Asked a man out on a train

Author Zoë Folbigg asked out a man she’d fancied on her daily commute for more than a year. Now they’re married with two kids! 

I fancied a handsome stranger from afar on my daily commute. After almost a year of him not looking up from the book he was lost in, I realised I had to act. I was single and not meeting guys I liked as much as I liked the look of this guy. So I wrote him a note, asking if he would like to go for a drink, and I put my email address at the bottom. 

Initially he rejected me! Unsurprisingly, the hot cerebral stranger, who always gave up his seat if other people, already had a girlfriend. He emailed me to say thanks, but he couldn’t. I was embarrassed and disappointed, but I got on with my life. Eight months later, he messaged me to say his circumstances had changed and asked if I still fancied that drink. I didn’t have to think twice. We’re about to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary and have two teenage sons. I wrote a book, The Note, based on the story of how we met, and it became a bestseller, which goes to show how that one leap changed both my personal life and career in amazing ways I could never have predicted. My advice? Always go for it.

Zoë’s latest book, Fairytale Of New York is out now.

Quit the city to start a business

Gayle Berry set up her own baby massage company, Blossom & Berry, which is now a million-pound business. 

Having studied for seven years, I started my career as a project finance lawyer in the City. But I was miserable! I took a short break to South Africa and on that trip, aged 26, I fell (unexpectedly) pregnant with my daughter Emily. A very happy accident! I went to a baby massage class with her and realised the power of nurturing care for parents and babies. By the time I left that one-hour class, I knew I wanted to teach baby massage and leave my job. It was a pretty wild decision, but I found a training course and signed up – everything after that flowed.

After I’d been teaching for five years I set up my own training school, Blossom & Berry – and it’s now a million-pound business, with over 2,000 teachers, four global branches and numerous charitable projects. I got to spend time with my family and help others. I love to create, teach and empower and my business gifts this to me every day. Always trust your instincts and go forward even if the path isn’t clear. Blossom & Berry has been the best adventure ever. 

Lifted weights competitively

Yanar Alkayat competed in Olympic weightlifting. She’s now a Personal Trainer and has launched her own yoga therapy and functional fitness business. 

Not many people step onto a weightlifting platform to compete in Olympic lifting – aged 40! I didn’t have a strength training background – I’d spent most of my 20s and up to my mid-30s running – but I got myself a coach to work one-to-one on improving my skills and lined up my first weightlifting competition. I didn’t realise it at the time but that decision led me to change physically and mentally: turning my relationship with food and body into something more balanced. The focus was no longer on shrinking myself through exercise but on fuelling myself to build strength and performance.

I was training five days a week. It became the healthiest hobby I’d ever had and gave me clarity, focus and discipline. This translated to mental wellness in the rest of life. I became less anxious as a person. Thanks to my journey and the amazing coaches I’ve worked with, I now love working with others (mainly women) who want to build a stronger body for life. It set me on a path where I would go on to train as a PT and, a few years later, launch my own yoga and functional fitness business Yanar Mind & Movement. Just remember, confidence doesn’t grow overnight. It’s a trickle effect that expands from doing slightly challenging things, regularly.

Took her family on a gap year

Clare Fisher went on a family gap year with her husband Ian and three kids, Kallan (12), Maddison (10) and Abel (3), which sparked a sideline career as an influencer.

We’d always wanted to travel, but work, finances and commitments, like school, meant we were only ever able to holiday once or twice or year for short periods. We then lost Ian’s nan suddenly due to illness and, shortly after, a close family friend. It made us realise life is fleeting and that, if we wanted to travel, we had to go for it. We saved hard for a year before setting off on a 12-month tour of Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

The year we took out together (2018) changed our lives in more ways than I can ever begin to explain – I cry (in a good way!) just thinking about it. I’ll forever cherish the time we spent together when our children were young. We realise now, more than ever, how quickly they grow up. At home in the UK, quality time together was in short supply and, when we did manage to get together, we were too tired or poor to do anything. Ditching the 9-5 was a much-needed break for us as working parents. It was thrilling and broadened our horizons in every way possible. If you’ve been thinking about taking off? Plan, prepare and go for it, because you don’t get another life! We’re now planning another gap year in 2025/26.

Follow the Fisher family’s adventures on Instagram @travetheworldfamily

Switched career

Cathryn Kipling took the leap and changed career mid-life from a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENco) to a yoga teacher 

Why did I quit my career? In a word, burnout! I spent 30 years working 45hr weeks, completing three degree courses and raising two children. Initially I had my dream job as I have always been passionate about enabling all children to have a good life and found it rewarding (if tiring). I had been practicing yoga for around 10 years when I took the leap and signed up to Lotus Love Yoga during 2020-2021. I wasn’t planning to teach yoga full-time, but after leaving my job I was offered some cover yoga teaching and thought maybe everything just happens for a reason – so I gave it a go! This led to more cover work and, after two years, the confidence to set up Cathryn Kipling Yoga.

The one and only downside is the drastic reduction in income. However, this is completely outweighed by: the improvement in my mental and physical health, the freedom to work when it suits me (not getting up at 6am is a biggy!), more time to look after myself (I had always come last!) and my family. Yoga as a way of life has changed this. Changing careers is scary, but do it! You are your first priority – do what makes you happy.