Episodes Release from 11th October 2026
From the Classroom to His Own Way: The Story of Chris Alexander
Chris Alexander is a man who gave everything to a profession he loved, only to discover that the version of himself he had been building was quietly crumbling beneath the surface.
Growing up in Manchester, Chris developed an early drive to achieve, to contribute, and to be someone who made a difference in the lives of others. Teaching felt like the natural expression of that drive. He stepped into the classroom with genuine passion, the kind that makes you stay late, take on more, and pour yourself into the work long after anyone else has gone home.
For years, that dedication defined him. He was the overachiever. The one who always showed up. The one who could be counted on. But behind that reliability was a person carrying far more than anyone around him realised.
The weight of unsustainable workloads, the erosion of morale, and the quiet but persistent feeling of being invisible despite everything he gave slowly began to take their toll. Chris was not just tired. He was running on empty in ways that went far beyond exhaustion. And then his body made a decision his mind had been avoiding.
A panic attack so severe it caused him to black out became the moment that changed everything. Horrendous as it was, it was also the final signal he could no longer ignore. Something had to change.
Leaving teaching was not simply a career decision. It was the dismantling of an identity he had spent years building. Stepping into the corporate world brought its own set of challenges, including job loss, uncertainty, and the confronting experience of rebuilding your sense of self when everything you once relied on has gone.
It was during this period that Chris also faced one of the most profound losses of his life. The passing of a close friend reshaped his perspective on everything, on purpose, on connection, on the importance of genuine support, and on what it truly means to be present for the people in your life.
Rather than allowing these experiences to define his limits, Chris allowed them to define his direction.
He wrote and published his book "Change It!" which outlines eight steps to creating positive transformation across health, relationships, and income. It is the kind of book that could only be written by someone who had genuinely walked through the fire, not observed it from a distance.
Today Chris works as a Digital Marketing Director, bringing the same commitment and intelligence he once gave to the classroom into a new arena. He is an author, a speaker, and a living example of what it looks like to rebuild your life with honesty and intention.
His story is not a neat, linear journey from struggle to success. It is something far more real than that. It is the story of a man who was burnt out, discouraged, and still standing. And who found, on the other side of everything, that it is never too late to reconnect and rebuild.
Listen to Chris Alexander's full story on Episode 128 of Leading Our Own Way, available from Sunday 11th October on YouTube,
then the day later on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
This is what leading your own way looks like. Raw. Real. Unfiltered.
Spotify, Apple Podcasts & YouTube
Full episodes Monday, Tuesday (Tuesday Truths) & Wednesday this week at 4:00AM AEST
YouTube early release night before at 8:00pm
Tuesday Truths: Now drop with some of the guests important parts from the full episode - Tuesday 4:00AM AEST
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Email: Andrew@leadingourownway.com

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