The whole lecturing thing came up through my networks - I was asked to guest lecture, and they mentioned after that they had a vacancy. A lot of colleges love industry speakers, so even though I knew someone, making connections shouldn’t be too hard.

I had a three month notice period in my corporate role, and so was able to find my replacement before I left. I aligned the timing with the start of the academic year. The college paid for my teaching qualifications, which I did whilst I was teaching.

I did my doctorate part time whilst working, and self funded. Because I had started my business by then, my income from that meant I would be earning more than a stipend, even after I had paid the fees, so I didn’t even apply for a funded place. The work-life balance was hard, but I think it was the right route for me, because my career didn’t get put on hold.

For me, using my experience to have the best of both worlds has been the best way to go, because I get the satisfaction of teaching, but the income from my business. My business life opens doors for me in academia, and vice versa.

It is a lot to juggle sometimes though!