Grace Clapham, Co-Founder – The Change School
Grace’s career has been somewhat non-traditional as she had never worked for a corporation or for more than one company for long. She started off her career with a fashion brand in Australia and as soon as she left that, she started running her own business from late 2009. “My career and life interests intertwine and usually I like to say my work is my LIFEWORK as the lines are blurred and I don’t see them as separate parts of myself — I do what I love and I love what I do”, says Grace.
Grace is passionate about creating awesome experiences that enable, empower and support others to have more clarity & confidence about themselves., in order to be able to step up in the world and have the courage to do what drives them. Her passion lies in helping people to be more of them and own who they are unapologetically. Her career helps catalyse people’s inner sense of awareness and help them take action one way or another.
She likes reading, doing yoga, learning and gaining new skills or knowledge, travelling, listening to podcasts, creating, connecting with individuals, speaking another language, exchanging conversations and one of her interest includes watching sunsets and going for walks. Here are some more intercepts from the interaction with Grace.
Greatest Inspiration
I don’t have one…I’m inspired by many philosophers, every day people, my travels and cultures. I’m a multi-dimensional person and greatest puts a lot of pressure on having to have one.
Journey of ‘The Change School’
The Change School was borne out of our own needs – selfishly we created something that my business partner Solonia and I was missing at that time. It started in 2013 as a pilot program initially for individuals wanting to leave the corporate world and establish their own social enterprise – however after our first pilot we realised that there was a bigger need to address before people left the corporate world or any career. That was to understand why they wanted to transition into a new career or change careers, that deeper questioning of WHO THEY ARE, WHAT THEY WANT TO STAND FOR and WHAT MOTIVATES, DRIVES OR INTERESTS THEM – FULFILS THEM.
Since 2013 we have revamped the pilot program and it evolved into our Signature program called the Reinvention Retreat (previously Change Ventures) and since then The Change School has transitioned into a lifestyle and learning brand for holistic and authentic living. We provide experiences (retreats, team programs and online courses) and tools for individuals at key pivotal moments of change in order to embrace change, navigate change and thrive in change. We strongly believe that with the right tools change can be a force for good.
This past year we’ve recently launched a few new programs and products for anyone going through a career change or looking to create new change in their life.
- We launched on our online course — which is open for enrollment again soon, and is ideal for anyone looking for a career change or if you’ve been made redundant and looking for a new career direction. It’s a 5 week course on How to Confidently Create Your Bold Career Move.
- We are also about to launch a Change Planner — your perfect companion for making a change.
- We started our Change School TV where we share tips, tools and resources to help you move through change and provide free worksheets at the end of each episode. You should definitely join us LIVE on Facebook every Tuesday at 12:30pm, Singapore time.
Biggest challenge as a women entrepreneur
To be honest I haven’t had any challenges as a women entrepreneur. I’ve had the same challenges as I know many of my male counterparts have in running their own business.
Most Cherished Milestone in life
Definitely setting up The Change School (and being recognised by Sir Richard Branson and Steve Woznik with the Inspirational leadership award!) oh and I guess recently having had my daughter, NAIA.
Leadership style
I like to think of myself as really good at motivating other people, crafting and driving a vision, democratic and enjoy collaborating with others yet still very firm on what I believe in and what I stand for. Although I can also contradict myself often as Oscar Wilde said: “The well bred contradict other people. The wise contradict themselves”.
I think I see a trend here — I don’t have only one style, greatest inspiration or milestone!\
To do one thing differently, what would that be?
I would have stayed working full time and do my initial business as a side hustle first to ensure consistent cash still kept coming!
Goals for coming years
There is so much I would like to do…write a book, make a TV series, build Change School to be a mighty fine business that offers tools and products globally as well as create experiential retreats in amazing places around the globe yet afford to take 3 months off a year! And anything else I think about in the next few months or years that might pop up! I’m currently brewing a side project so watch this space 🙂