Helen shares her journey of turning daydreams into a reality and creating a blossoming ceramics business.  Within 6 weeks of joining the Adventures After Teaching Academy, she was able to overcome her fears and start a business while still teaching full-time.

She's now left the classroom and her business has continued to grow. Helen shares the ups and downs and her excitement for the future. This is a great episode for those in the community who would love to follow their passion and start a creative business!

In this episode we also explore:
- Following your dreams to create a business from your passion.
- The dilemmas teachers face about leaving the classroom.
- Handing in your notice and the feelings around the decision.
- How the Adventures After Teaching Academy provided Helen with marketing advice and support to understand her clients.
- How to discover your business niche.
- Other possible income streams.
-  How Helen rediscovered herself and found her confidence.

Links and Resources
https://www.instagram.com/helenmccormickceramics/
https://linktr.ee/helenmccormickceramics

If you're looking for step-by-step support to find and secure a new job or start your own business, check out the Adventures After Teaching Academy which will help you successfully leave the classroom! 

Thinking about leaving teaching? Sign up for our new free webinar 💛 Leaving teaching in 2026 for your roadmap to leaving the classroom next year - delivered straight to your inbox on 27th December.

Sheena chats to us about how she made the exciting move from SENCO to Professional Organiser by creating her own business.

Sheena realised her strength was in organising and created a business that allows her to follow her passion to help people become more organised. She believes that organising skills are a valuable tool in helping with mental health. In this episode, she breaks down her journey and shares what when found most helpful when starting up on her own.

We explore:
- How to create a business using your strengths and passion.
- Mapping out a business and finding support in different communities.
- How Sheena overcame barriers by challenging her mindset.
- Becoming the face of your business.
- Diversifying and developing your business.
- How to grow in confidence and deal with failures.

Links and Resources
https://www.facebook.com/SheenaTaylorOrganiser/
https://yourprofessionalorganiser.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/your_professional_organiser/

If you're looking for step-by-step support to find and secure a new job or start your own business, check out the Adventures After Teaching Academy which will help you successfully leave the classroom! 

Thinking about leaving teaching? Sign up for our new free webinar 💛 Leaving teaching in 2026 for your roadmap to leaving the classroom next year - delivered straight to your inbox on 27th December.

Lauren made the exciting move from school leadership to a Project Management role within the NHS supporting children and young people's mental health. She's using her teaching and management skills to develop and coordinates project with multi-agency teams, while pursuing her passion for mental health. She shares her journey to a new balanced life working from home!

In this episode we also explore:
- Finding support and sharing the teacher career change journey.
- How Lauren explored the idea of Project Management and working for the NHS.
- Her experience preparing her application, using research and key words.
- Getting ready for the interview and how it differed from teaching.
- What her day-to-day looks like and the variety of skills she's using.
- Creating balance while working remotely.
- Considering completing the Prince2 project management certification.
- Top tips for teachers applying for roles.

Links and Resources
Project Management Blog
https://www.futurelearn.com/subjects/business-and-management-courses/project-management

If you're looking for step-by-step support to find and secure a new job or start your own business, check out the Adventures After Teaching Academy which will help you successfully leave the classroom! 

Thinking about leaving teaching? Sign up for our new free webinar 💛 Leaving teaching in 2026 for your roadmap to leaving the classroom next year - delivered straight to your inbox on 27th December.

Becs is now an Educational and Professional Development Officer for an Environmental body and enjoys a much calmer pace! Bec joins me to talk about her successful transition into a part-time remote role which allows her to be at home for her children whilst growing her career. She shares how the resources in the Adventures After Teaching Academy gave her the step-by-step plan and mental support to make a career change as a teacher.

In this episode we also explore:
- Finding accountability to make a move.
- Getting the first job she went for!
- Seeing her strengths playing out in her new role.
- Enjoying living all year and not just the holidays.
- Passing on career coaching to students.
- Top tips for teachers on the fence with their resignation.

Links and Resources
https://www.greenjobs.co.uk/professional-bodies.cms.asp
www.awarding.org.uk/events-training-services/awarding-assessment-jobs/
www.jobs.membershipbespoke.co.uk/

If you're looking for step-by-step support to find and secure a new job or start your own business, check out the Adventures After Teaching Academy which will help you successfully leave the classroom! 

"I'm living life all the time and not craving the holidays... I get to live all year."

Thinking about leaving teaching? Sign up for our new free webinar 💛 Leaving teaching in 2026 for your roadmap to leaving the classroom next year - delivered straight to your inbox on 27th December.

Deb shares her journey from teacher to celebrant! Having tried everything to make teaching fulfilling again, she knew it was time to make a change. It was a revelation at a funeral that led her to realise she had all the skills, compassion and creativity to become a celebrant!

Deb is an Adventures After Teaching Academy member and shares her experiences of finding more balance in the classroom and settling her mind to growing her business. She shares the process of retraining and her exciting plans for a more creative future.

In this episode we also explore:
- The difference between a celebrant and registrar!
- What appealed to Deb about moving into this sector.
- Finding an online training provider and what the course covered.
- How the role focuses on creative writing and creativity.
- Managing full-time work and retraining/studying.
- How being surrounded by other teachers also moving on has inspired her.
- Facing the fear of leaving and comparing this to staying.

Links and Resources
Website: https://deb-reed-celebrant.co.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debreedcelebrant/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088464454853

If you're looking for step-by-step support to find and secure a new job or start your own business, check out the Adventures After Teaching Academy which will help you successfully leave the classroom! 

Thinking about leaving teaching? Sign up for our new free webinar 💛 Leaving teaching in 2026 for your roadmap to leaving the classroom next year - delivered straight to your inbox on 27th December.

Shelley chats to us about her transition from Primary teaching to becoming a voice over artist. She worked her way up to deputy head before deciding there were other adventures she wanted to explore.

In this episode, Shelley breaks down how she studied while still in teaching and planned her transition which included initially taking a sabbatical. She now enjoys a varied day and enthusiastically shares the joys of voice over with us!

In this episode we also explore:
- Where it all began with a love of characters and speaking to audiences.
- Making the move when the world went into lock-down.
- Sensing burnout coming and recognising it was time to go.
- First steps and practicalities to getting into voice over work.
- The variety of work Shelly enjoys.
- How Shelley finds work and her favourite projects.
- Top tips for teachers transitioning in this sector.

Links and Resources
Website: www.shelleyatthemic.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shelleyatthemic/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyandersontahiri/
Listen to the family friendly podcast adventure that Shelley's in here: https://anchor.fm/dbodpod

Helpful podcasts Shelley recommends for learning about the world of Voice Over:
Great little nuggets of advice from Nic Redman https://nicolaredman.com/the-voice-coach-podcast/
Marc Scott is a good listen: https://vopreneur.com/
Vox Talk with Stephanie Ciccarelli has some great topics and guests and I’ve had coaching with a couple of them too:  https://www.voices.com/podcasts/voxtalk/ 

If you're looking for step-by-step support to find and secure a new job or start your own business, check out the Adventures After Teaching Academy which will help you successfully leave the classroom! 

Thinking about leaving teaching? Sign up for our new free webinar 💛 Leaving teaching in 2026 for your roadmap to leaving the classroom next year - delivered straight to your inbox on 27th December.

Danni is joining us this week to talk about her move from Primary education to starting her own child minding company. She now enjoys working for herself and having the freedom to provide a relaxed and creative learning environment for the children in her care.

Danni shares so much gold in this episode and if you've ever wondered about starting your own childcare company, this is one not to miss.

In this episode we also explore:
- The legalities of starting out as a childminder.
- The difference between childminding and starting a nursery.
- How to find clients in the early days.
- Tapping into local support networks to learn from others.
- The local demand for childminders and quality home-from-home care.
- The practicalities of setting up initially.
- Developing creative experiences for the children.
- Ways to scale by employing others and moving to larger premises.

Links and Resources
https://childmindinguk.com/becoming-a-childminder
https://www.pacey.org.uk/working-in-childcare/childminders/becoming-a-childminder/
https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/childminder

If you're looking for step-by-step support to find and secure a new job or start your own business, check out the Adventures After Teaching Academy which will help you successfully leave the classroom!  

Thinking about leaving teaching? Sign up for our new free webinar 💛 Leaving teaching in 2026 for your roadmap to leaving the classroom next year - delivered straight to your inbox on 27th December.

I'm joined by Matt, who after a successful career in teaching, found his next adventures working for the railway as a train manager!

Matt talks to use about the process of applying for a wide range of positions and the interview process for his job managing trains across the country. 

In this episode we also explore:
- The signs he wanted to leave the classroom.
- The benefits which attracted Matt to the role .
- The assessment process and interview against other service professionals.
- Matt's day-to-day role and how his teacher skills help!
- What he loves about his new career.
- His advice for those of us applying for roles outside of teaching.

Links and Resources
https://www.gwr.com/about-gwr/careers
https://www.firstgroupcareers.com/company/southwesternrailway/home/
https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/careers/
https://www.networkrail.co.uk/careers/
https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/about-us/careers

If you're looking for step-by-step support to find and secure a new job or start your own business, check out the Adventures After Teaching Academy which will help you successfully leave the classroom! 

Thinking about leaving teaching? Sign up for our new free webinar 💛 Leaving teaching in 2026 for your roadmap to leaving the classroom next year - delivered straight to your inbox on 27th December.

I'm joined by the amazing Andrea who was one of the very first Adventures After Teaching Academy members! Andrea talks us through the whole process she went through to be accepted on the Police Detective graduate scheme.

This is a fascinating chat as Andrea reflects on the process of selling her teaching skills and showing how these translate brilliantly to the police.

Even if the police is not a career path for you, there is lots of great advice as Andrea explains how she approached the different styles of assessments and interviews!

In this episode we also explore:
- What attracted Andrea to the police force.
- What the police detective graduate scheme looks like.
- The variety of roles available within the Police.
- The application stages and everything they involved.
- Her positive feedback from the interview process.
- Andrea's skills in shooting and representing team GB!

Links and Resources
https://www.policenow.org.uk/national-graduate-leadership-programme/
https://www.joiningthepolice.co.uk/application-process/ways-in-to-policing/degree-holder-entry-programme-dhep
https://www.joiningthepolice.co.uk/application-process/what-does-the-online-assessment-process-involve
https://police-recruitment.co.uk/police-online-interview-questions-answers/

If you're looking for step-by-step support to find and secure a new job or start your own business, check out the Adventures After Teaching Academy which will help you successfully leave the classroom! 

Thinking about leaving teaching? Sign up for our new free webinar 💛 Leaving teaching in 2026 for your roadmap to leaving the classroom next year - delivered straight to your inbox on 27th December.

I'm joined by Ewan in this episode who talks to us about his adventure after teaching working as an Operations Officer for The Duke of Edinburgh's Award!

Ewan describes the process of applying for multiple different sectors and how he persevered to open as many doors as possible. Now valued in a company which prioritises mental wellbeing in their staff, Ewan has developed his confidence and enjoys working closely with schools involved in the award.

In this episode we also explore:

• How Ewan found the job search process and his top tips.
• What he learnt about applications and managing not being selected.
• What attracted him to this specific role.
• Managing a portfolio of 42 organisations and his day-to-day.
• Enjoying a 9-5 work day and the mental health this brings.
• The need to be open and go for all opportunities!

Links and Resources
https://www.dofe.org/
https://www.dofe.org/careers/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/adventuresafterteaching

If you're looking for step-by-step support to find and secure a new job or start your own business, check out the Adventures After Teaching Academy which will help you successfully leave the classroom! 

Thinking about leaving teaching? Sign up for our new free webinar 💛 Leaving teaching in 2026 for your roadmap to leaving the classroom next year - delivered straight to your inbox on 27th December.