Career Change Maker | Career Clarity, Career Opportunities, Career Pivots, Burnout, Corporate Job, Income

Are you feeling stuck in your current role but not quite ready to hand in your resignation? 
Do you find yourself drained by the daily grind, wondering if there’s a way to find more fulfillment without starting from scratch? 
Are you curious about how small, strategic shifts in your perspective and habits can lead to a massive transformation in your work-life balance?
In this episode, I share three practical, high-impact strategies for mid-career women who want to improve their work experience right where they are. We dive into why the answer isn't always to leave your company, but rather to redesign your current reality to better align with your strengths and values.
I explore the power of "energy audits" and "job crafting," explaining how these tools can help you reclaim your time and joy. Whether you are navigating a transition or simply looking for more peace in your professional life, this episode provides the roadmap to becoming the architect of your own career satisfaction.

What You’ll Learn:
The Energy Audit: How to conduct a weekly energy log to pinpoint exactly what is fuelling you and what is draining you.
Job Crafting for Alignment: Practical ways to reshape your current responsibilities to better fit your unique strengths and professional goals.
The Identity Shift: How to address the "identity gap" and begin redefining your self-perception beyond just your job title.
Strategic Redesign: Why releasing the grip on your current professional identity can open up a world of new possibilities you hadn’t considered.

"Releasing the grip of your job title can open new possibilities."

Invest in Yourself and Your Career:
Community - Join our brand new Network for mid-career women redesigning what's next in their careers 
Coaching - Join the Career Navigator Coaching Programme: My high-touch, 1-to-1 experience to help you build a career aligned with your life. Book a Career Clarity Call to discuss
Send us Fan Mail
Connect with me!
Website: careerchangemakers.com
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn:  Janine Esbrand
Instagram: @careerchangemakerspodcast
Career Change Makers on Apple Podcasts

Are you a new manager feeling technically competent but completely unequipped to lead a team?
Do you worry that you lack the "executive presence" needed to thrive in high-pressure leadership roles?
Are you curious about how AI can actually support your human growth rather than just automating your tasks?
In this episode, I’m joined by Benjamin Husser, CEO of Ignitus, to discuss how AI is being used to democratise high-level coaching. We dive into the gap many new managers face when transitioning from technical experts to people leaders and explore how "real-time augmentation" can provide the support you need at the exact moment you need it.
Ben shares the journey of building an AI coaching platform rooted in human expertise, explaining why AI should never replace traditional coaching, but how it can serve as a powerful "accelerator" for the 90% of managers who currently don’t have access to professional development support.
Ben Husser is Ignitus' CEO, and a former Chief of Staff to tech CEOs (ex-Tripadvisor, ex-Euronews). Over a decade advising senior leaders, he’s run executive committees, led strategic initiatives across three continents, and helped raise £100M+ from investors. Now, drawing on the mentorship that shaped his career, he’s on a mission to make great mentoring accessible to all.
What You’ll learn:
The "Human-First" AI Approach: Why effective AI coaching must be trained on the frameworks of real-world experts (like hostage negotiators and executive coaches).
Real-Time Augmentation: How AI can analyse your digital workflow to give you situational advice before a difficult conversation or a big board meeting.
The Promotability Stat: Why managers with coaches are 5x more likely to be promoted and how AI bridges that gap.
Critical Thinking in the Age of AI: Ben’s "Golden Rule" for using AI without losing your own unique professional style or critical thinking skills.
Invest in Yourself and Your Career:
Community - Join our brand new Network for mid-career women redesigning what's next in their careers 
Coaching - Join the Career Navigator Coaching Programme: My high-touch, 1-to-1 experience to help you build a career aligned with your life. Book a Career Clarity Call to discuss
Connect with Ben
Explore Ignitus: Visit ignitus.app to learn more about AI-powered leadership growth.
Get 1 month free trial of Ignitus! 

Send us Fan Mail
Connect with me!
Website: careerchangemakers.com
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn:  Janine Esbrand
Instagram: @careerchangemakerspodcast
Career Change Makers on Apple Podcasts

Feel like you’ve been spending months trying to figure out your next career move, but haven’t actually made any progress?
Are you frustrated by the gap between knowing you want a change and actually taking the steps to make it happen?
Do you worry that you’re "too old," "not experienced enough," or that a move might sacrifice your financial security?

In this episode, I’m sharing why strategy might not be your problem and why your default thinking is the issue. Many professionals stay stuck on the "career couch" because of unconscious "background code" that limits what they believe is possible  and therefore holds them back from career opportunities.  
Using my own journey to the TEDx stage as a roadmap, I’m digging into the cognitive psychology model that you can use to increase your career opportunities and thrive. 

You’ll learn:

How to identify the thoughts that are holding you back 
How to rewrite your mental scripts
How to ditch procrastination and start redesigning your career.  

Invest in Yourself and Your Career:
Book a Career Clarity Call
The Career Navigator Coaching Programme: My high-touch, 1-to-1 experience to help you build a career aligned with your life. Book a Career Clarity Call to discuss

Related Episode: Episode 304: 'Why All-Or-Nothing Thinking Is Keeping You Stuck'
Send us Fan Mail
Connect with me!
Website: careerchangemakers.com
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn:  Janine Esbrand
Instagram: @careerchangemakerspodcast
Career Change Makers on Apple Podcasts

Are you still following a career blueprint that was designed for a world that no longer exists? As we navigate 2026, the traditional "rules" of professional growth are being rewritten, yet so many mid-career women are still holding themselves back by trying to play an outdated game. 
In this episode, I’m diving deep into why the career advice we were given a decade ago is actually sabotaging our progress today. I share why "staying the course" can sometimes lead to stagnation and how you can shift your perspective to navigate this new landscape with confidence. From the rise of AI to the strategic power of the "job hopper" label, it’s time to stop settling for a career that fits your past and start redesigning one that fuels your future. 

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
The Expiry Date of Traditional Advice: Why the "proven" strategies of the past are now the biggest hurdles for mid-career women. 
The Power of the Pivot: Why I’ve embraced "job hopping" as a tool for advancement rather than a mark of inconsistency. 
Navigating the AI Shift: How to focus on your unique human value so that technological changes become your competitive advantage.  
Career Redesign vs. Career Recovery: How to move from just "getting through the week" to intentionally engineering a path that aligns with your personal growth. 

Action Steps:
Audit Your Internal Rules: Identify one piece of "standard" career wisdom you’re still following (like staying in a role for a minimum number of years) and ask if it actually serves your 2026 goals. 
Give Yourself Permission to Move: Stop viewing a career change as a "restart." View it as a strategic upgrade to a version of work that fits your current season of life. 
Prioritize Navigation over Path: In a changing economy, your ability to navigate and adapt is more valuable than any linear ladder. Start looking for the moves that keep you agile. 

Ready to Redesign Your Career? If you’re feeling the tug to move but aren't sure how to navigate the current market, I’m here to help you get unstuck. 

👉 Book a clarity call at careerchangemakers.com/claritycall and let’s map out your next best step together. 

Send us Fan Mail
Connect with me!
Website: careerchangemakers.com
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn:  Janine Esbrand
Instagram: @careerchangemakerspodcast
Career Change Makers on Apple Podcasts

The Podcast for Ambitious Mid-Career Women Redesigning What’s Next
***Top 1.5% Global Careers Podcast***
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 so 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. 
Hello, Hello! 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.
Until 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. If you’re ready to gain clarity, challenge the default ladder, and design an aligned, sustainable career that reflects who you are now, not who you used to be, this podcast will give you the strategy, mindset and tools that you need. 
So grab your notebook, pour your hot drink of choice, and let’s design what’s next. 
Send us Fan Mail
Connect with me!
Website: careerchangemakers.com
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn:  Janine Esbrand
Instagram: @careerchangemakerspodcast
Career Change Makers on Apple Podcasts