A 7/10 job beats a fantasy 10/10

Why swapping one retailer for another feels safe… but keeps you stuck.

Tom here…

Back in 2012, I was having a torrid time in retail.

Crazy hours.
A store miles away from home.
And the worst part?

I’d fallen out with my line manager.

She was on my back every day.
Nothing I did felt good enough.
Everything was scrutinised.

It got to the point where it was making me physically sick.
And it started bleeding into home life too.

I desperately wanted out.

But I couldn’t see a way out.

I didn’t know what I could do outside of retail.
And there didn’t seem to be any options inside it either.

So I did what a lot of retail managers do.

I got tempted by other retailers.

Different logo.
Same job.

And I see this all the time.

Retail is incestuous.

I’ve got friends who’ve worked for more retailers than they’ve had cars.

People come to me for advice…
And months later, I see they’ve “escaped”… straight into another retailer.

But here’s the uncomfortable question:

Is that actually a move forward?

At the time, if I’d rated my career satisfaction, it was probably a 1/10.

Yes, my line manager played a part.
But most of it?

That was just retail.

Long hours.
Long commute.
Little recognition.

That’s baked into the model.

Moving to another retailer might bump you to a 2/10.

But deep down, you already know the truth.

It’s not massively different.

It just feels safer.
Lower risk.
More familiar.

And here’s the key thing most people miss:

A career change doesn’t mean jumping from 1/10 to 10/10.

I’ve rarely seen that happen in the 7 years I’ve been doing this.

But moving from 1/10 to 6/10?

That’s not only possible. It’s often easy.

I call it pivoting.
(Not pivoting into another retailer.)

It might be managing in a less 24/7 industry.

Or just a role with more structure and predictability.

The goal isn’t to “escape retail”.

It’s to land somewhere better for you.

Maybe that’s better hours or more impact.
Perhaps a life that isn’t constantly on-call?

But to do that, you need clarity.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been talking to you about the 36 industries where retail managers actually go.

And the reason I keep coming back to it is simple.

Most people don’t stay stuck because they’re scared of change.

They stay stuck because they don’t have anything solid to move towards.

When everything outside retail feels vague, risky, or unfamiliar, swapping one retailer for another feels like the only sensible option.

» See where retail managers actually go when they want something better

It shows you the kinds of environments retail managers consistently move into when they want fewer hours, more structure, or a life that isn’t permanently on-call — without starting again or gambling their income.

Not by guessing.

Not by “seeing what happens”.

But by seeing real, proven paths people like you already take.

For a lot of people, this is the first time they can actually picture what a 6/10 or 7/10 role looks like for them.

Instead of just knowing they’re unhappy where they are.

»Stop guessing. See the paths that already work

If you’re done hopping between retailers and hoping this one feels different, this is the calmer, clearer way to think about what’s next.

Cheering you on,

Tom