In many ways, 2021 has been a year of transformation.
And as it forced us to re-evaluate our values, these four women discovered that sometimes, it takes as act of courage to change your life…
Oriona Robb
I’ve had a love affair with styling since childhood. It all started when I was 7 years old, watching my mother find jeans to suit different body types of women who came to her denim store in Poland. This is my first fashion memory, which inspired my life-long passion for personal styling and empowering women to look and feel their best.
When I moved to London one of my first jobs was working in Selfridges, starting as a shop assistant, and then becoming a manager at Whistles. I have trained at some of the most prestigious institutions in the country, including The London College of Fashion and Academy of Film and TV. I have worked for London Fashion week, BBC and Warner Bros. During that time, I also had my 3 beautiful girls and life was different... however I never fully stopped working and learning. Not just about fashion, but running a business, social media, marketing. My other passion is food, and together with my brother we started a restaurant, but unfortunately the pandemic hit us too and we had to close the business.
At 40, I started my life all over again. I launched back my Personal Styling business, because in a way it allowed me to escape my reality. Immersing myself in a new project meant that I didn’t have to deal with the heartache and failure of the restaurant. I started to chase my dreams and didn't let anybody tell me otherwise. I have surrounded myself with people who believe in me. I joined forces with Mumbleforum and AllBright and became the creator and curator of a life that I LOVE.
So even though I’m not a new face I'm definitely stronger, wiser, and full of wisdom to share with my clients. I wanted to show my girls that I wasn't afraid of going after my dreams.
Joanne Adams
I didn't just lean into discomfort in order to propel myself in business, I dove headfirst. I spoke openly and candidly about the incontinence I suffered as a result of my first child. I'm now completing training to coach new mums to uplevel their lives, in spite of any postpartum issues. This openness also made way for new opportunities for growth. I attended the AllBright meet up in Edinburgh, even though every fibre of my antisocial introverted nervous system screamed NO - and met some incredible women. I said yes to situations that made me scared in the best possible way. I learned what my comfort zone is and what my boundaries are. The difference is so important to know and understand, and it’s something I wish I had learned YEARS ago.
Fi Craig
On the last working day of 2020 I completed and presented a huge piece of internal strategy work, alongside my CEO, to the whole of our organisation. And when I finished, I realised I was totally devoid of passion or motivation for the work that I had dedicated most of 2020 to.
By the end of that evening, I'd quit a 25 year career in marketing, with no real hope of getting back in. I was part way through training to be an executive coach, but wasn't qualified, had no clients, no business, and no real idea what to do next. While I knew my husband and I had a few months of financial security, I had no long-term plan. The only thing I could cling to was the connections and relationships I made via coaching. With my tutors, coachees, and peers that I was meeting. I learned to network virtually (and learned to genuinely love it), learned to share my vulnerability and admit I had tons of ideas but no firm plan, learned to face the fact that I earned no money and couldn't maintain the lifestyle I'd had previously. And gradually, gradually, trust the process that if I kept planting seeds of ideas, and watering them, kept making connections, kept a sense of curiosity and possibility, then something would emerge.
I'd love to say that a huge opportunity has revealed itself to me and I'm now CEO of a coaching empire, but that's not how most stories go. I know where I'm heading, which is to champion the power of clearer thinking, which leads to more purposeful actions and ultimately a better life. I'm building a company, I have a small but perfectly formed client base, and many of the seeds I've planted this year are throwing up shoots.
But there are days when the phone doesn't ring. Months when I bill only a couple of hundred quid. Moments when I have a little cry to myself that a woman at 50 who walked away can't re-enter the workforce, and anyway, I really don't want to if I can possibly help it. Strangely, the networks I've joined have shown me that even on my darkest days, other women still find me inspiring and empowering. This is the thing that reassures me most that coaching is right for me. That simply listening to someone really well is a gift that I can give in abundance, and has a real impact on someone's day, career, even life. And it's a gift to me too. So there's no real conclusion to this tale yet. It's just another story of some success, some failure, some bravery and some hiding my light under a bushel. But I'm guessing it's one many women will relate to.
Bianca Topham
Eight years ago, I had a thrilling fast-paced London life, working as a freelance photo editor for the UK’s best women's glossy magazines such as Cosmopolitan and Glamour. I was a total party girl - going to champagne-fuelled glamorous work events in the week and binge drinking at the weekends. But I was pushing myself to the limit, marrying my love of socialising with being a workaholic and perfectionist. I could run off a hangover with a 7.30am work-out before jumping on the tube to the office and working all hours.
I had no idea what true ‘rest’ was and I had no idea how to say 'no'. My physical and mental health started to fracture. I was constantly sick with colds and flus, suffered hair loss, anxiety and panic attacks, my periods stopped, I had chronic candidiasis, was going through boxes of antibiotics and falling in and out of toxic relationships. Finally at 30 - 8 years ago - and at the height of my career, my mind, body and soul couldn't take it anymore and I completely burned out.
With my immune system shot to pieces, I struggled to fight back from glandular fever. Floored, I had to turn down my dream job freelancing at Vogue magazine. I was heartbroken.
My mum offered me a lifeline. She lives in southern Spain and convinced me to go and stay with her to recuperate. I realised I had to shift my mindset and rebuild my body. I ditched the booze, started to eat healthily, took natural remedies, practised yoga, and reflected on my unhealthy relationship patterns. As I walked this journey of deep soul work, I started to feel a profound change happening within me, emotionally, mentally and physically. A year on I met and fell in love with my husband Miguel and we now live in Seville with our beautiful and chatty little toddler, Elian.
Nowadays, my life couldn't be more different from my 'work-hard play-hard' existence. I lead a vibrant and balanced lifestyle. I learned the hard way how devastating burnout can be. But the good news is that it can be prevented if you catch the warning signs early. That's why I retrained this year in 2021 to work as a Life & Wellness coach. I now share my personal and professional knowledge to help people that are struggling, stressed and either on the cusp of burnout, burned-out or have had burn-out and it's repeating itself, to create powerful changes for a more healthy, fulfilled and balanced life. Through hitting rock bottom, I have created a dream life aligned with my true values, and discovered my soul's purpose to help others. And for that I feel truly grateful.