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
329 | Why I Stopped Chasing the Next Milestone (And What I Do Instead)
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Are you a high achiever who routinely hits major milestones, only to find yourself instantly moving the goalposts rather than celebrating your success?
Do you ever experience a strange sense of flatness or an anti-climax after achieving a long-term dream, wondering why it doesn't feel the way you thought it would?
Have you been treating your career path like an automatic conveyor belt, moving to the next demand out of sheer habit or expectation rather than checking if it still serves you?
In this transparent and reflective episode, I share a personal story from the exact day I qualified as a lawyer. After a decade of intense study, late nights, and constantly proving myself to tough critics, I expected to feel an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. Instead, I felt an uncomfortable flatness because my mind had already raced ahead to the next rung on the ladder.
It is a common trap for ambitious women: we are funneled into traditional paths and autopilot expectations without ever being taught how to pause.
This personal shift serves as a powerful reminder that achievements are not just stepping stones to rush past. True career clarity means giving yourself permission to interrupt the pattern, count the cost of your hard work, and intentionally decide whether you actually want to keep climbing or choose a completely different direction.
What you will learn in this episode
- The hidden danger of the invisible conveyor belt. Traditional linear career paths condition us to treat major achievements as automatic rungs on a ladder rather than intentional choice points. Learning to pause at these junctures prevents you from building a version of success that no longer fits your life.
- The practice of letting success land. We often withhold celebration until an external outcome appears, or we quickly diminish our wins once we get them. Shifting your mindset to view success as the internal growth and effort you put into the journey allows you to fully process and appreciate your achievements.
- Reassessing your direction season by season. Who you were when you initially set a goal is not who you are when you finally achieve it. Giving yourself permission to change your mind, readapt to a rapidly shifting landscape, and redefine success on your own terms is an essential act of career leadership.
Ready to redefine success and take full ownership of your career journey?
Don't let your next professional step be decided for you on autopilot. If you want to dive deeper into these insights, access behind-the-scenes perspectives, and learn exactly how to navigate career transitions with confidence, join our exclusive email community today.
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