I’ve had four careers and one recurring theme. Chasing purpose, then learning it isn’t something you find once and keep forever...
...I grew up in Leeds in the ’90s and started out as a drummer, touring vans, sticky floors, bad soundchecks, good stories. I was meant to be studying Sociology and Philosophy, but music was the real education. It eventually led to a PhD at Goldsmiths on how culture and technology shape creativity, and somehow to tour-managing a Sony-signed band around the world with DJ Shadow while finishing my thesis in airport lounges.
Then came television. Fifteen years developing and producing quiz and entertainment formats at the BBC, ITV and Channel 4. I co-created Beat the Chasers and Tenable, ran creative teams, pitched to commissioners, lived through restructures and rebrands, and learned that even the dream jobs come with burnout in better clothes.
Eventually, I realised I had spent years helping other people play the game, and somewhere along the way, I had stopped enjoying it myself.
Then, in 2025, I was made redundant. Within six months I had replaced my TV salary, not by waiting for the next job, but by building something of my own.
“Because fulfilment isn’t about taking a backwards step. It’s about finding the fun in moving forward again"
Now, as a Career Change Coach
I work with TV people who are ready to stop waiting to be chosen. Through Freelancer to Founder, my group programme, and one-to-one coaching, I help them turn years of experience into new roles, portfolios and businesses of their own.
Most of my clients aren’t lost. They’re just stuck between doing well and feeling done, trying to stay creative while the industry quietly squeezes it out of them.
I also write Jobs Beyond TV, a weekly newsletter of roles outside telly that draw on the skills TV people already have.
Change starts when you stop asking what’s wrong, and start asking what still matters.
Want to talk it through?
Reconnecting with the fun and creativity in your work starts here. Join the next Freelancer to Founder cohort, or book a free 30-minute call to explore what’s next.