Paul Southern – Salesman to Garden Designer

aged 43

Seven years ago Paul Southern finally decided he’d had enough of spending five days a week on the road and gave up his career as a freight sales manager to become a garden designer.  Since then he has set up his successful design practice, P.S. Gardens, created award winning show gardens at a top garden show and found a far more rewarding way of life.

Paul: “I went straight into sales after leaving education, it paid very well and the career prospects were pretty good for someone willing to put the time and effort it.  It took me a long time before I really noticed that my quality of life was diminishing with each passing year.  The money was great but the hours and any sense of work/life balance abysmal.

I was approaching 40 and continually frustrated that I was doing something that gave me absolutely no satisfaction.  I was afraid that this was going to be it until retirement.  I was successful on one level but began to question whether this was really all life had to offer.

In 1999, after a great deal of sole searching and sleepless nights, I finally decided to make the biggest change of my life, pack in my job and go back to college to retrain.

I had always been interested in gardening and garden design but hadn’t really considered it as a career option.  Once I had decided the time had come to make a major life change I looked into the options available and enrolled on a part time course at the Pickard School of Garden Design.  As soon as I had done it panic set in and I ended up going on holiday to really consider my options.  As soon as I got back I quit my job and started looking seriously at what I needed to do to make my dream of becoming a garden designer come to true.

I enrolled on two further courses at Capel Manor College to give me the background plant and landscaping skills I would need to run a successful design business and then got myself a Saturday job in a garden centre to bring in a little cash and help me learn some of the enormously complicated plant names.

It was pretty tough suddenly living on next to no income, and I was lucky that my partner’s salary just about covered the mortgage and our basic living costs, but I held on to the fact that at the end of it I would have the chance to have the quality of life I had always dreamed of.

Once I qualified I found that my old skills as a salesman were suddenly invaluable as I set about trying to attract customers to the newly established P.S. Gardens.  I also realised the need for sound business advice, financial planning and an unwavering commitment to what I was doing.

Six years on I am running a successful design practice, work from an office in my own garden and have a superb quality of life.  There have been tough times, particularly in the first winter when work was very thin on the ground, but I have never looked back.  I now have a far more positive outlook on life, truly enjoy my work and have finally got the work/life balance I craved.”

 Top Tips

• Share your ideas with friends and family, having people rooting can be enormously motivating

• Be prepared to work longer hours in the beginning

• Ensure you get sound financial advice and listen to it!

• Believe in yourself and always hold on to the reason why you decide to make the change in the first place

www.p.s.gardens.com

Sam Pringle - Marketing Manager to Yoga Instructor

 Aged 34

Two years ago Sam had her first child and realised that her priorities had changed – she was no longer happy to work the long hours that had always been a part of her marketing role.  Once she had time to take stock she realised that now was the perfect time to turn her hobby into a rewarding career.

Sam:  “I first started practicing yoga when I went through a particularly stressful period at work five years ago.  We were launching a new product to a European market and it meant high pressure working and lots of travel.  I was feeling stressed out and tired when a friend suggested a few simple techniques to help me relax at the end of the day.

I quickly started to see the benefits and became a lot calmer both at work and home.  I started going to regular classes and gradually got to a point where I was practising every day.

When I was pregnant the yoga also really helped me keep fit and the breathing techniques certainly proved themselves during the labour.   After Jack was born I got back in shape quickly and really enjoyed my new life at home.

As I was coming towards the end of my maternity leave I started to get anxious at the prospect of going back to work – I realised that my life had been so much more satisfying since giving up the stress of a high pressure role.   Our mortgage dictated that I wasn’t able to give up work entirely so I started to think about more rewarding options for work.

It was Tom, my partner, who suggested that I turn my passion for yoga into a career.  I began taking a series of courses to allow me to become a teacher and then set up my own business, teaching yoga techniques to mum’s to be.

It was a little scary at first but my friends and family became willing volunteers for my first few attempts.

I now take five classes a week and have eight private clients.  I have the perfect work/life balance, love what I do and get to spend loads of time with Jack and Tom.  I haven’t looked back.

Combining a career with something I love doing has been the most rewarding decision I have ever made.

Steven Crane - Civil Servant to Plumber

Aged 45

Three years ago Steven was made redundant from a civil service job that he had been doing for over 15 years. At first he was understandably daunted at the prospect of trying to find a new job, but eventually decided it was his chance to start again and retrain for a completely new career.

Steven: "I enjoyed the stability of my job with the civil service, but have to confess it had become a little stale.  At first I was terrified of being back on the job market, but then I started to look at my options and decided it was time for a complete change.

I was lucky enough to have been given a reasonable redundancy package, which meant that I didn't have to worry about the mortgage for a few month, so I decided I would look at some different options for retraining. 

I have always been pretty handy and have enjoyed all aspects of DIY so I thoughts something more practical might be for me.  At the time, I also kept reading articles about how there is a real shortage of tradespeople such as electricians, plumbers and carpenters.  I looked into the training and decided that plumbing would suit me best.

I enrolled for an initial ten week course and then went on to do a series of work placements. I also went on a business start-up course, it was invaluable in teaching me just what I needed to do and helped me avoid what I am sure would have been some costly mistakes in my first year of business.

Now, three years on I am running an extremely sucessful plumbing business, earning nearly twice as much as I was in my previous job.  I work the hours I choose and enjoy what I do. 

I haven't looked back!!

Find out how you can retrain to become a plumber or gas engineer with One Life Exhibitor Met UK

Alan Kingdon, Stock Market Trader, began his working life at his local water works as Leakage Team Leader. 

After 15 years at South West Water Alan developed an interest in Trading. After several unsuccessful trades Alan attended Greg Secker’s Traders University Course, in May 2005.  Within a month using the skills he had been taught he increased his trading account by 71%.  Within five months his had turned his £5000 trading account into £14,000. In November 2005 alone he increased his Trading account by 85%.  Alan had an initial target to reach financial independence and trade full time within a year.  It was in January 2006 that Alan reached his goal when he made the equivalent of his monthly income on five different days in one month, enabling Alan to quit South West Water. 

The difference trading has made to Alan and his family’s lifestyle is huge, he now has more time to spend with his family, and treat his family to dream holidays.

Alan is just one example of Traders University Graduates who have used Trading as a means to create a second income or a full time income.  Thousands of people have attended a Traders University Course, many without any previous Stock Market experience and from footballers, beauticians to Doctors  .

Traders University is a six month programme which is designed coach you to being a proficient trader.  The Traders University programme is presented by Knowledge to Action Ltd. 

You can visit their stand at One Life 2008 for more information and to book your complimentary seat at one of their two hour learn to Trade on the Stock Market seminars. 

Free One-to-One Careers Cosultation

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