A new challenge after taking redundancy

Redundancy is not a dirty word.  

At first, it stings, and you feel nauseous. Panic washes over you as you are told that the company is struggling and you have been put at risk. A million thoughts enter your mind, “What am I going to do?”, “How do I pay my mortgage?”, “What do I tell my spouse?”. 

However, it can be the start of something new. 

Recently, I took voluntary redundancy and stepped away from a role that I had been proud to hold. In a great organisation that is working to usher in a new, transparent, truthful and trustworthy digital world, powered by blockchain technology.

After nearly seven years at the organisation, I left on good terms, and I truly wish the organisation and the people there the best. But even with a smooth transition, I’d be lying if I said it was easy. 

At first, I felt nervous. I have a mortgage to pay and no guaranteed income. And more than that, I felt a familiar, heavy sense of doubt: Was I not good enough? Had I failed as an employee? 

But here is what I realised. Redundancy isn’t failure. It is a sad result of economic pressure, not personal performance. And while it is hard on employees, it is also hard on the leaders who have to make those decisions. 

In the weeks since, something unexpected happened. I started to talk to more people about their businesses, many of them small, owner-led, mission-driven. I began hearing and seeing their challenges, seeing gaps, and I realised I have spent 14 years helping businesses grow. So, why not now use those skills to grow and build something of my own? 

So here’s my new chapter. 

I am building a consultancy designed for small businesses and early-career marketers. I want to act as a partner, not just a service provider. I care about my clients’ results as if they were my own, because I know how much heart goes into every decision they make. 

Over the years, I have helped businesses scale and brands grow, I changed the whole dynamic and profitability of The Surrey Cricketers, I turned CIWEM’s training business around, I led conference growth with CoinGeek, now London Blockchain, I increased CoinGeek's reach exponentially. I stepped into a leadership role with CoinGeek, built and watched my team grow, seeing them develop, take on more responsibility and become masters in their area of expertise. Those people, and their development, that’s what I am proudest of. This is the energy I am bringing into my next chapter. 

I am shifting my mindset. I have always tried to be behind the scenes and unseen, rarely in the spotlight. But now I want to share what I have learned, tell stories that matter, and support others in their journeys. That’s why I have launched alexmoon.info as a hub for ideas, tools, insights and real experiences, and I have launched https://moonbeam.marketing as a commercial strategic marketing partner. 

To anyone else navigating redundancy

It is not your fault. It happens. And it is daunting. But you will find something new. It's not the end. It's just the end of a chapter, and the start of another one that you get to write.

I relish this new era, and I look forward to connecting.