Founder of The Whole Man Academy Anthony Astbury on changing careers midlife, how coaches help men figure out what they really want and his client who quit the police to sell pizzas and is making loads of money.
Watch a PREVIEW of the chat below:
Watch or listen to the FULL CHAT below:
If you hate it, it might not be the right job
Men’s performance coach Anthony Astbury was a high earner working in London’s financial district, aka ‘The City.’
But after two decades he chucked in a prosperous career, moved to The Cotswolds and set up The Whole Man Academy.
He says you’ll know it’s time to change career when what you do everyday seems to be the exact opposite of what you enjoy doing.
“I grew up on a farm, we had about twenty-seven acres of land and I loved being outside,” Astbury told Sport and Life.
“I knew about health and that sitting at a desk for ten hours looking at little numbers, under artificial light and not moving could not be good for me or what I was supposed to do.
“Was I honestly going to stay up into my sixties talking about financial products? I could not do that.”
“I grew up on a farm, we had about twenty-seven acres of land and I loved being outside…”
But the job might not be the problem
Don’t send the resignation email just yet though. Astbury says he’s worked with clients who actually realise the job isn’t what they need to change.
“For some men I’ve worked with they realise they lacked a level of gratitude.
“One guy I worked with was asking ‘do I change my career?’
“For some men I’ve worked with they realise they lacked a level of gratitude.”
“We went through things and he came back to me and said ‘you’ve helped me realise I actually have a good job. I’d forgotten to realise how lucky I am.’”
When you’re loaded but still don’t like your life
So, if not money or the job what other areas can leave men feeling stuck in their middle years? It’s a long check list of life arenas.
“Each man is made of a lot of different parts…motivation, accountability, focus, family health, blah, blah, blah.
“I know guys who’ve got most of their life sorted out, but one area might be letting them down. They might have loads of money in the bank, but their marriage has gone to crap.”
What men want
How do you know what area of life we need to change when we’re feeling in a funk?
Well you might need a bit of help from a chap like Astbury. He won’t tell you what to do – but he will help you realise what you really WANT to do.
“I’ve worked with ex military men who suddenly come out into the real world and you have to ask them, ‘well, what are you now?”
“If you want to have transformation there has to be an awareness that something needs to change because you’re finding yourself in a gap.
“You’re here in the gap and you want to be there with an end result.
“I’ve worked with ex military men who suddenly come out into the real world and you have to ask them, ‘well, what are you now?”
From the police to pizzas
Too much certainty in your job can be boring and soul draining, but the complete uncertainty of a career change can be terrifying.
“By July of this year he’d managed to quit the police force and had his first ten-thousand-pound month.”
With uncertainly comes the possibility of big upsides though – like the copper who quit to sell pizzas.
“He came to me about a year ago and said ‘I don’t want to do this anymore.’
“We went through everything and he told me he understood how food trucks and pizza vans worked.
“By July of this year he’d managed to quit the police force and had his first ten-thousand-pound month.”
To find out more about The Whole Man Academy and its various levels of membership:
