From Overworked Contractor to Values-led Business Owner: Joanne’s Career Reset Story
When Joanne first came to coaching, she was at a crossroads. On the face of it, her work was going well – she was capable, experienced, and in demand. But underneath that was a growing sense of frustration.
She was stuck in contract work that drained her energy and no longer aligned with how she wanted to live or work.
“I was good at the work,” she said, “but I hated doing it. I kept doing it because no one else would. It wasn’t in my job scope, but I’d say yes to keep the peace.”
It was affecting her confidence, her motivation, and her wellbeing. But, like many people in her situation, she didn’t know what to change or how to begin.
She’d never stopped to really consider what made her tick – what kind of work lit her up, what drained her, or what kind of environments helped her thrive.
The six session coaching programme helped her press pause, and reassess what truly mattered.
It gave her a framework to understand herself better, and a set of tools to work out what would actually suit her now – not just what she could do, but what would sustain her.
That clarity became a turning point.
“After the work we did in the coaching, I started to realise that other people’s behaviours, the type of work I was doing and environment I was working in all had a big impact on my mental and physical health but I had chosen them when taking the job,” says Joanne.
“I hadn’t understood what was best for me or what was making me unhappy because I had never done the thinking that the programme had me do. Now that I know I can do something about it, I choose better – I make informed choices that better support me”.
Since the coaching, Joanne has started her own business with her sister Deborah – something she’d long thought about but hadn’t felt ready for. (You can read more about Joanne and Deborah’s amazing business – DyingMatters – here).
Joanne has been able to be deliberate in how she’s approached setting up the business: in co-founding it with her sister, she’s applied everything she learned from the coaching process.
“We’ve been intentional from the beginning,” she says. “We have honest conversations about what we’re good at, what we like, what we can do but don’t enjoy – and we’re designing the business to make sure we’re mostly doing work we want to be doing. I wouldn’t have even known that was possible before.”
She’s also helped shape their work culture by being explicit about values, boundaries, and behaviours. They’ve documented what matters to them – not just goals, but how they want to feel about coming to work and working with each other.
“I wouldn't have known to do any of this if I hadn’t worked with you. I did not realise we can be deliberate and choose where to work, how we work, the behaviours we accept and the like... With a new business we get to develop this which is very cool”.
It hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Joanne still had to take on another contract to help fund the transition. But this time, she went into it with eyes open, aware of the trade-offs and with new tools to protect her wellbeing from the work she’d done in the coaching programme.
When the environment began to affect her mental health, she didn’t just grit her teeth and keep going like she might have in the past – she made the decision to leave.
“I’m not willing to put up with things that don’t work for me anymore. That’s a big shift.”
Now, Joanne says she feels more confident backing herself, setting boundaries, and making decisions that support her career wellbeing – not just short-term obligations.
“It’s the old adage – once you see something, you can’t unsee it. This work changed how I think, how I operate, and what I’m willing to accept. And I’m building something far better because of it.”
Her advice to others considering coaching?
“Do it. Work takes up a lot of your life. You owe it to yourself to understand what kind of work will actually support your wellbeing – and this programme gives you the insight to make informed choices that benefit you.”