“Sometimes the doors closing are not just physical things. Sometimes it is about closing the way we do something, the way we think, so that we can step into a different space for ourselves.”

Have you ever felt the weight of certainty pull you down, trapping you in a life that doesn’t truly fulfill you?

In this episode I sit down with Suzanne Penny, a transition and career coach, who shares her own transformative journey of leaving behind certainty in favour of embracing the unknown.

Suzanne shares key turning points in her life that could have easily anchored her in fear and loss, yet propelled her into a space of growth, curiosity, and empowerment. We talk about that change will inevitably mean we have to face being uncomfortable, before we find a more aligned pathway.

Whether you’re facing a career transition or just needing a shift in how you view your world, this episode offers inspiration and practical insights on how to embrace change.

Here are the highlights:

04:03 Embrace uncertainty and get comfortable with the unknown

08:41 Losing job, becoming a single parent and launching a business

14:12 Taking breaks increases productivity and prevents burnout

17:33 Guided meditations can provide clarity and confidence

19:28 Embrace magic and openness

27:00 I wish I’d had business coaching earlier

30:58 Patience is a skill; with it, you win

The things that helped Suzanne navigate change -

Book/Magazine: Light is the New Black by Rebecca Campbell.

Music: Inspiration by the Gypsy Kings

The one piece of advice: "We absolutely have everything we need inside of us. We can make that positive change. If anyone's out there knowing they want to make change, you can. You totally can. And like I said, try not to just suffer alone with it. Get support around you. That's so key."

More about Suzanne:

Having started over following the death of her friend, Suzanne made some big decisions to start over. Which meant leaving her marriage of 15 years and wrapping up associate work as a career transition coach. But it didn't all go according to plan, starting a new job, getting fired 12 days later, working a fixed term contract which then expired just before the second lockdown, she found herself out of work in the pandemic. But she trusted completely that this was time for better things and she launched her training and coaching co, Empowered Space, as a single mum of two, trusting completely in her ability to impact more people through her work. It's been the biggest journey of self-discovery, navigating being a founder, being diagnosed with ADHD and navigating peri-menopause. Suzanne works with both corporates and individuals to support people to navigate career transitions, supporting new beginnings, for leaders starting new roles , new teams merging, and providing outplacement support at times of endings. Knowing that change does bring opportunity and embracing every step of the journey.

Find out more: https://www.empoweredspaceforpeople.com

Connect with Suzanne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzannepennyexecutivecoach/

About your host Eleanor

Eleanor supports individuals, teams and organisations through change. Whether it’s 121 coaching or large scale organisational change through communications and training. Eleanor’s work centres around how we, as humans, work through change, embracing the messy bits, the role of playing, with the aim to see opportunity. “Too often we get stuck in the change happening to us, when just through that next door is an exciting next chapter.”

Eleanor is the founder of Another Door and the author of Why losing your job could be the best thing that ever happened to you.

Instagram:instagram/anotherdooruk

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

Website: eleanortweddell.com

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

"I thought, if dressing people and making people look good makes them happy, then I would love to do this."

Have you ever felt the weight of questioning your career path and wondered if there might be something else out there that's truly meant for you?

In this episode, we take you on a journey with Taiwo Meghoma, a lawyer-turned-fashion-stylist. From a young boy in Nigeria discovering his love for fashion by helping his mother with her outfits, to sitting front row at major fashion weeks alongside his idols, Taiwo's story is about boldly opening new doors even when the world might tell you to stay put.

We explore how a chance encounter and a passion for style led Taiwo to follow an unconventional path, ultimately leading to his success and fulfillment in the world of fashion.

Here are the highlights:

05:03 As a child, loved making his mother happy by making her look good

14:38 Seeking connection and purpose

17:35 Pursued passion for fashion and styling, leaving corporate job without disclosing plans

24:13 Worked on and attended runway shows, met idols like Naomi Campbell

28:53 Trying is crucial; it matters more than the outcome

32:33 Conversation matters, leading to the way to work

51:07 Following your heart without fear

The things that helped Taiwo navigate change -

Book/Magazine: Ebony Magazine

Music: “I Made It Through the Rain" - Barry Manilow.

The one piece of advice: “Do it. You might have a lot of people who tell you you are making the wrong move, you are not going to do it, you're going to fail. I want your audience listening to this - to do it. Let them go ahead. If people tell you no, I want them to look at themselves in the mirror and say, you doubted me. Now I'm going to prove it to you. I'm going to do it.”

More about Taiwo:

Taiwo is a fashion consultant and designer who has collaborated with fashion designers in Europe and Africa. As a stylist , he has dressed celebrities , corporate leaders all over the globe .

In 2019, he was appointed by the Embassy of Nigeria in Berlin as Co-director of the 1st Nigeria Cultural Day Berlin,showcasing the rich culture and fashion of the Nigerian people. He is a well travelled executive who has consulted at Milan Fashion week and New York Fashion week .

Taiwo is also a guest lecturer on personal branding at universities and seminars in Europe and Nigeria, and one of the founding members and first president of the Lagos coral chambers and awarded the highest honour as senator of the junior chambers international in Missouri, USA.

Connect with Taiwo: https://www.instagram.com/style_with_taiwo/

About your host Eleanor

Eleanor supports individuals, teams and organisations through change. Whether it’s 121 coaching or large scale organisational change through communications and training. Eleanor’s work centres around how we, as humans, work through change, embracing the messy bits, the role of playing, with the aim to see opportunity. “Too often we get stuck in the change happening to us, when just through that next door is an exciting next chapter.”

Eleanor is the founder of Another Door and the author of Why losing your job could be the best thing that ever happened to you.

Instagram:instagram/anotherdooruk

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

Website: eleanortweddell.com

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

"When you have kindness in the culture, you build psychological safety. And from there you have high performing teams, better staff retention, creativity, resilience, like it really stacks up in terms of all the different benefits that you get by increasing levels of kindness and empathy in your business."

Kindness can transform not just your personal well-being but also the landscape of work and leadership. In this episode, I reconnect with Graham Allcott, productivity expert, author, and now a passionate advocate for kindness in the workplace. We share the inspiration for his new book Kind, and how kindness is essential in moments of change. Kindness to yourself, and others.

Graham shares his journey of closing doors, his evolution from productivity to kindness, and the impact kindness can have in our daily lives and careers.

Here are the highlights:

05:55 Transitioned from managing a business to an MD

10:06 Ready to shift focus from productivity talk to new topics for personal interest

24:06 Experimentation encourages curiosity

35:44 Promote kindness to counter negative narratives

39:22 Curiosity about understanding inherently different personalities

52:37 Kindness begins with self-kindness

The things that helped Graham navigate change -

Book: "Wintering" by Katherine May

Music: "Lovely Day" - Bill Withers

The one piece of advice: “When you think about kindness, it's really important to be kind to yourself first. And once you start to be kind to yourself first, then you start to rewire your brain to make it easier for you to be kind to everybody else. So never think of self kindness as self indulgent. Always think of it as the thing that helps to role model for you and everybody around you an abundance mentality instead of a scarcity one.”

More about Graham

Graham is the author of multiple books, including the global bestseller How to Be a Productivity Ninja. His latest book, KIND: The Quiet Power of Kindness at Work, focuses on why organisations with kinder, more human-centred cultures are ultimately more successful.

He is the founder of Think Productive, one of the world's leading providers of training and consultancy, with offices in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, and the Netherlands.

Website: https://www.grahamallcott.com/

About your host Eleanor

Eleanor supports individuals, teams and organisations through change. Whether it’s 121 coaching or large scale organisational change through communications and training. Eleanor’s work centres around how we, as humans, work through change, embracing the messy bits, the role of playing, with the aim to see opportunity. “Too often we get stuck in the change happening to us, when just through that next door is an exciting next chapter.”

Eleanor is the founder of Another Door and the author of Why losing your job could be the best thing that ever happened to you.

Instagram:instagram/anotherdooruk

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

Website: eleanortweddell.com

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk