What’s next? Suzanne Vennard’s Midlife Shift from Camera to Classroom

For more than two decades, Suzanne Vennard built a pioneering career in video production, from launching the world’s first online dance classes to producing and directing for clients across multiple industries. But as she approached 50, a quiet unease grew. She kept asking herself “Is this it?” The decision to take a sabbatical, a pandemic pause, and a chance teaching session opened a new path, proving that midlife can be a life-changing reset point, with so much more to come.

Pioneering YouTuber Making Moves

Suzanne’s story begins in her twenties, in the thick of London’s music industry. It was fast, vibrant, full of energy and she had carved out a management role earlier than most. But life shifted suddenly when both her parents became seriously ill at the same time.

“I’d always had an itch to run my own business,” she recalls. “And when my parents needed me, I made the decision to come back to the West Country, be closer to them, and start something of my own.”

What she created was remarkable. Spotting a gap in the dance world for high-quality filmed instruction, Suzanne launched her own production company. By 2006, she published the world’s first full-length online dance classes years before YouTube became the giant it is today.

It was an extraordinary leap. There was no such thing as off-the-shelf video on demand programmes; she had to code hers from scratch, and so became an early pioneer of the VoD we all use today. Yet, in spite of the achievement, she remembers sitting across from a bank manager, explaining her business model, and being told bluntly that it was rubbish.

“I remember trying to convince a set-in-his-ways banker that people would pay to download online content. He didn’t get it. But I kept going.”

Against scepticism and without a safety net, Suzanne forged ahead, and proved that bank manager wrong. Her programmes racked up millions of views, and before long, other businesses were asking her to produce videos for them. What began with dance became a two-decade award winning career as a respected producer and director.

The Question at 50 and the Pause

By the time Suzanne was nearing 50, she had built something few could rival. But despite the success, an unease set in.

“I just felt like I had something else in the tank. I can’t describe it better than that. I’d worked so hard to build my career, but there was this insistent voice: Is this it?”

That feeling prompted her to take a sabbatical in early 2020. She stopped taking on clients and gave herself three months from January to March to reflect. Then the pandemic arrived, extending her pause into something much longer.

“At first it was frustrating. But then I realised it was exactly what I needed. The world stopped, and it gave me space to stop too.”

She took online courses, exploring different corners of her industry, and, crucially, began scribbling on old-fashioned flipcharts. “Sometimes, I just shut the laptop, and using paper and pens, I started to reflect: what do I like, what am I good at, where do those overlap? I needed to hear myself again.”

The Unexpected Spark

The turning point came almost by accident. On one of her courses, Suzanne described how she had built commercial audiences. The tutor asked if she could teach her techniques to other students.

“I thought, fine, I’ll run a little morning session and that’ll be that. But I fell in love with it. Completely unexpectedly, I loved teaching. It was like fireworks went off. I realised this was the shift I’d been looking for.”

“I’ve heard bonkers stories of dramatic mid-life career shifts. You know the kind of thing ‘I was a taxi driver and retrained as a brain surgeon’. The shift from video producer to teaching video production didn’t feel dramatic at all to start with”. But it proved life-changing. Suzanne had gone from doing the work to teaching it and discovered a new alignment that felt both natural and profound.

“I didn’t realise how big a shift it is. Standing in a classroom with lots of pairs of eyes on you, needing you to be brilliant and answer every question. It’s a completely different skill. For me, it was transformative.”

Building the Masterclass, then Life Happened

Suzanne teamed up with camera ace Andrew Clark, who shared her passion for teaching. Together they established VennardVideo, and built their ‘Complete Video for Business’ course,

“We weren’t messing about,” Suzanne says. “We wanted it to be the course, the one to give business people the theory, practical skills and confidence they need to get video right.”

Quickly gaining the distinction of being the highest CPD-accredited video training in the UK, in March 2022, and with pandemic restrictions lifted, the pair were ready to launch. But just as they were about to take off, Suzanne’s world shifted again: she was diagnosed with stage II cancer.

Grit and Determination

If there’s a phrase that captures Suzanne’s journey, it’s “keep going.”

That grit has defined every stage of her story from pioneering online dance classes, rebuilding after a sabbatical, to surviving cancer, persuading the NHS to take communication seriously, and now teaching the professionals of tomorrow.

And yet the heart of her story is not grit alone, but alignment. “The thing I’m most proud of is that I can now say: I’m a teacher. And striving to be a really good teacher might be the best work I’ll ever do.”

No Thought of Retirement

Ask Suzanne about retirement, and she doesn’t hesitate. “I can’t imagine retiring. Not in the traditional sense. I want to do something I like and keep doing it. For me, there’s always the next thing and the thing after that.”

Advice for Others

Suzanne is clear when asked what advice she’d give others at midlife crossroads.

· Step away from the noise. Shut the laptop. Pick up pens and paper. Shift your environment so you can hear yourself.

· Look inward, not outward. Don’t chase the titles or bragging rights. Ask what you like, what you’re good at, and where those overlap.

· Picture the details. When deciding on a dream shift, don’t just look at the big picture. Instead, imagine the day-to-day. What time would you get up? What would you wear? Who would you work with? If the detail doesn’t fit, it might not work.

· Enjoy your days. At this stage of life, it’s not about kudos, or endlessly chasing promotion. It’s about genuinely enjoying being in the present.

Editor's Reflection

Suzanne’s story is proof that midlife clarity doesn’t always come with dramatic leaps. Sometimes the most profound shifts come from carving out time to reflect and using what you already know in a new way. Her journey from behind the camera to the front of the classroom, from video producer to teacher, from patient to advocate shows how alignment, resilience, and persistence write the next chapter. She demonstrates that, far from winding down, midlife can be a redefining moment.

You can connect with Suzanne on LinkedIn or visit her website VennardVideo.