Do you ever get that feeling that, despite working really hard and having a great job, you somehow missed the door with the big sign pointing to the life you really should be living? It's like your life's perfectly fine, but there's a parallel universe with a version of you who's having more adventures, being more creative and is just generally more happy and free. Well I guess that's a silly question. We all feel like that from time to time don't we?
Just over two years ago that's where I was at. I worked on a national TV news programme in a industry I'd worked really hard to get into and even harder to stay in. I still enjoyed my work and found being in a breaking news environment interesting and often quite exciting. But in an ever confusing world I was feeling more and more disturbed by the stories I was dealing with and generally downbeat about the chaos on the planet. The hours were long and the stress of deadlines made my heart race everyday. Plus, having worked in broadcast journalism for almost two decades, I'd built up a wide range of experience - so just using a few of those skills in one job sometimes felt like a bit of a waste.
So that's why, despite the mortgage and the benefits of working for a major broadcaster, I decided to make a change. I'd been lucky to have jobs in the past where I got to travel, interview fashion designers and celebrities, create beautiful art films and have a little fun in front of the camera too. So I decided to quit my job and create a brand where I could do more of those types of things but on my own terms... sometimes just working from a little table in my garden with nothing but my laptop, the sunshine and a nice cup of tea.
And I'm delighted to say that so far the gamble has paid off. Since starting Boutique Media House I've travelled to incredible places such as Barbados, Iceland and even Las Vegas, writing articles and shooting films for national newspapers and luxury magazines. I've been taken on by a presenting agency as well as fronting corporate films for ITN. I make lifestyle films for the Associated Press on everything from fashion designers and flower shows to polo matches and royal weddings. And I still get to keep my hand in in the newsroom, writing and producing for some of the national news programmes I worked on previously.
It's been challenging and scary at times, but ultimately a thrilling adventure. So if you start to see that "you" in a parallel universe who seems to be having a lot more fun... be brave, find that door and go join her at the party!