Making a career pivot without clarity is how smart professionals end up in the wrong job twice.

Before you make a career change, you need a clear destination. That's exactly why I wanted to interview Michelle Schaefer, bestselling author of Cultivating Career Growth, to talk about what actually creates a successful career transition.

We walk through the five questions that create real career direction. We talk about the work that energizes you versus the work that drains you. We unpack what transferable skills really are, what real company culture actually looks like, and the non-negotiables every professional needs to identify in order to define long-term fulfillment.

We also challenge some of the biggest job search myths circulating online. Sending hundreds of resumes without a strategy is not a plan. Online applications are only a small part of a strong job search strategy. And networking is not using people, even if it feels that way at first. We explain why it is the opposite. If you want referrals, influence, and real opportunities, you build relationships intentionally.

If you are considering a career change, navigating a layoff, or questioning your current role, this conversation will help you move from emotional reaction to strategic career clarity.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What are the five questions to ask before making a career pivot? • Why does sending hundreds of resumes rarely lead to interviews? • How much of a job search should focus on networking? • How do you evaluate real company culture before accepting an offer? • What are career non-negotiables and how do they evolve over time?

🤝 Networking doesn't have to be awkward. Learn how to connect authentically, grow your influence, and turn conversations into opportunities. Get the Networking Guide → https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/get-my-networking-guide-now-p9qvc7eg

You've probably left a meeting thinking, I said all the right things… so why did nothing move?

I've been there. I once had an executive tell me that talking to me felt like drinking from a fire hydrant. I was giving context. I was giving data. I was giving analysis. What I wasn't giving was clarity on what I needed.

In senior rooms, information is not influence. Alignment is.

In this episode of Secrets of the Career Game, I talk about the simple shift that changed how I run meetings, pitch strategy, and communicate with leaders. The difference between dumping information and telling a story. The structure I use every time. And why strong communicators get trusted with bigger decisions.

If your work is solid but your meetings feel stalled, this one will land.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why strong data alone does not create buy-in • How to open with a problem statement that gets attention • Why presenting options builds credibility • How unclear resourcing leads to burnout • How to end meetings with real momentum

What's one "corporate game" rule you've learned the hard way?

🎯 Take the full Level Up Leadership Course: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/get-started-with-my-play-the-corporate-game-course

About Your Host: That Career Coach, Kendall Berg

Kendall Berg is a career coach and creator, helping ambitious professionals master the unspoken rules of corporate life. Through Secrets of the Career Game, she shares honest conversations and practical tools to help you communicate clearly, lead confidently, and navigate work with strategy — not stress.

☕️ Want personalized career advice? Book a free 15-minute Coffee Chat with me — let's talk strategy, leadership, or your next move. Book your Coffee Chat → https://calendly.com/thatcareercoach/15-min-follow-up

Want to know more about Kendal Berg, that career coach?

Follow her on Instagram: @thatcareercoach_

Check out her courses on the website: https://thatcareercoach.net/ Watch on YouTube:@thatcareercoach_

If your team can't move without you, you don't have leadership; you have dependence.

Kendall Berg sits down with Leah Marone to unpack the Support, Don't Solve leadership model. This is the shift that stops constant interruption. It also builds real ownership. Leah explains why leaders often jump in too quickly, how this creates a dependency loop, and what to do instead. You will hear the first move that changes everything: validation first. Then questions. Then space.

This episode is for the manager who is always on call. It is also for the high performer who wants to advance without carrying the whole team. You will walk away with a clear reframe, simple boundaries that still feel human, and language you can use the next time someone brings you a problem.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why does my team rely on me for every decision at work?

• How do I stop being the problem solver without sounding cold?

• What does "support, don't solve" look like in real leadership conversations?

• How do I set boundaries at work while still leading with empathy?

• What should I say first when someone brings me a problem?

What's one "corporate game" rule you've learned the hard way?

🎯 Take the full Level Up Leadership Course: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/get-started-with-my-play-the-corporate-game-course

About Your Host: That Career Coach, Kendall Berg

Kendall Berg is a career coach and creator, helping ambitious professionals master the unspoken rules of corporate life. Through Secrets of the Career Game, she shares honest conversations and practical tools to help you communicate clearly, lead confidently, and navigate work with strategy — not stress.

☕️ Want personalized career advice? Book a free 15-minute Coffee Chat with me — let's talk strategy, leadership, or your next move. Book your Coffee Chat → https://calendly.com/thatcareercoach/15-min-follow-up

Want to know more about Kendal Berg, that career coach?

Follow her on Instagram: @thatcareercoach_

Check out her courses on the website: https://thatcareercoach.net/ Watch on YouTube:@thatcareercoach_

Leah Marone is a psychotherapist, Yale Clinical Instructor, and corporate mental wellness consultant with over 20 years of experience. A former Division 1 athlete, she specializes in high-achievers struggling with imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and performance anxiety. Leah has conducted over 20,000 therapy sessions and contributed to Psychology Today, Newsweek, and The Atlantic. She works with organizations on burnout prevention, boundary setting, and emotional intelligence. A sought-after speaker, Leah has presented her Support, Don't Solve framework to leaders nationwide. Her new book, Serial Fixer, releases November 11th, exploring the hidden patterns of over-functioning and how to break free.

https://www.leahmarone.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahmaronelcsw/

You didn't get the raise or promotion you wanted, and suddenly quitting feels like the only way to get unstuck. Kendall Berg explains why that reaction is exactly how people end up hurting their long-term careers. She breaks down the difference between staying too long because of empty promises and leaving too fast without using all the information available to you.

Kendall talks about the trap so many professionals fall into when timelines stay vague. Promotions are always "coming soon." Bigger teams, more scope, more visibility are always just around the corner. Without a clear personal deadline, people stay stuck far longer than they should, waiting for a reward that never actually arrives. At the same time, she calls out the opposite mistake. Job hopping the moment a raise or promotion does not happen, without understanding context, budget cycles, or expectations, can be just as damaging.

This episode walks through what to do after a disappointing raise or bonus. Kendall explains how to set a realistic timeline for yourself, how to evaluate whether new responsibilities actually change the equation, and how to decide when staying makes sense versus when it is time to move on. The goal is not blind patience or impulsive quitting. It is making a clear, grounded decision you can stand behind.

In this episode, we discuss

• What should you do when you don't get the raise or promotion you expected?

• How vague promises like "soon" and "next cycle" keep people stuck too long

• Why quitting immediately after a missed raise can hurt your career

• How to set a personal deadline and hold yourself to it

• What new responsibilities actually matter when deciding whether to stay

What's one "corporate game" rule you've learned the hard way?

🎯 Take the full Level Up Leadership Course: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/get-started-with-my-play-the-corporate-game-course

About Your Host: That Career Coach, Kendall Berg

Kendall Berg is a career coach and creator, helping ambitious professionals master the unspoken rules of corporate life. Through Secrets of the Career Game, she shares honest conversations and practical tools to help you communicate clearly, lead confidently, and navigate work with strategy — not stress.

☕️ Want personalized career advice? Book a free 15-minute Coffee Chat with me — let's talk strategy, leadership, or your next move. Book your Coffee Chat → https://calendly.com/thatcareercoach/15-min-follow-up

Want to know more about Kendal Berg, that career coach?

Follow her on Instagram: @thatcareercoach_

Check out her courses on the website: https://thatcareercoach.net/ Watch on YouTube:@thatcareercoach_

High performance rarely looks calm from the inside, especially for the people who are doing everything "right." Promotions, praise, and visible wins don't always translate into ease. For many high achievers, success comes with constant pressure, blurred boundaries, and a lingering fear of slowing down.

Kendall Berg and Dr. Margie Warrell name what's driving this pattern: the insecure overachiever mindset. When ambition is fueled by fear, busyness becomes a shield and external validation becomes the scorecard. Over time, this way of working erodes presence, weakens relationships, and quietly undermines leadership credibility, even when results look strong on paper.

This conversation reframes what sustainable success actually requires. Shifting from proving yourself to growing yourself. Protecting capacity instead of equating worth with output. Treating connection as a real form of career currency in a world that rewards constant motion. For high performers who want momentum without burnout, this episode offers clarity, language, and a way forward that doesn't require grinding harder.

What's one "corporate game" rule you've learned the hard way?

🎯 Take the full Level Up Leadership Course: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/get-started-with-my-play-the-corporate-game-course

About Your Host: That Career Coach, Kendall Berg

Kendall Berg is a career coach and creator, helping ambitious professionals master the unspoken rules of corporate life. Through Secrets of the Career Game, she shares honest conversations and practical tools to help you communicate clearly, lead confidently, and navigate work with strategy — not stress.

☕️ Want personalized career advice? Book a free 15-minute Coffee Chat with me — let's talk strategy, leadership, or your next move. Book your Coffee Chat → https://calendly.com/thatcareercoach/15-min-follow-up

Want to know more about Kendal Berg, that career coach?

Follow her on Instagram: @thatcareercoach_

Check out her courses on the website: https://thatcareercoach.net/ Watch on YouTube:@thatcareercoach_

About Margie Warrell

Margie has gained profound insights on managing fear, navigating risk, and embracing change since her childhood in rural Australia. Thirty years of living and working around the world—from Papua New Guinea to Singapore—have provided her with a globally grounded perspective on navigating risk and overcoming the barriers that stifle potential in individuals and organizations. Listen to the Live Brave Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78qqa8ROz4k&list=PLqMi7idevK4-Qi5QqJO__nuaaCE1q8Ryi Get Margie's book The Courage Gap: https://margiewarrell.com/thecouragegap/ Podcast Production by Daniela Albertina

Impossible goals are rarely impossible. They just require a different way of thinking, acting, and deciding when things stop feeling obvious. Kendall Berg sits down with Sarah Arnold Hall to unpack why most people abandon big dreams right at the moment progress actually begins.

They break down why obstacles are not a signal to pivot, quit, or start over. Obstacles are part of the process. Sarah explains how high achievers mistake discomfort for failure and reset their goals too early. Kendall brings this into the workplace, showing how career momentum is built by staying consistent, acting like the role you want, and iterating instead of jumping strategies.

This conversation reframes what persistence really looks like. From starting closer to the goal instead of over preparing, to using the mindset of "it's working" to stay grounded during the dip, this episode offers a smarter approach to achieving goals that feel out of reach. If you have ever questioned whether to push through or walk away, this episode will help you make that decision with clarity.

In this episode, we discuss

• Why do impossible goals feel harder right before they start working

• How do you stay consistent when progress feels slow or unclear

• What does it mean to start at the end instead of the beginning

• How can acting like the role you want accelerate career growth

• When should you persist versus pivot or quit a goal

What's one "corporate game" rule you've learned the hard way?

🎯 Take the full Level Up Leadership Course: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/get-started-with-my-play-the-corporate-game-course

About Your Host: That Career Coach, Kendall Berg

Kendall Berg is a career coach and creator, helping ambitious professionals master the unspoken rules of corporate life. Through Secrets of the Career Game, she shares honest conversations and practical tools to help you communicate clearly, lead confidently, and navigate work with strategy — not stress.

☕️ Want personalized career advice? Book a free 15-minute Coffee Chat with me — let's talk strategy, leadership, or your next move. Book your Coffee Chat → https://calendly.com/thatcareercoach/15-min-follow-up

Want to know more about Kendal Berg, that career coach?

Follow her on Instagram: @thatcareercoach_

Check out her courses on the website: https://thatcareercoach.net/ Watch on YouTube: @thatcareercoach_

About Sarah Arnold Hall

I'm Sarah – I'm a High Performance Coach with a background in psychology. I help people achieve impossible goals, so this channel is filled with content about productivity, consistency and ACTION. Impossible Goals Challenge saraharnoldhall.com/impossiblechallenge Instagram instagram.com/saraharnoldhall

Podcastsaraharnoldhall.com/podcast

Success doesn't stall because you are bad at your job. It stalls because your work becomes invisible by the time it actually matters. Kendall Berg breaks down why high performers forget months of work by review season and how that gap quietly costs them recognition, leverage, and momentum.

This episode explains how to track your accomplishments in a way that saves time later instead of creating last-minute stress. Kendall walks through aligning tasks with company goals, articulating impact instead of listing tasks, tracking stakeholder involvement, and using metrics to make your work easy to summarize, explain, and defend. If you want less scrambling, clearer reviews, and more control over your career narrative, this is the system that makes it possible.

In this episode, we discuss

• How do I track my accomplishments at work without extra effort?

• Why do people forget months of work by performance review season?

• How can tracking work throughout the year save time later?

• What should I track to make my work easier to explain and defend?

• How does tracking accomplishments improve career visibility and growth?

What's one "corporate game" rule you've learned the hard way? ⭐️Get our FREE Accomplishments Tracker: https://fabulous-butterfly-83716.myflodesk.com/n8yzvrtw9v

🎯 Take the full Level Up Leadership Course: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/get-started-with-my-play-the-corporate-game-course

About Your Host: That Career Coach, Kendall Berg

Kendall Berg is a career coach and creator, helping ambitious professionals master the unspoken rules of corporate life. Through Secrets of the Career Game, she shares honest conversations and practical tools to help you communicate clearly, lead confidently, and navigate work with strategy — not stress.

☕️ Want personalized career advice? Book a free 15-minute Coffee Chat with me—let's talk strategy, leadership, or your next move. Book your Coffee Chat → https://calendly.com/thatcareercoach/15-min-follow-up

Want to know more about Kendal Berg, that career coach?

Follow her on Instagram: @thatcareercoach_

Check out her courses on the website: https://thatcareercoach.net/ Watch on YouTube:@thatcareercoach_

Hitting every goal should feel like progress. Instead, it often leaves high performers stuck, frustrated, and quietly falling behind. Kendall Berg breaks down why traditional goal setting systems like OKRs and KPIs reward performance optics while hiding the problems leaders actually need to see.

In this conversation with Radhika Dutt, author of Radical Product Thinking, Kendall challenges the belief that better metrics lead to better decisions. They unpack why green numbers can create dangerous blind spots, how teams learn to filter bad news, and why leaders become the last to know when strategy is breaking down. The episode introduces a smarter alternative to goal chasing that helps teams surface real issues, think more strategically, and stay aligned as priorities shift.

Radhika shares her puzzle setting and puzzle solving framework, a practical way to replace false certainty with curiosity, learning, and iteration. Instead of obsessing over targets, leaders learn how to frame the right questions, invite honest feedback, and guide teams through uncertainty without losing credibility or control. This episode is essential listening for professionals who want to move from execution to influence and lead with clarity in fast changing environments.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why do OKRs and KPIs hide problems instead of revealing them?

• How does hitting every goal still lead to stalled career growth?

• What is the puzzle setting method and how does it replace goal chasing?

• How can leaders admit uncertainty without losing authority?

• What is the first step to changing goal driven cultures without resistance?

FREE toolkit for puzzle-setting and

puzzle-solving: https://www.radicalproduct.com/toolkit/#OHLToolkit

Follow Radhika Dutt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/radhika-dutt/

🎯 Take the full Level Up Leadership Course: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/get-started-with-my-play-the-corporate-game-course

About Your Host: That Career Coach, Kendall Berg

Kendall Berg is a career coach and creator, helping ambitious professionals master the unspoken rules of corporate life. Through Secrets of the Career Game, she shares honest conversations and practical tools to help you communicate clearly, lead confidently, and navigate work with strategy — not stress.

☕️ Want personalized career advice? Book a free 15-minute Coffee Chat with me — let's talk strategy, leadership, or your next move. Book your Coffee Chat → https://calendly.com/thatcareercoach/15-min-follow-up

Want to know more about Kendal Berg, that career coach?

Follow her on Instagram: @thatcareercoach_

Check out her courses on the website: https://thatcareercoach.net/ Watch on YouTube:@thatcareercoach_

Being busy is not the same thing as moving forward in your career. In 2026, growth comes from alignment, not effort. If your goals are not tied to what your company is actually measured on, they will not move your career forward. Kendall breaks down how to set career goals that match company priorities like AI, efficiency, and revenue so your work gets noticed and rewarded.

This episode lays out a clear goal-setting playbook for high performers who want impact without burnout. Kendall explains how to use an impact versus effort filter, set boundaries that protect capacity, anchor goals in leadership identity, and start promotion conversations early so expectations are clear. This is how you plan 2026 with intention and position yourself for real momentum.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How do I align my career goals with company priorities in 2026?

• What is the impact versus effort method for goal setting at work?

• When should promotion conversations start?

What's one "corporate game" rule you've learned the hard way?

🎯 Take the full Level Up Leadership Course: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/get-started-with-my-play-the-corporate-game-course

About Your Host: That Career Coach, Kendall Berg

Kendall Berg is a career coach and creator, helping ambitious professionals master the unspoken rules of corporate life. Through Secrets of the Career Game, she shares honest conversations and practical tools to help you communicate clearly, lead confidently, and navigate work with strategy — not stress.

☕️ Want personalized career advice? Book a free 15-minute Coffee Chat with me — let's talk strategy, leadership, or your next move. Book your Coffee Chat → https://calendly.com/thatcareercoach/15-min-follow-up

Want to know more about Kendal Berg, that career coach?

Follow her on Instagram: @thatcareercoach_

Check out her courses on the website: https://thatcareercoach.net/ Watch on YouTube:@thatcareercoach_

Strong performance does not automatically translate into influence at work. Many high performers deliver results yet still get misread, underestimated, or quietly sidelined. That gap is where careers slow down, not because of skill, but because leadership presence and perception do not always match capability.

Kendall sits down with Tracy Nolan to break down what actually moves careers forward in fast changing corporate environments. Tracy draws from decades of executive leadership across Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, and healthcare to explain why continuous learning is nonnegotiable, how leaders earn credibility without overspeaking, and what it really takes to lead with strength and compassion at the same time. They unpack subtle behaviors that signal authority in meetings, the hidden cost of coasting, and why career ownership is a personal responsibility, not your company's job.

This conversation also tackles bias, crisis leadership, and performance management without sugarcoating. Tracy shares how transparent communication builds trust during uncertainty, why tailored feedback matters more than one size leadership, and how honest conversations protect both people and teams. If you want to stay relevant, lead with confidence, and build long term career momentum, this episode delivers clarity without corporate fluff.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why do high performers get stuck even when results are strong

• How leadership presence shapes credibility in meetings

• What helps women overcome bias at senior levels

• How to lead with authority and compassion during crisis

• Why owning your career matters more than waiting for promotion paths

What's one "corporate game" rule you've learned the hard way?

🎯 Take the full Level Up Leadership Course: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/get-started-with-my-play-the-corporate-game-course

About Your Host: That Career Coach, Kendall Berg

Kendall Berg is a career coach and creator, helping ambitious professionals master the unspoken rules of corporate life. Through Secrets of the Career Game, she shares honest conversations and practical tools to help you communicate clearly, lead confidently, and navigate work with strategy — not stress.

☕️ Want personalized career advice? Book a free 15-minute Coffee Chat with me — let's talk strategy, leadership, or your next move. Book your Coffee Chat → https://calendly.com/thatcareercoach/15-min-follow-up

Want to know more about Kendal Berg, that career coach?

Follow her on Instagram: @thatcareercoach_

Check out her courses on the website: https://thatcareercoach.net/ Watch on YouTube:@thatcareercoach_

Tracy Nolan is a transformative leader with deep experience across Fortune 100 companies and healthcare. Currently at Humana, she draws on past executive roles at Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile, where she led 24,000 employees through the Sprint/T-Mobile merger during COVID-19 and pioneered initiatives like Verizon's $300M wireless trade-in business. Tracy's leadership style blends high expectations with deep compassion. She believes leadership is never static: you're either moving forward or backward. Tracy's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyenolan/