James Crawley is a CEO, Non-Executive Director, Mentor, Public Speaker and the Bestselling Author of three books: Fuel Your Employer Brand, Refuel Your Employer Brand, and The Seven Year (Sw)itch - Why We Get Restless in Work, Life, and Love, and What to Do About It.
James began his career submerged (literally) as a Submariner in the Royal Navy. After a few years underwater, he resurfaced, tracked down his wife, and stumbled into executive search. Starting as a researcher, he rose to leadership positions in start-ups, turnarounds, and public companies, with the occasional plot twist along the way (including a divorce and an upgrade to Wife v2.0, complete with two delightful pre-installed apps).
Over three decades, James evolved from head-hunter to business consultant, founding JCM Advisors to help growing businesses and entrepreneurs avoid the pitfalls he knows all too well. Today, he leads multiple companies, advises high-growth firms, and delivers keynote talks worldwide.
Off the clock, James dedicates time to humanitarian and charity projects, including the RNLI, South East 4x4 Response, and the Sevenoaks CPR Charity. While he holds no formal psychology or mentoring credentials, his wealth of experience from a live well lived offer lessons few could match.
This one-on-one interview shares James’s background and experience in writing The Seven Year (Sw)itch - Why We Get Restless in Work, Life, and Love, and What to Do About It.
Tell us about The Seven Year (Sw)itch - Why We Get Restless in Work, Life, and Love, and What to Do About It.
Feeling stuck? You are not alone.
We’ve all heard of the seven-year itch in relationships, but what if that itch shows up in your job, your friendships, your hobbies, or even your sense of self?
The Seven Year (Sw)itch reveals why this nagging dissatisfaction creeps in every few years, and how to turn it into your greatest opportunity for growth.
With a blend of sharp wit, real-world insight, and refreshingly honest storytelling, I guide readers through the cycles of change that govern our lives. You’ll discover:
· Why the "itch" is more science than superstition
· How to recognise the signs of healthy discontent
· What to do when quitting isn’t an option (but neither is staying stuck)
· Strategies to reinvent, re-engage, or gracefully let go
· How to turn restlessness into renewal without burning your life down
Whether you’re in year seven, year two, or somewhere in between, this book gives you permission to question everything and take control of what comes next.
What inspired you to write The Seven Year (Sw)itch - Why We Get Restless in Work, Life, and Love, and What to Do About It?
When I hit my fifties, I finally had the space to slow down and take stock, a life audit, if you will. Looking back, I realised that the whirlwind of career moves, relationships, and personal changes wasn’t random. There was a rhythm to it. I saw the same rhythm in friends and business colleagues: people leaving jobs, ending marriages, starting companies, chasing dreams, often at roughly the same intervals.
What I thought were spur-of-the-moment decisions were in fact part of a larger cycle, something baked into how we grow restless and reinvent ourselves. The Seven-Year (Sw)itch grew out of that insight. It’s not about regretting change, it’s about seeing the itch coming, understanding it, and making better choices when it arrives.
If life has taught me anything - from several relationships, nine houses, twenty-seven cars and countless pets - it’s that change is inevitable. How you ride it makes all the difference.
How did your background and experience influence your writing?
I’ve been privileged to live a very full and varied life. From serving in the Armed Forces and Emergency Services, to volunteering with humanitarian charities, to leading both global corporations and scrappy start-ups, I’ve seen life from almost every angle. I’ve travelled widely, worked across industries, and experienced everything from roughing it to 5-star luxury. Along the way, I’ve made plenty of mistakes but each one has been a lesson.
What surprised me most is how universal restlessness is: it doesn’t care about job title, background, or bank balance. Having never been a fan of traditional self-help books because they typically have too much jargon and not enough reality, I wanted to write something practical, digestible, and grounded in real life.
The Seven-Year (Sw)itch cuts through the noise and gives readers insights they can actually use, wherever they are in their journey.
What is one message you would like readers to remember?
Change isn’t failure, it’s part of the cycle of living a full life.
We all hit points where we feel restless in our careers, relationships or personal lives. Too often, we beat ourselves up for it, or jump blindly into the next thing.
My hope is that readers learn that these moments are predictable. There’s nothing wrong with wanting more (or less), you just need the tools to handle restlessness in a way that builds rather than breaks.
So, if you can recognise the itch before it takes over, you can make smarter, braver choices about what comes next. You can’t stop the itch, but you can choose how you scratch it!
Purchasing the Book
The Seven Year (Sw)itch - Why We Get Restless in Work, Life, and Love, and What to Do About It. has received positive reviews from well-known literary organizations, authors, and reviewers around the world. Book Excellence writes, “The Seven-Year (Sw)itch is a smart, witty guide to life’s inevitable cycles of change. James helps you spot the itch, understand it, and use it to reinvent yourself; turning restlessness into purpose, growth, and a life you actually want to live.”
In addition, reviewer Anwen Cooper writes, “Packed full of common sense, wise words and James’ trademark wry wit – this straight-talking and easy-to-read book delivers exactly what it promises…uplifting, refreshing, and practical.”
The book, e-book and Audio Book are available for sale on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook, Google Play, and other online bookstores. Readers are encouraged to purchase their copy today: https://amzn.eu/d/b6Cv1uo
To connect with James and learn more about his work, visit: www.jcmadvisors.com. You can also find him on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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