“It’s never too late”, Caroline’s Journey from HR to Acting, Filmmaking and Empowering Others
With over 20 years’ experience in HR, Caroline has always wanted to follow her passion for acting. When Caroline had her children, she emphasises that ensuring they had the best start in life while feeling loved and supported was the most important thing, and she became very selfless in this process. Reflecting on her childhood, Caroline describes it as “a little bit chaotic”, so she was determined to make things better for the next generation of her family.
When her daughter was around five years old, Caroline signed her up for a local theatre school, and they performed in a production in the West End. Watching her daughter really inspired her to pursue her own passion, as the production left her feeling envious of her daughter’s opportunity to perform. A few years later, as her children got older, Caroline began acting again, taking classes at a time when her work environment was becoming increasingly toxic.
Caroline also manages video content editing through her business, Nield Visual Media. After returning to acting, Caroline began learning a lot about personal development and mindset. Despite making progress in her acting
career, she recalls, “I still felt like a bit of an imposter. I didn’t feel comfortable talking about it either.” She began working one-to-one with a coach and discovered that video editing allowed her to work more flexibly alongside her acting. Caroline uses her love of film and creativity to help busy business owners to show up and be seen on social media, helping them to boost their profile and achieve their goals. She is passionate about what she does and loves working with clients, taking care of the technical aspects, so they can spend more time on what they love.
Caroline has co-created a short film called Shine, about a neurodivergent girl who struggles to fit and the relationship she has with her brother who cares for her, which will be released in 2025! “People say the best way to establish yourself is to create your own projects,” she says. “It’s been quite tough, but we got there in the end.” Caroline highlights that this was a major passion project and hopes there will be many more, despite the professional challenges involved.
Regarding a typical day in her life, there isn’t one! Caroline juggles her regular day job, which allows her to work from home, alongside her acting and running Nield Visual Media. However, she enjoys her morning and evening routines, which include meditation, journalling, practising gratitude and physical exercise. “I think things like that keep me sort of grounded, motivated, and focused,” she explains. Caroline always sets intentions for the week and is constantly learning. She loves listening to podcasts and reading books, which also help her as she builds her business. Caroline feels that as long as she’s making small steps each week, she’s progressing, even if it’s not at a rapid pace.
Looking ahead, Caroline aims to grow Nield Visual Media into a business that goes beyond editing. Ideally, she would like to transition into a teaching or coaching role, helping business owners show up as their authentic selves. “One thing I’ve learned over the years is that if you operate from a place of authenticity, it is so much more meaningful. That’s something I’m quite passionate about, and I’d like to pass that on to others.”
A major goal for Caroline is to start her own production company. She admires Shonda Rhimes and Reese Witherspoon for creating so many exceptional shows and appreciates stories that focus on women, especially those that offer strong lead roles for older women.
A dream role for Caroline would be in a crime drama or psychological thriller, something akin to a female Luther.
“It’s never too late” is Caroline’s go-to phrase for anyone who feels like their time has passed when it comes to pursuing their passion. “Nobody knows how long they’re going to be here, so why spend your life thinking, ‘I would have really liked to have done that,’ but never trying it?” She discusses the importance of not wasting the life you have and how age should never hold you back. “People never see all the progression,” she says, mentioning Denzel Washington and the many jobs he did before acting. “People see him as a big movie star, but behind the scenes, there were years and years of work to get him there.”
A question for our next feature and our readers from Caroline is: “If you could do anything and know that you were guaranteed success, what would you do?” Let us know what you would do!
You can find Caroline across all platforms: @NieldVisualMedia - nieldvisualmedia | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok | Linktree
Features
