Empowered & Out

What happens when the career title you worked so hard to earn no longer reflects who you are—or the life you want to build?In this episode, Coach Jon sits down with Malcolm Chen, an investor relations manager, entrepreneur, career advisor, community builder and proud cat daddy based in Singapore.Malcolm shares how his unconventional career journey took him through hospitality, human resources, marketing, communications, adult education, entrepreneurship and investor relations—and why those pivots ultimately helped him separate his identity from his job title.Together, Jon and Malcolm explore how our definitions of success change over time, why career growth does not always mean climbing the corporate ladder and how professionals can begin building financial and career resilience before they desperately need it.Malcolm also shares honest lessons from starting multiple businesses, balancing ambition with burnout, building a community around his pet products company and choosing progress over perfection when launching something new.In this episode, you’ll discover:• Why your job title should not become your entire identity• How burnout can force you to reconsider what success means• Why career pivots do not have to follow a traditional path• How to build a career safety net through skills, interests and relationships• The difference between planning carefully and getting trapped in analysis paralysis• Why community is becoming more valuable than simply producing more content• How purpose can extend beyond work and income• What LGBTQ+ visibility and inclusion can look like in Singapore• Why you do not have to follow someone else’s definition of successWhether you are considering a career pivot, building a side business, questioning your professional identity or simply wondering what comes next, this conversation will encourage you to remain open to the next adventure.EPISODE CHAPTERS00:00 – Welcome and introduction to Malcolm Chen02:30 – An unconventional career across multiple industries03:00 – Realizing you are more than your job title05:23 – Burnout, mental health and rebuilding career identity08:09 – What happens when your identity is tied to work?09:56 – Redefining success beyond climbing the ladder13:01 – Titles, comparison and choosing work-life balance14:55 – Career decisions that felt risky but paid off17:36 – Returning to corporate life in a completely new role19:47 – How to recognize when it is time to pivot22:37 – Building a career and financial safety net25:38 – Common mistakes people make with side businesses27:48 – Progress over perfection in entrepreneurship29:45 – Balancing business ambition without burning out32:40 – Building a pet business around community and purpose35:27 – How Malcolm’s definition of purpose has evolved37:55 – LGBTQ+ professional life in Singapore39:19 – Pink Dot, LGBTQ+ rights and social progress43:04 – Pride celebrations in Singapore and the United States45:26 – Misconceptions about LGBTQ+ life across Asia48:49 – What global LGBTQ+ communities can learn from one another52:15 – Rapid-fire questions with Malcolm54:42 – Malcolm’s message for anyone feeling stuck55:39 – Final reflections and how to take your next stepFeeling stuck, disconnected or unsure about your next professional move?Through the Empowered Career Transformation Program, Coach Jon helps professionals move from career confusion and self-doubt into clarity, confidence, strategy and aligned action.Send Coach Jon a message with the word CLARITY to learn more or schedule a career clarity conversation.

What does it really mean to be authentic at work?In this episode of Empowered & Out: The Career Coaching Podcast, Coach Jon sits down with Amanda Millar—lawyer, ADHD coach, leadership consultant, suicide prevention trustee, and the first openly LGBTQ+ President of the Law Society of Scotland—for an honest conversation about authenticity, leadership, inclusion, and mental wellbeing.Together they explore why so many professionals still feel they need to hide parts of themselves at work, how inclusive leadership directly impacts organizational success, and why mental health deserves the same attention as physical health.Amanda also shares her personal leadership journey, the lessons she wishes she knew earlier in her career, and why curiosity—not certainty—is one of the most important leadership qualities.Whether you're a leader, manager, HR professional, LGBTQ+ employee, or simply someone trying to build a career where you can truly be yourself, this episode is packed with practical insights and meaningful reflection.You'll learn:• Why authenticity looks different for everyone• The hidden cost of masking at work• How great leaders create psychological safety• Why inclusion is more than policies and ERGs• The connection between mental wellbeing and workplace culture• How curiosity creates stronger organizations• Advice for LGBTQ+ professionals navigating authenticityIf you've ever wondered whether you truly belong at work, this conversation is for you.Podcast Chapters00:00 Welcome & Meet Amanda Millar01:20 Amanda's Career Journey07:10 Finding Her Leadership Voice13:00 Advice to Her Younger Self15:15 What Authenticity Really Means20:05 Common Misunderstandings About Authenticity26:30 LGBTQ+ Mental Health Matters34:15 Creating Safe Workplace Cultures37:00 One Leadership Habit That Changes Everything39:00 What Inclusive Organizations Do Differently44:15 Advice for LGBTQ+ Professionals52:40 Hope for the Next Generation1:00:20 Rapid Fire Questions1:02:15 Amanda's Final Message

What happens when you stop living for everyone else's expectations and finally start living for yourself?In this deeply honest conversation, Coach Jon sits down with Steven Whyte—lawyer, coach, former Mr. Gay Scotland, marathon runner, and confidence coach—to explore what it truly means to reinvent yourself.Steven shares his journey from growing up gay in Scotland during the 1980s, hiding parts of himself for years, navigating multiple career changes, transforming his health, and discovering that lasting change has very little to do with weight—and everything to do with identity.Together they discuss:Growing up feeling differentComing out and finding acceptanceWhy career success doesn't always equal fulfillmentMidlife as a time of awakening—not crisisThe mindset shifts that create lasting transformationWhy asking for help is one of the bravest things you can doLiving authentically at work and in lifeThe power of courage, curiosity, and coachingWhether you're questioning your career, rebuilding your confidence, or simply wondering what comes next, this episode will remind you that your next chapter can be your most authentic one yet.Connect with Stevenlinkedin.com/in/steven-whyte-6b91811a7Chapters00:00 Introduction01:30 Energy Check-In04:10 Growing Up Different in Scotland12:55 The Diary That Changed Everything20:40 Finding Community Through Music22:30 Success vs. Fulfillment31:45 Why Transformation Isn't About Weight38:45 Coaches Need Coaches Too45:30 Identity vs. Career Changes49:15 Why Midlife Is Actually a New Beginning55:00 Courage Then vs. Courage Now58:40 Rapid Fire Questions1:03:05 Final Advice for Anyone Feeling Stuck1:04:10 Coach Jon's Closing Thoughts

In this episode of Empowered & Out: The Career Coaching Podcast, Coach Jon sits down with Ryan DeLuca, Managing Director of 25th Hour Regulatory Consulting, for a powerful conversation about confidence, bias, leadership, allyship, and what it means to navigate professional spaces as an LGBTQ+ person.Ryan brings nearly 20 years of experience in regulation, investigations, compliance, education, and professional development. His work helps regulatory professionals strengthen investigative practices, reduce bias, improve decision-making, and approach their work with fairness, neutrality, and confidence.Together, Coach Jon and Ryan explore how LGBTQ+ professionals often become skilled readers of people and environments, especially after years of masking, navigating safety, and learning how to assess where they can fully show up. Ryan shares how confidence grew throughout his career, what helped him trust his own expertise, and why representation matters in industries where LGBTQ+ people are often assumed not to exist.This episode also dives into workplace bias, meaningful allyship, the current political climate, support for the trans community, and the importance of standing together during difficult moments. Ryan also shares how risk, adventure, and challenge have helped shape his relationship with confidence and growth.If you have ever felt underestimated, questioned your right to take up space, or wondered how to stay grounded while navigating bias or assumptions, this conversation is for you.CHAPTERS00:00 — Welcome to Empowered & Out02:24 — Meet Ryan DeLuca03:00 — Energy check-in04:11 — Ryan’s path from real estate to regulatory investigations07:05 — Understanding people, behavior, and bias09:11 — How LGBTQ+ professionals learn to read environments11:25 — Navigating professional spaces as an LGBTQ+ investigator14:52 — Moving from self-consciousness to trusting your expertise17:18 — Misconceptions about LGBTQ+ professionals in leadership and compliance20:22 — Visibility, representation, and LGBTQ+ professionals in every industry24:00 — Advice for anyone feeling underestimated28:04 — Authenticity, Pride, and showing up at work32:46 — Where bias shows up in workplace decision-making36:57 — How professionals can check their own assumptions38:49 — Why marginalized communities become political targets43:05 — What meaningful allyship looks like right now44:56 — Confidence, fear, skydiving, and personal growth55:36 — How risk and challenge change with age59:30 — Rapid-fire questions1:02:40 — Encouragement for LGBTQ+ professionals and leaders1:03:33 — Final reflections and closing CTAIf this episode resonated with you, subscribe to Empowered & Out: The Career Coaching Podcast, share it with someone who needs encouragement, and connect with Coach Jon at Empowered & Out Coaching.And if you are feeling stuck, burned out, disconnected, under-confident, or unsure about your next career move, the Empowered Career Transformation Program can help you reconnect with your purpose, rebuild confidence, and take aligned action toward a career where you can thrive as your full self.

In this powerful episode of Empowered & Out, Coach Jon sits down with Deanna Scaldaferri, a licensed massage and bodywork therapist, to talk about healing, resilience, grief, toxic relationships, body-based healing, and what it really means to reconnect with your light after life has tried to dim it.Deanna shares how her own journey through grief, trauma, narcissistic abuse, and personal healing shaped the work she does today. Together, Coach Jon and Deanna explore why healing is not just mental or emotional, but deeply connected to the body, nervous system, spirit, and the way we learn to listen to ourselves again.This conversation is for anyone who has walked through heartbreak, grief, emotional chaos, trauma, toxic relationships, or burnout and wondered, “Will I ever feel like myself again?”The answer woven throughout this episode is yes.Healing takes time. It takes intention. It takes compassion. And sometimes, it begins with one small question: What is the next right step?CHAPTERS00:00 – Welcome to Empowered & Out00:53 – Meet Deanna Scaldaferri01:45 – Energy check-in and showing up authentically05:00 – Deanna’s personal healing journey09:01 – What lived experience teaches that training cannot10:40 – What causes people to lose connection with their light13:37 – Finding stillness in a noisy world19:20 – Healing beyond the buzzwords20:01 – The impact of toxic and narcissistic relationships22:00 – Rewiring the brain and rebuilding emotional health24:23 – Why healing can take longer than expected29:05 – The connection between mental health and the body32:00 – Massage, stress, pain, and nervous system support37:43 – Reiki, energy healing, and stored emotion44:23 – Turning pain into power52:07 – Hope for anyone wondering if they will feel like themselves again53:51 – Rapid-fire questions57:06 – One action step to reconnect with your light59:07 – Final reflections and closing messageIf this conversation spoke to you, share it with someone who may need the reminder that healing is possible and their light is still there, even if life has tried to dim it.To connect with Deanna and learn more about her massage, Reiki, energy healing, or intuitive coaching work, check here:  www.healinghandsbydeanna.comhttps://www.meetup.com/charlotte-narcissistic-abuse-recovery-meetup-grouphttps://www.facebook.com/share/1BKfYBaUax/?mibextid=wwXIfrhttps://www.instagram.com/decamde1?igsh=M2FtZ3FsM2N6dHdh&utm_source=qrwww.linkedin.com/in/deanna-decamillo-scaldaferri-6b242a2a5And if you are navigating burnout, grief, career uncertainty, confidence loss, or a season of rebuilding, connect with Coach Jon at Empowered & Out Coaching here: https://app.paperbell.com/checkout/packages/94065 You deserve to feel connected to yourself again.You deserve support.And you do not have to rebuild alone.