When the Job Ends, Who Are You Next? — with Victoria Georgalakis - Scaling New Heights: Leadership at the Next Level

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When the Job Ends, Who Are You Next? — with Victoria Georgalakis

Episode 99 • 5th October 2026 • Scaling New Heights: Leadership at the Next Level • Nick Sellers

What happens when a career you have enjoyed comes to an end — particularly when the timing isn't entirely your choice?

In this episode of Scaling New Heights: Leadership at the Next Level, I’m joined by Victoria Georgalakis, former senior corporate executive, executive coach, trustee and — as it happens — my former boss.

Victoria reflects on her own transition from running the EMEA division of a global outsourcing business to building a very different portfolio of coaching, voluntary work and other interests.

We talk about the initial pleasure of stepping away from a demanding corporate role, and what happens when the novelty of having more time begins to wear off. We explore the emotions that can accompany an unexpected career change, particularly the loss of control when a carefully imagined future suddenly disappears.

But our conversation goes further than simply asking, “What job should I do next?”

What did your career actually give you? Was it money, status, identity, purpose, relationships, stimulation, a sense of success — or something else? And do you need another full-time role to replace those things?

Victoria describes how, after leaving corporate life, she initially introduced herself by explaining what she had done “until recently”. Over time, she decided she no longer needed her previous job to define who she was.

We also explore how decades of corporate experience can transfer into very different environments, the importance of communication and being open to feedback, and why an unexpected change can sometimes create opportunities that would otherwise never have appeared.

Finally, Victoria offers some practical questions for anyone facing or considering a significant career transition: understand what your career has meant to you, what you will miss, and what you actually need from whatever comes next.

Perhaps the next chapter doesn't have to look anything like the last one.

In this episode:

00:00 Welcome and Introductions

01:13 Why Transition Matters

02:39 Post-Corporate Decompression

03:19 Finding Coaching and Purpose

04:44 Emotions and Losing Control

06:55 Choosing a New Direction

13:12 Identity Beyond the Job

15:30 Volunteering and Transferable Skills

19:16 Communication, Feedback and Change

23:53 Joy, Balance and Silver Linings