I quit my cushy job right before a global pandemic and here’s what happened…
A story of luck (or lack of it), cancer and grit.
I loved my job. I had been working as an Investment Director for Big Society Capital, a social investment wholesaler, for nearly seven years and absolutely loved it. We were making a difference, changing lives, being all strategic and stuff. But to tell the truth, I wanted more. I wanted to be closer to the impact – closer to people, and closer to the change. I wanted to be master of my own ship.
So I decided to pack up and join Antler as an aspiring entrepreneur in the first week of March 2020. The programme brings around 70 talented individuals together, who all want to start businesses, and lets the magic happen. I came in with a list of 43 ideas saved into Notes on my iPhone, and wide-eyed enthusiasm for what was to come over the following ten weeks.
Little did I know that “a packet of genetic material surrounded by a spiky protein shell one-thousandth the width of an eyelash” called coronavirus would disrupt my own disruption. Our cohort had two weeks to get to know each other in person – wining and dining and workshopping and powerpointing. I’ve told many people it felt like an odd mix of Love Island and The Apprentice — trying to find your life (business) partner while completing pitch challenges, like addressing the future of ageing or designing for the circular economy. And after all that fun packed into just ten days, we were banished to our homes for 8+ hours a day of video calls with our peers, trying our best to get deep on motivation, intention and ideas.
Little did I know that the coronavirus would disrupt my own disruption.
Surviving through a crisis is not a first for me. I moved to the UK from Canada in September 2008 to start my MBA at Oxford University’s Said Business School. Classes started literally two weeks after Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, catapulting the world into the biggest global recession — and lack of requirement for newly trained MBAs — it had seen in a very long time, some say since the Great Depression of the 30s. And here we are again. I promise to warn everyone next time I am contemplating a massive life change!
Unfortunately, the magic didn’t happen for me at Antler. I didn’t find the co-founder of my dreams. I did, however, with Antler’s expert guidance, find my passion.
Which just so happens to be cancer. Or more specifically, improving people’s journeys with cancer. I was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in 2015, at age 32. It was tough. Like, really tough. I lost all my hair, gained lots of weight from steroids, lost my mojo, and battled through. About a year later the f$%@& lump was back. In the same exact spot, and hadn’t spread anywhere else, but boy was that a wake-up call. Somehow even more so than the initial diagnosis. Fortunately I’ve been cancer-free for over two years now — and I’m ready to put my skills to work to help people like me who are going through a pretty shitty time, or are trying to forget and move on.
Liminal Health is a digital coach for people affected by chronic and long-term conditions, including cancer. We will be launching a pilot this summer with 5 coaches and 100 patients. We will learn loads from this pilot, and I’m looking forward to making a real difference in the lives of people facing long-term illness. If anyone is keen to take part, please do get in touch!
I say ‘we’ because thankfully some great things have come from the horrible little virus. I’ve had three amazing people ‘Furlonteer’ their time with me: a two-time CTO founder, and two amazing individuals from Cancer Research UK. I never would have been able to access this level of support under normal circumstances. So thank you for that precious silver lining, little virus. And also thank you for my £1200 annual train ticket refund and giving me back 2.5–3 hours of commuting time every day!
As Liminal heads into the Antler Investment Committee this coming week to pitch for pre-seed investment, I’m hopeful for the future. This week will massively influence the direction my little fledgling company will take over the next few months. But rest assured, it’s happening regardless. As I’ve found my thing. Thank you Antler!
Ever wonder what happened? Find the sequel post here.
