Unstuck & Unstoppable

Day 3 of the 7-Day Career Reset is about one of the biggest questions in your career: What do you actually want?

Not what you think you should want, what other people expect, or what seems like the obvious next step.

This episode helps you step back from job titles and expectations and explore how you want your next career chapter to feel.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to Day 3

00:35 What do you actually want?

01:00 Start with how you want your career to feel

01:30 More of / less of

When you’re thinking about your next career move, it’s very easy to focus on what you haven’t achieved yet.

The promotion you haven’t got.

The experience you don’t have.

The skills you think you still need to develop.

But what if one of the best ways to build confidence about your future is to take a proper look at what you’ve already done?

In Day 2 of the 7-Day Career Reset, Sarah helps you look backwards so you can recognise the achievements, strengths and capabilities...

Welcome to Day 1 of the 7-Day Career Reset.

Before you can decide where you want your career to go, you need to get honest about where you are right now. This first episode is about pressing pause, stepping away from the day-to-day and taking an honest look at what’s working, what isn’t, and what you may have become so used to that you’ve stopped questioning it.

There’s nothing to fix today. This is simply about taking stock.

👉Join The 7 Day Career Reset for free: careertreecoaching.co.uk/7-day-career-reset

Chapters...

Have you ever looked at your career and thought, “How did I actually end up here?”

You’ve worked hard, progressed and taken opportunities, but perhaps your career has been shaped more by what happened around you than by what you deliberately chose.

In this episode, Sarah explores five signs that your career may have become reactive rather than intentional, and shares three simple ways to start taking back control.

You’ll discover why being successful at your job isn’t the same as actively managing your career, why your definition of success needs to e...

What if you treated your career like a business - and yourself as the CEO?

It’s easy to become reactive in your career, especially when the day job is demanding. But if you want a career that continues to work for you, you need to take the lead.

In this episode, Sarah shares five practical ways to become the CEO of your career - from creating a clear vision and building your career capital to making decisions and regularly reviewing your direction.

In this episode, she covers:

What happens when menopause, burnout, career dissatisfaction, and a loss of confidence all start to feel like the same thing?

In this episode, Sarah talks to Debbie Taylor, the Messy Life Coach, about why menopause is much more than a health and wellbeing issue. It can affect how women experience their careers, confidence, identity and performance at work.

Debbie shares her own experience of perimenopause, workplace challenges, and ultimately leaving a role when she didn't feel supported. She explains why she believes menopause can be a catalyst for reflection and change – and how women can us...

In this episode, Sarah tackles a common challenge: maintaining and boosting leadership confidence amidst high expectations, decision-making pressures, and self-doubt. Tune in for actionable strategies, real-life examples, and tips to help you build a strong inner foundation for sustainable confidence and success.

Show Notes

[00:00:00] Introduction

[00:01:00] Why Leadership Confidence Wobbles

Today Sarah dives into the common but often unspoken experience of imposter feelings at work. If you've ever felt like a fraud or doubted your achievements, you're not alone—and this episode will help you kickstart the process of overcoming those thoughts.

Episode Show Notes:

[00:00] Introduction

Meet your host, Sarah Archer, leadership coach and career strategist.

Overview of the episode: imposter feelings and their impact.

[01:15] What Are Imposter Feelings?

Statistics: 70% of adults experience imposter feelings at some point.

Triggering situations: new roles, promotions, or stepping ou...

This episode focuses on mastering your mindset to increase your chances of success in job interviews. From mindset tips to practical strategies, Sarah provides the tools you need to ace your next interview and achieve your career aspirations.

Show Notes

[00:00:00] Welcome and Introduction

[00:02:00] The Growing Complexity of Interviews

[00:03:00] Overcoming Negative Mindsets

[00:05:00] Harnessing Positive Experiences

In this episode Sarah tackles a dilemma that most professionals face at some point in their careers: Should I stay in my job, or is it time to leave? She explores the red flags that signal it’s time to move on, how to assess whether your dissatisfaction is fixable, and how to make a robust decision that aligns with your values and goals. Sarah also shares a step-by-step diagnostic to help you gain clarity and confidence in your next career move.

Whether you’re feeling stuck, plateauing, or just unsure about your next step, this episode is p...

Are you constantly asking yourself, "What's next?" The next promotion, pay rise or leadership opportunity? What if, instead of chasing more, you paused to ask a different question: What is enough?

In this episode, Sarah explores how ambitious women can redefine success on their own terms. We'll look at the hidden cost of constantly moving the goalposts, why many of us inherit other people's definitions of success, and how to create success criteria that reflect what's truly important to you in this season of your life and career.

If you've ever felt guilty for resting...

Do you struggle to say no, even when you're overwhelmed?

If you're constantly putting other people's needs before your own, taking on too much or feeling guilty whenever you try to protect your time, this episode is for you.

Sarah explores why setting boundaries feels so difficult, especially for ambitious women in leadership. She explains how people pleasing is often a nervous system response rather than simply "being nice", and shares practical tools to help you communicate boundaries with confidence, maintain them consistently and create more space for the work and life that matters most.<...

What if confidence isn't the thing you're missing?

So many successful women have spent their lives being capable, dependable and high-achieving, yet still find themselves holding back at work and in life. They say yes when they mean no, struggle to set boundaries and worry about being seen as too much, too ambitious or too full of themselves.

In this powerful conversation, Sarah is joined by author, speaker and founder of Electric Peach, Sophie Jane Lee, to explore the hidden ways women abandon themselves in pursuit of being more palatable to others.

Drawing...

Have you ever felt like you needed to become a different person to succeed as a leader?

In this episode Sarah is joined by senior HR leader Sarah Holey, who shares her inspiring journey from retail shop floor assistant to leading international people functions across Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and APAC.

Together, we explore what it really takes to grow into senior leadership without losing yourself along the way. Sarah speaks openly about navigating self-doubt, moving from being the expert to becoming a beginner again, building credibility in a new organisation, and discovering...

You're successful on paper. Capable, still showing up, still the person colleagues message when something needs sorting. And yet - something's shifted, and you can't quite name what.

In this episode, Sarah unpacks the career crossroads: that disorienting in-between space where what used to fit no longer does, and what's next hasn't taken shape yet. Whether it's shown up through redundancy, burnout recovery, hitting a milestone, or being offered a promotion that should feel exciting but doesn't - the internal experience underneath is strikingly similar.

Sarah breaks down the six patterns that keep ambitious women...

In this episode, Sarah is joined by former client Kate Dunstone, who shares her inspiring career journey from a long and successful career in higher education marketing to a senior leadership role in a completely new sector.

After 17 years at the University of Portsmouth, Kate knew she was ready for something more aligned with her values, interests and long-term ambitions. In this conversation, she shares what it was really like to leave the security of a role and organisation she’d known for years, how she built the confidence to change sector, and how coaching helped her st...

Have you ever found yourself wondering, "Is this really it?"

From the outside, everything looks successful. You're performing well, earning good money, and progressing in your career. Yet something feels different. Not wrong exactly, but no longer quite right.

In this solo episode, Sarah explores the often-overlooked signs that you've outgrown your current role, even when you can't yet see what comes next. She shares insights from her work with senior professional women who are navigating career transitions, questioning their direction, and searching for greater meaning, purpose and fulfilment.

If you've been feeling...

What does authentic leadership really look like in practice?

In this episode Sarah sits down with former client Helen Cook, an experienced People Director, to discuss her career journey from hospitality into HR leadership, the lessons she's learned about confidence and career progression, and how coaching helped her gain clarity at an important point in her career.

Helen shares a refreshingly honest perspective on leadership, including navigating self-doubt, balancing ambition with family life, and staying true to yourself in senior roles. This is a thoughtful conversation for anyone who wants to lead with confidence without...

How many opportunities have you delayed because you were waiting for permission?

In this episode Sarah talks to Natalie Nielson, Programme Director at Barclays Corporate, to explore the leadership lessons that have shaped her career and helped her thrive in complex, high-pressure environments.

Natalie shares how she learned to stop waiting for someone else to tell her she was ready, navigate the inner voice of self-doubt, and develop a leadership style grounded in trust, authenticity and reflection.

We also discuss the coaching journey we undertook together following her promotion into a senior leadership...

In this episode, Sarah explores a career experience many ambitious women silently struggle with: looking successful on the outside while feeling disconnected, exhausted, or emotionally flat on the inside.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Is this really it?” despite having the title, salary, or career others admire, this episode will help you understand why smart, capable women often stay stuck in roles they’ve outgrown - and what to do about it.

This episode is for you if:

What happens when your career looks successful on paper… but no longer feels aligned?

In this episode, Sarah is joined by Sarah Warrington, Head of Marketing at a private higher education institution, who shares her honest and inspiring career journey - from leaving accountancy after just 18 months, to building a meaningful leadership career in higher education marketing.

We explore the realities of career progression, navigating values misalignment, asking for what you really want, and why compassionate leadership can be a powerful advantage rather than a weakness.

Sarah also opens up about the coaching pr...

What really changes when you step into senior leadership?

In this honest and insightful conversation, Sarah speaks with Maria Norowzian, Group & UK Hospitality Director at ATG Entertainment, about the realities of career growth, leadership transitions and learning to lead beyond your technical expertise.

Maria shares her journey from starting out in marketing at McDonald’s in Australia to leading innovation and hospitality strategy for one of the world’s largest theatre companies. Together, they explore the steep learning curves that come with ambitious career progression, the mindset shifts required at senior level, and why leadership is f...

In this episode, Sarah explores how toxic stakeholders and difficult bosses can quietly erode confidence, visibility, and influence at work. She shares personal experiences, client stories, and practical strategies to help ambitious female leaders navigate challenging workplace dynamics without shrinking themselves or losing credibility.

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome & Introduction

Sarah introduces the episode and explains why navigating difficult bosses and toxic stakeholders is a critical leadership skill.

[01:20] Why This Topic Matters

How workplace dynamics can quietly impact confidence, credibility, and career progression.

[02:15] The Confidence Impact of Difficult Stakeholders

Are you doing everything “right”- sleeping, exercising, pushing through your workload yet still feeling drained?

In this episode, Sarah challenges the way we think about rest. For high-performing female leaders, exhaustion isn’t always about doing too much - it’s often about recovering in the wrong way.

You’ll learn why traditional ideas of rest fall short, and how to restore your energy more effectively using seven powerful (and often overlooked) types of rest.

What You’ll Learn

In this episode, Sarah challenges a common belief about promotion: that it’s purely based on performance. Drawing on her experience in HR leadership and executive coaching, she reveals why promotions are often blocked by hesitation, not capability, and what you can do to change how decision-makers see you.

If you’re aiming for your next senior role, this episode will show you exactly how to position yourself so that promotion feels like the obvious next step.

What You’ll Learn

In this episode, Sarah breaks down how executive recruiters actually operate - and why the typical “send your CV and wait” approach doesn’t work at a senior level. If you’re aiming for leadership roles, you’ll learn how to position yourself strategically, build strong recruiter relationships, and stand out as a credible, low-risk candidate.

What You’ll Learn

Timestamps<...

In this episode, Sarah explores the powerful concept of strategic hope and why it is a critical leadership skill for ambitious female leaders who want to prevent burnout and create real momentum in their careers.

Many high-performing women find themselves working hard while quietly hoping something changes - hoping for recognition, hoping for opportunities, hoping for better leadership or culture. But hope, in its most powerful form, isn’t wishful thinking.

Drawing on the work of positive psychologist C.R. Snyder, Sarah introduces Hope Theory and explains how hope is actually a practical leadership strategy bu...

Have you ever felt like you're doing everything right in your leadership role - delivering results, working hard, supporting your team - yet still being overlooked for promotion?

In this episode, Sarah lifts the lid on the unwritten rules of leadership that shape career progression at senior levels. Many ambitious female leaders are told that hard work and strong performance will naturally lead to advancement but in reality, leadership decisions are often influenced by visibility, relationships, strategic thinking, and perception.

Through a powerful coaching story and practical reflection questions, this episode explores why brilliant women...

In this episode Sarah explores the powerful but often overlooked role of weak ties in career growth and job searching.

If you're an ambitious woman looking to advance your career, increase your visibility, or access new opportunities, this episode will change how you think about networking. Sarah explains why the people you barely know may be the ones who open the biggest doors, and shares practical strategies to help you build and leverage these connections in a way that feels natural and authentic.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Have you been in your role for five years or more? Are you there because you love it… or because you feel a bit stuck?

In this episode, Sarah unpacks the difference between healthy staying and career stagnation, the subtle signs you might be stuck (even if things look “fine” on the surface), and practical steps to help you regain momentum, confidence, and clarity in your career.

If you’ve been questioning your next move or avoiding the question altogether - this episode will give you a powerful reset.

Show Notes

[00:00:00] Welcome...

In this episode, Sarah explores why the inner critic exists and how it often tries to protect us from perceived risks like rejection, failure, or judgement. The challenge is that while it may have good intentions, it can also keep us stuck, holding back from the opportunities we truly want.

Sarah shares three practical strategies to help you quieten your inner critic and strengthen your inner coach so you can move forward with more confidence and self-trust.

Show Notes

00:00 – Welcome to Unstuck and Unstoppable

01:17 – Episode introduction: The inner critic

Why...

If you’re working hard but not getting the traction, visibility or progression you want, this episode will help you understand why.

Sarah breaks down the four core Influence Blockers she sees repeatedly in senior female leaders - the hidden patterns that quietly limit confidence, authority, and advancement. Once you can spot your blocker, you can shift it.

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome to Unstuck and Unstoppabl-

[02:00] Why Hard Work Isn’t Enough

The unconscious patterns that hold capable women back.

[03:30] The Four Influence Blockers Overview

An introduction to t...

In this episode, Sarah shares a practical four-part framework to help you decide your next leadership move when you’re feeling stuck, flat, or ready for more. If you’re successful on paper but something feels off, this episode will help you turn that restlessness into useful data and make a thoughtful, aligned career decision instead of drifting or making a reactive move.

Whether your next step is redesigning your current role or moving on, Sarah walks you through how to reconnect with your energy, ambition, strengths, and the realities of the market so you can move forw...

What happens when you’ve achieved the senior role, the title, the salary… and yet something still feels flat? In this episode, Sarah explores why meaning can quietly disappear as your leadership career progresses and why this isn’t a sign you’ve failed, but a signal worth paying attention to. She shares the powerful difference between achievement and fulfillment, introduces a simple but profound framework to help you reconnect with what truly matters, and explains why you don’t necessarily need to change your career to feel more meaning again.

If you’ve ever found yourself thinking, “I...

In this episode, Sarah unpacks what strategic thinking really means and how to move from an operational comfort zone to big-picture influence. If you’ve ever been told to “be more strategic” and wondered what that actually looks like in practice, this episode breaks it down into practical, doable shifts.

You’ll learn how to create space for strategic thinking, ask better questions, and position yourself as a leader who shapes direction - not just delivers results.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

In this practical episode, Sarah explores why so many capable leaders struggle to delegate, what it’s really costing you when you don’t, and how to shift your mindset so delegation becomes a leadership strength rather than a stress point.

Drawing on real client examples and her own experience as a senior leader, Sarah breaks down common delegation blocks (from perfectionism to fear of losing control), explains the difference between dumping, delegating and developing, and shares simple, effective tools you can use immediately to delegate with more confidence and impact.

Whether you’re feeling overwh...

Are you constantly exhausted, overwhelmed, and running on empty as a leader? In this episode, Sarah explores why so many ambitious women find themselves stuck in survival mode and shares a simple but powerful tool to help you restore balance, manage your energy, and avoid burnout.

Using the Four Rooms of Life framework, Sarah walks you through a practical exercise to help you understand where your energy is going, what’s missing, and how to rebalance your life without adding yet another thing to your to-do list.

What you’ll learn in this episode

In this episode Sarah explores what it really means to bring your whole self to work and why authentic leadership matters more than ever in today’s uncertain and demanding world.

Many female leaders feel pressure to appear strong, controlled, and “together” at all times, often at the expense of their own energy and wellbeing. Sarah challenges the outdated leadership model that equates vulnerability with weakness and instead shares evidence-based insights on how authenticity, empathy, and values-led leadership build trust, credibility, and high performance.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

In this episode, Sarah explores the confidence gap many women experience at work and why, despite equal competence, women are often less likely than men to back themselves, speak up about achievements, or go for opportunities.

Drawing on compelling research from leadership, psychology, and neuroscience, Sarah explains why confidence shows up differently for women – and, crucially, what you can do about it. She shares three practical, immediately actionable techniques to help you own your achievements, increase your visibility, and build genuine, sustainable confidence at work.

If you’ve ever played down your success, waited to be n...

In this first episode of 2026, Sarah introduces the powerful (and often overlooked) concept of a personal board for your leadership career. Drawing on the idea of organisational boards, Sarah explains how having the right people around you can help you make better career decisions, gain perspective, build influence, and stay motivated as a leader.

You’ll learn about the different roles a personal board can play, how to identify who is already supporting you (often unconsciously), where the gaps might be, and how to intentionally build stronger, more strategic support around your career and leadership journey.