Claim OwnershipCareer Change Maker | Career Clarity & Career Pivots for Mid-Career Women
Subscribed: 135Played: 3,390
Subscribe
© 2026 The Career Change Maker Podcast
Description
Are you navigating a mid-career transition and wondering what’s next?
Have you built a successful corporate career but realised you don’t want your boss’s job?
Do you feel the tension between wanting more freedom and not wanting to sacrifice security?
If you’re ambitious but no longer willing to burn out for another promotion, you’re in the right place. I’m glad you’re here.
This podcast helps high-achieving mid-career women gain career clarity and confidently design their next chapter, whether that means evolving inside corporate, exploring a portfolio career, or building a hybrid path.
If you’re ready to stop default climbing and start making strategic, aligned decisions about your future, this podcast will give you the insight and tools to move forward with confidence.
Hey 👋 , I’m Janine Esbrand, corporate lawyer turned career strategist and executive coach.
For years, I had my eye on the corporate partner title. I kept my head down, worked the long hours, and chased the next big deal because that’s what success was supposed to look like.
Then I became a mother. And I realised I didn’t want to build a life around my career, I wanted to build a career around my life. So, I stepped off the default corporate path and designed a portfolio career that allows me to work on my terms, create meaningful impact, and show up fully, both professionally and personally.
Now, I help ambitious mid-career women do the same: gain clarity, challenge the default ladder, and design aligned, sustainable careers that reflect who they are now, not who they used to be.
This podcast will give you the strategy, mindset and tools to make it happen.
So grab your notebook, pour your hot drink of choice and lets design what’s next.
Next Steps:
🎙️ Explore for 1:1 Coaching: www.careerchangemakers.com/claritycall
🌐 Visit the Website: www.careerchangemakers.com
📩 Contact Us: hello@careerchangemakers.com
318 Episodes
Reverse
If you’re feeling stuck at mid-career, unsure whether to stay, pivot, or start something new this episode is for you. In this case study, I’m joined by my former client Claire, who went from feeling uncertain about her next move after leaving a role of 13 years in education to gaining crystal-clear career clarity and launching her own consulting business in just three months. We talk about what it really takes to get unstuck, how to move from overthinking to aligned action, and why clarity do...
In this episode, I’m speaking directly to the introverts and the “just let me do my good work” professionals who feel resistant to the whole “be everywhere, build your personal brand, post every day” narrative. Visibility is important for career progression, whether you want to move up internally or explore opportunities externally. But being visible doesn’t mean becoming someone you’re not. I break down how to approach visibility in a way that feels aligned, strategic, and sustainable, espec...
🎙️ Episode Overview In this solo episode, I’m talking about something I see come up again and again during career transitions: the difference between appearing confident and actually feeling confident. I work with so many high-achieving professionals who look confident on the outside; capable, accomplished, and put together, yet internally they’re second-guessing themselves, especially when they’re navigating interviews, considering a move, or trying to figure out what’s next in their career....
🎙️ Episode Overview If 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...
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....
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 ...
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 you...
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 ...
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...
🎙️ Episode Overview This 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 entre...
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 be...
🎙️ Episode Overview In 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’...
Episode Overview In today’s episode, I’m diving into a powerful yet often overlooked question that can make or break your preparation for career-defining conversations — whether it's an interview, a performance review, or a high-stakes pitch. This episode was inspired by a recent conversation with one of my coaching clients who is navigating the Career Change Maker Process. As we discussed an upcoming chat she had with a recruiter, one simple question shifted everything for her and I be...
Episode Overview In this powerful episode, I am joined by fellow career coach Michelle Schafer, who also specialises in career transition and leadership development. Together, they explore why mastering difficult conversations at work is a critical skill for professional growth and long-term fulfilment. Michelle shares her personal journey from experiencing job loss twice to building a thriving coaching practice — and how those experiences shaped her belief that real career advancement...
In this episode of the Career Change Maker Podcast, I explore what it means to redefine career success across different life seasons. From your 20s to your 40s and beyond. So many ambitious professionals find themselves questioning their path not because they’ve failed, but because they’ve grown. Whether you're stepping into motherhood, supporting ageing parents, or simply feeling out of alignment, this conversation will help you give yourself permission to pause, reflect, and pivot. I share ...
🎙️ Episode Overview In this episode of the Career Change Maker Podcast, I dive into the often-overwhelming process of making career decisions - especially for ambitious women facing a sea of possibilities. I explore why more time doesn't always mean more clarity and share how gathering the right kind of data can lead to confident, informed decisions. I introduce a three-part framework - internal, experiential, and market data - to help you move beyond indecision and toward meaningful action. ...
🎙️ Episode Overview In this episode of the Career Change Maker Podcast, I’m joined by the amazing Shannon Russell, a former TV producer turned entrepreneur and now author of Start Your Second Act: How to Change Careers, Launch a Business, and Create Your Best Life. Shannon shares her journey from working in a “dream job” in New York and Los Angeles to realising she wanted more balance, freedom, and presence with her family. We talk candidly about the messy middle of career transitions, how ...
🎙️ Episode Overview In this episode of the Career Change Maker Podcast, I dive into the idea of a September reset — a chance to treat this time of year like a second new year for your career and personal growth. I share lessons from my own recovery journey after rupturing my Achilles, where I’ve had to lean into resilience, patience, and consistency. Even when progress felt invisible, I realised the importance of acknowledging the small wins that build strength over time. If you’ve been feeli...
🎙️ Episode Overview In this episode of the Career Change Maker Podcast, I’m joined by Elizabeth Lotardo, Author of Leading Yourself, employee engagement consultant, and LinkedIn Learning instructor who has taught over two million people how to lead themselves. Elizabeth shares the surprising findings from her extensive research into what drives true employee engagement and why the real key isn’t the conditions you work in, but the skills and mindsets you develop to engage yourself...
Description 🎙️ Episode Overview In this episode of the Career Change Maker Podcast, I explore The Power of the Pause and why slowing down is one of the most underrated productivity tools for leaders. I share a client story that highlights how stepping back can create space for clarity and momentum, and I open up about my own season of recovery where I’ve experienced first-hand the benefits of slowing all the way down as a business leader and mum. I also reflect on a recent girls’ trip that be...
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States