Wellington Place is more than just bricks and mortar, it’s a thriving community powered by people. This series of interviews aims to highlight some of the people of Wellington Place, share their inspirational stories and find out why Wellington Place is much more than just a place to work.
In today’s fast-paced corporate world where we’re expected to be ‘always on’, conversations around burnout, imposter syndrome and workplace balance are more important than ever. For many professionals, balancing career ambitions with life outside of work can feel like an uphill battle – especially in high-pressure industries like law and finance.
These themes were recently explored at Wellington Place through The Pause event – a relaxed wellbeing session designed to help people slow down, reset and take a moment for themselves during the working day.
We caught up with Öz Varol, Associate Investment Manager at Evelyn Partners and host of The Pause, to talk about navigating stress in a corporate career, learning to let go of perfectionism, overcoming imposter syndrome and building a career that aligns with who you are both inside and outside of work.
Can you tell us a bit about your role?
I’m an Associate Investment Manager at Evelyn Partners. I joined the team relatively recently and I’m working towards becoming a fully qualified investment manager.
What’s the most important thing you’ve learnt in your career journey?
The biggest thing I’ve learnt is that everyone gets imposter syndrome at some point in their career.
When you experience imposter syndrome, it’s important to take a step back and ask yourself where those feelings are coming from. Is it something someone has actually said to you, or is it a story you’ve created in your own mind? Sometimes we build narratives around ourselves that simply aren’t true.
Our belief systems shape our thoughts, behaviours and how we present ourselves professionally. Catching those negative beliefs early can have a huge impact on your confidence and the way you navigate your career.
A lot of professionals struggle with the pressure to appear confident and capable all the time, particularly in corporate settings.
For me, it’s about remembering that you don’t have to strive for perfection. You can aim to improve, grow and do better without expecting yourself to get everything right all the time.
When you’re not chasing perfection, it becomes much easier to manage stressful situations at work without letting them consume you.
What’s been one of the biggest challenges in your career?
Balancing the two different sides of myself has probably been the biggest challenge.
There’s the side that wants stability and success within the corporate world, but there’s also a more mindful side of me that values wellbeing and self-awareness. I actually quit my previous role without having another plan lined up because I knew I needed to stop and reassess things.
I didn’t fully realise how burnt out I was until I stepped away from work and noticed the difference in my stress levels. It gave me the opportunity to explore what I was genuinely curious about and what I wanted from my career moving forward.
When you’re constantly operating under pressure, stress can become your normal. Sometimes it’s only when you pause that you realise how overwhelmed you’ve actually been.
Giving yourself permission to step back, ask bigger questions and explore different paths can be incredibly valuable – even if it feels uncomfortable at the time.
You recently hosted The Pause event at Wellington Place – why was that important to you?
I think a lot about the concept of freedom and separating your inner world from everything happening externally around you.
If every difficult thing that happens in the outside world immediately impacts your inner world, then you’re never truly free. But if you can slowly build that boundary and strengthen it over time, you become much more resilient.
That’s one of the reasons events like The Pause are so important.
Creating a dedicated space where people are actively encouraged to pause, reset and take an hour for themselves without guilt is incredibly valuable – especially in busy working environments.
How have you connected with the wider Wellington Place community?
Hosting The Pause event at Wellington Place was a really meaningful experience because it created space for open conversations around stress, wellbeing and self-awareness in professional life.
More workplaces are recognising the importance of supporting people beyond just productivity and performance. Creating opportunities for professionals to connect, reflect and focus on wellbeing can have a hugely positive impact on both individuals and workplace culture.
Take a look at the full interview below
