Why Did I Start This Business?

A Sense of Direction, But No Destination…Yet.

Having a strong sense of what you want to pursue for your career even before you get to university, in my experience, is something of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it certainly gives you confidence, clarity and that razor-sharp focus on your studies. But, and this is the part no -one talks about enough - on the other hand, what happens if, like I did, you have a sense of direction but no clear destination? My passion in school was always words - reading voraciously, writing compelling arguments for why I reacted to a text a certain way, creating new worlds, characters & everything in between. It was the one thing I felt (and still do, emphatically) that I have a semblance of skill with, but I wasn’t set on what I wanted to do with my BA and MA in English Literature…

I’m Sensing A Pattern

And therefore, I found myself in a situation I suspect most graduates find themselves in armed with a freshly crafted CV and cover letter - applying for any and all jobs you can, just to gain that foot in the market and aiming for financial stability. That’s mentally draining at the best of times - but for me as a disabled jobseeker and full time wheelchair user there’s a whole multitude of other elements you have to contend with regarding accessibility, your needs and how they can best be met, and (at least in my case anyway), preconceptions about your capabilities.

I had a bit of an eclectic start to my career, my first job was a receptionist with a housing association, then I moved into marketing in the healthcare sector, and then marketing in the arts sector.

The latter in particular was as close to my “dream” career as I thought it could possibly get, given the fact the arts, especially theatre has been such a vital part of my life for as long as it has. 

And yet, through all three of these… I’m sensing a pattern: “we like you but” 

“We haven't been able to make the working environment fully accessible for you to do your job effectively, and we need to see some improvement.”

“We like you but we haven’t got the budget to keep you on like we had said we potentially could.”

“We like you, you've got a lot to offer, and you should definitely continue pursuing marketing as your career path, but you  are not progressing at the rate the job requires and therefore not ready yet”.

I’m not trying to blame the employers or diminish the fact that my performance might have been a contributory factor in their reaching the “but” and deciding to act on it. I’m grateful for each of those experiences even though none of the jobs worked out - I learned a lot about myself, met some brilliant people and got that all-important “experience” that the job market hinges on all too often.

That being said, repeated cycles of rejection hit me particularly hard as a disabled person, because in my experience: lots of elements in the way I navigate and exist in the world are already rooted in rejection and being excluded - consciously and unconsciously. Buildings aren’t accessible, people make assumptions and dismiss me out of hand. People are scared of doing anything that changes the status quo. All of that prevents me from making meaningful progress, despite my effort & commitment. 

The burnout  I was experiencing from feeling trapped in that cycle was incredibly intense, both mentally and physically, and I ended up just knowing that I couldn't continue in it and something needed to change. Something that kept coming up that stuck with me was that various people in my life were asking me if I had ever considered leaving traditional employment behind  & setting up my own business. The prospect was incredibly appealing, but my insecurities felt louder. Thing is, it kept coming up - surely that meant something…

Changing tactic

I was put into contact with an organisation called Accessibility Partners who support disabled people into, return to and stay in employment. Their bread and butter is supporting clients through the Access to Work process; namely the funding you can apply for for those “reasonable adjustments” that allow you to do your job effectively, including things like equipment and support workers. We had multiple “strategy coaching sessions” to talk about my current situation, how my disability impacts me day to day, and my career goals. From there, they helped me set up everything I needed to become self employed, and unpack the basics of what my business would be.

Feeling empowered

As a disabled person, navigating a world that both physically and attitudinally isn't set up for your success can be demoralising., I established Curtain Call Consultancy to give me full control, dispel those accessibility challenges, and provide a sense of empowerment in pursuing a career that blends my passion for and skillset! The difference in my mindset has been night and day, and though the challenges are different now, they no longer feel insurmountable, because they’re about the choices I make as a business owner - not defined by how I navigate the world. 

Copywriting & content creation needn’t feel overwhelming - in fact in my experience, that tends to come from feeling blocked, unsure or time poor despite having confidence in your business. That’s where I’ll come in - taking that pressure off your plate, giving you your time and energy back to focus on what really matters. Sound appealing? Contact me today to get the ball rolling!