Ellie Pyemont is a fractional COO for an AI startup in criminal justice, co-owner of a training company, treasurer for a charity and sports organisation, and aspiring swim guide. She spent 12 years in the police as a detective investigating domestic abuse, then deliberately changed jobs every two to three years across legal tech, retirement communities, business ownership, refugee resettlement, and swimming instruction. She's raising twins with her husband in a genuinely egalitarian partnership, recently swam 6km off the coast of Marseille while recovering from a broken knee, and is passionate about bringing better technology to the public sector.

Every role taught you what you needed; the lack of a plan was actually the plan. Looking back, Ellie's squiggly career across police, legal tech, retirement communities, and startups makes sense as a coherent narrative about team dynamics and organisational culture. You only see the pattern looking backwards. The next move doesn't need to look logical in the moment.

Equal partnership with your spouse changes everything. Ellie's husband was also in police; they earned roughly the same, shared childcare equally, and seesaw'd promotions over decades. This foundation meant she could take risks, change jobs, and pursue learning without carrying the full cognitive load of the household alone.

Fear of irrelevance can drive burnout, stepping into it can free you. Ellie's biggest fear was "what if people stop giving me work?" After 25 years of that never happening, she decided to step into it anyway. That gave her the space to ask "what do I actually want?" instead of just "what's next?"

Tinkering and holding things lightly is where real learning happens. Rather than committing to one direction, Ellie plays with technology, builds things, lets some flop, and asks "what if?" This requires space that many people don't have, especially women carrying household and elder care cognitive loads.