Grace Owen

Age at time of shift

34

Gender

Female

Education level

Postgraduate

Universities attended

Roehampton Institute, University of Surrey

Shifted from

Head of Learning and Development

Location

London/UK

Salary

£50,000-£75,000

Years in old career

2.5 years

Shifted to

Director of my own company

Location

home/UK

Salary

undisclosed

Years in new career

4 years

Year of shift

2003

What was your role in your old job?

I developed strategies, led a team of learning and development specialists, was an internal coach, facilitator and consultant.

What is/are your new role(s)?

I work as an executive coach, people development consultant, facilitator, speaker and mentor

Why did you change?

Fulfil a vision to have a flexible lifestyle + set up/run my own business. Work in a variety of sectors, develop and sell my own services/products, meet new people and extend my networks....in summary to fulfil my life purpose.

Are you happy with the change?

Yes, Yes and Yes! I love my life and my work. It has been a rollercoaster and during the difficult times I wanted to have a 'safe' job where I was employed and work given to me. Now in my 5th year my life is on track, business is growing. Everything is headed in the right direction.

What do you miss and what don't you miss?

I have gained so much from having made the CareerShift. I don't miss company politics and slow decision making!

How did you go about making the change?

A lot of different factors came into play such as knowing it was the right time, having the support to take the plunge, earning opportunites made available, having a clear vision of my life/work, being afraid but just doing it!

What was the most difficult thing about changing?

Letting go of the safety and security of a job I loved and people I worked with. It really was like a bereavment.

What help did you get?

From husband, family and friends. Also from strangers, organisations and people with specialist knowledge.

What have you learnt in the process?

Oh my goodness, where do I start! It has been and continues to be rewarding, worthwhile, exciting and a daily challenge.

What do you wish you'd done differently?

Had a nest egg to support me during the lean times. I became too money focused at the beginning, this compromised some of the work I delivered and affected my attitude.

What would you advise others to do in the same situation?

Develop a plan for the transition, say 2 years, with resources in place. It may seem like a long time but flies by and it will keep you motivated. During this time you can try stuff out, make mistakes and prepare to make things permanent while taking calculated risks. It eases the pressure of having to 'get it right' today!!!