The Career Change Diaries

Episode 35: From Massage Therapy to Guided Immersive Meditation

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.

Episode 34: From BBC Producer to the Wine Industry

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.

Episode 33: From English Teacher to Copywriter

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.

Episode 32: From Civil Engineering to Software Sales

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.

Episode 31: From Tech Sales to Mental Performance Coaching

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!