This week, for the first time, we realised that it was light when we awoke.   It's funny how such a small thing can lift your heart so much, isn't it?  And in our newly-cheery state, we've noticed other tentative suggestions that winter might finally be drawing to a close.  The cherry blossom at the school gate is cutting a dash through the grey afternoons.  When the sun does come out, the March sky is so intensely blue - so sharp and crisp - that it almost hurts to look at it.  They're tiny, incremental steps, but every day feels a little brighter here at 9-2-3 HQ.  We're looking forward with renewed excitement to the months to come.

Michelle Obama didn’t set out to be the First Lady of the United States of America. In fact, as she explains, she had very different aspirations.

Leaving your children for the first time is a big step - there's just no getting around it.  Whether you're re-joining the workforce after a career break or your maternity leave is coming to an end, the return to work can be nerve wracking.

Michael Georgiou from Aligned Career Coaching, helps professionals who have fallen out of love with the work they do find careers that both fulfil them and bring them joy. We asked Michael what falling out of love with a career might look like, and what professionals can do to start the process of finding a job they love…

Relationships are at the heart of what we do, and we'd love to talk to you in 2024 about what you're looking for from a new role.  There's no need to change yourself - come as you are, and shout from the rooftops about your achievements.  Now's the perfect time. 

It's something of a cliche, isn't it, to talk about our literary heroines as being brave.  Fearless. Determined.  But it's been a long time since we've come across a protagonist like Elizabeth Zott.  An utterly deadpan trailblazer, Elizabeth is punished for the cardinal sin of being herself in the face of society's attempts to turn her into someone else. 

'Tis the season to be jolly!  And here at 9-2-3, Christmas has really taken off.  One team member has had her tree up since mid-November…