| At 20, I lived in a grotty flat above a kebab shop.
I was studying for my MChem.
The night of the Chemistry ball, I stood washing up in a ball gown wearing bright yellow duck slippers. And apparently, I had a matching washing up bowl 😉. See the image on LinkedIn here.
The timeline continued…
At 21: Took 1 of 6 spots on Croda’s graduate development programme.
At 22: Quit to study Medicine, then failed to get a place.
At 23–26: Tried research business management and trained as a science teacher. None of it felt right.
At 26: Started a PhD. Had panic attacks.
At 29: Finished the PhD, started a postdoc, then fell pregnant two weeks later.
At 33: Started a spin-out company.
At 35: Quit paid employment on maternity leave.
At 36: Qualified as a coach and started my business.
At 41: Published my bestselling book.
At 43: Spoke on international stages and started writing my second book.
From the outside, it might look like a squiggly mess.
Too many pivots, restarts, and uncertainty.
But from the inside? Each step was a movement towards fulfilment and alignment.
One question
Have you found your thing yet?
The work that gives you energy and fulfilment and allows you to be fully self-expressed.Because when you do, everything will take off for you. |
