The Career Change Maker Podcast | Career Clarity & Career Pivots for Mid-Career Women

🎙️ Episode OverviewIf you’re great at setting career goals but struggle to actually achieve them, this episode is for you. As we reach the end of January and motivation starts to dip, I wanted to have a real conversation about why so many people get stuck between intention and execution, and how you can close that gap.In this episode, I break down the real reasons goals stall. I talk about the danger of taking action without structure, how too much external noise leads to confusion, and why misdiagnosing the problem can keep you spinning your wheels. What You’ll Learn in This EpisodeWhy setting the goal is often the easy part and what usually gets in the way after thatHow lack of structure and too many opinions can lead to confusion, inaction, and burnoutWhy doing more isn’t always the answer and how to approach things insteadAction StepsPause and audit what you’re doing: Look at your actions and ask yourself what the data is telling you about what’s working and what isn’t.Identify the real bottleneck: If you’re not getting results, figure out where things are breaking down instead of trying to do everything at once.Create intentional structure: Start with the end in mind and work backwards to define the right steps, in the right order for you.🔗 Book a Career Clarity Call If you’re ready to close the gap between the goals you’ve set and actually achieving them, book a clarity call with me at careerchangemakers.com/claritycallSend us a text

From Burnout to Business Owner (Client Case Study)In this episode, I’m sharing a powerful career coaching case study with my client, Maren. After moving from the Netherlands to Sweden and building a “squiggly” career across physiotherapy, admin, tech support, HR tech and customer success, she hit a point of exhaustion and misalignment at work.Maren came to coaching feeling tired, frustrated, and unsure of her next career move. Together, we explored her strengths, values and ideal work life. What started as a search for a new role turned into something bigger: the clarity and confidence to start her own business and design work that truly fits her.What You’ll Learn in This EpisodeHow career coaching creates clarity The tools we used to help Maren understand her strengths, preferences and ideal working environment.From self-doubt to self-advocacy at work How Maren went from “keeping quiet” to confidently speaking up, communicating her value, and challenging assumptions about what was possible in her career.A practical path from employee to business owner How she made a calculated, low-risk transition into entrepreneurship in Sweden, including using a legally protected leave to start her business without losing job security.In this episode, we talk about:What burnout and misalignment looked like for her day-to-dayWhy trying to “figure it all out in your head” keeps you stuckHow informational interviews and LinkedIn outreach gave her real-world dataThe mindset shift from “maybe one day I’ll start a business” to “I’m a business owner now”The emotional reality of starting a business: fear, excitement, headaches… and growthMaren also shares how coaching helped her avoid taking the long, indirect “multi-stop flight” in her career, and instead take a more direct route to the work and life she actually wanted.Connect with Maren Today, Maren runs Floohi, where she helps small and growing businesses:Create calm, systemised operations behind the scenesStreamline workflows and processesUse tools like Notion to bring structure and clarity so founders can focus on what they do bestIf you’re a business owner who feels like everything is in your head and your backend is chaos, you’ll love hearing how Maren supports her clients.👉 Connect with Maren and learn more about Floohi via the links in the show notes.Considering Coaching?If you’re:Drained and disengaged in your current roleWondering what else you could do with your experienceConsidering a career change or starting a business but don’t know where to startthis episode will give you a real-life example of what’s possible with structured career coaching, accountability, and a clear plan.If you’re ready to explore your next chapter and want support, book a career clarity call. Want to connect and share your thoughts on the episode? Send an email to podcast@careerchangemakers.comSend us a text

If you’ve been feeling like your only options are to stay miserable or burn it all down, this episode is for you.In today’s episode, I’m talking about how all-or-nothing thinking shows up in our careers, particularly for high achievers  and why this black-and-white mindset keeps so many capable, talented people feeling stuck, frustrated, and disengaged.I share why this way of thinking actually makes a lot of sense given how you’ve been rewarded throughout your career, and why shifting from making “forever decisions” to treating your career as a series of experiments can unlock clarity, confidence, and momentum.✨ What You’ll Learn in This EpisodeWhy all-or-nothing thinking feels logical, and how it quietly keeps you stuckHow high achievers get trapped by the belief that every career move must be perfect and permanentWhy clarity doesn’t come before action, it’s created through actionHow to reframe career decisions as experiments instead of life sentencesWhat it really looks like to move forward without having everything figured out🧭 Action StepsNotice the binary language you’re using Start paying attention to thoughts like “If I leave, I’ve wasted everything” or “If I don’t know the perfect move, I shouldn’t move at all.” Awareness is the first step to change.Make decisions for a season, not forever Ask yourself: What decision makes sense for this next season of my career? Releasing the pressure of permanence makes it easier to move forward.Actively look for the middle ground Instead of choosing between extremes, explore small experiments, tests, or shifts that allow you to gather real data before committing.🤍 Ready for Support?If you’re navigating the grey area and want support identifying your options, testing what fits, and moving forward with intention, I’d love to help.You can book a Career Clarity Call with me to explore whether my one-to-one coaching programme is the right next step. My work is designed to help you move from feeling unsure and stuck to having clarity, structure, and a sense of ease about what’s next.If this episode resonated, please share it with someone who needs to hear it. The more people who hear the show, the more people I can support in leading their careers with intention.Until next time, take care of yourself 🔗 Get in Touch Want to get in touch or give us feedback? Email us at podcast@careerchangemakers.comSend us a text

As we move through the first full working week of January, many professionals find themselves reflecting on their careers and questioning whether the path they’re on still fits. In this episode, I reflect on my biggest career pivot - stepping off the default legal career track while on maternity leave and how that single decision shaped a fulfilling portfolio career over the last 10 years.This episode is an invitation to rethink rigid career paths, embrace experimentation, and give yourself permission to choose again as your life, priorities, and seasons change.✨ What You’ll Learn in This EpisodeWhy clarity often comes after action, not before and why waiting to have it all figured out keeps many people stuckHow I made her first career pivot without taking a reckless leap, and how small, strategic transitions can de-risk changeWhy careers are meant to evolve and how to design work that fits your life, not just what looks good on paper🧭 Key Themes We ExploreStepping off the “default” career pathRedefining success after major life transitionsOvercoming fear, identity shifts, and fear of judgementBuilding a portfolio career aligned with your strengthsTesting, experimenting, and making intentional pivotsGiving yourself permission to choose differently🎯 Action StepsReflect on whether your current career still fits the season of life you’re in now, not the one you were in when you chose it.Identify what you don’t want anymore, clarity often starts there.Consider where you could experiment or test before making a bigger change.🤍 Work With MeIf you’re at a crossroads and want support designing a career that fits your life, not just one that looks good on paper, this is exactly the work I do with clients in 1:1 coaching.👉 Book a Career Clarity Call🔔 Enjoyed This Episode?If this resonated, share it with a friend who might need permission to choose again in 2026. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and keep moving towards a career that truly fits.Send us a text

If logging into LinkedIn or Instagram at the start of the year has left you feeling behind, overwhelmed, or questioning whether you should be doing more already — this episode is for you.In this episode, I explore why January so often triggers panic action, how social media rewards speed over alignment, and why rushing into goals can actually delay the results you want most.I share why slowing down to gain clarity has become one of the most powerful career strategies I’ve seen — especially for high-achieving professionals in mid-career.If you’re in a season of questioning, recalibrating, or figuring out your next move, this conversation will help you release the pressure to “hit the ground running” and instead move forward with intention.✨ What You’ll Learn in This Episode:Why January creates panic action and how comparison fuels rushed decision-makingThe difference between motion and traction in your careerWhy rushing into goals can lead to burnout, misalignment, or repeating the same patternsHow to recognise when you’re in a figuring-it-out season (and why that’s strategic, not a failure)The power of pausing before making a big career move especially if you’re feeling stuck or restlessPractical ways to slow down, tune out the noise, and take aligned next steps🧠 Key Takeaway:You’re not behind,  you’re becoming intentional.The season before clarity is not wasted time. It’s where the right decisions are made.🛠️ Action Steps: How to Move Forward Without RushingCreate space to pause Step away from the noise — social media, opinions, expectations and notice what’s actually driving your urgency.Get curious about what’s not working Before jumping to a new goal, role, or plan, identify what specifically feels misaligned in your current situation.Take one small, aligned action That might be booking thinking time, auditing what you’re saying yes to, or having a clarity-focused conversation with someone who can help you see the bigger picture.🤍 Want Support With Your Next Step?If you’re feeling the urge to make a move but don’t yet have clarity on what that move should be, you don’t need more information — you need space to think it through properly.👉 Book a Career Clarity Call with me and we’ll explore:What’s really driving the urgency you’re feelingWhether this is a season for action, rest, or recalibrationThe most aligned next step for you — not based on comparison, but intention🌿 Monthly Pause & Plan SessionsI also host a complimentary Pause & Plan session once a month for professionals and leaders who want to step away from the noise and plan with intention. Join our next session.🔗 Work with me in 2026 If you’re in a season of figuring things out and want personalised support, you can explore working with me 1:1 inside my Career Navigator coaching programme. Send us a text

In this episode of the Career Change Maker Podcast, I explore what happens when your career looks successful on the outside, but feels misaligned on the inside.So many high-achieving women reach a point in mid-career where everything appears to be going well - the title, the experience, the trajectory...yet there’s a quiet sense of dissatisfaction that won’t go away. Not because they’ve failed, but because they’ve grown.I talk about why this tension is so common, why it often shows up after years of building momentum, and how staying in roles that no longer fit the season of life you’re in can slowly drain your energy. I also share reflections from my own journey of moving away from private practice as a corporate lawyer, and why permission, not urgency was the turning point for me.If you’ve been asking yourself “Is this it?” or going back and forth about whether you should make a change, this episode will help you pause, listen to the information your body and mind are giving you, and think more intentionally about what alignment looks like now.✅ What You’ll Learn in This EpisodeWhy feeling dissatisfied in a “good on paper” career is more common than you thinkHow misalignment often shows up in mid-career for high-achieving womenThe hidden energy cost of staying in roles that no longer fit your season of lifeWhy clarity matters more than urgency when considering a career pivotHow to move out of mental looping and into intentional decision-making💡 Action Steps1. Look Ahead, Not Just Around Ask yourself how you would feel if nothing changed in your career by December 2026.2. Identify What’s Draining You Get specific about which parts of your work take the most energy — and why.3. Notice What You’re Tolerating Reflect on what you’re putting up with now that you wouldn’t have accepted in the past.Use these reflection questions:If nothing changed over the next year, how would I feel?What aspects of my role drain me the most — and why?What am I tolerating now that’s contributing to this misalignment?If you’re at a career crossroads and want support gaining clarity, I offer Career Pivot Clarity Calls - one-to-one conversations to help you understand where you are, what’s no longer working, and what your next best move could be. You can book yours using the link in the show notes.Send us a text

🎙️ Episode OverviewThis week’s episode is an extra-special milestone  the 300th episode of the Career Change Maker Podcast, recorded live at Allbright Everywoman. Joined by two powerhouse women, Hannah Awonuga (Founder, Inclusive Foundations Programme) and Alice Olins (Global Head of Learning & Content at Albright Everywoman), Janine leads a deeply insightful conversation on navigating career growth in uncertain times.From Hannah’s journey from global corporate leadership to entrepreneurship  while navigating grief, redundancy and reinvention to Alice’s transition from journalism to entrepreneurship and back into corporate leadership, this conversation offers grounded wisdom you can apply no matter where you are in your journey.If you're thinking about your next move, questioning your direction, or preparing for a new career chapter, this episode is full of powerful reminders that nothing is wasted, identity evolves, and you are the CEO of your career.💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode1. How to make bold career decisions — even when it’s easier to stay where you are.Hannah shares how she left a well-respected director role at Barclays, not because she disliked it, but because she was thinking long-term. The lesson? "Go when it’s easiest to stay, and stay when it’s easiest to go."2. Why self-awareness is your greatest career strategyAlice breaks down how carving out intentional time to think about your career, track your patterns, and reflect on what energises you is essential,  especially during uncertain times.3. The importance of having a ‘Personal Board of Directors’From negotiating salaries to navigating transitions, Hannah shares how having mentors and advisors who are “two or three steps ahead” has been transformational.4. How to think about your personal brand without boxing yourself inAlice reframes personal brand as strategic storytelling  flexible, responsive, and anchored in who you are and where you’re going, not just what you’ve done.5. Career growth requires communitym not doing it aloneFrom co-working communities to courageous friendships, both guests talk about the power of women supporting women through the messy middle of career change.🧭 Action StepsHere are three practical steps you can take after listening:Block out one hour a week for “Career CEO Time.” Use it for reflection, networking, journaling, or job searching. Treat it like a meeting with yourself because it is.Build (or update) your Personal Board of Directors. Identify 3–5 people ahead of you in the areas you want to grow and reach out.Audit your identity anchors. Write down (1) Who you are beyond your job title, (2) What people consistently praise you for and (3) What you want to be known for Use this to guide how you show up in rooms, interviews, and online.👉 If you’re already thinking ahead to 2026 and want guidance on shaping your next chapter, I would love to support you. Book a call to explore 1:1 coaching.🔗 Connect Connect with Alice Olins - Connect with Hannah Awonuga Connect with Janine Esbrand Send us a text

In this week’s episode, I’m joined by creative entrepreneur, writer and past client, Tosin Hunter, for a deeply honest conversation about navigating the messy middle of career change, making an intentional pause, and rebuilding a life and career that genuinely aligns with your values.Tosin spent over a decade in corporate recruitment roles at organisations like EY, UBS and Salesforce — climbing the ladder, getting promoted (even while on maternity leave), and doing everything “right.” But behind the scenes, she was exhausted, burnt out, and increasingly disconnected from the work she was doing.In our coaching journey, she began unpacking what wasn’t working, rediscovering her values, and reconnecting with parts of herself she’d buried for years. That inner work sparked a complete life shift. One that led her to leave corporate, honour her season of motherhood, rediscover her creativity, and eventually build Hunter Digital, the website design studio she now co-leads with her husband.If you’re in the midst of questioning your career, craving more alignment, or feeling the nudge to pause and reassess, this conversation will resonate deeply.🎙️ Episode OverviewYou’ll hear:What it really looked like for Tosin to walk away from a misaligned corporate careerThe mindset work, values exploration, and coaching conversations that surfaced hidden desiresHow an intentional pause helped her unravel old definitions of success and reconnect with creativity🌟 What You’ll Learn1. Your values are data. Misalignment is a messageDuring our coaching work, Tosin realised her values were family, creativity, fulfilment and simplicity… yet none of these were reflected in her day-to-day life. Recognising that misalignment became the catalyst for change. Before looking outward for roles, she started looking inward  and that clarity changed everything.2. A career pause can be productive, powerful and deeply clarifyingStepping away from corporate gave Tosin the time and emotional space to rediscover herself. Through journaling, creativity courses, volunteering and time with her daughter, she unravelled old beliefs and began shaping a life that actually worked for her. Her reminder? You don’t always need the next step. Sometimes you just need space.3. Nothing is wasted — your experience still countsTosin shares how easy it was to downplay her corporate achievements, until she realised those same skills ; storytelling, communication, listening, branding  are now leveraged in business. Every chapter prepared her for the next. Your past isn’t irrelevant; it’s raw material for what’s next.If you’re feeling the nudge to get support, consider this your sign to reach out and let’s explore how coaching with me can support your next chapter.🔗 Connect with Tosin🌐 Hunter Digital Studio: https://hunterdigital.studio/ 📸 Instagram: @hunterdigital.studio💼 LinkedIn: Tosin Hunter✍🏾 Substack: tosinhunter.substack.comSend us a text

🎙️ Episode OverviewIn this powerful conversation, Patricia and Janine explore what it really means to grow beyond a prestigious title and step into work that aligns with who you are becoming. Prestige often feels safe—law, tenure, the senior role everyone recognises on LinkedIn, but real growth begins when the title no longer fits the person wearing it.This episode unpacks why nothing is wasted in your career: every season, every skill, every chapter becomes transferable capital for what’s next. Together we explore identity beyond job titles, how to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset inside and outside organisations, and why success must be rooted in values rather than status.If you’ve outgrown a role, feel pulled toward new impact, or are navigating a career chapter that no longer aligns, this conversation will help you reframe your experience, re-anchor your direction, and move with clarity.What You’ll Learn in This Episode1. Why redefining success is essential once you’ve “made it.” We discuss how reaching the top of a traditional path can reveal misalignment — and why that discomfort is powerful data pointing toward your next chapter.2. How to separate identity from job title. You’ll learn how to honour your past work without letting it limit future possibilities, and how to reintroduce yourself by impact rather than labels.3. The mindset and practices that help you navigate career transitions with confidence. From transferring your toolkit to adopting an entrepreneurial operating system, this episode shows you how to make evidence-based decisions, iterate without self-judgement, and build a career anchored in values.Action Steps1. Audit your definition of success. Ask yourself: “Does this measure meaning or just status?” Rewrite your success metrics based on values, impact, and desired rhythms of work.2. Create your “portable skills” inventory. List the cognitive, strategic, and relational skills you’ve built that are transferable across industries and roles. This becomes your confidence and positioning tool.3. Separate your ‘what’ from your ‘how.’ Get clear on what you truly want next—impact, income range, type of work—before worrying about the logistics. Treat the “how” as a solvable project once the vision is set.Connect with us Connect with PatriciaVisit Patricia's website Connect with Janine ✨ Let’s Work Together ✨Through my 1:1 coaching programmes, I help ambitious professionals make bold but intentional career moves without sacrificing their lifestyle, income, or sense of self. Join the waitlist Send us a text

A powerful question can transform your approach to career-defining conversations. It helps you focus on what you want others to know about your experience and expertise. By considering the interviewer's perspective, you can tailor your responses effectively. Shift from impressing to demonstrating value with clear, memorable examples. This impactful prep strategy also applies to performance reviews and appraisals. Start with clear objectives to steer conversations confidently towards your goals.