Walking away from a 19 year corporate career

Walking away from a 19 year corporate career

Natalie Potts, is an experienced corporate professional with a history of 19 years in the same company. Natalie’s approach to life and work had resonated with Zoe and Zoe invited Natalie on the podcast to find out more about why she decided to leave her longstanding corporate position and what life is like now.

Natalie shares that in 2016, she became conscious of her long tenure in the business and started feeling the need to explore other avenues. Despite her success in a male-dominated environment, she became intrigued with coaching after a critique from her employer. Determined to prove her aptitude, she found a coaching program that she felt aligned with and quickly achieved qualifications in performance and corporate coaching.

Following her coaching accomplishments, Natallie reveals that she won an award in 2019 for her dedication to continuous professional development (CPD). She feels her focus on personal development and mindset has always set her apart from her corporate peers. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, despite having started her own business, she had to refocus on her corporate job, leading to growing dissatisfaction due to misaligned values and hitting a professional “glass ceiling”.

Natalie goes on to describe how she felt discontented and overworked despite outward appearances of success. The idea of leaving her job was stressful due to the loss of financial stability, but she realised her need for change and walking away from a 19 year corporate career was ok.

She emphasises that her decision to leave wasn’t about blaming the company or her colleagues but was more about acknowledging that the corporate environment no longer suited her.

Natalie discusses the challenges of managing teams at a young age and how she felt it was portrayed as the norm in the corporate environment. She mentions her direct yet compassionate approach to work and feels this may have been interpreted differently due to her gender. She says her conversations at work became personal, focusing on her traits rather than her performance.

Natalie considers her straightforward, challenge-oriented nature wasn’t received well in the corporate space, especially since she voiced her opinions from a retail perspective, having worked her way up in the business. She also mentions her inability to align with other females in similar roles and her feeling of not being valued or heard, leading to her decision to leave.

It is frustrating that companies lose valuable leaders like Natalie due to gender biases. Natalie echoes this sentiment, talking about how companies still sideline women. Natalie said this results in the loss of valued employees who feel unrecognised and undervalued.

Here are some takeaway tips

1. 1. Long-Term Corporate Experience: Natalie Potts has a unique background with 19 years spent in one corporation. This provided her a unique perspective on the industry and the internal operations of corporate environments.
   2. Challenges in Corporate Culture: Natalie experienced a clash with the values and expectations in her corporate role. The culture lacked alignment with her personal beliefs and ultimately led her to leave.
   3. Gender Dynamics: Natalie’s experiences highlight the gender challenges that women face in the corporate world. She faced personal criticisms that a male colleague might not have faced and felt that her direct yet compassionate approach was not appreciated.
   4. Importance of Personal Development: Natalie emphasizes the significance of personal development and mindset in her career growth. She believes that it differentiated her from her peers and allowed her to excel in a male-dominated environment.
   5. Finding a New Path: Despite her success, Natalie recognized that her values and the corporate values were not aligned. She left her role to pursue her passion and her business, even though it meant facing uncertainty.
   6. The Glass Ceiling Effect: Natalie’s story illustrates the glass ceiling that women may still face in the corporate world, especially when it comes to promotions into very senior roles. This has broader implications for gender equality in the workplace.
   7. Impact on Other Women: Natalie’s departure from her corporate role wasn’t only about her; she reflects on how her experiences are common and how they can beat down other women, affecting their confidence and self-esteem, possibly preventing them from pursuing their dreams.
   8. Creating a New Business: The podcast also explores Natalie’s journey in starting her own business, shifting her focus, and aligning her career with her values. Her story serves as an inspiration for others who may be feeling trapped in their current roles.
   9. A Need for Change: The conversation underscores the need for cultural changes within businesses to retain talented individuals like Natalie. The way women are viewed, treated, and evaluated needs to evolve to create a more inclusive and fair environment.
   10. Jobs for Women’s Mission: The host, Zoe, clearly connects Natalie’s personal story to the broader mission of the “Jobs for Women” podcast, reinforcing the need for equality, fair treatment, and recognition of women’s unique challenges and strengths in the workforce.
   11. Embracing Individuality: Natalie’s reflections on her experiences, such as being judged for wearing a flowery dress, shed light on the importance of embracing individuality and personal authenticity rather than conforming to stereotypical or restrictive norms.
   12. Adopt a 90-Day Plan: Utilise a 90-day framework to set and track progress towards your goals, ensuring daily actions are in alignment with long-term aspirations.
   13. Define Success Measures: Incorporate measurable objectives within the 90-day plan to maintain a focus on the essentials.
   14. Prioritise High Value Tasks: Focus on tasks that closely align with your business strategy and goals, offering maximum value.
   15. Delegate Effectively: Engage the right help for tasks outside your core strengths or interests.
   16. Address Mindset Blocks: Recognise and tackle obstacles in your mindset that may cause procrastination or impede goal attainment.
   17. Self-Reflect: Regularly engage in introspection to gain insights about your objectives, values, and hindrances.
   18. Tackle Challenges: Identify and address what’s holding you back in your career or business, and seek necessary assistance.
   19. Recognise Deep Motivations: Understand the significance of personal motivations that go beyond surface-level objectives, such as the emotional or social benefits of fitness.
   20. Patience is Key: Understand that developing a successful business or progressing in your career takes time, much like physical fitness.
   21. Align With Values: Align your work with your personal values for long-term satisfaction and motivation.
   22. Universal Human Needs: Accept that security, comfort, community, and happiness are universal human needs.
   23. Be Authentic: Embrace authenticity in your conversations and the way you express your ambitions and goals.
   24. Embrace Change: Acknowledge that it’s fine to pivot or let go of certain aspects of your business if they no longer serve you or bring joy.
   25. Cultivate Resilience: Understand the importance of resilience, persistence, and the willingness to keep going, even in the face of rejections or setbacks.

   The podcast conversation offers valuable insights into the complex dynamics of women in corporate roles, highlighting the challenges, opportunities, and lessons that can be drawn from one woman’s successful yet challenging career journey.

Connect with Natalie Potts on LinkedIn

Visit Natalie’s coaching website

Connect with Zoe on LinkedIn.

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