41. When sabbatical leads to a career change

My guest for this episode is Tom Mullett, a former UK record label manager turned passionate foreign language teacher. Tom took a sabbatical in South America in 2018 and never left. He developed a love for teaching English during sabbatical, so much so that in 2023 he designed his own accredited TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course, and now trains budding TEFL teachers from around the world.

In this episode we talk about what drove Tom to his sabbatical, how he found purpose during his sabbatical teaching English, and why he ended up staying in Colombia instead of going back to his previous life in the UK.

Even though Tom isn't an academic, there's a lot in this conversation that will resonate with academics. Tom's sabbatical gives us a firsthand view of the importance of knowing the purpose of your sabbatical and underscores the importance of developing the elements of your identity that are not connected to your work or career.

You can learn more about Tom's TEFL course here: https://precisiontefl.com/

If you’re wondering how to figure out what to prioritize during your sabbatical, click here to download my free Sabbatical Clarity Toolkit!

If you're planning a family sabbatical away from home, check out my Family Sabbatical Program. It's a step-by-step guide that will take you through all the steps you need to plan and prepare for your time away!