Unlearning in Progress

Angela Cope & Jaime Waterfield
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Personal Journals

A podcast for women rising - not just in title, but in self. ​ Unlearning in Progress is a podcast for women who did everything “right” - earned the titles, checked the boxes, read the books, took the trainings, and did what they were told. But there’s now a feeling that they can’t shake and are now left wondering, “So why doesn’t this feel like success?” ​ Hosted by two recovering perfectionists and corporate veterans, Jaime Waterfield and Angela Cope unpack the parts of leadership no one puts on LinkedIn: the doubts behind the confidence, the burnout behind the ambition, the growth that doesn’t come with a promotion, and the exploration of self.  ​ Each episode explores what it looks like to rise, not just in title, but in self. Through real talk, lived experience, and lessons learned the hard way. Jaime and Angela are on a mission to keep learning, growing, and teaching others how to lead with more self-trust, less performance pressure, and zero apology for wanting a career and a life. ​ If you’re an aspiring or emerging leader who wants to succeed without losing yourself in the process, you’re in the right place. ​

  1. Aug 24

    When Survival Patterns Become Career Strengths: Knowing When to Let Go

    Career Series | Part 6 You’re driven, capable, and the person people can count on. But you feel stressed, burned out, disconnected, or just generally off. In this episode of our Career Series, Jaime and Angela sit down with Lauren Golen, founder and strategic advisor, to explore the survival patterns and identities we carry into our career. From people-pleasing and perfectionism to control, overfunctioning, pushing through, and feeling like everything depends on us. These patterns aren’t necessarily weaknesses. In fact, they may be part of the reason you’ve been so successful. They can make you dependable, ambitious, hardworking, and someone who always gets the job done. But when those same patterns begin driving how you work, lead, and make career decisions, success can start to come at a cost. Lauren shares how to recognize when an old survival identity is still “running the show,” why feeling off or burned out at work may be telling us something deeper, and how we can begin letting go of the versions of ourselves we no longer need. We also explore the role of intuition in our careers: how to reconnect with your body when you’ve spent years pushing through what you feel, how to rebuild trust in yourself, and what it means to move toward your next chapter before you have the entire plan figured out. In this conversation: How survival identities like people-pleasing, control, and “if I don’t do it, it won’t get done” can fuel career success, until they start costing usWhy Lauren asks women to thank the identity they’re ready to let go of and how separating who you are from who you learned to be creates space for something newWhat it means to move from the constant hum of striving, proving, and earning your seat to leading from freedom, trust, and creative expressionHow to “feel into the vision in the dark” by trusting your intuition and taking the next step in your career even when you can’t see where it will lead If you’ve been successful in your career but lately find yourself feeling burned out, stuck, stressed, or simply like something is off, this conversation is an invitation to look beneath the job itself and ask a different question: What patterns are you still carrying and who could you become if you finally let them go? Connect with Lauren https://www.instagram.com/laurengolen/ https://substack.com/@laurengolen

  2. Aug 10

    The Job Changed, But You Didn’t: The Patterns that Follow Us

    Career Series | Part 5 You can change jobs, change companies, earn the promotion, or step into an entirely different chapter, and still find yourself facing the same patterns. In this episode of Unlearning in Progress, Angela and Jaime sit down with executive coach Michelle Scott to explore why career alignment isn’t only about changing what’s happening around us. Sometimes, the most important shift is the one happening within us. Michelle shares her own experience with burnout, first in the corporate world and later as a stay-at-home mom, and the realization that changing her circumstances didn’t change the patterns she carried with her. As she puts it, without doing the inner work, the pushing simply followed her into a new role. Together, they explore what it actually means to feel aligned in your career, why white space and true rest matter, how to recognize the subtle nudges telling you something needs to change, and why solving career dissatisfaction requires looking at both the external realities of work and our internal beliefs, habits, and expectations. In this conversation: * Why changing jobs doesn’t always solve what feels wrong * How our patterns can follow us from one role to the next * What career alignment actually looks and feels like * Why white space is necessary, not indulgent * How to recognize the “nudge” before it becomes a steamroller * The relationship between inner work and practical career strategy * How slowing down can help you hear your own intuition again If you’ve been wondering whether you need a new job, a new career, or simply a different way of showing up in the one you already have, this conversation might help you ask a different question. Connect with Michelle: https://michellescottcoaching.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-scott-coaching/ https://www.facebook.com/michellescottcoaching/ https://www.instagram.com/coachmichellescott/

  3. Aug 3

    Beyond the Dream Job: Finding Purpose in Your Next Chapter

    Career Series | Part 4 Over the last few episodes, we've explored career crossroads, the factors that influence career growth, and how to identify work that energizes you. In this episode, we bring those concepts to life through the story of Amy Peterson, co-founder and CEO of Rebel Nell.   Amy spent years pursuing a childhood dream of working in professional baseball. After building a successful career with the Detroit Tigers, she found herself wrestling with an internal tug toward something different, one that became increasingly difficult to ignore.  Together, we explore what it feels like when your passions evolve, how to distinguish between running away from something and being called toward something new, and why passion is often what sustains us through the hardest parts of building a career or business. Amy shares her experience navigating uncertainty, identity shifts, and the decision to pursue work that felt deeply aligned with what mattered most to her.  Whether you're questioning your next move or simply feeling pulled toward something you can't quite explain, this conversation offers a thoughtful framework for understanding what that tug might be trying to tell you.  In This Episode, We Discuss: What happens when a long-held career path no longer feels aligned  How to evaluate the "internal tug" toward something new  The difference between escaping a situation and following a calling  Why passion is essential when taking a career risk  The reality that passions can evolve throughout different seasons of life  Amy's advice for anyone considering a major career shift Learn more about Rebel Nell:  Rebel Nell Instagram (@rebelnell)

  4. Jul 27

    Beyond Job Titles: Finding What Energizes You

    Career Series | Part 3 You've updated your résumé. Scrolled through job postings. Considered a promotion, a pivot, or even a completely different path. But what if the answer isn't found in a job title at all? In Part 3 of our Career Series, Jaime introduces the Career Alignment Matrix, a practical framework designed to help you identify the work that energizes you, the growth you're excited to pursue, the responsibilities you've outgrown, and the tasks that consistently drain your energy. Through a live coaching conversation, Angela works through the exercise in real time, uncovering patterns that offer new clarity about what she wants from the next chapter of her career.  Together, they explore why career decisions become easier when you stop focusing on titles and start paying attention to the environments, activities, and experiences that bring out your best work.  If you've ever found yourself wondering,"What's next for me?" this conversation is for you. In this episode: Why career clarity often comes from patterns, not perfectly mapped-out plans How to identify what energizes you and what consistently drains you The difference between growth you choose and growth you feel pressured into pursuing Why being good at something doesn't mean you should keep doing it foreverHow work environments and team culture influence career alignmentA practical framework for designing your next career move with greater intention Whether you're considering a promotion, exploring a career pivot, or simply feeling disconnected from your current work, this episode offers a different way to think about what's next: not by chasing titles, but by finding what energizes you.

  5. Jul 20

    Beyond Hard Work: The Currency of Career Growth

    Career Series | Part 2 You've exceeded expectations. Delivered exceptional work. Said yes to every opportunity. So why does it still feel like your career isn't moving forward? In Part 2 of our Career Series, Jaime & Angela unpack one of the biggest misconceptions women are taught at work: that hard work alone leads to promotion. Together, they explore why exceptional performance isn't always enough, what leaders are actually looking for when they make promotion decisions, and why visibility, influence, and strategic leadership often matter just as much as results. They also share personal stories of missed promotions, lessons learned from leadership roles, and practical ways to build your reputation without feeling like you're bragging or becoming someone you're not. If you've ever found yourself wondering, "Why wasn't I chosen?" this conversation is for you. In this episode:Why doing more isn't always moving you forwardThe difference between performance and promotionHow to build visibility without self-promotion feeling awkwardThe leadership "game" no one teaches women to playWhy promotions are about your future potential, not just your past performancePractical ways to build influence and career momentum Whether you're aiming for your next promotion, feeling overlooked, or simply rethinking what career growth looks like, this episode offers a fresh perspective on how to stop waiting to be recognized and start positioning yourself for what's next.

  6. Jul 13

    Career Crossroads: Stay, Leave, or Pivot?

    Career Series | Part 1 We're back! And we're kicking off a brand-new season of Unlearning in Progress with a series on one of the biggest topics showing up in conversations everywhere: our careers. If you've ever found yourself wondering, Is this really what I want?, Should I leave?, Am I burned out?, or Why doesn't success feel the way I thought it would? then this series is for you. In the first episode of our Career Series, Angela Cope and Jaime Waterfield explore what many are calling the great career crisis, while challenging whether it's really a crisis at all. Instead, they unpack why so many women are feeling exhausted, disconnected from their work, questioning their next move, and wondering whether they should stay, leave, pivot, or start over. Together, they discuss: The hidden signs that your career may no longer be aligned with who you're becoming.How burnout, stress, and even your body can reveal when something needs to change.Why chasing titles, promotions, and external success doesn't always create fulfillment.The difference between craving relief and craving real change.How to stop looking outside yourself for career answers and begin asking better questions. This conversation is the foundation for the entire series to come. Over the next several episodes, Jaime & Angela dive deeper into feeling stuck, navigating promotions, redefining success, building meaningful careers, and creating work that feels aligned with the life you're actually trying to build. Whether you're considering a career change, feeling stuck in your current role, navigating leadership, or simply questioning what success means now, this episode offers thoughtful reflection - not quick fixes. Because sometimes the next step isn't quitting your job. Sometimes it's unlearning the story you've been told about what your career is supposed to look like.

  7. Jun 1

    Season One in Review: The Lessons We Learned While Unlearning

    In our Season One finale, we look back on five months, nineteen episodes, and a whole lot of unlearning. From letting go of perfectionism to finding our rhythm as co‑hosts, this season stretched us, grounded us, and reminded us why these conversations matter. We talk about what surprised us, what challenged us, and what changed us, including the moments that felt like therapy, the guests who held up a mirror, and the stories that stayed with us long after we hit “stop.” We also share the behind‑the‑scenes growth you didn’t hear: trusting our voices, releasing control, embracing collaboration, and learning to be in the being instead of the constant doing. And because we practice what we preach, we’re taking a pause, a power‑in‑the‑pause moment, before we return with Season Two. When we’re back, we’re kicking things off with a focused series on career: identity, growth, alignment, and the messy middle of figuring out what’s next. If you have topics you want us to explore or guests you’d love to hear from, send us a message on Instagram or Facebook at @unlearninginprogress. Season One was just the beginning. Season Two is going to be something special.

  8. May 25

    Beneath the Burnout: Rebalancing Masculine and Feminine Leadership

    What happens when the very traits that helped you succeed start to work against you? In this episode of Unlearning in Progress, Julie Santiago, former Wall Street executive turned founder of We Are the Women, explores the tension between doing and being, and why so many high-achieving women feel exhausted, unfulfilled, and out of alignment, even when things look successful on the outside. Julie helps us to unpack a nuanced and frequently misunderstood topic: masculine and feminine leadership. Drawing from her own experience in high-performance corporate environments, Julie shares how many women learn to succeed by overdeveloping “doing” energy focused on output, control, and performance while suppressing equally important qualities like intuition, presence, and connection. This conversation is an invitation to reconnect with who you are beneath the achievement and to explore what becomes possible when you stop leading the way you were taught, and start leading as the woman you actually are. Connect with Julie: https://wearethewomen.com/ https://www.instagram.com/iamjuliesantiago/ https://www.facebook.com/JulieSantiago/

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

A podcast for women rising - not just in title, but in self. ​ Unlearning in Progress is a podcast for women who did everything “right” - earned the titles, checked the boxes, read the books, took the trainings, and did what they were told. But there’s now a feeling that they can’t shake and are now left wondering, “So why doesn’t this feel like success?” ​ Hosted by two recovering perfectionists and corporate veterans, Jaime Waterfield and Angela Cope unpack the parts of leadership no one puts on LinkedIn: the doubts behind the confidence, the burnout behind the ambition, the growth that doesn’t come with a promotion, and the exploration of self.  ​ Each episode explores what it looks like to rise, not just in title, but in self. Through real talk, lived experience, and lessons learned the hard way. Jaime and Angela are on a mission to keep learning, growing, and teaching others how to lead with more self-trust, less performance pressure, and zero apology for wanting a career and a life. ​ If you’re an aspiring or emerging leader who wants to succeed without losing yourself in the process, you’re in the right place. ​

Information

  • Creator
    Angela Cope & Jaime Waterfield
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Angela Cope & Jaime Waterfield
  • Show Website
    Unlearning in Progress