We recently connected with Madeline Miller and have shared our conversation below.

Madeline , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you as a business owner?

Many years ago, I wanted to leave a role I had been in for several years, working tirelessly and continuously having to teach myself the industry ropes. Feeling burnt out and unappreciated, I couldn’t quit due to my working visa and lack of financial means. With no job offers on the table, I decided to get proactive and creative and reached out to someone I had previously successfully worked on a project with. I offered to take a role, even on a contract basis, and was willing to move countries for six months. Although someone else was being considered, I followed up consistently and eventually secured the role.
However, my company initially refused to release me from my contract. I persisted, believing this new role was a fantastic opportunity and that my career moves should be mine to decide – especially as I had given so much to them and now felt I had little to offer. After pleading my case to three executives, I was finally allowed to leave amicably. I celebrated my last day with colleagues before learning two days later the company went insolvent and everyone would be out of work.
If I had stayed, I would have faced visa and financial issues. Instead, I was leading legal production for a global film franchise in the UK. This six-month position turned into six years. The lessons I learned that I now apply to my business journey are always to trust your intuition, advocate for yourself, and not let others dictate your career path. Be open to feedback, but stay true to your passion. There were so many moments where I could have given up, from the first notice that someone else was being considered to the many people who said no to me leaving. I found my voice, and I used it Always ask for what you want and be prepared to pivot. Don’t assume things can’t happen, ask!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

In 2o24, I launched a coaching platform to provide career and leadership coaching for people who weren’t getting it through their workplace or who run a company that is scaling up and going through growing pains. I’d been providing executive coaching for a couple of years to a few clients and saw the profound effects it could have on their work performance, confidence, and ability to make bold decisions and take new risks. I decided I wanted to be able to scale the impact it had.

So, Coaching with Madeline was borne from my own experiences struggling to find my way at work and in my career more existentially and how I could connect those experiences with those of others and support them in carving their unique career paths.

At its core is a three-pillar coaching framework I call A.I.R.: Alignment, Influence, and Resilience. You can read more about my A.I.R. Framework on my website, but in short, it could be summarized as follows:
1. Success, praise, or accolades can only sustain you for so long. If you are not doing what truly aligns with your values, interests, and needs, you’ll never feel truly successful and at ease.
2. People are hardwired to avoid conflict or protect themselves from danger—we all know the fight, flight, freeze, and fawn quadrant—but leadership, influence, and better relationships are all borne from getting into the messy interpersonal stuff, and we need to be taught to do it first, then practice.
3. There is nothing like the feeling that you are making decisions for yourself and will fight for your vision of your life. Healthy emotional resilience allows us to do this and comes from working through internal blockages.  

I’m proud of my platform and approach as I have embraced nontraditional executive coaching platforms like Instagram and TikTok. I specifically target early to mid-career individuals in contrast to traditional executive coaching, which focuses on those who are most senior. Coaching with Madeline takes a preventative approach, trying to nip bad habits from forming in the bud rather than unpack decades of poor leadership and management skills (which is the norm). It also gives people permission to say, “This isn’t working,” and understand how to protect their peace while navigating the complexities of working life.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

When I moved to LA, I knew no one and took out a large loan to complete a Master’s in Entertainment Law at UCLA. It was a huge risk, as I could end up in debt with no job. Determined to avoid that, I spent nine months doing unpaid internships—four in total—where I was bored out of my brain marking up contracts but also learning a lot about entertainment contract drafting. I followed up on every lead and introduction, catching Ubers across town to meet lawyers with whom I had connected and taking them for coffee or meeting them in their office. I never asked for a job, but I clarified what I was here for and asked if they knew anyone else I could speak to. I joined US legal groups and attended screenings to immerse myself in the industry.

This informal education complemented my formal one, and finally, after being at the point where I almost felt I would have to return home to Australia, tail between my legs, I secured a job through the network I had created. It wasn’t advertised, it was offered directly to me. Initially, I lived paycheck to paycheck but within two years, I doubled my income, paid off all my debt, and became the production attorney for the James Bond franchise—a dream role.
Few international people managed to stay and get a job in Los Angeles after the UCLA program. While I had certain advantages, such as prior experience and English as my first language, my determination and resilience were key. I was proactive from the beginning and accepted the process and all its uncertainty. I advise clients to balance hustle with self-care, knowing when to push hard and when to relax and trust in their abilities.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I left behind a 15-year legal career to start my coaching business. I never thought I’d be a lawyer for more than a year or two, and I’m shocked I lasted that long. The last seven years in the US were spent in business affairs, which was more exciting due to deal-making. Despite becoming more competent over time, I never felt like it was my true calling. I disliked telling people I was a lawyer, as it didn’t reflect my personality, values, or interests. Not wanting to talk about what I did meant that I knew something had to change.

Pivoting to coaching was more than starting a business; it was about serving others, helping people connect with their true power, and finding new ways to communicate. These aspects deeply satisfy me. Being an entrepreneur is far from the risk-averse approach of law. Sometimes, I wish I had guidance rather than being the ultimate decision-maker in every aspect, but the pivot has served me well despite its uncertainty.

I love hearing clients say, “I feel so much happier,” or “I have a new plan for myself now.” It’s their journey; I’m just a guide. Seeing those transformations fulfills me and motivates me to find new ways to connect with people. As long as I can think, dream, communicate, connect, and make a living from it, I feel like I am living my purpose, which is the most important thing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.coachingwithmadeline.com
• Instagram: @madelinemillercoaching
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/millermadeline/
• Youtube: @coachingwithmadeline
• Other: TikTok
  @coachingwithmadeline

Image Credits

@goodportrait.id
@azmifile
@alfin.y.m