Episodes

  • Episode 103 The Confidence Gap: Why Successful Women Hold Back and How to Speak Up

    Episode 103 The Confidence Gap: Why Successful Women Hold Back and How to Speak Up
    Nov 6 2026

    You've earned your place at the leadership table. You have the experience, expertise and track record. So why do you sometimes find yourself holding back from saying what you really think?

    Perhaps you rehearse your contribution in your head, wait for the right moment, then start questioning whether it's worth saying. And before you know it, someone else has made exactly the point you were going to make.

    In this episode, Sarah explores why successful female leaders can still struggle to own their voice, the five traps that can keep us silent, and the career cost of not speaking up.

    She shares three practical ways to start contributing more confidently, influencing conversations and making sure your expertise is heard.

    Because you've spent years earning your place at the table. You don't need to keep waiting for permission to use your voice.

    In this episode, we explore:
    • Why having the experience and expertise doesn't always translate into speaking with confidence.
    • The five traps that can hold women back: perfectionism, credibility, likability, comparison and permission.
    • How organisational culture and psychological safety can influence your willingness to contribute.
    • The impact of staying quiet on your visibility, influence and career progression.
    • Three practical ways to own your voice and contribute more confidently.
    • How to challenge the story you're telling yourself about your right to speak.

    TimeStamps

    00:00 Welcome to Unstuck & Unstoppable

    01:35 You've earned your seat at the table. So why are you holding back?

    02:40 The familiar meeting scenario and why I understand it

    04:00 Five traps that stop women speaking up

    04:00 The perfectionism trap

    05:00 The credibility trap

    05:40 The likability trap

    06:40 The comparison trap

    07:30 The permission trap

    08:00 The role of organisational culture and psychological safety

    08:45 The career cost of staying quiet

    11:30 Three practical ways to own your voice

    11:45 1. Stop waiting for the perfect contribution

    13:20 2. Prepare before you enter the room

    14:20 3. Practise taking up space

    15:20 The deeper shift: stop waiting for permission

    16:20 Your challenge for the next leadership meeting

    17:00 Your experience, perspective and voice matter

    Useful Links

    Listen to Episode 101 The Career Tax: What Your Success Is Costing You

    Sign up for Weekly Career Inspiration

    Learn about Leadership & Advancement Coaching Programmes

    Book a Free 121 Clarity Call

    Join The Love What You Do Facebook Group

    Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn

    Rate & Review the Podcast

    If you found this episode of Unstuck & Unstoppable helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

    If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Sarah know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: sarah@careertreecoaching.co.uk
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    18 mins
  • Episode 102 The Leadership Trap: How to Stop Doing It All & Start Leading

    Episode 102 The Leadership Trap: How to Stop Doing It All & Start Leading
    Oct 30 2026

    Are you the person everyone turns to when something needs fixing? The one who solves problems, keeps things moving and makes sure everything gets done?

    Being reliable and capable may have helped you build your career. But if you're still doing too much yourself, it could be holding you back from becoming the leader you want to be.

    In this episode, Sarah explores why successful women leaders can become trapped in doing mode, the hidden career costs and how to make the shift from doing to leading.

    Building on the previous episode, The Career Tax: What Your Success Is Costing You, Sarah shares three practical shifts to help you develop your team, create more space for strategic work and increase your impact as a leader.

    In this episode, you'll discover:

    • Why the habits that made you successful can hold you back at senior leadership level.
    • How being the fixer, having high standards and needing control can keep you stuck in doing mode.
    • The hidden career costs, from exhaustion and bottlenecks to missed opportunities for visibility and progression.
    • Three shifts to help you move from solving to coaching, being indispensable to building independence, and reacting to creating space.
    • How to recognise what's really stopping you from letting go, whether it's confidence, trust or your identity as the person who gets everything done.
    • A simple experiment to help you create more time for the work that really matters.

    Timestamp

    00:00 Welcome to Unstuck & Unstoppable

    01:35 The leadership trap: when doing it all stops you leading

    02:45 Are you the person everyone turns to?

    04:15 How your success habits can keep you stuck

    05:30 The fixer, perfectionism and the need for control

    08:20 The hidden career costs of staying in doing mode

    10:45 Three shifts from doing to leading

    11:00 Shift 1: Move from solving to coaching

    13:20 Shift 2: Build independence instead of being indispensable

    14:30 Shift 3: Move from reacting to creating space

    15:45 What's really stopping you from letting go?

    18:00 Your leadership experiment: what could you stop doing?

    19:30 Connecting the leadership trap to the career tax

    20:15 Final thoughts and how to work with Sarah

    Your leadership experiment

    Choose one task, problem or decision you would normally take on yourself. Pause and ask:

    • Does my role really require me to own this?
    • Could I delegate it, coach someone else through it, or decide it doesn't need doing?
    • What could I achieve with the time and headspace I create?

    Your next level of leadership may depend as much on what you're willing to stop doing as what you're prepared to take on.

    Connect with Sarah

    If you're ready to develop your leadership, increase your impact and create a more sustainable way of working, get in touch with Sarah to explore how coaching could help.

    Useful Links

    Episode 101 The Career Tax: What is your Success Costing You?

    Sign up for Weekly Career Inspiration

    Learn about Leadership & Advancement Coaching Programmes

    Book a Free 121 Clarity Call

    Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn

    Rate & Review the Podcast

    If you found this episode of Unstuck & Unstoppable helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

    If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Sarah know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: sarah@careertreecoaching.co.uk

    If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to Unstuck & Unstoppable, leave a review and share it with a woman who needs to hear it.

    You're capable of more than you know. Shine brightly. Lead boldly.
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    21 mins
  • Episode 101 The Career Tax: What Is Your Success Really Costing You?

    Episode 101 The Career Tax: What Is Your Success Really Costing You?
    Oct 23 2026

    You’ve worked hard to build your career. You may have the seniority, salary, recognition and reputation you wanted. But what is that success costing you?

    In this episode Sarah explores the career tax: the hidden personal costs we can pay for professional success. From running on empty and sacrificing time with loved ones to losing sight of what we really want, these costs can creep up on us until we start asking, “Is this really worth it?”

    I share five common career costs, examples from my coaching work and my own experience as an HR Director, plus questions to help you decide whether it’s time to make a change.

    You’ll discover how to:

    • Recognise the five hidden costs of career success.
    • Understand why it can be difficult to change, even when your career is taking a toll.
    • Review the psychological contract you have with your work.
    • Rethink what success means to you at this stage of your life and career.
    • Identify what you could change, renegotiate or do differently without automatically having to leave your job.

    Chapters

    00:00 Welcome to Unstuck & Unstoppable

    01:30 What is the career tax?

    02:30 The hidden cost of career success

    03:00 Cost 1: Your energy

    05:30 Cost 2: Your freedom and creativity

    08:30 Cost 3: Your relationships

    09:45 Cost 4: Your sense of self

    10:30 Cost 5: Your future potential

    11:30 Why do we keep paying the career tax?

    13:30 Three questions to help you reassess your career

    14:30 What can you change without leaving your job?

    15:00 Rethinking what success means to you

    16:00 My experience as an HR Director

    17:30 How to rebalance the cost of your career

    18:30 Final thoughts and next steps

    Reflection questions

    Take a moment to consider:

    • What does my career give me that I genuinely value?
    • What is it costing me that I can no longer ignore?
    • If nothing changed in my career over the next 12 months, how would I feel?

    You don't necessarily need to leave your job to make things better. But you do need to be honest with yourself about the price you're paying and whether you're still willing to pay it.

    Useful Links

    Episode 99: Tough Job Market? How to make your current leadership role work for you

    Sign up for Weekly Career Inspiration

    Learn about Leadership & Advancement Coaching Programmes

    Book a Free 121 Clarity Call

    Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn

    Rate & Review the Podcast

    If you found this episode of Unstuck & Unstoppable helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

    If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Sarah know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: sarah@careertreecoaching.co.uk
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    20 mins
  • Episode 100 Celebration: 10 Career Lessons Every Female Leader Should Know

    Episode 100 Celebration: 10 Career Lessons Every Female Leader Should Know
    Oct 16 2026
    Welcome to the 100th episode of Unstuck & Unstoppable! 🎉To celebrate this milestone, career coach and former HR Director Sarah Archer shares 10 powerful career lessons drawn from 16+ years of coaching experience and her time in HR leadership.Whether you're an ambitious woman looking to progress into leadership, feeling stuck in your current role, or wondering what your next career move should be, these insights will help you take a more intentional approach to your career.Each lesson comes with a reflective question to help you apply the insights to your own career and identify where to focus next.In this episode, you'll learn how to:Take ownership of your career rather than waiting for others to manage it for you.Increase your visibility and communicate the value you bring.Build leadership confidence by taking action, even when you feel nervous.Make strategic career decisions based on what matters to you.Use your strengths to increase your impact and job satisfaction.Explore new career possibilities without needing all the answers.Build relationships that open up opportunities.Stop your inner critic from holding you back.Find new meaning in your current role or make a bigger career change.Use small, deliberate actions to build momentum.Timestamps00:00 Celebrating 100 episodes of Unstuck & Unstoppable01:00 Why creating a career that works for you matters02:00 Lesson 1: Stop waiting for someone else to manage your career03:00 Lesson 2: Being good at your job isn't enough04:00 Lesson 3: Confidence follows action05:00 Lesson 4: Your next career move needs strategy, not just ambition05:45 Lesson 5: Understand and amplify your strengths06:30 Lesson 6: You don't need to have your whole future figured out07:15 Lesson 7: Your network is part of your career strategy08:00 Lesson 8: Don't let your inner critic make career decisions for you08:45 Lesson 9: You can change your career without throwing everything away09:30 Lesson 10: Small, deliberate actions create momentum10:00 Your seven-day career challenge10:30 Choose the insight that matters most to you and take your next step10:45 Thank you for 100 episodes and how to stay connectedYour career challengeWhich of these 10 lessons resonates with you most right now?Choose one area you've been neglecting or avoiding, and identify one small action you can take in the next seven days to move your career forward.You don't need to change everything at once. You just need to start.Take your next stepReady to spend some time thinking about your career and planning what comes next?Join Sarah's free 7-Day Career Reset for a structured approach to reviewing where you are, identifying what you want and creating a plan for the next 90 days.Share this episode with a woman who needs a little career inspiration, and please leave a rating or review to help more women discover the podcast.Thank you for being part of the Unstuck & Unstoppable journey!Useful LinksJoin the Free 7 Day Career ResetSign up for Weekly Career InspirationLearn about Leadership & Advancement Coaching ProgrammesBook a Free 121 Clarity CallConnect with Sarah on LinkedInRate & Review the PodcastIf you found this episode of Unstuck & Unstoppable helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Sarah know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: sarah@careertreecoaching.co.uk
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    12 mins
  • Episode 99 Tough Job Market? How to Make Your Current Leadership Job Work for You

    Episode 99 Tough Job Market? How to Make Your Current Leadership Job Work for You
    Oct 9 2026
    The job market feels tough right now. So what if leaving your job doesn't feel like the right option, but staying as you are doesn't feel sustainable either?If you're unhappy, bored, under-challenged or simply no longer enjoying your leadership role, it can be tempting to mentally check out while you wait for the "right" time to move. But staying doesn't have to mean standing still.In this episode, Sarah explores how you can make your current leadership job more fulfilling, meaningful and enjoyable while also using it to build the skills, experience, visibility and confidence you'll need for your next move.Why staying in your current job can be a strategic career decisionHow mentally checking out can damage your confidence and future prospectsHow to redesign your role around what gives you energyThe Keep, Change, Create approach to making your job work better for youHow job crafting can help you create more meaning, challenge and purposeHow to use your current role to build career capital for your next moveWhy visibility, reputation and relationships matter when you're preparing for your next career stepHow to tell whether you're choosing to stay or allowing fear to make the decision for youWhy testing the job market can give you information without committing to leavingA simple 90-day Enjoy, Develop, Explore strategy to keep your career movingTimestamps00:00 – Welcome to Unstuck & Unstoppable01:30 – Why the job market feels tough right now03:00 – When staying feels safer than leaving04:00 – Shift 1: Stop treating your current job as a waiting room06:30 – Shift 2: Redesign your job around what makes you come alive07:00 – Keep, Change, Create09:00 – Job crafting: shaping your role around your strengths10:30 – A client example: making an overwhelming leadership role work better13:30 – Shift 3: Use your current job to build the career you want14:00 – Building your career capital15:00 – Visibility, reputation and relationships16:30 – Is fear making the decision for you?18:00 – Confidence, uncertainty and the evidence your brain needs19:00 – Your 90-day strategy: Enjoy, Develop, Explore20:00 – Using the Seven Day Career Reset to plan your next moveA question for youIf you knew you were going to stay in your current job for another 12 months, what would need to change for it to feel fulfilling?You don't have to leave your job to start changing your career. You can improve your experience now while deliberately building your options for later.Useful LinksJoin the & Day Career ResetEpisode 30 How To Identify Your Strengths For A New Leadership RoleEpisode 55 How To Increase Your Visibility As A Leader Using LinkedInEpisode 61 How To Create A Personal Board For Your Leadership CareerEpisode 6 How To Boost Your Leadership ConfidenceSign up for Weekly Career InspirationLearn about Leadership & Advancement Coaching ProgrammesBook a Free 121 Clarity CallConnect with Sarah on LinkedInRate & Review the PodcastIf you found this episode of Unstuck & Unstoppable helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Sarah know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: sarah@careertreecoaching.co.uk
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    21 mins
  • Episode 98 You Know What To Do. So Why Aren’t You Doing It?

    Episode 98 You Know What To Do. So Why Aren’t You Doing It?
    Oct 2 2026
    You know you should have the conversation with your boss. Put yourself forward for the promotion. Start exploring other roles. Become more visible. Stop saying yes to everything.You think about it. You might even make a plan.And then… nothing happens.In this episode Sarah explores why knowing what you want to do doesn’t always translate into taking action. Sometimes what looks like procrastination is actually a way of protecting ourselves from uncertainty, rejection, discomfort or the possibility of becoming someone different.We look at what your inaction might be protecting you from, the hidden cost of staying where you are, why waiting to feel ready can keep you stuck, and how your existing identity might make your next career move feel uncomfortable.Most importantly, we get practical.You don't need to have your whole career figured out. You don't need a five-year plan. And you don't need to make a huge, life-changing decision tomorrow.Instead, you can take one small step that gives you more information.Because action gives you information that thinking can't.In this episode, we explore:Why career procrastination isn't always a motivation problemWhat your inaction might be protecting you fromThe hidden cost of staying in a role or situation that no longer works for youThe trade-offs that come with career change and progressionWhy waiting until you feel ready can keep you stuckHow preparation can sometimes become a form of avoidanceThe identity you may be protecting as you consider your next stepHow to make a big career action much smallerWhy small actions generate useful information and build confidenceThe two questions to ask when you know what you want but aren't taking actionTimestamps00:00 – Welcome to Unstuck & UnstoppableIntroducing the podcast and who it's for.01:27 – You know what to do, so why aren't you doing it?Why knowing what you want doesn't automatically lead to action.03:00 – What is your inaction protecting you from?Looking beyond procrastination to the uncertainty, rejection and discomfort underneath it.04:00 – Maybe you don't have an action problemWhy not taking action can sometimes feel like the safest and most rational choice.06:00 – The hidden cost of staying stuckWhat another year in the same situation could cost you in energy, confidence, time and opportunities.07:00 – What will you have to give up?Understanding the trade-offs that come with career progression and change.09:00 – Are you waiting to feel ready?Why there may never be a perfect moment when you suddenly feel ready to take the next step.10:00 – Thoughtful or stuck?When preparation and reflection become a way of avoiding action.11:00 – What identity are you protecting?How becoming more senior, visible or ambitious can require you to step beyond an identity that has served you well.12:00 – Make the action smallerWhy you don't need to rewrite your whole CV, build the perfect business case or completely reinvent yourself.14:00 – Let action give you informationHow small experiments can help you discover what you really want and build confidence.15:00 – Two questions to help you move forward“If I knew I couldn't fail, what would I do?” followed by the more useful question: what's the smallest version of that action?16:00 – Maybe you don't need certainty. Maybe you need permission.Permission to explore, change your mind, want something different and take a step without knowing exactly where it will lead.17:00 – Don't let your career reset disappearChoose one small action and put it in your diary.18:00 – Closing thoughtsA final reminder that your career is built through the small decisions and actions you take along the way.Useful LinksJoin The 7 Day Career ResetLearn about Leadership & Advancement Coaching ProgrammesBook a Free 121 Clarity CallConnect with Sarah on LinkedInRate & Review the PodcastIf you found this episode of Unstuck & Unstoppable helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Sarah know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: sarah@careertreecoaching.co.uk
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    19 mins
  • (Day 7) The 7 Day Career Reset Sprint - DESIGN

    (Day 7) The 7 Day Career Reset Sprint - DESIGN
    Oct 1 2026

    You’ve made it to Day 7! Today is about turning everything you’ve thought about over the last week into action. Rather than trying to map out your whole career, you’ll create a practical 90-day plan with up to three priorities, clear actions and the support you need to follow through.

    In this episode, you’ll explore:

    • Why 90 days is a useful timeframe for career progress
    • What you want to have achieved three months from now
    • How to choose your three most important career priorities
    • The actions, people and time needed to make progress
    • What will help you actually follow through
    • How to turn your reflections from the past seven days into a practical plan

    Chapters:

    • 00:00 Welcome to Day 7
    • 00:40 Why create a 90-day plan?
    • 01:00 What would make you proud of your progress?
    • 01:30 Choose your three priorities
    • 02:00 What will make your plan happen?
    • 03:00 Complete your 90-day action plan
    • 03:30 Look back at your seven-day journey
    • 04:00 You don’t need to have your whole career figured out
    • 04:30 The Ambition Plan
    • 04:45 Your final action and Power Hour reminder

    Coaching question:

    What could be different in my career 90 days from now if I actually follow this through?

    Key thought:

    You don’t need to have your whole career figured out. You just need to be willing to take responsibility for the direction you’re heading in and make time to move things forward.

    Useful Links

    Join The 7 Day Career Reset

    Learn about Leadership & Advancement Coaching Programmes

    Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn

    Rate & Review the Podcast

    If you found this episode of Unstuck & Unstoppable helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

    If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Sarah know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: sarah@careertreecoaching.co.uk
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    5 mins
  • (Day 6) The 7 Day Career Reset Sprint - CHOOSE

    (Day 6) The 7 Day Career Reset Sprint - CHOOSE
    Sep 30 2026

    Making a career decision can feel difficult when you want certainty before you act. But you don’t have to decide your whole career today. You just need to decide what you’re going to explore next.

    In Day 6, you’ll consider three possible directions: stay, grow or go, and identify the option that gives you the strongest sense of energy, curiosity or possibility.

    Chapters

    00:00 Welcome to Day 6

    00:30 Why making career decisions feels difficult

    01:00 Stay: What could you change where you are?

    01:30 Grow: What would progression look like?

    02:00 Go: What could moving somewhere new mean?

    02:30 Explore rather than commit

    03:00 Your Day 6 action

    04:00 Tomorrow: Your 90-day career plan

    Coaching question

    What would I like to explore next, without needing to commit to it yet?

    Key thought

    You don’t have to make the perfect career decision. You can choose to explore.

    Intentions are great, but action is where careers start to change.

    Useful Links

    Sign Up For The 7 Day Career Reset

    Learn about Leadership & Advancement Coaching Programmes

    Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn

    Rate & Review the Podcast

    If you found this episode of Unstuck & Unstoppable helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

    If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Sarah know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: sarah@careertreecoaching.co.uk
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    5 mins