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Are you working harder than ever yet feeling less visible, less fulfilled, and more burned out in your career?

In this episode, I sit down with leadership strategist and Forbes senior contributor Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey, Nell 3D, to challenge one of the biggest myths mid-career professionals face today: that doing more is the only way forward. We explore how strategic subtraction can actually help you become more effective, more influential, and more fulfilled in your work.

If you are navigating a tough job market, feeling stuck under ineffective leadership, or wondering how to sustain performance without burning out, this conversation will help you rethink how you show up at work. Nell introduces her practical Stop, Drop, Roll method, a framework that helps high performers pause, remove draining habits, and redesign their workdays so their energy creates bigger results.

We discuss real stories of leaders who cut unnecessary meetings, redesigned team rituals, and reclaimed personal time while still improving team outcomes. We also tackle real mid-career challenges, including dealing with a difficult boss, maintaining confidence in a slow job market, and learning how to stop carrying expectations and criticisms that drain momentum.

If you are holding onto a role for stability while trying to protect your long-term career prospects, you will also learn why strategically cruising at seven instead of ten can actually extend your runway and help you perform where it matters most.

This episode offers permission and practical tools to step back, gather honest data about how you spend your time and energy, and make smarter decisions about what deserves your attention.

If you are a mid-career professional looking for career clarity, stronger leadership presence, or a smarter job search strategy, this conversation will help you see how doing less of the wrong things can help you achieve more of what matters.

Mid-career success is not about grinding endlessly. It is about choosing where your effort creates the most impact. Often, the smartest career move is not adding more. It is subtracting what no longer serves you.

Connect With Nell 3D

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Visit https://johnneral.com/resources to:

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Feeling stuck in your career while the job market feels crowded and unpredictable? You are not alone. Many mid-career professionals are navigating confusing signals right now.

Job boards are flooded, promotion paths feel unclear, and AI-generated applications are making it harder than ever to stand out.

In this episode, I bring things back to one powerful idea that can help you move forward with clarity and confidence. Choose one primary strategy and commit to it.

Whether you focus on targeted networking, job board applications, or a thoughtful combination of both, success comes from clarity, consistency, and protecting your energy while you execute.

I walk you through how to audit what is working, identify what is not, and decide what to do next. We talk about defining your next role clearly, understanding the skills and visibility required to earn it, and choosing the strategy that best supports your goals.

If you are pursuing external roles, I explain how applicant tracking systems really work, how to tailor your resume without sounding robotic, and how to compete when hundreds of candidates apply within hours. If your goal is promotion, we cover how to build the right evidence, strengthen internal relationships, and turn positive feedback into real sponsorship and advancement opportunities.

I also address how to use AI as a support tool without losing your voice, why generic cover letters fail, and how reviewing weekly job search data helps you refine your approach.

Finally, I talk about protecting your focus, building a trusted circle of advisors, and maintaining resilience so you can stay steady even in a tough market. And if you are staying put for now, I share how to grow intentionally so you are positioned well when new opportunities emerge.

If you are ready to stop waiting for clarity and start creating it, this episode will help you take your next step with purpose.

If this conversation resonates with you, follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. Share this episode with a colleague or friend who needs clarity in their career right now, and leave a review on Apple Podcasts to help more mid-career professionals find strategies that work.

And if you are ready for your next step, I have something free to help you. Go to johnneral.com/briefing to receive my 15-minute audio

Support the show

Visit https://johnneral.com/resources to:

• Grab my free 15-minute audio briefing about why doing good work at mid-career is no longer "good enough."
• Subscribe to my free leadership and career newsletter
• Get The Mid-Career Clarity Code to help you figure out whatever is next for you and your career

Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here.

Connect with John on LinkedIn here.
Get John's New Mid-Career Journal on Amazon here.
Follow John on Instagram @johnneralcoaching.
Subscribe to John's YouTube Channel here.

Send us a text

One word keeps showing up in interviews with mid-career professionals, and it may be holding you back more than you realize. That word is passion.

In this episode, I break down why employers already assume you care about your work and why passion alone is not what helps you stand out in today’s competitive job market. At mid-career, hiring decisions are less about enthusiasm and more about clarity, credibility, and measurable results.

If you feel stuck, undervalued, or frustrated in your job search, this conversation will help you reposition how you talk about your experience so employers clearly see the value you bring.

I explore how expectations change as your career progresses. Early in your career, hustle and enthusiasm can open doors. At mid-career, decision-makers want proof. They want to understand how your judgment, leadership, and execution improve outcomes, reduce risk, and help teams and organizations perform better.

I also share a real career example that shows how naming measurable results rather than emotions accelerated trust and opened better opportunities. From there, I translate common interview buzzwords into language hiring managers actually use when making decisions, including improving retention, reducing rework, speeding up delivery, and driving measurable performance improvements.

You will walk away with practical ways to reframe your answers so you clearly communicate how you lead, influence, and deliver results, even when you do not have formal authority. Instead of saying you are passionate about leading teams, you will learn how to explain how you improve outcomes and help organizations execute strategy effectively without burning people out.

We also talk through common interview traps, phrases that signal strategic impact, and ways to connect your strengths to the real problems employers are trying to solve right now.

If you want to stand out in a cautious hiring market, this episode will help you replace vague claims with clear, testable value.

If you found this episode helpful, follow the podcast, share it with a colleague who is interviewing, and leave a review on Apple Podcasts so more mid-career professionals can find these conversations.

For a deeper perspective on why being good at your job is no longer enough and how to navigate today’s market, download my free 15-minute audi

Support the show

Visit https://johnneral.com/resources to:

• Grab my free 15-minute audio briefing about why doing good work at mid-career is no longer "good enough."
• Subscribe to my free leadership and career newsletter
• Get The Mid-Career Clarity Code to help you figure out whatever is next for you and your career

Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here.

Connect with John on LinkedIn here.
Get John's New Mid-Career Journal on Amazon here.
Follow John on Instagram @johnneralcoaching.
Subscribe to John's YouTube Channel here.