Little Moves, Big Careers: Smart Career Growth Strategies for Ambitious Professionals.

Caroline Esterson from Inspire Your Genius
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Struggling to get noticed and move up in today’s fast-changing workplace? Little Moves, Big Careers is your go-to podcast for smart, actionable career growth strategies that cut through the noise. From visibility and confidence to self-leadership and influence, every episode mixes bold insights, cheeky truths, and practical takeaways that actually work inside real organisations to help you stand out and get promoted. No corporate waffle; just unapologetically honest career talk for people who want to perform, progress, and stand out for all the right reasons. New episodes drop every Tuesday.  Start your journey with 'The Survivor’s Guide' episode to learn how to lead through change and rebuild your career even when things get sticky. Hosted by Caroline Esterson, career strategist and co-founder of www.inspireyourgenius.com, this show reveals the unspoken rules of modern work and teaches you the small, smart moves that make a big difference. Sign up for your Genius Files weekly - your backstage pass to the unspoken rules of high-performance careers. Smart shifts that make you say, “Oh damn, that’s exactly what I needed.”  https://inspire-your-genius.kit.com/a162791a94

  1. 1D AGO

    Why Boundaries Aren’t Selfish - They’re a Leadership Skill with Emma Fraser

    Send us Fan Mail Do you ever feel pressured to overdeliver, keep everyone happy, and prove yourself at work? In this episode, Caroline explores why that pressure can quietly pull capable women away from strategic, sustainable leadership. Through her conversation with Emma, she unpacks why boundaries are not selfish, how people pleasing can drain your energy and focus, and why human skills like empathy, communication, and curiosity are becoming some of the most valuable strengths in today’s workplace. You’ll learn why boundaries are a vital leadership skill that help you protect your energy and make better decisions.You’ll discover how overdelivering and people pleasing can hold back your confidence, clarity, and long-term career growth. You’ll understand why empathy, communication, curiosity, and asking better questions can help you grow faster and lead more effectively.Play this episode to strengthen your boundaries, sharpen your leadership skills, and build a more sustainable path to career growth. You can connect with Emma here. You can connect with Caroline here You can find resources to support the podcast here Ready to make your next bold move? Grab the free Bold Move Audit and join the insider crew.  Stuck, simmering, or onto something juicy? I want to hear it. Drop me a line at caroline@inspireyourgenius.com - I read them all.

    19 min

  2. 3D AGO

    Does Your Career Lack the Right Allies, Leading To Missed Opportunities? Here’s How To Fix It Right NOW with Emma Fraser

    Send a text Are the right people talking about your work when you’re not in the room? This episode unpacks a career truth many women discover too late: doing brilliant work is not always enough to move forward. Career momentum often comes through relationships, reputation, and the conversations others have about you behind closed doors. Caroline and Emma explore how genuine curiosity helps build meaningful workplace connections, why advocacy matters more than self-promotion alone, and how to tell the difference between strategic relationship-building and people pleasing. You will: Understand why career opportunities often come through trust, visibility, and advocacy from others. Learn how being curious about other people’s priorities can help build stronger, more strategic workplace relationships. See how to create allies without slipping into over-helping, over-committing, or people pleasing.Play this episode to learn how to build the kind of relationships that grow your reputation, expand your influence, and open doors in your career. You can connect with Emma here. You can connect with Caroline here You can find resources to support the podcast here Ready to make your next bold move? Grab the free Bold Move Audit and join the insider crew.  Stuck, simmering, or onto something juicy? I want to hear it. Drop me a line at caroline@inspireyourgenius.com - I read them all.

    10 min

  3. 5D AGO

    Why Technical Expertise Alone Is Holding Brilliant Women Back in Corporate Leadership with Emma Fraser

    Send a text Are you doing brilliant work at your job but still being overlooked for bigger opportunities? This episode explores why confidence and technical expertise are not always the real differentiators in career growth. For women navigating corporate leadership, the real advantage often comes from understanding the wider business context, spotting patterns, and connecting daily work to strategic outcomes. In a fast-moving workplace, that bigger-picture thinking is what helps you stand out, contribute more meaningfully, and be seen as leadership material. You will: Learn why senior leaders look for business awareness and strategic thinking, not just strong execution.Discover how widening your view of the business can make you more valuable in conversations, meetings, and decisions.Gain a simple curiosity habit that helps you move from reactive task-doing to more intentional, strategic leadership.Play this episode to learn how to turn your expertise into visible strategic value and position yourself for the next level in your career. You can connect with Emma here. You can connect with Caroline here You can find resources to support the podcast here Ready to make your next bold move? Grab the free Bold Move Audit and join the insider crew. Stuck, simmering, or onto something juicy? I want to hear it. Drop me a line at caroline@inspireyourgenius.com - I read them all.

    18 min

  4. MAR 12

    International Women's Day follow up: Why your decisions are dangerously promoting the wrong people.

    Send a text International Women’s Day can spark great conversations… and then Monday arrives and everything snaps back to “busy.” This episode is the follow-through. If you manage people, this is your practical guide to turning fairness from a once-a-year moment into decision hygiene: the everyday habits that shape who gets seen, backed, and promoted. In this episode, you’ll learn Why most workplaces don’t have a “women problem” - they have a decision hygiene problemThe hidden ways careers get shaped: credit, access, opportunity, clarity, protection (and why “treat everyone the same” isn’t fairness)The difference between confidence and confidence performance (and why “be more confident” is lazy feedback)How to stop rewarding “the ask” by default - without turning work into a bureaucracy festivalA simple, repeatable leadership habit: Give Audit → Give Plan → Give Proof (15 minutes a week)Key moments The uncomfortable truth: how informal decisions quietly shape progressionBrain stuff (without the TED Talk): why “equal treatment” doesn’t create equal outcomesCareer Quote Crime: “Just be more confident” (and what to say instead)Listener dilemma: “I’m being overlooked - how do I ask for support when my manager is slammed?”The manager-proof ask: how to request visibility and growth with clarity, not emotionYour weekly system: the quickest way to rebalance credit, access, and opportunityPractical scripts you can steal If you’re the team member: “Can I grab 15 minutes? In the next 4 weeks I’d like to own one visible stretch piece and present it to [X]. I’ve got two options that would help the team - which would you back?”If you’re the manager (instead of ‘be more confident’): “I want more visibility of your thinking - let’s define what that looks like in meetings and stakeholder moments.”Your action for this week Book 15 minutes on Friday and run: Give Audit: who got credit, access, opportunity, protection?Give Plan: one deliberate “give” next weekGive Proof: one line you can point to (so it becomes a habit, not a hope)If you want to go further Try the “Create a moment” move: A thank you is a compliment. A moment is a reputation. Name the person, name the value, name the result - where other people can hear it. Ready to make your next bold move? Grab the free Bold Move Audit and join the insider crew. Stuck, simmering, or onto something juicy? I want to hear it. Drop me a line at caroline@inspireyourgenius.com - I read them all.

    13 min

  5. MAR 10

    International Women’s Day 2026: Five surprisingly simple leadership actions to unlock fairness and career success

    Send a text International Women’s Day is a moment — but leadership is what happens on a random Tuesday when nobody’s watching. This episode is for managers and senior leaders who genuinely want fairer outcomes… and who are ready to stop relying on good intentions and start using better habits. We’re using the IWD 2026 theme Give To Gain to break down the four “gives” that change careers in real life: credit, access, opportunity, clarity (with a bonus: protection). In this episode, you’ll learn Why “supporting women” isn’t a slogan — it’s a set of leadership decisionsThe four career-shaping levers leaders control every week:  Credit • Access • Opportunity • Clarity (and why each one matters)How busy brains default to familiarity and convenience — and what to do insteadHow to run a simple Give Audit without turning your life into a spreadsheetThe 2mm move leaders forget: Create a moment (turn private gratitude into public visibility)Key moments The Big Idea: where careers are really won and lost (hint: not in the annual initiative)The Give Audit: who did you give credit/access/opportunity/clarity to in the last 30 days?The “Create a moment” reframe: gratitude is private, moments build reputationCareer Quote Crime: “I treat everyone the same.” (why sameness isn’t fairness)Leader toolkit: scripts for giving credit and access that actually travelQuickfire moves: three simple leadership actions you can take this weekPractical scripts you can steal Credit in the moment: “Quick pause — I want to credit that properly. That came from X. Let’s build on it.”Access that matters (not just meetings): “I’m introducing you to X — they influence this decision.” “You present the recommendation — I’ll be in the room backing you.”Clarity (so bias has less room to hide): “This is what good looks like. This is what excellent looks like. Here’s the evidence we’ll use.”Your action for this week Choose one “Give” and do it deliberately within the next 24 hours: Give credit publiclyGive access to people/contextGive opportunity with visibilityGive clarity in writing(Bonus) Give protection: time + air coverIf you’re not a manager: Flip the audit: when did you last receive credit, access, opportunity, protection — and what’s one clear ask you can make this week? You can connect with Caroline  And she'd love to hear your thoughts on the dhow - she reads every single message caroline@inspireyourgenius.com Ready to make your next bold move? Grab the free Bold Move Audit and join the insider crew. Stuck, simmering, or onto something juicy? I want to hear it. Drop me a line at caroline@inspireyourgenius.com - I read them all.

    15 min

  6. MAR 3

    Why Focusing Only on Tasks Won’t Help You Lead a Hybrid Team & 5 Little Things to do Instead

    Send us Fan Mail Are you leading a hybrid team and quietly wondering whether you’re creating clarity or just managing chaos? Hybrid working promises flexibility, but for many leaders it often feels fragmented, messy, and harder than it should. In this episode, Caroline Esterson explores why hybrid leadership can feel especially challenging for new leaders and shares practical ways to make it work better for both you and your team. You’ll hear why hybrid working often creates disconnection around priorities, visibility, and inclusion, and why connection is not a “nice to have” but a core part of helping work move smoothly. Caroline breaks down five small leadership moves that can make a big difference, from narrating your thinking more clearly to leveling the room in meetings, building visibility rituals, and creating informal moments of connection on purpose. You’ll learn how to: spot the hidden connection gaps making hybrid work feel hardercreate more clarity, inclusion, and visibility across your teamuse small, natural leadership habits to reduce friction and build trustPlay this episode to learn how a few small shifts can help you lead your hybrid team with more confidence, connection, and ease. Ready to make your next bold move? Grab the free Bold Move Audit and join the insider crew.  Stuck, simmering, or onto something juicy? I want to hear it. Drop me a line at caroline@inspireyourgenius.com - I read them all.

    21 min

  7. FEB 24

    Career Lessons Every Young Leader Needs to Hear (When You Don’t Feel Ready Yet)

    Send us Fan Mail Stepping into leadership can feel exciting… and quietly overwhelming. In this reflective episode of Little Moves, Big Careers, Caroline pulls together the key lessons from four powerful career conversations - each revealing what leadership really looks like behind the scenes. From curiosity over certainty to identity over perfection, this episode explores the truths nobody spells out when you first step up at work. If you’ve ever questioned whether you’re ready, capable, or doing enough, then this one’s for you. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why curiosity matters more than having the answersHow progress often starts with trade-offs, not doing moreWhy agency can move your career forward even when circumstances feel toughThe hidden power of relationships in shaping opportunityHow embracing your identity at work builds confidence and momentumTune in for reassurance, perspective and one tiny move you can take this week. Follow the show so you don’t miss future conversations on confidence, visibility and navigating early leadership with clarity. You can contact Caroline to explore these topics more at caroline@inspireyourgenius.com Ready to make your next bold move? Grab the free Bold Move Audit and join the insider crew.  Stuck, simmering, or onto something juicy? I want to hear it. Drop me a line at caroline@inspireyourgenius.com - I read them all.

    19 min
  8. How to Build Career Discipline and Think Like a Board Member with Dr Keith Dorsey

    FEB 17

    How to Build Career Discipline and Think Like a Board Member with Dr Keith Dorsey

    Send us Fan Mail Discipline isn’t about willpower. It’s about trade-offs. In this episode of Little Moves, Big Careers, Caroline chats with Dr. Keith Dorsey about the habits that quietly shape extraordinary careers - from martial arts at six years old, to the US Air Force, to leading major corporate turnarounds and serving on boards. They explore: Why discipline is a muscle; not a personality traitThe leadership mistake that even high performers makeWhat separates management from governanceWhy most people think about board roles too lateHow curiosity and reflection create long-term momentumIf you’ve ever wondered how to move from doing the work… to influencing the direction of the work - this conversation is for you. Keith's website The Boardroom Journey Book Ready to make your next bold move? Grab the free Bold Move Audit and join the insider crew.  Stuck, simmering, or onto something juicy? I want to hear it. Drop me a line at caroline@inspireyourgenius.com - I read them all.

    43 min
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Struggling to get noticed and move up in today’s fast-changing workplace? Little Moves, Big Careers is your go-to podcast for smart, actionable career growth strategies that cut through the noise. From visibility and confidence to self-leadership and influence, every episode mixes bold insights, cheeky truths, and practical takeaways that actually work inside real organisations to help you stand out and get promoted. No corporate waffle; just unapologetically honest career talk for people who want to perform, progress, and stand out for all the right reasons. New episodes drop every Tuesday.  Start your journey with 'The Survivor’s Guide' episode to learn how to lead through change and rebuild your career even when things get sticky. Hosted by Caroline Esterson, career strategist and co-founder of www.inspireyourgenius.com, this show reveals the unspoken rules of modern work and teaches you the small, smart moves that make a big difference. Sign up for your Genius Files weekly - your backstage pass to the unspoken rules of high-performance careers. Smart shifts that make you say, “Oh damn, that’s exactly what I needed.”  https://inspire-your-genius.kit.com/a162791a94

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