"Life's been tough over the last couple of years not just for me, but economically, for a lot of businesses. If I can bring joy into business owners' lives and make them feel better about what they're doing, that's brilliant."

Ever wondered how to reopen doors (or even build brand new ones) after life throws you a curveball? This episode is all about finding the spark of joy, even in your darkest moments, and building communities that thrive on play, experimentation, and authentic connection.

I'm joined by brand strategist, author, and accidental entrepreneur Sapna Pieroux, who opens up about pausing her business after a breast cancer diagnosis, dealing with grief, rediscovering herself through play, and why "karaoke networking" (aka The NotWorkers) might be the future of business building.

Sapna shares how volunteering, creativity, and saying YES to the things that spark joy led her not just to restart, but to totally reinvent what community means in business. 

Highlights:
00:05 Why play matters more than ever in business and life
04:05 Sapna's cancer journey and closing her business
05:28 Walking through grief and rediscovering herself
07:03 How coaching (and the search for joy) transformed her next steps
09:56 Volunteering, Borrow My Doggy, and finding joy in small moments
14:03 The birth of The NotWorkers, karaoke as business networking
16:33 Why the caliber of company beats perfect pitch
18:25 How play fast-tracks real relationships (and great business)
19:00 Personal brand vs. business brand, how Sapna evolved her business
28:06 Playfulness as a business advantage
31:31 Play, creativity, and mental health, why it works
37:04 Why your hobbies and passions matter for your brand
42:18 Practical tips: Getting visible when you're navigating change
49:03 Sapna's soundtrack for change (think: karaoke gems!)
50:25 The books that shaped Sapna's journey
52:43 The best advice for navigating change (and life) with joy

Sapna's Change Toolkit:
Soundtrack: "I Think We're Alone Now" by Tiffany, "Valerie" by Amy Winehouse, "I'm Coming Out" by Diana Ross, and anything joyful and karaoke-worthy!
Book: The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell
Bonus: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

One piece of advice:
"There is always a choice. Declutter fiercely and focus on what sparks joy, people, work, experiences. Success isn't just size or money, it's happiness with your choices."

Connect with Sapna:

Connect with Sapna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sapnapieroux/

Thinking about rebranding? First your Brand Performance Score https://letsgetvisiblequiz.scoreapp.com/

Join the free VIP Waitlist for BrandVisions.AI launching soon: https://waitlist.brandvision.app/

Join The NotWorkers Waitlist https://forms.gle/AoS2GZH8wHpsK2WCA

 

Work with Eleanor:

Buy the Book - Another Door Opens; 5 steps for navigating change. Described as 'Game changing' 'Brilliant' 'A must read' 'The best book on change'.

 

Eleanor supports individuals, teams and organisations through change. Whether it's coaching or large scale organisational change through communications and training.

 

Work with Eleanor 121 as your coach, when you are starting something new, to develop the idea, to create the idea, to get it launched.

Book in a Change Mastery for a team session - when your team is navigating change.

Book in a 90 minute workshop - to think through change at work.

Join the Another Door Opens 5 Step Programme - a course and community to guide you through the mess of change to find calm, joy and opportunity.

 

 

Instagram:instagram/anotherdooruk

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

Website: www.another-door-opens.com

 

 

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk