Case studies

Ronan Carter

from Consulting to Wellbeing Entrepreneur

What were you doing prior to coming to The Career Psychologist?

After graduating from Nottingham University (Geography, 1st), I took the ‘typical’ route…

Graduate entry to a large US management-consultancy, paid lots, made to feel important despite the poor work and horrendous hours. Still,  allowed me to work for 12 years in a few different large consulting organisations, specialising in Supply Chain Management. My last role was managing the EMEA implementation of one of the world’s largest outsourcing deals.

Why did you originally come to The Career Psychologist?

My last role with the outsourcing consultancy was complex and full of politics. I thrive on challenge and wanted to get involved in something more fulfilling – something I was passionate about.  Myself and a good friend brainstormed such business ideas and after months came up with nothing solid. My friend is a super-bright ‘thinker’ – critiquing every idea – and I’m a ‘do-er’. Thus, I was getting frustrated at the lack of action. I stumbled across the Career Psychologist on Escape The City. I loved the approach of advising how to get out of a career ‘rut’ – one that I could clearly identify I was in; I wanted something different but I didn’t know how to take action to get it or have the courage to do it myself.

What was your experience of The Career Psychologist?

I spent hours doing the online questionnaires and studying the slides The Career Psychologist had online. I loved finding out about myself and why I was making the choices – and procrastination – that I was. I loved learning about the science of why we take the actions – or inaction – that we do in our lives and careers. I reached out to Rob Archer to bounce a few ideas off him – should I or should I not quit my job and take a jump into the world of startups. Rob was amazing. He had wonderfully simple and pragmatic advice, most simply summarised as: “what is the worst that could happen if you made the move”.

This gave me the confidence to stop thinking and start doing. I started to search for start-up businesses which I admired and could see myself starting something similar to. I came across one, PleaseCycle, and approached the two founders. I found myself loving the idea and effectively de-risked starting a business by offering to join their business. I juggled this with my consulting day-job and eventually got offered a decent equity stake and Directorship to take the business to the next level.

What are you doing now?

I’ve now been with Yomp (we rebranded) for two years. We have set a company up which incentivises staff in large companies to get healthier – through competition and gamification delivered through technology and mobile apps. With clients such as Bloomberg and EDF Energy, we have rocketed in the last two years – went through a fund-raising round, eight staff and now cash-flow positive. It’s hard work, stressful, but very rewarding. I love what I do – and it’s for myself. The future may be a little less certain than if I were back in a large corporate, but that’s the fun.

How do you feel about the future?

Positive. Largely due to my work with Rob and the Career Psychologist material / approach, I feel that even if things don’t work out with Yomp (small tech startups come and go), I’ve enjoyed the ride. I’ve learned more about myself and business in 2 years doing this than 12 years in the ‘big corporate’ world. Rob helped me realise that if it does go south, what’s the worst that could happen…? Get another job, another adventure.

BIG thanks to Rob & the team at The Career Psychologist.