In this episode of Finding Your Direction, we welcome Barry Loftus as he shares his inspiring career journey. Barry begins by sharing his early role in pharmaceutical sales which he found himself struggling in this type of environment during the economic downturn in 2007-2008. He discusses his struggles with job satisfaction, anxiety, and how the anxiety led to a loss of confidence and the resulting impact when he tried to change organisations on his performance in job interviews. A pivotal moment comes when Barry's father introduces him to an NLP coach, which leads to improved interview performance and also ultimately towards negotiating a redundancy package from a job that was no longer for him. Barry then finds himself pivoting his career, fueled by a rekindled love for sports and fitness, starting his fitness business in Mayo. Despite early financial struggles, Barry's perseverance and desire to continue learning and developing helped him to succeed in the challenging times. Finally Barry shares his unexpected path to becoming a published author, using writing as a coping mechanism and eventually publishing a book. Barry emphasizes the importance of support from friends and family and the value of seeking help in overcoming personal and professional challenges. 00:00 Introduction to Barry Loftus 00:14 Barry's Early Career Journey 01:07 Challenges and Turning Points 05:28 A New Direction: Fitness and Personal Growth 07:51 Building a Business from Scratch 17:07 The Writing Journey 22:38 Reflections and Advice 25:29 Support Systems and Final Thoughts Things that you will learn more about in this episode: 1) How to change careers when you are feeling really stuck. 2) Tools for helping rebuild confidence. 3) How to manage anxiety during career change. 4) How to pivot your career. 5) How to build a portfolio career that includes writing. Connect with Barry: https://www.instagram.com/strandfitness.ie/ https://www.strandfitness.ie/ Read Barry’s book: Baby Dara and the Sahara Connect with Emma: Instagram: @emmalynchcoaching Website: www.emmalynchcoaching.com Sign up to our bi-monthly newsletter here Book a short chemistry call to find out more here