Feeling exhausted from consulting or another high-pressure career? You’re not alone.

In this episode of Shameless Careers, I speak with Daphne Chung - LBS MBA graduate turned executive coach - about her journey from consulting burnout to building a thriving coaching practice.

We talk about how burnout can happen even when you enjoy your work, the link between perfectionism and exhaustion, early warning signs like poor sleep and neglected self-care, and why learning “good enough” can protect your health without limiting success.

You’ll also hear tips on making a career pivot, finding fulfillment in your work, and creating psychological safety in the workplace.

If you’re:

- A consultant feeling burned out

- A high achiever in finance, law, tech, or other high-pressure industries

- Or simply rethinking your definition of success...

... this conversation will help you recognise burnout early and take practical steps toward recovery and career satisfaction.

#consultingburnout #burnoutrecovery #careerpivot

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This episode is about Consulting Burnout: How to Recover & Pivot to a Career You Love. But it also covers the following topics:

How To Recover From Burnout

High-Pressure Career Stress

Career Change For Consultants

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✅ Stay Connected:

With me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/varia-pechurina/

With Daphne Chung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daphnechung/

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#consultingburnout #burnoutrecovery #careerpivot #careerchange #mentalhealth #careerfulfilment

Consulting Burnout: How to Recover & Pivot to a Career You Love

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⚠️Disclaimer: I do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred from you acting or not acting as a result of listening to any of my publications. You acknowledge that you use the information I provide at your own risk. Do your research.

Copyright Notice: This episode and my podcast channel contain dialogue, music, and images that are the property of Shameless Careers. You are authorised to share the episode link and channel and embed this episode in your website or others as long as a link back to my podcast channel is provided.

© Shameless Careers

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Want to build a powerful personal brand but don’t know where to start?

Say no more — this interview with Maria Macdonald is here to answer exactly that.

Maria is the founder and director of Cord Comms, an agency providing public relations and communication services — including branding and strategic marketing — for premium lifestyle brands and impact tech. She has worked with an impressive range of clients, including La Mer, Jo Malone London, McQueens Flowers, and Aveda.

In this episode, we cover four use cases for personal brand building:

1. If you're in a corporate career

2. If you're in the middle of a career pivot

3. If you're running a side hustle

3. If you're starting a business

Specifically, we dive into:

- Why personal branding isn’t optional anymore

- The key components of a strong personal brand

- Why LinkedIn is an absolutely crucial tool to build your brand

- How to get featured in the media (without an agency)

- The biggest challenges people face when building their brand (e.g. imposter syndrome, procrastination, LinkedIn fatigue)

Whether you’re climbing the corporate ladder, pivoting industries, or launching a business or side hustle, this conversation is packed with practical strategies to help you grow your brand — showing up authentically, strategically, and unapologetically (if not shamelessly ;)).

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📩 Want to get in touch or be a guest?

- Stay in touch with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/varia-pechurina/

- Stay in touch with Maria Macdonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-macdonald/

#personalbrand #careerchange #visibility #linkedintips #shamelesscareers #sidehustle #authenticity #corporatelife #careerstrategy #mariamacdonald #branding #softskills

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⚠️Disclaimer: I do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred from you acting or not acting as a result of listening to any of my publications. You acknowledge that you use the information I provide at your own risk. Do your research.

Copyright Notice: This episode and my podcast channel contain dialogue, music, and images that are the property of Shameless Careers. You are authorised to share the episode link and channel and embed this episode in your website or others as long as a link back to my podcast channel is provided.

© Shameless Careers

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Shameless Careers — the podcast helping high-achieving professionals build meaningful careers on their own terms.

In this episode, I sit down with Dina Al-Alami, an ICF-certified career coach and founder of Major Confusions, a career wellness studio. In this episode, we are drilling down into what career fulfilment REALLY means. What are the components of it? Is it even achievable? And does it always mean you need to quit your job and make a drastic change? (Spoiler alert: No :)).

🔍 In this episode, we focus on:

- Frameworks Dina uses with clients to find clarity around their next step

- Practical tips around discovering your values

- Key components of intrinsic motivation (so that you can self diagnose and see which of these components may be missing for you!)

🧠 Whether you’re feeling stuck, burned out, or simply curious about your next move — this conversation will give you tools and insights to navigate your career with more intention and less shame.

👇 Subscribe for more real conversations about career fulfilment, career transitions, and the messy middle of figuring it out.

📩 Want to get in touch or be a guest?

Stay in touch with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/varia-pechurina/

Stay in touch with Dina Al-Alami: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinaalalami/

#FindCareerFulfillment #CareerConfusionHelp #RedefineCareerSuccess #BurnoutToBalance #ValuesDrivenCareer #HighAchieverStruggles #CareerCoachingJourney #CareerChange #CareerCoach #BurnoutRecovery

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⚠️Disclaimer: I do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred from you acting or not acting as a result of listening to any of my publications. You acknowledge that you use the information I provide at your own risk. Do your research.

Copyright Notice: This episode and my podcast channel contain dialogue, music, and images that are the property of Shameless Careers. You are authorised to share the episode link and channel and embed this episode in your website or others as long as a link back to my podcast channel is provided.

© Shameless Careers

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever heard of inauthenticity burnout?

It’s kind of exhaustion that creeps in when you push yourself really hard in something that looks impressive on paper, but is misaligned with your natural strengths (e.g. being an introvert who needs to be extraverted 80% of the time).

This topic is at the heart of the new Shameless Careers episode featuring Hanan Baba.

Early in her career Hanan was ticking all the “right” boxes - e.g. doing a technical degree (actuarial science), joining strategy and analytics at Deliveroo (a fast growing start up back then) - until Hanan faced a severe burnout that made her quit work for a year and totally reassess what fulfilling work actually means - for her.

She realised her true superpower wasn’t technical skill - it was deep human connection. And when she finally gave herself permission to build a career around that, everything changed.

In this episode we are talking about :

• The cultural and societal pressure to choose “respectable” career - technical or prestigious - regardless of fit
• Why many high-achievers dismiss their true strengths, especially when those strengths come easily or aren’t traditionally “valued” (like emotional intelligence or human connection)
• The risks of driving yourself to succeed at any cost - even if something doesn’t come to you naturally and requires 10x effort
• How accepting her true personality and values (rather than fighting them) can be the key of your career transformation
• The power of running “small experiments” or prototypes to discover what energises you before making a big career leap (and one of such experiments was a proper light bulb moment for Hanan)

I’m super excited to share this episode with you - and I hope it inspires you to accept and value your true (and unique) yourself, no matter what.

#CareerAlignment #InauthenticityBurnout #StrengthsBasedCareer #CareerSuperpower #BurnoutRecovery #HighAchieverTips #CareerTransformation #SelfDiscovery #InnerCompass #FindYourStrengths

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⚠️Disclaimer: I do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred from you acting or not acting as a result of listening to any of my publications. You acknowledge that you use the information I provide at your own risk. Do your research.

Copyright Notice: This episode and my podcast channel contain dialogue, music, and images that are the property of Shameless Careers. You are authorised to share the episode link and channel and embed this episode in your website or others as long as a link back to my podcast channel is provided.

© Shameless Careers

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the true measure of success isn’t your title or salary - but how you feel on an ordinary Tuesday?

That’s the question at the heart of the new Shameless Careers episode.

So often we chase future milestones - promotions, accolades, the next big thing - but it’s how we feel day to day that shapes our happiness much more than any title or status could (which, by the way, is an 'infinite ladder,' as we discuss in this episode).

This is an episode I’ve been looking forward to for a long time: a raw and honest interview with Fernando Bignotto, who made a 180° career pivot from strategy consulting to fine furniture making.

We talk about:

• What it’s like to realise your career isn’t playing to your strengths
• What it feels like to truly love your work (spoiler: you miss it on holidays and feel sad when projects end)
• Why, for some people, corporate work can feel too abstract and not “real” - and what they crave instead is physical, tangible work
• The tough financial trade-offs of leaving a high-paying job - and what the other side looks like

I really loved our conversation with Fernando, and I hope you do too. And remember: the ultimate litmus test for career (and, I’d argue, a successful life) is simple - are you excited about your day ahead?

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#careerchanger #midlifecareerchange #careercoaching #careertips #careersuccess #creativeentrepreneur #purposeatwork #lifeaftercorporate #redefinework #finewoodworking

⚠️Disclaimer: I do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred from you acting or not acting as a result of listening to any of my publications. You acknowledge that you use the information I provide at your own risk. Do your research.

Copyright Notice: This episode and my podcast channel contain dialogue, music, and images that are the property of Shameless Careers. You are authorised to share the episode link and channel and embed this episode in your website or others as long as a link back to my podcast channel is provided.

© Shameless Careers

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when you leave Big Tech to build a startup… and end up coming back?

For a while I wanted to interview someone who went on to start their own business - but then came back to employment with a fresh new perspective… and finally I was lucky to meet Anna Buldakova:

🚀 Ex-Big Tech product leader

📈 Forbes Technology Council member

🌍 Founder of a 40,000+ Product Management community

Anna did what many dream of - left a stable product role, raised $2.5M in VC funding, launched her own startup - and embarked on a journey which had it all:

✔️The thrill of finding product-market fit

✔️The need to pivot

✔️The burnout, weekend work, pressure to scale - and the stress of shutting down the business due to factors no one could control

✔️The decision to return to Big Tech - having considered starting a new venture and becoming a Chief Product Officer at a startup

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Shameless Careers episode if we didn’t deep dive into some practicalities like:

✔️ How to prepare a Plan B before taking the leap into entrepreneurship

✔️ What not to do when picking a business idea

✔️ Why taking VC money is not always the way to go

Enjoy!

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ YouTube version of Shameless Careers:

https://www.youtube.com/@ShamelessCareers

✅ Stay Connected With Me: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/varia-pechurina/

🔔If you are a mid career professional in a high pressure industry - like finance, consulting, law, tech - who feels unfulfilled with what they do, and is wondering what's next - subscribe for interviews with people who have been in your shoes, took charge, and made career changes to become fulfilled again (within their existing career tracks or through career pivots). You will also hear from career coaches and other experts on the best practices of making those changes

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#CareerChange #LeavingBigTech #StartupLessons #VCStartup #FounderJourney #CareerReinvention #ProductManagement #ShamelessCareers #WorkLifeBalance #EntrepreneurBurnout #ZeroToOne #CareerDecisions #HighAchievers

⚠️Disclaimer: I do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred from you acting or not acting as a result of listening to any of my publications. You acknowledge that you use the information I provide at your own risk. Do your research.

Copyright Notice: This episode and my podcast channel contain dialogue, music, and images that are the property of Shameless Careers. You are authorised to share the episode link and channel and embed this episode in your website or others as long as a link back to my podcast channel is provided.

© Shameless Careers

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Portfolio careers are exploding - and they’re not just a trend, they’re the future.

By 2030, nearly half the workforce will be part of the gig economy - and portfolio careers are the white collar version of this trend. There are structural reasons for this shift - many companies want flexibility with talent (which will be exacerbated by AI), while many professionals want more autonomy and more earnings potential.

In this episode, we break it all down with Ben Legg - ex-Google exec and CEO of the Portfolio Collective.

Tune in to the episode to learn:

- The 4 types of portfolio careers - and which one might fit you best

- What you can realistically earn (plus the most lucrative paths to aim for)

- How to start building a portfolio career - even if have no clue where to begin

✅ Stay Connected:

👉 With Ben Legg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benlegg/

👉With me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/varia-pechurina/

👉Check out The Portfolio Collective: https://portfolio-collective.com/

🔔If you are a mid-career professional in a high pressure industry who feels unfulfilled with what they do, and is wondering what's next - subscribe for interviews with people who have been in your shoes, took charge, and made career changes to become fulfilled again (within their existing career tracks or through career pivots). You will also hear from experts on the best practices of making those changes.

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#PortfolioCareer #GigEconomy #FreelanceLife #SideHustle #CareerFlexibility #RemoteWork #DigitalNomad #FutureOfWork #WorkLifeBalance #AIandWork #FlexJobs

⚠️Disclaimer: I do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred from you acting or not acting as a result of listening to any of my publications. You acknowledge that you use the information I provide at your own risk. Do your research.

Copyright Notice: This episode and my podcast channel contain dialogue, music, and images that are the property of Shameless Careers. You are authorised to share the episode link and channel and embed this episode in your website or others as long as a link back to my podcast channel is provided.

© Shameless Careers

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What makes someone shift from a stable corporate career to a completely different path?

In this deeply personal episode of Shameless Careers, Angela Senese reflects on how a combination of personal experiences - motherhood, health issues, and the loss of a loved one - led her to reassess her career and life in general.

These life events have led Angela to leave the financial services industry, where she spent 17 years, to retrain as a nutritional therapist and functional medicine practitioner - turning a personal need for healing into a career helping others.

In this conversation, we are talking about:

- How big life changes can lead to revaluation of life and career priorities

- How resting - and carefully listening to your body and emotions - can be a great source of insight

- How major changes can happen without a grand plan - but as a result of following "breadcrumbs" - small signs and interests that you may have

I hope you like it - and I (genuinely) would love to hear your reflections on these deep and important topics, let me know in comments!

And of course, subscribe if you want to hear more stories about how people build careers they love.

✅ Stay Connected:

With Angela Senese: https://nutrimente.co.uk/

With Shameless Careers: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shameless-careers/

#CareerChange #LifeAfterBurnout #WorkingMoms #CareerPivot #ReinventYourCareer #PurposeAtWork #FromFinanceToWellness #WomenInTransition #WellnessCareer #IntentionalLiving

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✅ About Shameless Careers

Welcome to Shameless Careers, your go-to podcast for inspiring stories about building a career you love. Listen to interviews with individuals who found their true calling. Learn how they made it happen - how they discovered what they truly wanted to do and the practical steps they took to get there.

On this channel, you’ll also find interviews with career coaches and mindfulness professionals, offering insights on how to build a career you love.

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⚠️Disclaimer: I do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred from you acting or not acting as a result of listening to any of my publications. You acknowledge that you use the information I provide at your own risk. Do your research.

Copyright Notice: This episode and my podcast channel contain dialogue, music, and images that are the property of Shameless Careers. You are authorised to share the episode link and channel and embed this episode in your website or others as long as a link back to my podcast channel is provided.

© Shameless Careers

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.