MEET THE PANDEMIC PIONEERS

We speak to three women who left their jobs and pivoted their way to success by following their dreams…

- JULIA SIDWELL

‘I’m earning less but I’ve never been happier’

Sarah Stannard, 49, is a health and wellness coach. She lives in Chertsey, Surrey, with husband John, 49, and seven-year-old son Henry.

Lying in bed staring at the ceiling, all I could think about was how many emails I had to answer, calls I needed to make and meetings I needed to attend. It was 2019 and for years I had worked in a well-paid corporate role. I was Head of Sales for a multimillion-pound international logistics company, but it was far from my dream job. I was constantly stressed and felt I could never truly ‘switch off’. My son Henry, then six, was growing up so fast and I often worried I was missing out.

Then came COVID-19, quickly followed by me sitting in my boss’ office being told the company needed to make cuts. After almost 20 years in logistics, I no longer had a job. ‘I’ve been made redundant,’ I sobbed to my husband John, then 48.

At first, I panicked and was worried about money. John earned well but we couldn’t survive on just one wage.

I was forced to re-evaluate. I have an auto-immune disease and had changed my lifestyle and diet to become healthier. It got me thinking – maybe I could help others be their best selves, too?

After some careful consideration, I decided to combine my love of helping people with my passion for nutrition, exercise and health. I started a training course to become a Health and Wellness Coach and created my own website.

It wasn’t easy and I worried if I was doing the right thing, but in May 2021 I was fully qualified. It was the confidence boost I needed. Plus I was able to work flexibly around my home life, and could spend quality time with John and Henry.