Why Playing It Safe Nearly Killed My Career

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A successful career doesn’t always follow a neat line, especially for leaders who thrive on solving problems rather than maintaining the status quo. In this conversation, Shonagh Primrose shares how resisting pressure to pick one path opened more doors in the long run.

From our conversation with Shonagh Primrose, COO at Wylde Market on The STOIX Podcast, she talks about the moments that put her career in jeopardy, the times she turned down stable offers, and the strength it took to stay broad in a world that rewards specialisation. These reflections show how breadth, risk, and being hard to place early on became the very reasons she earned a seat at the top table.

It wasn’t supposed to start this way

Biology degree in hand and a PhD lined up, Shonagh Primrose thought she was heading into a career in science. But then her PhD got delayed. The plan she had worked towards started to unravel.

“All the good jobs had gone,” she says, recalling that odd, uncertain moment after graduation. “So, I went looking and came across this ad for a graduate scheme at a turnaround business. I thought, great, I’ll do a year, get some business skills, and then go back to the PhD.”

But within a few months, she was hooked. She left the lab behind and stepped into the business world. It wasn’t what she expected, but it quickly became something she wanted to stick with.

The sailboat and the seven-year detour

Then came the sailing.

Another career pause, this time to chase a very different type of challenge. When she came back, recruiters were baffled.

“They told me, go get a big name on your CV. Then come back.”

So, she did. A job at a FTSE 100 company was supposed to be a two-year box-ticker. It turned into a seven-year stretch.

“I thought I’d pick up some skills and move on. But the longer I stayed, the more I could see the power in understanding different leadership styles, how different teams worked.”

Eventually, she walked away from a consulting offer at one of the major firms. “I wanted autonomy. I wanted to do it myself.”

So, she did, taking another left turn and embracing a new risk.

Broad skills, no box

These decisions didn’t always make sense on paper. But they made sense to her.

“In the middle of my career, I really struggled to find my place. Headhunters didn’t know what to do with me. They’d say, ‘You’re too broad. We don’t know where you fit.’”

But she held firm.

“I get bored easily. I’m not a maintainer. Don’t ask me to look after something that’s running fine. Give me a problem. That’s when I come alive.”

That drive to stay challenged became the constant. In every role, she looked for where she could stretch, where she could learn, where she could make a dent in something that needed fixing.

“I’ve always gravitated towards messy situations. You drop me into something broken, and that’s where I thrive.”

That mindset shaped how she approached every new opportunity, often choosing variety and uncertainty over a clear-cut path.

“I didn’t want to be boxed in. I wanted to see the whole picture. Understand how every decision in one area plays out in another.”

It wasn’t always easy to explain that to recruiters or hiring managers. Some saw it as a risk. Others couldn’t see how it fit their job descriptions.

“It was frustrating. You’ve got this whole toolkit and nobody knows how to use it.”

But she kept going.

“I started realising that the more I leaned into being different, the more valuable I became. I could speak the language of sales, operations, finance. I could connect dots that other people didn’t see.”

As her career progressed, that broad experience stopped being a liability and started being her edge.

“Late in your career, suddenly, breadth is valuable. Now everyone wants someone who’s seen all parts of the business.”

Career at a crossroads

There were moments that could have easily gone the other way. The biggest of all: walking away from a structured, stable path.

“After leaving the FTSE 100 company, I had the chance to join a big consultancy. It looked like the logical next step, but something didn’t sit right. I knew I wanted more autonomy, more say in what I was building, so I made the unusual choice to turn it down and start something on my own.”

That decision nearly cost her the momentum she had worked so hard to build.

“There were definitely times where I thought, what have I done?”

But eventually, it opened the door to a new leadership role, then a COO position at Wylde Market. And suddenly, that “odd path” made sense.

“It’s like a puzzle. All the strange bits come together in the end.”

Making peace with your style

As a leader, Shonagh has never chased the typical image.

“I’m not the person who commands a big room. That’s not me. And it took time to get comfortable with that.”

Instead, she leans into clarity, connection, and giving her team space to thrive.

“Be really clear about what you’re trying to achieve. Make sure people know what their role is, give them autonomy, and create that safety. That’s when people go beyond what you thought was possible.”

That safety to take risks, fail, and try again? It only happens when leaders go first.

“You have to show up and be vulnerable. Say, here’s what I’m great at. Here’s where I need help. That’s where trust starts.”

To connect with Shonagh or explore more of her experience and insights, head over to Shonagh’s LinkedIn profile.