I used to indirectly work with Catherine Rigby years ago, and I was always impressed by her clarity of vision and her determination to change things if they weren't working - no matter how long it took. So when I met her again at a mutual friends' wedding, I didn't hesitate asking her if she'd be interested in sharing her story - I didn't quite know what her story was, but my intuition told me it was worth hearing - and I'm sure you'll agree! I loved her energy as she said: "I can't compare how I feel now to when I was working in my old job." - I hope that energy transmits through the conversation below!

How would you describe yourself? Who is Catherine?
I'm an energetic and enthusiastic person. I have strong social values - my local community, its people, I'm very family-oriented and my friends are important to me.

What are you working on now?
I'm on summer holidays now. I'm a business teacher at secondary level. My students are mainly 14-19 year olds. I teach both academic and vocational aspects of business and leisure studies.

What has been your journey to what you are doing now?
I have a degree in industrial economics from Nottingham University in the UK. I was an active member of AIESEC where I learned about business and learning - and had a chance to explore business education partnerships more. I finished my degree and thought: consultancies or IT training?

I decided I wanted to do a graduate training programme, and I wanted to be in Leeds, so I went with the offer Syntegra gave me. I was there for 4 years, but already at the end of my graduate training 2 years in I realised that even though I was enjoying work, I didn't really feel fulfilled with what I was doing. So I started looking into my options with other jobs or potentially going back to university. I decided that the way to go for me was to retrain as a teacher, and stayed for another 18 months before starting my teacher training (PGCE) course, which took me a year to finish. I've just finished my first year as a teacher, and I love it!

What voices did you have? What was your turning point?
I felt a lot of stress. A lot of people around me were telling me how successful I was, but it wasn't what success was for me. Every day when I came home I'd think: what impact did I have on the world today? Saving the company more money just wasn't enough for me.

I had doubts about moving from the private sector to the public one: the money for one, and I wondered if it wouldn't be better to stay in my role and volunteer (I was already doing paired reading at the local school during my lunch breaks), but in the end the money wasn't enough to keep me.

I also doubted how I would cope in my new environment. But I loved teacher training - and even though secondary school kids can be difficult to handle sometimes - seeing the difference I make, makes it all worthwile!

I had been complaining for a long time, and as I'd decided to leave, they said they'd restructure my role. But I thought: I've started this now, if I don't do it, I'll regret it. As soon as I left I knew I wouldn't go back!

How are you feeling now? How do you see the future?
Great - I really like what I'm doing now. My questions center around how am I going to progress and continue to develop? Do I want to get into the management structure or become an advanced skills teacher? I haven't ruled out anything yet.

I think I will always want to stay connected to the classroom, but potentially being more than a teacher, having extra responsibility for learning?

What advice would you give to other people in similar situations as you were in?
- Teaching - do it!
- You can change (it took me 18 months to plan my escape)
- It's possible to retrain and get over the financial issues involved with it
- You don't burn bridges by leaving - you can always go back one way or another
- It's always good to learn new things
- Have a go - you can't lose
- It won't happen overnight
- Stick to your plan - even when that really good day at your current work makes it difficult!

The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay
A great memoir of an English boy's lonely childhood in South Africa during WW II that will grab your heart as well as your mind. This book was a real learning experience for me as it is rare to find such an accurate and wholly involving account of a certain period in the history of a country. The big lesson for me out of this book has to do with the amazing strength of the main character's search for the love that binds friends, the passion that binds lovers, and the realization that it might take only one to change the world.
--Fabio Sgaragli, Italy

The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad
In a time when all we really know about Afghanistan is the news footage we see in the media and the photos and appeals we see in aid campaigns, I don't know about you, but I'm left wondering: what must life be like for the people there? Norwegian journalist Asne Seierstad took on the task of writing the story of a bookseller and his family living (mainly) in Kabul.

The history of the country opens up in a fascinating way through their tales of every day life. I also got a very different view of what life must be like as an Afghan woman, even though the story is written by a Westerner. It's not always pleasant reading, but I love Seierstad's writing style - it's very descriptive, and she attempts to make sense of what the family members are thinking - but she is careful not to impose her own thoughts, assumptions or judgements. The world of Afghanistan opened up to me in a mesmerising way - and I now await to deepen my newly found curiosity, by finding a book written by an Afghan novelist.
--Satu Kreula, UK

I shared these two resources in the last issue, and as they proved to be so well received, I thought I'd present them here as well.

Here are two good resources I recommend that can help you better define where you are at with your life and what your main goals right now are. I've tried them this summer and can highly recommend them both!

Know Your Top Three Goals For 2004?
Want to take stock of where you are and where you want to be in a way that allows you to define what's important to you right now? Take a free 5 Minute Quiz and download your own free Goals Report here.

Excellent support for achieving your goal in 6 weeks!
Check out the Goal-Getter Kit, which will help you set your main goal right now in a way that it is simple to achieve it - and it'll give you the support you need to achieve it in 6 weeks. At the suggestion of a friend I tried it out this summer and actually overachieved my business goals! Needless to say, I am using it again! Find out more by clicking here.

Do you want to get your life back on track?
Are you hoping that one day you'll wake up and life will be what you're hoping it to be?
Do you feel like you could use help with:
- direction
- focus
- accountability
- and inspiration?

Sign up for a FREE coaching consultation!
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"After a one year career break spent travelling round the world, I was trying to redesign my career. I was struggling to bring together all my wishes for lifestyle, family, income and meaningful work. It felt like a puzzle with pieces that wouldn't fit together harmoniously. Satu's professional and incredibly perceptive coaching has helped me formulate my vision clearly so that I had the focus and clarity to make the right choices. Coaching helps cut down the contradicting voices in your head, so that you listen to the one that will really make you happy! Being coached is like driving a car with a good map reader. They ask you where you want to go, and whilst you are in the driving seat, they help you chose the right road and turning points all the way to your destination!"
- Celine, UK

Join a career workshop!
Figure out how to make a difference and a living or excel at job hunting, interviews and sort out your CV - whatever your need, join us for one of these very popular career development workshops in London.
 

"This afternoon has helped me 'focus' my ideas, getting them in order and given me the courage and vision to see that they can be achieved and will be."
- Chris Rowley, Photographer in Sustainable Development and workshop participant

The Escape Club was born from seeing many of our friends being unhappy or frustrated with their working lives and us realising that there were many ways we could help them, others and ourselves to get on a path of truly enjoying what we do.

Feedback and ideas? We love hearing from our readers! Email us with your thoughts on feedback@escape-club.org