Escaping London: Why Gen Z is Leaving 9–5 Life

She moved from London to Tbilisi after 16 years in the UK — leaving behind a glamorous fashion career, working for elite photographers, and studying at University of the Arts London (2nd best art uni in the world).
But was it all worth it? Was London actually that bad, and is freelancer life in Georgia really better than the famous UK 9–5 grind?

📲 Follow us for more 🇬🇪 international chaos:
Instagram –   / modern9to5  
TikTok –   / modern9to5  
Business: modern9to5podcast@gmail.com

⏳ Chapters
0:00 British guest, Georgian roots 🇬🇧🇬🇪
0:18 “I have a toxic relationship with the UK” 😅
0:36 Teaser: UAL grad, big-name photographer, freelancer
0:53 UAL (University of the Arts London) — the hype vs reality
1:08 Meet Mariam: accent, Georgian fluency & AI jokes
2:31 “Start from the beginning” — childhood & moving to the UK
3:49 Devil Wears Prada era: first industry job
4:32 From archivist to exhibition & publishing at age 20
4:54 One-woman show at a model agency (photo, agent, social, creative)
5:09 London life in one line: rain, prices… why live there?
6:08 How her family got to the UK (Salvation Army story)
7:33 Moving as a family, childhood expectations vs reality
9:20 Kensington basement for £2,100 — no sun, big bill
10:28 Rain & infrastructure: London vs Tbilisi 🌧️
12:21 Menace Model Management shout-out — the “glamour” truth
14:13 Why quit a “dream job”? Remote boyfriend & freelance push
16:08 Pricing in GEL, giving back locally, early projects in Georgia
17:15 Is UAL worth it? Covid, debt & connections debate
20:26 Best thing uni gave: diverse creatives & making shoots happen
21:33 The famous (unnamed) photographer & DWP reference
22:45 How she actually landed roles: drive, The Dots, no gap year
24:35 On Georgian imposter syndrome: “fake it till you make it”
26:01 ADHD talk — diagnosis, dissertation, coping & hyperfocus
31:14 9-to-5 routine vs freelance chaos: what really suits her
34:25 Tbilisi taxi story & service culture differences 🚕
38:09 UK “PTSD”, visas & migration chat (nuance, not rage)
41:41 DNA tests & “what is 100% Georgian?” conversation
49:12 Her craft: portrait love, transformation & fashion sets
50:11 AI in photography: threat or tool? (retouching to prompting)
54:20 What is creativity, really? Subjective art & real talk
57:34 Why move back now? Identity, family, and building in Georgia
59:47 Wrap-up: thanks to Mariam + links & subscribe



🔥 New episodes every week – unfiltered career talk for people who hate fake motivation.
👇 Subscribe & comment where you’re watching from!