The Courageous Leaders Podcast

When Your Company No Longer Fits You - Sedge Beswick on Identity, Fear and Hard Decisions

Joanna Howes Episode 183

How do you know when it’s time to walk away - even from something you’ve built yourself?

Sedge Beswick, consultant, advisor, speaker, and founder, digs deep into what it really takes to make bold career moves, step back as a CEO, and create space for what matters most. 

If you’ve ever wondered how to balance ambition with family, deal with overwhelm, and lead with honesty, this episode is for you.

We cover: 
00:00 – Introduction 
01:28 – The courage to change 
02:51 – Breaking the “hamster wheel” cycle 
05:49 – Building success without a rulebook
 07:55 – Childhood confidence and workplace impact 
11:31 – The blunt reality of being direct at work 
13:38 – Managing people older than you 
16:32 – ASOS culture and handling growing pains 
18:00 – When opportunity changes your course 
19:35 – The power of community for business growth 
21:52 – Courage to step down as CEO 
22:27 – Mistakes made during maternity leave 
23:15 – Hard lessons from deal fatigue 
24:43 – Watching someone else lead your business 
25:57 – Selling shares and choosing a new path 
28:35 – Creating a life with more presence 
29:22 – Letting go of identity and titles 
32:38 – Pivoting your career with purpose 
36:46 – The challenge of saying no and setting boundaries 
39:45 – Building a portfolio career and helping others 
42:42 – Managing overwhelm and keeping priorities straight 
44:01 – Finding headspace as a working parent 
45:04 – Do ambition and family ever truly integrate? 
48:30 – Advice your future self would give now 
50:01 – The power of pausing before big decisions

Don’t miss out on this powerful episode on entrepreneurship, business growth, motherhood and more! 

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