Are you feeling stuck in your career but not quite ready to walk away from everything you've built?

Do you find yourself wondering if there's a way to pursue what lights you up without throwing your success out the window?

Are you curious about what it really looks like to reinvent yourself gradually, on your own terms?

In this episode, I share my own story of how a two-day coaching seminar cracked open a door I didn't even know was there. I explore why curiosity is one of the most underrated career tools you have, how I built a coaching practice, podcast, and leadership programmes alongside my legal career, and why you absolutely do not need to make a huge leap to start moving toward something more fulfilling.

I was a successful corporate lawyer - and by all measures, things were going well. But something kept pulling at me. A seminar, a spark of curiosity, and one small step at a time led me to a career I never could have planned but wouldn't trade for anything. The best part? I didn't have to give up everything I'd worked for to get there.

What You'll Learn:

• Curiosity is data: Why those recurring interests and quiet nudges are worth paying attention to - and what to do with them.
• The portfolio career approach: How to explore and test new directions alongside your existing role, without the risk of starting from scratch.
• You can be many things: Why embracing multiple identities and interests doesn't dilute your career - it enriches it.

"You don't have to make a huge leap. Open the door a little, follow your curiosity, and see where it leads."

Invest in Yourself and Your Career:

• Community — Join our 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: podcast@careerchangemakers.com

LinkedIn: Janine Esbrand

Instagram: @careerchangemakerspodcast

Career Change Makers on Apple Podcasts

Are you feeling stuck in your current role but not quite ready to hand in your resignation?

Do you find yourself wondering whether the career you've built truly reflects what matters most to you?

Are you curious about what it really looks like to build a career around your values, and how one woman did exactly that on a global scale?

In this episode, I sit down with Tara Chklovski, founder of Technovation, to explore what it really looks like to build a career driven by purpose and impact. We cover how social norms shape the careers women feel able to pursue, why confidence is a skill that can be cultivated, and how aligning your work with your values can create a ripple effect far beyond your own life. Whether you're navigating a transition or simply craving more alignment, this episode will inspire you.

Tara Chklovski, founder and CEO of Technovation, is reshaping opportunities for young women in technology. Inspired by her experiences growing up in India and working as an aerospace engineer, she developed a widely-adopted education model that combines mentorship, hands-on learning, and entrepreneurship to prepare girls to thrive in tech.

Named by Techcrunch as “teaching the next generation of AI innovators,” she has built Technovation into a movement reaching 400,000+ people across 160+ countries. Her research shows that AI education for girls could unlock a $200 billion opportunity for the world economy. Through Technovation and The AI Forward Alliance (TAIFA), she’s preparing 25 million young women to lead in AI innovation and tackle global challenges.

What You'll Learn:

• Build a Career With Purpose: How Tara's journey from aerospace engineering to global nonprofit leadership shows what it truly looks like to build a career around impact and values.
• Challenging Social Norms: How deeply ingrained social norms shape the career choices of girls and women worldwide - and how we can begin to challenge them.
• Confidence as a Skill: Why confidence isn't something you're born with, and how to cultivate it through real-world experience and problem solving.

"Build a career around your values, and the impact you create will reach far beyond what you can imagine."

Invest in Yourself and Your Career:

• Community — Join our 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 Tara Chklovski
• Anyone interested in being a mentor, please check out technovation.org to learn more.

Send us Fan Mail

Connect with me!

Website: careerchangemakers.com
Email: podcast@careerchangemakers.com

LinkedIn: Janine Esbrand

Instagram: @careerchangemakerspodcast

Career Change Makers on Apple Podcasts

Are you struggling to stay motivated when your corporate job is leaving you feeling drained and depleted?

Do you find yourself wondering whether the problem is your job — or whether you've simply lost your sense of purpose?

Are you looking for practical ways to reconnect with your motivation without throwing everything away and starting over?

In this episode, I share three powerful strategies to help mid-career women stay motivated, even when their corporate role feels misaligned or exhausting. I dive into why staying motivated isn't just about loving every moment of your job, but about reconnecting with what drives you at a deeper level.

I explore the importance of anchoring back to your personal why, shifting your focus from what you're losing to what you're gaining, and expanding your impact beyond your day-to-day role, so you can stay motivated and build momentum no matter what season of your career you're in.

What You'll Learn:

• Reconnect With Your Why: How identifying and revisiting your personal purpose can instantly reframe your work experience and help you stay motivated through the tough seasons.
• Shift From Losses to Gains: Practical ways to refocus your attention on the skills, perspectives, and growth you're accumulating - even in a challenging environment.
• Expand Your Impact: How pursuing side projects, volunteering, and activities outside your role can reignite your motivation and sense of fulfilment.
• The Wheel of Life: Why taking a holistic view of your life balance is key to measuring fulfilment and staying motivated across all areas - not just your career.

"Reconnecting with your why is one of the fastest ways to stay motivated, even when the day-to-day feels hard."

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 clarify and package your expertise, build a personal brand that opens doors, and create a career that generates opportunities and income beyond your job title and AI disruption.
  Book a Career Clarity Call to discuss

Send us Fan Mail

Connect with me!

Website: careerchangemakers.com
Email: podcast@careerchangemakers.com

LinkedIn: Janine Esbrand

Instagram: @careerchangemakerspodcast

Career Change Makers on Apple Podcasts

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.

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: podcast@careerchangemakers.com

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: podcast@careerchangemakers.com

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: podcast@careerchangemakers.com

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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: podcast@careerchangemakers.com

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: podcast@careerchangemakers.com

LinkedIn: Janine Esbrand

Instagram: @careerchangemakerspodcast

Career Change Makers on Apple Podcasts