Brave Starts (Community Interest Company) Reviews 41

Excellent group focused on supporting those looking to change careers, get back into work and all provided by a great team. I find the workshops and member activities have helped focus my way forward and meeting a lot of great new people on the way. If you are at a later career point and need support, get along to the next introduction session.

I'd wholeheartedly recommend Brave Starts to anyone who's in the midst of a career change or trying to figure out their "why" in their 40's or beyond.

It's incredibly good value, and the workshops and community support were a real lifeline in what was a rollercoaster year for me.

If you're struggling to get out of your own head, then you'll find a community of generous, welcoming people in the same boat ready to share their help and experience.

An excellent and very cost-effective resource for people looking to change their careers later in life. It was instrumental in giving me direction and encouragment when I felt a bit lost and also hugely helped me rethink what the future of my work could look like. Fantastic emphasis on building community and it's run by the loveliest people who take the time to get to know you individually. Highly recommend for anyone who is rethinking their career at 40/50/60/70+!

Brave start is an excellent organisation driven by a dedicated and inspiring founder, Lucy. They aim to support and inspire a generation of workers who are looking to pivot on their careers, re enter the job or branch out on a new self employed journey. They furnish you with the insights to deal with a changing commercial landscape for the older professional .

Cannot recommend Brave Starts highly enough as an organisation. Professional, knowledgeable and passionate about their work, the team at Brave Starts led by Lucy Standing, provide exceptional support to members through training, speaker events and networking. A non-profit organisation, the low membership fee is incredible value for the level of support provided. If you are looking to make a later career change and wondering where to start...start here.

Joining BraveStarts has been transformative in ways I couldn't even begun to expect. From the structured, rigorously researched and professionally prepared seminars, learning and collateral, to practical coaching, CV reviews and the ability to meet employers and explore new paths, it far exceeded my expectations. The team managing the platform and facilitating groups are passionate about the BraveStarts mission, and endlessly supportive. The network of peers are inspiring and collaborative in equal measure, and seeing others learn, benefit from what is on offer and grow into their new career path so motivational. I cannot more highly rate what they offer, and would encourage anyone to embrace the opportunities, networking and insights on offer. BraveStarts is peerless in this area, backed up by academic rigour and comprehensive research, but above all it's about the people. Nearly six months later my career prospects are flourishing, I have built my own lifestyle business, and am actively working and supporting others in a new area of work that I am passionate about. It's been a great journey so far, and I know that I will remain a part of this community for the foreseeable future, hoping to give back some of what I have benefited from. A massive thank you to all! And one final note: in terms of value for money, less than £2 a week is a steal.

Lucy's Brave Starts workshops are truly meaningful. In a sea of coaching/networking "suppliers", Brave Starts really stands out. Spot on, to the point - bringing in truly helpful experts that are also willing to give of their own time. Provides the opportunity to network with a great group of like-minded people across the careers and life spectrum.

Thank you Lucy!

“Having completed various Career coaching courses, I have found the Bravestarts events the most encouraging. Therefore, the Bravestarts events have given me the most hope (and therefore even possible excitement for the future)? I am not alone in this situation. My age and experience are an asset, not an indication of decline and 'worn-out-ness'. I do have a value.”

Genuine and excellent, delivering evidence based support to those over 45+. If you are here, I guess you are considering joining Brave Starts. In a world of snake oil " cure all" weekend certificate NLP career coaches, Brave Starts is the real deal! The price is a bargain even for one workshop let alone an entire series! You will learn, network ( not as bad as it sounds!) and get a far better handle on the " what next?" for your career.
Brave Starts does not have all the answers, it expects you to find a few of your own! Give it go, or find one of those £1000 plus CV writers and dodgy coaches who will take your money and then dissapear into the ether when all the gung ho postive talk has not worked. If you really want to avoid the Life Coach/CV Writer/Hypnotherapist/Pseudo Mentor/Wannabee Tony Robbins/48 hour certificate expert brigade, please try Brave Starts first, the snake oil merchants will still be around in the unlikely event that you don't like what Brave Starts can deliver. Brave Starts is simply the best solution whilst being honest, smart and transparant.

Bravstarts in a fabulous organisation and Lucy is an engaging and supportive coach who really helps you to explore your options and work out a realistic plan. There is self reflection, informative content, engaging workshops and webinars with outside speakers. A valuable experience and I am grateful for finding this excellent resource to help me on my journey.

After doing just a couple of workshops with this organization that helps people 45+ move forward with career transitions and returning to the job market, I'm hugely impressed. Through expert guidance and group work with others in a similar situation, one feels supported and excited instead of alone and dispirited. Can't recommend highly enough!

9/6/2024
I would like to add to my original experience below of how I became a client with Brave Starts. As part of my sabbatical I ended up on Universal Credit (via DWP). I asked UC if they could pay the £49 startup fee to enrol in the many Brave Starts' online workshops. I justified it would be beneficial to me for my return work path at my age of 62. UC agreed and I can evidence to them the validity of the workshops for me, imo.
21/5/2024
I have been on sabbatical for a couple of years and I am now wanting, no needing, to get back to work. My paradigm has shifted slightly due to my work experience and I want to give back and earn a modest income.
So I joined Brave Starts. I am actually in awe of the Brave Starts' team members - they are professional and consistent and methodical and timely. In my 40 years, in my career, I have met only a few people like them.

I volunteer for Brave Starts and I've never come across a team of volunteers with such passionate and committed energy to offer their time for free, to fight for the cause and help make things happen for the Brave Starter community and beyond.

I attended a webinar hosted by Brave Starts on how the recruitment process is broken, and joined on the spot. Best £30 I ever spent. I've since been through the Welcome session and three workshops, and I'm getting immense value out of the guidance, support, and pragmatic advice around my CV, LinkedIn profile and job-hunting strategies.

After far too many months with no prospect of employment, I'm now in a position to choose which of the three offers in front of me I prefer. Much of the credit goes to Brave Starts, and the positivity and focus they helped me find. The community aspect is wonderful - getting to know others in the same boat, sharing challenges and strategies, and making friends. Above all, knowing that I'M NOT ALONE. Others are facing the same problems, and are there to offer support, encouragement, and useful advice.

Life events happen, and not everyone can have a straight forward career path. Having an organisation like Brave Starts to hold our hands, articulate our fears, build our self confidence, listening to the challenges we faced and be our advocate to talk to the Parliamentary Committee ( presented to the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy committee on 21 Feb 2023), just make this mid life journey that much more bearable.

I found their resources and events very helpful and encouraging. Thank you Brave Starts, let's keep going forward.

Meeting Lucy at the Postcards for Midlife event in May was the springboard for change I needed - and I chose to bounce! And I’m still up here, being open to change and exploring conversations after the most inspiring Brave Starts programme, with four workshops run by Lucy and Alan. Thought-provoking meetings with both comforting and challenging conversations, great e-learning modules, and lots of encouraging follow-up support. I would recommend anyone to try bouncing on the springboard with Brave Starts - even if you don’t know where you’re going, you get a great overview!

I have found the resources and support really useful and the subscription is an absolute bargain. I also had a couple of coaching sessions which pulled me out of an existential crisis and got me heading in the right direction, and would have cost me 5X as much at another provider. Lucy is great as she has so much knowledge and understanding alongside an ability to cut through the fog and challenge your thinking.

Brave Starts are proactive and enthusiastic about how to find a new role/career at the mid-life point and mostly the course has helped me consider what I can do to help myself. Having felt completely overwhelmed at what to do next to find a new role, I now have a plan and many conversations under my belt with like-minded people so that I can be more focussed and less stressed and scattergun about the process.

BraveStarts is a really innovative careers coaching company focusing on those in midlife who want to change or restart careers after a break. Really liked the way the courses are run in small groups, so you have an opportunity to meet others on a similar journey. Would highly recommend