"We, as adults, go from seeing the world as a playground of possibilities to a proving ground, the need to prove to 'myself and to others that I'm worthy'. And when you have that mindset, the playfulness goes away because you're not seeing the world as something that is playful that you can experiment with." What happens when your life's defining door suddenly closes, not just once but in a cascade, career, home, certainty all at once? In this episode, Gary Ware, founder of Playful Rebellion, shares his journey from executive stress, pressure, challenge to rediscovering joy, creativity, and possibility through play. Gary explains how embracing openness, making "shitty drafts," and getting playful can help you navigate messy transitions and find new opportunities. If you're stuck in change, doubting your ideas, this episode will spark permission and practical tools to start playing again. Highlights: 00:00 Moving from proving ground to playground 05:45 The door closes: losing a business, a home, and identity all at once 08:44 Navigating chaos, shame, and hope through messy emotions 14:13 The "shitty draft": testing bold new career ideas 16:08 Lego therapy: how building with bricks helped rebuild possibility 21:22 Why you don't need a polished plan—just start, reach out, try 26:20 Discovering and defining the play personalities - how everyone plays 42:36 Why play isn't just games 45:14 Transforming crisis into a career 54:04 Writing Playful Rebellion, turning a challenge into a book 58:24 Toolkit: music, books, and advice for navigating change. Gary's Change Toolkit: Soundtrack: Golden Hour by JVKE Book: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert One piece of advice: "Find out what lights you up and then go do that because we need more people that are lit up, you know, doing those amazing things. And it doesn't necessarily mean that it needs to be your career or that you get paid for it. But when people are lit up through things that bring them joy, it's contagious." About Gary Ware: Gary Ware, the Founder of Breakthrough Play is a sought-after Corporate Facilitator and Keynote Speaker with nearly a decade of experience as performer in improv theatre. He assists teams with unlocking creativity, confidence, and sparks collaboration with experiential methods proven to drive peak performance. Gary spent over a decade in the corporate world and originally pursued improv to master public speaking. He quickly discovered that combining improv and play could be a powerful solution to achieve various business challenges. Naturally, he created workshops for his team and other executives in his network to deepen relationships and improve creativity. Gary became obsessed with learning how to use play as a transformational tool and as a result, happily transitioned from marketing to pursue facilitation full time. Connect with Gary: Website: https://www.breakthroughplay.com/ Work with Eleanor: Buy the Book - Another Door Opens; 5 steps for navigating change. Described as 'Game changing' 'Brilliant' 'A must read' 'The best book on change'. Eleanor supports individuals, teams and organisations through change. Whether it's coaching or large scale organisational change through communications and training. Work with Eleanor 121 as your coach, when you are starting something new, to develop the idea, to create the idea, to get it launched. Book in a Change Mastery for a team session - when your team is navigating change. Book in a 90 minute workshop - to think through change at work. Instagram:instagram/anotherdooruk LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-tweddell/ Website: www.another-door-opens.com Produced by winteraudio.co.uk
