Have you ever had that moment, maybe in the middle of a Zoom call or while walking back from a policy briefing, where something in you pauses?
Where, for a split second, you hear a quiet voice asking:
Is this it? Is this what I want for the rest of my career?
You’re not unhappy exactly. You’re doing important work, making a difference, serving the public good. You’ve helped shape programs that matter, maybe even helped shift systems for the better.
People respect you. You’ve built your career here.
And yet, somewhere between the deadlines and the duty, there’s that quiet itch for more freedom, more creativity, more flexibility. More you in the work you do.
Maybe you’ve tried to push it aside. You told yourself it’s not logical or practical. That you should just be grateful for what you have. Especially in these uncertain times.
You’ve told yourself the timing isn’t right. Or that you’d have to start from scratch. That stepping away from a career like yours would be risky. Selfish, even.
But what if that whisper inside you is worth listening to? What if it knows something your logical mind hasn’t caught up with yet?
In today’s episode, I’m sharing my story. Not because I have all the answers. But because I followed that whisper. And it led me somewhere I couldn’t have imagined before.
I worked in government roles for over 12 years – and loved it!
I worked in foreign affairs, climate change and international development on issues that gave me a sense of meaning.
My main objective was improving relations between countries and sharing best policy practices to:
- enhance education outcomes for vulnerable children
- establish restorative justice approaches that incorporate indigenous cultural practices
- regulate the usage of psychoactive substances
I never got bored. And I loved looking for opportunities to create partnerships with other countries. For example on climate change: investing in policies and programmes that will reduce emissions, help cities and communities adapt and create a sustainable future for their people.
It all felt worthwhile. I had a purpose and made a difference.
On top of that, I had the privilege to move countries, meet new people and learn from other cultures. I learned new languages and got to use them at work too! I’m a curious person and I love adventure. So this is right up my alley.
It’s a bit odd perhaps, but I’ve never worked in the public sector of my native country, Germany. I worked for the governments of Denmark and the UK, representing them in Germany, New Zealand and Mexico.
What I loved most about it was learning how different public sectors operate, how they think, how they innovate. How they deal with change, challenges and risks.
But also, how they interact with each other, the language and logic they use to influence one another. And how the people working in them all want to make life better for the people they serve.
Pretty good deal, right?
Despite all of that, I was ready to try out something new.
Are you feeling that pull too?
An Inkling This Public Sector Leader Couldn’t Ignore
I wanted to explore a new career path while at the same time building on my expertise, my experience and the different things I had done.
And I wanted to tap into a talent that I discovered on a leadership programme I was part of.
I always dreamt about having my own business.
But I was never really sure what it could be or how to do it. Until I started training as a coach with the Institute for Executive Coaching Leadership in Australia.
First, I coached people internally in the UK Foreign Office, which was the organization I worked for at the time. And then in 2021, partly motivated by the pandemic, I decided to get stuck in and set up my own business.
Like a lot of people I found myself asking:
- “Is this really what I want to do for the rest of my life?”
- “Perhaps there’s something else I want to try?”
- “What if I gave this coaching thing a real go?”
I had doubts:
- Was I ready to leave behind everything I knew and had built up?
- Could I really make this work?
- How long would it take to make the transition?
- And, of course, all the practicalities of setting up and running a business.
I thought to myself: If not now, when?
Support Made Leaving the Public Sector Easier
I knew I could not do it all by myself. I worked with a coach through that process and then launched my business in 2022. And I also have a support system now:
- I work with a business mentor.
- I have an accountability system with other solo-preneuers.
- And I network with other coaches.
I reconnected with my core values.
One of my values is learning. I could see the whole thing as a massive opportunity to learn and grow, both professionally but also as a person. I saw it as a PROCESS that I will enjoy because it will allow me to always be learning.
Another of my core values that was front and centre of working in the public sector is making a positive difference for people. And I transferred that to my business.
My mission is:
Helping leaders in the public sector
explore and develop exciting career options that align with who they are now and
how they want to evolve in future
As I continue to move around the world due to my partner’s job, I also wanted to create something that is flexible and that’s portable. And that’s what this way of working online with public sector leaders from all over the world allows me to do.
Do you recognise some of this in yourself too?
You love being part of something bigger, solving real problems and making an impact.
Yet, you feel like there’s something else you’d love to do.
But you haven’t quite figured out what that is. Or how to get there.
Perhaps you haven’t even told anyone about it.
You fear they won’t understand why you’d want to give up what you have.
You worry you’ll let people you care about down somehow.
Or you worry about leaving behind what you know you are good at, your familiar environment, your status. How do you know whether ‘the grass is really greener on the other side’?
If you wonder about these things, I invite you to give yourself the space to think them through.
I’d love to help you tune into yourself and what you care about most so you can figure out what you really want out of your career and how you want to live your life.
I’ll leave you with a quote that’s often attributed to Mark Twain:
“20 years from now,
you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do,
than by the ones you did do.
So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbour.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover”
Take space, rediscover YOU and take action!