I can't believe it's been a year since I left Asda! In one way I can’t believe it, in another I’ve done so much that it seems a lot longer. I was the Design Manager on the cook and dine range at George Home. On returning from a buying and product development trip to China lots of redundancies where announced, my role being one of them. In a moment my life was going to change direction.
I’d experienced redundancy before, it’s hard. No matter how good you are at your job, your confidence takes a huge knock. I had vowed that if it happened again I would do my own thing. Why did I say that? The thought was terrifying!!! I graduated at 20 and moved to London for a junior design role straight after. I now have 25 years experience in the design industry. I’d worked my way up the ladder, from suppliers, through to Senior Designer at The Arcadia Group, to PAN European Creative Manager at Disney Home, and Design Manager at Shared Earth to name but a few. I loved working with a team. Go it alone? What was I thinking?
In my heart it was something waiting to happen, I just wasn’t brave enough to make that leap. As it happens I’d been meeting monthly with Jules Wyman, a local York coach. She was already working with me to find my next direction in my career, so I’d done a lot of the ground work thinking already. I rang her with my news and she reminded me of a phrase I’d used often during our sessions, ‘I always find a way’. It’s true I do. I’m determined, driven and committed. I put my heart and soul into everything I do, I’m very resourceful and proactive and bounce right back from challenge like this. All of which have actually led me onto a more exciting path each time.
Over the next year I’d like to share my journey with you on my blog, through my ups and downs and learning. I hope you can join me.. :-)