Guess who's back?

You know the shot at the end of a film where you think the villain is dead – but they’re not really, leaving the door open for a sequel?

Well I didn’t do that.

Headline “The Last One” was pretty terminal.  And while I’m not saying it cost me a book deal, it certainly contributed to me not getting one!

For yes, I am back because I am writing a book. The book of the blog of the experience of leaving corporate life.  It’s going to be called Corporate Escapology.

Over the past few years meeting many of you and many more like you, who left great corporate jobs, some of your own volition, some not, I’ve observed three things:

1.     When you sit inside a corporate “Outside” feels quite scary (even if to most people outside, you’re actually quite scary).

2.     Corporate people seriously underestimate what they can do outside of their corporate job.

3.     Even when the corporate job gets bigger (and the team and the salary), the space we are given can feel smaller – leaving us with a narrower definition of how we contribute.

I’m now doing some work for Shell (fallen far) and have been recruiting mentors for a startup programme I’m running.  And I see it there – bright, experienced, capable people wondering how they could offer anything to a founder starting out with barely a clue; people thinking about leaving but saying “I’m not brave enough” or “I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t do this”.

Since I left bp I’ve worked with all manner of organisations: startups, scaleups, medium-sized businesses, charities, social enterprises, coaches, children, friends…all need the skills, experiences and knowledge that we - possibly uniquely - build during a career in big business.

Over the past year a feeling has started rising up in me that I needed to do something about this.  Help people see themselves and the extraordinary things they can do – and the power they have.  And ultimately help them do what they truly want to do (which could be stay put).

Corporate Escapology isn’t about vilifying corporates but instead it’s about recognising and celebrating the amazing things we know and do because of our experience.  And how we can use this experience to build more purposeful, enjoyable lives.

The working world has irrevocably changed since the pandemic, and people with distinctive skills and a bit of confidence have more choice than ever how they engage.

Corporate Escapology is going to show us all how.

I’m hoping you’re going to help.