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Life After Public Service

Life After Public Service

Written by: Donna Bentley-Carr
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 Life After Public Service is the podcast for people rebuilding identity, purpose, and wellbeing after a career of service. Through honest conversations, practical insights, and real stories of reinvention, we explore what happens when the badge, uniform, or job title disappears — and who you get to become next. Careers Economics Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Self-Help Success
Episodes
  • Reclaiming Identity and Purpose Through Life After Public Service

    Reclaiming Identity and Purpose Through Life After Public Service
    Jan 23 2026
    Today, Donna discusses the new direction she plans to take the podcast. Whether you have served in the NHS, policing, the military, local government, or social care, leaving the job that defined you is rarely just a career change; it is a profound identity shift. Donna outlines her mission to provide honest conversations, real stories of reinvention, and practical tools to help listeners rebuild confidence and find new meaning after the ID card is handed in. KEY TAKEAWAYS Leaving public service is fundamentally an identity shift rather than a simple career move, often requiring a total redefinition of who you are without the uniform or title. The transition is frequently disorienting and emotional, yet these challenging feelings are rarely discussed openly or honestly within the sector. There is a vast, supportive community of former public servants from various sectors, including the military, police, and social care, who are navigating this same path together. The podcast will move beyond theory to offer actionable advice on rebuilding confidence, well-being, and purpose to help you ground yourself in a new life. Despite the feelings of loss that come with leaving, the podcast focuses on hope, proving that there is a meaningful future and a new 'you' to discover beyond the role you once held. BEST MOMENTS "What happens when the job that shaped you ends? When the uniform comes off, the ID card is handed in, and the role that once defined you becomes a memory?" "For millions of people who served in the NHS, local government, policing, social care, the military, and the wider public sector, leaving isn't simple. It's emotional. It's disorienting." "I learned firsthand that life after public service is not a career change, it's an identity shift." "You'll discover that you're not alone, there's a whole community walking this path with you." "Remember, you're not alone, and there is a future beyond the role you once held." ABOUT THE HOST Donna Bentley‑Carr is a former NHS nurse turned leadership coach, organisational wellbeing strategist, and host of Life After Public Service — the podcast that explores what happens when a career of service comes to an end and a new identity begins. After 30 years on the frontline of healthcare, Donna experienced firsthand the emotional, psychological, and cultural challenges that come with leaving public service. Her own transition revealed a truth many never speak about: stepping away from a life of service isn’t just a career change — it’s an identity shift. Today, Donna supports people and organisations across the UK as they navigate change, rebuild confidence, and create healthier, more human‑centred cultures. Through her coaching, leadership development work, and storytelling, she brings warmth, honesty, and deep insight to conversations about purpose, resilience, and reinvention. With a blend of lived experience, professional expertise, and a gift for making people feel seen, Donna creates space for real stories, real emotions, and real transformation. Her mission is simple: to help people rediscover who they are beyond the role they once held — and to show that there is a meaningful, hopeful, and fulfilling life after public service. https://www.facebook.com/share/1FjUrwC7qS https://www.lifeafterpublicservice.co.uk/ Email: Donna@lifeafterpublicservice.co.uk Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-bentley-carr This podcast features real-life stories from frontline public service workers, covering tough topics such as war, trauma and loss, and may be triggering to some listeners. Guests also share their tales of everyday heroism, inspiring joy, hope, empathy and humanity. If you have a story to share that could encourage others seeking change or additional income, please get in touch. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
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    3 mins
  • From RAF Engineer to The Salford Chocolatier: Amanda Norbury

    From RAF Engineer to The Salford Chocolatier: Amanda Norbury
    Jan 16 2026
    In this episode, Donna sits down with Amanda Norbury, also known as The Salford Chocolatier. Amanda shares her remarkable journey from a 30-year career as an aircraft engineer in the Royal Air Force to launching her own artisan chocolate business. She discusses overcoming challenges, the importance of vulnerability and asking for help, and how a chance appearance on James Martin's Saturday Morning show catapulted her business to new heights. KEY TAKEAWAYS Amanda's career shift began with a simple interest in physics and a chance encounter at a careers office, leading to a fulfilling 30-year career in the RAF. The discipline, resilience, and adaptability Amanda learned in the military proved invaluable in launching and running her own business. Admitting you don't know everything and asking for help is not a weakness; it builds trust and fosters stronger connections with others. You don't need to dive into the deep end immediately. Taking small steps, like talking to strangers or attending local events, can help build the confidence needed for bigger leaps. In a digital age, face-to-face interactions and showing your authentic self can be a powerful differentiator for your business. BEST MOMENTS "I never really had the confidence though, and that was the difference. I never believed any of this was going to happen, but I just took the opportunity when it came along." "The strength comes from vulnerability, not from showing the world that you can achieve everything, which we can't." "You can be a leader and still be human and still be vulnerable." "Don't do anything until you've got some advice, support. Use all your resources, empower yourself with those tools because Googling will waste hours and hours of precious time." "Invest in yourself: You're worth that investment." ABOUT THE HOST Donna is a Registered Nurse who has worked in the NHS for three decades. She brings you real-life stories from people in front-line public service roles. Some of the stories discuss war, terrorism, suicide, abuse, COVID, death, and vicarious moral injury, which may be triggering for some listeners. Alongside these are stories of joy, hope, empathy, and humanity, highlighting the positive impact individuals have made. Many of her guests have navigated career changes, found work-life balance, or transitioned into new roles, including charity work or entrepreneurship. If you have a story to share that could inspire others seeking change or additional income, please get in touch. Inviting individuals from fire, police and probation services, healthcare, military, teaching, social services, local government, and civil service. https://www.facebook.com/share/1FjUrwC7qS https://www.lifeafterpublicservice.co.uk/ Email: Donna@lifeafterpublicservice.co.uk Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-bentley-carr This podcast features real-life stories from frontline public service workers, covering tough topics such as war, trauma and loss, and may be triggering to some listeners. Guests also share their tales of everyday heroism, inspiring joy, hope, empathy and humanity. If you have a story to share that could encourage others seeking change or additional income, please get in touch. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
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    31 mins
  • Insights from a Former Teacher Turned Exit Coach

    Insights from a Former Teacher Turned Exit Coach
    Jan 9 2026
    In this episode, Donna interviews Mike, known as the Classroom Exit Coach, to discuss his journey from being a history teacher to coaching others in the education sector. Mike shares his experiences in teaching, the challenges of navigating a demanding profession, and the impact of systemic changes on educators' well-being. They reflect on the importance of career guidance for young people, the pressures faced by public sector workers, and the emotional toll of maintaining a professional identity. KEY TAKEAWAYS Teaching is not just a job; it often becomes a significant part of one's identity. The pressure to maintain a positive image can lead to burnout, as educators feel the need to perform and mask their true feelings. Both teaching and other public sector roles, such as nursing, are characterised by high workloads, emotional demands, and a lack of adequate support. Many professionals in these fields work unpaid overtime, leading to a sense of being trapped in a ‘gilded cage’. Teachers play a crucial role in shaping young people's lives, and their mental well-being directly affects their students. The need for positive role models is essential, as students are influenced by the attitudes and behaviors of their teachers. The focus on recruiting new teachers often overshadows the need for retaining existing staff. Addressing the reasons why educators leave the profession could be more beneficial than simply trying to bring in new talent. BEST MOMENTS "I think like a lot of people, when you're going into a profession, you only see the positives. You kind of go, what am I going to do with this history degree now?" "You feel like you've got to ask permission to go early from your leader and they sort of give you that sort of side eye as if to say you're being a bit cheeky." “The day-to-day of the job is very different to the two or three great bits. It's like relentless pressure, inability to switch off." "The biggest issue in all of these things is retention. If we put that money into why are people leaving in the first place, then we wouldn't need to spend all this money on advertising." "If your bucket's got a hole in the bottom, it doesn't matter how much we pour in the top." ABOUT THE HOST Donna is a Registered Nurse who has worked in the NHS for three decades. She brings you real-life stories from people in front-line public service roles. Some of the stories discuss war, terrorism, suicide, abuse, COVID, death, and vicarious moral injury, which may be triggering for some listeners. Alongside these are stories of joy, hope, empathy, and humanity, highlighting the positive impact individuals have made. Many of her guests have navigated career changes, found work-life balance, or transitioned into new roles, including charity work or entrepreneurship. If you have a story to share that could inspire others seeking change or additional income, please get in touch. Inviting individuals from fire, police and probation services, healthcare, military, teaching, social services, local government, and civil service. https://www.facebook.com/share/1FjUrwC7qS https://www.lifeafterpublicservice.co.uk/ Email: Donna@lifeafterpublicservice.co.uk Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-bentley-carr This podcast features real-life stories from frontline public service workers, covering tough topics such as war, trauma and loss, and may be triggering to some listeners. Guests also share their tales of everyday heroism, inspiring joy, hope, empathy and humanity. If you have a story to share that could encourage others seeking change or additional income, please get in touch. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
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    54 mins
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