The Corporate Escapology podcast is here to inspire and show you pathways to leave your corporate job and do something more fulfilling, purposeful and rewarding.  Like Charlie is doing.

Charlie worked for Sky, Accenture and Frasers Group which owns Sport Direct.  Her time at Accenture rapidly accelerated her readiness for a "Group Head of" role at a major retail group.  But Charlie is an entrepreneur at heart.  Throughout her corporate career she has run a series of side-hustle businesses, including clothing, marketing services and "edutainment".

She recently left Frasers to return to consulting, this time in a boutique consultancy, where Charlie will will run her latest education/entertainment business Consulting Survival alongside.

You can find more about Charlie at Consulting Survival at https://www.youtube.com/@consultingcharlie6044

Ileana is an expert in local content.  It’s a phrase you may not be that familiar with.  Unless you work for a huge multinational establishing presence in more remote parts of the world.  A multinational like Exxon, for whom Ileana worked for 24 years before deciding to form Colibri, a consultancy to help energy companies maximise local economic development.  Ileana is passionate about eradicating poverty and delivering social change through the investment, resources and skills that multinationals can provide.

Ileana brings to bear decades of expertise in procurement, negotiation, policy, stakeholder management, as well as diversity and inclusion, sustainability and entrepreneurialism.  And she packages that up in a consultancy offer that brings value to her clients – and gives her more variety in the work she does and potential for more impact.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ileanaferber
https://colibribusiness.com/

Erica trained and qualified as an engineer, cutting her teeth on some of bp's biggest projects in Alaska, Azerbaijan and Angola. Despite the glossy images of smiling oil workers on corporate websites, the experience was tough - for men, as well as women, for local staff and the expats flown in.  Erica learnt first hand what it's like to be different and for that difference to not always be celebrated.

Exhausted Erica took time out, founded Two Piers a consultancy with a purpose, to build more inclusive workplaces.  She returned to bp, completed her MBA and pivoted her career commercially into mergers and acquisition, another high pressured role.  No easy roles for this high achiever.

But after a couple of years, the restructure loomed and Erica decided this was her time.  The spreadsheets confirmed her hypotheses - it was time to leave.  And dedicate herself to Two Piers.

Watch Erica's fascinating story here and if you want more - you can find Erica  at https://www.twopiersconsulting.com/, https://www.linkedin.com/company/two-piers-consulting/ and https://www.instagram.com/twopiersconsult/

Katie trained as journalist before moving into product management. But after a trip around the world with her family, Katie decided her mission was to help small businesses get to grips with customer research.  After validating the need for her offer with a community on Instagram and several consulting gigs, Katie got a publishing deal and wrote a book - The Book - on customer discovery for small businesses.

Katie shares some really great insights with me about  working with, rather than for, corporates, getting comfortable without the salary and being patient with ourselves.

You can find Katie's new book 'Do Penguins Eat Peaches' in all good bookstores from October 17 2023.

Steve Cook spent 25 years working for just one company is a variety of roles - moving from a technical entry into innovation and deeply commercial roles in bp's technology and alternative energy organisations.

But when his time was up (his words) he came to realise that he wanted to turn his hobby as a potter into a major component of his life after corporate - fifty percent of his time.  Leaving 50% to use his corporate skills, experience and knowhow in the cleantech startup ecosystem to chair boards and advise cleantech businesses and investment funds.

 

Hi there, welcome to Corporate Escapology the Podcast.

I'm your host, Adam Forbes, author of Corporate Escapology a book to help people package up all their amazing corporate skills, experiences and knowledge and use them to build a more fulfilling, rewarding, purposeful and enjoyable life after corporate.

Each episode I'll be talking to people who have left their corporate jobs to do something different - often many things.  We'll hear their journey - the practical and emotional side of leaving something behind - as well as what they're doing now.

I hope it will both inspire you and help build confidence that if they can do it why can't you?!

You can find me on instagram @corporateescapologist or by dropping me a line at [email protected].  I've also built a short Escape Plan course at https://corporateescapology.thinkific.com/courses/escape-plan