I am a Management Accountant by profession, though left the “corporate world” of full-time work in 2013 after a successful 15+ year career in Retail Finance.  Whilst I had a great career, with a great package & all that went with it, my work:life balance was less than ideal & at times quite simply grim! The long working hours coupled with a high impact sport in my short weekends – I am a keen wakeboarder – resulted in back issues & eventually time off work.   Whilst taking some time out of the rat race, I did a lot of thinking; my life wasn’t quite where I wanted it to be, something had to change, & I knew my days of sitting endlessly at a computer had to stop.

I am happy to say I was able to resolve my back issues through a total commitment to exercising daily which to this day remains a non-negotiable aspect of my daily routine.  However, when my office & position relocated to Switzerland in 2013, I surprised everyone & declined the offer to relocate; instead, opting for voluntary redundancy.  I took some time out of the corporate treadmill to recharge, at which point I had a vision of a portfolio career.  I wanted to be my own boss, & I wanted to be more active, though wasn’t quite sure how that would map out.