💪 Resilience And Mental Toughness
Our guest on this special episode of Career Diaries by Elemed is Liam Turley. Liam is the founder and CEO of Trinzo, a biotech and pharmaceutical quality assurance consultancy firm with clients all over the world. Before founding Trinzo, Liam accumulated decades of experience working as a compliance and quality assurance expert in some of the biggest biotech and pharmaceutical companies in the world.
He joins us today to share his exciting career path as well as how to bounce back after taking major career hits.
🤔 From Young, Curious Mind To Biotech Quality Control Powerhouse
Liam Turley always knew that he would end up in the world of science or tech in one way or another. As a child, he was fascinated with all things science. Where many classmates squirmed at the thought of biology class dissections, Liam welcomed the chance to learn more and satisfy his curiosity.
Liam’s love for technology was just as strong and he would often tinker with old pieces of tech around his home just to figure out how things worked.
His love for these two fields led to a bachelor’s degree in microbiology and a master’s degree in biotechnology. These accolades combined with his attention for detail and love for regulatory policies led to a long and successful career as a quality control and compliance expert in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries.
According to Liam, it was watching how the products from biotech companies changed the lives of those around him that inspired him to make a career for himself in the industry. These encounters included witnessing the impact of something as simple as hearing aids on his grandmother’s life.
Liam’s career as a quality control expert started small with gigs in local firms and boomed into a lucrative and exciting career that took him all over the world – from Germany and France to Mexico and the United States.
🏩 The Wedding Anniversary That Changed It All
At the beginning of 2015, Liam Turley was truly at the height of his career. He was the VP of Quality Assurance at a successful, international biotech firm and all signs pointed to the sky as the limit to his career.
However, after the company he worked for got acquired on the 16th of February (which was also his wedding anniversary), Liam’s role was effectively rendered redundant.
What followed were 6 months of reflection and considering what was next for his career, after which he decided that he was ready for retirement. Fortunately for him – and a lot of biotech and pharmaceutical firms he has worked with since – this is not the path he would end up taking.
Thus began the journey of resilience and mental toughness that would result in him founding Trinzo.
👨💼Consulting Vs. Starting Your Own Business
While considering what was next for himself after the layoff, Liam was faced with 2 choices.
The first was to get back into the industry that he had known for decades and find work as a consultant. He had hoped that his old contacts and networks would come in handy. And while he did get an opportunity to work as a consultant, he soon realised that what he truly wanted was to build something of his own.
A lot of research and mentoring later, Trinzo was founded.
🔙 Lessons from the Great Comeback
Unfortunately, job redundancy and layoffs are a major reality in any industry. But as Liam put it, “Resilience is all about that bounce back.”
His own comeback story was not easy and involved a lot of sacrifice and hard work. Here are a few tips he shares on how to come back strong after taking a huge hit in your career.
1. You may have to start from scratch
There is no denying the fact that networking is infinitely valuable when it comes to the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. However, as Liam learned the hard way, rebuilding after a major career change is not always as straightforward as one may hope.
Those contacts may not necessarily come through for you as you hoped they would. It is therefore crucial that you are prepared for the fact that you may have to start the journey entirely from square 1.
2. Resilience and persistence are priceless
Getting back on your feet is never easy. Liam’s experience included months of travelling and being away from his family as he tried to get traction and worked on founding his own quality assurance consultancy firm.
3. Work on your self-drive and desire to succeed
If you choose to take the path of starting your own business as your comeback plan, you have to gather up as much self-drive as you can spare. The desire to prove to yourself that you can actually build something is what will help keep you going even when you run out of physical and mental energy.
4. The art of prioritisation
Whether it is a small business or a large company that you are starting, it is important to learn how to prioritise tasks, resources, expenses, personal needs, and so on. Liam recommends ranking and scoring different priorities to help you make better and more impactful decisions for your company.
5. Always bounce back
No matter how many times, how far, or how hard you fall in your career, you need to ensure that you always get up. Liam almost stayed down when he considered retirement but is now extremely glad that he chose to get back up and keep moving.
The bounce back will definitely not be easy or fun. But with resilience and a tough mind, it will most likely end up being well worth all the struggle and sacrifice.
🔮 What Next For Liam And Trinzo?
“To be a people developer”. That is the kind of legacy that Liam wants to leave behind,not only through his company and consultancy work but in his life outside work as a sports coach.
As for the company, Liam hopes that with time and growth, Trinzo will become “the partner of choice” for biotech and pharmaceutical companies.
