Here's how I broke free—and what I Iearnt in the process
Read time: 4 minutes
I started my career as a medical doctor, working in the health service for 7 years. For much of that time, I felt
- Overworked and underpaid
- Stifled and bored
- Under valued
I left medicine and worked as a management consulting at a top firm. Here, I experienced:
- Misaligned values
- Poor workplace culture
- Projects that didn’t excite me
Two different careers that were deemed desirable, respectable and well paid. Two careers people often stay in for decades.
Why didn’t I?
I grew tired of being employed.
Tired of my worth being determined by someone else.
Tired of working on things that didn’t excite me.
And tired of making other people wealthy.
I realised I didn’t want to do that anymore. I wanted to work on problems I found interesting, become the master of my own destiny and forge my own path.
That’s when my journey with entrepreneurship began.
There was one problem
Nobody cares about companies and brands anymore. People buy from people. They want to see a name and face behind the company.
As a founder I realised it was my job to be that face, and to drive awareness towards my company.
As a doctor or consultant, I’d been a cog in a machine, never the face. It was daunting to become that person—so I started with what I had available to me: writing on LinkedIn.
Every day, I shared:
The wins
The failures
My knowledge
My observations
The lessons learnt
My thoughts & ideas
My fundamental beliefs
The things I wish I’d known
My story & personal experiences
Things I’d do differently if starting over
I did this every day for months—even when I didn’t feel like it.
By sharing this, I learnt how to:
Write engaging words and compelling copy
Hook people into what I was saying
Tell my story in a relatable way
Bring people on a journey
Engage with people
Build relationships
Educate others
And the results were pretty phenomenal.
Not only was I driving awareness for my business, but I was building my own brand in itself.
Within just a few months, I had
- Numerous business leads for my startup Bloomful
- Ranked in the top 1% of LinkedIn profiles
- 40,000+ engaged LinkedIn followers
- Paid speaking opportunities
- Over 20 podcast requests
- Press opportunities
- And more...
Having learnt the power of content-led growth, I also started to get inbound requests to help other founders, entrepreneurs and leaders achieve the same.
Here are my 6 biggest lessons learnt:
(Some of which I shared in THIS post earlier in the week).
1. Don’t be afraid to pivot
Whether it’s a new career, business idea, or direction—don’t be afraid to lean into it.
I’ve pivoted many times; it’s scary and uncomfortable. But I’ve learnt the hard way that discomfort is where growth lies.
Define your personal values and use them as your north star.
2. Learn how to create great content online
My biggest lesson last year was the power of building your own brand. It creates incredible leverage for any business, but beyond that it stands as it’s own entity.
This helps to de-risk everything you do.
Your story is your superpower; don’t be afraid to share it, including the wins, struggles & lessons. Learn how to create content that engages, and positions you as an authority.
3. Stop getting bogged down in perfection
Waiting for the perfect time to transition, the perfect time to start a business, the perfect LinkedIn post, is just another way to procrastinate (and I say that as a recovering perfectionist).
Set yourself the smallest goal imaginable, and achieve it.
Then set another.
And another.
4. Consistency is the secret weapon
The difference between those who succeed and those who don’t is consistency. Too many people give up too early; often just before a breakthrough.
Whether it’s transitioning career, starting a business, or beginning your personal branding journey—none of these things happen immediately.
They all require an insane amount of effort and consistency.
The good news is, it’s worth it in the end.
5. Adaptability is your edge
Being adaptable helps you try things, respond quickly, iterate, and push forward without getting bogged down. It helps you deal with new situations, stay ahead of the curve, and remain competitive.
Whatever you do, be prepared to test, adapt, iterate & improve every day.
6. Stop looking for shortcuts; there are none
When you’re constantly searching for shortcuts, you simply won’t win.
Often, shortcuts lead to lower quality results. They can damage your reputation, and hinder your growth by preventing you from fully engaging with the learning process.
Career change, business, personal brand - you need to dig in and do the reps, even if it takes longer initially.
Hope this helps! Please do reach out if you need more insights or support.
Speak soon!
Dupé
Whenever you're ready, here are some ways I can help you:
- Personal Branding Challenge: If you’re a female founder, looking to start your personal branding journey, I’ve collaborated with Female Founders Rise this January for a Personal Branding Challenge, starting January 22nd!
- Let's work together: Get guidance on how to be more visible and grow your brand. Whether you’re looking for 1:1 coaching, or ready-to-post content, hit reply and let’s chat.
