Send us a text

Career Momentum and Getting "Unstuck" Starts With How You SHOW UP

Career momentum does not come from doing more. It comes from showing up with clarity, intention, and confidence, especially at mid-career. In this opening episode of the year, I share my personal journey from classroom teacher to leadership and career coach, and the moment when being fine was no longer enough.

I walk you through the experiences that shaped how I think about careers today, from turning classic game shows into engaging math lessons to leading instructional coaches across 13 middle schools. Along the way, stalled interviews, internal politics, and budget delays forced me to rethink how career decisions are really made and how influence is built at mid-career.

These lessons became the foundation of my work helping mid-career professionals who feel undervalued, underutilized, or stuck despite doing everything they were told would lead to advancement.

Why Mid-Career Feels Harder Than It Should

Mid-career is not a plateau. It is a dynamic and decisive phase where visibility, influence, and clarity matter more than effort alone. I share how nonprofit reorganizations left me highly valued by some leaders and invisible to others and how those moments sharpened my understanding of what truly drives career momentum.

In this episode, I introduce the six strategies for showing up with intention. These strategies focus on aligning your thoughts, emotions, and actions so you can protect your professional brand, have more meaningful conversations, and make smarter career decisions in a complex job market.

What You Will Learn in This Episode

If you are a manager or senior director balancing career growth with family and caregiving responsibilities, this episode will help you cut through the noise and regain momentum.

You will learn:

• Why mid-career is one of the most important and misunderstood stages of your career
• The turning point that shifted me from educator to leader and coach
• How to read interview signals and ask for feedback that actually matters
• How to reframe career setbacks into growth opportunities
• The six strategies for showing up with clarity and intention
• Common challenge

Support the show

Ready to give your career the jumpstart it needs to whatever is next? Schedule a $197 Career/Leadership Strategy Session. Click here to learn more about how this transformative strategy session will help you.

Visit https://johnneral.com/resources to:

• Subscribe to my free leadership and career newsletter
• Get The Mid-Career Promotion Blueprint to help you figure out whatever is next for you and your career
• Join The Mid-Career GPS Membership Community.

Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here.

Connect with John on LinkedIn here.
Get John's New Mid-Career Journal on Amazon here.
Follow John on Instagram @johnneralcoaching.
Subscribe to John's YouTube Channel here.

Send us a text

The ground shifted for mid-career professionals in 2025, and many are still feeling the impact. Rolling layoffs became routine, job titles lost their signaling power, and working harder no longer translated into advancement. For professionals in the middle of their careers, the old rules stopped working, often without warning.

In this episode, John Neral unpacks what actually changed in the job market and leadership landscape and outlines a clear, practical plan to help you reclaim control, confidence, and direction in 2026. If you have felt exhausted by a job search, sidelined by shifting responsibilities, or unsettled by the rise of AI, this conversation will help you move forward with clarity and intention.

John begins by examining why organizational stability is no longer a reliable promise and why mid-career professionals must build stability as a personal system. You will learn how results-led resumes, a focused LinkedIn presence, intentional networking, and a personal board of directors create leverage in an uncertain market.

From there, you will hear how to translate responsibilities into outcomes, make your thinking visible, and use leadership communication to earn meaningful opportunities instead of additional tasks. A simple value narrative framework is introduced to help you clearly articulate who you help, the problems you solve, and the outcomes you deliver so decision makers can quickly see your fit.

John also addresses AI and its growing influence on careers. While AI can support research, drafts, and exploration, your real advantage remains human judgment, decision making, strategy, ethics, and relationships.

Key Topics Covered

• Why layoffs became ongoing business activity instead of one-time resets
• Why job titles carry less meaning and scope has become blurred
• The role of visibility and communication in career advancement
• How clarity replaces hustle in a draining job search market
• Results-first storytelling and practical value narratives
• Where AI adds leverage and where human judgment still wins
• Identity work to redefine leadership, impact, and confidence
• Showing up as a proactive strategy instead of grind

Support the show

Ready to give your career the jumpstart it needs to whatever is next? Schedule a $197 Career/Leadership Strategy Session. Click here to learn more about how this transformative strategy session will help you.

Visit https://johnneral.com/resources to:

• Subscribe to my free leadership and career newsletter
• Get The Mid-Career Promotion Blueprint to help you figure out whatever is next for you and your career
• Join The Mid-Career GPS Membership Community.

Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here.

Connect with John on LinkedIn here.
Get John's New Mid-Career Journal on Amazon here.
Follow John on Instagram @johnneralcoaching.
Subscribe to John's YouTube Channel here.

Send us a text

Do holiday conversations, workplace tension, or family dynamics leave you emotionally drained and unsure how to respond? At mid-career, the pressure to stay composed, supportive, and “professional” can feel exhausting, especially when stress is already high in your job or career.

In this episode of The Mid-Career GPS Podcast, I introduce a simple but powerful communication tool called the Three H’s. With one clarifying question, you can stop guessing, set healthier boundaries, and respond with intention rather than frustration.

The Three H’s question is simple and direct:
Do you want me to hear you, help you, or hug you?

That single question creates clarity, consent, and emotional safety in conversations at work, at home, and everywhere in between.

I break down how each option works in real life and why this framework is especially valuable for mid-career professionals navigating leadership pressure, burnout, and complex relationships.

Mid-career professionals are often expected to manage emotions, solve problems, and stay composed, even when they feel overwhelmed themselves. This episode explores how the Three H’s can help you:

• De-escalate tense conversations without withdrawing or over-functioning
• Set boundaries around hot-button topics at work or with family
• Respond to dismissive or frustrating comments with calm confidence
• Exit conversations that do not respect your limits
• Advocate for your own needs without overexplaining or apologizing

If you manage people, this framework can also transform your leadership approach. Opening one-on-ones with the Three H’s reduces advice overload, builds trust, and helps your team feel genuinely supported.

Ask for What You Need Without Guilt

I flip the script and show you how to use the Three H’s to advocate for yourself. You can ask for a listening ear, targeted help, or comfort and connection. You will also learn why it is healthy to accept that not everyone is available to meet your needs at all times.

That realization alone can reduce resentment, stress, and emotional burnout during a demanding season of life and career.

Support the show

Ready to give your career the jumpstart it needs to whatever is next? Schedule a $197 Career/Leadership Strategy Session. Click here to learn more about how this transformative strategy session will help you.

Visit https://johnneral.com/resources to:

• Subscribe to my free leadership and career newsletter
• Get The Mid-Career Promotion Blueprint to help you figure out whatever is next for you and your career
• Join The Mid-Career GPS Membership Community.

Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here.

Connect with John on LinkedIn here.
Get John's New Mid-Career Journal on Amazon here.
Follow John on Instagram @johnneralcoaching.
Subscribe to John's YouTube Channel here.