Episode 2: If you’re thinking about changing careers but feel stuck because you just don’t know where to start then this episode is for you.

Join Certified Career Change Coach Dana Stevens as she shares why most people begin their career change in the wrong place (by job hunting!) and what to focus on instead.
You’ll learn how to start your career change journey with clarity and confidence by identifying what you truly want and need in your next chapter, not just what you think you should do.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• The biggest mistake people make when starting a career change
• Why “panic applying” keeps you stuck in old patterns
• The first essential step in designing a working life that actually fits your needs
• How to define your Life-First Criteria,  the foundation for confident career decisions
• How to gently challenge the belief that you “don’t know what you want”

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

​​Episode 1: Welcome to The Career Change Studio. In this very first episode, I’m sharing my personal story of successfully changing careers not once - but twice, including how I transitioned in my 30s and again in my 40s.

From starting out as a BBC Radio Producer, becoming a Strategist in advertising, and later becoming a Career Change coach, I walk you through the real, raw moments of reinvention - including the doubts, the grief of leaving a former identity, and the practical steps that helped me create a working life that truly fits who I am now.

This episode is for anyone who feels stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure about what’s next - especially if you’re navigating a major life shift, juggling family, or just questioning whether it’s “too late” to make a change.

In this episode, I cover:

• Why I changed careers (twice) and what I learned each time
  
  
• The real reasons many people pivot - beyond passion and purpose
  
  
• The mindset shifts that helped me find clarity and confidence
  
  
• How career coaching tools helped me redesign my life
  
  
• Why it’s never too late to take action on what you truly want

If you’ve ever thought, “I need a change but I’m not sure if it’s possible” this inspiring episode is for you.

To book a free consultation with me, to discuss how coaching can help you change careers just click here: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

To find out more about working with me, just visit my website: www.danastevens.com

Hit the SUBSCRIBE button to make sure you get career change inspiration delivered to you each week. A REVIEW would also be super useful and would help other people find this podcast.

And feel free to share this with any friends, family or colleagues who are curious about switching careers.

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

The Career Change Studio is your go-to podcast to help you design and create a new working life so that you can live the way you want and need in your next chapter. Join Certified Career Change Coach Dana Stevens for practical advice, inspiration, mindset shifts, and proven strategies to help you move on from unfulfilling work, explore new directions, and design a career that works for you.

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Are you stuck overthinking your next career move because you’re afraid of getting it wrong? In this episode, Career Change Coach Dana Stevens unpacsk how perfectionism, that voice telling you your next job has to be 100% right, can keep you stuck in place. You’ll learn how to think differently about it so that you can release the pressure and stop feeling paralysed. 

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why striving for the perfect job keeps you paralysed
• Why your next job doesn’t need to be your forever job
• How to embrace uncertainty and see mistakes as progress

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, lost, or guilty about wanting a career change, this episode of The Career Change Studio is for you.

We dive into what it really means to find yourself at a career crossroads in midlife  and why it’s not a sign of failure, but of growth. You’ll learn why feeling disconnected from your job doesn’t mean you’re broken or directionless. Itt simply means you’ve changed.

Dana explores:

• Why so many professionals in midlife feel trapped in jobs that no longer fit
  
  
• The hidden stories we tell ourselves “I’m lost,” “I’m indecisive,” “I should have it figured out by now”
  
  
• How to release the guilt and shame around wanting something different
  
  
• The powerful truth that your values, priorities, and needs evolve… and that’s okay
  
  
• A simple reflection to help you reconnect with who you are now and what you truly want next

By the end, you’ll see your so-called “stuckness” for what it really is, a sign that you’re ready for your next chapter.

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 6: If you’re telling yourself that you’re too old to change careers or you are worrying that you have left it too late, then this episode is a must-listen.

Join Certified Career Change Coach Dana Stevens as she explains why your age is not the problem, but rather how you are thinking about your age. You’ll learn how your thoughts can hold you back and how thinking differently is going to be really helpful

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• How focusing on what is possible for you can actually create real change 
• Inspiring true stories of women who have seen midlife as just the start
• How to think differently about the number of years you have left in the workplace. 

To hear Dana’s personal story of career change, just click here to listen to episode 1.

Click here to read Patricia Routledge's Letter to Life

ARTICLES ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE CHANGED CAREERS

• The Guardian: A new start after 60: I quit my job, bought a camera – and became a successful wildlife photographer
• A stunning second act! Meet the people who changed course in midlife – and loved it
• BBC: The mid-career workers pivoting to dream jobs
• Forbes: Career Change After 50: Why Midlife Is The Best Time To Pivot
• Financial Times: A mid-life career change is as good as a rest

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Struggling to make a decision about changing careers?
In episode 5 of The Career Change Studio, I unpack why so many people feel indecisive when they start contemplating change in their careers  and how you can start thinking differently about it. 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why indecision shows up during a career change and why it’s a normal part of the process
• How indecisions can actually be a choice!  
• How your brain’s programming can argue to keep you stuck in your “comfort zone” and how this can ultimately create more discomfort over time.
• A simple thing you can do today to challenge your perception that you are indecisive.

Being indecisive isn’t a fixed personality trait, it’s a behaviour pattern you can change. 

If you want personalised support to make clearer, more confident career decisions, you can get in touch to explore 1:1 Career Change coaching with me.

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 7: In this episode, I break down two of the most common myths that stop people from pursuing the career change they truly want.

First, I’ll unpack the misconception that changing careers means starting from scratch and explain why you’re actually building on a foundation of valuable experience, transferable skills, and personal growth.

Then, I’ll tackle the sunk cost fallacy: the belief that walking away from your current path means you’ve wasted all the time, energy, and money you’ve invested. You’ll learn why this thought error is not only untrue, but also counterproductive  and how reframing it can make the difference to being open to new opportunities. 

If you’ve ever felt stuck between your current career and the one you really want, this episode will help you see your past not as wasted effort, but as the launchpad for your next chapter.

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 9: In this episode, Career Change Coach Dana Stevens talks about one of her favourite topics - Confidence. And why it’s essential to start building it before you make your next move.

If you’ve ever told yourself, “I’ll feel more confident once I get the new job,” this episode will offer you a different perspective.  I’ll explain why waiting for external validation can actually keep you stuck, and how taking ownership of your confidence now will make your transition smoother, more intentional, and far more empowering.

You’ll also learn my Confidence Fire analogy, a simple but powerful way to understand why you need to be the one fueling your own confidence, rather than relying on others to light that spark for you.

Whether you’re thinking about a career pivot or already planning your next step, this episode will help you take back control of your confidence and use it as the foundation for your next chapter.

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 8: In this episode, we’re diving into the powerful role that Limiting Beliefs play in keeping you stuck and how they can hold you back from making the career change you truly want.

You’ll learn what Limiting Beliefs actually are, how to start identifying your own, and why simply becoming aware of them is the first step toward transformation. I’ll share how these beliefs can stop you from seeing new opportunities, keep you clinging to familiar patterns, and even make you doubt your ability to create the working life you really want.

Most importantly, we’ll explore how awareness can help you shift those beliefs so you can move forward with confidence, openness, and a renewed sense of possibility in your career.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, uncertain, or held back by fear, this episode will help you start breaking free from the thoughts that are keeping you from the career you’re meant to have.

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 11: Before you set new career goals for the new year, it can be helpful to take the time to look back to help you move forwards. In this practical and reflective episode, I explain why reviewing your past year at work is so useful.

Join me, Career Change Coach Dana Stevens, as I  walk you through a step-by-step Career Audit, complete with guided questions to help you assess your wins, lessons, and next steps. Whether you’re considering a full career change or simply want to feel more aligned in your current role, this episode will help you gain insight, direction, and renewed motivation.

✨ You’ll learn:

• Why self-reflection is your most powerful career planning tool
  
  
• How to identify what truly worked (and what didn’t) in your career this year
  
  
• The simple questions that reveal your next right move

🎧 Tune in now and give yourself the clarity you need to make the year ahead your most intentional yet.

In this week’s episode, I am also inviting you to join me live for a brand new masterclass for 2026 on Monday 12th January at 7.30pm. In  ‘From Stuck to Sure: Making Confident Career Change Decisions in 2026’  I’ll be sharing how you can figure out what to do next in your career. What will make decisions not only feel easier but be in alignment with how you really want to be living and working in the future. You are going to find it so valuable and I’ll be doing a live Q&A where you can ask me any questions that you have about the process. To sign up for your free place just click here: danastevens.com/decide2026

Let’s let’s make this next year the one where you really start making the changes you really want.

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 10:  In this episode, Career Change Coach Dana Stevens helps you to shift your perspective on something that can quietly shape every part of your life: your self-talk.

If your internal monologue is unhelpful and unkind, Dana explains how even small phrases can have a powerful impact. They could be keeping you stuck, holding back your confidence, and slowing down the change you want to create.

Dana explores why the language you use with yourself and about yourself matters so much, and how shifting it can completely change how you feel, think, and act. You’ll hear real examples of common negative phrases and learn practical ways to reframe them into supportive, empowering language.

By the end of this episode, you’ll see why committing to more compassionate, encouraging self-talk is one of the best gifts you can give yourself and how you can start making that change today.

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 12: In this episode, learn how to set career goals that actually light you up and motivate you to take bold action in 2026.

I’ll walk you through:

• Why it’s important to set goals for yourself
• How to reframe goals so they inspire and energise you
• A step-by-step process to create career goals that align with the life you want that you’ll be excited to chase this year

🎧 Listen now to create the focus and direction to be intentional about the career and life you want in the year ahead.

In this week’s episode, I am also inviting you to join me live for a brand new masterclass for 2026 on Monday 12th January at 7pm. In  ‘From Stuck to Sure: Making Confident Career Change Decisions in 2026’  I’ll be sharing how you can figure out what to do next in your career. What will make decisions not only feel easier but be in alignment with how you really want to be living and working in the future. You are going to find it so valuable and I’ll be doing a live Q&A where you can ask me any questions that you have about the process. To sign up for your free place just click here: danastevens.com/decide2026

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 13: What if your career could fit your life, not consume it?
In this episode, I break down what it really means to have a Life-First Career and why it is so important to approach your career change in this way.

You’ll learn:

• What a Life-First Career actually is
• The key parts of my Life-First Career Method®
• How my new group coaching program can help you put this process into action

The Doors for the LIFE-FIRST CAREER ACCELERATOR group coaching programme are open now for a limited time. They close at midday on Monday 19th January.

To find out more information and to join the programme visit my website: https://www.danastevens.com/JoinAccelerator

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 14. What if the discomfort you’re feeling isn’t a sign to stop but an invitation to grow?
In this episode, we explore the concept of Intentional Discomfort - the practice of willingly stepping into discomfort as a tool for meaningful, lasting change.

You’ll discover:

• Why discomfort isn’t the same as danger, and how understanding the difference can unlock courage during uncertain transitions.
  
  
• How viewing discomfort as temporary helps you stay grounded and resilient through the ups and downs of career change.
  
  
• How to make discomfort productive, using it as fuel for learning, creativity, and reinvention.

Whether you’re pivoting into a new role, starting fresh in a new field, or questioning your next professional step, this episode will help you reframe discomfort as progress not pain.

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 15: If you’ve been thinking about changing careers but feel stuck, confused, or frustrated with yourself, this episode is for you.

So many people believe they should feel clear by now. That one day a lightning-bolt moment will arrive and the answer will suddenly appear.  When that doesn’t happen, they assume something is wrong with them and stay exactly where they are.

In this episode, I’m busting some of the most common career change myths that quietly keep people stuck for years.

In this episode, we explore:

• The myth of the “lightbulb” or eureka moment

 Why waiting for sudden clarity can actually block progress. 

• The belief that someone else will rescue you

 Whether it’s an ex-colleague or a perfect opportunity,  why waiting to be “saved” keeps you powerless in your career.

• The false belief that you should have it figured out by now

 How unrealistic expectations and comparison create shame, self-doubt, and paralysis during career transitions.

This episode will help you reframe where you are, let go of unnecessary pressure, and start moving forward.

If you’re tired of feeling stuck and ready to approach your career change with more self-trust and realism, this conversation will give you a much-needed reset.

🎧 Listen now and take your first step forward.

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 16: Fear is one of the biggest reasons people stay stuck in careers that no longer fit, yet it’s also one of the most misunderstood parts of the career change process.

In this episode, I explain why fear is not a sign you’re doing something wrong, but a completely normal (and expected) part of navigating change. Rather than trying to silence fear or push through it, I share a more helpful way to understand what fear is really doing and how to work with it instead of against it.

I introduce my concept of the fear alarm: why fear often shows up loudly during career transitions and how to tell the difference between real risk and emotional discomfort.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why fear is a normal part of any career change
  And why waiting to feel “fear-free” keeps you stuck.
  
  
• The Fear Alarm
  How fear functions as an internal warning system and how to interpret it without letting it run the show.
  
  
• The benefits of examining your fears
  What happens when you get curious about fear instead of avoiding it.
  
  
• Why fear is often really a fear of our feelings
  How we confuse emotional discomfort with danger and how this keeps us playing small.
  
  
• How to make informed decisions and create a safety net
  Why its important to reduce risk, build confidence, and move forward without reckless leaps.

If fear has been the thing holding you back from taking your next step, this episode will help you feel more capable of navigating fear, without needing to get rid of it first.

🎧 Listen now and learn how to change careers without letting fear decide for you

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 19: What if one of the the biggest obstacles to career change is actually your relationship with change itself?

In this episode, Career Change Coach Dana Stevens explores how your thoughts about change shape your ability to actually make one. Because becoming someone who successfully navigates a career shift isn’t just about strategy, it’s about identity.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Reflective prompts to uncover what you truly believe about change
• What Change Fluency is  and why it’s a skill you can develop
• How to use Mini Change Goals to start becoming the person who believes change is possible 

If this resonates, I invite you to my free masterclass on Tuesday 3rd March 2026 Mindset Shifts to Successfully Change Careers. You can use this link to sign up: https://www.danastevens.com/MindsetShiftsMarch26 

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 18: What if the version of “success” you’ve been chasing… isn’t actually yours?

In this episode, we explore how your idea of success was formed and why it might be time to question it, especially if you’re considering a career change.

Many of us carry an image of success that was shaped by our upbringing - our parents, culture or an earlier versions of ourselves. We might have been chasing promotions, titles, money or status. But as we grow, our priorities shift. What felt meaningful at 25 may feel completely different at 35, 45, or beyond.

In this episode, we dive into:

• Why you've likely been chasing a fixed image of success in your mind
• Why it’s essential to reassess success based on your current age and stage of life
• Reflective questions to help you redefine success on your own terms

You’ll be invited to get honest about what success really looks like for you now. Not who you used to be, not who others expect you to be, but who you are today.

If you’re thinking about changing careers, this conversation will help you make decisions rooted in clarity rather than pressure, comparison, or habit.

Because sometimes the first step in changing your career is changing your definition of success.

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 17: Confidence is something many women say they want more of yet we often hold back from building our own up.

In this episode, we explore why growing your confidence often feels risky, awkward, or “too much,”. This conversation is designed to help you start thinking differently about confidence, so it stops being something you avoid and starts becoming something you can intentionally build.

I introduce the concept of the Arrogance Fallacy, the mistaken belief that being more confident inevitably leads to becoming arrogant. . When confidence is mistaken for ego, many women respond by softening, shrinking, or staying quiet, even when they’re capable of more. Over time, this confusion can keep you playing small, second-guessing yourself, and holding back from the next chapter you want to move toward.

If you’re thinking of changing careers, building up your confidence can be key and this episode will help you understand why you might have been holding back before now.

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 20: What if the career change you've been putting off isn't a leap into the unknown, it's simply catching up with a season that has already started? 

In this episode, Dana explores one of the most powerful mindset shifts for women thinking about changing careers: seeing your life as a series of seasons rather than one long continuous story. 

You'll learn:

> How to recognise the signs that your season has already changed

> Why we resist entering new chapters even when the old one is clearly over

> How thinking about your next career move as "right for this season" rather than "right forever" can take the pressure off and make everything feel more possible. 

And you'll have some powerful questions you can use to try your own Season Audit.

Dana also mentioned an upcoming Masterclass Mindset Shifts for Successful Career Change so if you are listening on the day the episode is released Tuesday 3rd March, you still have time to sign up for the session at 7pm. Just click here to join.

If you are listening after the Masterclass week in March you can either message Dana for a link to replay video or keep an eye on her website for upcoming masterclasses.

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 23: Part two of a two part series. 

In Part One we looked at indecision as an active choice with hidden costs. In Part Two, Career Change Coach Dana Stevens goes deeper into the most common reason women stay stuck: the very convincing, very rational-sounding belief that now is not quite the right time. Work needs to be less busy. Life needs to calm down. Each reason sounds entirely sensible. But underneath almost all of them is something else. In this episode Dana unpacks what the waiting is really about, why the conditions you are waiting for rarely arrive on their own, and what a different kind of readiness actually looks like.

In this episode you will learn:

• The most common waiting patterns Dana hears from her clients and what they are really about
• Why "I'll do it when I feel more ready" is one of the most common and least useful stories we tell ourselves
• What you are actually waiting for when you say the time isn't right yet
• Why the clarity and confidence you are waiting to feel is something the work produces, not a prerequisite for starting it

Click here to listen to Part One: Indecision Is a Choice

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 22: We tend to think about indecision as something neutral. A pause before the real thing begins. But what if it isn't neutral at all? In this episode, Career Change Coach Dana Stevens makes the case that indecision is an active choice, with real and ongoing costs. If you have been sitting on a career decision for months or years, wondering why you can't seem to move forward, this episode will change how you see where you are. Part Two next week explores the specific patterns we use to justify waiting, and what is really driving them.

In this episode you will learn:

• Why indecision is not neutral, and what it is actually doing in your life
• The hidden emotional, confidence and time costs of staying in the middle
• Why we are much better at calculating the risk of acting than the risk of not acting
• Why certainty comes after the decision, not before it
• A practical reframe to help you see your own indecision more clearly
• What a powerful first decision actually looks like, even when you don't have everything figured out

Listen next week for part 2.

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 21: When did you last think of yourself as someone full of potential? If it's been a while, this episode is for you.

We live in a culture that associates potential with youth. But what if that story isn't just unhelpful, what if it's factually wrong? In this episode, Career Change coach Dana Stevens makes the case that women in midlife actually have more potential now than at any other point in their lives, and backs it up with the science to prove it.

Whether you are considering a career change in your 40s, thinking about changing careers in midlife, or simply feeling like your best years are behind you, this episode will change how you see yourself and what you believe is possible.

In this episode you will learn:

• Why midlife career changers have a compounding advantage that younger people simply don't have
• What neuroscience and neuroplasticity research tells us about the adult brain's ongoing capacity for growth and learning
• Why the cultural story that potential belongs to the young is not only unhelpful but factually incorrect
• How your mindset about your own potential directly shapes the actions you take and the results you create
• A practical taking stock exercise to help you see your own potential clearly, many for the first time in years
• How one simple shift in how you think about yourself can be the beginning of real, lasting career change

Resources mentioned: Carol Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 26: A common thing Career Change Coach Dana Stevens hears from women who are thinking about coaching is:

"I just need to get my head sorted first. Then I'll be ready to start." 

In this episode, Dana explores why that thought, though completely understandable, contains a loop that is very hard to break from the inside. The clarity you are waiting to have before you begin is not a starting point. It is one of the things the coaching process is specifically designed to produce. And waiting to have it before you start is, in the most literal sense, waiting for the result before allowing the process to begin.

If you have been going round in circles and wondering why you cannot seem to get clear, this episode will reframe that in a way that might change when you decide to start.

In this episode you will learn:

• Why wanting to be prepared before you begin coaching is a completely understandable instinct, and why it works against you in this specific situation
• The circular logic at the heart of waiting to have your head sorted before starting
• What sorted actually looks like at the end of a coaching process, and where it comes from
• Why the only way to reach the clarity you are waiting for is to stop waiting and start

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 25: Concern about money is one of the most common reasons women hold back from exploring a career change. You might be the breadwinner or a single parent or worried that you can't afford to start again.  In this episode, Career Change Coach Dana Stevens has the honest conversation about financial fear and career change. 

In this episode you will learn:

• Why the assumption that career change means financial sacrifice is worth questioning before it becomes a conclusion
• The difference between a genuine financial constraint and a financial story constructed before the options have been explored
• How the Life-First Career Method builds your financial reality into the process from the very beginning
• Why dreaming big and being financially grounded are not in opposition and how the process holds both
• The financial calculation most people never do: what is staying in the wrong role actually costing you?

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 24:  If you are exhausted, overextended and running on empty, you'll already know all about it. What you might not know is why. In this episode, Career Change Coach Dana Stevens explores the relationship between overwork, boundaries and the beliefs that quietly drive them. This episode helps you understand why boundaries  matter, and why addressing this might be one of the most important parts of your career change journey.

In this episode you will learn:

• Why exhaustion can make career change feel impossible, and why just accepting that is not the answer
• How to tell the difference between a genuinely demanding job and a pattern of behaviour you have been carrying across roles
• What is often underneath the inability to hold boundaries at work, and why it is rarely just about time management
• The real cost of overworking beyond tiredness, including what it does to your confidence and sense of self-worth
• How beginning to hold boundaries is not just a practical strategy but the beginning of a new identity

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 27: You think of a career idea and your brain immediately jumps to the how. The How feels difficult or even impossible, so you dismiss it.

In this episode, Career Change coach Dana Stevens unpacks why this pattern is so common, why it is costing you options you have never actually examined, and what to do instead. 

In this episode you will learn:

• Why asking how before whether is the wrong sequence, and what to ask first
• How to use the "is it worth it" question to completely change your relationship to difficult routes and complicated transitions
• A practical framework for the right questions in the right order, so that new ideas get a fair hearing before the how shuts them down

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 31: What if you could stop focusing on escaping where you are and start moving towards something that genuinely lights you up? In this episode, Career Change coach Dana Stevens makes the case for why joy is not just a nice thing to think about but one of the most practically useful tools in the career change process. 

In this episode you will learn:

• Why escaping what you do not want is never quite enough, and what changes when you have a vision of where you are going instead
• What the Joy Experiment is, and why the only rule is curiosity rather than pressure
• Why you do not have to wait for things to change before you start having more joy in your life

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 30: This week is Mental Health Awareness Week, and Career Change Coach Dana Stevens wants to talk about the experience of struggling on in a job that no longer fits and the impact that can have. So many people can tell themselves a story that it is their fault; that there must be something wrong with them or it's a sign they are broken. In this episode Dana challenges that story, makes the case that the most likely reason for struggling is a mismatch rather than a personal failing, and talks honestly about what staying in that mismatch costs. 

In this episode you will learn:

• How to think differently about a job that you are struggling in
• Why you and your job are probably no longer a match
• The real and cumulative mental health costs of staying in a job that no longer fits
• Why a career that genuinely fits can have a profound impact on your mental health, your confidence and your whole life

If you are experiencing serious mental health difficulties, please speak to your GP or contact a mental health professional.

Mind (mental health support): www.mind.org.uk

Samaritans (if you need to talk): 116 123

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 29: Navigating perimenopause or menopause while also trying to figure out what to do with your career is something that Career Change Coach Dana Stevens experiences regularly with her clients. And yet it is rarely talked about.  In this episode Dana talks about the brain fog, the anxiety, the rage, the confidence erosion, the feeling of not quite recognising yourself anymore, and how all of that intersects with the already significant question of what to do next in your career.  And she explains specifically why a structured process with the right support does not add to the overwhelm of this time, it significantly reduces it.

In this episode you will learn:

• Why perimenopause and career uncertainty so often arrive together, and why that is not a coincidence
• The identity shift that perimenopause brings, and why it carries genuinely useful information about what you want next
• How the mindset tools in coaching specifically address the confidence erosion and thought patterns this stage of life can bring
• Why this time of life is not the end of your potential for meaningful change but, for many women, the beginning of the most honest chapter of their career yet

If you are experiencing symptoms of perimenopause or menopause, please speak to your GP or a healthcare professional for medical support.

At the start of the episode Dana also mentions her group coaching programme 'The Life-First Career Accelerator', for more info and to join the waiting list just click here to visit her website.

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 28: If you have been thinking about booking a free coaching consultation but are not quite sure what to expect, this episode is for you. Career Change Coach Dana Stevens walks you through exactly what happens in a consultation call, from what you actually talk about to what you walk away with. 

In this episode you will learn:

• What a free consultation actually is, and what it is  not
• Exactly what you talk about in the hour, and why it is different from talking to the people already in your life
• What people typically walk away with, emotionally and practically
• Why you do not need to be sorted, ready or clear before you book
• Who these calls are genuinely designed for, particularly women in midlife who know something needs to change
• Why booking is not a commitment to anything except an hour of proper attention on something that matters

Book your free consultation with Dana during Consult Week: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 32: All or nothing thinking is one of the most common thought patterns people get stuck in. It is the thinking that tells you the choice is between staying exactly as you are or throwing everything away and starting from scratch. Between doing something perfectly or not bothering at all. Between total success and complete failure. In this episode Dana explains what all or nothing thinking actually is, how to recognise it in your own head, and most importantly how to think differently when it shows up. 

In this episode you will learn:

• What all or nothing thinking is 
• How it shows up specifically in career change and why it is one of the main reasons people stay stuck
• The real spectrum of career change that all or nothing thinking makes invisible
• Four practical questions to ask yourself when you notice all or nothing thinking taking over

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.

Episode 33: Have you been told that the key to changing careers is to find your passion? And have you then tried to locate said passion and come up more or less blank? In this episode, Career Change coach Dana Stevens dismantles the follow your passion narrative and explains why it is one of the most unhelpful ideas in the career change conversation. If you have been holding back from making a move because you cannot identify your passion, this episode will change how you think about where to start.

In this episode you will learn:

• Why pragmatic reasons for changing careers are completely valid and lead to real and meaningful change
• The full story of Dana's own career change from BBC radio producer to online content and social media, and why passion had nothing to do with it
• What you can use instead of passion to figure out what you want, including the Life-First Criteria

Connect with Dana:

Website: https://www.danastevens.com/workwithme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_stevens_coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastevens1/
Free Coaching Consultation: https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

If this episode resonated, follow The Career Change Studio and share it with someone who’s feeling stuck in their career.

And if you’re ready to design a working life that truly fits your needs and lifestyle, book a free clarity call at https://calendly.com/danastevens/initial-coaching-chat

Special thanks to @Lou_Greenaway_Music for the piano composition and performance.