A New Chapter: My Journey as a Career Development Speaker
Every so often, we reach a point in our careers where the horizon seems to shift a little. Not dramatically. Not abruptly. But enough to make us pause, reflect and ask the kind of questions I help people explore through my programmes:
What matters most to me now?
Where do I do my best work?
What’s the next step that aligns with who I’m becoming?
I’ve spent years encouraging managers and employees to Learn from the Past, Dream about the Future and Take Action — the essence of my Career Conversation Model. Over the past few years, I realised I needed to apply that same model to my own career as a career development speaker.
Where I come most alive as a career development speaker
Looking back over thirteen years of running a leadership and career development business, the moments that stood out weren’t the ones I spent behind a laptop or coordinating logistics. They were the moments in rooms — physical or virtual — where real change began:
- Stepping onto a stage and feeling the energy lift
- Watching a manager gain the confidence to have a conversation they’d been avoiding
- Hearing from someone months later who’d made a bold career move after a workshop
- Training facilitators who would go on to create impact inside their own organisations
Looking back helped me gain the clarity that is so important when we are taking ownership of our career development.
Practising what I teach
If you’ve worked with me, you know I believe that careers evolve like an exciting journey. I believe that ownership is powerful; that clarity leads to momentum; that one conversation can change everything.
So I followed my own advice.
I asked myself what I wanted more of, what I wanted less of and what small steps I could take to move towards the future I wanted to create. Not in a dramatic way. Just honest, intentional reflection — the same process I guide others through in my keynotes and in my Career Compass and Confident Career Conversations masterclasses.
And the answer kept pointing me toward the work I love most as a career development speaker — keynotes, masterclasses and certification.
A simpler, more intentional way of working
Running a consultancy with multiple associates has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. Together, we’ve supported thousands of employees across more than forty countries. We’ve partnered with organisations including the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), FCDO Services, the NHS and the World Bank Group. I’m incredibly proud of the programmes we’ve delivered and the impact we’ve created.
But as time went on, I realised that the operational weight of running a larger business meant I was spending more and more time behind the scenes — and less time doing the work where I contribute the most.
I found myself wanting:
- more direct connection with audiences
- more creativity and storytelling
- more opportunities to inspire and equip people in the moment
- more focus, and fewer moving parts
- more alignment with the work that lights me up
This clarity didn’t arrive overnight. It emerged gradually, through patterns, conversations and honest reflection. Exactly as career decisions often do.
What this new chapter looks like
From now on, I’m focusing my work on three areas where I know I can make the biggest difference:
1. Keynotes
Inspiring audiences with human stories, practical insights and the COMPASS framework — helping people navigate a changing world of work with confidence and clarity. This is where I truly show up as a career development speaker.
2. Masterclasses
Running my signature sessions — Confident Career Conversations and Career Compass — to help managers and employees take real ownership of growth and development.
3. Certification
Training internal facilitators to deliver career development programmes in their own organisations so the impact continues long after the workshop ends.
And the rest? I’m simplifying. Focusing. Making space for work that feels meaningful and energising — the kind of work I want to spend this next chapter doing.
Introducing my new career development speaker website
This shift needed a home. A space that reflects who I am now and the work I’m here to do.
So, I’m delighted to share my new speaker website — a place designed to be warm, simple and practical.
Inside you’ll find:
- my keynote topics and masterclasses
- the COMPASS framework
- resources and tools you can use straight away
- case studies and stories of organisations doing career development well
- ways we can work together
My hope is that when you visit, you feel two things:
- Clarity about what I offer and
- Possibility about what career development could look like in your organisation.
What hasn’t changed
My mission remains the same: to increase employability and enjoyability by helping people grow, adapt and thrive — one career conversation at a time.
My belief remains the same: that conversations create change.
And my commitment to the organisations I work with remains unchanged.
I’ll still be sharing tools, insights and practical frameworks — especially the Career Conversation Model and the COMPASS framework — so managers and employees can take action long after the keynote ends.
What’s next
Over the coming months, I’ll be sharing more stories, lessons and resources from this transition — including examples of how organisations around the world are building cultures of career development.
If you’re looking for a career development speaker or someone to deliver a practical masterclass or facilitator certification, I’d love to explore how we can work together. You can book a time here:
https://bookus.page/antoinetteoglethorpe/antoinetteoglethorpe/lite/discovery-session
Thank you for being part of my journey so far. I’m excited about this new chapter and everything it makes possible.