Rebecca Sutherns has been running her own consulting practice for 27 years—without a grand plan, a big team, or a perfect script. In this two-part series, she shares how she built a career around saying yes, drawing the future before chasing it, and making space for what matters. From motherhood to midlife, sabbaticals to strategy, she shows us how to stretch without snapping—and why momentum beats motivation every time. Part One.
Rebecca Sutherns didn’t set out to become a solo strategy coach. She trained for a global career, then paused it to raise four kids, said yes to client work when she could find a babysitter, and ended up building a 27-year practice on her own terms. In Part 1, she walks us through the pivots and trade-offs that shaped her work—not from a five-year plan, but from being fully in the moment.
Key Highlights of Our Interview:
When the Global Plan Hit Pause – How a promising career in international development took a backseat to malaria pills, pregnancy, and timing.
The Business Started by Saying Yes – “If I liked the people and could sort childcare, I did the job.” No vision board, just real life.
The Accidental Mentor – A conversation in Australia flipped how she charged—and earned her five times more.
Why She Didn’t Scale – Rebecca explains why staying solo wasn’t a fallback, but a deliberate choice to stay agile and human.
Reinvention in Real Time – Every few years, she didn’t change jobs. She changed her lens.
If your resume doesn’t make sense on paper, Rebecca’s story will remind you: maybe it’s not the paper that needs fixing.
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Host: Vince Chan | Guest: Rebecca Sutherns, PhD, CPF