Corporate Treasure

There’s a line in Part 5 of Corporate Escapology about maintaining your networks after you’ve left: on my last day I jotted down a hundred or so people’s email addresses – but “most hadn’t turned out to be that useful”.

Kind of regretting saying that now tbh as this week I’ve been reaching out to many of those same people to tell them about Corporate Escapology – and what’s more they’ve all been incredibly supportive, encouraging – and promised to buy (many have already shown me the evidence).

Some I’ve agreed to meet up with, when this launch frenzy is over. And I mean it. It’s not the empty “We must catch up”.

In some ways the book marks a final section of a long circle called ‘BP’:

• A job I was over the moon to get.

• The amazing global opportunities I relished.

• Multiple restructures I endured desperate to stay.

• The people from whom I learned and sought approval.

• The misguided loyalty that grew every year.

• The anger I felt when a few people broke something that I, and others, had worked so hard to build.

Then breaking free, finding myself again, re-building my confidence, meeting many of you and realising I was neither alone nor unique.

Writing a book. And getting it published and out in the market.

Of course I’ve gone back to those people. Because in many ways they’re like me. Some have stayed, many have left. But they’ll understand the words I’ve written. The often contradictory feelings of hating the place/loving the place/wanting to get the hell out – and wanting to stay forever.

I was determined from the off to avoid making Corporate Escapology just my story. There are twenty other people’s woven throughout the book.

And we’re all just illustrative of the potential that lies within each of us when we’ve amassed the incredible treasure that’s the skills, experience and knowhow acquired and developed during a corporate career.

Since writing the book I’ve talked to another twenty people on the Corporate Escapology podcast all doing fascinating things with their corporate treasure, but to serve an end that gives them more purpose, fulfilment, flexibility or fun.

I still can’t quite bring myself to look through the book. It feels a bit self-indulgent now to read my own words. Also I might find something I don’t like.

But I am incredibly proud of it. And I hope with all my heart that other people - maybe you - find it useful too.