Career Change Maker | Career Clarity, Career Opportunities, Career Pivots, Burnout, Corporate Job, Portfolio Career

Janine Esbrand I Career Coach, Career Change Coach, Executive Coach
  • 4.8 (50)
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  • Updated Biweekly

***Top 1.5% Global Careers Podcast For Corporate Women***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 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.  Hey 👋 , 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. Then 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: gain clarity, challenge the default ladder, and design aligned, sustainable careers that reflect who they are now, not who they used to be. This podcast will give you the strategy, mindset and tools to make it happen. So grab your notebook, pour your hot drink of choice and lets design what’s next. Next Steps:🎙️ Explore for 1:1 Coaching: www.careerchangemakers.com/claritycall🌐 Visit the Website: www.careerchangemakers.com📩 Contact Us: hello@careerchangemakers.com

  1. 10h ago

    327 I How to Avoid Missing Great Career Opportunities

    Are you an ambitious woman who constantly looks for the next big career move while missing the goldmine right in front of you?  Do you ever find yourself overthinking opportunities or letting a subtle fear of making the wrong move hold you back from responding?  Have you ever wondered how some professionals effortlessly attract high-paying projects and roles without constantly pitching?  In this episode, I share how the most transformative career opportunities often find you when you position yourself correctly. I open up about an unexpected message in my Instagram inbox that I nearly ignored, which ultimately turned into thousands of pounds in revenue.  It is a powerful reminder that your existing expertise is highly valuable, but you have to be visible for the right doors to open.  Many of us treat career growth as a constant search for something completely new, whether that means a new qualification or a new sector. In reality, the biggest breakthroughs come from auditing what you already have and boldly pushing past the fear of showing up.  What you will learn in this episode The power of conducting a personal expertise audit. It is easy to dismiss your years of experience as ordinary. Taking the time to list your past roles, results, and unique problem-solving skills helps you realise the immense inventory you already possess. How fear filters out incredible hidden opportunities. The fear of making the wrong move often narrows your vision, causing you to see risks instead of potential. Learning to look fear in the face and leaning into new conversations is essential to expanding your capacity for luck. Why consistency in visibility is your ultimate leverage. You cannot attract opportunities if people do not know you exist. Whether you are posting original content or actively engaging in industry conversations on LinkedIn, putting yourself out there creates openings you cannot even predict. Ready to build your additional stream of income with intention?  The Portfolio Career Academy start date is officially September 7th. If you are a mid-career professional ready to leverage your expertise and launch your first additional stream of income in just 12 weeks, book your call today to explore if the program is the right fit for you.  Send us Fan Mail Invest in Yourself and Your Career: Community — Join our Network for mid-career women redesigning what's next in their careersCoaching — Apply for The Portfolio Career Academy. Turn Your Expertise Into Multiple Streams of Income & Impact Through Building A Portfolio Career. Connect with me! Website: careerchangemakers.com Email: podcast@careerchangemakers.com LinkedIn:  Janine Esbrand Instagram: @careerchangemakerspodcast Career Change Makers on Apple Podcasts

    17 min

  2. Jun 19

    326 I BTS: Tough Decisions You Make When Managing Multiple Streams of Income

    Are you a high achiever who prides yourself on always following through and making things happen, no matter what?  Do you routinely stretch your capacity to the limit, while wondering if "pushing through" is truly the only way to sustain your success?  Have you ever felt an uncomfortable tension between a goal you committed to and what your life, health, and values are actually asking of you right now? In this transparent and behind-the-scenes episode, I share a vulnerable update regarding the upcoming Portfolio Career Academy. After mapping out my program launch for the end of June, I made the difficult but intentional decision to push the start date back to September.  It wasn't an easy pivot for someone used to executing on a deadline, but a powerful realisation about my son's final summer before high school forced me to pause.  This personal shift serves as a reminder for every ambitious woman: your career is meant to serve your life, not the other way around. Yet so many of us treat a change of direction as a flaw rather than a strategic recalibration. We keep driving forward out of habit or fear of what others will think, waiting for the right time to rest rather than recognising that the season has already shifted. What you'll learn in this episode: Changing your mind is a decision, not a failure. We often carry immense guilt when we pivot, delaying a goal and misinterpreting it as a lack of discipline. In reality, choosing a different path based on new information is an act of leadership. It is an opportunity to acknowledge that your priorities have evolved, and you do not need to apologize for doing what makes sense for your current season.The critical reality of capacity management. Building a portfolio career and managing multiple income streams is an asset, but it requires radical honesty about your time and energy. When balancing various consulting contracts and projects, understanding how to scope your time and lean on both professional and personal support systems is essential to protect your wellbeing before burnout takes over.Protecting what matters is the ultimate point. When faced with a difficult choice, your core values must act as your decision criteria. "Pushing through" to deliver a project at the expense of your energy, family, or the integrity of your work is a cost too high to pay. True career clarity means knowing your non-negotiables, setting up your safety nets, and honoring your boundaries with confidence.Ready to build your additional stream of income with intention?  The Portfolio Career Academy start date has officially moved to September 7th. If you are ready to diversify your income and build your own safety net before you need it, book your fitting call today to explore if the program is the right fit for you after the summer. Send us Fan Mail Invest in Yourself and Your Career: Community — Join our Network for mid-career women redesigning what's next in their careersCoaching — Apply for The Portfolio Career Academy. Turn Your Expertise Into Multiple Streams of Income & Impact Through Building A Portfolio Career. Connect with me! Website: careerchangemakers.com Email: podcast@careerchangemakers.com LinkedIn:  Janine Esbrand Instagram: @careerchangemakerspodcast Career Change Makers on Apple Podcasts

    14 min

  3. Jun 12

    325 I How To Build Additional Income Streams as a Mid-Career Woman In 2026

    Are you a high-achieving corporate woman showing up every day to a role that is your only source of income?  Have you spent 15 to 20 years building a massive reservoir of expertise, yet you haven't stopped to figure out how to maximise its value?  Have you been wondering what it would actually look like to diversify your income without having to burn down your current career or start entirely from zero?   In this episode, I pull back the curtain on her own 10-year journey of building multiple income streams alongside her corporate work. I share how I navigated everything from accidental opportunities to an unexpected physical injury that forced me to quickly recalibrate her revenue levers.  It is a powerful reminder that in an uncertain market shifting with AI transformation, true career ownership means building a personal safety blanket before you actually need to use it.  Building a portfolio career is not about adding more hustle or overwhelm to your already packed schedule. It is about learning how to strategically leverage the track record you already possess ,so you can put yourself firmly back in the driving seat of your professional life.   What you'll learn in this episode: Your expertise is an underutilised asset. Many women sit on far more value than they realise. Instead of jumping into building something entirely new or waiting until you have a website ready, the most effective starting point is a simple career audit mapping what you know, who you have helped, and the exact results you have already produced. The power of starting with one. The biggest trap when building on the side is trying to dabble in multiple ideas at once, leading to quick burnout and a lack of traction. True momentum comes from selecting just one stream, proving the concept with a minimum viable product, and mastering your time before attempting to layer on the next project. The three strategic income buckets. For professional women with deep corporate experience, income diversification generally falls into three main routes. You will learn how to evaluate fractional or consulting work , portfolio board roles , and building your own visible platform through speaking or content creation. Ready to take ownership of your career? If you are ready to stop being passive and want to learn the exact playbook and tools to manage a successful portfolio career, applications are open for the Portfolio Career Academy.  This 12-week group coaching experience is specifically designed for high-achieving corporate women ready to turn their corporate expertise into diverse revenue streams.  We begin at the end of this month. Head over to careerchangemakers.com/pca to view the details and book a fitting call today.  Send us Fan Mail Invest in Yourself and Your Career: Community — Join our Network for mid-career women redesigning what's next in their careersCoaching — Apply for The Portfolio Career Academy. Turn Your Expertise Into Multiple Streams of Income & Impact Through Building A Portfolio Career. Connect with me! Website: careerchangemakers.com Email: podcast@careerchangemakers.com LinkedIn:  Janine Esbrand Instagram: @careerchangemakerspodcast Career Change Makers on Apple Podcasts

    18 min

  4. Jun 4

    324 | What If the Career You've Been Chasing Is No Longer the One You Actually Want?

    What If the Career You've Been Chasing Is No Longer the One You Actually Want? Are you showing up every day to a career you worked incredibly hard to build, yet something quietly feels off?  Are you a mid-career woman who has ticked every box on the success checklist, only to find yourself wondering whether this is really it?  Have you been carrying a definition of success that your younger self set, but haven't stopped to ask whether it still fits who you are today? In this episode, Janine opens with a surprisingly moving story about dropping her son off for his first school trip abroad. He ran off to join his friends without a backward glance, and in that moment she realised how much had shifted without her fully noticing. It became a powerful mirror for what so many mid-career women experience: we change, quietly and gradually, but we rarely give ourselves permission to let our careers change with us. Yet so many mid-career women never give themselves permission to move into what comes next. We keep showing up to a version of our careers that no longer fits, waiting for the fulfilment to return rather than recognising that the season has already shifted.  What you'll learn in this episode: Ambition doesn't disappear, it matures. For mid-career women, ambition often becomes more specific, more personal, and more aligned with who you actually are now rather than who you were told to be. If your career feels hollow despite your success, it is not a sign that you have failed. It is a sign that you have grown beyond the version of yourself who set those original goals.The high achiever's trap. Your discipline and commitment are genuine strengths, but they can quietly become a cage. When you are someone who always follows through, it becomes hard to pause and ask whether the thing you committed to still deserves your commitment. Staying on a path out of habit is not ambition; it is rigidity dressed up as strength. This is the exact moment to separate direction from discipline.You do not have to burn it all down. Evolving your ambition is not about walking away from everything you have built or starting from zero. It is about recognising that a new season calls for a different way of showing up. The most fulfilled mid-career women are not those who abandoned their careers, but those who leveraged their years of expertise to move in a direction that fits who they are now, whether that is a lateral move, a portfolio career, or simply a long-overdue recommitment to a path they actually want to be on. Ready to build your portfolio career?  Apply for the Portfolio Career Academy kicking off at the end of June! Send us Fan Mail Invest in Yourself and Your Career: Community — Join our Network for mid-career women redesigning what's next in their careersCoaching — Apply for The Portfolio Career Academy. Turn Your Expertise Into Multiple Streams of Income & Impact Through Building A Portfolio Career. Connect with me! Website: careerchangemakers.com Email: podcast@careerchangemakers.com LinkedIn:  Janine Esbrand Instagram: @careerchangemakerspodcast Career Change Makers on Apple Podcasts

    19 min

  5. May 28

    323 I How To Get Your Employer's Support To Build On The Side

    Are you worried about what happens if your employer finds out about your side business?  Are you ready to stop letting fear hold you back and start turning your 15 or 20 years of experience into an impactful asset?  Have you been wondering whether a portfolio career could be your next move, but you're feeling stuck on how to navigate the corporate boundaries?  In this episode, I share a personal story about what happened when a previous employer found out about the coaching business I was building on the side.  Instead of the negative response I had braced myself for, they ended up inquiring about my return-to-work course and paying me to pilot it internally!  Handled well, this conversation doesn't have to be a risk - it can actually become your very first opportunity. Building a portfolio career isn't about being disloyal to your role. It's about moving with intention and strategically leveraging the incredible value already sitting in your toolkit. What you'll learn in this episode: Your expertise is an under utilised asset. The experience you have spent decades building is highly valuable. You don't need a perfect business plan, a website, or a fully formed idea to get started; you just need to realize that you are sitting on far more value than you think.The 4 steps to getting your employer's support. I break down the exact framework to position your side build professionally: starting on your idea first, auditing your employment contract (checking for outside interests, conflicts, and IP clauses), identifying the mutual value add, and framing the disclosure conversation around the what, the how, and the why it isn't a conflict.Turning corporate boundaries into career value. Discover how building a side practice actually sharpens your communication, commercial thinking, and leadership skills - ringing an upgraded strategic skill set and brand visibility right back to your day job.Ready to build your portfolio career?  Join the waitlist for the Portfolio Career Academy launching at the end of June! I will be sharing exclusive details about the program, how it works, and opening up our founding member cohort to those on the waitlist first.  Send us Fan Mail Invest in Yourself and Your Career: Community — Join our Network for mid-career women redesigning what's next in their careersCoaching — Apply for The Portfolio Career Academy. Turn Your Expertise Into Multiple Streams of Income & Impact Through Building A Portfolio Career. Connect with me! Website: careerchangemakers.com Email: podcast@careerchangemakers.com LinkedIn:  Janine Esbrand Instagram: @careerchangemakerspodcast Career Change Makers on Apple Podcasts

    17 min

  6. May 21

    322 | What Is A Portfolio Career? And Why You Should Build One.

    Could your years of experience be worth more than your salary suggests? Are you at a point in your career where the ladder no longer feels like the only way up? Are you curious about what it would mean to stop putting all of your expertise into one organisation and start using it in ways that work for you? Have you been quietly wondering whether a portfolio career could be your next move but not sure where to begin? In this episode, I share the moment that changed everything for me - coming back from a mission trip in East Africa and sitting at my desk realising the contrast between the impact I'd just been making and the work I was returning to. I didn't want to burn down what I'd built. So instead, I built on the side. And that decision changed everything. A portfolio career isn't a leap into the unknown. It's a smarter way to use what you've already got. What you'll learn in this episode: Your expertise is already an asset. The foundation of any portfolio career is what you already know - not just your job title, but the depth of experience, the problems you've solved, and the value you create every single day. You've been too busy doing the work to notice how much you've accumulated.Building your safety net. A portfolio career gives you income streams and visibility outside your organisation - and in a market full of layoffs and restructures, that's not a distraction from your career, it's an insurance policy for it.Starting small and building smart. A portfolio career isn't a dramatic exit or starting from zero. It's taking what you've already built and intentionally redesigning how you use it. One speaking opportunity, one piece of content, one conversation outside your organisation - that's genuinely all it takes to begin.Send us Fan Mail Invest in Yourself and Your Career: Community — Join our Network for mid-career women redesigning what's next in their careersCoaching — Apply for The Portfolio Career Academy. Turn Your Expertise Into Multiple Streams of Income & Impact Through Building A Portfolio Career. Connect with me! Website: careerchangemakers.com Email: podcast@careerchangemakers.com LinkedIn:  Janine Esbrand Instagram: @careerchangemakerspodcast Career Change Makers on Apple Podcasts

    25 min

  7. May 14

    321 | You Don't Have a Career Problem, You Have a Visibility Problem

    Have you been feeling that restless, unsettled feeling at work and assuming the answer is a new job, a new industry, or starting over somewhere fresh? Before you make that leap, I want you to pause - because for many of the brilliant women I've worked with, the problem was never the role. It was visibility. In this episode, I'm making the case that what you're missing might not be a career change - it might just be that the right people don't know you exist yet. I share a moment from a few years ago when I visited my old law firm and a woman I'd never met recognised me straight away - not from work, but from LinkedIn. That moment shifted everything for me. My expertise had a life beyond my job title, and it happened because I chose to show up consistently and share my perspective outside of my organisation. If your experience and insight are only known inside your company walls, your expertise is being under-leveraged. And that's what we're unpacking today. What we cover: • How to tell whether you have a role problem or a visibility problem • Why your existing expertise is already an asset - it just needs to be seen beyond your organisation • How visibility outside your company creates real choices: speaking, writing, consulting, advisory and fractional work You don't need a huge following or a viral moment. You just need a consistent, strategic approach to sharing what you know. And you don't need to start from scratch - you just need to start being seen. Send us Fan Mail Invest in Yourself and Your Career: Community — Join our Network for mid-career women redesigning what's next in their careersCoaching — Apply for The Portfolio Career Academy. Turn Your Expertise Into Multiple Streams of Income & Impact Through Building A Portfolio Career. Connect with me! Website: careerchangemakers.com Email: podcast@careerchangemakers.com LinkedIn:  Janine Esbrand Instagram: @careerchangemakerspodcast Career Change Makers on Apple Podcasts

    11 min

  8. May 7

    320 | You've Built a Successful Career But Don't Want Your Boss's Job. Here's What's Next

    Are you feeling like your ambition has outgrown the four walls of your organisation?   Do you find yourself thinking "I don't want my boss's job" — and wondering what that means for your future?   Are you curious about what it looks like to monetise the expertise you already have, without blowing up the career you've worked hard to build? In this episode, I'm sharing why your knowledge is far more portable and scalable than you've been led to believe.  I explore why most professionals limit themselves to a single upward track inside one organisation, how to start seeing your existing knowledge and insights as valuable assets, and why building alongside your career - rather than walking away from it - is one of the smartest moves you can make right now. The way the job market is moving, with layoffs, restructures and constant change, waiting for your organisation to provide security is no longer a strategy. But here's the thing - you don't have to start from scratch. You already have the inventory. It's just about learning how to use it differently. What you'll learn:  • Your expertise is already an asset: How to identify what you're already doing, saying and solving - and see it as the foundation for building beyond your role.  • Building your safety net: Why creating other income streams and visibility outside your organisation isn't a luxury - it's an insurance policy for your career.  • Starting small and building smart: Why one speaking opportunity, one piece of content, or one conversation outside your organisation is genuinely all it takes to begin.  "Your ambition hasn't disappeared - it's just outgrown a single track. Now it's time to redirect it." Ready to Start Building? •  I'm opening up 10 spots for ambitious mid-career women who are ready to create additional income streams using the expertise they already have. We get started at the end of June. Head to LinkedIn, find me @Janine Esbrand, and send me a message with the word START to find out more. Send us Fan Mail Invest in Yourself and Your Career: Community — Join our Network for mid-career women redesigning what's next in their careersCoaching — Apply for The Portfolio Career Academy. Turn Your Expertise Into Multiple Streams of Income & Impact Through Building A Portfolio Career. Connect with me! Website: careerchangemakers.com Email: podcast@careerchangemakers.com LinkedIn:  Janine Esbrand Instagram: @careerchangemakerspodcast Career Change Makers on Apple Podcasts

    12 min
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4.8
out of 5
50 Ratings

About

***Top 1.5% Global Careers Podcast For Corporate Women***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 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.  Hey 👋 , 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. Then 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: gain clarity, challenge the default ladder, and design aligned, sustainable careers that reflect who they are now, not who they used to be. This podcast will give you the strategy, mindset and tools to make it happen. So grab your notebook, pour your hot drink of choice and lets design what’s next. Next Steps:🎙️ Explore for 1:1 Coaching: www.careerchangemakers.com/claritycall🌐 Visit the Website: www.careerchangemakers.com📩 Contact Us: hello@careerchangemakers.com

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