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What if burnout wasn’t the end — but the beginning of designing a life entirely on your own terms?
In this episode, Erica Sosna sits down with Winston Ben Clements — global speaker, resilience coach and inclusion advocate — to explore how a shift from a tech career to the speaking stage became not just a career pivot, but a whole new way of living.
Winston shares candidly about navigating corporate environments as a disabled professional, the early signs of burnout, and the pivotal moment he realised he wanted a different kind of life. From building speaking skills at Toastmasters to standing on a TEDx stage, Winston’s story is a powerful example of designing work around strengths, purpose, and true impact.
They discuss the challenges of rebuilding in a new country, the surprising link between creativity and confidence, and why empathy and inclusive thinking are vital parts of thriving workplaces — and thriving lives.
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✨ In this episode, you’ll hear:
• Why burnout can sometimes be a hidden career gift
• Winston’s transition from computer science to keynote speaking
• How environments — not just mindsets — shape success
• The impact of early encouragement and creativity on career confidence
• The ripple effect of inclusive workplaces and storytelling
• Reflections on redesigning work to fit who you really are, not just what you can do
🎧 Whether you’re pivoting careers, starting again in a new environment, or simply rethinking what fulfilment looks like, this episode offers hope, encouragement and sharp insight into what’s possible.
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🔗 Links & Resources:
• Connect with Winston Ben Clements on Instagram and LinkedIn
• Connect with Erica Sosna on LinkedIn
• Find out more at The Career Equation website
#TheCareerEquation #CareerDevelopment #BurnoutRecovery #WorkAndThrive #PurposeDrivenCareer
It’s easy to undervalue the things that come naturally — especially when they don’t come with a fancy title or certificate. But those everyday strengths you’ve developed over time? They’re your transferable skills — and they matter more than ever in today’s fast-moving world of work.
In this episode, Erica and Zoë explore why transferable skills are so powerful, and how to uncover the ones you might be taking for granted. From planning a family holiday to leading a team project, the skills you build across all areas of life often hold the key to your career development.
You’ll hear stories from past guests who’ve made bold career moves — from teaching to steampunk rapping, corporate life to château-renovating — all made possible by a strong sense of the skills they could take with them.
They also dive into practical frameworks to help you tell better stories about your strengths, and share advice for managers and coaches to help others do the same.
Whether you’re starting fresh, stuck in a rut, or mentoring a team — this is your permission to own what you’re brilliant at.
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✨ In this episode, you’ll find:
•What a transferable skill really is — and why you probably have more than you think
•A simple exercise to spot the skills that energise you most
•Why your “natural” strengths are often the most valuable
•How to use your career story to surface hidden skills
•Ways managers and mentors can help others grow in their roles
•Tools to boost your confidence and sharpen your career focus
🎧 Give yourself a moment to reflect. You might be sitting on strengths you haven’t even named yet.
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🔗 Links & Resources:
•ICF-accredited coaching programme – starts May 2025
•Connect with Erica: linkedin.com/in/ericasosna
•Connect with Zoë: linkedin.com/in/zoeschofieldcoach
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#TheCareerEquation #TransferableSkills #CareerDevelopment #WorkAndThrive #CareerClarity #ProfessionalGrowth
In this second part of Erica’s conversation with Jonathan Black, Head of Oxford University’s Careers Service and careers columnist for the Financial Times, they explore how to truly prepare for a 21st-century career — one driven by impact, adaptability, and learning.
From internships to alumni networks, Jonathan shares practical insights into how students can gain meaningful work experience, discover career paths they hadn’t considered, and gain clarity around what really matters. They also discuss the evolution of careers advice, the growing importance of purpose-led roles, and how to navigate a career change with intention and confidence.
Whether you’re just starting out or making a mid-career move, this episode is full of actionable takeaways, thoughtful strategies, and the kind of honest wisdom that helps turn ambition into progress.
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✨ In this episode, you’ll learn:
•Why employers value real-world experience (even a job at McDonald’s)
•How internships and micro-projects offer critical exposure to working life
•The growing demand for purpose-driven roles in the third sector
•How Oxford is piloting innovative ways to connect students and alumni
•Advice for mid-career professionals looking to pivot with confidence
•Why defining your ‘North Star’ can unlock surprising opportunities
🎧 This conversation shines a light on how careers are really built — through experimentation, reflection, and a clear sense of purpose.
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🔗 Links & Resources:
•Connect with Jonathan Black on LinkedIn
•Connect with Erica Sosna on LinkedIn
•Explore Oxford University Careers Service
#TheCareerEquation #CareerDevelopment #PurposeDrivenCareers #ProfessionalGrowth #CareerPivot #OxfordCareers
In this first part of a fascinating two-part conversation, Erica sits down with Jonathan Black, Head of Oxford University’s Careers Service, to explore how career journeys really unfold — and why sometimes a wake-up call in a French farmhouse or a cheap motel can lead to some of the most pivotal, empowering choices.
With a career that spans engineering, publishing, consulting and entrepreneurship, Jonathan reflects candidly on the pivots, missteps, and moments of clarity that shaped his path — and the patterns he sees in the students and professionals he’s advised over the years.
They discuss the power of conscious career decisions, how to untangle parental and peer pressures, why staying too long in the wrong role is more common than we admit — and how being true to your values and environment is a key part of the Career Equation.
✨ In this episode, you’ll hear:
Why choice and control matter more than titles and salaries
The moment Jonathan knew he needed to walk away from consulting
What redundancy can teach us (once the dust settles)
How to spot a role that fits not just your skills, but your lifestyle
Honest reflections on challenges and what they can teach us
Insights into the world of Oxford careers advising — and what students really worry about
🎧 Whether you’re mid-career and wondering what’s next, or just starting out and figuring out what matters most, this episode offers thoughtful guidance, encouragement, and plenty of food for thought.
🔗 Links & Resources:
Connect with Jonathan Black on LinkedIn
Connect with Erica Sosna on LinkedIn
Explore Oxford University Careers Service
#TheCareerEquation #CareerDevelopment #CareerClarity #WorkAndThrive #ProfessionalGrowth #OxfordCareers
It’s easy to focus on the future when thinking about your career — the next role, the next promotion, the next leap. But what if some of your most useful career clues are hiding in the past?
In this episode, Erica and Zoë dig into the power of reflection. They explore how looking back at your career journey so far — the highs, the lows, and everything in between — can help you make smarter, more intentional decisions about what comes next. You’ll hear why your past experiences matter, how to spot the patterns that reveal what really makes you tick, and how the Career Timeline exercise can give you fresh clarity on where you’re heading.
They also unpack the Career Equation — their simple but powerful framework for designing a fulfilling working life — and show how it connects directly to your own personal story.
Whether you’re planning a big move, feeling stuck, or just want to understand yourself better at work, this episode is full of practical tips, warm encouragement, and real-life insight.
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✨ In this episode, you’ll find:
•A simple but powerful way to reflect on your career journey
•How to identify what energises you — and what drains you
•Tips to map your highs and lows (and why both matter)
•Why sharing your story can build trust and confidence at work
•A fresh look at how to apply the Career Equation to your next step
•Ideas for using this tool as a manager, coach or mentor
🎧 Listen in and give yourself the space to reflect — your next chapter might just start here.
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🔗 Links & Resources:
•How to build your own Career Timeline
•Info on our ICF-accredited coaching programme – starts May 2025
•Connect with Erica and Zoë on LinkedIn
#TheCareerEquation #CareerDevelopment #CareerReflection #CareerClarity #WorkAndThrive #ProfessionalGrowth
Join Zoë Schofield on this inspiring episode of The Career Equation Podcast as she welcomes Charlotte Pascoe, founder of Signature Fitness and an advocate for holistic health and wellness. Charlotte shares her incredible career transformation—from a demanding corporate role in local government to a thriving career in personal training and sports therapy. By combining her leadership skills, passion for health, and a deep connection with her clients, Charlotte demonstrates that it’s never too late to chase a fulfilling, purpose-driven career.
Through the lens of the Career Equation framework, Charlotte and Zoë unpack the personal and professional moments that define what it truly means to thrive in work and life. Perfect for anyone considering a career pivot or searching for insights on the balance between health, passion, and impact, this episode is filled with actionable advice and inspiration.
✨ What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
🚀 Why Listen?
🎧 Hit play now to discover how your skills, passions, and ideal environment can help you design not just a career you love, but a life that thrives.
💡 Actionable Takeaways:
Connect with Charlotte and Explore Signature Fitness:
Don’t Forget to subscribe to The Career Equation Podcast for more transformational career stories and guidance from host Zoë Schofield!
#CareerChange #HealthAndFitness #HolisticWellness #ThrivingCareers #PersonalTraining #CareerTransformation
How do you design a career that aligns with your values, leverages your strengths, and drives meaningful impact? Erica Sosna sits down with property investment powerhouse Anna Harper to unravel the balancing act between ambition and focus. With a career spanning over a decade in property and investment, Anna has navigated every twist and turn—whether building trust with individual investors, managing complex deals, or driving change at scale.
But, like many high-achievers, Anna has faced the daunting challenge of pursuing parallel paths that both demand her energy. Join Erica and Anna as they use The Career Equation, Erica's empowering framework for aligning talents, passions, values, and work environments, to solve Anna’s career conundrum and uncover powerful lessons you can apply to your own professional challenges.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Through honesty, humour, and clear insights, this conversation is packed full of value—whether you’re an entrepreneur, a corporate employee, or a creative professional navigating complex career challenges.
Erica takes Anna through her four-part framework, tackling clarity from every angle and landing key insights along the way.
Key Insights and Actionable Steps for Listeners:
About Anna Harper:
Through her work, Anna aims to connect investors with the tools and insights they need to create meaningful impact—one home at a time.
Links and Resources:
🎧 Tune in to hear how Erica helped Anna unlock clarity in this thought-provoking, value-packed episode. This conversation is guaranteed to leave you inspired to take bold yet intentional steps toward your personal and professional goals.
Join host Zoë Schofield as she dives into an inspiring conversation with Marcie Shaoul, founder of Rolling Stone Coaching and the award-winning The Co-Parent Way, on this powerful episode of The Career Equation Podcast. Through her unique career story, Marcie reveals how personal experience, passion, and purpose drove her to make a lasting impact on families, businesses, and individuals. Together with Zoë, they explore Marcie’s career using the Career Equation framework, offering deep insights into why skills, passion, impact, and environment are crucial for your own thriving career.
✨ Key Takeaways:
🚀 Whether you’re juggling competing roles, dreaming of building something new, or wrestling with internal or external conflict, this episode will fuel your ambition and provide practical inspiration to drive positive change in your career and personal life.
🎧 Tune in now for insights, stories, and advice that could reshape the way you approach work, relationships, and success.
Connect with Marcie and The Co-Parent Way:
Don’t Miss Out on more episodes of The Career Equation Podcast! Follow Zoë Schofield as she brings career-changing conversations to your earbuds, helping you solve your own career equation every step of the way.
#CareersWithImpact #ConflictResolution #CoParentingSuccess #CareerClarity #TheCareerEquation #WorkAndThrive
Episode Overview:
In this compelling episode of The Career Equation Podcast, Erica Sosna dives deep into the truth about career success. She unpacks how societal pressures, family expectations, and workplace norms influence our goals, often without us realising it. With 21 years of experience as a career coach, Erica shares practical tools and thought-provoking insights to help you redefine success on your own terms.
✨ Here’s what you’ll gain:
🎧 Whether you're feeling stuck, tired of the traditional career grind, or just craving inspiration to move forward, this episode is for you. Erica’s mix of practical advice, heartfelt stories, and reflective tools will empower you to create a career you love—no cookie-cutter paths required.
Why listen now?
#TakeChargeOfYourCareer #DefineSuccessYourWay #CareerClarity #CareerGrowth #WorkYourWay #TheCareerEquation
Get ready to be whisked away on an unforgettable career adventure! On this episode of The Career Equation Podcast, Erica Sosna sits down with the one and only Paul Alborough—better known to his devoted fans as Professor Elemental. From navigating the world of special needs education to donning a pith helmet and rapping about tea, Paul’s career is anything but ordinary.
Paul Alborough, aka Professor Elemental, is a unique performer who combines imaginative steampunk storytelling with rap and comedy. Hailing from Brighton, Paul is not only known for his absurdly clever rhymes and theatrical stage presence but also for his dedication to fostering inclusivity and youth development through hip-hop workshops. A self-proclaimed "village idiot," he’s brought laughter, life lessons, and sheer eccentricity to countless audiences worldwide.
If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to leave a traditional career path behind for a life filled with creativity and connection, this episode is for you. Tune in for a delightful concoction of humor, wisdom, and stories you truly don’t want to miss.
➡️ Listen now and join the whimsical world of Professor Elemental!
From the publisher's feed
The world’s best organisations know how to attract and keep the world’s best employees.
However, even those firms struggle with employee retention. Why? Because their employees can’t see their future there.
The problem with careers in great firms is that employees know what they want but don’t know who to talk about it, and their organisations don’t know what they want and so don’t help them get it ( even though they want to!)
The result? Great employees leave all too soon, missing out on all the exciting opportunities in their existing firm.
The tragedy is, this brain drain could be arrested with a simple, powerful career conversation that anyone can master.
Welcome to The Career Equation®, a practical formula for career conversations that helps organisations engage, retain and grow their talent.
Hear how firms like Microsoft, Amazon, and Capital One make use of the formula to enhance career conversations, reduce attrition and unlock internal mobility.
With anonymous Q&A on the juicy career questions talent are afraid to ask, real world case studies from learning professionals, and expert advice from over 20 years of careers consulting, we bring the Equation and all its benefits live and direct to your workplace.
If keeping great people is your biggest challenge, this podcast shows you how The Career Equation® can be the solution.
For more information, to book your career conversation assessment or download our free guides on all things career, www.thecareerequation.com/contact