From Corporate Life to Travel | Careershifters

What work were you doing previously?

I was the Vice President of Sales for Weatherbeeta Ltd, one of the leading global equestrian wholesale businesses. 

I was responsible for delivering the sales across Europe and North America.  

What are you doing now?

I’m now running my own business, Bea Adventurous Ltd, a travel blog and small group tour company. 

The blog aims to inspire others to travel more authentically, exploring destinations beyond the highlights and engaging with locals along the way. 

As well as writing about destinations I also host small group tours that enable off the beaten path travel, deep cultural immersions and access to work with charities and organisations otherwise not available to the public. 

Why did you change?

I was feeling unfilled at work. 

I’d put all my efforts into climbing a ladder that I realised too late was pitched against the wrong wall. Through my extensive travels, especially to developing countries, I also changed as an individual discovering my true self along the way which led to a misalignment with the values of the business. 

This shift made it much harder for me to cope with the stress and ever-mounting workload at work, which in turn made me increasingly more unhappy. 

When was the moment you decided to make the change?

I’d been considering the change since the first year of the pandemic.

The following year I discussed my aspirations with my boss who was supportive and allowed me to make some changes to my working hours to enable me to follow my dream. 

Unfortunately these changes did not work for either the company or me, so my plans were put on hold again until this year, when I decided to pull the plug and focus entirely on my business. 

How did you choose your new career?

It came naturally. 

I’ve always enjoyed sharing my travel-stories which at first would happen through emails and social media. But more and more people increasingly suggested I start a blog, and so I did. 

As my travels started taking me to more remote countries, more and more of my followers started expressing an interest in travelling with me which is how my first ever small group tour came about. Both aspects have grown organically from there. 

Are you happy with the change?

It is the best decision I’ve made.

What do you miss and what don’t you miss?

I miss the challenge that comes with account management. 

I always thrived on thinking outside the box and helping our customers increase their sales and improve their business.

It’s because of this that I work as a consultant with a number of small independent travel businesses and guides to provide them with the support they need to reach their potential. 

I predominantly focus on customer service and sales training as well as helping them improve their admin processes. I get a great amount of joy from helping others. 

How did you go about making the shift?

It’s been a gradual process. 

It all started with a vision of what I wanted, I just wasn’t very clear on how to get there. I needed the high paying job to sustain my lifestyle (a non-negotiable in my marriage) and therefore I felt trapped. 

I spoke to my company about my ambitions and they were very supportive. We tried a number of different work arrangements to give me the time to build my business but truth be told, none of them worked.

The workload and expectations of my corporate job didn’t change, so in reality all that happened is that I ended up increasing my stress. 

I used my spare time to gain all the necessary knowledge and did what I could to build my blog. I even ran a couple of tours alongside my job, but it was clear to me that I couldn’t do both. 

After much consideration I not only decided to change careers but I also ended my marriage, sold all my belongings and set out to achieve the lifestyle that I wanted. 

How did you develop (or transfer) the skills you needed for your new role?

Many of the skills are transferable and have been invaluable. 

My sales background and negotiating skills have definitely made pitching collaborations significantly easier as I’ve always approached it with the same mentality as an account manager would a customer: how can I add value and improve this business. 

As a sales manager I’ve also perfected the art of managing groups, bringing people together, entertaining and storytelling, all of which are invaluable when leading small group tours. 

However, there were other skills that I didn’t possess which I had to learn, such as SEO, affiliate marketing, code, website building, marketing, social media, video editing, photography. 

However, learning all of these gave me an edge within my corporate job.  

What didn’t go well? What wrong turns did you take?

The biggest mistake was not taking the plunge sooner. 

I created a whole load of misery for myself while trying to stick at my corporate job despite becoming increasingly mis-aligned with it, and not making progress with my business because I didn’t have enough time.

How did you handle your finances to make your shift possible?

My business has been a low investment start up, and everything I earn I re-invest straight back into the business. 

What was the most difficult thing about changing?

Giving up the security of my corporate job and having the guts to follow an unconventional path.

What help did you get?  

I spoke to lots of people who had already made the change, who were happy for me to bounce ideas off them.

I also worked with a couple of coaches. I found this highly valuable and I’d definitely recommend finding a professional to support you (and challenge you) through the change. 

What have you learnt in the process?

Aside from learning lots of new skills, I’ve also realised that at times one door needs to close before others open, and you need to have the self-belief that you can make it work. 

Doubting my own abilities made me stay longer than I should have in my corporate role, where ultimately I was becoming increasingly unhappy. As soon as I made the decision to change and I put myself out there, opportunities started to present themselves. 

Running your own business is hard, and I’m hustling just as much now as I did in my corporate work, probably more, but I’ve found a work-life balance that I haven’t had for years. 

What do you wish you’d done differently?

My only wish is that I would have made the leap sooner.

What would you advise others to do in the same situation?

Living an unfulfilled life is a miserable existence. 

If you have a calling or a passion you want to follow, follow it. But don’t jump blindly. 

Write or draw out your vision and create a roadmap that will get you there. Invest in your own development to make sure you have the skills to make it happen. Talk to your loved ones to gain their support. 

Prioritise your finances so that you have security when you make the change. 

But above all, don’t just dream about it, make sure every day you are doing something that gets you a step closer.

To find out more about Bea’s business, visit www.bea-adventurous.com

What lessons could you take from Bea’s story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.