Career Advancement, Leadership and Promotion: The Mid-Career GPS Podcast

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You are not underpaid because your worth is low. You are underpaid because of what you agreed to.

That distinction matters more than you think.

In this episode, I sit down with leadership strategist, TEDx speaker, and career coach Candyce Hunt to unpack a hard truth that too many mid-career professionals avoid. Your worth is infinite. It is not something an employer can define, measure, or pay. But your compensation is a negotiated agreement based on the value you demonstrate and articulate.

If you have ever felt stuck, overlooked, or underpaid despite doing great work, this conversation will challenge how you think about salary, visibility, and your role in shaping your career trajectory.

Candyce shares a pivotal moment in her own career when she accepted an $85,000 salary, only to later discover her predecessor earned $175,000 for the same role. What followed was not just frustration. It was a wake-up call about confidence, positioning, and the cost of staying silent.

We break down what keeps high-performing professionals stuck in underpaid roles, including the internal bargaining, the fear of speaking up, and the belief that working harder will eventually fix the problem. It will not.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

• Why you cannot negotiate your worth but you must negotiate your value
• How underpaid offers happen and why accepting them creates long-term consequences
• The internal dialogue that keeps high performers quiet and stuck
• When leaving a role is the most strategic way to reset your compensation baseline
• How to build a facts-driven case for higher pay using documented results and outcomes
• Practical tools like PayScale, Salary.com, and Glassdoor to research compensation benchmarks
• How to audit your professional circle and stop taking advice from people who diminish your voice
• The shift from doer to strategist and how visibility drives career growth
• How to position yourself as a solution to real business problems, not just a task executor

Connect with Candyce Hunt

Website | LinkedIn | Podcast 

Watch her TEDx Talk: Get Off the Clearance Rank

Email: [email protected]

Support the show

If this episode resonated with you and you want more support in how you SHOW UP for your career and life, there are two ways we can work together.

Learn more about my SHOW UP Leadership Lab, my monthly membership program, at https://www.johnneral.com/showup

If you would like to learn more about how I can help you as your leadership and career coach, visit https://www.johnneral.com/workwithme.

Get John's free weekly leadership and career newsletter at https://www.johnneral.com/the-mid-career-gps-newsletter

Other ways we can connect:

• Connect with John on LinkedIn here.
• Get John's books on Amazon here.  
• Follow John on Instagram @johnneralcoaching. 
• Subscribe to John's YouTube Channel here.  

Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here.

This podcast is listed in Feedspot's Top 90 Best Executive Career Podcasts.

https://podcast.feedspot.com/executive_career_podcasts/

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The mid-career job market can challenge your confidence in ways you did not expect. You make it to final interviews but do not get the offer. You hear “we will be in touch” and then nothing. You start to question whether it is safer to stay where you are simply because the paycheck is reliable.

I know that experience. I have lived a version of it myself. And it led me to ask a more important question than “What job do I want next?”

The better question is this: How are you showing up when the old career rules no longer apply?

In this episode, I break down what has changed in the job market since late 2025 and why the traditional advice to “find a job you love” is no longer enough for mid-career professionals. If you want to get promoted, land better opportunities, or feel more fulfilled in your work, the strategy has to evolve.

I share a key insight from my keynote, How We Show Up Matters, and explain why success at mid-career is no longer just about experience or performance. It is about how you position yourself through your visibility, your influence, and your professional presence.

We also go behind the scenes of a major business decision I made. I closed my previous membership and built something new: the SHOW UP Leadership Lab. I explain who it is for, how it supports mid-career professionals who feel stuck or overlooked, and why group coaching and community-driven conversations create a deeper level of growth and accountability.

This episode is for you if you are tired of doing great work and still feeling invisible, if you are questioning your next move, or if you know you are capable of more but need a smarter strategy to get there.

This episode is designed for mid-career professionals who:

• Feel stuck, undervalued, or underutilized in their current role
• Are struggling to get traction in their job search or promotion efforts
• Want to increase their leadership impact and visibility at work
• Are ready to stop relying on outdated career advice and adopt a more strategic approach
• Want clarity about what is next without starting over

The career advantage in 2026 is not just what you do. It is how you show up. When you shift your focus from chasing the next job to strengthening your presence, influence, and positioning, you create opportunities instead of waiting for them.

For more information, visit: https://johnneral.com/showup.

Support the show

If this episode resonated with you and you want more support in how you SHOW UP for your career and life, there are two ways we can work together.

Learn more about my SHOW UP Leadership Lab, my monthly membership program, at https://www.johnneral.com/showup

If you would like to learn more about how I can help you as your leadership and career coach, visit https://www.johnneral.com/workwithme.

Get John's free weekly leadership and career newsletter at https://www.johnneral.com/the-mid-career-gps-newsletter

Other ways we can connect:

• Connect with John on LinkedIn here.
• Get John's books on Amazon here.  
• Follow John on Instagram @johnneralcoaching. 
• Subscribe to John's YouTube Channel here.  

Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here.

This podcast is listed in Feedspot's Top 90 Best Executive Career Podcasts.

https://podcast.feedspot.com/executive_career_podcasts/

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If you have ever caught yourself thinking, “I don’t want to start over, but I can’t stay where I am,” you are not alone. Many high-performing professionals reach a point in mid-career where their success on paper no longer matches how their work feels in practice.

In this episode of The Mid-Career GPS Podcast, I challenge the assumption that you need to start over in order to move forward. Most mid-career professionals are not facing a starting-over problem. They are facing a repositioning problem. When you understand that distinction, your next move becomes much more strategic and far less overwhelming.

If you are feeling the tension between not wanting to start over and knowing you cannot stay where you are, this episode will help you reframe the problem and think more clearly and confidently about your next move.

In this episode, I discuss:

• Why mid-career professionals often feel stuck despite years of strong performance
• How a role can outgrow your professional identity and become overly tactical
• Why values shift toward impact, meaning, and leadership at mid-career
• How career capital can create the feeling of golden handcuffs
• The difference between “or” thinking and the “and” bridge strategy
• The hidden risks of staying too long in a role that no longer fits
• How stalled growth affects confidence, visibility, and professional energy
• How to separate facts from assumptions when self-doubt shows up

Join My Free Training: The Mid-Career Reset

If this conversation resonates with you, I invite you to join my upcoming free training called The Mid-Career Reset: Why Doing Great Work Is No Longer Enough at Mid-Career.

In this live training, I will show you how to move beyond relying on great work alone and start positioning yourself as a strategic leader who is seen, valued, and ready for what is next.

You can attend on either of the following dates:

• Tuesday, March 24 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern
• Wednesday, March 25 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern

Reserve your seat here:
 https://johnneral.com/webinar

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with a colleague or friend who may also be navigating their own mid-career crossroads.

Support the show

If this episode resonated with you and you want more support in how you SHOW UP for your career and life, there are two ways we can work together.

Learn more about my SHOW UP Leadership Lab, my monthly membership program, at https://www.johnneral.com/showup

If you would like to learn more about how I can help you as your leadership and career coach, visit https://www.johnneral.com/workwithme.

Get John's free weekly leadership and career newsletter at https://www.johnneral.com/the-mid-career-gps-newsletter

Other ways we can connect:

• Connect with John on LinkedIn here.
• Get John's books on Amazon here.  
• Follow John on Instagram @johnneralcoaching. 
• Subscribe to John's YouTube Channel here.  

Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here.

This podcast is listed in Feedspot's Top 90 Best Executive Career Podcasts.

https://podcast.feedspot.com/executive_career_podcasts/

Send us Fan Mail

If your career looks impressive on paper but feels hollow in real life, you are not broken. You are evolving.

In this episode, I speak directly to mid-career professionals who are successful, respected, and accomplished, yet quietly questioning whether their work still fits who they are now. If you are navigating job dissatisfaction, career confusion, or a stalled promotion path in today’s competitive job market, this conversation will help you reclaim clarity and momentum.

At mid-career, titles and compensation alone no longer guarantee fulfillment. What once motivated you may now feel transactional. The work gets done, but the energy is gone. I unpack why this happens and how to close the gap between achievement and alignment so you can lead more impactfully and build a career you actually enjoy.

You will learn:

• How to recognize the difference between external success and internal fulfillment
 • Why mid-career identity shifts beyond your title, employer brand, or résumé
 • The hidden cost of transactional work and how it drains purpose
 • My alignment to impact formula that turns strengths and values into influence and sustainable energy
 • Four powerful questions to determine whether your current role fits who you are today
 • Practical experiments you can run before making a major career move
 • How to challenge myths like “I should be grateful” and “uncertainty means weakness”
 • When to engage mentors, sponsors, or a coach to accelerate clarity

I also share my own pivot from a coveted director title to building a coaching practice. That decision came with fear, doubt, and uncertainty. It also brought clarity, ownership, and deeper impact. 

Sometimes nothing is wrong with you. The fit has simply changed.

If you are a mid-career professional who feels stuck, undervalued, or underutilized, this episode will help you treat your dissatisfaction as data instead of failure. You will walk away with practical steps to test your next move, strengthen your leadership presence, and move toward work that uses your genius.

And if you are not part of my free weekly Mid-Career GPS Newsletter, you are missing deeper insights and tools to help you navigate what is next. Go to johnneral.com/resources and join the Mid-Career GPS Newsletter today.

Support the show

If this episode resonated with you and you want more support in how you SHOW UP for your career and life, there are two ways we can work together.

Learn more about my SHOW UP Leadership Lab, my monthly membership program, at https://www.johnneral.com/showup

If you would like to learn more about how I can help you as your leadership and career coach, visit https://www.johnneral.com/workwithme.

Get John's free weekly leadership and career newsletter at https://www.johnneral.com/the-mid-career-gps-newsletter

Other ways we can connect:

• Connect with John on LinkedIn here.
• Get John's books on Amazon here.  
• Follow John on Instagram @johnneralcoaching. 
• Subscribe to John's YouTube Channel here.  

Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here.

This podcast is listed in Feedspot's Top 90 Best Executive Career Podcasts.

https://podcast.feedspot.com/executive_career_podcasts/

Send us Fan Mail

If you are doing great work but still not getting promoted, you are not alone. At mid-career, strong performance becomes the baseline. Promotions go to the professionals who signal leadership readiness, shape outcomes, and are visible to decision-makers.

In this episode of The Mid-Career GPS Podcast, leadership and career coach John Neral breaks down four hidden blockers that stall advancement for high performers: being known only for execution, waiting to be noticed, staying quiet about your ambitions, and becoming too valuable to move.

You will learn how to shift from tasks to business outcomes, increase leadership visibility, build internal sponsors, and ask clear questions about competencies, timelines, and stretch opportunities. I also share practical scripts to help you position yourself for promotion conversations and design a succession plan so your excellence no longer traps you in place.

If you feel stuck, undervalued, or frustrated in today’s job market, this episode will help you move from reliable doer to credible leader with greater clarity, confidence, and momentum.

Subscribe, share with a colleague who feels overlooked, and leave a review to let me know what shift you are making next.

Support the show

If this episode resonated with you and you want more support in how you SHOW UP for your career and life, there are two ways we can work together.

Learn more about my SHOW UP Leadership Lab, my monthly membership program, at https://www.johnneral.com/showup

If you would like to learn more about how I can help you as your leadership and career coach, visit https://www.johnneral.com/workwithme.

Get John's free weekly leadership and career newsletter at https://www.johnneral.com/the-mid-career-gps-newsletter

Other ways we can connect:

• Connect with John on LinkedIn here.
• Get John's books on Amazon here.  
• Follow John on Instagram @johnneralcoaching. 
• Subscribe to John's YouTube Channel here.  

Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here.

This podcast is listed in Feedspot's Top 90 Best Executive Career Podcasts.

https://podcast.feedspot.com/executive_career_podcasts/

Send us Fan Mail

Have you ever felt stuck working for a boss who will not advocate for you, invest in your development, or support your growth? 

Many mid-career professionals do strong work while feeling invisible, overlooked, and unsure how to move forward.

In this episode, I tackle a reality that many mid-career professionals face but rarely discuss openly. Weak or ineffective leadership is common, but it does not define your future. 

I walk you through practical strategies to protect your momentum, build visibility, and take ownership of your next move without damaging relationships or your professional reputation.

I begin by acknowledging the emotional toll of working under poor leadership. Feeling disengaged, underutilized, or trapped by compensation or stability can keep talented professionals stuck longer than they want to admit. From there, we take action to help you regain control of your career direction.

I share how to build visibility beyond your manager through concise results-focused updates, cross-functional projects, and opportunities that put your work in front of decision-makers. We discuss language that allows you to credit your manager while still clearly communicating your contributions and impact.

I’ll show you how to ask for stretch opportunities in ways leaders can say yes to by aligning requests with business priorities, clearly defining scope, and setting timelines that create accountability.

Another key focus is building your own personal board of directors through mentors, sponsors, and internal allies who can advocate for you and open doors. I also explain how to recognize stalling tactics and vague responses so you can gather the information you need to make an honest stay or leave decision.

I share a real-world story of navigating organizational change and how asking direct questions, receiving honest feedback with gratitude, and using that information can help you move forward with purpose.

The bottom line is simple. Doing good work is expected. Visibility and advocacy are what lead to promotions and career advancement. When you stop waiting to be discovered and start choosing yourself, even a difficult boss can become the catalyst that pushes you toward a better future.

Want to go deeper? Join my free Mid-Career GPS Newsletter for weekly insights and strategies to help you build clarity, confidence, and momentum in your career.

Support the show

If this episode resonated with you and you want more support in how you SHOW UP for your career and life, there are two ways we can work together.

Learn more about my SHOW UP Leadership Lab, my monthly membership program, at https://www.johnneral.com/showup

If you would like to learn more about how I can help you as your leadership and career coach, visit https://www.johnneral.com/workwithme.

Get John's free weekly leadership and career newsletter at https://www.johnneral.com/the-mid-career-gps-newsletter

Other ways we can connect:

• Connect with John on LinkedIn here.
• Get John's books on Amazon here.  
• Follow John on Instagram @johnneralcoaching. 
• Subscribe to John's YouTube Channel here.  

Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here.

This podcast is listed in Feedspot's Top 90 Best Executive Career Podcasts.

https://podcast.feedspot.com/executive_career_podcasts/

Send us Fan Mail

Are you working harder than ever yet feeling less visible, less fulfilled, and more burned out in your career?

In this episode, I sit down with leadership strategist and Forbes senior contributor Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey, Nell 3D, to challenge one of the biggest myths mid-career professionals face today: that doing more is the only way forward. We explore how strategic subtraction can actually help you become more effective, more influential, and more fulfilled in your work.

If you are navigating a tough job market, feeling stuck under ineffective leadership, or wondering how to sustain performance without burning out, this conversation will help you rethink how you show up at work. Nell introduces her practical Stop, Drop, Roll method, a framework that helps high performers pause, remove draining habits, and redesign their workdays so their energy creates bigger results.

We discuss real stories of leaders who cut unnecessary meetings, redesigned team rituals, and reclaimed personal time while still improving team outcomes. We also tackle real mid-career challenges, including dealing with a difficult boss, maintaining confidence in a slow job market, and learning how to stop carrying expectations and criticisms that drain momentum.

If you are holding onto a role for stability while trying to protect your long-term career prospects, you will also learn why strategically cruising at seven instead of ten can actually extend your runway and help you perform where it matters most.

This episode offers permission and practical tools to step back, gather honest data about how you spend your time and energy, and make smarter decisions about what deserves your attention.

If you are a mid-career professional looking for career clarity, stronger leadership presence, or a smarter job search strategy, this conversation will help you see how doing less of the wrong things can help you achieve more of what matters.

Mid-career success is not about grinding endlessly. It is about choosing where your effort creates the most impact. Often, the smartest career move is not adding more. It is subtracting what no longer serves you.

Connect With Nell 3D

LinkedIn | Website | Substack

Support the show

If this episode resonated with you and you want more support in how you SHOW UP for your career and life, there are two ways we can work together.

Learn more about my SHOW UP Leadership Lab, my monthly membership program, at https://www.johnneral.com/showup

If you would like to learn more about how I can help you as your leadership and career coach, visit https://www.johnneral.com/workwithme.

Get John's free weekly leadership and career newsletter at https://www.johnneral.com/the-mid-career-gps-newsletter

Other ways we can connect:

• Connect with John on LinkedIn here.
• Get John's books on Amazon here.  
• Follow John on Instagram @johnneralcoaching. 
• Subscribe to John's YouTube Channel here.  

Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here.

This podcast is listed in Feedspot's Top 90 Best Executive Career Podcasts.

https://podcast.feedspot.com/executive_career_podcasts/

Send us Fan Mail

Feeling stuck in your career while the job market feels crowded and unpredictable? You are not alone. Many mid-career professionals are navigating confusing signals right now. 

Job boards are flooded, promotion paths feel unclear, and AI-generated applications are making it harder than ever to stand out.

In this episode, I bring things back to one powerful idea that can help you move forward with clarity and confidence. Choose one primary strategy and commit to it. 

Whether you focus on targeted networking, job board applications, or a thoughtful combination of both, success comes from clarity, consistency, and protecting your energy while you execute.

I walk you through how to audit what is working, identify what is not, and decide what to do next. We talk about defining your next role clearly, understanding the skills and visibility required to earn it, and choosing the strategy that best supports your goals.

If you are pursuing external roles, I explain how applicant tracking systems really work, how to tailor your resume without sounding robotic, and how to compete when hundreds of candidates apply within hours. If your goal is promotion, we cover how to build the right evidence, strengthen internal relationships, and turn positive feedback into real sponsorship and advancement opportunities.

I also address how to use AI as a support tool without losing your voice, why generic cover letters fail, and how reviewing weekly job search data helps you refine your approach. 

Finally, I talk about protecting your focus, building a trusted circle of advisors, and maintaining resilience so you can stay steady even in a tough market. And if you are staying put for now, I share how to grow intentionally so you are positioned well when new opportunities emerge.

If you are ready to stop waiting for clarity and start creating it, this episode will help you take your next step with purpose.

If this conversation resonates with you, follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. Share this episode with a colleague or friend who needs clarity in their career right now, and leave a review on Apple Podcasts to help more mid-career professionals find strategies that work.

And if you are ready for your next step, I have something free to help you. Go to johnneral.com/briefing to receive my 15-minute audio briefing, Why Being Good at Your Job Stops Working at Mid-Career, delivered straight to your inbox.

Support the show

If this episode resonated with you and you want more support in how you SHOW UP for your career and life, there are two ways we can work together.

Learn more about my SHOW UP Leadership Lab, my monthly membership program, at https://www.johnneral.com/showup

If you would like to learn more about how I can help you as your leadership and career coach, visit https://www.johnneral.com/workwithme.

Get John's free weekly leadership and career newsletter at https://www.johnneral.com/the-mid-career-gps-newsletter

Other ways we can connect:

• Connect with John on LinkedIn here.
• Get John's books on Amazon here.  
• Follow John on Instagram @johnneralcoaching. 
• Subscribe to John's YouTube Channel here.  

Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here.

This podcast is listed in Feedspot's Top 90 Best Executive Career Podcasts.

https://podcast.feedspot.com/executive_career_podcasts/

Send us Fan Mail

One word keeps showing up in interviews with mid-career professionals, and it may be holding you back more than you realize. That word is passion.

In this episode, I break down why employers already assume you care about your work and why passion alone is not what helps you stand out in today’s competitive job market. At mid-career, hiring decisions are less about enthusiasm and more about clarity, credibility, and measurable results.

If you feel stuck, undervalued, or frustrated in your job search, this conversation will help you reposition how you talk about your experience so employers clearly see the value you bring.

I explore how expectations change as your career progresses. Early in your career, hustle and enthusiasm can open doors. At mid-career, decision-makers want proof. They want to understand how your judgment, leadership, and execution improve outcomes, reduce risk, and help teams and organizations perform better.

I also share a real career example that shows how naming measurable results rather than emotions accelerated trust and opened better opportunities. From there, I translate common interview buzzwords into language hiring managers actually use when making decisions, including improving retention, reducing rework, speeding up delivery, and driving measurable performance improvements.

You will walk away with practical ways to reframe your answers so you clearly communicate how you lead, influence, and deliver results, even when you do not have formal authority. Instead of saying you are passionate about leading teams, you will learn how to explain how you improve outcomes and help organizations execute strategy effectively without burning people out.

We also talk through common interview traps, phrases that signal strategic impact, and ways to connect your strengths to the real problems employers are trying to solve right now.

If you want to stand out in a cautious hiring market, this episode will help you replace vague claims with clear, testable value.

If you found this episode helpful, follow the podcast, share it with a colleague who is interviewing, and leave a review on Apple Podcasts so more mid-career professionals can find these conversations.

For a deeper perspective on why being good at your job is no longer enough and how to navigate today’s market, download my free 15-minute audio debrief at https://johnneral.com/briefing. 

Support the show

If this episode resonated with you and you want more support in how you SHOW UP for your career and life, there are two ways we can work together.

Learn more about my SHOW UP Leadership Lab, my monthly membership program, at https://www.johnneral.com/showup

If you would like to learn more about how I can help you as your leadership and career coach, visit https://www.johnneral.com/workwithme.

Get John's free weekly leadership and career newsletter at https://www.johnneral.com/the-mid-career-gps-newsletter

Other ways we can connect:

• Connect with John on LinkedIn here.
• Get John's books on Amazon here.  
• Follow John on Instagram @johnneralcoaching. 
• Subscribe to John's YouTube Channel here.  

Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here.

This podcast is listed in Feedspot's Top 90 Best Executive Career Podcasts.

https://podcast.feedspot.com/executive_career_podcasts/

Send us Fan Mail

Feeling successful on paper but disconnected from your work at mid-career? You are not alone. 

In this episode, I sit down with Mitch Matthews, success coach and host of the Dream Think Do podcast, to unpack what real career change looks like when you stop waiting for permission and start creating it yourself.

We talk candidly about that moment when you are busy, accomplished, and respected, yet no longer energized by the work you are doing. Mitch shares a powerful personal story about accepting a promotion that looked perfect on paper but felt wrong almost immediately. Instead of making a reckless leap, he honored his responsibilities while quietly building a new path through small, intentional experiments.

This conversation is especially relevant if you are a mid-career professional seeking greater career clarity, questioning what is next, or feeling stuck in a job that no longer fits. We explore how progress does not require a dramatic exit or a master plan. It requires permission, curiosity, and consistent action.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why permission at mid-career is an internal decision, not something granted by a boss or organization
• How small, low-risk experiments can help you test new career directions without blowing up your current role
• The 15-minute rule and how five short blocks a week can compound into more than 60 hours of focused progress each year
• Why the safest place to explore new ideas is often outside the high-stakes environment of your day job
• What it looks like to lead without having all the answers and why saying “I don’t know, let’s figure it out together” builds trust
• How to use AI as a practical thinking partner instead of a buzzword or replacement for judgment
• Why automation is increasing the value of authenticity, clarity, and human leadership
• How to spot perfectionism when it is disguising itself as procrastination
• Why starting small and messy creates more durable career change than waiting for the perfect plan

Mitch is also sharing his free training, Finding Time for Your Next Chapter, designed to help you carve out focused time for what matters most in this stage of your career.

Access it at mitchmathews.com/time and use coupon code GPS for free access.

Connect with Mitch Matthews

Website | LinkedIn | Podcast 

Support the show

If this episode resonated with you and you want more support in how you SHOW UP for your career and life, there are two ways we can work together.

Learn more about my SHOW UP Leadership Lab, my monthly membership program, at https://www.johnneral.com/showup

If you would like to learn more about how I can help you as your leadership and career coach, visit https://www.johnneral.com/workwithme.

Get John's free weekly leadership and career newsletter at https://www.johnneral.com/the-mid-career-gps-newsletter

Other ways we can connect:

• Connect with John on LinkedIn here.
• Get John's books on Amazon here.  
• Follow John on Instagram @johnneralcoaching. 
• Subscribe to John's YouTube Channel here.  

Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here.

This podcast is listed in Feedspot's Top 90 Best Executive Career Podcasts.

https://podcast.feedspot.com/executive_career_podcasts/