The Career Breakers Show

Adriane
  • 5.0 (13)
  • 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. 1D AGO

    51. Sarabeth Berk Bickerton: From Professional Identity Crisis to Seen, Known, and Valued

    Dr. Sarabeth Berk Bickerton is a Career Breaker. Her career never followed a straight line. From studying both art and theory to becoming an educator, researcher, and innovation leader, Sarabeth found herself constantly navigating roles that didn’t quite fit into one clear category. Along the way, she experienced multiple professional identity crises—moments where she questioned not just what she did, but who she was in her work. In this episode, Sarabeth shares how those moments led her to study professional identity and ultimately build her body of work around helping others understand who they are beyond their job titles. She talks about the concept of hybrid professionals, why the idea of “fit” is breaking down in today’s workforce, and how her journey shaped her books More Than My Title and Seen, Known, and Valued. If you’ve ever felt misunderstood in your work, struggled to explain what you do, or wondered where you truly belong in your career, 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.  Sarabeth’s latest book: https://a.co/d/00bsMlYf Sarabeth’s website and books: https://www.morethanmytitle.com/about-sarabeth-berk Sarabeth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarabethberk/ Sarabeth on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/morethanmytitle/

    37 min

  2. APR 29

    50. Elizabeth Aldana: The Breakup Before The Breakdown

    Elizabeth Aldana is a Career Breaker. Her career followed a path many ambitious professionals are taught to chase. She worked hard, moved up, took on bigger roles, and built a career that looked successful on paper. But along the way, she began to realize that endurance is not always the same thing as alignment, and that staying too long in something that no longer fits can come at a real cost. In this episode, Elizabeth shares how a series of career breakups helped her build self-trust, resilience, and a new way of thinking about change. She explains how experiences like moving to Singapore, recovering from burnout, and stepping away from roles that no longer aligned eventually shaped the framework she now uses in her coaching and speaking work as The Breakup Artist. Together, we talk about what it means to break up not just with jobs, but with patterns, expectations, and definitions of success that no longer serve you. If you are questioning whether it is time to make a change or trying to trust yourself enough to take the next step, 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.  Elizabeth on Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/283z4p2u Elizabeth’s website: https://breakupartist.coach/

    43 min

  3. APR 22

    49. Josh Levine: Learning from Past Pivots to Navigate Work in the Age of AI

    Josh Levine is a Career Breaker. His career began in the world of graphic design, working at a small brand strategy firm in the Bay Area. Over time, he realized his strengths extended beyond design into facilitation and helping leaders make meaning together. That realization set him on a path toward building his own business, Great Mondays,. And now he has spent more than 15 years helping organizations think more deeply about culture, purpose, and the role work plays in people’s lives. In this episode, Josh shares how following his curiosity led him from design into culture work, even before most people understood what culture really meant. He reflects on the realities of building a business over time, the energy it takes to keep evolving your work when the world changes, and what it means to pivot again as the world of work shifts rapidly in the age of AI. He also shares why he launched his new project, The Job Market Sh*t Show, and what he is learning about hiring, imbalance, and the future of work. If you are navigating change in your career or trying to understand how to stay relevant in a rapidly shifting world, 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.  Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akajoshlevine/ The Job Market Shit Show: https://joshlevine.substack.com/ Josh’s business: https://greatmondays.com/

    59 min

  4. APR 15

    48. Jess Weisz: Breaking the Rules of Careers and Life

    Jess Weisz is a Career Breaker. Her career began the way many high achievers are taught it should. She started in consulting at McKinsey, moved into strategy at the Bank of Montreal, and followed a path that looked successful on paper. But internally, something wasn’t working, and over time, she began to question the rules she had been following. In this episode, Jess shares how stepping away from traditional expectations led her through multiple career chapters, from corporate to venture-backed tech to a self-directed sabbatical. She explains how those experiences shaped Rule Breaker, the platform she created to help working parents challenge unrealistic expectations, make more intentional choices, and redefine what success looks like for themselves. If you’ve been questioning the path you’re on or feeling the pressure to do it all and do it perfectly, 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.  Rule Breaker Reset, small group coaching for high-achieving working parents: https://reset.rulebreaker.co/ Rule Breaker newsletter: https://rulebreaker.substack.com/

    45 min

  5. APR 8

    47. Andrea Jones: Taking the Leap to Build a More Flexible Career

    Andrea Jones is a Career Breaker. Her career began in a fast-paced, high-demand role at Intel, where she worked as a process engineer and followed a path that looked successful on paper. But early on, she knew she wanted something different. She was craving more flexibility, more ownership over her time, and a career that could support the life she wanted to build. In this episode, Andrea shares how that realization led her to business school and eventually to starting her own consulting firm, even before she felt fully ready. She talks about navigating financial decisions with her partner, building a business while raising four kids, and the role community played in helping her grow in confidence. She also reflects on what it takes to start over more than once and how she is now creating new ways for women to engage in meaningful, flexible work across different seasons of life. If you have been craving more flexibility, questioning the structure of your current career, or wondering how to take a step toward something new, 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.  Andrea on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreajones/ Adnrea’s company, AJC Company: https://www.ajccompany.com/ Vistage: https://www.vistage.com/ Execute Agility: https://executagility.com/resources Women + Workplaces: https://www.womenworkplaces.org/

    42 min

  6. MAR 25

    46. Lucy Nobles: Embracing the Creative Process to Choose What’s Next

    Lucy Nobles is a Career Breaker. She spent over two decades at Adidas, building a career that didn’t follow a traditional path but was rooted in one clear purpose: creating space for creative teams to do their best work. What started as a temp role turned into a 22-year journey supporting designers, shaping environments, and filling the gaps that organizations often overlook. But after years of change—and especially in the wake of the pandemic—something no longer felt aligned. In this episode, Lucy shares how a layoff became an opening to reset, reflect, and explore what she truly wanted. She talks about stepping away from rigid career development frameworks, experimenting with creative workshops, coaching, and consulting, and ultimately co-founding Creative Pathways Studio. Lucy also reflects on why traditional career advice doesn’t always apply, how following what feels meaningful can be its own strategy, and how reframing this chapter as a “sabbatical” helped her see the growth in the uncertainty. If you’ve been feeling stuck between what you should do and what you actually want, or navigating a transition that doesn’t have a clear plan, 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.  Creative Process Workshops: www.yourcreativepathway.com Lucy’s coaching practice: www.lucynobles.com Contact Lucy: Lucy@YourCreativePathway.com Lucy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucynobles/ Lucy’s band, Palm Cockatoo: https://palmcockatoo.bandcamp.com/ Anita Roddick’s book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1086980.Business_as_Unusual Strengths Finder: https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/254033/strengthsfinder.aspx Jessica Lackey’s community: https://www.deeperfoundations.com/

    43 min

  7. MAR 18

    45. Sarah Beller: Trusting Your Inner Guide & The Power Of Community

    Sarah Beller is a Career Breaker. Her career began in education, arts management, and nonprofit leadership, including work centered on global social justice. On paper, her path was meaningful and aligned. But over time, she began to notice the signs that something wasn’t sustainable. In this episode, Sarah shares how she followed the inner pull toward coaching and community-building, and the practical and emotional steps she took before leaving her nonprofit career. She reflects on the unexpected moment that helped her realize it was time to start her own venture, and how her journey unfolded not as one big leap, but as a series of small shifts back into alignment with herself. If you are feeling the early signs that something in your career is no longer sustainable, or wondering what it might look like to move toward something more aligned, 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.  Sarah's organization: https://www.realizechange.org/ Changemakers Circle: https://www.realizechange.org/changemakers Sarah's LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahbeller⁠ Presence Based Coaching: https://presencebasedcoaching.com/ SongRise: https://songrisedc.org/

    33 min

  8. MAR 11

    44: Lee Wilmoth & Emily Holmes: From Scattered to Strategic Portfolio Careers

    Lee Wilmoth and Emily Holmes are Career Breakers. Both of their careers have unfolded far outside the traditional one-lane career path. Over the years, they’ve built work lives that blend facilitation, strategy, consulting, creativity, and art — not as side hobbies, but as meaningful and intentional parts of how they work and live. What might look “scattered” from the outside has actually become a part of their working strategy. In this episode, Lee and Emily share how their careers evolved through pivots, layoffs, entrepreneurship, creative exploration, and moments of restlessness that pushed them toward something more authentic. They both talk about building portfolio careers that allow them to honor their many interests, adapt to change, and create work that feels sustainable and true to who they are. They also share how their own experiences led them to create The Strategy of Scatteredness, a cohort designed to help others reimagine career paths that don’t fit neatly into one box. If you’ve ever felt like you were too multi-passionate, too nonlinear, or too “all over the place” to build a meaningful career, 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.  Lee & Emily’s Strategy of Scatteredness Offering: https://tinyurl.com/589fbhc4  Lee & Emily’s LinkedIn Article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/we-contain-multitudes-why-do-expect-one-job-title-lee-lee-oohvc/?trackingId=mgbME0pZQGihHwr5HiDeGg%3D%3D Lee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-wilmoth/ Emily on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/uxemily/ Lee’s consultancy: https://learnandwork.co/ Emily’s Substack: https://curiositybusiness.substack.com/

    52 min
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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.

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