Control Your Career: Career Growth and Strategy for Ambitious Professionals

Julia Toothacre | Helping Professionals Grow and Advance Their Careers
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Control Your Career is a career strategy podcast for professionals who want to make better career decisions, navigate workplace challenges, and take an active role in shaping what's next. Hosted by Julia Toothacre, career strategist and creator of the Control Your Career framework, the show explores career growth, workplace dynamics, leadership, career transitions, and the trends shaping today's world of work. Drawing on more than 15 years of experience in career development, Julia combines practical career strategy with a real-world perspective to help listeners navigate today's workplace and build careers they don't leave to chance. Topics include: → Career strategy and long-term career growth → Career advancement, promotions, and increasing your influence at work → Workplace relationships, office politics, organizational dynamics, and difficult managers → Leadership, executive presence, visibility, and sponsorship → Career change, career crossroads, and major career decisions → Aligning your career with your strengths, values, and goals → Hiring trends, AI, labor market updates, and the changing world of work Through a mix of solo episodes, expert interviews, and commentary on current workplace issues, you'll gain practical strategies to navigate your career with greater clarity, confidence, and control. Learn more at ridethetidecollective.com

  1. 1 day ago

    Resume Advice for Experienced Professionals: What's Changed and What Hasn't

    If you have not updated your resume in several years, the first step is not adding your latest position to the document you already have. Before changing anything, you need to know what the resume is supposed to help you do next. In this solo episode, Julia Toothacre explains what has changed about resumes and hiring, what has remained largely the same, and how experienced professionals should approach their resume differently depending on whether they want a lateral move, advancement, a career change, or a step back from leadership. Julia also addresses common questions about applicant tracking systems, resume length, how far back your experience should go, tailoring resumes, LinkedIn, accomplishments, and using AI without producing generic content. The central principle throughout the episode is that a resume is a marketing document. It should reflect where you are going, not preserve every detail of where you have been. What Julia Discusses Why your career goal should determine how you update your resume What has changed about ATS systems, online applications, LinkedIn, and AI Why accomplishments and results still matter more than lists of responsibilities How experienced professionals should decide how much career history to include When a two-page resume makes sense Why you do not need to rewrite your resume for every individual application How to use AI as a resume tool without allowing it to erase your professional story Control Your Career Resources Learn More About the Episode:  www.ridethetidecollective.com/podcast/resume-advice-experienced-professionals Explore all episodes: https://ridethetidecollective.com/podcast/ Connect with Julia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliakrussell/ Visit the website: https://ridethetidecollective.com Get career resources: https://ridethetidecollective.com/free/

  2. 20 Oct

    Managing Work, Energy, and Career Growth With Autoimmune Disease

    Living with an autoimmune disease can affect far more than your health. Changes in energy, mobility, concentration, stress tolerance, or physical capacity can influence how you work, what support you need, whether advancement still makes sense, and how you think about your career over time. In this episode, Julia Toothacre speaks with Dr. Amy Behimer about what it looks like to manage your career when autoimmune disease is part of your reality. Amy is a board-certified health and wellness coach, pharmacist, healthcare leader, and founder of Amy Behimer Coaching. She also lives with multiple autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis, which was diagnosed when she was 27 and already several years into her career. Julia and Amy discuss the pressure many high achievers feel to keep pushing even when their health requires a different approach. They explore how autoimmune disease can affect capacity and career decisions, why growth does not always mean climbing higher on the organizational ladder, the personal considerations involved in disclosing an invisible illness at work, and what it can mean when your health changes the kind of work that realistically fits your life. What Julia and Amy Discuss How autoimmune disease can affect energy, mobility, cognition, stress, and work Why Amy's multiple sclerosis diagnosis changed her relationship with achievement and career success What happens when working harder is no longer a sustainable professional strategy Why career growth does not always require another promotion How employees and managers can think more realistically about workload, strengths, and capacity How to think about disclosure when an autoimmune disease or chronic illness is not visible What happens when changing health makes a job, career path, or professional identity harder to sustain About Dr. Amy Behimer Dr. Amy Behimer, PharmD, NBC-HWC, is a board-certified health and wellness coach, pharmacist, and founder of Amy Behimer Coaching. Living with multiple autoimmune diseases herself, Amy combines evidence-based science with practical behavior change strategies to help people with autoimmune disease feel better, function better, and stay consistent with habits that matter most. With nearly two decades of experience as a clinical pharmacist and healthcare leader, Amy has developed and led innovative clinical programs while building a coaching practice dedicated to sustainable health behavior change. She is passionate about translating complex health information into simple, practical habits that fit real life. Through her coaching programs, speaking, podcast, and writing, Amy helps people move beyond overwhelm, build confidence, and make sustainable improvements in their energy, health, and quality of life. Connect With Amy Website: https://amybehimercoaching.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amybehimercoaching Podcast: Autoimmune Health Secrets Free Health Quiz: https://amybehimercoaching.com/quiz  Control Your Career Resources Read The Blog: www.ridethetidecollective.com/podcast/managing-career-with-autoimmune-disease Explore all episodes: https://ridethetidecollective.com/podcast/ Connect with Julia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliakrussell/ Visit the website: https://ridethetidecollective.com Get career resources: https://ridethetidecollective.com/free/

  3. 13 Oct

    The First 90 Days After a Layoff: A 4-Step Plan

    A layoff can create an immediate urge to update your résumé, start applying, contact everyone you know, and do anything that feels productive. The problem is that what makes sense during the first week may be very different from what you should be doing 30, 60, or 90 days later. In this solo episode, Julia Toothacre breaks the first 90 days after a layoff into four stages: assess your reality, build your search, evaluate the evidence, and adjust your strategy. The goal is not to create a 90-day deadline for finding another job. Instead, the framework provides checkpoints so you can respond to what you are learning rather than repeating the same job-search strategy for months without examining whether it is working.  Julia covers the immediate financial and logistical considerations after a layoff, how to evaluate your career and the current market, when to update your materials and activate your network, how to diagnose where a search is getting stuck, and what to reconsider if the process extends beyond 90 days. What Julia Discusses What to handle during the first week after a layoff How finances, benefits, caregiving, location, emotional capacity, and risk affect your next steps How to decide whether you want another version of your previous job or something different Why current market conditions need to be part of your strategy How to communicate a layoff without sounding angry or self-deprecating How to define target roles, industries, compensation, location, priorities, and deal breakers Why a focused search usually provides better information than applying indiscriminately How to track applications, networking conversations, referrals, and responses What a lack of applications, recruiter screens, interviews, or offers may tell you Why the 30-, 60-, and 90-day marks should be checkpoints rather than deadlines When contract, consulting, freelance, temporary, part-time, or bridge work may deserve consideration The Four Stages Stage 1: Assess Your Reality Days 1 to 7 Address immediate logistics and understand your personal, career, and external realities before determining the search strategy. Stage 2: Build Your Search Days 8 to 30 Define what you are targeting, prepare your career materials, begin networking, start applying, and track what happens. Stage 3: Evaluate the Evidence Days 31 to 60 Look for patterns in applications, recruiter screens, interviews, networking conversations, and overall search volume. Stage 4: Adjust Your Strategy Days 61 to 90 Use what you have learned to make informed changes to target roles, positioning, compensation, geography, résumé strategy, networking, or other parts of the search. ep 176 solo Control Your Career Resources Read The Blog: https://ridethetidecollective.com/2026/10/13/first-90-days-after-a-layoff/ Explore all episodes: https://ridethetidecollective.com/podcast/ Connect with Julia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliakrussell/ Visit the website: https://ridethetidecollective.com Get career resources: https://ridethetidecollective.com/free/

  4. 6 Oct

    How to Track Your Accomplishments and Prove Your Impact with Orlando Haynes

    Most professionals know they should keep track of their accomplishments, yet the habit often disappears until a performance review, promotion conversation, résumé update, or interview makes that information suddenly necessary. By then, people are trying to reconstruct months or years of projects, problems solved, responsibilities added, and results achieved from memory. In this episode, Julia Toothacre welcomes Orlando Haynes back to Control Your Career to discuss how professionals can build a more useful record of their work before they need it. Orlando draws on more than 20 years in talent acquisition and his experience creating Career Capital, a platform designed to help professionals document their work, identify impact, and translate that information into stronger career language. Julia also explains why she became a strategic advisor to Career Capital and makes clear in the episode that she is not paid for the recommendation or receiving commissions from the links she shares.  The conversation goes beyond tracking large, measurable wins. Julia and Orlando discuss how reflection can uncover evidence of problem-solving, strategic thinking, process improvement, collaboration, and professional growth that may otherwise disappear into the routine of everyday work. They also examine how stronger documentation can improve performance reviews, promotion discussions, résumé development, and interview responses. What Julia and Orlando Discuss Why professionals often assume good work will speak for itself What Orlando learned when a manager asked him, "Where's your proof?" Why your manager may not remember the work and impact you produced throughout the year What to document beyond large projects and easily measurable results How reflection can reveal strategic thinking and process improvements Why tracking accomplishments makes résumé writing and interview preparation easier How to communicate your individual contribution instead of relying on what "we" accomplished Why repeated follow-up questions in an interview may indicate that your original answer lacked important information How to begin tracking accomplishments without reconstructing an entire 10- or 20-year career How documented work can reveal strengths, development gaps, and possible future career paths About Orlando Haynes Orlando Haynes is a talent acquisition leader, advisor, career speaker, author, U.S. veteran, and founder of Career Capital Group LLC. With more than 20 years of experience in talent acquisition, Orlando primarily works with early- to mid-career professionals and focuses on helping people communicate their value more effectively throughout their careers. He is the creator of Career Capital, an AI-supported platform designed to help professionals turn everyday work into evidence they can use for performance conversations, career development, interviews, résumés, and future opportunities. Orlando also hosts the CareerTALKS Podcast. This is Orlando's return to Control Your Career. He previously joined Julia as part of her Recruiter's Perspective series, and Julia has also appeared on Orlando's podcast. Connect with Orlando Career Capital: http://www.career-capital.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/orlandohaynes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theauthenticcommunicator Previous Control Your Career conversation with Orlando: Why Are Job Seekers Ghosted by Employers? Disclosure Julia serves as a strategic advisor to Career Capital. In the episode, she explains that she is not being paid to feature the platform and does not receive a commission from the links she shares.  Control Your Career Resources Read The Blog: https://ridethetidecollective.com/2026/10/06/how-to-track-your-accomplishments-at-work/ Explore all episodes: https://ridethetidecollective.com/podcast/ Connect with Julia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliakrussell/ Visit the website: https://ridethetidecollective.com Get career resources: https://ridethetidecollective.com/free/

  5. 29 Sept

    Your Career Decisions Need Context

    Career advice can sound universal until it collides with the realities of your actual life. A recommendation to leave a job, accept a promotion, take a pay cut, negotiate, or change careers may be perfectly reasonable for one person and completely inappropriate for someone facing different financial obligations, professional circumstances, or market conditions. In this solo episode, Julia Toothacre introduces Realistic Reality, the first stage of her Control Your Career process. She explains why career clarity should begin with an accurate understanding of three areas: your personal reality, your current career reality, and the external conditions affecting your options. Rather than using these factors as reasons something cannot happen, Julia shows how they can provide the context needed to make more informed decisions about timing, risk, opportunity, and what comes next. What Julia Discusses Why Julia begins her career decision-making process with reality before moving into identity, strengths, values, and interests How finances, caregiving, location, capacity, lifestyle, and risk tolerance influence career choices Why two people can face the same opportunity and reasonably make very different decisions How to assess your experience, qualifications, reputation, network, compensation, and advancement opportunities using evidence rather than assumptions Why professionals often underestimate or overestimate where they currently stand How organizational conditions, industry trends, hiring activity, technology, geography, and the labor market affect career options Why broad statements about the job market rarely describe every profession, industry, level, or location accurately How the three realities can help you evaluate a decision such as whether to leave your current job Why generalized career advice needs context before you decide whether it applies to you The Realistic Reality Framework Personal Reality Your personal reality includes the circumstances in your life that affect what is reasonable or possible right now, including finances, caregiving responsibilities, location, time, capacity, lifestyle, risk tolerance, and other commitments. Career Reality Your career reality reflects where you currently stand professionally, including your experience, skills, qualifications, compensation history, career stage, reputation, network, responsibilities, and available opportunities. External Reality Your external reality includes conditions you may need to account for even though you cannot directly control them, such as organizational decisions, labor-market conditions, industry trends, technology, hiring activity, economic conditions, and geography. Resources Mentioned Related episode on promotion and advancement: Episode 172, When a Promotion Isn't Available: How to Keep Growing Your Career Related conversations with Tank Rhodes: Julia references her discussions with Tank about hiring, networking, and current job-market conditions. Julia's upcoming book: Realistic Reality is the first stage of the five-stage Control Your Career process Julia is developing in her upcoming book. Control Your Career Resources Read The Blog: https://ridethetidecollective.com/2026/09/29/why-career-advice-needs-context/ Explore all episodes: https://ridethetidecollective.com/podcast/ Connect with Julia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliakrussell/ Visit the website: https://ridethetidecollective.com Get career resources: https://ridethetidecollective.com/free/

  6. 22 Sept

    Purpose, Burnout, and Career Clarity with Jen Margolis

    Meaningful work can provide a strong sense of purpose, but it can also make career decisions more complicated when a person begins to equate the mission of an organization with their own identity. In nonprofit and mission-driven work especially, commitment to the cause can influence what someone is willing to accept around compensation, workload, emotional demands, boundaries, or long-term sustainability. In this episode, Julia Toothacre speaks with executive coach and consultant Jen Margolis about the relationship between personal purpose and organizational mission. They explore why an organization's purpose should not become an employee's entire identity, whether everyone needs to find meaning through work, and how professionals can clarify what they uniquely contribute without assuming that contribution must be expressed through one employer or career path. Jen also shares practical ways to create separation from emotionally demanding work, reconnect with what matters now, and reconsider a career that may still feel meaningful but no longer fits the person you have become. ep173 Jen Margolis 4k.txtTXT What Julia and Jen Discuss Why mission-driven work can provide meaning while also creating complicated career trade-offs The distinction between an organization's purpose and an individual's personal purpose Why purpose is broader than a job title, role, or employer Whether everyone needs to find purpose through their career How strengths, interests, values, and life circumstances contribute to career clarity Why caring deeply about the work can make burnout harder to recognize How boundaries and recovery practices can help create healthier separation from work What to consider when the work still matters but the career you are building no longer feels sustainable About Jen Margolis Jen Margolis is the founder of Amberwood Practice, where she works as an executive coach and consultant helping leaders build purpose-driven futures, create meaningful impact, and find greater alignment between work and life. Her work draws on experience in organizational design, positive psychology, leadership development, strategy, and planning. Jen holds graduate degrees in social work and positive organization development from Case Western Reserve University, a certificate in Positive Psychology from the Whole Being Institute, and an ICF Level 2 coaching certificate from the Center for Executive Coaching. She lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with her husband, two children, and rescued cattle dog. Connect with Jen Amberwood Practice: https://www.amberwoodpractice.com/ LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-margolis-0247803 Purpose in Practice workbook: Mentioned in the episode. Add the direct link when available. Control Your Career Resources Read The Blog: https://ridethetidecollective.com/2026/09/22/purpose-burnout-career-clarity-jen-margolis/ Explore all episodes: https://ridethetidecollective.com/podcast/ Connect with Julia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliakrussell/ Visit the website: https://ridethetidecollective.com Get career resources: https://ridethetidecollective.com/free/

  7. 15 Sept

    How to Grow Your Career Without a Promotion

    A lack of promotion opportunities does not necessarily mean your career has stopped moving, but it does require a more deliberate approach to growth. Before taking on additional responsibilities or immediately beginning a job search, it is important to understand whether advancement is being limited by the organization, by a gap in your readiness for the next level, or by some combination of the two. In this solo episode, Julia Toothacre explains how to evaluate what is preventing advancement and identify forms of career growth that can strengthen your position even when a title change is unavailable. She examines eight areas of development, including skills, scope, visibility, relationships, leadership, authority, and business knowledge, while also addressing how to avoid the common trap of accepting more work without receiving meaningful development in return. The episode concludes with a practical question professionals often postpone for too long: how long are you willing to wait for an opportunity that may or may not materialize? What Julia Discusses How to distinguish organizational barriers from gaps in your own readiness for advancement Why flat structures, budget constraints, limited turnover, weak internal mobility, and talent hoarding can restrict promotion opportunities The importance of communicating your career goals and seeking specific feedback about readiness Eight areas of career growth that can matter even without a title change How stretch assignments, cross-functional projects, lateral moves, sponsorship, and strategic visibility can support future advancement Why additional responsibilities should provide development, compensation, authority, or another meaningful return How to establish a timeline for reassessing your situation rather than waiting indefinitely Research and Resources Mentioned Gallup, One in Four U.S. Employees Lack Advancement Opportunities Gallup's 2025 American Job Quality Study found that 25% of U.S. employees reported having no opportunities for promotion or advancement in their current roles. Gallup advancement research ADP, People at Work 2025 ADP found that limited career opportunities were the most commonly reported barrier to career advancement globally. Among employees who struggled to find advancement opportunities with their current employer, 34% were actively looking or interviewing for another job. ADP career growth research Gartner, Talent Hoarding and Internal Mobility Gartner identifies talent hoarding by managers as a barrier to effective internal mobility, particularly when managers are reluctant to lose employees who perform strongly on their teams. Gartner research on talent hoarding LinkedIn, 2026 Talent Velocity Advantage Report LinkedIn's 2026 research incorporates internal career movement and leadership skill development into its analysis of how organizations develop and move talent. LinkedIn Talent Velocity Advantage Report Control Your Career Resources Read The Blog: https://ridethetidecollective.com/2026/09/15/how-to-grow-your-career-without-a-promotion/ Explore all episodes: https://ridethetidecollective.com/podcast/ Connect with Julia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliakrussell/ Visit the website: https://ridethetidecollective.com Get career resources: https://ridethetidecollective.com/free/

  8. 8 Sept

    How to Shape Workplace Culture Without Being the Boss with Natalie Johnson

    Workplace culture is often treated as something leadership or HR creates and employees either enjoy or endure. Natalie Johnson sees it differently. Culture exists anywhere people are working together, and every person contributes to it through how they communicate, respond to conflict, support colleagues, handle disagreement, and show up when things get difficult. Natalie joins Julia Toothacre to discuss workplace culture as a career skill. They explore how much influence individual employees actually have, why culture can vary dramatically between teams inside the same organization, what happens when a leadership change alters an environment you once loved, and how to recognize when you have done what you can and it may be time to leave. They also examine a difficult workplace problem that organizations sometimes avoid: the high performer whose behavior damages everyone around them. What We Discuss Why workplace culture is created through relationships and behavior, not perks or company initiatives How team culture can differ significantly from the broader organizational culture What it means to treat culture awareness and influence as a career skill How your "inner operating system" affects the energy and behavior you bring into a workplace What employees can do when a new leader changes a previously healthy team culture How to know when discomfort is part of growth and when staying requires becoming someone you do not want to be Why protecting a toxic high performer can send a damaging message to the rest of the organization About Natalie Johnson Natalie Johnson is the Chief Visionary Officer of ViDL Work and co-author of Leading the Culture Journey. She leads business development, strategy, and innovation while also working directly with organizations through keynotes, training, coaching, and culture-change initiatives. With 30 years of experience in human performance, resilience, and leadership development, Natalie brings a practical, human-centered approach to workplace culture. She holds a master's degree in Wellness Promotion and is an industry-recognized performance coach, keynote speaker, Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator, and Wellcoaches™ Certified Coach. Connect with Natalie LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-johnson-speaks/ Instagram: @culture_speaker @ViDLWork YouTube: ViDL Work Natalie Johnson Speaks: www.nataliejohnsonspeaks.com ViDL Work: www.vidlwork.com Leading the Culture Journey Book: www.vidlwork.com/culturejourneybook Control Your Career Read The Blog: https://ridethetidecollective.com/2026/09/08/shape-workplace-culture-without-being-the-boss/ Explore all episodes: https://ridethetidecollective.com/podcast/ Connect with Julia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliakrussell/ Visit the website: https://ridethetidecollective.com Get career resources:  https://ridethetidecollective.com/free/

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Control Your Career is a career strategy podcast for professionals who want to make better career decisions, navigate workplace challenges, and take an active role in shaping what's next. Hosted by Julia Toothacre, career strategist and creator of the Control Your Career framework, the show explores career growth, workplace dynamics, leadership, career transitions, and the trends shaping today's world of work. Drawing on more than 15 years of experience in career development, Julia combines practical career strategy with a real-world perspective to help listeners navigate today's workplace and build careers they don't leave to chance. Topics include: → Career strategy and long-term career growth → Career advancement, promotions, and increasing your influence at work → Workplace relationships, office politics, organizational dynamics, and difficult managers → Leadership, executive presence, visibility, and sponsorship → Career change, career crossroads, and major career decisions → Aligning your career with your strengths, values, and goals → Hiring trends, AI, labor market updates, and the changing world of work Through a mix of solo episodes, expert interviews, and commentary on current workplace issues, you'll gain practical strategies to navigate your career with greater clarity, confidence, and control. Learn more at ridethetidecollective.com

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