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If you stopped showing up to work tomorrow, what would actually happen? Would revenue dip, or would your work simply be quietly reassigned?

In this episode, I ask the uncomfortable questions that every senior professional needs to sit with. We explore why the job market doesn't necessarily reward the most qualified person, but rather the person who solves the most urgent, painful, and expensive problems.

I discuss the 'Candy, Vitamin, and Painkiller' framework and why so many overlooked achievers get stuck in the 'Vitamin' box—seen as helpful and reliable, but not essential. You will learn how to shift your positioning to become a 'Painkiller' and why this is critical for your career acceleration. I also share four powerful lessons from the late, iconic James Earl Jones (the voice of Darth Vader) on how to turn your weakest muscles into your strongest assets.

Book a Game Plan Call: If you are ready to identify the specific pain you solve and position yourself as a painkiller, book a one-on-one session: superchargeyourself.com/gameplan

Key Takeaways

• The Candy, Vitamin, Painkiller Framework: Investors and businesses view roles in three categories. 'Candy' is fun but dispensable; 'Vitamins' are helpful and steady but not urgent; 'Painkillers' solve expensive, risky, or urgent problems. To be indispensable, you must be a Painkiller.
• The Perception Gap: Many senior executives are already solving pain in reality, but they communicate like vitamins. If you describe your work as "supporting cross-functional teams" rather than "eliminating financial leakage," you are underselling your impact.
• The PPF Strategy: I introduce my Painkiller Positioning Framework. Step 1: Identify the pain you solve (financial, time, or risk). Step 2: Articulate outcomes, not activities. Step 3: Position yourself as someone whose absence would hurt the business.
• Lessons from Darth Vader: James Earl Jones had a severe stutter as a child and was not the first choice for Darth Vader. His journey teaches us that you don't need to be the first choice to be essential, and sometimes taking a step back (or a lower fee) can lead to a massive leap forward.

Episode Highlights

• 01:00 – The Uncomfortable Question: What would happen if you stopped showing up to work tomorrow?
• 02:58 – The 'Candy, Vitamin, and Painkiller' Framework: A breakdown of how businesses value roles, from dispensable "candy" to essential "painkillers."
• 04:53 – Real-World Painkiller Examples: How finance, supply chain, and product leaders solve urgent, expensive, or risky problems.
• 07:02 – The Painkiller Positioning Framework (PPF): A three-step strategy to identify the pain you solve and articulate outcomes over activities.
• 10:37 – Lessons from James Earl Jones: How the voice of Darth Vader turned a childhood stutter into his greatest strength.
• 14:02 – Strategic Steps Back: Why a temporary dip in pay or title can set up a long-term career leap.

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If you like smart, no-fluff career insights, you will love Charge-Up. Each week I break down lessons from movies, TV, business and real executive career stories that I do not s

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If you’ve ever felt like work is more complicated than it needs to be, you’re not alone — and today’s guest is on a mission to change that. Lisa Bodell is a globally recognized futurist, entrepreneur, and bestselling author of Why Simple Wins — a book so impactful, it’s required reading at Zoom. She’s advised the NSA, taught innovation at Google, and been named one of the Top 40 keynote speakers in the world.

In this episode of How I Got Hired, Lisa takes us behind the scenes of her fascinating career — from her early days at BBDO and Leo Burnett, to founding FutureThink way before "innovation training" was a thing, to helping leaders kill complexity and reclaim meaningful work. If you’re navigating a career pivot, drowning in busywork, or just craving clarity in the chaos — this conversation is packed with insights you don’t want to miss.

Follow Lisa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-bodell-futurethink/

Lisa's website: https://www.lisabodell.com/

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Liked this episode? A few things:

1. Share the podcast with three of your closest friends! And please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify here (tap on the three-dot menu under the cover art of the podcast) , as it would mean a lot to me and hopefully help others discover it.

2. You will love my emails called Charge-Up! They're no fluff no spam, where I share my favourite career insights from movies, TV shows, news and my own personal experiences, that I don't share anywhere else. Make sure you sign up here!
https://www.superchargeyourself.com/newsletter

3. Come hang out with me LIVE on LinkedIn and Youtube every Friday at 2 pm CET where I answer your questions and often bring in fab guests:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonalbahl/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/SuperChargeYourself

4. Share your favourite takeaways and tag me on your Instagram and LinkedIn.

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You know that person on LinkedIn who makes you stop scrolling — in a good way? That’s Lorraine K. Lee.

In this electric episode, Lorraine joins me to talk about:

• How she landed her first job in Silicon Valley (spoiler: it involved a barbecue)
• Why she ditched traditional journalism for tech—and never looked back
• The real reason she wasn’t getting promoted at LinkedIn (and what changed)
• Getting laid off... then launching a thriving speaking business
• Her path to becoming a LinkedIn Top Voice, keynote speaker, and now bestselling author of Unforgettable Presence

We also unpack what “presence” really means (hint: it’s more than just executive presence), and why your LinkedIn profile might be doing you more harm than good.

If you’ve ever felt like your hard work is going unnoticed, or that public speaking isn’t for “people like you,” this one’s for you.

Plug in, take notes—and prepare to be inspired.

Follow Lorraine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorraineklee/

Get the book: https://lorraineklee.com/unforgettable-presence/

-------------------------------------------

Liked this episode? A few things:

1. Share the podcast with three of your closest friends! And please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify here (tap on the three-dot menu under the cover art of the podcast) , as it would mean a lot to me and hopefully help others discover it.

2. You will love my emails called Charge-Up! They're no fluff no spam, where I share my favourite career insights from movies, TV shows, news and my own personal experiences, that I don't share anywhere else. Make sure you sign up here!
https://www.superchargeyourself.com/newsletter

3. Come hang out with me LIVE on LinkedIn and Youtube every Friday at 2 pm CET where I answer your questions and often bring in fab guests:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonalbahl/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/SuperChargeYourself

4. Share your favourite takeaways and tag me on your Instagram and LinkedIn.