Show Notes
Hello and welcome to the final episode in the ‘Inspiring Creative Career Change’ series. Starting a podcast was never on my agenda until one sunny September afternoon last year I couldn’t think of doing anything else, and so the Chez Hanny podcast was born. I feel so privileged to have been able to connect with, and interview, thirteen women who have all made changes in their career at some point in their life. Sarah Robertson and I first connected on Substack in September 2023 and we discovered quickly that we had lots of common interests and goals. I was thrilled when Sarah agreed to be a guest on this podcast. I was particularly interested in Sarah’s route from leaving school, aged 17, to running her branding and design business now, aged 40. If you’d like to explore Sarah’s work further and see the services she offers, take a look at her website: thesearethedays.co You can follow her on Instagram: @thesearethedays.co And, of course, don’t forget to subscribe to her Substack:
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More from Creative Career Change
Back in 2023, not long after I’d left my teaching job behind, launched my interior design business and was starting out here on Substack, I came across the wonderful Lucy Werner. As a newly initiated business owner, Lucy was the PR guru I didn’t know I needed. I became a member of her paid community almost immediately and haven’t looked back since. Lucy has been through the mill - not least when she lost her entire Substack publication and rose like a phoenix from the ashes with a newer, better version over on Ghost. You will have to listen to find out more! “One of my mantras in work is consistency and delusion. I think you need to set big delusional goals so that you over-index yourself” - Lucy Werner
Jennie and I first met back in 2023 at a creativity retreat with Emma Gannon and Tanya Lynch. Jennie’s debut novel ‘The List of Suspicious Things’ was not yet out in the world and I had just left my 16 year teaching career behind. Change was afoot. Since then, Jennie’s world has turned on its head and she is now a Sunday Times bestselling author of two books and is currently writing her third. I was delighted when Jennie said yes to sharing her career journey here on the Creative Career Change podcast. “I felt like in that moment I'd admitted something to him that I hadn't admitted to myself.” - Jennie Godfrey
When Carolyn Boyd’s book Amuse Bouche: Eating Your Way Around France came out a couple of years ago, I felt like it had been written just for me. It was the coming together of several of my interests - France, food, culture and writing. I hoovered it up. And then, a couple of months ago I saw Carolyn post on Instagram about her 10 year anniversary since going freelance. What did she do before? I wondered, before sending her a message and straight out asking. Carolyn’s response had me inviting her to be a guest on this podcast and here it is! “You just don’t know where you’re planting those seeds for your freelance garden or career garden to flourish.” - Carolyn Boyd
Series 4 is finally here! This time round I’m handpicking guests rather than putting a call out, and my attention was peaked when Becky and I crossed paths on Instagram. She spotted my giant monstera plant, I looked at her profile and was instantly interested as soon as I saw that she hadn’t always been an artist. Becky Ullah spent 15 years in medicine, 10 of them as an NHS GP, before leaving to become a full-time artist. In this episode, she talks candidly about the slow burn of burnout, the guilt of walking away from a profession she'd worked so hard to enter, and the unexpected route that led her to painting. Becky's art fuses her medical training with her love of plants and anatomy, creating pieces that trace the botanical origins of prescription drugs. She talks about the importance of giving yourself space to think, the business realities of being a self-employed artist, and her upcoming solo exhibition at UCL Hospital, where she'll be showing a collection on chemotherapy drugs derived from nature. “Creativity needs space for it to grow. I'd never enabled that. I'd never had enough time to fully embrace that.” - Becky Ullah
It’s been several months since the last episode of Creative Career Change and a lot has shifted in that time. At the start of 2026, I removed the safety net I’d always kept in place. I stopped teaching entirely and went all in on my interior design business. And do you know what? The world didn’t cave in. In this reflective solo episode, I revisit the very first podcast I recorded back in September 2023 - just after leaving my full-time teaching role - and explore what’s changed in the two and a half years since. It was a fascinating listen and prompted many thoughts about how far I’ve come, what has remained constant and what has changed over the past two and a half years. Listen to the original episode here: There were some key themes that came up, and in this new episode I explore: * What it feels like to finally remove the safety net * The return of what I call ‘creative fizz’ * Why process now matters more to me than outcome * Rediscovering my love of organising events - but on my terms * The power of conversation, connection, and finding your people Upcoming Events During the episode, I mention a few live events I’m hosting in March: 🏡 Free Interior Design Clinic: Friday 13th March, 12:00-12:30, register here. ✨ Create Ensemble: Monday 16th March 2026, 7-8pm - for paid subscribers 🐦⬛ Early Bird Writers’ Hour: Friday 27th March 2026, 6:30-7:30am - for paid subscribers Chez Hanny is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.