We Said Goodbye To The 9 To 5!

These women reveal how they ditched the daily grind to make their dreams come true..

- Kristina Beanland

We’ve all been there: sat in an office, gazing out of the window, dreaming of being anywhere but at your desk. and while leaving the day job may seem just that – a dream – more of us are taking the plunge. In fact, 4.7 million in the UK are now self employed. Here, we speak to three women who turned their backs on desk jobs and long hours, to start their own businesses.

‘I TURNED MY HOBBY INTO A CAREER’

Suzy newson, 48, lives with her husband Richard, also 48, in Sheffield. They have twin daughters, Holly and Isabelle, 14. 

As I lift the weights high above my head, my muscles burn, my brow prickles with sweat – and, rather than groan in pain, I feel exhilarated. Not so long ago, as a receptionist, I sat down all day – now I help people get fit.

I’ve always loved to exercise, but thought it was just a hobby – that is, until May 2013, when I came across the Twitter page of a personal trainer. As I watched his videos, I thought, maybe I could do this, too?

I enrolled with Future Fit, a personal training school that taught me everything from fat-burning exercises to PR skills. I even had to take an A-level in physiology and anatomy. I scoured the web for second-hand gym equipment and convinced Richard to clear the garage so I could set up my own gym. A friend helped me build a simple website and I set myself a goal – once I had 12 regular clients, I’d quit my day job.