Sometimes your career starts changing before you've made a firm decision about where you're going next.

You might find yourself becoming interested in different opportunities, learning new skills or stepping into spaces that weren't part of your original career plan. What makes this stage difficult is that you can't always see where it's leading while you're in it.

In this episode of I'm No Rookie, Ayo Bamgbose reflects on how starting her PhD introduced her to opportunities she didn't know existed, from presenting research and writing academic papers to submitting abstracts and proposals.

She explores what can happen when experienced professionals allow themselves to become beginners again and why you don't always need to know exactly where a new direction will take you before taking the first step.

What You'll Learn

• Why some career opportunities only become visible once you start moving in a new direction
• How stepping outside familiar environments can change what you see as possible for your career
• Why becoming a beginner again can introduce you to opportunities you couldn't have planned for

Thinking About Becoming an Educator?

If teaching or training is something you've been considering, don't rule yourself out before you've explored what's possible.

Developing Educators Academy offers the CIBTAC Level 3 Award and Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training, as well as the Level 3 Assessor qualification.

Download the course brochure

Enjoyed this episode?

If you found this conversation helpful, I'd really appreciate it if you subscribed to I'm No Rookie and left a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Your reviews help more experienced beauty, spa and wellness professionals discover the podcast and realise they're not alone in thinking about what comes next.

Connect with Me

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayo-bamgbose-assoc-cipd-ma-msc-bsc/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/developingeducatorsacademy

Website: https://www.developingeducatorsacademy.com/

Sometimes we rule ourselves out of opportunities based on assumptions we've carried for years.

Perhaps it's a job you don't think you're qualified for, a career change that feels out of reach, or an experience from your past that still influences the decisions you make today.

In this episode of I'm No Rookie, Ayo shares what happened when she finally questioned an assumption that had influenced her career choices for almost twenty years, and why sometimes the first step forward is simply finding out the facts.

What You'll Learn

• How old experiences can continue to influence the career opportunities you consider today.
• Why assumptions can quietly become barriers when we never stop to question them.
• Why taking action can be as simple as asking a question, checking the requirements or getting the information you need.

Thinking About Becoming an Educator?

If teaching or training is something you've been considering, don't rule yourself out before you've explored what's possible.

Developing Educators Academy offers the CIBTAC Level 3 Award and Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training, as well as the Level 3 Assessor qualification.

Download the course brochure

Enjoyed this episode?

If you found this conversation helpful, I'd really appreciate it if you subscribed to I'm No Rookie and left a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Your reviews help more experienced beauty, spa and wellness professionals discover the podcast and realise they're not alone in thinking about what comes next.

Connect with Me

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayo-bamgbose-assoc-cipd-ma-msc-bsc/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/developingeducatorsacademy

Website: https://www.developingeducatorsacademy.com/

How many times have you told yourself, "I'll do it next year"?

For many experienced professionals, wanting something different doesn't simply go away. We tell ourselves we'll make the move after Christmas, when work settles down or when life feels less hectic. Then another year passes and we're still thinking about the same change.

In this episode of I'm No Rookie, Ayo Bamgbose looks at the hidden cost of waiting and shares her own experience of putting off her Level 5 Education and Training qualification for several years.

What finally made her take action, and what happened afterwards, became a reminder that sometimes the opportunity we're waiting for starts with one small decision.

If "maybe next year" has become a familiar phrase, this episode might give you something to think about.

What You'll Learn

• Why we convince ourselves it's never the right time to make a career change.
• The difference between preparing for change and simply postponing it.
• Why confidence usually follows action, rather than coming before it.
• How one small decision today could completely change where you are this time next year.

Enjoyed this episode?

If you found this conversation helpful, I'd really appreciate it if you subscribed to I'm No Rookie and left a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Your reviews help more experienced beauty, spa and wellness professionals discover the podcast and realise they're not alone in thinking about what comes next.

Connect with Me

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayo-bamgbose-assoc-cipd-ma-msc-bsc/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/developingeducatorsacademy

Website: https://www.developingeducatorsacademy.com/

Have you ever attended something with no expectations, and it ended up shifting how you see your career?

In this episode, I share a moment from a workshop I attended during my PhD that made me pause and reflect. It was not about learning something completely new. It was about recognising what I was already doing and seeing it differently.

This episode is for you if you have been thinking about your next step, whether that is moving into teaching, progressing in your career, or simply trying to figure out if you are on the right path.

Sometimes, it is not about doing more. It is about seeing more clearly.

What You’ll Learn

• Why do you need to wait until the end of a qualification to start thinking about your next move
• How small, everyday actions can quietly position you for new opportunities
• Practical ways to recognise and build on what you are already doing

Key Mentions & Resources

If you’re thinking about stepping into education or creating your own courses, these resources will help you understand what is required:

• Explore Education and Training Qualifications (Level 3 & Level 4) https://developingeducatorsacademy.com/CIBTAC
• Learn more about the Assessor Qualification https://developingeducatorsacademy.com/assessor
• Download the course brochure https://developingeducatorsacademy.com/brochure

Subscribe & Share

If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to I’m No Rookie on your favourite podcast platform. Your reviews and shares help more beauty, spa, and wellness professionals find the podcast and feel supported in their journey.

💬 Follow and connect with me

• LinkedIn: Ayo Bamgbose
• Facebook: Developing Educators Academy
• Website

At some point in your career, the idea comes up.

You’ve built your skills. You’ve gained experience. Clients trust you. And then the thought appears… maybe it’s time to start teaching.

For many salon and spa owners, adding courses feels like a natural next step. It sounds like growth. It sounds like impact. It sounds like another stream of income.

But there’s a side to this decision that doesn’t get talked about enough.

In this episode, I open up a conversation around what it really means to step into education. Not just from a business point of view, but from a responsibility point of view.

Teaching is not just about showing someone what you do. It is about ensuring they can do it confidently on their own.

If you have ever thought about adding training to your business, this is one of those episodes that will make you pause and reflect before you take that next step.

What You Will Learn

• Why adding courses to your salon is not as simple as it sounds
• The difference between being experienced and being able to teach effectively
• What many training providers get wrong and how it impacts learners
• The responsibility that comes with stepping into education
• Key things to consider before introducing training into your business

Key Mentions & Resources

If you’re thinking about stepping into education or creating your own courses, these resources will help you understand what is required:

• Explore Education and Training Qualifications (Level 3 & Level 4) https://developingeducatorsacademy.com/CIBTAC
• Learn more about the Assessor Qualification https://developingeducatorsacademy.com/assessor
• Download the course brochure https://developingeducatorsacademy.com/brochure

Subscribe & Share

If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to I’m No Rookie on your favourite podcast platform. Your reviews and shares help more beauty, spa, and wellness professionals find the podcast and feel supported in their journey.

💬 Follow and connect with me

• LinkedIn: Ayo Bamgbose
• Facebook: Developing Educators Academy
• Website

You can plan a solid lesson, explain everything clearly, and still feel like your students are not fully connecting with what you’re teaching.

It is a frustrating place to be, especially when you know you are doing everything right on paper.

In this episode, Ayo shares a moment from her teaching journey that made her pause and rethink what was really happening in the classroom. It is a shift many educators go through, but not everyone talks about.

If you have ever felt like your learners are focused on passing rather than understanding, this episode will get you reflecting on your own approach and what might need to change.

What You’ll Learn

• Why strong lesson delivery does not always lead to real learning
• How student questions can reveal their true focus and intentions
• A simple shift that can change how your learners engage and take responsibility

Mentioned in This Episode

• Level 3 Award in Education and Training
• Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training
• Level 3 Assessor Qualification

Explore more here: https://www.developingeducatorsacademy.com/brochure

Subscribe & Share

If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to I’m No Rookie on your favourite podcast platform. Your reviews and shares help more beauty, spa, and wellness professionals find the podcast and feel supported in their journey.

💬 Follow and connect with me

• LinkedIn: Ayo Bamgbose
• Facebook: Developing Educators Academy
• Website

AI is changing how we learn.

You can generate lesson plans in seconds. You can ask questions and get instant answers. You can even structure an entire course without ever opening a textbook.

So it raises a real question.

If information is now so accessible, do qualifications still matter?

In this episode, I share a moment from a recent business pitch where I was asked whether AI would impact my academy. It was a question that could have easily created doubt, but instead, it gave me clarity.

Because there is a difference between learning something and being recognised for it.

And that difference is what shapes credibility, career progression, and long-term opportunity.

What You’ll Learn

• Why access to information is not the same as professional recognition
• The difference between being a skills trainer and an accredited training provider
• How your positioning affects your credibility, pricing, and opportunities
• Why qualifications still hold weight, even in an AI-driven world

Key Mentions & Resources

If you’re thinking about stepping into education or creating your own courses, these resources will help you understand what is required:

• Explore Education and Training Qualifications (Level 3 & Level 4) https://developingeducatorsacademy.com/CIBTAC
• Learn more about the Assessor Qualification https://developingeducatorsacademy.com/assessor
• Download the course brochure https://developingeducatorsacademy.com/brochure

Subscribe & Share

If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to I’m No Rookie on your favourite podcast platform. Your reviews and shares help more beauty, spa, and wellness professionals find the podcast and feel supported in their journey.

💬 Follow and connect with me

• LinkedIn: Ayo Bamgbose
• Facebook: Developing Educators Academy
• Website

There is a moment many of us experience in our careers.

You are given an opportunity that feels slightly bigger than you. You do not feel fully ready. You are not sure if you tick every box. But something in you says yes anyway.

In this episode of I’m No Rookie, I reflect on what has truly shaped me over 15 plus years in education and training. From stepping into my first trainer role without a teaching qualification, to teaching internationally, to building an online platform and eventually creating Developing Educators Academy.

This is not a step-by-step guide.

It is an honest look at what teaching really gives you. The confidence, the challenges, the unexpected lessons, and the way it changes how you see both yourself and our industry.

What You Will Learn

• Why saying yes before you feel ready can open doors you did not expect
• The difference between knowing your subject and actually teaching it
• How teaching builds confidence over time through experience, not perfection
• Why structure and delivery matter more than simply sharing information
• How your existing experience can translate into a teaching career

Mentioned in This Episode

• Level 3 Award in Education and Training
• Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training
• Level 3 Assessor Qualification

Explore more here: https://www.developingeducatorsacademy.com/brochure

Subscribe & Share

If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to I’m No Rookie on your favourite podcast platform. Your reviews and shares help more beauty, spa, and wellness professionals find the podcast and feel supported in their journey.

💬 Follow and connect with me

• LinkedIn: Ayo Bamgbose
• Facebook: Developing Educators Academy
• Website