A mother-of-two is celebrating a return to full-time work with the re-launch of her training and development business.
The entrepreneur, who left the capital - and her business - 10 years ago to start a family, has reinvented Gillian Dodd Training and Development. And she has already secured contracts with Newcastle City Council and lastminute.com
Before her break to raise sons Ben, 10, and Josh, five, she set up the business using senior management experience she gained from HR and operational roles in the travel and contact centre industries in the UK and abroad.
With support from Business Link in Tyne and Wear Gillian has accessed a grant to re-launch the business in the North East.
She has also taken part in an ICT training course and received funding support to update her office and presentation equipment.
She said: "In addition to executive coaching, I develop custom designed coaching programmes in line with strategic business objectives to enable clients to maximise performance and develop potential within their organisations. I am passionate about sharing best practice and I'm keen to pass on my coaching skills to my clients, who can then in turn develop their own staff using the same techniques.
"I've found Business Link in Tyne and Wear a great support when restarting my business. My Business Link adviser not only provides me with great contacts and excellent support but I also feel that she motivates me to develop the business and her enthusiasm in my business ideas instills me with confidence to carry them forward.
"The beauty of running my business from home means my family can benefit from a great work-life balance."
When raising her children Mrs Dodd was determined to stay up-to-date with changes in the industry.
She used her spare time to train as a Myers Briggs practitioner, attended master classes in coaching and she became an NLP (neurolinguistic programming) practitioner while also retaining links with business networks.
Boasting a raft of experience with regional and national clients in the private and public sectors, she specialises in coaching and is keen to develop her business and create a coaching network across the region.
Business Link adviser Judith Falla said: "Gillian is an extremely well qualified and experienced coach and trainer and it's been a pleasure to work with her to re-establish her business. Gillian is a leading example for those women who are looking to return to work but lack confidence and are concerned about childcare. As an entrepreneur passionate about work-life balance, I hope she will be an inspiration for many and I'm looking forward to continue my work with her to develop a coaching network in the North-East."