Another Door

#159 Five lessons from failing Ninja Warrior with Brandon Clift "Are you at least willing to push through the discomfort so that the team can win, so that your family can win, so that the mission can win and ultimately perhaps so that you can win” Have you ever had life slam a door in your face maybe even in the most public way possible? What if, in that moment, you could hit pause, dig into the mess, and come out the other side with fresh lessons (and maybe even a laugh or two)? In this episode, I talk to executive coach and all-around inspiring human, Brandon Clift. Brandon shares his spectacular "door closed" moment on national TV as a contestant on Australian Ninja Warrior, and the series of reflections and transformations that followed his Ninja splashdown. This conversation dives (literally at some points) right into the messy reality of change, confidence, ego, failure, and finding humility when life doesn’t go to plan. Brandon gets honest about what happens when your head gets a little too big, and how embracing the true lessons in failure can completely shift your story. If you’ve ever been blindsided by an unexpected turn, questioned your own confidence, or wondered how to pick yourself up, this episode is for you. What helped Brandon navigate change: Soundtrack: “It’s Nice To Be Alive” by Ball Park Music Book: Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink Thank you for sharing your brilliant story Brandon! #change #anotherdooropens

#158 How to keep going through the setbacks with Mike Morrison “When you're too comfortable, when you have space to overthink, then nothing happens... But when there’s fire under you, you have to move, or you die.” In this episode, we are joined by Mike Morrison, entrepreneur, founder of Membership Geeks, and a true veteran of life’s unexpected detours. Mike shares openly about the many doors that have closed throughout his career and personal life including the literal locked door that ended his "secure" marketing job, relationship breakdowns, and the surprising, sudden departure of his co-founder. Each setback forced Mike to reimagine what was next, galvanising him to build something new from the ashes. We talk about the uncomfortable, messy bits of change: how the emergency of a closed door can often push us toward clarity, the myth of job security, and why sometimes losing everything is the spark you need to re-launch. What helped Mike navigate change: Soundtrack: Anything from the albums Mesmerize and Hypnotize by System of a Down. Book: Go It Alone by Geoff Burch (for practical, no-nonsense business advice); The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k by Mark Manson Thank you for sharing Mike 🙏

#157 The layoff journey: from dismissal to discovery with Steve Jaffe “Resist that urge to jump right into job applications and start applying. You want to give yourself some space to process what you've been through and maybe avoid making any big decisions." In this episode, we have Steve Jaffe, author of The Layoff Journey: From Dismissal to Discovery. Steve has been laid off four times during his career each time making space for reflection, resilience, and ultimately, growth.  We talk about the messy middle: what it really feels like to lose your job, how to process grief and anger, and why hope, connection, and self-care make all the difference. Steve shares stories from his own journey, what he’s learned from starting over. We chat about why you should always keep building your network, and how every door that closes can make room for unexpected opportunities. What helped Steve navigate change: Soundtrack: Unstoppable by Sia, Freedom by Beyoncé, Closing Time by Semisonic Book: Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing Thank you Steve 🙏 #layoffs #redundancy

#156 The importance of empathy at work in times of change with June Hogan Chartered MCIPD h “Sympathy is rushing to turn the light on into someone’s darkness so that we feel better, whereas empathy is being prepared to sit with somebody in their darkness and connect with them and just be there for them.” In this episode, I’m joined by June Hogan. June helps organisations to do redundancy and layoffs well! So of course I’m a fan. It’s never easy or simple when companies have to let people go, but it can be done well, and with empathy and fairness. This is what June’s work is all about. We talk about the difference between empathy and sympathy when you are leading change, or letting your team go. How organisations can do redundancies well. And June shares her story of embracing life-changing moments, sitting with the discomfort of the unknown, and discovering that transformation can often be waiting on the other side of uncertainty. Our conversation is all about what it means to open new doors in your life and career. Whether you’re facing redundancy, longing for something different, or simply rethinking your relationship with work, we dig into the messy, honest reality of change. June shares the wisdom she's gained from not just walking through her own doors, but from supporting others. Things that help June navigate change: Soundtrack: “Can’t Stop the Feeling” by Justin Timberlake (yes, the Trolls movie one). Books: The Gifts of Imperfection and Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown

Navigating change: Five Steps to find calm, joy, and opportunity Change is a disturbance. Whether it arrives slowly like the shifting of seasons or crashes in like a wave, it often brings a mixture of uncertainty, fear, and possibility. But what if we approached change as a creative process, an opportunity to explore, rather than something to endure or avoid? We maybe even need to approach change this way, because what is the alternative? In my new book, Another Door Opens, I use a 5 step framework to support our navigation, which is not particularly linear, but in feeling like we process change, and move through it, the steps help us to gently navigate the things coming our way. The framework supports our exploration of calm, joy and opportunity - perhaps things that feel like they’ve gone missing in the moment of change. And how we can find opportunity, a better way, when a door closes in our life. The five steps are useful in all shapes of change, from small micro habit changes, to big macro life changes, positive change like promotion, relationships, moving in together, becoming a parent, to trickier change like losing a job, loss, endings, moving house, divorce. Play with these steps to start to feel differently about change. Full blog link in comments. 1. Pause – Make Space to Think Ask yourself: What is really changing? What am I afraid of? What might be opening up? 2. Get Messy – Let Emotions Move Ask yourself: What is on my mind? What can I control? Where is my energy right now? 3. Play – Imagine Possibilities Ask yourself “what if” questions: What if the best thing happened tomorrow, what would that be? 4. Try – Take small Step Ask yourself: What one step can I make today that moves me along? 5. Restart – Be Intentional Ask yourself: Who do I want to be in this moment? Change is not one event. It’s ongoing, work in progress, always. And every restart is a chance to do it more consciously. Navigating change isn’t about controlling it, it’s about collaborating with it. By pausing, allowing emotions, playing with ideas, trying small steps, and intentionally restarting, we create a relationship with change that is less about survival and more about evolution. You may not always feel ready. That’s okay. Start where you are. And keep coming back to these five steps. Because change isn’t just what happens to you. It’s also what you choose to create from it. #navigatingchange

We all need to get better at our Change Mastery Most of us only really think about “change” when something shifts suddenly in our lives. A job ends. A relationship breaks down. A door closes and we’re forced into a new chapter. In those moments, we scramble to adjust, adapt, and find our footing again. I constantly get people saying “I’m not really going through change at the moment, but know where to come if I do”. We are all going through change, all the time, everyday. Whether we acknowledge it or not is the issue. So I sit with the ponder ‘what if we didn’t wait until the door closed?’ What if we worked on our change muscles every day, so that when life inevitably shifts (micro changes and macro changes), we’re not knocked completely off balance? Change isn’t just an event, it’s a skill. And like any skill, it gets stronger with practice. I call this idea change mastery. It’s not about controlling everything around us, because we can’t. It’s about learning how to navigate transitions, big or small, with a little more steadiness, calmness, even joy, so we see opportunity. So you don’t have to wait for a crisis to start practicing. You can use the process of moving through change any time using five steps to think through: Pause, Mess, Play, Try, Restart. Full blog link in comments with more prompts... Pause – Where am I at? Ask: What’s happening right now? Where am I at emotionally, physically, mentally? What do I need right now? Mess – What am I feeling about it? Ask: What am I really feeling about this? What’s messy here? What am I learning about myself? Play – What are my options? Ask: What are my options (even the wild ones)? What if…? What other ways are there of seeing this, solving this? Try – What am I going to try? Ask: What can I try without stress? What do I have energy for? What small step could I make today? Restart – how am I going to own this? Ask: What am I choosing to own? How am I being intentional? What are my big Yeses, and Big Nos? Practicing change before you need it The beauty of these steps is that you don’t need a big life event to use them. You can practice on small changes: adjusting to a new routine, learning a skill, navigating a tough conversation. Each time you cycle through Pause, Mess, Play, Try, Restart, you build your capacity. So when that inevitable door does close, you’re not starting from shock. You’ve already been strengthening your change muscles. You’re more resilient, more adaptable, and more grounded in yourself. Change mastery doesn’t mean you’ll always find it easy. It means you’ll be better equipped to walk through the uncertainty with courage, curiosity, and intention. Change is not waiting for us at the next closed door. Change is happening every day.

#155 The no bullsh*t approach to life, career and leadership with Chris Hirst "You can have a bad day, some days, that's fine. But then at some point, you've got to go, all right, I've got to take a little bit of responsibility now and get on with this." In this ‘epic’ (long!) episode, I sit down with Chris Hirst, author known for his “no bullsh*t” approach to leadership and work. We go deep, wide and around the block talking about the realities and myths of career progression, change, redundancy, and what it really means to be a leader. Chris shares transformative moments in his career, including going to Harvard and facing redundancy, and how these experiences shaped his perspective on success, self-identity, and responsibility. If you’re questioning your next step, looking for the truth about modern leadership, or searching for practical wisdom on navigating the world of work, this will give you plenty to reflect on (and maybe even prompt some action). Things that help Chris navigate change: Activities: Playing tennis and writing Books: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le Carré; Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel, and Citizens by Simon Schama. Thank you for this brilliant conversation Chris. Link to Chris's book in comments.

#154 Breaking barriers and empowering the next generation with Marie-Ange Eyoum Tagne, PhD “I want to frame my journey to be an example, to be a road map, to hand the baton to somebody else, to the next generation.” In this episode, Marie-Ange Eyoum Tagne, PhD, a product leader, and technologist, shares the inspiration behind her new memoir “For Such a Time Like This”. From her childhood in Cameroon, dreaming of going to the moon, to leading teams at Meta, Amazon and  Yahoo, Marie-Ange’s journey is a powerful testament to following your heart, staying strong, even when everything around you suggests you should be doing something completely different. Marie-Ange includes a brilliant framework , PURPOSE, to help others navigate challenges. Her book is an incredible memoir about her life, but also a great inspiration and lessons for those following her path. Things that helped Marie-Ange navigate change: Music: “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran  Book: The Bible Thank you for sharing your story Marie-Ange 🙏 Link to her book in comments.

#153 Finding a different way to use your magic (and humour) with Emma Djemil “There has to be a different way for me to use my magic in the world. My magic can't keep mopping up messes that are created by ridiculous decisions like this.” When HR Director Emma Djemil hit a moment of ‘enough is enough’ she knew it was time for her skills, energy, passions to be directed elsewhere.  Stuck cleaning up the messes of others, she knew it was time for a big change. In this episode, Emma talks about what it really takes to walk away from a toxic job, where to find the drive for something new, and why humour is such a powerful tool for getting through it all. Emma shares her honest story about leaving corporate life, how she discovered her own voice online, and what helped her put herself first. https://lnkd.in/eBx26HD5 The things that helped Emma navigate change: Music: “Salute” by Little Mix (and some Erasure for that retro energy!)   Book: “The Fix: Overcome the Invisible Barriers That Are Holding Women Back at Work” by Dr. Michelle King

#152 Starting all over again with Mark Green “There were two significant moments, two significant doors. One was the thought of that's it. I'm dead. Door closed on everything. And the other moment was when the consultant said, you can have all this back. You've just got to work for it. Door open.” In this episode, Mark Green, founder of Change Rebellion shares his wild story of a door closing, nearly for good, and how it changed him and his perspective for life. It’s not just a story about navigating professional change; it’s about survival, resilience, and finding purpose. When COVID hit his family in late 2020, Mark fell severely ill, resulting in him spending two months in an induced coma. He shares the raw reality of what it felt like to face death, the strange dreams and mental battles and how the moment a consultant offered hope became a literal “door opening” in his life. Mark’s recovery meant learning everything again. How to walk, talk, eat, and rebuild his strength. Listen to this episode to be reminded about what really matters, and why sometimes, the only plan you need is to keep moving forward. https://lnkd.in/e8nXre9r