“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

"The biggest thing was I wanted to be more responsible as a thought leader. And in a world where we have so much information, misinformation, disinformation, it was important that I went through a process of acquiring knowledge and creating new knowledge and it was the PhD."

Ready to lead a curiosity rebellion? We have the inspiring Yemi Penn as our guest. Yemi is a trailblazer who has navigated and embraced change across continents, careers, and personal transformations.

From her early beginnings in engineering to becoming a documentary creator and author, Yemi has followed her curiosity and entrepreneurial spirit to explore new doors and opportunities.

In our conversation, we explore her experiences living in Japan and Australia, the transition from a traditional career path to entrepreneurship, and the recent pursuit of a PhD about cultural trauma. Yemi shares provoking insights on handling identity shifts, following your calling, and embracing change with an open heart and mind.

Here are the highlights:

04:27 Moved from Japan to the UK for engineering job

11:39 Change is non-linear, with moments of progress and retreat

20:03 Started a consultancy after realising the same rat race abroad

28:43 Life's changes often disrupt the path you are on

36:36 Taking action despite uncertainty is key

44:49 PhD documentary explored cultural trauma

46:13 Pursuing a PhD despite challenges

49:53 Applying for a fellowship and the Obama Leadership Foundation.

The things that helped Yemi navigate change -

Book: "Untethered Soul" by Michael Singer

Music: "I Am Light." - Indie Arie

The one piece of advice: “Get better at asking high quality questions. What am I afraid of? And answer really honestly. If you just do that you'll know what your next step is. Because a lot of us are seeking certainty, especially in these moments. But just ask what you're afraid of”

More about Yemi

After relocating to Australia from the U.K, I realised I was on the same hamster wheel I ran away from, this wheel just had a lot more sunshine. Turns out I was running away from myself, and so the invitation came for me to run away again (oh I would have!) or get down to business and look into that double sided mirror. I was blessed with a great job as an engineer and project manager yet I forever seemed to be chasing happiness. Having been homeless at 24, a single mother to two, I had well and truly earned my hard knock degree.

It became frighteningly obvious that nobody was coming to save me and so I got to work on cleaning my trauma and do this daily to ensure I do not pass this on to my children or those I come across in life—it's not for the faint hearted but it's worth it. In doing the work I have been able to create successful businesses in the U.K. and Australia - most importantly, I no longer chase happiness, it finds me when I am open to receiving it.

Website: https://yemipenn.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

"We tell stories in times of transition because in good times, bad times, lateral movements, figurative movements, we need to make sense of the world. Stories help us help us process. This is what makes us human."

Can six words help you process change, and tell your life story?

On the podcast Larry Smith shares how a simple Twitter experiment 15 years ago turned into a global storytelling movement - the Six Word Memoir project.

Our conversation is not just word count. Larry shares his closing door life moments, from divorce, to relocation, to career change.

We discuss his unique 'three-part theory' of life balance, the importance of taking things one door at a time, and how sharing our stories creates meaningful connections. This is about embracing change on your own terms.

Here are the highlights:

11:55 A Twitter project on six-word memoirs unexpectedly became a long-term career

13:54 Getting the courage to embrace a storytelling career

19:21 First project smithmag.net failed, but birthed the successful "six-word memoirs" idea

21:00 The importance of concise expression, inspired by six-word memoirs

23:46 Stories help us process the world during transitions and make us human

More about Larry

“A quest to spark creativity in everyone” quoted by Oprah Magazine, Larry Smith is the founder of The Six-Word Memoir® Project, a bestselling series of ten books, live event program, and a global phenomenon found in classrooms, conferences, and corporate settings alike.

Larry has worked with teams on storytelling at Netflix, Twitter, Levi’s, JPMorgan Chase, Dell, ESPN, and Google, as well as foundations, philanthropies, and schools. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, ESPN Magazine, Popular Science, Men’s Journal, Slate, and Buzzfeed, and has contributed essays to anthologies including Modern Love: 50 True and Extraordinary Tales of Desire, Deceit, and Devotion.

He’s the editor of the book, The Moment: Wild, Poignant, Life-Changing Stories from 125 Writers and Artists Famous and Obscure, and director of the play, A Map of Myself: A 70-Minute, One-Woman Revolution on War, Immigration, History, and Home. This summer he’s teaching a five-day workshop, Tell More More: Crafting Your Story at Mid-Life , at the MEA retreat center in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Website: https://www.sixwordmemoirs.com/

The things that helped Larry navigate change -

Book: "Lost and Found" by Catherine Schultz

Music: "This Will Be Our Year" by The Zombies

The one piece of advice: “Trust the process…You might have a plan for your life that you've decided will work. Trust it until you can't trust it.”

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 grew up watching the Olympics and you see these athletes from around the world marching in the opening ceremonies. And then one day, you are setting foot in that stadium. 50,000 people screaming and you look to your right and you see more cameras than you can count. And in that moment that you are on TV around the world and some little kid is probably looking at you the way you looked at some other athlete."

How do you find the courage to push forward when fear and uncertainty stand in your way? In this episode, I speak to Devon Harris, member of the legendary Jamaican bobsleigh team that inspired the film Cool Runnings. Devon shares his journey from growing up in Kingston's neighborhoods to becoming an army officer and eventually an Olympic athlete - despite being afraid of both speed and heights!

Devon shows us how keeping focused on moving forward is often the only real choice we have.

Here are the highlights:

04:51 Uncertain future after High School

09:06 Nervous summer running up to Army Selection

12:33 From Jamaica to Sandhurst Training

37:19 Dream-fulfilling moment of participating in the Olympics opening ceremony

43:40 Balancing soldier duties and Olympics

56:25 Persistence and selfishness misunderstood

The things that helped Devon navigate change -

Book: “Think and Grow Rich” - Napoleon Hill

Music: “We Built This City” - Starship

The one piece of advice: “Don't give up. You can't give up. I know how frustrating it can be, and how incredibly frustrating the journey can be and sometimes it feels like you're running out of time. But you're not running out of time. Keep pushing forward.”

More about Devon

Devon Harris, born on Christmas Day 1964 in Kingston, Jamaica, transformed his life from a violent ghetto upbringing to become an Olympic bobsledder and inspirational figure. Overcoming adversity through determination, Devon graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and served as an officer in the Jamaica Defence Force. He gained fame as part of Jamaica's first bobsled team in the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, inspiring the film "Cool Runnings." Devon continued competing in two more Winter Olympics and later founded the Keep On Pushing Foundation to support disadvantaged youth. As an athlete ambassador for Right to Play and an Olympian For Life, Devon now inspires others through motivational speaking and authorship, sharing his remarkable journey from Jamaican ghetto to Olympic glory.

Find out more: https://devonharris.com/

Instagram: @officialdevonharris

Tiktok: @officialdevonharris

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 Get-Recommended.com 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

“My new mission in life...is about helping women be seen, heard, and valued in their space, whether that's in work and beyond”

In this episode, I talk with Aimee Bateman, an incredible entrepreneur and advocate for women in the workplace.

Aimee shares her story of how experimenting helped her through a closing door after selling her business Careercake. She had spent 10 years building a successful company, then sold it, which was the plan all along. But after the sale, she faced a new challenge: What’s next? She was also adjusting to life as a new parent, balancing her drive with the demands of motherhood. Rather than jump straight into her next big project, Aimee took a different approach: she gave herself a year to experiment.

Aimee’s “year of experiments” wasn’t about perfect plans or guaranteed outcomes. It was about trying things out without pressure. She explored new ideas, met new people, and tested projects to see what resonated. Some ideas worked; others didn’t. And that was okay.

Aimee admits it wasn’t always easy: “At points, my ego was on fire. What if I fail? What will people think? What if I need to change things?”

But she learned to embrace the experimenting mindset. Looking back, she now sees her year of experiments as one of her most valuable experiences. It helped her figure out what truly excites her and what direction to take next. “It can feel unnerving to experiment. Like you have to get everything right the first time. But I’ve learned so much, and I know that 2025 is going to be a brilliantly focused year because of how clear I am now about what I want to do.”

Here are the highlights:

03:39 Helping women be seen, heard, and valued in all aspects of life.

08:57 Facing gender bias in the workplace.

11:47 Massive life changes after having a baby led to an identity crisis, and selling a company

17:45 Pursuit of success overshadowed happiness

20:23 Core values, especially kindness, are vital for personal transformation

33:34 Take a career break, be gentle, there's time to go hard later

46:44 Discover your North Star values

The things that helped Aimee navigate change

Book: “The Long Game" by Dorie Clark

Music: "Sympathy for the Devil", The Rolling Stones.

The one piece of advice: “Go and figure out what your values are, which are conflicting with each other, and work out not just what your values are but what's your north star. So we've got our north, our east, our but there will be one value that overrides everything else. That's your north star.”

More about Aimee

A former recruiter, turned award-winning career coach and the founding CEO of the venture-backed Edtech startup, Careercake (Voted UK’s #1 career development platform), which was acquired in 2022. Aimee defied the odds by securing venture and angel investment across two continents, despite operating in a global landscape where less than 2% of funding goes to a female founder. 10million+ professionals in 42 countries have taken Aimee’s career development courses, including 3million on LinkedIn Learning and featuring as a career expert for the BBC and Sky TV. A busy mum to a toddler and 2 rescue dogs and Aimee hosts the weekly, Seen. Heard. Valued. Podcast and runs Female Further coaching programme.

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aimee_bateman/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aimeebateman/

About your host

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.

Connect with Eleanor:

Instagram:instagram/anotherdooruk

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

Website: eleanortweddell.com

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

"For me opening the door was the same door that had shut in my face previously. But going back there and thinking, well, what am I able to do? …I tried many things, but I realised it's music. So I sat down with a blank piece of paper and thought, I've got to make my way again."

Imagine being at the height of music stardom in the 90s, performing on Top of the Pops, being helicoptered between gigs, and having fans waiting outside your house. Then suddenly, there is silence.

In this episode Lee Murray shares what happens when the music stops. Lee was the drummer in the band Let Loose, which enjoyed headline and chart success in the 90s. And then, due to various moving doors, and sliding doors moments the record contracted ended. Lee shares the moment he got the letter, sitting on his stairs thinking now what do I do?

It wasn’t an easy few years, navigating what to do next, trying things that didn't work out. But eventually returning to his roots and the love that was there all the time, drumming. Lee set up his own drum school Lee Murray Drum Hub, and now specialises in using lessons to help people with their mental health and to help neurodivergent children in particular.

Here are the highlights:

03:37 As a kid, I was obsessed with music, I dreamt of a music career.

07:48 Non-stop touring and performances for eight years.

21:02 Try new things without fear; be in the right mental space to succeed.

24:16 Drumming, which offered direction and mental wellness benefits.

38:20 Childhood dreams of being a pop star drove adult ambition.

The things that helped Lee navigate change.

Music: "Are Friends Electric" by Gary Numan

Boos: ‘The Secret’ by Rhonda Byrne

The one piece of advice: “You’ll have real highs and you will have the lows. It’s about trying to equip yourself with the tools to ride through that. So you can experience the highs and enjoy them knowing that it may not last forever, and you will get times where it's going to dip. Equip yourself with the resilience to think it will pass…Keep telling yourself that you're worth it.”

About Lee:

Lee Murray, drummer of 90s boy band Let Loose, found salvation in music amid mental health struggles. The band, known for playing their instruments and writing songs, had a hit with "Crazy For You" in 1994. Lee joined at 17 in 1987, but faced challenges after their 1996 split. Drumming helped him recover, leading to work with artists like Westlife, Ronan Keating and Lisa Stansfield.

Recently, Lee founded the Lee Murray Drum Hub, using music to support mental health and neurodivergent children. Let Loose reformed in late 2023 with Matthew James Pateman as lead singer, performing at shows and festivals. They're set to release a new single, "Glorious," while Lee's solo single "Never Give Up On Us" launches on January 31st.

Find out more here https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0g45wn6

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lee_murrayinsta

More about the 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