Thinking of booking a celebrity that has had more than one career path?

When you’re successful in your career, taking a risk and making the decision to change your path can be a scary one; but it can also be one with some pretty big payoffs. You might love what you do but just need a change – or maybe you’ve always yearned to follow your dreams, but worried about taking a risk.

People who are passionate about what they do tend to be better at making money than those who aren’t, because they’re willing to put 100% into their work, go above and beyond the call of duty and take risks and innovate. If you’re running a business event for entrepreneurs or people thinking about taking the leap, one of the celebrity speakers below could be the perfect person to convince your audience.

They’ve all made big changes in their careers that have really paid off; some through necessity, others just because they wanted to. Keep reading to find out more:

Giancarlo Fisichella

Giancarlo first became famous as a racing car driver. He’s well known the world over after coming up through the ranks from Formula 3 to eventually become a Formula 1 racing driver, competing in some of the globe’s biggest events.

It’s not a path he’s completely given up, and the Italian still races for Ferrari’’s AF Endurance Team, but he’s added another string to his bow and become a successful celebrity DJ alongside this.

Fisichella plays a mix of commercial house music and future house music, and has performed in some of the world’s biggest clubs, making a success of both of his chosen careers, without sacrificing one for the other.

Ray Stubbs

It’s a time-honoured path, but that’s because it works – for many former professional footballers, hanging up their boots in their 40s doesn’t mean they’ve lost interest in the game – far from it in fact.

While some go on to become coaches or managers, many like Stubbs choose to make a career ot punditry and commentating. Ray Stubbs is one man who has been particularly successful at that, becoming the BBC’s England reporter for several years after retiring from his career with Tranmere Rovers and Bangor City football clubs.

Not limiting himself to football, Stubbs also commentates occasionally on darts and snooker coverage, making him a real all-rounder who has made a success of every opportunity that has come his way.

Jon-Allan Butterworth

While some career changes are chosen, others are forced, and that was the case with Butterworth. In 2007 while working in Basra in Iraq with the RAF, a rocket attack hit the base on which he was working.

Butterworth was badly injured in the attack, and despite the best efforts of his doctors, he lost his left arm above the elbow. Never one to be deterred, the plucky former serviceman contacted Parlympics GB when he returned to the UK.

He continued to work for the RAF, but after completing a 350 mile cycle ride for charity in 2009 he decided to start training as a Para athlete.

He is now one of the UK’s top paracyclists, and has represented the UK in many of the world’s top competitions – he’s living proof that an unexpected change can be embraced for the better to carve out a whole new career. 

Edele Lynch

Once a member of the popular girl band B*Witched, Edele has since the band split taken a more back-seat role and carved out a successful career as a songwriter, penning some of the decade’s best known songs.

Consisting of four members, B*Witched originally had hits with songs including C’est la Vie, Rollercoaster and Blame it on the Weatherman. They were hugely popular among the teen and tween demographic and also had a couple of successful albums under their belts when they split up in 2002.

Since then, Edele has written songs for bands including Girls Aloud and the Sugababes, but has also reunited with her bandmates in B*Witched on several occasions, managing to juggle both of her careers in the process.