How To Pivot

Anne Morgan has scouted some of the most famous Irish models walking the international catwalks today. But she quit the business in 2019 to become a psychotherapist, life coach and mindfulness teacher.⁠ The birth of her daughter, Lily's shaky start in hostpial and her disillusionment with the industry led Anne to close her renowned agency, Distinct Model Management. She has since founded sparkback.ie- a business which focuses on helping women to negotiate motherhood and #career advancement.⁠

Anne Marie Boyhan was working in a safe, prestigious marketing job but handed in her notice in January 2020.  A visit to the doctor just before Christmas was the wake up call she needed - she was burnt out and she needed to change her life. She spent a huge amount of time thinking about what career to pivot to and did PhD levels of research into how to make that transition. Anne Marie founded The Sleep Care Company in March 2021 with a mission to give people the gift of a good night's sleep.

Resources mentioned in this podcast include:

Playing Big by Tara Mohr

The Imperfect Life podcast

16personalities.com 

Brian Bateson quit one of the pillar banks at the height of the recession with no plan in place. He worked random jobs before figuring out his passion was in the outdoors. Brian set up his own mountaineering / rock climbing company Climbit in 2015. Today he lives in Lahinch, Co. Clare, happier and more fulfilled than ever.

Ciara Kelly presents prime-time radio on Ireland's national news and current affairs station, Newstalk. She trained as a medical doctor in the 90s and ran a GP surgery in Co. Wicklow until she pivoted careers and swapped her stethoscope for headphones in 2017. Ciara reveals what it was like to work 80 hours a week while she wore both hats. In her own words, she's a 'carpe diem kind of person' and knew that even if things didn't work out, she wouldn't regret taking the leap of faith. But for the more risk averse among us, she has sage advice for anyone who dreams of doing something different.

Andrea Horan is a tour de force who went from being a director at Thinkhouse PR to world-famous nail salon owner and social activist. In this episode of How To Pivot, she speaks about why she wanted to quit the industry, how she landed on the idea of opening a nail bar and how the pivot has helped her create the life she always wanted to live. Her own pod, the United Ireland podcast, is available wherever you listen to yours.

Aoife Dunican aka @TheStyleBob pivoted from the corporate world to personal styling in 2019. Her business was in its infancy when the pandemic hit, forcing her to pivot online and enter people's wardrobes virtually. She talks about taking that leap of faith in her late 40s, how she laid the groundwork while she was still working and how she dealt with the fear that it might not work out. "When you're scared about something, it's just another word for excited."

Sinead Brophy was a successful product manager in the tech sector when she left to become a personal trainer. She has since qualified as a mobility coach, nutrition coach and is studying to become a fertility awareness coach. She's passionate about women's health and phased-based training, which optimises workouts for people who menstruate in accordance with their hormonal cycles. Sinead began her new career in a Dublin gym before striking out on her own and becoming fully self-employed this year. She's the founder of Go With The Flow Coaching and Bumps and Babies.

In 2012, Jenny Huston was at the top of her game when she left 2FM without a real plan. She has since founded and cultivated the highly successful jewellery brand, Edge Only, which counts Michelle Visage among her fans. In this episode we talk about taking the leap, imposter syndrome, financial uncertainty, learning all over again and ultimately reaping the rewards.

Aideen speaks to DJ-turned-jewellery-designer Jenny Huston