Career Change Maker | Career Clarity, Career Opportunities, Career Pivots, Burnout, Corporate Job, Portfolio Career
***Top 1.5% Global Careers Podcast For Corporate Women***
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
Career Change Maker | Career Clarity, Career Opportunities, Career Pivots, Burnout, Corporate Job, Portfolio Career
309 I Career Clarity After 13 Years in the Same Organisation with Claire Bartkus
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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 doesn’t have to take years when you approach it strategically.
If you’ve been sitting in “what’s next?” mode for longer than you’d like, this conversation will give you both perspective and momentum.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- Why mid-career transitions can feel heavier and how to navigate them strategically
- The difference between being “stuck” and being unclear
- How Claire moved from uncertainty to launching a consulting business in 3 months
- What actually creates clarity (hint: it’s not more overthinking)
- The mindset shifts required to stop default climbing and start designing what’s next
Action Steps:
1️⃣ Get honest about what feels misaligned.
Instead of asking “What job should I apply for?” ask “What do I no longer want to tolerate?”
2️⃣ Stop gathering endless information and choose one direction to test.
Clarity often comes from action, not analysis.
3️⃣ Define your next 90-day focus.
If you had to move forward strategically for the next three months, what would you prioritise?
👉 Book a clarity call at careerchangemakers.com/claritycall and let’s explore your next best step.
Connect with Claire and learn more about her work - https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-bartkus/
Invest in Yourself and Your Career:
- Community — Join our Network for mid-career women redesigning what's next in their careers
- Coaching — Apply for The Portfolio Career Academy. Turn Your Expertise Into Multiple Streams of Income & Impact Through Building A Portfolio Career.
Connect with me!
Website: careerchangemakers.com
Email: podcast@careerchangemakers.com
LinkedIn: Janine Esbrand
Instagram: @careerchangemakerspodcast
Career Change Makers on Apple Podcasts