Leaving Corporate to Work in the Outdoors: How to Retrain and Swap the Laptop for the Hills

📅 Tuesday 6 October 2026
🕖 7:00pm – 8:30pm (Online)

Have you ever found yourself staring out of the office window, wondering if there's more to life than meetings, emails and spreadsheets?

I know exactly how that feels.

Three years ago, I left my career as an NHS Project Manager after realising that my corporate job was making me deeply unhappy. I dreaded Monday mornings, spent my days behind a laptop, and felt disconnected from the life I really wanted to be living. I knew something had to change, but making the decision to leave a secure career was one of the biggest and most daunting choices I've ever made.

Fast forward to today, and I run my own outdoor adventure company, spending my working life helping people experience the outdoors. I'm now a qualified Mountain Leader, Bushcraft Instructor, Paddle Sports Instructor, Paddleboard Instructor and Archery Instructor, and I genuinely love what I do.

This wasn't a lifelong dream that I followed straight from school though, it was a complete career change as an adult. I know what it's like to question whether it's too late, worry about money, retrain while working, and wonder whether making such a big leap is really possible.

In the first of our Wild Winter Webinar Series, I'll share exactly how I made the transition, the lessons I learned along the way, and what I'd do differently if I were starting again today.

We'll cover:

• Why I decided to leave my corporate career.
• How I knew it was time to make a change.
• The realities of retraining for a career in the outdoors.
• Which qualifications I chose, what they involve, and how long they took.
• The costs, challenges and practicalities of changing careers.
• How I built experience and confidence before leaving my job.
• What it's really like running an outdoor adventure business.
• Different ways to earn a living in the outdoor industry.
• Common myths and misconceptions about working outdoors.
• Practical advice if you're thinking about making the switch yourself.
• Live Q&A—bring your questions!

Whether you're simply curious, actively considering a career change, or already taking your first steps towards working outdoors, this session will give you an honest, realistic insight into what's involved.

You'll leave with a clearer understanding of the opportunities available, the training routes you can take, and the practical steps you can begin taking straight away. Most importantly, you'll hear from someone who's been where you are now and successfully made the leap.

If you're ready to swap the laptop for the hills—or simply want to discover whether a career in the outdoors could be your future, I'd love you to join me.

Webinar to be hosted on Google Meet with a meeting link sent upon booking.