Walking away from a 19 year corporate career

In this episode, we talk with Natalie Potts, a seasoned corporate professional who spent 19 years in the same company before leaving to explore other avenues.Natalie opens up about her decision to shift from a successful career in a male-dominated field to becoming a qualified performance and corporate coach, driven by a critique from her employer. She also shares her dedication to continuous professional development (CPD), which she believes sets her apart from her peers. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced Natalie to refocus on her corporate job, leading to increasing dissatisfaction due to a misalignment of values and hitting a 'glass ceiling'.Natalie describes her feeling of discontent despite seeming successful on the outside and the stress of considering leaving her stable corporate job. She emphasises that her decision to leave was not about blaming her company or colleagues, but about recognizing that the corporate environment no longer fit her needs. Natalie further discusses the challenges of managing teams at a young age and the personal nature of her work conversations, focusing on her personality traits rather than her performance. Her straightforward, challenge-oriented nature, and her opinions from a retail perspective were not well-received in the corporate space. This misalignment and her feeling of not being valued or heard led to her decision to leave.Lastly, we discuss the frustration with companies losing valuable leaders like Natalie due to gender biases and the need for companies to recognise and value their employees to avoid losing them.Connect with Natalie Potts on LinkedInNatalile's coaching website can be found hereJoin the Jobs for Women FREE membership RIGHT HERE