From Corporate to Coaching in Brighton: Naomi Holbrook on Finding Freedom and Purpose

What happens when the career you worked so hard to build no longer feels like you?

For Naomi Holbrook, that quiet feeling became impossible to ignore.

From the outside, everything looked successful; a structured career, clear progression, and a path that made sense on paper. But internally, something had shifted. What once felt right no longer aligned with who she was becoming.

Naomi’s journey from corporate life into coaching is an honest and refreshing look at what it really takes to step away from expectations, navigate uncertainty, and build a life that feels more aligned, more flexible, and more you.

The content from this blog is taken from the Connected Brighton Podcast - Episode 52 - The one with Naomi Holbrook

When Success Stops Feeling Like Success

Like many professionals, Naomi had built a career that ticked all the right boxes. But over time, she began to feel a disconnect between what she was doing and how she actually wanted to live.

As Naomi explains, it wasn’t one big moment, but a growing awareness that something wasn’t quite right.

“I just knew something wasn’t right anymore, even though, on paper, everything looked good.”

It’s a feeling many people experience but often push aside. For Naomi, it became the starting point for change.

The Identity Shift No One Prepares You For

Leaving a corporate role isn’t just about changing jobs, it’s about redefining your identity.

Naomi speaks openly about how much of our sense of self can be tied to our work, and how disorienting it can feel when that structure is no longer there.

“You don’t realise how much of your identity is tied up in your job… until it’s not there anymore.”

That in-between space, where you’re no longer who you were, but not quite sure who you’re becoming, can feel uncomfortable. But it’s also where real growth begins.

Choosing Freedom (Even When It Feels Uncertain)

Naomi didn’t wait until everything was perfectly mapped out before making a change.

Instead, she focused on what she did know, that she wanted more freedom, more flexibility, and a life that felt aligned with her values.

“There wasn’t a clear path… but I knew I wanted more freedom, more flexibility, and something that actually felt like me,”

That decision meant stepping into uncertainty, but also opening the door to new possibilities.

Building a Business That Reflects Your Values

Coaching gave Naomi the opportunity to create something on her own terms.

Her work now centres around helping others navigate similar transitions, whether that’s leaving corporate life, redefining success, or figuring out what comes next.

“It’s about helping people create a life that actually works for them, not just the one they think they should have.”

Her approach is grounded, relatable, and rooted in lived experience, which is exactly what makes it resonate.

Letting Go of “Should”

A key theme throughout Naomi’s journey is learning to let go of expectations, both external and internal.

So many of us follow paths because they feel like the “right” thing to do, without ever questioning whether they’re actually right for us.

“We’re so used to doing what we should do… but what if you stopped and asked what you actually want?”

That shift, from “should” to “want”, can be small, but it’s powerful.

Redefining What Freedom Really Means

For Naomi, freedom isn’t just about leaving a job or working for yourself.

It’s about having choice.

Choice over how you spend your time.Choice over the work you do. Choice over the life you create.

“It’s not about escaping something, it’s about creating something better.”

And that definition of success looks different for everyone.

Final Thoughts: You Don’t Need All the Answers

Naomi’s story is a reminder that change doesn’t require a perfect plan.

You don’t need everything figured out before you begin. You don’t need certainty to take a step forward.

What matters is being willing to listen to yourself, and act on it.

Because often, clarity doesn’t come before the change. It comes because of it.

The content from this blog is taken from the Connected Brighton Podcast - Episode 52 - The one with Naomi Holbrook