Comeback Coach
By Jessica Chivers
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Category: Careers
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Episodes: 117
Description
COMEBACK COACH is for bright minds returning to work from maternity leave, other extended breaks and facing pivotal career moments. Hosted by chartered coaching psychologist and executive coach, Jessica Chivers, you can eavesdrop on one-time coaching conversations and hear real comeback stories. She’s exactly what you need when being in the role you’re capable of and performing at your best isn’t straightforward.
| Episode | Date |
|---|---|
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116. JESSICA - Stop wasting mothers' potential in UK businesses - why it's taken me 14 years to co-create Raising & Rising for mothers in senior roles
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Nov 26, 2025 |
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115. COMEBACK – Steph Ogden – CEO HDI Global – Stop! Step away from the business on maternity leave (it won’t fall apart without you).
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Nov 12, 2025 |
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114. JESSICA - How knowing your values and being interested in the values of others helps you lead better and enjoy sustainable career success.
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Oct 29, 2025 |
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113. EXPERT – Anna Marthur – You are not a failure because you failed to get the promotion – the cost of pleasing people – asking for feedback
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Oct 15, 2025 |
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112. COACH - Louise - Pressure to impress senior leaders after maternity - showing commitment to get promoted (and being the only mother on the team)
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Oct 01, 2025 |
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111. COMEBACK – Astrid Limal – The Hustle Factory - What I’d do differently if I lost my job tomorrow + using redundancy as a career catalyst and get a coach
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Sep 17, 2025 |
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110. JESSICA - How I coach lawyers, accountants and ambitious professionals to get better at networking for commercial and career success
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Sep 03, 2025 |
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109. EXPERT - Nicola Jane Hobbs - Relaxed Woman - Reclaim rest to rise in our careers - new theory of stress (GUTS)
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Aug 20, 2025 |
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108. COMEBACK – Norah Prida-Bay – Jupiter Asset Management – lessons from 118 interviews to get back to work after 8 year career break
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Aug 06, 2025 |
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107. COMEBACK - Lucy Watkins – Salesforce – returning 6 months early for dream job + how to be a peak performing leader + career acceleration after maternity
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Jun 11, 2025 |
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106. COACH - Emilia - Global healthcare leader - interim promotion when your boss leaves - team psychological safety - fitting in with new peers
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May 28, 2025 |
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105. COMEBACK – Danielle Wallington – Flockhere founder – building a biz after flex request refused on maternity leave – guilt + grit – community is everything.
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May 14, 2025 |
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104. COMEBACK – Samantha Downes – The Express - it's OK to be ambitious - ditching freelance for employment - is your career in bloom?
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Apr 30, 2025 |
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103. COMEBACK - Serge Cowan - DDRE (Netflix’s Buying London) - losing a child with cerebral palsy - divorce - starting over in business - living with anxiety
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Apr 16, 2025 |
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102. COMEBACK - Helena Morrissey - ex CEO - 9 maternity leaves - pay rise negotiations - 30% club founder - finances after a break
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Apr 02, 2025 |
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101. COMEBACK - Francesca Woodhouse - Edelman – proactive career management – working FT with 4 kids – having true partnership at home
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Mar 19, 2025 |
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100. LIVE SPECIAL - Raising your career through the Primary School years - candid chat with Amanda Newman, Liz Twiney, Emmie Faust & Rachel Maguire
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Mar 05, 2025 |
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99. JUST JESSICA - Psychology of crying at work – how to limit damage to your career + what managers should do when a team member cries
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Feb 19, 2025 |
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98. COACH – Amber – career change + not burning bridges when you have multiple (potential) job offers
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Feb 05, 2025 |
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97. COMEBACK – Caroline Smith – The Entertainer – Relentless resilience job hunting after redundancy – being a wildcard candidate - senior marketing women struggling to land jobs
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Jan 22, 2025 |
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96. COMEBACK - Beth Wooller - Strategy Manager at Sainsburys - sabbatical - burnout - a break from hitting the next career goal - writing a book + interior design
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Dec 03, 2024 |
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95. Rebecca Andrews - Pilot - missing your job - returning to flying after maternity leave - yes YOU CAN still do it!
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Nov 20, 2024 |
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94. COMEBACK – Laura Scougall – ITV – redundancy risk on maternity leave – being open at work about demands at home (autistic son) – how to get back to sleep
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Nov 06, 2024 |
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93. COMEBACK - Sarah Banks - Arcadis - Adjusting to big changes at work after maternity leave – benefits of being main earner - what is a company shadow board?
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Oct 23, 2024 |
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92. COMEBACK - Tara Ferguson - breast cancer - working through treatment - medically-induced menopause - how to stop women leaving in their 40s + 50s?
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Oct 09, 2024 |
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91. COMEBACK – Dan Hewitt – Ocado – navigating the pull between career and family – having coaching – am I having impact at work?
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Sep 25, 2024 |
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90. JUST JESSICA - Boundaries - psychological job control - why bosses need to talk about downtime (but not tell us not to work weekends and evenings)
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Sep 11, 2024 |
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89. COMEBACK – Ramona Aning – Ketchum – setting boundaries at work after maternity leave – being yourself – sussing out a company’s culture before you join
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Aug 28, 2024 |
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88. JUST JESSICA - Finding focus when you’re stretched and shattered – psychology of attention – deep work - coachees' top tips for traction
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Jun 26, 2024 |
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87. JUST JESSICA - Why pouring your thoughts onto the page helps you process setbacks and tough times - neuropsychology of therapeutic writing
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Jun 12, 2024 |
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86. COMEBACK - Emma Young - Firefighter – speaking up when things aren’t right at work – trying to change maternity policy - 'boreout' + psychology of uncertainty
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May 29, 2024 |
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85. COACH - Sabeha - designing your ideal work week - how to be more present at home - experiencing more joy
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May 15, 2024 |
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84. COMEBACK - Yvette Bramley - Psychologist – my most upbeat guest – how to feel success and get a grip on guilt – is it OK to change your mind about career aspirations?
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May 01, 2024 |
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83. JUST JESSICA - Managing rumination + keeping healthy habits when you’re consumed with problems at work + psychology of meditation
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Apr 17, 2024 |
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82. COACH - Brian Ballantyne - redundancy from Amazon - opportunities on gardening leave - psychology of being 'at risk' of redundancy
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Apr 03, 2024 |
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81. COMEBACK – Michaela Thomas – Clinical Psychologist - relationship satisfaction after baby – keeping perfectionism in check - ADHD and returning to work
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Mar 20, 2024 |
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80. COMEBACK - Lianne Baker - Enfuse – making family as childcare run smoothly – working on maternity leave isn’t a bad thing – knowing your worth
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Mar 06, 2024 |
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79. COMEBACK – Ros Kwok – When divorce drives a return to work – 50 job application rejections – psychology of hope
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Feb 21, 2024 |
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78. COMEBACK - Andrea Byrne – ITV Newsreader - projecting confidence when you don’t feel it – YES you can still do your job – how to have NO GUILT ‘me time’
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Feb 07, 2024 |
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77. COMEBACK – Joanna Jacobs – Twinings – Can your career recover from a career break? (YES) - Using LinkedIn to get talking to potential employers
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Jan 24, 2024 |
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76. JUST JESSICA - Do you know your needs? | Developing your intuition | How to focus on your career as well as your job?
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Dec 27, 2023 |
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75. COMEBACK - Phil Bush - Sabbatical from Euromonitor – supporting partner’s return from maternity – sick baby – volunteering on leave
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Nov 22, 2023 |
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74. COMEBACK - Heart FM's Gemma Hill - Mother Pukka covered my maternity - worry about taking leave - staying in touch reduced my anxiety about returning
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Nov 08, 2023 |
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73. COMEBACK – Andy Lancaster – CIPD – sick leave for surgery – preparing your team for your absence – re-crafting your role – three elements of phasing back
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Oct 25, 2023 |
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72. COMEBACK - Kerry Hickman - Ramboll - Maternity Leave & Redundancy - Feeling "wowed" about where you work - how to land a PT role - career coaching
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Oct 11, 2023 |
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71. COACH - Zara - diplomat making career change - when head + heart don't align - career change tips from careershifters.org
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Sep 27, 2023 |
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70.COMEBACK – Cecily Motley – VC-backed entrepreneur maternity leave – regretting not switching off on maternity leave – encouraging men to take SPL
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Sep 13, 2023 |
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69. COMEBACK - Helen Rowell - bereavement - signs you're ready to return to work - choosing the attitude that will help you the most
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Aug 30, 2023 |
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68. JUST JESSICA - When rejection can be a relief | Failing to give a TEDx Talk | Could I have ADHD?
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Aug 28, 2023 |
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67. COMEBACK - Divya Manek - BlackRock - Maternity leave your own way - studying on leave - incessant drive to achieve
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Aug 16, 2023 |
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66. COMEBACK – Chantelle Angel – Coping with sleep deprivation – using a sleep consultant - deciding to leave your job and retrain
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Aug 02, 2023 |
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65. COMEBACK – Georgie Siddall – Risk Manager – burnout – choosing redundancy – SEN kids - Co-Chairing an ERG (& having a brilliant manager)
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Jul 19, 2023 |
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64. COMEBACK - Jess Heagren - returning too soon - preparing for a good return - finding a family-friendly business culture
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Jul 05, 2023 |
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63. COMEBACK - Kathryn & Romana – Dentons LLP - Sponsorship – self doubt - career advice for lawyers who are coming back from a break
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Jun 21, 2023 |
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62. SPECIAL - Making Full Time Work Work (with a young family) - Caterpillar, Dell, NHS, Police, a charity and Financial Services
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Apr 26, 2023 |
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61. COACH - Natalie Trice - PR, Author & University lecturer – wanting more and different in your career – embracing a changing identity – going after “The Dream”
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Apr 12, 2023 |
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60. COMEBACK - Sophie & Sam – Co-Marketing Director at Lily's Kitchen – Senior Job Share after Maternity
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Mar 29, 2023 |
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59. COMEBACK - Elena – UX designer - career change after maternity – PND – growing your professional network – job love – supportive work environments
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Mar 15, 2023 |
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58. COMEBACK - Paul & Robin – Times journalist - The Equal Parent book - surrogacy – why both parents must take shared parental leave
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Mar 01, 2023 |
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57. COACH - Emily - advertising - career break - leveraging LinkedIn - being brave to ask for meetings - ego-rubbing conversations with past colleagues
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Feb 15, 2023 |
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56. COMEBACK - Selina Tyler - interviewing when pregnant – joining a new company after maternity leave - holding a Board position outside your day job
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Feb 01, 2023 |
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55. COMEBACK - Rowena Tolley - law firm Partner - sabbatical - maternity - 2 year career break – flex & part time
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Jan 18, 2023 |
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54. COACH - COMING BACK FROM THE HOLIDAYS - how to get yourself back in work mode
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Jan 03, 2023 |
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53. COACH - Rachel – sick leave from burnout - when your heart isn’t in your work – exploring career change
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Dec 28, 2022 |
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52. COMEBACK - Emmie Faust - investor - burnout - breakdown - long Covid - mother of 4
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Dec 14, 2022 |
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51. COMEBACK - Emma & Mark - maternity & shared parental leave - male part time primary teacher - sharing load at home
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Nov 30, 2022 |
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50. LIVE CAREER Q&A – MANTRAS FOR HAPPINESS & SUCCESS AT WORK & HOME
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Nov 09, 2022 |
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49. LIVE CAREER Q&A – BUILDING TRUST & HOW NOT TO BE A SCARY WOMAN – How do you quickly and effectively build trust in a team?
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Nov 09, 2022 |
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48. LIVE CAREER Q&A - FAILURE – How do you come back from it?
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Nov 02, 2022 |
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47. LIVE CAREER Q&A - FLEXIBILITY - 6 women with big jobs talk
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Nov 02, 2022 |
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45. LIVE CAREER Q&A – AMBITION – Does ambition change after returning to work? How does ambition fit with the rest of your life?
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Oct 26, 2022 |
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46. LIVE CAREER Q&A – GUILT – How do you cope with it? Answers from 6 women in big jobs with children
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Oct 26, 2022 |
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44. LIVE CAREER Q&A - SPEAKING UP – How do I have a voice in the room? How to get myself listened to?
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Oct 19, 2022 |
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43. LIVE CAREER Q&A – SUCCESS - What’s your definition of success? Do you think of yourself as successful?
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Oct 19, 2022 |
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42. Hello from Jessica (a personal message explaining the gap between season 3 and 4)
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Oct 05, 2022 |
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41. COMEBACK - Pippa - Asset Management - What is comeback coaching? - How to ask your employer to sponsor coaching
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Aug 31, 2022 |
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40. COACH - 7 Qs for a smooth and successful return to work from maternity leave & other career breaks
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Aug 17, 2022 |
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39. COMEBACK - Verena Hefti MBE - advice for ambitious returning parents - how to spot a great employer - taking leave as a CEO
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Aug 03, 2022 |
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38. COACH - Jo - L&D - moving sector after maternity - new role – first 100 days – new ID - taking time to reflect
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Jul 20, 2022 |
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37. COMEBACK - Carla - solo parenting – increasing your influence and impact – super powers
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Jul 06, 2022 |
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36. COMEBACK - Chris – EY – Father of four – SPL – sharing mental load – working 80%
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Jun 22, 2022 |
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35. COMEBACK - Emily - Google - PND and anxiety – returning to a bigger job
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Jun 08, 2022 |
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34. COMEBACK - Bea - sick leave – car crash in Silicon Valley - two attempts at returning – comeback coaching
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May 25, 2022 |
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33. COACH - Christina - Preparing for leave as a leader – asking peers for help – nourishing your network before maternity leave
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May 11, 2022 |
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32. COMEBACK - Sally Williams - ITN journalist – Coming back from a career break - doing more of what you love – playing to your strengths
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Apr 27, 2022 |
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31. COMEBACK – Abby – Lawyer – relationship building after leave - business development – internal networking
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Mar 16, 2022 |
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30. COACH - Danielle – confidence – can I still ask for help when I’m a Partner?
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Mar 02, 2022 |
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29. COMEBACK - Cheney - founder – baby with a disability – short maternity leave – SPL – mental health
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Feb 16, 2022 |
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28. COACH - Deborah - Lawyer - finding time for self - reasons to go to the office - being productive
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Feb 02, 2022 |
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27. COMEBACK - Joeli Brearley - Pregnant Then Screwed - Maternity Discrimination
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Jan 19, 2022 |
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26. COACH - Katy - rebuilding confidence - getting a sense of control - external validation – considering taking time out
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Jan 05, 2022 |
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25. COMEBACK – Claire – IVF – miscarriage – twins - adding a career break to maternity leave – kind colleagues – job love
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Dec 22, 2021 |
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24. COACH - Alex - exploring a career change – not returning to employment – starting a social enterprise
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Dec 08, 2021 |
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23. COMEBACK - Rachael - Knowing your why - interviewing 8 weeks post partum – starting a new role – phased returns – teamwork at home
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Nov 24, 2021 |
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22. COACH - Katie - Starting a new role - building rapport remotely - making an impact - getting feedback without looking needy
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Nov 10, 2021 |
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21. COMEBACK - Amanda - Confidence - big job & travel - when your dream job comes up on maternity leave - think twice before quitting
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Oct 27, 2021 |
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20. COACH - Sara - career crossroads - passion v salary - role-sharing - should I have a career change?
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Oct 13, 2021 |
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19. COMEBACK - The Job Share Pair - What, Why & How of Job Sharing – Finding a Partner - Replacing part of the Pair - Benefits to Employers
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Sep 29, 2021 |
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18. COACH - Emily - Law firm Partner – self doubt - returning remotely - shaky confidence - sounding boards
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Sep 15, 2021 |
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17. COMEBACK - Ria - Mindful return – self-compassion - smoothly gliding back into work – managing your energy
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Sep 01, 2021 |
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16. COACH - Julia - redundancy - emotional rollercoaster - self-employment - business development
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Jul 27, 2021 |
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15. COMEBACK - Torey - HR manager - IVF - being open about imposter feelings at work - rebuilding confidence
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Jul 13, 2021 |
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14. COACH – Debora, interior architect – losing purpose - feeling disconnected from work you loved - craving more time with your child
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Jun 29, 2021 |
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13. COMEBACK – Liz – Rebuilding credibility - getting your head back into gear - backing yourself after maternity leave
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Jun 15, 2021 |
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12. COACH - Rosie - how to progress your career when coping with increased caring responsibilities
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Jun 01, 2021 |
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11. COMEBACK - Wendy - Coping with anxiety - crippling guilt - feeling out of control - seeking therapy and coping lessons
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May 18, 2021 |
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10. SPECIAL - Maternal Mental Health - Better Births - PND - Psychosis - Doulas - PaNDAS Foundation
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May 03, 2021 |
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9. COACH - Fiona - ambitious teacher - making a career dream happen – getting out of your own way
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Apr 20, 2021 |
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8. COMEBACK - Valeria, management consultant - best things to focus on at work in the early weeks after your return
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Apr 06, 2021 |
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7. COACH - Laura - innovation strategist - re-finding purpose and focus after furlough and redundancy.
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Mar 23, 2021 |
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6. COMEBACK - Claire - Finding your purpose, how to pitch for compressed hours and make it work
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Mar 09, 2021 |
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5. COACH – Emma, lawyer - how to progress your career, raise your visibility at work and still have time for family
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Feb 23, 2021 |
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4. COMEBACK – Rachel – How to get through the early months back at work – playbook for success - what to stop and start
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Feb 09, 2021 |
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3. COACH – Chloe, PR professional – how to get more job love, more recognition and not feel icky about self-promotion
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Jan 26, 2021 |
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2. COMEBACK - Caroline - how imposter feelings can make you stronger - lawyer - mum of 4
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Jan 13, 2021 |
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1. COACH – Nicola - losing job love - maternity leave - D&I - struggling to find your place
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Jan 13, 2021 |
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0. Welcome to Comeback Coach - Introducing 'Comeback' and 'Coach' episodes
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Dec 29, 2020 |