social media management, bookkeeping, design, copywriting - as well organising travel, appointments and taking calls for people like, um, me. It was a life threatening illness that first got Catherine thinking about how she could earn money outside of the 9-5. Today she earns 4 times what she was earning in her corporate role and has a lifestyle that works much better with her health and personal priorities. In this interview we talk about how she started her business and how she’s grown it through her focus on constant marketing. We talk about the VA profession - what kinds of people make the best VAs and what kinds of people do not. And we talk about the journey she’s been on - how working for herself has changed her life and her health. A Brilliant Gamble YouTube Channel! In the show I also mention our new-ish YouTube channel. Subscribe to be notified about new, practical, helpful videos to guide to as you take a Brilliant Gamble of your own! Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, the Corporate Escapees Facebook Group and of course, the website. You can find Catherine online in the following places: www.delegateva.co.uk Instagram: @Delegate_VA Facebook: @DelegateVA Twitter: @DelegateVA www.howtobeava.co.uk Instagram: @howtobea_va Facebook: @howtobeava Twitter: @howtobea_va

How should you spend your day when you work for yourself? Of course, there is no such thing as a typical day when you run your own business (which can be a problem for you if you’re used to structure!). But given that your time is largely yours to organise it’s useful to be intentional about what you prioritise. In today’s show I talk about two concepts to help you organise your time around what’s really important. I will divide activities in to three categories - big rocks, small rocks and sand. I also talk about Stephen Covey’s Time Management Matrix. This episode will help you: Make time for what moves the dial in your business Prioritise self-care and creative time Stop yourself getting distracted by ‘fun tasks’ without neglecting the fun stuff altogether! You can read my blog about the ‘Flow’ concept discussed in this episode and don’t forget to join Corporate Escapees on Facebook if you haven’t already. There's tonnes of advice and support over there to help you navigate your way through the journey towards doing what you love for a living. Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter and of course, the website.

On today’s show I’m talking about failure… but in a good way! Folks - failure is normal. Most of what happens when you take a Brilliant Gamble is failure. It’s just a part of the process of change. And I want to share with you a different way to think about failure and how to incorporate failure in to your business. Maybe you don’t like the word failure and you’d rather I called it something else. But I want to take the charge out of the word so that it doesn’t have the power it might have in your own mind. I’m also sharing a bug fix process (very similar to agile mythology for those of you familiar with that) to help you build failure in to the process rather than create, invent, develop, launch and then fail. Have I said the word failure enough? Get used to it! It’s not as bad as you think. Here’s the process I talk about on the show - Have the idea. It’s pretty raw at this stage, it’s the stuff you think of at 3am, jot down on a scrap of paper and try to forget about until morning. Refine it JUST ENOUGH to share it for immediate feedback.. Make sure to share it with the right group - a safe place where the feedback has validity. Take the advice you’re given!! You’ve got to be open to feedback at this stage. If the feedback is contradictory go with your gut/experience to decide what to listen to. Remember, sometimes the stuff that’s hardest to hear is the stuff we need to listen to the most. Give yourself a tight deadline. Make the deadline public if you have to in order to hold yourself to account. Do what needs to be done and no more to get your idea/product/website/whatever out there. It’s not going to be perfect. It’s in beta (that's all you committed to when you publicised your deadline) so you’ve given yourself that freedom. If it’s a product offer a beta (to make up for fact it’s not all ready). If it’s your website, make clear this is not the finished product – you’re going to fix the bugs based on feedback from users. DIY it or use a very small team. Don’t waste time and money briefing people and buying in expertise and learn the process yourself so you can do the basics yourself. Be prepared mentally (and contractually) to scrap it or massively fix it if it doesn’t work for people. Go live and get ready for feedback! Refine, tweak, scrap, iterate. Go again! I mentioned the programme I created this way for my other business, That People Thing. It’s in beta! It’s a presentation skills programme for people who have to speak to audiences as part of their job. You can find it here. Use the discount code TPTBETA2019 to get 50% off. I believe it’s never too late to live your life on your own terms and do work you love for a living. This is why I have designed a suite of courses to help you get from where you are now to where you deserve to be. Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, the Corporate Escapees Facebook Group and of course, the website. Finally, please leave a review for this show on iTunes as it really helps us get the word out about the show!

Are you putting off building your website? Is it half done? Have you done it but you’re not happy with it? Today’s show is here at the rescue! I’m talking to Matthew Eldridge, Owner and Head Geek at Melt Creative Ltd and this episode is Websites 101! I don’t want you to have any excuses to stall on your website, so in this interview we go back to basics. We talk about: What a website is actually for? Email lists Lead magnets Keywords, phrases, meta data and a lot more techy language Blogs And much, much more. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by how much there is to do to get started with your new venture and leave your current working situation don’t forget to download the Escape The Rat Race Checklist which shows you exactly what you have to do in order to make that dream a reality. Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, the Corporate Escapees Facebook Group and of course, the website. Don't forget to download Matt’s free Content Framework Guide, check out his website and see how he does it all at and the blog, which he calls The Knowledge Centre. has lots of useful content. You can also follow Matt on Twitter. Please remember to leave a review for this show on iTunes as it helps people find us and take a Brilliant Gamble of their own!

Creativity is hugely important to developing that sense of balance that so many of us are looking for. And women are particularly bad at this - men spend an average of 4 hours 29 mins a week on sports, hobbies and computer games versus women who spend about 2 hours 29 minutes. What?? And that’s why I wanted to talk to Sandra and Tara from Kick in the Creatives. They have podcast of the same name, a website and a 1000 member Facebook group aimed at helping people incorporate creative challenges in to their lives. In this interview we talk about creativity in a broad sense - from painting to music to writing and crafts - about how important it is to make time for creativity in your life and how to get started. If you’ve been putting your own creativity on a back burner I hope today’s show will inspire you to push it further up the list of priorities. And i’d love to know how you get on. In the Corporate Escapees Facebook Group I will start a thread about my own creative challenge for the month of August and I’d love to know what you’re planning to do and how you progress! And if you know you’d benefit from support in making your dreams of a different kind of life midlife a reality, head over to our website and check out our flagship A Brilliant Gamble Online programme and stay in touch with us on Facebook and Twitter. You can follow Tara and Sandra and take part in their creative challenges here: Website - https://kickinthecreatives.com/ Podcast - https://kickinthecreatives.com/kick-creatives-podcast/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kickinthecreatives/ Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/KickintheCreatives

What happens when your blog goes viral? And what about when your blog is something as personal as your experiences of the menopause? Jennifer Kennedy knows! Her blog is only 18 months old but she has to date, nearly 35,000 readers... and she balances that with a full time job as well. Like so many of our guests Jennifer didn’t have a grand plan - she just got started, with the help of a friend’s 14 year old who set it up her blog for her. In this interview we talk about Blogging and writing in general Turning your blog in to a book Being asked to do comedy stand up The menopause The importance of social media if you want to be a writer Holding down a full time job while pursuing your passion outside of work Taking a career break Follow Jennifer’s blog and Facebook page. Join OUR Facebook Group group and also, watch the growing number of helpful videos on our Facebook page. Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Twitter and of course, our website.

We often think that we’re working up to a big change, that the hard part is making that change happen. So we spend years planning how we’re going to leave our job with the hope that, once it finally happens, we’ll be living the life of our dreams. But the more I talk to you guys and reflect on the brilliant gambles I’ve taken, the more I realise that that’s only the start of the journey. What happens in the first 6-24 months of that new life is actually the biggest challenge because we’ve made the physical changes but now we have to evolve as people. When Edina De Jong-Hodzic became a mum it was a wake up call for her and although she didn’t leave her corporate job immediately a series of events made it clear to her that her future lay outside the corporate 9-5. And THAT’s when the real journey of change begun. Edina describes herself as a creator, inspirer and mother. In 2017 after 12+ years of corporate career Edina realized she wasn’t fulfilled with the definition of corporate career and decided to resign from her corporate job. She embarked on a journey of entrepreneurship which led to a deep and meaningful journey of self-realization which was initiated through her new role as mother. During this journey she redefined what success means for her and embraced a new way of holistic living that is centered around authentic connection, growth, simplicity and creating impact. Edina’s company DiversFYI supports both leaders and organisations to create and implement a Sustainable Diversity Strategy (diversity = the sum of uniqueness of each individual) across the entire organisation creating sustainable growth for both people & the business. Her unique holistic approach combines Mind-Body-Heart-Soul methods and tools. In this interview we talk about: The journey that Edina has been on Discovering who she is and what success means for her Exploring this critical parallel journey that occurs when you really embrace life outside the corporate 9-5. You can find out more about Edina, follow her blog and connect with her on her website and via LInkedIn. If the themes in today’s show resonate for you, check out the A Brilliant Gamble Online Programme, specifically designed to help you navigate this parallel journey, getting out of your own way and creating a life that really lives up to the expectations you had for it. You can find out more about the programme here. And if you’re not sure if it’s for you, drop me a line and I will help you decide whether you’re ready! Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, the Corporate Escapees Facebook Group and of course, the website.

You might has seen I did a Facebook Live over on our A Brilliant Gamble Facebook Page, which I then shared in the Corporate Escapees Facebook Group (!) about an experience I had a couple of weeks ago when I had some quite negative feedback to an email I sent. However, the feedback really woke me up. And while it was uncomfortable I also realised that I had stopped doing the things that make me feel connected with myself through the day. When life gets busy or you become worried about something or anxious or stressed you often stop doing the things that would actually help. But when you resume those good habits you can quickly turn things around. In todays show I talk about: How I responded to the feedback What I had stopped doing and the impact it had on me What morning habits really help us get connected with ourselves How to stay connected through the day What we are capable of and how the responses to our behaviours change when we are connected versus when we aren’t I mention A Brilliant Gamble Online - our flagship development programme designed to support you through change, keep you on track and enjoying the journey as you experience the inevitable bumps in the road. You can find out more about that programme here and feel free to drop me a line if you’re not sure whether this programme is for you. I will give my honest advice. Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and of course, the website.

On this week’s show I’m talking to Rebekah Bostan who responded to my survey on midlife expectations and experiences of work. Brought up during apartheid in South Africa, making a difference is in her genes. Her mother ran an illegal mixed race school, bringing children from Soweto to learn at a school with white kids and Rebekah learnt that it’s always possible to do something to change things. Today she combines her corporate career with raising the profile of flexible working, diversity, inclusion and the menopause. I wanted to talk to her because leaving your job to start your own business isn’t the only option, or might not be an option right now. How can you not only improve your own experiences of work but also change the culture for those who come after? In this interview we discuss: The challenge she and so many others are experiencing balancing work with midlife - family, menopause, awakening, personal wants and ambitions How she’s talking about working flexibly rather than keeping it a secret The work she’s doing with parent groups and others within her organisation and outside of it The blog she created to share her ideas about diversity, inclusion, flex and menopause You can read more about Rebekah’s thoughts and experiences on her blog. Rebekah is also a member of our Corporate Escapees Facebook Group so if you have questions or experiences to share, do head over and post in that group. We’d love to have you! Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and of course, the website.

I had a great discussion over elderflower cordial the other day with fellow business ladies about our relationship with money and, specifically, whether you should ever work for free. Most people who run their own business today create a lot of free content, they blog, they create free downloads, they write for other publications, they do TV and radio spots, they have a podcast! None of this ever makes us money but it takes a huge amount of time and we bring a lot of our expertise to it. So what differentiates the stuff we do for free from the stuff we should be charging for? In today’s show I share 3 concepts to help you decide whether you should be charging for what you do or not? Which are the bits that have a cash value and which are the bits that have a value that isn’t financial? I talk about: Marketing your business Calculating value The concept of visibility, credibility and profitability What stops us charging our worth When you shouldn’t charge Other than money, how we can get something back for our investment of time and expertise I am opening a thread about this on our Corporate Escapees Facebook Group so head over and join in the conversation. Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and of course, the website.

There are two things everyone wants to talk to me about - my trip last year with my daughter and dogs and whether they could do it too AND how to start their own podcast. This week I’m talking to podcaster and digital nomad, Debbie Arcangeles about both of these! Debbie makes money from podcasting even though she doesn't have a huge audience and she’s found a business model that allows her to live wherever she likes for as long as she likes. In this interview we talk about: How she gets paid to podcast and bust a few myths about that How to find the right brands for you who might be interested in sponsorship deals, even if you have a small audience How you can make money and be location independent The ups and downs of life as a business person What it means to be a lazy entrepreneur and how you can become one too! You can find out more about Debbie on her website and learn more about podcasting and digital nomad life. You can follow her adventures on Instagram or contact her direct via email Please remember to join our Corporate Escapees Facebook group where I share lots of free advice and where you can get support from others on the same journey as you! Also, stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and of course, the website.

The whole power dynamic changes when you step out of corporate life and in to entrepreneurship. No matter how much influence you had before you left or how much of a wallflower you were, once you’re on the outside you need to be heard and seen. In this episode I talk to Eleanor Beaton, an award winning Leadership expert for women entrepreneurs. A former journalist at CBC and the Globe and Mail in Canada, she helps women create globally recognised, profitable businesses. Our conversation is mainly about how to position yourself so that you’re taken seriously, so that your voice is heard and so that you are credible with your future customers and clients. We discuss: What it means to be fierce Positioning yourself Mistakes we make that undermine our status Dealing with competitive feelings Being heard and being confident enough to put yourself out there The difference between niching and your ‘zone of genuis' Why you should stop being the one in the room taking notes. Here are all the link to watch and listen to more Eleanor Beaton (I highly recommend it): eleanorbeaton.com LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Don't forget to head over to our website to read the latest blogs and get advice that will help you quit the 9-5 and do something you love for a living. Stay in touch with A Brilliant Gamble on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter Also, if you haven't already - why not join my Corporate Escapees Facebook Group?.

On today’s show it’s all about getting the money in. There are lots of things to keep yourself busy when you run a business and many of them are important. But unless you set aside time to do the activities that get the money in you’re going to find yourself back in a 9-5 job. I learnt these lessons the hard way, by nearly going out of business because I was spending my time doing what I enjoyed most and not making sales, closing and keeping prospective clients moving through the funnel. You can get the money in and still be authentic, still put customers at the heart of what you do and focus on adding value so it’s nothing to be afraid of. But there’s really nothing more important. I talk about: The importance of invoicing Closing sales that are forever open Thinking about where new business is coming from Keeping money in the business Considering the return on investment of any spending To find out more about my How to Quit Your Job programme and to sign up, click here You can also download the free Escape the Rat Race Checklist and join our Corporate Escapees Facebook Group. Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

This week's guest is Miisa Mink, Founder and Chief Doer at DrivenWoman – an accountability club for women who want to achieve their goals and dreams - and the creator of Festival Of Doers. Miisa has worked with hundreds of women who want to change their lives and in our conversation, she not only tells her own story of finding her joy, but shares the number one trait that stops other women from doing the same. Miisa has an amazing "get up and go" attitude that's infectious. In our conversation we talk about confidence and how you can take action without it. We talk about the importance of creating a dedicated community to support and challenge you and we talk about stepping into your truth and how terrifying that can be. Miisa’s Festival of Doers is on June 7th in London (2019 if you’re listening in the future) - it's the 3rd event like this and a day of inspiration and positive action. During the Festival of Doers - you’ll learn about living your passion, finding your purpose and creating a meaningful life. Get your tickets now! Driven Woman is an accountability club for ambitious women who want to achieve their goals and dreams fast. We help our members define their own success, create positive habits and put plans into action, one small step at a time. To learn more about my 12 Ways to Transition Programme click here The programme is just £35 and will help you create a transition plan and start making money from your business BEFORE you leave your job. If you’re unsure whether a programme is suitable for you, just drop me a line and I will help you decide. Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, the Corporate Escapees Facebook Group and of course, the website.

On this week’s show I’m sharing 10 good reasons to leave your corporate job. Maybe leaving corporate life isn’t your only option – you could stay within corporate life but change company, change working hours, changing to working remotely, change career but stay within big business... How do you know if escaping the rat race for good is the right option right now? I’ve identified 10 really good reasons to quit the rat race. How many of them apply to you? You want to run a business. You can't see that a change of company would fix the problem You want or need more flexibility You have a good business idea You don’t have a high need for financial predictability/you are risk tolerant You want to leverage your expertise in the open market (and make more money!) You want to test yourself, put yourself out of your comfort zone and have new experiences You’ve been thinking about it for a long time and the idea won’t go away The company politics, dysfunction, competitiveness are something you don’t want to be part of any more You want to be the author of your life On the show I mention a couple of resources to help you if you’ve answered “Yes, that’s me!” to a number of these. The FREE Escape the Rat Race Checklist is here - It covers 70+ actions and questions to consider in order to get yourself ready for the big escape. The 12 Ways to Transition programme is here - This programme helps you work out which transition strategy is right for you. It will help you figure out your tolerance to risk, the urgency of your escape, your financial situation and how much time you have to build your new venture and use the answers to those questions to pick the right way to transition out of your current job and in to your business. You can also join our Corporate Escapees Facebook Group Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.

If you’ve got itchy feet there are lots of ways to transition out of your current job in to something you’d love a lot more. But I’m not sure whether the best way to do it is to take a bet! Today’s guest, Marc Hogan, took a £1 bet that he couldn’t put on a one hour show at the Edinburgh Comedy Festival within 12 months. This was 10 years ago and on today’s show Marc explains how this changed everything for him. The bet was placed by my former business partner, Jim Lawless, who had taken a similar bet a few years prior to that when an audience member bet him a pound that he couldn’t become a jockey. Anyway, even if taking a bet isn’t the way you want your new adventure to begin there’s lots in here for you - The concept of “The Editor” - the voice that gets in your way and tells you that you can’t. Facing your fears and the importance of, sometimes, having your back against the wall with no other option but to go for it... despite your reservations! Some of the tricks to becoming a professional speaker and what the life of a pro speaker is actually like What you’ll need to get started as a speaker (including the importance of your showreel) The difference between being an internal speaker and an external speaker The universal lessons learnt from becoming a comedian that would help us all make our dreams a reality For more information about Marc visit his website, follow him on Twitter and connect with him on LinkedIn. Don’t forget to download my FREE Escape the Rat Race Checklist too. No matter where you are on your journey this checklist WILL contain tasks and questions to resolve that you won’t have thought about. Stay in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and of course, the website.