It’s been several months since the last episode of Creative Career Change and a lot has shifted in that time.

At the start of 2026, I removed the safety net I’d always kept in place. I stopped teaching entirely and went all in on my interior design business.

And do you know what?

The world didn’t cave in.

In this reflective solo episode, I revisit the very first podcast I recorded back in September 2023 - just after leaving my full-time teaching role - and explore what’s changed in the two and a half years since.

It was a fascinating listen and prompted many thoughts about how far I’ve come, what has remained constant and what has changed over the past two and a half years.

Listen to the original episode here:

There were some key themes that came up, and in this new episode I explore:

* What it feels like to finally remove the safety net

* The return of what I call ‘creative fizz’

* Why process now matters more to me than outcome

* Rediscovering my love of organising events - but on my terms

* The power of conversation, connection, and finding your people

Upcoming Events

During the episode, I mention a few live events I’m hosting in March:

🏡 Free Interior Design Clinic: Friday 13th March, 12:00-12:30, register here.

✨ Create Ensemble: Monday 16th March 2026, 7-8pm - for paid subscribers

🐦‍⬛ Early Bird Writers’ Hour: Friday 27th March 2026, 6:30-7:30am - for paid subscribers

Chez Hanny is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

If you’ve made a creative career change (or feel the pull but don’t know where to start), I’d genuinely love to hear from you. Perhaps you’re my next podcast guest?

And if you enjoy the episode, a review on Apple Podcasts makes a huge difference.

Hannah x

I’m Hannah. I’m 40 and I live in London. After 18 years in teaching, I left in December 2025 to pursue a more creative life. I now run an interior design business, alongside writing and podcasting. I’m building a career that feels more ‘me’: aligned, intentional, and creatively fizzing.

www.hannahashe.co.uk

Support the show

At the beginning of the year I was invited to be a guest on Irene Ruby’s podcast Makings and Musings. It was the first time I’d been on the other side of the microphone and I enjoyed it very much and Irene and I found much common ground to chat about. (I’ve included a link to the episode further down this post)

Having learned a little about Irene’s own career journey during that conversation, I was keen to invite her to be a guest on Creative Career Change. And here it is.

Irene worked in the corporate world of insurance for many years before pivoting and setting up her own business as an artist and educator. Listen to discover how she made this happen, the challenges faced along the way and why remote classes turned out to be a better way of working.

“I started to paint [with them] and it made me feel so good and it really helped me to process that grief. That’s when I realised I wanted to spread that feeling of calm and mindfulness with other people.” - Irene Ruby

Links and mentions

* Irene’s website and art community: www.makingsandmusings.com

* When Hannah Ashe guested on Irene’s podcast:

* The Best 90 Days Ever small business marketing course with Hannah Isted (which I have just signed up for!).

* Irene on Instagram: @makingsandmusings

A note from Hannah

I’m aware that those in the thick of a career change, who have left a job or taken a pay cut, may not have the means to pay to listen and so the Creative Career Change podcast will always be free to all subscribers.

I hope the conversations may inspire positive change and the pursuit of creativity and balance. I’ve created the resource that I wish had been available to me several years back when I felt trapped by my job.

Making this podcast is a labour of love and I do everything myself. This includes finding guests, writing questions, recording the conversation, editing, mixing, composing music and publishing the episode.

By becoming a paid subscriber, you help to ensure I can continue to record new episodes and make the Creative Career Change podcast available to all who might be inspired by it. Alternatively, if you’d prefer to make a one-off contribution to the podcast you can buy me a coffee here. I’m hugely grateful for all and any contributions!

Thank you.

Hannah x

Support the show

From time to time, I interview a podcast guest and we really, truly just click. The conversation flows (usually with me over-excitedly interrupting too often) and we could continuing talking for far longer than the allotted time.

That’s exactly what happened when I interviewed Lara Hayward several weeks back. It had taken us some time to pin down a suitable date to record due to various life and work situations getting in the way, but once we started chatting we couldn’t stop!

Lara began her career as a lawyer, but as she has got older she has learned to listen to herself and has developed the confidence to pivot. Regularly.

Creativity is at the core of what Lara knows she needs from her life and she isn’t afraid to prioritise it.

I hope you find Lara’s wisdom to be as deeply inspiring as I did.

“I think that’s what I’ve learnt about myself. I probably have 2-3 year cycles of doing something and then [I’m] moving on to something else.” - Lara Hayward

Links and books mentioned

* Lara’s coaching and consultancy website: www.larahayward.com

* Lara Hayward on Substack - The River

* Lara on LinkedIn

* Lara on Instagram

* Working Identity by Herminia Ibarra

* Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans

* How to Be Everything by Emilie Wapnick

A note from Hannah

I’m aware that those in the thick of a career change, who have left a job or taken a pay cut, may not have the means to pay to listen and so the Creative Career Change podcast will always be free to all subscribers.

I hope the conversations may inspire positive change and the pursuit of creativity and balance. I’ve created the resource that I wish had been available to me several years back when I felt trapped by my job.

Making this podcast is a labour of love and I do everything myself. This includes finding guests, writing questions, recording the conversation, editing, mixing, composing music and publishing the episode.

By becoming a paid subscriber, you help to ensure I can continue to record new episodes and make the Creative Career Change podcast available to all who might be inspired by it. Alternatively, if you’d prefer to make a one-off contribution to the podcast you can buy me a coffee here. I’m hugely grateful for all and any contributions!

Thank you.

Hannah x

Support the show