Spring has definitely hit London - the birds are singing, the sun is shining (well apart from a few storms) and most importantly for me, people are smiling again. Spring is about new beginnings, it's when many of us make new exciting plans and start things we have been putting off for the winter. What are you starting?

This is the fourth issue of Escape Stories - and our subscribership has really grown in the past month. We mostly grow by referrals, so please forward this to friends, family, colleagues - anybody who could use a tad of inspiration in their working lives!

In this issue, I have interviewed Michelle De Angelis, a very energetic personal trainer and sports therapist, who has the perfect message for all of us: if you are not happy, do something about it! There's also information on exciting new workshops, inspirational books and the continuation of the coaching offer from last month. Next month I will also have a section for events happening outside the UK. But for now...

Meet Michelle De Angelis, investment banker turned self-employed personal trainer/sports therapist. She speaks about her philosophy with a lot of enthusiasm: if you are unhappy, do something about it!

What is your work story?
Well, I did investment banking. I did it for 8 years, and I didn't hate it. In fact, I loved it. But I got to a stage where it wasn't making me happy anymore. And it started to make me unhappy: my health suffered, I was stressed, and it had its effect on my relationship as well, so I left, but without having much of an idea of what I wanted to do next. After I resigned, I went travelling for 6 months, trying to find inspiration along the way.

The one thing I realised as I started to leave is that the world is your oyster. There is no simple AtoZ (map) of jobs you could do - the choices and opportunities are huge. That was what freaked me out a bit, so I decided to go travelling in the mean time.

I came across sports therapy when I was travelling in Australia. It was one of those random occurrences, I was chatting to a woman in a restaurant, and I told her I was interested in health and holistic therapies, and she told me about this college in Sydney that I must visit. I knew I wanted to do it, and the course that I found in the UK involved personal training as well. I'm a big believer in having something come and hit me between the eyes, and knowing that it is right for me. "I'll know it when I see it" was my motto.

So when I came back to the UK, I went back to investment banking for 6 months on a contract basis to earn some more money, then I went to study for 3 months to get my qualifications, and that was it.

What are you working on right now?
Basically I do three slightly different things. Personal training: I do one-to-one training with people in the gym. Some people don't like gyms, so I go to their houses, and we work out and train in their living rooms. So I'm not affiliated to a particular gym right now, although that is about to change. Then I also do body massage, or Swedish body massage, again at people's houses. I come round, you have your massage and then you can lounge around in your dressing gown and I go home. And I do sports therapy, which is dealing with soft tissue injuries, anything from massage to rehabilitation exercises to get your body back up and to help it to heal.

Tell me more about your investment banking work.
I loved the work. To a large degree it was the people I worked with. I worked for somebody who was my mentor, who took the time to teach the junior staff all that he knew. He included me in high-level meetings, giving me a little bit more than I could handle, and let me deal with it - and I loved that, it was really incredibly satisfying. My boss would be on holiday, and there I was at 27 negotiating a huge deal on behalf of my bank - an absolutely fantastic feeling.

I got to the stage where I was really good at what I was doing, and that's a big factor in job satisfaction for me: I need to be good at what I'm doing. But to get to the next level (Director level) in an investment bank you need to be very political. You have to market yourself, whereas what I enjoyed was problem solving and making things work. I became tired, and started to lose that buzz that I'd had.

How long from when you'd decided to leave, did you actually take the plunge?
It took about 6 months. It might have happened more quickly, but I waited for my bonus. Those 6 months helped me get my courage up, and they also convinced me that this really wasn't what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I think it's possible that had I left any earlier, I might have had second thoughts, or wondered if I really should have left. My old boss has encouraged me to come back, and I've been adamant that I don't want to, and if I hadn't stayed on for those 6 months perhaps I wouldn't have been 100% sure.

What voices did you have in your head during those 6 months before and after you handed in your resignation letter?
"I've got to get out of here, I've got to get out of here.'' I was unhappy. Whilst travelling, I was quite scared because most of that time I didn't know what I wanted to do next with my life, and I found that quite daunting. I had a fantastic trip, but whenever I tried to, whenever I thought of when I got back and what I'd do, it was unnerving. But I knew I'd done the right thing, and that whatever came next, I'd do my best.

And at the end of the day, if you make a decision to go and do something else, it's not irreversible, in the sense that if you decide to do something and you realise you don't enjoy it, well, you can still change again. It's not the be all and end all. It felt a little bit like that though, it was as if I had to make this big decision that would affect the rest of my life. But really, it only has to affect the next couple of years.

How are you feeling now? How do you see the future?
Good, glad I left. Life has turned out completely differently - day to day, the money isn't what it was, definitely, but I'm much happier. Whenever I see people they say, wow, you look so well, and that means a lot. It's not as if investment banking carries a lot of job security with it these days, but I'm feeling more in charge of what I'm doing, with less politics - I wouldn't go back.

I have people come up to me and say, oh you're so lucky. It's not that amazing, it's not luck, it's about taking that first step. The job market has changed a lot in the last 5-10 years; our parents' generation had constant work, no chop & change, whereas now there's less job security but also more opportunities.

What advice would you give to people considering or embarking on a life/career change?
* Have the courage to follow your convictions.
* If you are unhappy, do something about it.

Check out Alphabodyworks - Mobile Personal Training, Massage and Sports Therapy services in South West London.

	Escape Club Events
Create Your Own Escape! New dates: September 18-19, 2004 Central London venue   Gain clarity of what your options are and where you want to go and define next steps on how to get there.  Find out your Obstacles (and how to overcome them) and your Allies (and how to use them), and join a supporting community of fellow 'Escapees' and walk away with motivation to go out there and start your journey! For a programme brochure, please send an email to createweekend@escape-club.org

	Inspirational Books
Feel the Fear - and Do it Anyway by Susan Jeffers "I wholly agree with a comment I came across recently that if you only ever read one self-help book, then this is it. Having read many over the years this simple, clear book is definitely the one that has most dealt with what stops me being me - with simple steps to get there. If fear is the opposite of love then addressing that fear using Susan Jeffers's unique wisdom and tips frees us to be and love ourselves and those around us. This book is well-known as a classic. If you, as I, know of it but haven't yet got round to reading it, I urge you to face the fear of facing your fears and read it! In these times when news stories seem designed to increase our fears we need to see them for what they are - simply constructs in our head. Freedom from fear is freedom to live and love. May the results be as dramatic and life-affirming for you all too!" -- Debbie Warrener - UK To buy this book...   Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart by Mark Epstein "Mark Epstein is a Buddhist psychiatrist - and in this book he weaves the two worlds of Eastern and Western psychology in amongst his own story and case studies. So it's very personal and very easy to read and understand... which - when one is in a very emotional and disturbed place, is good!! So - I got this guide basically, through my own thought process, and it was so liberating and so simple.... Of course I knew the message - the only route to contentment is letting go, relinquishing control!! - but - caught up in my world of big decisions, emotions, social and family pressure and work - surprise, surprise - I forgot! And maybe that's what life's about - a continuous reminder that that's all we need to do is surrender - every day.... to let go of this need to build a strong sense of self, of ego, of certainty. It became clear that there was no agonising decisions to be made, that it was ok to be in a place of 'don't know' (always uncomfortable for a control freak) and to listen (meditation) for the answers and ask (pray) for guidance. Within hours, I felt peace and calm and a great sense that I only needed to access this place of love and surrender and everything would work out. That it was this forcing and searching into the past and into the future that was causing me fear, pain and stress." -- Helen de Wolfe - UK To buy this book...   If you have a book that has inspired you and that you want to share with the Escape community - let me know about it on satu@escape-club.org

	Other London-based Events
Excel at Job Hunting Wednesday 19 May 2004 (6.45pm-9pm)   Central London - £39 includes nibbles and materials Are you an experienced professional, starting to look for a new job ? Have you been looking for a job for several months, but have had very few interviews or responses? Job hunting can be hard work but by knowing how to address it and having a plan, getting the job you want can become painless. Join us to get yourself on the right path! Booking & Info: workshops@geraldinemorel.com   Cook Your Ideal Career - A Recipe for Happiness Wednesday 9 June 2004 (6.30-9.30 pm) Central London - £29 includes nibbles and materials Are you a successful professional, who's progressed in your career? Are you also not entirely convinced that what you are doing now is what you were meant to do? And on your mind you have questions like: Could I actually be happier doing something else? This is okay, but is there actually anything better out there? Should I change company? job? career? Become independent or stay employed? Or the other way around? Can somebody tell me what I want - and how to get there? More info: workshops@satukreula.com Making a Difference - and a Living Sunday 13 June 2004 (1 - 5pm) Central London - £49 includes nibbles and materials Do you wake up in the morning wanting to make a difference? But you're concerned about how that could help you make a living as well? Do you want to find out more about what you could be doing and how others have done it? The half-day workshop offers you: * A safe space to explore and open possibilities for yourself * A chance to mix with like-minded people * The motivation that comes from focusing on what excites you most * Time to create and commit to your first (or next) steps (or leaps) * A creative, fun and focused afternoon Booking & Info: differenceworkshop@satukreula.com Proud To Be Young Saturday 19 June 2004 (10am-3pm) London W1 - £49 includes materials and nibbles (lunch not included) * "I have the feeling that my potential is not being seen by my current employer or by prospective ones". * "I do not know where my career trajectory could take me, nor anybody I could really talk to about it". * "I feel trapped: Where do I go? How can I get there? Who can help me? What opportunities are even open for me?" Do these feelings sound familiar? Is your self- confidence being threatened? Are you starting to lose hope and feel frustrated? You have been in your first job for at least 12 months, and you're feeling stuck, this workshop can help you move forwards.  For more information: geraldine@geraldinemorel.com Excel at Interviews Wednesday 16 and 23 June (6.45pm-9pm) London - £69 for both workshops, includes nibbles and materials The interview situation - one many of us dread. How to prepare? What to wear? How to present myself? How to answer those awful questions? And what to ask the interviewers? An interview situation is reciprocal - it is as much about you interviewing them as it is about them interviewing you. Join us to master the skills to excel before, during and after the interview. And get loads of practice, practice, practice too!! Booking & Info: workshops@geraldinemorel.com

	Special Coaching Offer
As a result of the success of the coaching promotion in the last issue, I'm continuing to offer this to all Escape Stories readers for the month of May. Are you feeling stuck in your work? Not quite sure what it is that would make you feel happier? Or how to go about finding it? Get a coach could help you jumpstart the rest of you life! Athletes have them to help them to perform at their optimum - how could you use one to help you create your optimal life? For a limited time only, you have the possibility of getting 30 days access to a coach for 30 UK pounds/40 Euro (this is a 120 pound saving as a month is valued at 150 pounds!). During that time you will get 90 minutes of phone coaching (so no matter where you are in the world - you can take advantage of this opportunity) and unlimited email and messenger access in between calls. Interested? Find out more by emailing coach@escape-club.org!

	More about the Escape Club
The Escape Club was born from seeing many of our friends being unhappy with their work and realising that there were many ways to help them and others to truly enjoy what they do. It is a collection of ideas, resources, support and like- minded people for you, who wants to make a change in your working life, but also for you, who also is not always quite sure where it is you want to or how to get there. Escape Stories, the Escape Club newsletter, is published the last Thursday of every month. It is edited by Satu Kreula, a professional coach and facilitator, and the co-founder of the Escape Club.

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