Linda Ransom
Linda Ransom tells us that, “I am a leadership, careers and life coach. In my former life, I worked for over 20 years in a global corporation where I started as an entry level analyst and finished my career as a director leading global teams and managing the operational functionality of the flagship loyalty program. One of the best things about my corporate life was supporting individuals to progress their careers and realise their aspirations – it’s for this reason I became a coach. I lived in Italy for over 15 years and have a passion for travel and have been all over the world for work and for pleasure. I breed burmese cats and I live on the South Coast in the UK.
What were your initial years of growing up like? Tell us about your life before starting your corporate journey/venture/initiative.
I really wasn’t very good at school, my parents divorced when I was quite young and I found it difficult to focus at school and I didn’t do very well in my exams. I went to live in London and undertook a secretarial course and got my first proper job when I was 16. I always knew that I wanted to be successful, earn good money and have a meaningful job, however, I could never put my finger on it and didn’t know what it was that I wanted to do.
When I was 21, I decided to go live in Italy as I found that I loved the culture, the weather, the people and I started to work for the United Nations. I had an amazing circle of friends and a great job and I was beginning to taste what it meant to have a good salary and opportunities that I could strive for.
Fast forward 15 years, I returned to the UK as a single mum with still no idea what I was going to do. I grew up in Brighton and decided that I wanted to work for American Express as they were the biggest employer in the city and I got a job working for them as an analyst. I was deeply unhappy with my career prospects as it felt like I had taken a step back however, I had to go to work and earn money to support my daughter and I. It was at this time that I first went to see a career coach to figure out what I wanted and he asked me to write my own job description. The coaching led me to undertake a part-time degree while working full time and suddenly everything changed, career opportunities opened up for me and I started to get promoted – this was because my leaders saw potential in me and a desire for me to learn and grow – I displayed what is now called a growth mindset and a dedication to my personal development.
Twenty years later, I could say that I had a wonderful career at American Express and the job description that I wrote when I first returned to the UK, was exactly what I ended up doing – traveling the world for work going between London, New York, Sydney and Tokyo and leading teams in Australia and the UK. I know I worked really hard throughout my career and it wasnt just luck that made sure that I achieved my ambitions, but it was hard work, dedication, authenticity and a continuous belief that I could achieve my dreams.
Every industry that is now a large-scale, top-notch business once started as a small idea in the minds of entrepreneurs. What was that idea or motivation that made you start your business /initiative? What motivated you within to say YES, go for it!”
Let’s face it, my career wasn’t linear or straightforward. I had setbacks along the way, disappointments in not securing promotions, difficult leaders and for a long time not really knowing where I wanted to go. When I became a leader, I got so much pleasure out of helping my teams develop, I loved working on career advancement and talent development – it was really rewarding to see my team get their next role and achieve their ambitions. I developed a followership at work because young people starting out in their careers wanted to know my story.
It was this that made me realise that the next step in my career was to focus on career and leadership development and to support individual’s and especially women to gain clarity around their own path and to help them achieve their ambitions.
Would you like to share with our young budding women entrepreneurs the change you would like to see in the world if given an opportunity?
I would like to make sure that every young woman has the opportunity to experience coaching for themselves as it would help them to grow in confidence, be clearer about what they want to achieve and to be more certain of their decision making. Coaching is really transformative in helping overcome limiting beliefs, change perspectives, be more open and aware of choices and opportunities and to provide the foundations for a happier, more fulfilled life.
Women are a growing force in the workplaces worldwide, standing shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts. There are cracks in glass ceilings everywhere, with many women breaking through to carve out a space right at the top of the pyramid. What are your thoughts about women leadership today?
For me it’s like voting, our great-great-grandmothers made sure that we have our say and that we can speak up and be counted. It’s the same in the workplace, more and more women are getting more equal opportunities, however, young women still need to overcome their own limiting beliefs that we live in a male dominated world and instead understand that they are smart, intelligent, have all the answers and therefore they should stand up tall and have the confidence in their own power.
What’s the most important thing you have learned in your personal life and professional journey? What is your personal motto in life?
Never give up. None of us know what is around the corner and so if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again 🙂
With your grit and determination, you are making a considerable impact, breaking through, and serving as role models for many budding entrepreneurs. What would you want to say to our young women leaders/audience reading this?
Don’t be afraid. You have the solutions inside of you, listen to your inner voice. Go after your dream because you can make it a reality. If you would like to know more about how coaching could help you realise your potential, please reach out!