The Other Side

This week I’m joined by Suzie Rees, a fundraising consultant specialising in trusts and foundations, who shares how she gradually transitioned from in-house fundraising to self-employment. If you’re a charity professional considering going freelance, you’ll hear exactly what the work and your week can look like in practice.

This episode goes deep on sustainability, but we also go off on a tangent into hobbies and portfolio careers, including how an AI-fuelled wobble nudged Suzie back towards dry stone walling. Along the way we unpack productivity culture, the pressure to grow endlessly, and how to set ex...

Burnout can sneak up even when you love the mission, and the charity sector sees many people keep pushing until they crash. Jane sits down with Matt Middler, a fundraiser turned transformative coach, to unpack what happens when doing good starts making you question whether traditional roles could ever fit your energy and working style. 

We talk about making the move without a big leap: going part-time, training while still employed, and lowering outgoings can all aid a gradual transition. He explains why fundraising is surprisingly good training for business ownership, from storytelling and creativity, to relationship-first g...

This week we catch up with Alex Fearon on how she moved from charity generalist work to running Maybe Later, a specialist email marketing business for charities. If you’ve ever wondered whether email is “done”, Alex makes a strong case that charities have barely scratched the surface. 

We also talk about the less glamorous foundations that stabilise self-employment including revenue planning, setting realistic targets that respect seasons, keeping a tax pot, and having a monthly money date. Alex explains how she protects her energy with a four-day week, having no calls for one week each month, and pla...

You can be brilliant at fundraising and still feel stuck when it comes to going self-employed. I sit down with Michelle Stein, founder of Handmade Fundraising, to unpack what it really looks like to move from senior charity roles into a thriving fundraising consultancy.

We get into the practicalities of treating business development like major gift fundraising: setting clear income targets, planning out your pipeline, and focusing on the actions you can control. Michelle talks us through how she structures her time, why she keeps a dedicated day for sales and marketing activities, and how boundaries are...

We talk with Dawn Newton about moving from charity comms roles into long-term freelancing, and what it takes to build a career that fits your brain, your life, and the impact you want to make. Her move didn't just change her workload, it changed how she thinks about impact, confidence, and sustainability in the charity sector.

We explore Dawn's “teach someone to fish” approach: coaching and mentoring comms staff, helping charities tailor messages to different audiences, and using an iterative cycle of testing and learning rather than chasing perfection.

Charity Meetup networking is a big part...

Steve Allman discovered the charity sector as a teenage volunteer and loved it so much he never left. Coaching charity leaders and facilitating workshops, he’s designed a freelance life that works around real family needs.

We talk about how to make self-employment work after a long charity career: what resilience looks like when you’re responsible for your own income, how to avoid burnout, and why boundaries matter more than hustle. Steve shares how he moved through different freelance phases, from saying yes to almost everything (and undercharging for years) to getting clear on an offer that...

Cold outreach can feel like shouting into the void, especially when you’re under pressure to hit ambitious fundraising targets. That’s why this conversation with Michelle Benson lands so well: she’s been a fundraiser, she’s been a funder, and she’s built a thriving business by turning visibility into income.

Michelle shares what she learned after moving from charity roles into a trust fund environment. We unpack what happens when charities keep pushing one-to-one tactics while funders build pipelines through research, referrals, and signals of credibility. The result is a gap many fundraisers feel every day...

Your job can give you purpose, structure, and a handy answer to “what do you do?” but what happens when that label no longer fits? I’m joined by Ceri Sunu, an accidental fundraiser turned entrepreneur and CEO of Brabble, an inclusion consultancy serving arts, culture, heritage, and creative organisations. Ceri shares the real story behind leaving the charity sector, building a portfolio career, and learning how to “master my own time” without letting work take over her identity.

She opens up about time poverty, unexpected outcomes, and why creating from rest matters more than forcing productivity. Ceri expla...

What if redundancy wasn’t a setback but your invitation to design work on your terms? We sit down with Bethany Helliwell-Smith, a former fundraiser who turned crisis into clarity, building a coaching practice that helps freelancers and fundraisers do good and be well. 

We explore the habits that transfer from fundraising to freelancing, diving into the mindset work that frees many charity professionals: deprogramming nine-to-five thinking, moving from time-based pricing to output-based value, and holding boundaries so other people’s urgency doesn’t run your week. Expect practical tips on building community online and offline, protecting your en...

Ready to design work that fits your brain, your values, and your life? Jane sits down with Rebs, a digital communications and fundraising specialist who left senior charity roles to build a flexible consultancy. We unpack the practical steps behind a smooth transition: testing services as a side hustle, building a client base before quitting, and shaping a week that blends strategic work with hands-on delivery.

Rebs shares how being autistic led them to rethink productivity and energy. We talk candidly about feast-and-famine cycles, why a financial buffer beats bravado, and the one safeguard too many freelancers...

Thinking about trading a senior charity post for a life with fewer meetings and more meaning? We sit down with fundraiser-turned-freelancer Analiese Doctrove to map a path that balances family, focus, and real sector impact. 

We get practical about the move: lining up early clients through warm contacts, announcing the shift on LinkedIn, and joining supportive communities that value collaboration over competition. Analiese shares how core fundraising skills translate seamlessly to consulting, while self-promotion needs a fresh mindset. 

You’ll hear what the first month really feels like: quiet mornings without Slack pings, deep work that...

We sit down with Craig Linton, co-founder of Thread Fundraising and co-author of Donors for Life, drawing out practical steps for a low-risk move into consulting.

Across this candid chat, we dig into the skills that transfer directly from fundraising to business ownership: clear storytelling, supporter care reimagined as client care, and evidence-led decisions. We also grapple with pricing: where generosity meets boundaries, and why working for free can undercut your impact.

Craig explains how to build private AI brains from your proven frameworks, using a “critical friend” prompt to catch blindspots, and turning blank page...

Ready to turn a solid charity career into a resilient, human-centred freelance practice? Jane sits down with leadership coach and My Emotional Work Life host, Jen McCanna, to explore how she moved from events fundraising to learning and development and built a coaching business that lasts. Jen shares the underrated skills that still pay off, and how they translate into confident facilitation and trusted delivery.

We dig into energy management as strategy, not self-care fluff: the rhythm of client days and desk days, the power of social energy, and the telltale sign she watches for as a...

In Episode 8 of The Other Side, Simon Scriver shares how two failed ventures shaped a thriving, accessible training community for fundraisers.  From street fundraising to global virtual events, Simon breaks down luck vs grit, why boring work matters and how to stop under-pricing your services. 

We also discuss hiring fears, building a supportive community without burning out and whether the charity sector is ready for the growth in freelance and consultant services. 

One of my fave episodes to date, listen on all your usual platforms and at the link below.

You can connect wit...

What if the top job isn’t the right job? Jenny Perez spent 30 years in the charity sector, rose to a national CEO role, and discovered that the work she loved most had been buried under daily operations and admin. Her path back to energising work runs through redundancy, a freelance contract in mentoring, and a master’s degree completed while solo parenting. The lesson is not about grit for its own sake, it’s about designing your days around the work that makes you come alive.

Jenny shares how she blended PAYE stability with freelance contracts to de...

Ready to trade a single job title for a life that actually fits? Jane sits down with former grants fundraiser Rosie Milsom to map her rewarding shift from sector employment to a flexible, purpose-led portfolio career. It starts with side projects and a LinkedIn post, winds through a deeply personal fertility journey, and lands on a simple insight with big consequences: self-worth powers everything.

Rosie shares the practical moves that made her transition stick: taking on training, launching coaching while employed, and negotiating part-time hours to create space for clients. We unpack the way she uses joy...

Ready to trade one-off wins for lasting momentum? Bright Spot founder Rob Woods joins us to unpack how charity professionals can build a sustainable, values-led business without burning out or getting lost in feast-or-famine cycles. Rob shares the pivotal moment he moved from training days to the Bright Spot Members Club, creating an environment where fundraisers stay inspired, practise proven techniques, and follow through long after the workshop buzz fades.

We talk strategy and structure: how to test offers by teaching, why consistency outperforms talent, and the daily habits that protect deep work. Rob describes the power...

This week Jane sits down with former small charity chief exec turned consultant, trainer, and social enterprise co-founder, Vic Hancock Fell. They unpack the power of a long runway, a clear offer, and a values-led business model. 

Vic shares how a master’s degree exposed the gap in sector support for small charities, and how that insight grew into two distinct paths: a personal consultancy of one-to-many leadership training, and Fair Collective, a not-for-profit matchmaking service connecting social good organisations with trusted freelancers.

We dive into the nuts and bolts of the associate model at Fai...

Jane sits down with Lesley Pinder, founder of Compass, her start up company that explores how charities can make generosity feel great by designing experiences that reflect human behaviour, not tidy funnels. 

We unpack the moment Lesley chose to leave the 9-5, why specialisation is key, and how “you don’t need a map, you need a compass” became the north star for her consultancy.

We talk practicalities too, from shaping consultancy offers from live demand, to carving out routines to protect deep work. 

Expect honest reflections on recovery after busy roles, the slow pat...

What happens when a scientist trades lab notes for writing stories that move donors to act? Richard Berks traces his path from research to charity communications to a sustainable freelance career, and the surprising tweet that sparked a community trusted by thousands for connection and clarity.

Richard shares the lesson many of us learn too late: offering everything is not a strategy. He breaks down how he narrowed his services to what medical research charities actually buy, offering donor-friendly content that shows how funding changes lives. We talk through shaping a niche without boxing yourself in, validating...

What if you could build a six-figure consulting business while still having time for the life you want? Cindy Wagman takes us on her fascinating journey from charity professional to thriving business coach who's helped over 100 nonprofit consultants create profitable, values-driven practices.

Cindy shares how she became an "accidental consultant" during maternity leave when her mentor suggested negotiating a contract instead of accepting a traditional job offer. With remarkable candour, she reveals the moment she shifted from feeling like she needed to "beg" for opportunities to confidently stating her terms—and how this fundamental mindset change transformed he...