The Career Breakers Show

Adriane
  • 0.0 (0)
  • CAREERS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to The Career Breakers Show—a podcast for bold professionals reimagining work. Hosted by career coach Adriane Jones, we explore stories of pivots, pauses, and transitions that challenge the traditional career path. Each episode features candid conversations with professionals who have redefined career success on their own terms. From career breaks to major pivots, these conversations offer inspiration, practical insights, and the confidence to create a career that truly fits your life. If you're ready to rethink work and forge your own path, you’re in the right place.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    43. Brian Aquart: Why He Left and Working for Impact Over Titles

    Brian Aquart is a Career Breaker. He began his career on a traditional path in law, first private practice, then city government, with a clear idea of what success was supposed to look like. But after a door closed on the version of his future he thought he needed, Brian slowed down, hired a coach, and reimagined how his skills could translate beyond legal practice. In this episode, Brian shares how that pivot led him into healthcare, where he now builds programs that help young people see the many ways they can belong in the healthcare system—far beyond being a doctor or nurse. He also takes us behind the scenes of his podcast, Why I Left, which started during the Great Resignation as a quest to understand why people were leaving “stability” during a time of uncertainty. And we explore his newest work, Storyline by Kingswood, where he helps leaders find narrative clarity so they can show up with intention and lead with impact. If you’re navigating a career change that feels messy, questioning a path you once thought was “the one,” or craving clarity on how to tell your story in a way that actually feels like you, this episode is for you. Listen now and follow the show for more inspiring stories of career pivots, pauses, and transitions. If this episode resonated, I would love for you to share it with someone who might need to hear it too. Every follow and listen helps me know this work is reaching others and encourages me to keep going. Thank you so much for your support. ❤️ Notes: Here’s some links to things we discussed in this episode.  Brian Aquart on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellesskony/ Why I Left LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-i-left/ Why I Left Podcast website: https://whyileft.co/ Storyline by Kingswood: https://www.kingswoodforestllc.com/storyline-by-kingswood/ Jordan Cole: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordana-cole-mapp-pcc-a8445a8/

    41 min

  2. 18 FEB

    42. Elles Skony: From Chief People Officer to Fractional HR

    Elles Skony is a Career Breaker. Elles has what she calls a “classic HR background.” She began as a generalist, took on broader responsibility across talent, recruiting, and learning, and eventually stepped into the role of Chief People Officer at a high-growth startup. Her path followed a progression many HR leaders recognize. But when her company needed to scale down, Elles made an unexpected move: she put herself on the layoff list. Then, instead of jumping into another full-time executive role, she stepped out of traditional HR leadership and into fractional work—staying close to the work she loves while redesigning how she works. In this episode, Elles breaks down what fractional really means and how it differs from consulting or advisory work. She shares how a “career curiosity tour,” deep relationship-building, and listening to her energy led her into this new chapter. We also talk about the real demands of fractional life, the pressure of being paid for your expertise, and how professionals can advocate for more flexible roles by leading with business acumen and solutions. If you’re curious about fractional work, questioning the traditional ladder, or thinking about how to design work around learning, flexibility, and energy—not just title—this episode is for you. Listen now and follow the show for more inspiring stories of career pivots, pauses, and transitions. If this episode resonated, I would love for you to share it with someone who might need to hear it. Every follow and listen helps me know this work is reaching others and encourages me to keep going. Thank you so much for your support. ❤️ Notes: Here’s some links to things we discussed in this episode.  Elles Skony on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellesskony/ Fractional People People on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fractional-people-people/ Fractional People People website: https://www.fractionalpeoplepeople.com/ Elles Skony’s HR consulting business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/organized-chaos-consulting/

    49 min

  3. 11 FEB

    41. Dr. Robin Owens: From High Achieving to Purpose Making

    Dr. Robin Owens is a Career Breaker. Her career began the way many high achievers are taught it should. She majored in business, landed a leadership role at a bank right out of college, and on paper, she had arrived. But internally, something was off, and eventually her body forced her to pay attention. In this episode, Robin shares how breaking away from early expectations led her through multiple career chapters and toward work that truly fits who she is. She explains how her own career journey shaped the PurposeMAKER Method™, the framework she now teaches to help people navigate their careers with clarity, self-trust, and purpose. If you are questioning a path that looks right on the outside or searching for what comes next, this episode is for you. Listen now and follow the show for more inspiring stories of career pivots, pauses, and transitions. If this episode resonated, I would love for you to share it with someone who might need to hear it. Every follow and listen helps me know this work is reaching others and encourages me to keep going. Thank you so much for your support. ❤️ Notes: Here’s some links to things we discussed in this episode.  Dr. Robin Owens on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinlowensphd/ Dr. Robin's website: https://www.robinlowens.com/ Leadership Purpose with Dr. Robin: https://www.robinlowens.com/podcast Purpose Maker by Dr. Robin *COMING SUMMER 2026!*: https://www.robinlowens.com/book

    45 min

  4. 14 JAN

    40. Audrey Blankenship & Adriane Jones: [SEASON FINALE] Thoughtful Pivots, Looking Back on Our Careers, and Reflections from Season 3

    LISTENER SURVEY Audrey Blankenship is a Career Breaker. Audrey’s career has taken her across sales, training, and tech, with plenty of pivots along the way. Today, she works in sales enablement, supporting teams at a cybersecurity company. Like many people navigating work right now, she’s experienced moments of uncertainty, including a layoff that invited her to pause and think differently about what she wanted next. In this Season 3 finale of The Career Breakers Show, Audrey shares her own career story. Then, the conversation turns. Audrey interviews Adriane on the themes that emerged across the season and how these stories have shifted Adriane’s perspective personally. They also reflect on their shared history, having worked together earlier in their careers. Together, they explore what these stories are revealing about modern careers. They talk about how people are navigating uncertainty, redefining success, and learning to build lives that are not solely defined by work. This episode is a chance to zoom out, connect the dots from Season 3, and close the season together. Did you enjoy this episode? Here's how you can support the show and help others find it: 1.) Follow the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. 2.) Share an episode with a friend. 3.) Send me a message! Connect with Adriane on LinkedIn:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianejones/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thank you for supporting the show! ❤️ Notes: Here’s some links to things we discussed in this episode.  Audrey on LinkedIn Travis Wilson’s episode SJ Tutor’s episode Wendy Kleinfeldt’s episode Jessica Wan’s episode Krista Vaught’s episode Amy Petricek’s episode Jessica Wan’s Podcast: ⁠The Ampersand Manifesto⁠ Follow Adriane on LinkedIn as we relisten to all the episodes starting NOW! Please take the listener survey here.

    39 min

  5. 7 JAN

    39. Jessica Wan: A True Ampersand, From Marketing to Coaching & Opera

    Jessica Wan is a Career Breaker. After a successful career rising through marketing roles across design, the arts, and tech, Jessica reached a moment when the path ahead looked clear but no longer felt right. She craved deeper conversations, more meaningful impact, and a way of working that honored all the parts of who she is. In this episode, Jessica shares how she stepped away from a role she loved and navigated the uncertainty that followed. She talks about the grief of leaving something good, the questions that surfaced in the in-between, and the internal myths she had to release around money, identity, and investing in herself. Her break ultimately opened the door to coaching and to building a business that feels true to her values, her energy, and her multidimensional life. Jessica also introduces her idea of the ampersand: people who build thriving careers in two or more completely different worlds. She explains why these blended paths aren’t just possible, but essential to the future of work. She offers thoughtful insights for anyone at a crossroads, reminding us that we’re allowed to choose again and follow our curiosity, and that reinvention is far more accessible than we often believe. Tune in to hear Jessica’s story of clarity, creativity, and building a career that makes room for all of who you are. Jessica’s current offering: https://www.kristinalibby.com/the-cohort Jessica at SXSW on March 16, 2026: https://schedule.sxsw.com/2026/events/PP1162466  Did you enjoy this episode? Here's how you can support the show and help others find it: 1.) Follow the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. 2.) Share an episode with a friend. 3.) Send me a message! Connect with Adriane on LinkedIn:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianejones/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thank you for supporting the show! ❤️ Notes: Here’s some links to things we discussed in this episode.  Jessica’s Website:  https://www.jessicawan.com/ Jessica on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicamwan/ Jessica’s Podcast: The Ampersand Manifesto Wise Women’s Council: https://www.wisewomenscouncil.com/ Sarah K. Peck: https://sarahkpeck.substack.com/ Lee Price: https://viewfinderpartners.com/ Wendy Kleinfeldt’s episode: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/Ty1s0Us8uZb Article about women advancing in their career because of skills, networks, and mindsets, not mindsets alone: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/to-climb-to-the-top-women-should-focus-on-skill-building Co-Active Coach Training: https://coactive.com/Center for Executive Coaching: https://centerforexecutivecoaching.com/executive-coach-certification/

    47 min

  6. 17/12/2025

    38. Deb Manning: From Fast-Paced Marketing Leader to Joy-Seeker

    Deb Manning is a Career Breaker. Deb's career has spanned multiple chapters, first pausing when her children were young, then rising into senior marketing leader in the tech world. Most recently, she spent 12 years in a role she describes as "full, fast, and fulfilling." She loved her team, loved the work, and yet something inside her knew it was time to pause again. In this episode, Deb shares what prompted her to step away from a career that looked picture-perfect from the outside, how she used her pause to realign with her values, and why “leveling up” sometimes means choosing a role with more space and more joy, not a bigger title. She also talks about crafting a life that feels true to who she is today—a fractional marketing professional, a soon-to-be board member, and a parent with grown kids. Listen now to hear how Deb reshaped her career around alignment and joy, and what her story can teach us about slowing down, listening inward, and designing work that supports the life you want. Did you enjoy this episode? Here's how you can support the show and help others find it: 1.) Follow the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. 2.) Share an episode with a friend. 3.) Buy Me a Coffee I can sip while I produce the next great episode, here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠buymeacoffee.com/adrianejones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 4.) Send me a message! Connect with Adriane on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianejones/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thank you for supporting the show! ❤️ Notes: Here’s some links to things we discussed in this episode.Deb on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deb-manning-executive/

    42 min

  7. 10/12/2025

    37. Amy Petricek: 3 Layoffs in 4 Years and the Mindset to Get Through

    Amy Petricek is a Career Breaker. Over the last four years, Amy has navigated three unexpected layoffs. Each one arrived abruptly and outside her control, yet these career disruptions became moments that reshaped how she thinks about work, identity, and growth. In this episode, Amy shares how she rebuilt confidence by activating her network, treating her job search like a sales process, and investing in herself through career coaching and an MBA program. She talks about staying visible during uncertainty, finding momentum when motivation is low, and building a life outside of work so that a layoff doesn’t take everything with it. We also explore the emotional side of job loss, the value of having people you can be honest with, and why setbacks are more common than most of us admit. Listen now to hear how Amy reframed disruption as a path forward and what her story can teach us about navigating layoffs with clarity, agency, and self-trust. Did you enjoy this episode? Here's how you can support the show and help others find it: 1.) Follow the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. 2.) Share an episode with a friend. 3.) Buy Me a Coffee I can sip while I produce the next great episode, here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠buymeacoffee.com/adrianejones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 4.) Send me a message! Connect with Adriane on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianejones/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thank you for supporting the show! ❤️ Notes: Here’s some links to things we discussed in this episode. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-petricek/

    41 min

  8. 03/12/2025

    36. SJ Tudor: Leaving the Freelance Hustle and Stepping Into What’s Next

    SJ Tudor is a Career Breaker. After nearly a decade freelancing and enjoying the freedom and flexibility of running her own creative business, SJ started to feel the limits of hustling alone. SJ had big ambitions, including becoming a creative director for a global brand, and she realized she needed new experiences, bigger teams, and a different kind of environment to get there. In this episode, SJ shares how she made the intentional shift from freelancing to corporate life, letting go of a long-held identity and stepping into a role that pushed her to grow. She talks about craving more stability, outgrowing hustle culture, and learning to hold her five-year plan loosely so she could stay open to what might come next. We talk about the entrepreneurial skills she brings into corporate, how designing her life with intention has always been her compass, and why no chapter has to be forever. Listen now to hear how SJ is rewriting what a modern creative career can look like and what her story can teach us about choosing the pace, structure, and path that support who you’re becoming. Did you enjoy this episode? Here's how you can support the show and help others find it: 1.) Follow the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. 2.) Share an episode with a friend. 3.) Buy Me a Coffee I can sip while I produce the next great episode, here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠buymeacoffee.com/adrianejones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 4.) Send me a message! Connect with Adriane on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianejones/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thank you for supporting the show! ❤️ Notes: Here’s some links to things we discussed in this episode. SJ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjtudor/ SJ on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sjtudor?igsh=dnJxM3Bycnk4bjFn

    27 min
See All (44)

Trailer

About

Welcome to The Career Breakers Show—a podcast for bold professionals reimagining work. Hosted by career coach Adriane Jones, we explore stories of pivots, pauses, and transitions that challenge the traditional career path. Each episode features candid conversations with professionals who have redefined career success on their own terms. From career breaks to major pivots, these conversations offer inspiration, practical insights, and the confidence to create a career that truly fits your life. If you're ready to rethink work and forge your own path, you’re in the right place.

Information