Helen Sampson | Founder and Transitions Expert, Uncouple

After a decade of working in the legal space, alumna Helen Sampson transitioned to founding her own business, Uncouple, with a mission to end the stress epidemic. We spoke to Helen to learn how she navigated not only a career change but also the challenge of building an entirely new business on her own.

I’ve always had a desire to help people. I worked alongside some of the best legal minds in the country at Stewarts and enjoyed supporting clients through some of their toughest moments, but ultimately, practising law wasn’t for me. I went in search of a new career – one that would satisfy my desire to help others. I pivoted to people and process management. I pitched offering specialised support to our paralegal pool to our Head of Department which was accepted. I spent the next 10 months creating a best practice model which was adopted firmwide. This was when the Paralegal Manager role was born. I oversaw the management of over 100 paralegals across the London and Leeds offices and was assisted by five paralegal coordinators. I enjoyed this role and my next role as a Support Team Lead at an Intellectual Property firm, but I wasn’t fulfilling my purpose.

I had always wanted my own business so after over 10 years, I called time on my corporate life. I had no income, no qualifications in coaching, no company set up, no clients and not a clue how to run a business. All I had was a clear purpose and belief that I would make it a success.

I am now the founder of Uncouple. My mission is bold, yet simple – end the stress epidemic. I work with individuals to understand how and why stress impacts them, what their response is to stress and how they can have a healthier response moving forward. I also partner with companies, ensuring that the company and its staff are healthier, more productive and more successful. I invite everyone to support my mission in any way they can. Whether it’s reading my blog, following my Instagram and LinkedIn, joining The Uncouple^® Network to learn more about the world of stress, or working with me as an employer or individual. Whatever it takes to spread the vital messages about stress.

The challenges within business are that it can be difficult to know what to do when, juggling all the tasks that seem important and time-sensitive, knowing how to get visible, remain relevant, appeal to the right audience and so on. My success formula, stress-hacking abilities, critical and creative thinking skills and commercial awareness have helped me navigate these difficulties. Running a business is not about always getting it right; it’s about knowing that you will sometimes make decisions that don’t work, but are agile enough to change course without hesitation and take on board the lessons you learn along the way.

My recognitions and awards mean the world to me and I am forever grateful to those who selected me or my company. There are so many moments that have meant a lot: my first appearance in The Independent press, my first podcast appearance, getting my first paying client, when LinkedIn selected me as an expert on stress and my post went viral, my first international client, the first month I made more money than in my last corporate job and many more. If I had to choose an experience that has meant the most to me, it would have to be the feeling I get every time I finish a client session. The progress they make never ceases to amaze me. All of these experiences are significant and truly mean something. I’m excited to continue doing what I do to better the lives of others.

I chose to study at The University of Law because it’s one of the best institutions to learn the LPC and the exams were open book. I distinctly remember two key skills I learned while studying. Firstly, my ability to manage multiple deadlines effectively; it is still essential as a founder when you are wearing all the hats yourself. Secondly, the ability to think on my feet - I call this ‘dancing in the moment’. During my advocacy exam, we weren’t prepared for my opponent to be absent but I still managed to confidently respond to the examiner. It’s a skill that is imperative for the 1:1 work I do now.

During my current role and my ten-year legal career, I’ve had to use strong problem-solving skills. The application may be obvious within law, but as a founder, I’m referring to the skill of building a successful business. It takes discipline to tackle issues daily and find effective solutions. Also, I’ve always ensured that I’m aware of important updates within the industry, alongside developing my knowledge. Finally, communication skills, particularly the ability to listen, are a must to work with clients. I remain committed to providing the best service and value.

Personal attributes and professional skills that are essential for excelling in both the legal field and founding a business are:

• Analytical skills
• Commercial awareness
• Communication (especially listening) skills
• Professionalism
• Integrity
• Customer-centric approach
• Critical thinking
• Problem-solving
• Resilience
• Tenacity

The advice I would give to students keen to start their business or those considering entrepreneurship are:

• Believe in yourself (especially when others don’t)
• Be clear on your purpose and mission
• Know your core values
• Be willing to make sacrifices
• Start before you feel ready
• Be willing to get uncomfortable
• Network – talk to everyone you meet
• Be clear on who you’re in business for
• Don’t strive for perfection
• Get a mentor
• Fall forward and build on the momentum
• Don’t work all the hours (work smarter, not harder)
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help
• Don’t get bogged down with the trivial stuff
• Do your research
• Don’t fear rejection
• Don’t stress (get a stress hacker)

I don’t regret any part of my journey as every single moment shaped the person I am and the business I have today. Without my law experience, I wouldn’t know what I wanted (and didn’t want) from my career, what excellent customer service looked like, the pressures those within the corporate world faced and so much more.

If I could give advice to my 18-year-old self, I’d want her to know how capable she was, to never doubt her ability to get the job done and that her entrepreneurial genes and resilience inherited from her grandmother would one day work in her favour.

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