The Career Change Diaries

This month we hear from career changer, Paul Carreo, a fiction writer and founder of PC Studios, an indie publishing company promoting emerging Dublin writers. Paul spent more than 20 years in senior leadership at major tech companies, including Google, before making the leap to pursue his first love, the short story. He joins us to talk about The Stoney Collection, a book featuring essential stories and poems from 22 rising writers, hitting shelves this November.

If you have ever felt the pull to leave a “good” job, questioned whether anyone will judge your next move, or wondered how to turn a creative calling into a real business, this conversation will hit home. You’ll discover how 20+ years in sales, coaching, and leadership at companies like Google became unexpected training for publishing; the role writing groups, peer support, and “finding your tribe” played in helping Paul commit to his craft; and why execution, discipline, and self-belief matter just as much in creative work as they do in corporate life.

Paul also shares the practical side of making a leap most people only daydream about, including the financial planning, the soft landing, and the mindset shift that made leaving feel less like a risk and more like a natural next step. This episode is essential listening if you’re standing at the edge of a career change, building a creative business, or trying to figure out whether you’re chasing success or actual fulfilment.

From boring invoice processing to bespoke tailoring, from extras work on film sets to teaching maths in schools, this episode has it all. Multiple career changer Neil O’Dwyer shares the unlikely chain of events that turned a “sensible” banking career into a life full of creativity, variety, and bold reinvention. Neil’s story is a masterclass in what happens when you stop forcing yourself to stay on the wrong path. He explains how a chance catch-up with an old friend in tailoring opened his eyes to tangible, hands-on work, why networking and saying yes kept leading to the next opportunity, and how one small creative experiment eventually reshaped his whole career. You’ll discover how Neil worked his way through London on tiny budgets, side jobs, and sheer resourcefulness, and how teaching unlocked confidence, public speaking, and the skill of storytelling.

If you feel stuck in a safe job that pays the bills but drains the life out of you, this episode is for you. Neil’s path proves that the next opportunity often comes from the last one you almost didn’t take, and that a messy, unconventional route can still lead somewhere meaningful. This is essential listening for anyone craving a more creative, varied, and self-directed career.

Most career changes are fuelled by the mind. What if tuning into your nervous system and reconnecting with your body could be the game-changer you've been missing? In this episode, Maude Burger-Smith, a Leadership and Burnout Prevention Coach, with a background in somatic practices, reveals how the body holds the key to sustainable change, resilience, and clarity in times of transition.Maude shares her own career change journey, before exploring the fascinating connection between body and mind, showing that true change begins by recognising how the state of our nervous system shapes our thoughts, beliefs, and actions. Discover how subtle practices like movement, breathwork, and sensory awareness can create a sense of safety, making the daunting process of career change feel possible and even joyful. You'll learn practical tools to regulate your nervous system: shaking off tension with a quick dance, mindful walking in nature, or breathing techniques that calm the mind. If you're contemplating a career shift, but feel overwhelmed, anxious, or disconnected, this episode is for you.

When Ryan McGuigan hit a breaking point after 15 years as a massage therapist, he discovered a powerful way to reset his mind and build a new, location-independent career through Guided Immersive Meditation. His career change story reveals how he turned physical pain, self-doubt, and life setbacks into a thriving, flexible online practice that allows him to live in Portugal, pursue his higher purpose, and finally enjoy true freedom.

In this episode, Ryan shares the pivotal moments that pushed him to reimagine his path, from the physical toll of deep tissue massage to the quiet breakthroughs of meditation. You'll hear how he used Guided Immersive Meditation as a tool for his own self-discovery, which led him to create a new business helping others access their deeper selves. Ryan breaks down the practical steps he took — from qualifying in the framework of Guided Meditation, to validating his new service with real clients — all while navigating the emotional rollercoaster of a relationship breakdown, and closing the doors of his massage practice for the final time.

Ryan’s journey highlights the importance of cutting through societal expectations in order to find genuine purpose and fulfilment. If you're feeling stuck in a job that drains you, or craving more freedom and meaningful connection in your work, this episode will inspire you to take that first step toward a life that truly feels right.

This month’s career changer, Abbie Bennington, was a senior producer at BBC News at Ten, and worked as the producer for the BBC Political Editor, before walking away at the height of her career to retrain in food and wine. Abbie has been working in wine education, hosting, and judging for the last 16 years, before recently deciding to marry the political world with her wine knowledge to release a brand new podcast, called ‘Vintage Politics’.

In this episode, we hear how Abbie made the bold decision to leave a high-profile role to retrain and build a new career in a completely different industry - all whilst getting married and starting a young family in her mid 30s. For Abbie, further training and qualifications helped build her credibility in the wine world, whilst her supportive network offered up unique opportunities along the way, allowing Abbie to forge a varied and enjoyable career in wine. We hear how Abbie’s sister gave her the nudge she needed to finally make a change after a low period; how important it is to just focus on the next step in front of you; and how it really is never too late to change career.

Today, we hear from career changer Laura Romanowski. Laura spent over 15 years as an English teacher before becoming a copywriter at a PR and digital content agency, where she has been for over two years. In this episode, we discuss how hard it can be to let go of a career you’ve spent a long time building experience in, and how vulnerable you can feel starting something new. Laura’s journey reminds us that a growth mindset is key when it comes to changing careers, and how having a financial plan can give you the confidence to finally hand your notice in. We also discuss the sense of identity that comes from our careers, and how the rise of hybrid working opened Laura’s mind to doing something different. Laura’s love for her new career really shines through in the discussion, giving hope to others looking to make a change.

It was a real pleasure to speak to friend and career changer, Ludmila (Ludi) Fadejeva, for this month’s episode. For 8 years, Ludi was a Civil Engineer working on wet infrastructure projects in Europe and the Middle East. 12 years ago, Ludi made a brave career pivot into software sales. Today, Ludi is a Strategic Global Account Executive serving the UN ecosystem with a major SaaS (Sales as a Service) company.We hear how a chance comment from a colleague led to Ludi discovering a new career that she loves, and that suits her natural strengths and personality. Her journey is also a prime example of how you can slowly side-step away from one career into another by first working for a client or supplier in the same industry where you have valuable knowledge and credibility (engineering) but changing your skillset (to sales, in Ludi’s case). The key for Ludi was a past connection she had at a company where she’d seen a vacancy advertised. Ludi’s experience shows us the need for grit and perseverance when changing career, and the ability to sit through the initial years of discomfort when you’re new to a career. In Ludi’s case, the short term pain really has led to long term gain for her and her family.

For all his professional career, Benjamin Benois worked in the tech industry as a Sales Manager for companies like Google or Tripadvisor. He then decided to radically change his career path to follow his passions and dreams. Three years ago, he started from scratch and became a Mental Performance Coach for Professional & Olympic athletes - with no contacts, no network, and no “permission” from the high-performance sports world.Since then, Ben has worked with more than 30 professional athletes, supported Olympic athletes (including an Olympic final in Paris 2024), helped his clients achieve a total of 76 medals, and worked with athletes from over 12 nationalities.In this episode, we discuss why dreaming big is a strategy, not a cliché; how to make the decision to change careers when nothing feels certain; what questions to ask yourself when you’re considering a career change; how to build a business from scratch without any contacts; and the transferable essentials from high-performance mental coaching that can help you along the way, such as self-belief, persistence, consistency, grit, discipline, and resilience. If you need some inspiration and motivation to start making a change, this episode is for you!

To round off the year, we speak to James Lewindon, Head of Client Development UK at Pinsent Masons Vario, the global law firm and alternative legal services provider. Although he started out as a history teacher, James has built a strikingly varied, ‘squiggly’ career: from working for a newspaper and entrepreneurship skills programmes in schools, to leading a science centre team building exhibits, moving into management consulting within a global law firm, launching and scaling a legal resourcing business, serving as a CEO in a legal employment and training business, to now joining Pinsent Masons Vario in 2025.

James’ story shows us that a long-term career plan isn’t always essential for a fulfilling career. Driven by a fear of “Groundhog Day,” James moves on when the sense of challenge fades, shaping a path that plays to his strengths and preferred environments. Rather than pursuing a fixed-end career goal, he prefers to seek roles that offer stability, but also the space to grow, learn, experiment, and create. In this episode, we also explore imposter syndrome, the experience of redundancy, and the power of asking your network for feedback and support along the way.

It was a real pleasure to speak to previous client and career changer, Rajiv Chande, this month. Rajiv spent over 13 years working in Counterparty and Credit Risk at Barclays and Bank of America. He’s now the co-founder of The Chande Project, a wellbeing and connection-focused events business, and currently sits on the Board Risk Committee for the Dharma Endowment Fund. While building his purpose-led venture, Rajiv is also exploring how to apply his previous risk management experience to the growing field of sustainability and ESG risk.Rajiv talks authentically about why he got into banking, and how disconnection, and burnout prompted him to hand his notice in 13 years later - with no job to go to. A period of travelling, self-reflection, career coaching, and vulnerable conversations with his cousin eventually led him to a new career path more aligned with his values and life purpose. We hear how challenging it can be to balance the needs of the practical ‘head' with the gut instincts of the ‘heart’ - especially when it comes to starting your own business, having been trained to assess risk your whole career!