Imogen Overy is a personal trainer (PT) at the UK’s first carbon neutral gym chain. As a vegan, she chooses a plant-based diet, but she encourages clients to eat to be healthy, meat included if they want it.

Imogen was studying classical civilisations at the University of Warwick, with a view to going into law, when she decided in her second year that she didn't want an office job.

Working in a café, Imogen reconsidered her options – she had achieved academic success but she liked being active, variety in her day and meeting different people. Then she hit on a career as a personal trainer (PT) even though she was not an avid gym goer at the time. Her parents fully backed her decision, partly, Imogen says, because her dad worked for years in a job he didn't love.

After gaining an accredited level 3 PT qualification, studying modules such as anatomy, writing gym programmes and teaching people how to perform the exercises, Imogen joined her first gym. Now she works as a self-employed PT, Imogen points out that she's running a small business. She's in charge of marketing, scheduling and managing everything that brings in clients and income.

There's plenty of variety in her life now, but another of Imogen's jobs is next level excitement. Her alter ego, Lady Bella Van der Velt, is a professional wrestler with the World Association of Wrestling – that's entertainment wrestling not the Greco-Roman style recently seen at the Olympic Games – and despite her small size, Imogen has loved it since her first day.

Imogen's advice if you want to follow in her footsteps:

• Commit to the job
• Be adaptable, because you will be working with all kinds of people
• Invest in your knowledge, whether that's how to improve a squat technique, or expanding your business knowledge
• Be your authentic self, with clients, at work and on social media.

Useful links

Personal trainer apprenticeships

The Gym Group

World Association of Wrestling

Greco-Roman Wrestling

Imogen on Instagram

You might also like:

Glen Burrows, photographer, disrupter, regenerative food entrepreneur

Lydia Carrington, sustainability manager, Edgbaston Stadium

Sanjukta Jitendhar, architect, Mikhail Riches

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He shelved his ambition to be a chef, went to university and for 25 years ate no meat. Then Glen Burrows became an omnivore.

Glen discusses his high-octane, interesting and hugely successful career as a globally sought-after professional photographer and videographer, and his very intriguing personal choices around food.

Having been the 'awkward veggie one' among his meat-eating friends, Glen found himself having to square his change of heart with his long-standing community of vegetarians, which he admits wasn't easy. And then Glen took everything a step further by co-founding The Ethical Butcher, selling regeneratively farmed, ethical, high quality meat direct to consumers. He also founded Regenuary, a January campaign to encourage sustainable food choices.

Glen's latest venture is as head of knowledge exchange for New Foundation Farms, a radical natural food and farming enterprise based in Devon. The foundation aims to democratise access to affordable food without compromising quality or depleting the environment.

In the podcast Glen discusses:

• a career in photography

• the lessons he learned leaving his 'tribe' of vegetarians

• food, farming, and marketing

• maintaining optimism about the planet and the people within it.

Mentioned in this podcast

New Foundation Farms

The Ethical Butcher

George Monbiot

Not the end of the world by Hannah Ritchie

Glen Burrows portfolio

You might also like to listen to:

S1 E8 Jake Fiennes director of the Holkham Nature Reserve and general manager, conservation, at Holkham Estate in Norfolk

S1 E7 Rachel Warren professor of global change and environmental biology

S2 E2 Mark Harvey managing director of Fielden Whisky

About ProGRESS:

Host Sandra Kessell invites guests to discuss their pro- Green, Ethical, Sustainable and Socially responsible jobs, courses or activities and asks for real-world insights into the pathways and careers that led to them.

Instagram ProGRESS

Content © Sandra Kessell

Original music © Lyze Kessell

Email: hello[at]mypro-gress.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kurt Henderson is a polymath. Before Kurt landed at the B-Corps certified company Byway Travel he was an entrepreneur, starting his first venture while at school. He began studying architectural technology at Brighton University but switched to digital media and design, a move he describes as "one of the best decisions I've ever made."

Now he's a senior product designer at Byway, which coordinates 100% flight-free options for customers who want to travel sustainably and enjoy the journey as much as the destination.

A year into working for Byway Kurt talks about the company's sustainable, ethical approach to travelling and working within a company culture that is respectful and inclusive. He goes on to talk about about "tech for good" and "it's important to give back while you are still growing yourself."

But there's so much more to Kurt besides work and true to the 'giving back' ethos Kurt serves on the advisory board of ERIC, and guest lectures at Brighton University. He has been involved in youth businesses schemes and he advocates for diversity practices and policies. To unwind he plays tag rugby and basketball and music is still a big thing in his life.

In this episode Kurt discusses:

• working in a role you feel passionate about

• freelancing and corporate culture vs start-ups

• being patient and not expecting change instantly

• consistency

• finding time for yourself.

• giving back.

Mentioned in this podcast

Byway Travel

Eric ceative careers app

B Corps UK

University of Brighton

You might also like to listen to:

Lydia Carrington, sustainability manager at Edgbaston Stadium S2 E1

Sanjukta Jitendhar, architect, Mikhail Riches, S1 E9

Duncan Goose, CEO and founder of One Water and Global Ethics S1 E10

Host Sandra Kessell and her guests talk about how they progressed into their Green, Ethical, Sustainable or Socially responsible jobs and offer real-world insights into courses and pathways for following in their footsteps.

Instagram ProGRESS

Twitter ProGRESS Careers

Content © Sandra Kessell

Music © Lyze Kessell

Email: Hello[at]myPro-GRESS.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.