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. 2D AGO

    S3 E2: Listen Like a Career Detective: What Really Matters in Our Career Stories

    Send us a text Before we dive into real-life career stories, let’s talk about something seriously underrated: noticing. Big career changes rarely start with big decisions.  They start with small signals we almost ignore. In this short, punchy bridge episode, Caroline shares a personal story and explains why the moments that don’t look like turning points often matter most. You’ll learn Why your emotional reactions at work are actually useful dataHow to spot early career signals before frustration turns into burnoutThe simple CPR check (Content, Process, Reaction) to decode what’s really going onAnd how to turn tiny clues into 2mm career moves that build momentumPlus, there’s a quick game of Signal or Static? to help you practise spotting what’s worth paying attention to ... and what’s just background noise. This is your warm-up before we launch into real career stories next week. Listen like a detective. Your future self will thank you. What We Cover Why meaningful things often start with random, tiny momentsThe brain’s habit of explaining away other people’s successEmotional reactions as early warning signs (or growth signals)The CPR Career Check: Content, Process, ReactionGame time: Signal or Static?Turning noticing into small, brave, practical next movesYou can also download this episode’s Bold Moves Brief for a one-page action guide to noticing and nudging your next step. 👉 www.inspireyourgenius.com/podcast Coming Up Next We’re moving into real, human, behind-the-scenes career stories - the moments of doubt, sideways moves, lucky breaks, and brave conversations that actually change things. Make sure you’re following so you don’t miss them. You can connect with Caroline here or email her 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.

    23 min

  2. JAN 6

    Episode 26: What 2025 Taught Us and How to Flourish in 2026

    Send us a text 2025 wasn’t dramatic in one big way; it was heavy in lots of small ones. In this episode, Caroline Esterson reflects on what last year really taught us about work, careers, and ourselves AND how to move into 2026 with more clarity, energy, and intention. From isolation and hybrid working, to AI overload, budget cuts, and collective exhaustion, this isn’t about predictions or platitudes. It’s about noticing what changed and making small, deliberate moves that help your career flourish, even when the world feels wobbly. No reinvention required. Just a few intentional shifts. Resources 2026 Planning worksheet Connect with Caroline here You can email Caroline: 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.

    35 min
  3. Christmas Stories: Ellie and the Boxing Day Whisper

    12/30/2025

    Christmas Stories: Ellie and the Boxing Day Whisper

    Send us a text A quieter, gentler story to close the series. Ellie, home on Boxing Day, surrounded by cold stuffing, rogue Brussels sprouts, and the sudden realisation that she can’t keep shrinking at work. No big drama. No catastrophe. Just an honest, still moment - the kind that changes a life quietly. In this episode you’ll hear: Why identity beats resolutionsWhy quiet decisions stick longer than loud declarationsHow “I’m not shrinking this year” becomes a 2mm shiftThe power of reflective moments that no one seesPower Move: Stand Tall Little Move: Make a decision about who you are becoming. What You’ll Take Away: Your biggest breakthroughs won’t look big from the outside. But you’ll feel them. And once you’ve made the internal shift, the external changes follow naturally. Contact Caroline caroline@inspireyourgenius.com or Connect with her 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.

    9 min
  4. Christmas Stories: Nia and the Snow Machine Meltdown

    12/23/2025

    Christmas Stories: Nia and the Snow Machine Meltdown

    Send us a text Ah, the office Christmas party. Less “festive joy,” more “performance review with glitter.” Nia (our quietly brilliant operations manager ) positions herself near the buffet like a tactical genius. But when Gareth from Sales knocks the cable out of the snow machine mid-brag, the night descends into festive chaos. Nia steps in with the kind of calm, grounded authority that makes real leadership obvious… without saying a word. In this episode you’ll hear: Snow machine pandemoniumOne-woman peacekeeping forcesGareth being… GarethWhy quiet leaders are the ones we follow without realisingPower Move: Build Your Circle Little Move: Be the steady one when nonsense erupts. What You’ll Take Away: Influence isn’t loud. Influence is presence. And the people who keep the room calm are the people who get remembered. 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
  5. Christmas Stories: Amina and the Christmas Queue

    12/16/2025

    Christmas Stories: Amina and the Christmas Queue

    Send us a text This is the big one. The call centre story. The real, messy, emotionally brilliant tale of Amina - QC Queen, calm diplomat, and unofficial backbone of the entire operation. On December 22nd the wallboard turns red, the VIP line collapses, agents are in tears, and the CEO shows up unannounced… just in time to take a call he’s absolutely not ready for. Amina doesn’t rescue him. She reveals the truth. In this episode you’ll hear: The sound of collective panic when the wallboard hits “Queue: 198”How emotional labour keeps entire industries runningThe CEO learning more in five minutes than in five strategy decksThe moment frontline expertise becomes undeniablePower Move: Be Seen Little Move: Make the truth visible to the person who needs to see it. What You’ll Take Away: Leadership isn’t title. It’s clarity under pressure. And sometimes the smallest act (showing someone the reality) changes everything. Contact Caroline caroline@inspireyourgenius.com or Connect with her 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.

    11 min
  6. Christmas Stories: The Case of Margaret and the Misdelivered Hamper

    12/09/2025

    Christmas Stories: The Case of Margaret and the Misdelivered Hamper

    Send us a text Episode 2 brings us to the Marketing department, where a mystery Christmas hamper lands on Desk 14, belonging to the formidable Margaret - patron saint of “I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed.”   Cue panic, silence, and the kind of tension only a British office can generate over chutney, cheese wheels, and a questionable ribbon. A tiny moment of misplaced gifting turns into a masterclass in pattern spotting, calm thinking, and stepping up when no one else will. In this episode you’ll hear: A whole office freeze because Margaret simply asks a questionThe Business Development junior’s walk of shameThe “Bold move” whisper that tells you everything about workplace politicsWhy small acts of courage create huge ripplesPower Move: Make It Matter Little Move: Deliver clarity when everyone else is dithering. What You’ll Take Away: Office drama is never about the hamper. It’s about ownership, expectations, and knowing when to act instead of stare. Contact Caroline caroline@inspireyourgenius.com or Connect with her 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.

    13 min
  7. Christmas Stories: Holly and the Imploding Consultancy

    12/02/2025

    Christmas Stories: Holly and the Imploding Consultancy

    Send us a text In Episode 1 we meet Holly - a 19-year-old Christmas temp who gets dropped into a chaotic consultancy in December… the exact moment clients start demanding miracles before close-down. Holly doesn’t shout, she doesn’t flail, she doesn’t grandstand. She notices. She organises. She builds the one thing the entire team needed and didn’t realise: a list that prevented a full-blown Christmas Eve catastrophe. In this episode you’ll hear: Why outsider perspective is a secret superpowerHow quiet clarity outperforms loud panic every timeThe hilarious moment Holly accidentally becomes the most competent person in the buildingWhy the 2mm Difference is often just… writing the listPower Move: Spot & Solve Little Move: Notice the mess no one else is looking at. What You’ll Take Away: The smallest interventions (especially from unexpected people) can completely shift a team’s trajectory. Visibility isn’t noise. Visibility is impact. Contact Caroline caroline@inspireyourgenius.com or Connect with her 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.

    12 min

  8. 11/25/2025

    Episode 25 :The Survivor’s Guide - How to Stay, Lead & Rebuild After Redundancies

    Send us a text Being the one who keeps their job sounds like relief… until the reality kicks in: guilt, fear you’re next, shaky culture, doubled workloads, and zero guidance on how to move forward. This episode is for the people who stay after a redundancy wave and are left to rebuild confidence, clarity, culture, and boundaries in the aftermath. We dig into: The emotional whiplash no one talks aboutGuilt, anxiety, pressure & culture wobbleWhy survivors often overperform (and burn out)What GOOD leaders do after cutsHow to reset your role, priorities & boundariesHow to rebuild trust when everyone’s twitchyPLUS:  🔹 A listener dilemma about losing your work bestie  🔹 Quickfire Career Moves for immediate action  🔹 A spicy Quote Crime to end the episode This one’s emotional, practical, and deeply human. If you’ve ever stayed when others left - this is for you. Resources Your Bold Moves Brief The Big Conversation Guide for leaders email: caroline@inspireyourgenius.com Connect with Caroline 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
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About

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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