#148 Getting comfortable with the unknown with Suzanne Penny

“Sometimes the doors closing are not just physical things. Sometimes it is about closing the way we do something, the way we think, so that we can step into a different space for ourselves.” Have you ever felt the weight of certainty pull you down, trapping you in a life that doesn’t truly fulfill you?  In this episode I sit down with Suzanne Penny, a transition and career coach, who shares her own transformative journey of leaving behind certainty in favour of embracing the unknown.  Suzanne shares key turning points in her life that could have easily anchored her in fear and loss, yet propelled her into a space of growth, curiosity, and empowerment. We talk about that change will inevitably mean we have to face being uncomfortable, before we find a more aligned pathway. Whether you’re facing a career transition or just needing a shift in how you view your world, this episode offers inspiration and practical insights on how to embrace change.   Here are the highlights: 04:03 Embrace uncertainty and get comfortable with the unknown 08:41 Losing job, becoming a single parent and launching a business  14:12 Taking breaks increases productivity and prevents burnout  17:33 Guided meditations can provide clarity and confidence 19:28 Embrace magic and openness 27:00 I wish I’d had business coaching earlier 30:58 Patience is a skill; with it, you win   The things that helped Suzanne navigate change -  Book/Magazine:  Light is the New Black  by Rebecca Campbell. Music: Inspiration by the Gypsy Kings The one piece of advice: "We absolutely have everything we need inside of us. We can make that positive change. If anyone's out there knowing they want to make change, you can. You totally can. And like I said, try not to just suffer alone with it. Get support around you. That's so key." More about Suzanne: Having started over following the death of her friend, Suzanne made some big decisions to start over. Which meant leaving her marriage of 15 years and wrapping up associate work as a career transition coach.  But it didn't all go according to plan, starting a new job, getting fired 12 days later, working a fixed term contract which then expired just before the second lockdown, she found herself out of work in the pandemic. But she trusted completely that this was time for better things and she launched her training and coaching co, Empowered Space, as a single mum of two, trusting completely in her ability to impact more people through her work. It's been the biggest journey of self-discovery, navigating being a founder, being diagnosed with ADHD and navigating peri-menopause.  Suzanne works with both corporates and individuals to support people to navigate career transitions, supporting new beginnings, for leaders starting new roles , new teams merging, and providing outplacement support at times of endings.  Knowing that change does bring opportunity and embracing every step of the journey.    Find out more: https://www.empoweredspaceforpeople.com Connect with Suzanne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzannepennyexecutivecoach/   About your host Eleanor  Eleanor supports individuals, teams and organisations through change. Whether it’s 121 coaching or large scale organisational change through communications and training. Eleanor’s work centres around how we, as humans, work through change, embracing the messy bits, the role of playing, with the aim to see opportunity. “Too often we get stuck in the change happening to us, when just through that next door is an exciting next chapter.”    Eleanor is the founder of Another Door and the author of Why losing your job could be the best thing that ever happened to you.    Instagram:instagram/anotherdooruk LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-tweddell/ Website: eleanortweddell.com   Produced by winteraudio.co.uk