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Title
Pub. Date
Duration
Turning Your Hobby Into a Business
21 Oct 2022
00:30:51
In this episode, Martin Wachters joins me. We talk about how a hobby can turn into a full-time career. We also cover the importance of other skills and interests that can make this a reality.
Martin is the founder of Muziekles Amsterdam, a Netherlands-based music school. He also has several published online courses and resources to help beginners and more experienced students learn and improve the guitar and piano.
Key Takeaways
If you are not in your ideal career, don't think that the experience or skills you learn are wasted
You may not always land in your dream career, but often something closely related that you might not have initially considered
It takes courage to quit the comfortable and move into the unknown
Bringing together areas of interest such as (in Martin's case) music, teaching, entrepreneurship, and technology can create a niche
Don't cater to everyone; pick a niche
Start small by not committing to something big before you have tested the idea
Be willing to think again, as you won't always be right
Once you create your core offering or service, you can grow an ecosystem of businesses or services around this
In this episode, Sonja Price joins me. We talk about making your career work for you. This means thinking about the guidance and finesse you will need, and what the decision criteria are for choosing what you do in your career. Very importantly, we talk about getting paid what you are worth.
Sonja is a career strategist and founder of Dynamo Careers. She is passionate about empowering professionals to accelerate their career success, to become financially free, and to make a positive impact around the world.
Key Takeaways
Does your work, work for you? Are you getting the most out of your current role?
Taking on a role at a small organisation can provide big opportunities for learning and growth
Don't be afraid to re-invent your career. Multiple times if you have to
A side hustle is a great way to soft start your new or changed career
Pay attention to where you are at the moment, what skills you already have, and which you need to learn
Create opportunities and even craft your ideal role
Instead of a stretch goal, set yourself a stretch role
Don't underestimate the value of building relationships and developing your social capital
Having valuable skills (and knowing what these are) makes a big difference
Use a combination of clarity and research to determine what you want from your career
To get there, understand whether incremental adjustments or big jumps would work best
In this episode, Tom Rees joins me, and we talk about significant career shifts. Tom is a medical doctor with the NHS and before that was a professional rugby player, playing for both London Wasps and England. Tom shares how he got started with the sport and ended up as a professional rugby player and goes on to talk about how an injury ended his sports career, how he dealt with it, and how he moved on to a new career.
Key Takeaways
Luck sometimes plays a part in success but working hard, brings that luck
Success is not an overnight thing. Small achievements, wins, and skills snowball and bring more success
Having someone not making you do anything, but encouraging you to try everything is important. This could be a parent, a coach, or a mentor
Take ownership of what is going on with your job or career
It is the hard work away from the pitch that leads to success
Expose yourself to those who are more skilled or experienced and learn from them
Get comfortable making mistakes and pushing beyond where you think your limits are
Take in advice from other people and use the bits that work for you
You don't need to make a massive impact on the world, just improve a little bit of the world around you
Don't define yourself by your job
Lean on friends, family and colleagues during tough times
Understand that things that have made you successful to this point and then apply to other areas
In this episode, Eldon Davis joins me where we talk about recruitment and job seeking. Rather than approaching this from a job seekers perspective, we switch contexts and talk about this from a recruiters perspective. Eldon spent 18 years in talent acquisition roles. He talks about how he brought together several interests to shape his career. Eldon also shares some tips for job seekers and career changers and talks about how he is now in a career transition, mentoring and coaching others.
Key Takeaways
Be prepared and planned for chance meetings and networking opportunities
Don't underestimate the power of networking
Seek first to understand and then be understood
It is important to understand and demonstrate the difference between features and benefits
Always keep your skills current
Identify your limiting beliefs as the first step to overcome them
Share your knowledge with others
When looking for new roles, do your research and homework about these roles
Network and connect with others in similar roles that you are looking for
Be resilient because you will get turned down at some stage
In this episode, Felix Wong joins me, and we talk about education, building communities, and passion projects. Felix is APAC Head of Growth at AngelHub, bringing investors and entrepreneurs together. He has an entrepreneurial background which is well suited for his role as well as several side-hustles or passion projects that he is working on. He is very active in the No Code community and sees these tools and platforms as excellent resources to help entrepreneurs realise their goals. In the show, Felix shares how he builds skills, both for himself and others. He also talks about how important it has been for him to allow more people to experience entrepreneurship.
Key Takeaways
Finding your tribe or building your tribe is very important in helping you on your learning journey
There are many learning resources available, and when it comes to technology, Codeacademy and YouTube are great places to start
Community building is important because it allows you to build your profile whilst contributing
Storytelling is an excellent transferable skill to work on
Giving people access to knowledge is important. The beauty of education should not be underestimated
Keeping a career "scoresheet" and reviewing this every quarter is a powerful way of managing your career goals and progression. Set yourself goals on working in different roles, verticals, and organisation size/maturities
In addition to your main role, always be looking for problems and how these could be solved, as a side hustle
Use no code tools to quickly translate your ideas to reality and then test them
No matter how senior you are, you need to always be learning
Create a routine that will enable your learning goals.
Compound your learning experience by making notes of your learnings and the sources of information you've used. Connect with the authors and build your network
Today is World Mental Health Day, and in this episode, I focus on mental health and wellbeing. The world is going through an extremely turbulent time and it is taking its toll on people lives, relationships, and careers. In the episode, I reflect on Episode 3 and the insight that David Beeney shared. In summary, be kinder to others and to yourself. I also share some tips and thoughts to help in these times.
Key Takeaways
Focus on the present. You cannot control the future
Talk to people you trust
Don’t rely on social media or speculation for your news or facts
Reach out to friends on Skype, Zoom, telephone, and social media. Keep connecting with others
If you are stuck at home – plan your day and have a routine, as if things were normal
Keep exercising, even if it is only for a walk
Relax and take time to reflect. Especially on the good things and things you can be grateful for
Make sure you get enough, good quality sleep
Talk to your kids. Remember this is just a blip for many adults, for many kids this is a defining moment.
Remember, this affects everyone – you are not alone
Practise kindness and consideration to others
Resources Mentioned I spoke about the following resources in the episode:
In this episode, I talk about the three things that you can do to get promoted or to progress your career. Obviously, there are many things that you can do, and I have taken my experience and the experiences of many others and distilled these down to three key themes. What are they? Let's take a look.
Solution Orientation
Responsibility
Putting your hand up
Easy, right? Take a listen to the episode and hear more!
In this episode, I am joined by Anita Toth who traded her career as a university researcher for a career of self-employment. After completing both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, Anita took on a job at the university. After 16 years, the role was made redundant and Anita needed an alternative. In this show, Anita shares how she applied for over 20 jobs before starting on her own. She shares how she used the skills - especially those she had developed by running several side hustles - to start her new career, the challenges she faced, and ultimately, how she found her niche.
Key Takeaways
Never underestimate the power of having a mentor and building a long-term relationship with that mentor
Good written and verbal communication skills are invaluable and will serve you well in whichever direction your career takes you
Project management skills are a fantastic value-add to your transferable skills. Even if you are not a project manager
When make making career choices and decisions, be clear on what you are looking for. Understand what makes you happy
Side hustles are an excellent, low-risk way of building new skills and knowledge as well as testing business and career ideas
Spending time with people and developing relationships is extremely important - find your community!
Focus on growing your network, not by asking what people can do for you, but what you can do for them
Identifying and understanding your core values will help guide you and help you make tough decisions
Find your niche - something that you are good at, something you enjoy, and something that others will pay you for
Use a coach to help you develop skills that you may be struggling with
Resources Mentioned Anita spoke about several resources:
In this episode, I am going to provide a little "behind the scenes" view of the podcast. Quite a few listeners have been asking what it took to get the show running and what it takes every week to get each episode produced. I thought I would share some key points in this short episode. By no means is this a complete guide but hopefully, it will give you an idea of what is involved.
Key Takeaways
You'll need to choose a podcast platform to host your podcast on. This platform then distributes your podcast to all the popular listening platforms. I considered Soundcloud, Buzzsprout, and Audioboom, choosing Buzzsprout
You'll need a decent microphone. I chose the Marantz Pod Pack 1 that included the condenser microphone, the cable, and boom arm
You'll need some software to produce the podcast. I use GarageBand on Mac OS. Audacity is also an option for both Mac and Windows computers
There are some optional extras that I use like Canva for producing promotional artwork and Buffer for scheduling social media posts
Resources Mentioned These are the resources I spoke about in the episode:
Buzzsprout hosting platform. If you sign-up to a paid plan using this link you will receive a $20 Amazon gift card (after paying for the platform for at least two months) and I will receive a small commission (at no cost to you) that helps me run the podcast
In this episode, I am joined by Hanlie Smuts who is an associate professor at the University of Pretoria. Like many professionals, Hanlie completed her undergraduate degree before entering the corporate environment as a software developer. For many of us, this would have been the end of our academic career but Hanlie went on to complete both her Master's degree and her PhD whilst working fulltime jobs as a senior executive. Hanlie shares her story about how she didn't choose between the academic and corporate worlds, but instead, wove the two closely together. She shares how she applied learnings and skills gained in academia to her corporate career and vice-versa.
Key Takeaways
Don't underestimate the importance of learning and never stop learning
Even if your career is very technically focused, don't neglect engaging with people and building relationships and people skills
Always consider the human factor when completing projects, building products, or just completing business as usual activities
Try and immerse yourself into your surrounding working environment so that you can truly understand how the business you are in, works
Always be professional and deliver quality work
Delegation is an important transferable skill to develop. Start by trusting your team
Always be open to opportunities
Given the opportunity, try and understand all aspects and functional areas of the business that you work in
Always build your network
A skills bubble chart is a great tool to identify the skills you need to be successful in a role, highlight any gaps, and track your progress in developing those skills
The ability to analyse data is an important transferable skill
Building resilience will help see you through tough times
Build your personal brand to ensure that your name is always top of mind when opportunities are being considered
Frameworks are a great tool to help you get things done
Don't forget about your family and other support structures. These are what allow and support you in achieving great things
You can work smart by finding your work cadence. Understand what works for you, segment your time, and stick to the rules you set yourself
Connecting With Hanlie Listeners can find out more about Hanlie and connect with her by visiting her:
In this episode, I am joined by Mark Colgan. After completing his business studies at university, Mark aspired to a job in the marketing industry but finding no suitable roles, he began working as a recruiter. Mark talks about the transferable skills that he developed and how working as a recruiter allowed him to spot a new role that was emerging, that of a digital marketer. He shares how he then changed direction in his career and moved into the digital marketing space. Mark also talks about a moment of realisation whilst travelling South America that led him to develop his career and bring him to a point where he has simultaneous roles helping both organisations and individuals.
Key Takeaways
When at school and university, in many instances we are learning for job or roles that don't yet exist
Wanting to take on more responsibility is a good way to help grow your career
There is immense value in having a part-time job whilst studying
Knowing the theory of how to do something is important and equally important is having the confidence that you can do it
Doing work for friends and family is a great way to practise your skills and build a portfolio
Create a vision for potential employers by asking the question "Imagine what I could do for you?"
Combining your strengths and skills to find your niche is a way to differentiate yourself from your competitors
Work hard to spot in-demand skills. Research what similar type roles might be like in ten years
Keep developing your skills and be comfortable with the unknown
When presented with opportunities, instead of asking why, ask why not?
Always be connecting and give freely
Build an ecosystem of value and find an audience or industry that you can serve
Speak to people, actively listen, and connect people
Resources Mentioned We spoke about the following resources:
In this episode, I am joined by Helen Peatfield who gave up her secure job in London and moved to Thailand. Not only was it a change in location, but also a change in career. Helen shares her story and we talk about her early working years, her big move to Thailand, and how she found her niche and shaped up her new career. She shares plenty of insights about a career in copywriting and generally, changing careers.
Key Takeaways
When considering higher education, follow something that you are passionate about. Ideally, this will lead to greater career satisfaction and fulfilment
Have a curious mind and don't stop learning. Keep developing by reading, completing courses, and networking
Start listening to your customer/colleagues, show empathy, and ask "How can I help this person succeed?"
When making changes in your life and career, think about pull versus push motivation. Sometimes with a push motivation, it is easy to keep looking back, rather than forward
In your career, look ahead at those on the rungs above you and ask yourself the question, "Is this a role I aspire to?". This can help you determine what the right career path is
If you are selling your services, don't believe your value is only the prices you see offered
Find your tribe!
In any career, don't be scared to look at the numbers. Research and analyse data to help you make decisions
Don't be afraid of hard work
Don't get stuck only reading the books. Get out there and practise your skills
Stalk your ideal customer/employer (not in a creepy way) to learn more about them
Reach out to your network for help and advice
Resources Mentioned Helen shared the following great resources:
In this episode, Bruna de Palo joins me. We talk about changing your nine to five to your nine to alive. We cover mapping your career, finding your ideal role, considering a career in the non-profit sector, and the importance of neuroscience when it comes to your career.
Bruna is a certified leadership, executive & career coach, keynote speaker, corporate trainer, and founder of Think and Act Differently.
Key Takeaways
Don't use your passion as a compass. Create a map to help navigate your career
A good career is one where you can express yourself and be who you are
Know the difference between talents and skills
Speak to people who have similar characteristics to you. Find out what career role they are in
'Learn to turn poison into medicine', i.e. make the most from a bad situation
Regulating stress and handling your emotions is important
Use a feedback loop to identify your limiting beliefs
Differentiate your transferable skills from the obvious
If listeners are considering a career change or would like to learn more about, and connect with Bruna, please visit her website. You can also sign up for her newsletter on the website.
In this episode, I talk about the steps to take to build a skills inventory. I'll cover some of the resources that we spoke about in Episode 17 as well as the specific approach for creating your skills inventory. We'll also talk about why having a skills inventory is important and how you can use it to support your career and learning journeys.
Key Takeaways
Broadly, skills can be grouped as transferable skills (what you can do), special knowledge (what you know), and self-management skills (how you conduct yourself)
Transferable skills are the most important and these are skills like constructing, creating, researching, analysing, teaching, organising, repairing, initiating, networking, communicating, planning
Special knowledge is skills like physics, graphic design, bookkeeping, mathematics, data analysis, French, and psychology
Self-management skills are skills like being adaptable, self-confident, dependable, supportive, loyal, persistent, innovative, and resourceful
The more transferable skills you have, the more choice you will have when it comes to jobs and careers
Transferable skills can be further broken down into people skills, information or data skills, and skills working with things
Identify and describe seven stories that are significant to you. These can cover both your career and personal life. Typical things might be something that stood out in your life, publicly displaying your skills, a really good outcome, something that gave you pride or was a particular challenge, something that your colleagues or peers could not do, something that you would like to do or experience again, something that excited you
Matching skills to these stories will provide you with a skills inventory, highlighting your strongest skills and also any gaps
Use this inventory to compare against still that are in demand
Resources Mentioned I used the following resources in this episode:
In this episode, I am joined by Jamie Mackay. Jamie is an employment professional and works with organisations and learning institutes to help them offer relevant learning opportunities to individuals. His work is very focussed on the skills that people need to find suitable employment and build their careers. Jamie shares not only his career story on the show but also some tips, ideas, guidance, and resources that people can use to continue their learning journey.
Key Takeaways
While you are ultimately responsible for your career, don't underestimate the value of your parents, career or guidance counsellors, and mentors
Certain people find jobs because of their social capital (it's not what you know, it's who you know) and you can build your social capital using tools like networking
When thinking about building transferable skills for the future (ca. 2030), think about skills that are difficult for artificial intelligence to replace like creativity, critical thinking, adaptability, communications, reliability, and even project management
Storytelling is a fantastic communication and learning tool because people can relate to stories
Having a part-time job at school and whilst studying is vitally important as it helps build transferable skills and prepares you for the workplace
In addition to the usual books and online courses that are used for learning, think about other approaches like attending conference and networking
When considering further education in the arts and humanities fields, think about the skills that employers may be looking for and how these might be learnt in your chosen field of study
Having a growth mindset is vital to your continued learning and development
Be responsive to opportunities and enjoy making the choices you need to make
Resources Mentioned Jamie shared many resources during the interview:
The National Careers Service for information, advice and guidance to help make decisions on learning, training and work.
YouTube for everything from coding to fixing your hot water boiler
Udemy for a vast selection of free and well-priced online courses
In this episode, I talk about coaching by briefly explaining what coaching is, answering some common questions about coaching and finally, tackling some coaching misconceptions.
Key Takeaways
Coaching is different from mentoring and consulting
To find a good coach you should start by understanding your needs, use your network, and evaluate potential coaches on their ability to help you achieve the outcome you are looking for
Coaching does work - it needs a good coach and a coachable person
If you are serious about achieving your goals and putting in the hard work, then coaching could be good for you
Coaching brings new perspective, helps you set your direction, holds you accountable, improves your self-awareness, and helps you adapt to and drive change
Coaching is not the same as therapy or counselling
Coaching does not take a lot of time
Coaching is not only for people with problems
Coaching is collaborative and not "done to you"
Coaches don't need to have a similar background to you
A coach doesn't need to be a sports star to coach as a sports star
In this episode, I am joined by Tim van Aarde. Like many of us, Tim started his career in a corporate environment, working for one of the big accounting and auditing firms. He soon found himself thinking that this was not the career for him, as it lacked purpose and he wanted something deeper and more fulfilling from a career.
He set out on a journey, back to university, studying humanities before shifting his focus to theology.
After university, Tim took up a position at a local church and a chance meeting led him on the next step of his journey, which was a move to Burundi in East Africa. Tim shares his wonderful experiences and learnings and how he found purpose in what he was doing.
Key Takeaways
Don't get stuck in an environment where you are not exposed to new ideas
It is never too late to study or learn something new
In looking for your purpose or deeper meaning in what it is you do, there needs to be conviction. This will help you identify your purpose
Always be open to new journeys (or the next step) and opportunities
Be flexible and embrace change
Expose yourself to different cultures and languages. Learn them!
Building resilience is key in helping you overcome challenges and struggles
Being able to relate to other people and building empathy is important
Having a guide or a mentor will make your journey, learning, and growth much easier
Building your cross-cultural communications skills will serve you (and others) very well
We don't always see the potential in ourselves. Others do, and we always have something to give that others will need
Resources Mentioned Tim shared the following in the interview:
Whilst in Burundi, Tim met a mother with a young child that had terrible burns. Tim and some others knew that they had to do something to change the life of this child. You can read more about the story in The Boston Globe
In this episode, I interview Steve Stewart-Keene. Steve shares his story with us, that begins with a life-changing motorcycle accident and how he had to consider the career options available to him. He talks about some of his earlier jobs before taking on a role with The Prince's Trust, helping vulnerable young people get their lives back on track. Steve then shares how he took a great leap and left the United Kingdom to start and run a resort in the South African bush. He shares some of the challenges that he needed to overcome to make this a reality.
Having made a success of the resort and running it for nine years, Steve talks about his return to the UK and how, after several jobs, found a massively fulfilling role, co-caring for a disabled young man.
Key Takeaways
Knowing your product (or service) and believing in it, is key to you making a success of your role
You can come up with a lot of reasons not to do something. If you have an idea and you believe in it, do the research, look at alternatives, think about worst-case scenarios, and then plan
In addition to having a plan, always have a plan B
Have patience and look at things holistically - understand the big picture
You need to develop the ability to sell what you are doing
Be flexible and adaptable and be willing to change things that are not working
Take feedback from others, sometimes it is not only your plan
Understand that the world is a bigger place and expose yourself to diverse cultures and experiences
Enjoy what you do, many people don't
Obstacles are there to be overcome
Resources Mentioned Steve spoke about his work and career at The Prince's Trust
Books Mentioned Steve recommends the following books:
In this episode, I interview Matt Roadnight, an Agile and Scum coach. Having developed an interest in IT, Matt completed a BSc. degree and went on to begin his career in a corporate environment. After a stint of travelling, he then went on to join a niche IT services company. It was here that he was given that latitude to work in a way and develop himself that he enjoyed. Acquisition of the IT services company by a large corporate got him reevaluating his position and coupled with an opportunity to provide some Agile coaching independently, Matt left to establish his own business.
Matt now owns and runs SprintAgile and is a founding partner of BeLiminal LLC. Both organisations focus on developing individuals and teams.
Matt shares his journey and the values that he developed that shaped his career and choices. He also talks about the enablers of learning and shares some great resources.
Key Takeaways
In many instances, we train for jobs that don't exist. The important thing is learning to learn and carrying this ability through our careers
Developing values is important. Understand your values and live by them but make sure you don't focus too much on a single value whilst neglecting other values. There needs to be a balance
Always be open to opportunities and try to take advantage of opportunities when they are offered to you
Challenge yourself to move beyond your comfort zones
Even if you enjoy working alone, don't ignore the importance of partnering and working with other people
Learning is often driven by client/organisation demand and the desired quality of work
Make sure that you develop a growth mindset (learn more about this in Episode 11)
Doing quality work is important but don't let perfectionism hold you back
Change doesn't happen without emotion!
Resources Mentioned Matt shared the following resources:
Job Crafting - Amy Wrzesniewski on creating meaning in your own work
In this episode, Peter Robinson joins me. Peter has more than 20 years of experience in the corporate world with recent roles as the Head of IT at Specsavers and the Head of Retail Applications at Dixons Carphone. Peter shares his experiences of entering the corporate world and how he grew alongside a growing organisation, before moving to an even larger organisation. He shares the challenges of delivering change in large organisations and how this ultimately led him to the realisation that working in a large organisation wasn't what he wanted to do.
Peter talks about deciding to join another corporate or go his own way. He shares his experiences of starting on his own and the says the advice that he gives to his 18-year-old daughter, starting her career, is the same advice he would have given to himself at that age.
Key Takeaways
Striking a balance between business and IT skills is important and something that we should all look to achieve
When addressing skills gaps, we don't need to become an expert in everything, we need to learn the right amount that will move us forward
When presented with opportunities to learn something new or challenge yourself, grab those because you never know where they will lead you
Don't underestimate the power of networking to help you learn new skills and push you out of your comfort zone
Accept when you don't know things and don't be scared to ask for help
To get the best out of everyone, you need to adapt your approach and make sure that you develop a personal touch to build relationships
Take stock of your situation and how much you know - you'll be surprised. Use this to determine your worth.
Empathy is important, but don't mistake this for sympathy. We still need to get the job done
Round Table, and other service organisations, are a great way to build your skills and personal network
When you are in a challenging situation, don't be scared and trust in yourself
Learn to market yourself and live with being uncomfortable
When you are at the start of your career, think about a change every five years
Books Mentioned Peter recommends the following books:
In this episode, Crystal Metcalfe joins me. Crystal is the UK VP at RGP, a consulting firm that helps customers implement their business strategy. Crystal shares her career journey and talks about how she used a growth mindset that helped her develop the skills she needed when making career transitions. She also talks about moving countries and how she dealt with that.
Key Takeaways
Having mentors in your life is important. They can help you understand where you want to go, and how to get there
Work experience is so important and getting this experience, before entering the formal workforce, can be of great value
Self-development and observation are great tools to help when you are overwhelmed, feeling intimidated, or dealing with impostor syndrome
Being constantly challenged will help you grow
Be confident in yourself and your team
Have empathy for others
Developing a consultant mindset will serve you well in your career
When thinking about a new job or career; assess yourself, identify what the new job or career requires, and understand if you have the attributes you need
In this episode, I cover the importance of focus and some of the tools that we can use to create and maintain focus. I first talk about focus in the broader context and how we can approach goal setting and track our progress. Next, I speak about focus at a more granular level and share some tips and tricks on how we can maintain focus and avoid distractions.
Key Takeaways
Think about setting our goals in the same way that organisations set their strategy by using vision and mission statements
Long-term planning is important but don't get blinded by your longer-term goals as circumstances change around you
Write down your objectives!
Be specific about your objectives
Focus on the essentials
Use objectives and key results (OKRs) to plan and track your goals
Avoid procrastination by just making a start and eating the frog
Break your tasks down into smaller chunks
When tempted by distractions, think if this distraction will help you achieve your end-goal
Multitasking comes at a 20-40% overhead
Think about the 80/20 rule when deciding which tasks to tackle
Be aware of attention fatigue
Unsubscribe from email lists!
Learn to say no
Use the Eisenhower matrix to triage and prioritise tasks
Reframe negative thoughts to help you get back on track
In this episode, Doug McGeachie joins me. He is Sales Director at Snowflake, a cloud-based data platform company. Doug has built his successful sales career for close on 20 years and in the show, he shares the skills, mindset, and motivation that helped him do this. He talks about the traits that good salespeople need and the approaches that he has used to build new skills and grow existing ones. Doug also talks about the transferable skills that help him coach children's rugby.
Key Takeaways
Building people skills and learning to engage with people is key
Being competitive will help you achieve your goals
A willingness to learn, not being afraid to ask for help, and having a support network in place are critical in helping you bridge skills gaps.
Be prepared to challenge beliefs, yours and others. Push yourself
Learn to accept change and believe in yourself
Always know there is an end game
Everybody, in some shape or form, is in sales
Understanding what it is that you want is the first step in achieving your goals
Using assessment tools like DiSC and Myers Briggs will help you understand yourself and your strengths and weaknesses in a better way
Books Mentioned Doug highly recommends reading the following books:
Doug also spoke about using Audible to listen to books. Click here for a free month of Audible by Amazon, with one free book (two if you are already an Amazon Prime member) to keep, even if you cancel. Post the show, Doug shared a really great list of books, in addition to the above. I will share these in a blog post on my website.
Connect with Doug You can connect with and learn more about Doug by visiting his LinkedIn page.
In this episode, Jim Barnish joins me and we talk about an alternative to climbing the career ladder. We also talk about how careers no longer follow straight lines; Jim shares how his career didn't follow a traditional straight line either.
Jim has spent the last two decades growing tech companies as an entrepreneur, operator and consultant. Jim now runs Orchid Black, a growth services firm complete with growth experts, just like Jim, that share an incredible track record for making technology companies worth so much more.
Key Takeaways
When considering job opportunities, don't only dwell on the functional aspects of the job but look closely at the company culture
Sometimes your dream job isn't your ideal job
Don't underestimate the value of having a coach
When looking for your ideal role, look beyond the career and personality tests
Ikigai is a fantastic tool to help find your purpose and ideal role
Success is not built on success. It's built on failure. It's built on frustration. Sometimes it's built on catastrophe
It is okay to make mistakes, as long as you are learning from them
Perseverance and working hard are the basic skills that everyone should develop
Wherever you are on your career or entrepreneurial journey, there is always help available
Even if you are not a project manager, having those skills is important
Key transferable skills are communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving
Being a team player means that you don't always get the wins yourself, but you help others to achieve those wins
In this episode, Foti Panagiotakopoulos joins me. He is the VP for Growth at euroVPS and also the founder of GrowthMentor. In the show, Foti talks about how he started his career as the only non-technical hire at a very technical company. He shares how he used this opportunity to create and shape the role that it is now.
He also shares the challenges he experienced and how he tackled these in a very surprising way. Take a listen and find out how!
Key Takeaways
It's okay to make mistakes, as long as you are learning from them, and not making the same mistakes again.
Learn from everything you do
Don't underestimate the importance of building relationships and networking
Take pride in doing the hands-on "dirty work". This teaches you the importance of doing things in the right way
Be realistic about your strengths and weaknesses. Once you know what your strengths are, double-down in them
Break down your goals into achievable pieces that you can complete and tick off your list
Create more than you consume
Learning on-the-fly is a great way to pick up and build the skills and knowledge that you need
Bootstrapping is a great way to get things started
Don't spread yourself too thinly
Book Mentioned Foti recommends reading Blue Ocean Strategy by W Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne.
Connect with Foti You can connect with and learn more about Foti by visiting his LinkedIn page. Find out more about euroVPS and GrowthMentor.
In this episode, Llewelyn Fernandes joins me to talk about making career shifts and how you can equip yourself with the skills and the knowledge that you will need. He shares his journey and how he used an approach of "just-in-time" learning to develop the new skills that he needed.
Llewelyn talks about how he created a niche for himself by bringing together his skills and interests in computing and creativity and becoming a freelance educator. He also shares the importance of having a shed. Listen in for more!
Key Takeaways
Bringing together multiple skills and interests can be an effective way of creating a career niche
Although learning new skills can be painful, the journey can be very rewarding
Taking a "just-in-time" learning approach is an extremely effective way of learning the right skills at the right time. It avoids a heavy upfront investment in learning things that might not be relevant
Trying diverse things like painting, woodworking, pottery, and blacksmithing is a fantastic way of learning to learn
Nothing worth doing is easy!
Whether you are five or 65 years old, you are always able to learn
Listen and learn from others but make your own mind up
In this episode, Jessica Pybus joins me to talk about the importance of understanding yourself. Jessica shares how she used this skill to make choices when choosing a career direction, when making tough career decisions, and when growing her career. She talks about how knowing your strengths and weaknesses and how this allows you to focus on what you need to.
Jessica also shares how understanding herself has enabled her to understand others, and why this is an important skill to master in the modern workplace.
Key Takeaways
Knowing what you don't want to do can be as important as knowing what you do want to do
Know and understand your strengths. Once you have done this, you can apply those strengths more effectively
You don't have to push yourself to know 100% of everything
But you do need to sufficiently understand important things enough so that you can easily explain them to others
Curiosity is an important transferable skill because it helps you improve things around you and helps understand others in a better way
Bringing people together is an invaluable transferable skill and will serve you well in any situation
Always ask questions. Don't be afraid to speak out and don't be afraid to contribute your ideas
In this episode, actor, Alastair Thomson-Mills joins me. He talks about the tough and, often, not so glamorous journey to becoming a professional actor. Alastair shares the steps he took and the hard work involved in ultimately making his dream come true. He talks about the skills that he has learnt as an actor and how these serve him in other aspects of his life and career. Without giving too much away, Alastair talks about some truly heartwarming experiences.
Key Takeaways
The importance of finding a mentor that can help you reach the goals you have set out for yourself
The importance of loving what you do and doing what you love
How building rapport can help you. Maybe not immediately, but definitely in the longer-term
Using humour and honesty to build relationships
The importance of self-awareness
How we should all display empathy towards others
How to keep going when it doesn't seem like you'll reach your goals
Follow Your Heart (But Don't Wear It on Your Sleeve)
26 Apr 2020
00:55:42
In this episode of The Agile Career Podcast, I speak to Romey Jacketts, who after a career of 26 years with British Airways started her own business. In the show, Romey talks about the wealth of available opportunities, making the most of these opportunities, and using them throughout her career and life. Romey also shares some of the setbacks that she faced and how she dealt with these.
Key Takeaways
Make the most of the opportunities given to you, even if these are not prescribed or compulsory
Don't expect someone else to do, what you wouldn't do yourself
Think about what is stopping you from achieving your goals
Once you have achieved your goals, set some more
Identify the skills you are missing and find a way to learn these
Be able to admit that we don't know all the answers, but can work together to find them
There are skills that you already have, that you don't even realise
"Everybody has a choice. You can choose to do something, or you can choose not to do something"
Music Recommended Romey also recommended the following piece of music that she finds motivational, especially in challenging times. Optimistic by Sounds of Blackness.
Connect with Romey Listeners can learn more about, and connect with Romey via her LinkedIn profile.
In this episode of The Agile Career Podcast I interview David Beeney, founder of Breaking The Silence. In the interview David talks about his journey from a commercial role in the publishing industry to his role as a counsellor and champion for good mental health. He describes the challenges he faced, particulary his mental health, and how this lead him to find his purpose and establish himself as a counsellor.
David shares how his coping mechanisms set the foundation for the transferable skills he built and he also shares some insight into how we can improve our mindset.
Key Takeaways
Be yourself
Be kinder to yourself and to others
Transition is not as difficult as you think
You might already have many of the transferables skills you need, to drive a simple mindset shift
In episode two, I talk about a number of tips for taking stock of your current situation. This is important because understanding where you are, is your first step in determing where you want to end up. These tips and approaches will help you
Recognise what you know and what you don't know
Get clear about what you want to achieve
Know yourself
Ultimately, this will help you identify a sort of baseline to get started and to continuously measure progress against.
Welcome to The Agile Career Podcast. In this episode, I talk about the thinking behind the podcast and why it is important that we take control of our careers and the skills that we need to develop in order to become employable for life, rather than employed for life.
10 Things Coaching Rugby Has Taught Me About Leading Teams
13 Oct 2021
00:18:45
I've been coaching youth rugby for eight years now. In that time there have been (and still are) so many lessons that I have learnt. The interesting thing is, these lessons can be directly applied to leadership. In this episode, I dive into more detail on these lessons.
The lessons are:
Sometimes you need to work with what you’re given
Even top performers have bad days
Peer pressure counts for more than you think
Everybody has baggage
Commitment varies – not everyone is there because they want to be
Team members need to be engaged
It’s not always about talent
A team requires balance
Some like to lead, others are happy to follow
You can’t win without an aligned team
Listen in for the detail on these learnings.
In this episode I also talk about The Agile Career Podcast being recognised as one of the top 20 careers podcasts in the UK. I am truly honoured by this. Check out the link below to find out more and also to see some other great career-related podcasts that you can listen to.
In this episode, I revisit an earlier episode with Anita Toth, discussing the importance of a side hustle. In Anita's case, it was experimenting with several business models and growing experience. When her role was made redundant, she already had the experience to get her own business up and running. What a fantastic insurance policy!
In today's episode, I bring you seven more reasons why you should start your side hustle sooner than later:
It is low cost and high reward
It makes you location independent
It helps you grow your wealth
It helps you create multiple streams of income
You can scale it beyond your dreams
It can give you peace of mind
You can control your destiny
Very importantly though, I bring you a fantastic deal on this episode. One of my products, the e-learning course "How To Build a Business Plan", has been selected to be part of Infostack's Side Hustle Toolkit 3.0. This means that you get lifetime access to my course (priced at $97) and 30+ other resources (priced at $4,946) for only $49!
(Spoiler alert! This is an affiliate link, which means that if you decide to purchase anything, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I have purchased the Side Hustle Toolkit 3.0 product personally and have not been given any free products or anything else for the mentions in this podcast episode. The only consideration is in the form of affiliate commissions. I only promote those products or services that I truly feel deliver value to you, and this purchase of the Side Hustle Toolkit 3.0 is certainly one of those.)
So, are you ready to launch your side hustle? Everything you need to:
In this episode, Fiona Hathorn joins me and we talk about the importance of boards in organisations, and how becoming a board member could enhance your career. Fiona shares the benefits of serving on a board, whether it is a commercial or community-based organisation, and how you might get started.
Fiona is CEO of Women on Boards UK and has several board positions. Fiona launched Women on Boards in 2012 to support women, and men, make the right connections and career choices to get to board level within their own company or to take on a non-executive board role. Since its launch, Women on Boards has supported over 1800 women and a number of men get onto boards.
Key Takeaways
Serving on a board is a great way to further or enhance your career
Many skills you have developed are transferable and will help you fulfil the duties of a board member
Serving on a board is ultimately about conformance and performance. Which is your strong skillset?
Serving on a board can help you build your future and grow several additional skills
Boards want to understand what value you can add. Know who you are and what you do
Networking outside of your 'box' is a large part of success
There are no certification requirements to serve on a board, and there are many resources available to help you
Serving as a board member is not limited to commercial organisations. Your local charities and community organisations need help and guidance too
Resources
Fiona recommends the following resources to learn more:
In this episode, Joe Delagrave joins me; we talk about his love for sport and how he was set to make that his career. Unfortunately, a significant, life-altering event changed everything. Joe shares his journey of how he moved on from, probably, the lowest point of his life to representing the United States internationally, at a competitive level.
Key Takeaways
Step into what it is you want to do. Live for your purpose and stop trying to please others. It doesn't matter what other people think
Stop playing the blame game. It might be easy, but it won't take you very far
Let go of thinking you can do everything by yourself
Don't see the obstacle, see the opportunity
It is important to have people around you that can lift you up and also bring you down when needed
Find a mentor and your tribe
If you can't see the impact you are making, don't quit. Set smaller goals to help you achieve your bigger goals
Make your goals public, for accountability
Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you are right
You'll never find success if you stay in your comfort zone
If you are feeling stuck, just move forward one step at a time
The Wounded Warrior Project - helping veterans and service members who incurred a physical or mental injury, illness, or wound while serving in the military on or after September 11, 2001
In this episode, I talk about why I've been a bit quiet, what I have been busy with, and share some exciting news! Before I summarise the key points of the episode, the exciting news! From Friday 12 March 2021, The Agile Career Podcast will be going live on Clubhouse at 18:00 GMT (13:00 EST, 10:00 PCT, 23:30 IST). We will be talking all things career, where you can ask questions, and more importantly, share your experiences. I look forward to talking to you! Find out more about the Clubhouse event here https://www.joinclubhouse.com/event/xlj9QAOj
Now the other stuff:
I have been running several one-on-one coaching and mentoring sessions and you can find out more about mentoring by visiting GrowthMentor and more about coaching by visiting my website
I have been exploring No Code tools and am building my first No Code product. You can find out more and go behind the scenes with me here
And finally, here is a reminder of some of the podcast's most popular episodes:
In this episode, François de Neuville joins me; we talk about significant events that can change both your career and life. François is a high-performance coach but started his career in the military. In the podcast, he talks about how much he loved his time in the military but ultimately, why he chose to leave it. François shares how, in 2018, a tragic and traumatic event changed his life forever, and set him on the path to becoming a coach.
Key Takeaways
It is important to experiment, to help you understand what you truly want. Create the possibility to experiment
Both logic and emotion can help you make decisions. It doesn't need to be one or the other
There are things that you can predict and control, and there are things that you cannot. It is important to differentiate between the two
Even if you are taking seemingly rash decisions, you still need a strategy or plan
Sometimes beautiful gifts come wrapped in ugly paper. Think about what you can take away from bad situations
Don't spend your life living in the future, focus on the here and now and enjoy what you are doing today
Recognise when you are holding yourself back. You can then put yourself out there and achieve good things
When setting off on a new path, don't just hope for the best. Think about what it is you want and why