“I was creatively frustrated and advertising is a young man’s game.”

What work were you doing previously?

For over 20 years I worked in the Advertising industry as a creative. 

My role was to take briefs from clients or brands and come up with new and interesting ways to get their message out to the world. 

This could be anything from a TV advert or poster campaign to an immersive digital experience selling luxury cars and holidays, back pain cream, crisps… you name it, I’ve probably done adverts for it. 

In my last role, I was Creative Director at Pepsi Co’s internal advertising agency in London working on the likes of Pepsi, Walkers crisps and Tropicana, to name a few.  

What are you doing now?

I’m now a fine furniture maker in East Lothian, Scotland. 

I design modern bespoke furniture for clients and craft it out of natural materials using traditional woodworking techniques.

Why did you change?

After 20+ years making ads, I knew I needed a change.

I’d made steps up the creative ladder, which was great. But the further I moved up, the further away I got from doing the actual creative work. 

I now spent most of my time in meetings talking about what we could do rather than actually doing it.

I was creatively frustrated. Plus, advertising is a young man’s game. I didn’t want to be the old guy at the nightclub.

When was the moment you decided to make the change?

It was my wife that finally helped me make the leap. 

She found a furniture making school near where we live (which luckily for me turned out to be one of the best in the world) and said I should go and try out their week-long course. 

That’s what kickstarted everything.

Almost as soon as I walked through the door, I knew this was where I wanted to spend my time. It was full of brilliantly creative people with smiles on their faces doing what they love.

I was sold. 

Are you happy with the change?

I haven’t looked back, and that’s a good sign. 

I feel challenged again. I’m motivated to get up each day and throw myself into work.

I’ve found that drive I had 20 years ago where everything was new and exciting and you never knew what was going to happen next. 

What do you miss and what don't you miss?

I miss the other creatives that I worked with. 

I had the pleasure of working with some of the brightest minds (and funniest people) on this planet.

In terms of work, I probably miss the big budgets we had to work with but I definitely don’t miss the stress and pressure that came with such a responsibility. 

How did you go about making the shift?

Once I’d decided to finally make the change, I had to wait over a year to get on the professional course at the Chippendale International School of Furniture. 

This was a blessing, really. It gave me the chance to slowly wind down the advertising career and get used to the fact that I was moving on to something new.

We saved up, got some money behind us and planned the year in advance. 

How did you develop (or transfer) the skills you needed for your new role?

The professional course I took lasted for 9 months.

I shared the workshop with people from all over the world and all with different levels of ability. 

We were all taught from the ground up. Learning the basics and continuing to learn and grow through the course. 

What didn’t go well? What wrong turns did you take?

I should have been more organised for the course finishing by having my business and website fully operational, but I worked right up to the wire on it.

I should have set myself a more solid deadline and hit that.

How did you handle your finances to make your shift possible?

We had to dig into savings a lot.

The course itself needed paying for, then I wasn’t working for 9 months.

On top of that, there was investment in tools etc. to get the business started. But this is building for the future.

It’s a gamble, but one that’s already paying off in more ways than one.

What was the most difficult thing about changing?

Leaving behind a solid, healthy salary and diving into the unknown was scary. 

The first step is always the hardest. I had to convince myself that this was what I was going to do and it was all going to be okay.

I also found it difficult to say, ‘I don’t know, can you help?’ In my previous position I was expected to have the answers so being the novice again was tough.

What help did you get?

My wife has been incredibly supportive, and I really couldn’t have done it without her. 

My friends and family have all been amazing too.

On top of that, the tutors at the school have been second to none. They’re all still helping me now.

What have you learnt in the process?

I’ve learnt that I’m comfortable outside of my comfort zone. 

It’s not as hard as I thought it would be. I’ve also learnt I need to put procrastination to one side and get on and just do sh*t.

I don’t have the luxury of putting things off for tomorrow or leaving it to someone else. I’m flying solo now so it’s all on me.

What do you wish you'd done differently?

I probably should have made the change a year or two sooner.

But things have a habit of working themselves out.

What would you advise others to do in the same situation?

Life's too short to spend your days doing something that doesn’t fulfil you. 

If there’s a path you want to go down, then do it. You never know until you try. 

Search your local area. Like me, you never know what’s just around the corner. 

Speak to those that have made the change and see what it’s like in their world. Is it for you?

To find out more about Andy's business, visit: https://www.studiosams.com/

What lessons could you take from Andy's story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.