escape the city

When we spend over ⅓ of our week working, we need to be alive in what we do and do something that matters to us. Which is why Dominic Jackson founded Escape The City in 2010, with his former co-founder Rob Symington. 

“It's out there for everyone and it's never been more accessible. There's really not much excuse these days to work for a cause that you don't believe in. So find that cause and be excited about it every day.”

In this latest episode, Dom talks about being lost in a large organisation and the process of leaving a corporate job to start your own business. Why our fear of failure increases as our business becomes more successful. And the very difficult moment when you have to break up with your co-founder and deal with all the emotions surrounding that. 

“When you start a business it's like a marriage and you don't ever envisage what it would be like when it ends.”

Dom’s initial purpose with Escape The City was to build a platform to enable 1 million people in the corporate world to transition into fulfilling work. He hasn’t reached this goal yet, but his journey is well underway. 

“There are so many people out there who are working in jobs that they don't like or working for organisations that are really not making the world a better place.”

From the motivation for founding Escape The City, to what drives Dom to get out of bed each morning, to how he sees the working world shifting, how he inspires his team, and going it alone. Don’t miss this incredibly emotional conversation with a very hyper curious entrepreneur. 

On today’s podcast:

• The genesis of Escape The City
• Chasing for impact, not money
• Why his biggest fear is failure
• Moving on from breaking up with a co-founder
• Inspiring his team

Links:

• https://www.escapethecity.org/

Louise hit the heights of a legal career that many desire; working for a Magic Circle law firm. However, it soon became clear to Louise that that way of working  wasn't a high for her at all and it proved to be pivotal in hitting her "rock bottom". It was that low which actually paved the way for a new path for Louise when doors serendipitously opened during her recovery phase which led her  back into one of her childhood passions; music.  My favourite part of this journey is when Louise takes a temp job at HMV - hell yehhh! Not one to sit on the side lines and do things by halves, Louise has cultivated a freelance career in the music and radio world which has seen her working across BBC Radio with the likes ofJo Whiley, Lauren Laverne and Annie Mac, working for ABC radio in Australia, being a music journalist for BBC Radio 6, producing and presenting her own radio show (The Flip Side for Reform Radio) and  producing numerous podcasts including Annie Mac's! Need I go on...

Louise describes herself as a creative go-getter, which I totally agree with! She's got such a fire in her, can make sh*t happen AND she's also soooooo creative! This is one of the many reasons why she's legally different to me.

In this episode we cover:-

• Louise's path into law - humble northern beginnings to a top global law firm.
• The highs of trainee lawyer life, including a secondment to Paris.
• Mental health
  • feeling deeply low and not knowing what was wrong
  • open shares around tears before work and in the office toilets
  • pressures of a Magic Circle firm including expectations of doing 'all nighters'
• Hitting "rock bottom" with  depression and a break down:-
  • leaving London and entering the recovery phase
  • feelings during the “low period”
  • finding purpose and igniting inner passion- via a temp job at HMV (this is one of my fave convos - deep insights into the  'simplicity' of this job but the power it had in 'saving' Louise and igniting her spark for life again).
• Doors start to open, work experience at Radio Cumbria, shadowing Jo Wiley and working for the BBC in London.
• Living / working in Australia.
• Diving into Louise's current freelance work in the audio + music world (including being Annie Mac's podcast producer).
• Finding law again, working for Ignition law on an agile / flexible basis and balancing this with the creative  audio work.
• The meaning of 'labels' we give ourselves (such an interesting convo around that!)
• What Louise would tell the earlier version of herself if she could have a chat with her.
• Why Louise is Legally Different.

CONTACT INFO + LINKS

You can find Louise's website here and connect with her via Instagram here.

Legally Different:-

• Instagram:@legallydifferent 
• Email: hello@legallydifferent.com

Thanks for tuning in!

Lauren