Whilst I wore my job like a badge of honour and spent every spare evening at the theatre or events to support the arts industry, I was burning myself out. When I look back, I realise now that I had a great deal of responsibility in my role, but very little power. There was always a Producer or Investor calling the shots, some of which didn’t align with my own values, which brought my longer term goals into question. Throughout the West End, I could see that many people, including my own staff and colleagues, struggled with a range of issues or lack of support which most managers are not qualified to address – at the time, myself included. 

A few years into the job, I discovered coaching. Far more rewarding than slashing production budgets, I realised that I could help creative people like me feel empowered to explore alternative roles and careers, without judgement or fear of failure. Through coaching, I am able to do this by giving people the courage to live the life they really want, rather than the life they think they should have. I hope to be a positive example that it is never too late to pivot or change careers entirely. Life is not a rehearsal!