Control Your Career: Career Growth and Strategy for Ambitious Professionals

Hosted by Julia Toothacre | Helping Professionals Grow and Advance Their Careers

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174

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Sep 2026

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About the show

Control Your Career is a career strategy podcast for professionals who want to make better career decisions, navigate workplace challenges, and take an active role in shaping what's next. Hosted by Julia Toothacre, career strategist and creator of the Control Your Career framework, the show explores career growth, workplace dynamics, leadership, career transitions, and the trends shaping today's world of work. Drawing on more than 15 years of experience in career development, Julia combines practical career strategy with a real-world perspective to help listeners navigate today's workplace and build careers they don't leave to chance. Topics include: → Career strategy and long-term career growth → Career advancement, promotions, and increasing your influence at work → Workplace relationships, office politics, organizational dynamics, and difficult managers → Leadership, executive presence, visibility, and sponsorship → Career change, career crossroads, and major career decisions → Aligning your career with your strengths, values, and goals → Hiring trends, AI, labor market updates, and the changing world of work Through a mix of solo episodes, expert interviews, and commentary on current workplace issues, you'll gain practical strategies to navigate your career with greater clarity, confidence, and control. Learn more at ridethetidecollective.com

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September 29, 2026Episode 17440 min

Your Career Decisions Need Context

Career advice can sound universal until it collides with the realities of your actual life. A recommendation to leave a job, accept a promotion, take a pay cut, negotiate, or change careers may be perfectly reasonable for one person and completely inappropriate for someone facing different financial obligations, professional circumstances, or market conditions. In this solo episode, Julia Toothacre introduces Realistic Reality, the first stage of her Control Your Career process. She explains why career clarity should begin with an accurate understanding of three areas: your personal reality, your current career reality, and the external conditions affecting your options. Rather than using these factors as reasons something cannot happen, Julia shows how they can provide the context needed to make more informed decisions about timing, risk, opportunity, and what comes next. What Julia Discusses Why Julia begins her career decision-making process with reality before moving into identity, strengths, values, and interests How finances, caregiving, location, capacity, lifestyle, and risk tolerance influence career choices Why two people can face the same opportunity and reasonably make very different decisions How to assess your experience, qualifications, reputation, network, compensation, and advancement opportunities using evidence rather than assumptions Why professionals often underestimate or overestimate where they currently stand How organizational conditions, industry trends, hiring activity, technology, geography, and the labor market affect career options Why broad statements about the job market rarely describe every profession, industry, level, or location accurately How the three realities can help you evaluate a decision such as whether to leave your current job Why generalized career advice needs context before you decide whether it applies to you The Realistic Reality Framework Personal Reality Your personal reality includes the circumstances in your life that affect what is reasonable or possible right now, including finances, caregiving responsibilities, location, time, capacity, lifestyle, risk tolerance, and other commitments. Career Reality Your career reality reflects where you currently stand professionally, including your experience, skills, qualifications, compensation history, career stage, reputation, network, responsibilities, and available opportunities. External Reality Your external reality includes conditions you may need to account for even though you cannot directly control them, such as organizational decisions, labor-market conditions, industry trends, technology, hiring activity, economic conditions, and geography. Resources Mentioned Related episode on promotion and advancement: Episode 172, When a Promotion Isn't Available: How to Keep Growing Your Career Related conversations with Tank Rhodes: Julia references her discussions with Tank about hiring, networking, and current job-market conditions. Julia's upcoming book: Realistic Reality is the first stage of the five-stage Control Your Career process Julia is developing in her upcoming book. Control Your Career Resources Read The Blog: https://ridethetidecollective.com/2026/09/29/why-career-advice-needs-context/ Explore all episodes: https://ridethetidecollective.com/podcast/ Connect with Julia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliakrussell/ Visit the website: https://ridethetidecollective.com Get career resources: https://ridethetidecollective.com/free/

September 22, 2026Episode 17354 min

Purpose, Burnout, and Career Clarity with Jen Margolis

Meaningful work can provide a strong sense of purpose, but it can also make career decisions more complicated when a person begins to equate the mission of an organization with their own identity. In nonprofit and mission-driven work especially, commitment to the cause can influence what someone is willing to accept around compensation, workload, emotional demands, boundaries, or long-term sustainability. In this episode, Julia Toothacre speaks with executive coach and consultant Jen Margolis about the relationship between personal purpose and organizational mission. They explore why an organization's purpose should not become an employee's entire identity, whether everyone needs to find meaning through work, and how professionals can clarify what they uniquely contribute without assuming that contribution must be expressed through one employer or career path. Jen also shares practical ways to create separation from emotionally demanding work, reconnect with what matters now, and reconsider a career that may still feel meaningful but no longer fits the person you have become. ep173 Jen Margolis 4k.txtTXT What Julia and Jen Discuss Why mission-driven work can provide meaning while also creating complicated career trade-offs The distinction between an organization's purpose and an individual's personal purpose Why purpose is broader than a job title, role, or employer Whether everyone needs to find purpose through their career How strengths, interests, values, and life circumstances contribute to career clarity Why caring deeply about the work can make burnout harder to recognize How boundaries and recovery practices can help create healthier separation from work What to consider when the work still matters but the career you are building no longer feels sustainable About Jen Margolis Jen Margolis is the founder of Amberwood Practice, where she works as an executive coach and consultant helping leaders build purpose-driven futures, create meaningful impact, and find greater alignment between work and life. Her work draws on experience in organizational design, positive psychology, leadership development, strategy, and planning. Jen holds graduate degrees in social work and positive organization development from Case Western Reserve University, a certificate in Positive Psychology from the Whole Being Institute, and an ICF Level 2 coaching certificate from the Center for Executive Coaching. She lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with her husband, two children, and rescued cattle dog. Connect with Jen Amberwood Practice: https://www.amberwoodpractice.com/ LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-margolis-0247803 Purpose in Practice workbook: Mentioned in the episode. Add the direct link when available. Control Your Career Resources Read The Blog: https://ridethetidecollective.com/2026/09/22/purpose-burnout-career-clarity-jen-margolis/ Explore all episodes: https://ridethetidecollective.com/podcast/ Connect with Julia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliakrussell/ Visit the website: https://ridethetidecollective.com Get career resources: https://ridethetidecollective.com/free/

September 15, 2026Episode 17244 min

How to Grow Your Career Without a Promotion

A lack of promotion opportunities does not necessarily mean your career has stopped moving, but it does require a more deliberate approach to growth. Before taking on additional responsibilities or immediately beginning a job search, it is important to understand whether advancement is being limited by the organization, by a gap in your readiness for the next level, or by some combination of the two. In this solo episode, Julia Toothacre explains how to evaluate what is preventing advancement and identify forms of career growth that can strengthen your position even when a title change is unavailable. She examines eight areas of development, including skills, scope, visibility, relationships, leadership, authority, and business knowledge, while also addressing how to avoid the common trap of accepting more work without receiving meaningful development in return. The episode concludes with a practical question professionals often postpone for too long: how long are you willing to wait for an opportunity that may or may not materialize? What Julia Discusses How to distinguish organizational barriers from gaps in your own readiness for advancement Why flat structures, budget constraints, limited turnover, weak internal mobility, and talent hoarding can restrict promotion opportunities The importance of communicating your career goals and seeking specific feedback about readiness Eight areas of career growth that can matter even without a title change How stretch assignments, cross-functional projects, lateral moves, sponsorship, and strategic visibility can support future advancement Why additional responsibilities should provide development, compensation, authority, or another meaningful return How to establish a timeline for reassessing your situation rather than waiting indefinitely Research and Resources Mentioned Gallup, One in Four U.S. Employees Lack Advancement Opportunities Gallup's 2025 American Job Quality Study found that 25% of U.S. employees reported having no opportunities for promotion or advancement in their current roles. Gallup advancement research ADP, People at Work 2025 ADP found that limited career opportunities were the most commonly reported barrier to career advancement globally. Among employees who struggled to find advancement opportunities with their current employer, 34% were actively looking or interviewing for another job. ADP career growth research Gartner, Talent Hoarding and Internal Mobility Gartner identifies talent hoarding by managers as a barrier to effective internal mobility, particularly when managers are reluctant to lose employees who perform strongly on their teams. Gartner research on talent hoarding LinkedIn, 2026 Talent Velocity Advantage Report LinkedIn's 2026 research incorporates internal career movement and leadership skill development into its analysis of how organizations develop and move talent. LinkedIn Talent Velocity Advantage Report Control Your Career Resources Read The Blog: https://ridethetidecollective.com/2026/09/15/how-to-grow-your-career-without-a-promotion/ Explore all episodes: https://ridethetidecollective.com/podcast/ Connect with Julia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliakrussell/ Visit the website: https://ridethetidecollective.com Get career resources: https://ridethetidecollective.com/free/

September 8, 2026Episode 17150 min

How to Shape Workplace Culture Without Being the Boss with Natalie Johnson

Workplace culture is often treated as something leadership or HR creates and employees either enjoy or endure. Natalie Johnson sees it differently. Culture exists anywhere people are working together, and every person contributes to it through how they communicate, respond to conflict, support colleagues, handle disagreement, and show up when things get difficult. Natalie joins Julia Toothacre to discuss workplace culture as a career skill. They explore how much influence individual employees actually have, why culture can vary dramatically between teams inside the same organization, what happens when a leadership change alters an environment you once loved, and how to recognize when you have done what you can and it may be time to leave. They also examine a difficult workplace problem that organizations sometimes avoid: the high performer whose behavior damages everyone around them. What We Discuss Why workplace culture is created through relationships and behavior, not perks or company initiatives How team culture can differ significantly from the broader organizational culture What it means to treat culture awareness and influence as a career skill How your "inner operating system" affects the energy and behavior you bring into a workplace What employees can do when a new leader changes a previously healthy team culture How to know when discomfort is part of growth and when staying requires becoming someone you do not want to be Why protecting a toxic high performer can send a damaging message to the rest of the organization About Natalie Johnson Natalie Johnson is the Chief Visionary Officer of ViDL Work and co-author of Leading the Culture Journey. She leads business development, strategy, and innovation while also working directly with organizations through keynotes, training, coaching, and culture-change initiatives. With 30 years of experience in human performance, resilience, and leadership development, Natalie brings a practical, human-centered approach to workplace culture. She holds a master's degree in Wellness Promotion and is an industry-recognized performance coach, keynote speaker, Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator, and Wellcoaches™ Certified Coach. Connect with Natalie LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-johnson-speaks/ Instagram: @culture_speaker @ViDLWork YouTube: ViDL Work Natalie Johnson Speaks: www.nataliejohnsonspeaks.com ViDL Work: www.vidlwork.com Leading the Culture Journey Book: www.vidlwork.com/culturejourneybook Control Your Career Read The Blog: https://ridethetidecollective.com/2026/09/08/shape-workplace-culture-without-being-the-boss/ Explore all episodes: https://ridethetidecollective.com/podcast/ Connect with Julia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliakrussell/ Visit the website: https://ridethetidecollective.com Get career resources: https://ridethetidecollective.com/free/

September 1, 2026Episode 17042 min

Career Compromise: What Are You Giving Up and What Are You Getting Back?

Every career involves trade-offs. You may take a longer commute for better pay, give up flexibility for a promotion, accept fewer responsibilities for more stability, or stay in a role because your life requires predictability right now. A compromise can be a reasonable decision when you make it and still stop working for you later. In this episode, Julia Toothacre looks at how career compromises accumulate, how to distinguish a preference from a genuine non-negotiable, and what can happen when a temporary trade-off quietly becomes permanent. She also explains why feeling frustrated at work does not automatically mean you need a new job. The more useful question is what you are compromising, what you are receiving in return, and whether that exchange still makes sense for who you are now. What Julia Discusses Why some level of compromise is inevitable in almost every career decision How values, preferences, personal priorities, and life circumstances affect what you can reasonably trade Why a compromise that worked five years ago may no longer work now How career compromises can accumulate without you noticing Signs that you may be spending more energy tolerating your work than doing it Why high achievers often assume they are the problem when the environment may also be contributing Three questions to determine whether your current career trade-offs still make sense Resources Get Julia's career resources and values assessment: https://ridethetidecollective.com/free/ Explore all episodes: https://ridethetidecollective.com/podcast/ Connect with Julia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliakrussell/ Visit Ride the Tide Collective: https://ridethetidecollective.com Read The Blog: https://ridethetidecollective.com/2026/09/01/career-compromise-what-are-you-giving-up/

August 25, 2026Episode 1691 hr 28 min

What job seekers get wrong about hiring with Tank Rhodes, Part 2

A job description can look specific, but that does not mean everyone involved in the hiring process agrees on what the company needs. A candidate can meet the stated qualifications and still lose out to someone with a referral, a particular background, a degree the job may not require, or a profile that better matches what a hiring manager has in mind. In Part 2 of Julia Toothacre's conversation with Francis "Tank" Rhodes, they continue examining assumptions about hiring from both the candidate and employer side. Tank draws on his experience in recruiting, HR systems, and hiring while also discussing what he has encountered during his own extended job search. The conversation covers AI-generated resumes, degree requirements, hiring bias, networking, referrals, and the growing concern around ghost jobs. What We Discuss Why AI can help with a resume without replacing the candidate's own context, results, and language Why companies do not always have a precise picture of the person they want to hire How implicit preferences and hiring-manager expectations can influence who moves forward Why the "most qualified candidate" is more complicated than it sounds How unnecessary degree requirements can exclude experienced candidates Why networking still matters, while access to networks and referrals is not equal What ghost jobs are and why a posted position does not always mean active hiring About Tank Rhodes Francis "Tank" Rhodes is an HR professional, fractional HR practitioner, and digital creator who has worked in recruiting, hiring, and HR systems. His content examines workplace culture, recruiting practices, corporate behavior, and the assumptions people make about how hiring works. His perspective in this conversation comes from both sides of the process. He has worked inside hiring systems and has also spent several years navigating those systems as a job seeker. Resources Mentioned Tank on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@hrsagentofchaos Tank on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhodes19/ How Applicant Tracking Systems Actually Work in 2026, Huntr https://huntr.co/blog/how-applicant-tracking-systems-work Huntr's 2026 research found that tailored resumes converted to interviews at roughly twice the rate of generic resumes, that two-page resumes performed as well as or better than one-page resumes across experience levels, and that knockout questions were the primary automated filter it identified. Dismissed by Degrees, Harvard Business School https://www.hbs.edu/managing-the-future-of-work/Documents/dismissed-by-degrees.pdf The HBS research examined degree inflation, including employers requiring four-year degrees for jobs that historically did not require them and the resulting barriers for workers without those credentials. A Causal Test of the Strength of Weak Ties https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abl4476 The 2022 study analyzed experiments involving more than 20 million LinkedIn users and found that moderately weak professional ties can increase job mobility, although the effect varies by tie strength and industry. Texas Attorney General Investigation Into LinkedIn and Ghost Jobs https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-investigates-linkedin-advertising-fake-and-misleading-job-opportunities The Texas Attorney General announced an investigation in July 2026 into allegations involving fake or misleading job opportunities and LinkedIn Premium. These remain allegations under investigation, not findings of wrongdoing. Mike's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@realisticrecruiting Control Your Career Read The Blog: https://ridethetidecollective.com/2026/08/25/what-job-seekers-get-wrong-about-hiring/ Explore all episodes: https://ridethetidecollective.com/podcast/ Connect with Julia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliakrussell/ Visit the website: https://ridethetidecollective.com Get career resources: https://ridethetidecollective.com/free/

August 18, 2026Episode 1681 hr 3 min

Why Is It So Hard to Get Hired in 2026? Job Search Reality with Tank Rhodes, Part 1

Hiring has always been complicated, but for many professionals, the process feels especially difficult to understand right now. Candidates are navigating long hiring processes, inconsistent communication, changing expectations, conflicting advice, and technology that isn't always well understood. In this episode, Julia Toothacre is joined again by Francis "Tank" Rhodes, a human resources professional who is also experiencing the hiring process from the candidate side. Tank shares an update on his own job search, and the conversation uses his experience to explore some of the larger issues affecting candidates and employers today. Julia and Tank discuss candidate ghosting, what professionalism should look like on both sides of the hiring process, how expectations have changed across generations, and why some of the frustration directed at Gen Z deserves more context. They also examine the disconnect between what companies say they value and what candidates actually experience during the hiring process. The conversation then turns to some of the common assumptions people make about hiring, beginning with one of the biggest: "My resume was probably rejected by the ATS." Tank explains what an applicant tracking system actually does, where automated decisions can happen, and why the hiring process is often more nuanced than the advice circulating online suggests. In this episode: What Tank's ongoing job search has taught him about hiring from the candidate side Why candidate experience and communication continue to be a problem Ghosting and the responsibility employers have to close the loop Professionalism, authenticity, and changing workplace expectations The criticism of Gen Z and what employers may be overlooking Why individual experiences and broader hiring data don't always tell the same story What an ATS actually does with an application Where knockout questions and other automated decisions can affect a candidate Why "the ATS rejected my resume" usually doesn't tell the whole story This is Part 1 of Julia's conversation with Tank. In Part 2, they continue breaking down common assumptions about hiring, including whether companies actually know who they're looking for, whether the most qualified candidate gets the job, how much networking matters, and what's really happening with ghost jobs. Resources Mentioned Tank's Previous Control Your Career Episode Unemployed for over 800 days: Why you may be overlooked for jobs https://ridethetidecollective.com/2025/07/16/season11episode10/ How Applicant Tracking Systems Work in 2026 Huntr's research examines major applicant tracking systems, knockout questions, AI functionality, ATS scoring, resume screening, and recruiter workflows. https://huntr.co/blog/how-applicant-tracking-systems-work Connect With Tank https://beacons.ai/hrsagentofchaos - Everything contact, support, & socials https://www.tankshrcorner.com - Tank's website Connect With Tank on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@hrsagentofchaos Connect With Tank on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhodes19/ Control Your Career Resources Read The Blog: https://ridethetidecollective.com/2026/08/18/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-hired-2026/ Explore all episodes: https://ridethetidecollective.com/podcast/ Connect with Julia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliakrussell/ Visit the website: https://ridethetidecollective.com Get career resources: https://ridethetidecollective.com/free/

August 11, 2026Episode 16712 min

Questions to Ask Before Changing Careers

Thinking about making a major career change? Before you update your resume or start applying for jobs, it's worth taking a step back. Career frustration doesn't always mean you need a new career. Sometimes it's your company, your manager, your work environment, or a shift in your own priorities that's making you question what's next. In this episode, I walk through the questions I encourage professionals to ask before making a significant career move. We'll look at what's happening in your current role, why you're considering a change, how your personality and values influence career satisfaction, and the practical realities that should factor into your decision. If you're wondering whether it's time for a career pivot or simply trying to understand why work doesn't feel right anymore, this conversation will help you evaluate your options before making your next move. In this episode, we discuss: How to identify what's really driving your desire to make a career change. Questions to help you evaluate your current role before deciding to leave. Why your personality, values, and work preferences influence career satisfaction. Financial and personal realities to consider before making a major career move. How long-term employees can evaluate whether they need a new company, a new role, or a different approach. Resources & Links 🌊 Connect with Julia Toothacre Website: https://ridethetidecollective.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliatoothacre Free Career Resources: https://ridethetidecollective.com/free Control Your Career Podcast: https://ridethetidecollective.com/podcast If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who would find the conversation helpful. Remember: You control your career.

August 4, 2026Episode 16645 min

When Work Becomes Who You Are: Professional Identity Purgatory with Geoff Curtis

What happens when the career you spent decades building becomes part of your identity, and then the role suddenly disappears? In this episode of Control Your Career, Strategic Career Consultant Julia Toothacre speaks with Geoff Curtis about professional identity, high achievement, career transitions, and the uncomfortable space between who you were and who you are becoming. Geoff spent nearly 30 years building a career in corporate communications, eventually serving as Chief Communications Officer at Horizon Therapeutics. Today, he leads Marshall Curtis Communications, where he advises executives and organizations on communication, leadership, and change. He is also the author of Embracing Your Own Purgatory, a book exploring professional identity and what happens when the career you built no longer fits the life you are living. After an acquisition made his executive role redundant, Geoff expected to move toward another version of professional success. Instead, he found himself confronting how deeply his work, relevance, achievement, and sense of self had become connected. Geoff describes this experience as professional identity purgatory: the unfinished and often messy space between an identity that no longer fits and a new one that has not fully formed. Julia and Geoff discuss why high achievers often find emotional comfort in work, how productivity can become a form of avoidance, and why losing a title can feel like losing part of yourself. They also explore the warning signs that work may be taking up too much space in your identity, including missing family events, allowing friendships to lapse, mentally remaining at work during personal time, and measuring your value through external recognition. The conversation also examines relevance, perfectionism, work-life balance, the pressures placed on Gen Z, and the challenge of creating a new definition of success after traditional career metrics stop feeling meaningful. What You'll Learn How a successful career can become intertwined with your personal identity Why high achievers often use work as a source of emotional comfort What happens when a title, role, or professional identity suddenly disappears Why relevance can become closely connected to self-worth The warning signs that work may be taking priority over your life and relationships What Geoff means by professional identity purgatory Why constant busyness can delay the emotional work required during a transition How perfectionism keeps high achievers chasing the next accomplishment Why an idealized future can become a way of avoiding the present How self-reflection can help you begin separating your identity from your work Why redefining success may require a completely different scoreboard How understanding yourself can make you a more thoughtful leader About Geoff Curtis Geoff Curtis spent nearly 30 years building a career in corporate communications, eventually serving as Chief Communications Officer at Horizon Therapeutics. Today, he leads Marshall Curtis Communications, where he advises executives and organizations on communication, leadership, and change. He is also the author of Embracing Your Own Purgatory, a book exploring professional identity and what happens when the career you built no longer fits the life you are living. Resources Mentioned Embracing Your Own Purgatory Learn more about Geoff's book and its exploration of professional identity, achievement, relevance, and life's uncomfortable transitions: https://geoffreycurtis.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Embracing-Your-Purgatory-Geoff-Curtis/dp/B0GVTY5KS5 Marshall Curtis Communications Learn more about Geoff's communications, leadership, and executive advisory work: https://marshallcurtis.com/ Connect With Geoff Curtis on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffreycurtis/ Control Your Career Resources Read the Blog: https://ridethetidecollective.com/2026/08/04/when-your-career-becomes-your-identity/ Explore All Episodes: https://ridethetidecollective.com/podcast/ Connect With Julia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliakrussell/ Visit the Website: https://ridethetidecollective.com Get Career Resources: https://ridethetidecollective.com/free/

July 28, 20268 min

Why Career Development Needs a Different Approach

Most career advice focuses on one thing: finding your next job. While resumes, interviews, networking, and job search strategies are important, they're only one part of career development. As your career grows, so do the influences shaping your decisions, making it harder to understand what you actually want versus what you've simply learned to expect. In this episode, I share why I believe career development needs a broader approach. We talk about the experiences that shaped my perspective, why traditional career theories don't always reflect today's workplace, and why becoming more intentional about your career decisions matters long after you've landed your next role. This conversation also explains where the idea behind Control Your Career came from and why that philosophy continues to guide the work I do today. In this episode: ⭐ Why traditional career development doesn't always meet the needs of today's professionals ⭐ How expectations from family, managers, and society quietly influence career decisions ⭐ Why career development should extend beyond the job search ⭐ The experiences that changed how I think about careers ⭐ What it really means to take ownership of your career Whether you're navigating a career change, looking for more clarity, or simply trying to be more intentional about your next step, this episode offers a different perspective on how to think about your career over the long term. Resources 🌊 Learn more about Ride the Tide Collective 🎙️ Subscribe to Control Your Career for practical conversations about career strategy, workplace trends, leadership, career advancement, and intentional career growth.