Celebrating independence

11 years ago today, I became self-employed. It was NEVER part of the plan… I was meant to work in the public sector forever and make a positive contribution (#ECM!). But I didn’t count on austerity measures and the decimation of the school improvement team where I worked. My role was made redundant and I was devastated: I had my dream job and the most excellent colleagues, and it was all taken away. It was a very dark and painful time for me and the cuts ran deep. There were very few jobs available and the only viable option seemed to be self-employment. So, I became an independent consultant.
 
Since then, I have worked with the NHS, Public Health England, various local authorities, numerous charities, small businesses, CICs, education consultancies, and hundreds of schools (and thousands of teachers). I have retrained in something new every year since 2010 and now enjoy my portfolio career very much. And, of course, I have built up Clean Well-Being – my own very precious business.
 
Sometimes, I imagine how much easier it would have been to get another job, just turn up every day and let someone else do all the difficult stuff… But, as my sidekick says, I don’t really like being told what to do, so making all the decisions myself works well!
 
Today, I celebrate independence, well-being without the faff, and keeping going. I wonder what the next 11 years will bring!