15 Dec Following my heart
First published on First Magazine December 2013
I have recently given up my job as brand and communications manager at a big telecommunications company to work as PR and marketing manager at Inspire, the foundation that works for the inclusion of people with disabilities in society. Here’s an interview I gave to the inimitable Colin Fitz (editor or First Magazine) explaining why I made the switch from the corporate to the charity world.
Photography: Jacob Sammut. Make-up: Kathryn Fenech Soler.
WHY DID YOU MAKE THIS CHANGE?
I’m answering this on my brother’s 32nd birthday, which is apt as he’s probably the single most influential reason why I made this switch. He suffers from an intellectual disability due to a silly misdiagnosis at birth. Because of this, for as long as I can remember, I’ve always been involved in some voluntary or charitable work that had something to do with people with learning difficulties or intellectual disabilities. Friends always questioned my need to be involved in such causes; they wondered why I would choose to be around what they considered to be a sad issue; they figured that once I had a good dose of it at home, I’d want to run and get away from it once I’m out of the house. But for me, it wasn’t sad at all. Working for these causes always uplifted me more than anything else that I could have done in my free time.
WHY NOW?
Why not now is probably a better question. You see, I’ve always wanted to do this for a living, but I could never ‘afford’ to go and work for a charity…Then, this opportunity came at a time when I felt that I could afford it. I’ve been working in marketing for the past 15 years, with the last 10 being in the fast paced rat race that is the world of telecoms. I’ve also been freelance writing since 1995, with features published in almost all national publications. So I’ve spent most of my life so far getting my act together on the financial side. Having done this, I was quick to recognise that I needed to move on to the next big thing on my bucket list – doing what I’m passionate about for a living.
IT’S PROBABLY A STEP DOWN FINANCIALLY THOUGH, ISN’T IT?
When my Dad got married he had Lm10 in his pocket. He then built a humble business from scratch and worked day in day out, sometimes 16 hours a day. He was my hero, and always will be, except that I recongise today that he made one big mistake – when he got to the stage that he could afford to cut down on working and enjoy life a little, he had forgotten how to do it. All he knew was work, so he kept pushing and pushing and working like he was still the man with only Lm10 in his pocket. Two years ago it caught up with him and he had to retire under duress. I swore to myself that I would never let that happen to me because whilst money comes and goes, life just goes and never comes back.
YOU’RE APPROACHING 40… WAS A MID– LIFE CRISIS INVOLVED IN YOUR DECISION?
Who’s approaching the big 4-oh? You talking to me? Joking aside, the truth is I’ve always had an issue with age: young age, that is. I’ve always lied about my age, always adding a year or two to my real age. I figure it’s better for people to think that I’m a 50 year-old who looks 30, than a 30 year old who looks 40. So no, I don’t suppose it’s anything to do with a midlife crisis. If it is, I guess it’s better than spending my life savings on a sports car.
HOW DID YOU TAKE THIS DECISION? DID YOU ASK PEOPLE FOR ADVICE?
Surprisingly, even though it was an opportunity that seemed tailor-made for me, it was an incredibly agonising decision to take. First of all it’s the first time I decided to force myself not to look exclusively at the financial bottom line, and secondly, I wasn’t unhappy in my previous role, except that, by my standards, it was getting a little bit old. I spoke to every family member, friend, and anyone who would listen, and I was still as confused as ever. Then one day a complete stranger – a woman I had met only 48 hours earlier – somehow made it all fall all into place. Because she didn’t know me too well, and because she was unencumbered with all the details, she presented a simple equation and the answer pointed towards Inspire. The decision was made there and then, never to be questioned again.
WORKING FOR A CHARITY WILL BE DIFFERENT FROM WORKING IN THE CORPORATE WORLD. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR LASTING MEMORIES FROM YOUR PREVIOUS CAREER?
The best memories I have, have very little to do with the work itself. I’ve travelled all over, I’ve experienced many things, and I’ve played with millions of Euro, but my best memories are of people. I’ve met some incredible people along the way; people I met by chance, sometimes in conflict situations, with whom I often started off on the wrong foot, and who somehow transformed themselves into friends, some very best friends in fact. My worst memories are of the occasional dark phases in all of the various places I worked for – phases I’m sure many who work in the corporate world pass through. It’s an elusive feeling that gets to you over time. You feel you’re doing well and that you’re doing everything you can to push the company in the right direction, but the hopelessness caused by corporate politics, certain blurred values, and the backstabbing of certain individual corporate climbers insists on taking up residence in the pit of your stomach.
WHAT ARE YOUR NEW DUTIES AT INSPIRE?
I am in charge of marketing, communications and PR, as I was in previous jobs, getting as much exposure in the media as possible and building relationships with stakeholders, except that this time, I am doing it for a good cause, or rather a cause I believe in wholeheartedly.
YOU HAVE SWITCHED JOBS A NUMBER OF TIMES IN YOUR CAREER. IS CHANGING JOB EVERY FEW YEARS SIMPLY A FACT OF MODERN LIFE?
I’ve changed three jobs in 15 years; it’s a good average for today’s world. And for the past 10 years I’ve been in the same industry which feels like less of a change. I think that in professions like mine moving around every few years is healthy. It keeps you motivated and interested, a bit like the beginning of a romantic relationship – no matter what you do, you can never replicate the feeling of the first couple of years.
![Inspire logo LRG[2]](http://old.alisonbezzina.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Inspire-logo-LRG2.jpg){kind=logo}
inspire contributes to the provision of equal access of services to persons with disabilities and alleviate the pressure on public social services where possible, empowering individuals to reach their fullest potential.
The aim is to improve inclusion in schools and support children with the best professional expertise and innovative methods, to allow them to remain, where it is in their interest, in mainstream education and for lifelong learning. It is also to improve inclusion in employment and access to leisure and community services for people of different abilities, to suit their needs, liaising with all stakeholders interested in furthering their independence and inclusion, both locally and abroad.
inspire works closely with parents and carers to ensure that a unified holistic approach supports their children, addressing all aspects of their life. The vast majority of services are provided for free or are heavily subsidised through a mix of fundraising, social enterprise, public funding and the generosity of corporate benefactors.
