For 27 years, Marianne Page built a successful career at McDonald's. Then she left and found herself asking a question that many accomplished professionals wrestle with:

Who am I without my career?

In this deeply honest conversation, Marianne reflects on the loss of identity that followed leaving corporate life, the dark season that came next, and the slow journey back to herself.

Today, Marianne is an award winning motivational speaker, business mentor and bestselling author, but this episode isn't just about business success. It's about identity, purpose and what happens when the role you've worn for decades no longer fits.

Together we explore:

• why so many leaders confuse who they are with what they do
• rebuilding confidence after leaving a long career
• finding joy again after redundancy or retirement
• values, resilience and creating a life that feels like your own
• why the season between "what was" and "what's next" can become the making of you

Whether you're leaving corporate life, facing redundancy, approaching retirement, or simply wondering what's next after years of professional success, Marianne's story is a reminder that losing your role doesn't mean losing yourself.

Connect with Marianne via her official website Marianne Page or on LinkedIn

You’ve built a successful business yet something still feels unresolved. Many founders, entrepreneurs, and leaders reach a point where external success no longer matches internal fulfilment, and the work begins to feel repetitive or misaligned. In this episode of What Was, What Next, I speak with entrepreneur and creative strategist Sarah Clemson, who has built three successful businesses over the years. Sarah shares what it looks like to realise a business has become comfortable but no longer energising, and how she chose to evolve her work to reflect who she is becoming rather than who she once needed to be. We explore leadership, identity, achievement vs fulfilment, self-worth, and reinvention in later-stage business journeys including:

• Why successful businesses can start to feel repetitive or unfulfilling
• The shift from achievement-driven identity to fulfilment and alignment
• How self-worth and “proving yourself” can sit beneath long-term success
• What it means to evolve your business as you evolve as a person
• How confidence develops through courageous reinvention
• Redefining success across different seasons of leadership and life

  If you are a founder, business owner, or leader navigating a season where success no longer feels like enough, this conversation offers language, reflection, and perspective for what comes next.

Connect with Sarah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahclemson/

Website: https://www.tothesummit.co.uk/team/

n this insightful conversation, Dr. Lalith Wijedoru shares his transformative journey from paediatric emergency doctor to social health consultant and storytelling facilitator.

Discover the profound story behind "The Green Hour"- a single hour of tracking stress markers during an NHS shift that completely altered his trajectory. We dive deep into his medical career transition away from clinical practice and into the world of reflective storytelling. Learn how sharing narratives can enhance social health, improve workplace culture, manage functional burn-on, and foster genuine human connections.

In this episode, we explore:

• Navigating an identity shift during a medical career transition.
• How to spot the signs of workplace burn-on and chronic exhaustion.
• The role of storytelling in healthcare and leadership environments.
• Grounded coaching strategies for clinicians standing in the space between chapters.

Guest links

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lalithwijedoru/

Instagram- @lalithwijedoru

What happens when an unexpected health crisis forces you to pause your professional trajectory? How do you begin rebuilding your life, career, and personal legacy when your old routine no longer makes sense?

In this deeply grounding episode, with Katie Higginson, we explore the messy space of navigating a medical or physical pause and the transition that follows. We unpack what it means to heal, let go of the pressure to instantly perform, and step forward into a new chapter of leadership and life.

In this episode, we explore:

• Reclaiming your professional identity and rebuilding career legacy after a major illness or pause.
• Navigating the intense life transitions and emotional space between recovery and what comes next.
• Moving past functional burn-on and learning to listen to your body’s true markers.
• Practical self-coaching strategies for founders, leaders, and clinicians seeking a fresh alignment.

Takeaways

• Embracing change is part of the journey
• Community and support are essential during difficult times

You can connect with Katie on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiehigginson/

In this episode, Marcela Heime shares her journey through leadership transitions, exploring the grief and rebirth that come with change. Discover how she navigated closing a cherished charity and found self-awareness and growth in the process. Marcela discusses the importance of honouring emotions, setting boundaries, and questioning core values to foster authentic growth. Perfect for those in transition, this conversation offers insights into embracing uncertainty as a vital part of growth and evolution

If you want to connect with Marcela her profile on LinkedIn is: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcela-heime-msc-0941318

I am joined by Denise Voon, clinical adviser to the College of Optometrists, optometric advisor to the GOC and specialist hospital optometrist specialising in medical retina. Denise shares her journey of leaving a long-standing career to find true alignment with her values. Discover how she navigated the 'what ifs' of change, embraced new opportunities, and found happiness by bringing her whole self to work. This conversation is a must-listen for anyone facing a season of transition.

I'm thrilled to welcome Priya Davda, a friend and colleague with whom I've shared many years of collaboration. Priya is courageously embracing both her successful career as an optometrist and her new journey as an online business owner. Her story of embracing curiosity without further procrastination following a health scare is both inspiring and relatable. You can find Priya on instagram @itspriyadavda

What Comes After the Fire

The fire burns out — but then what? In this episode of What Was, What Next, we explore the uneasy stillness and subtle clarity that follow deep transformation. For leaders and creators navigating this in-between space, it’s a time to hold steady with discomfort, reclaim inner clarity, and listen for the quiet signals pointing toward what’s next.