What's New December 17, 2021

Kim Kerton’s next endeavour

From one of Nova’s Top Radio Executives to Making Clay in Tasmania, Kim Kerton had it all.

She held one of the top commercial roles in Sydney at Nova Entertainment as Head of CREATE, she had a pay packet to match and won radio awards for her work, but one day something clicked for Kim, she didn’t feel aligned with her job anymore and lacked the headspace to figure out why.

So, she quit without a new job or a plan. This is a growing phenomenon; Forbes calls it the ‘Great Resignation’ with 40% of the global workforce considering leaving their job and starting over.

“My jump was pre-pandemic. I went from having a commercial media safety net to no plan,” said Kim.

“The stories of others were invaluable for me through this time, but they often glossed over the problems I was dealing with – loss of identity, financial stress, anxiety, and low self-esteem.”

Kim’s experiences taught her first-hand how valuable the information she was seeking at the time is for people facing unemployment, and she’s returning to her audio roots!

“So now I’ve created the Podcast I wish I’d had, it’s called ‘Unemployed & Afraid,’ and it tells stories of starting over with the people who’ve done it,” Kim said.

One of Kim’s first guests is her long-term friend Mel Greig who found herself unemployed after the 2012 ‘Royal Prank Call’ and had to rebuild her identity and start a new career.

“I was faced with the debacle of okay, everything you’ve known for 20 years is now officially gone. What on earth do you do? That was a really big challenge and it’s one that a lot of people face, especially during COVID,” Mel said.

“They’ve lost their careers through no fault of their own. Or, have decided, okay, I just need to do something different.”

“The fear, the lack of confidence. It’s one of the hardest things to do, changing careers or direction, because it’s fear of the unknown.”

Being unemployed is scary. ‘Unemployed & Afraid’ is for anyone who wants a life do-over, is feeling stuck in the middle of change.

This podcast talks to guests who have faced the challenges of starting over and provides listeners with the inspiration and support they need to get through it.

Kim Kerton is now living in Tasmania as a ‘Food and Clay Creator’ and couldn’t be happier, she feels aligned with herself again and is doing something she is passionate about.

Listen to ‘Unemployed & Afraid’ on Apple Podcast and Spotify.