The Career Refresh with Jill Griffin: Work, Leadership & What’s Next

Hosted by Jill Griffin

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Episodes

297

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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EN-US

About the show

The Career Refresh is for experienced leaders and ambitious professionals ready for their next era of leadership, whether that means leading with greater influence, stepping into executive leadership, or making a strategic career move. You’ll learn practical leadership and career strategies to think strategically, communicate precisely, delegate effectively, navigate organizational politics, build presence, lead through change and ambiguity, make better decisions, and position yourself for what’s next. Hosted by Jill Griffin, a leadership strategist with more than 20 years of experience advising senior leaders at Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Samsung, The Federal Reserve, Meta, Google, Hilton Hotels, Notion Labs , plus founder-led organizations. Jill brings practical insight and real-world experience to the challenges leaders face at work and throughout their careers. Leadership has changed. Most leadership advice hasn’t. The next level of leadership is becoming the kind of leader others trust to navigate change, make the call, and move things forward without having to carry it all yourself. The Career Refresh is a Top 2% globally ranked leadership podcast. About Your Host Jill Griffin’s work has been featured on Adam Grant’s WorkLife podcast and published in Forbes, Fast Company, HuffPost, and Metro UK . She has also been quoted in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Departures, and Ad Age. Connect with Jill on LinkedIn or learn more at GriffinMethod.com .

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60 recent

November 3, 2026Episode 29814 min

Leadership Starts With You: 5 Mindset Shifts for Lasting Influence

Leadership isn't just about what you do. It's about how you think. In this episode, I share five leadership shifts that separate reactive managers from intentional leaders. Whether you're leading a team, influencing across an organization, or preparing for your next level of leadership, these principles will help you make better decisions, build stronger relationships, and create an impact that extends beyond your role. In this episode: • Why self-leadership is the foundation of effective leadership • How credibility and communication shape trust and influence • What it takes to lead teams and culture as your responsibilities grow • Why great leaders develop other leaders, not just better performers • Practical ways to lead with greater intention every day Support the show Jill Griffin , is a leadership and career strategist, executive coach, and host of The Career Refresh podcast. She works with high achievers to strengthen their leadership, navigate career transitions, build effective teams, and create what’s next. With 20+ years of experience at companies like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Hilton, and Martha Stewart, Jill brings a practical, real-world lens to leadership, decision-making, and career strategy. Visit GriffinMethod.com to learn more about working together: The Next Era Leader An 12-week cohort for women leaders ready to expand their capacity and lead through complexity with clarity and intention Executive Coaching & Leadership Advisory 1:1 strategic partnership for leaders navigating growth, transition, and what’s next Connect with Jill for Leadership Development for Organizations and Speaking & Workshops Instagram: @JillGriffinOffical

October 27, 2026Episode 29716 min

Working With a Narcissist at Work: A Survivor's Guide

The narcissist at work is rarely obvious from the outside. What you notice first is that your judgment starts feeling unreliable and your wins keep getting reassigned. This episode covers the patterns to watch for and how to protect your standing without becoming the problem. You'll hear: How to recognize the pattern, and what separates a narcissist from a colleague who is simply difficult What sets them off, and why your competence is often the thing that triggers it How to respond in the moment so your work and your standing stay intact Support the show Jill Griffin , is a leadership and career strategist, executive coach, and host of The Career Refresh podcast. She works with high achievers to strengthen their leadership, navigate career transitions, build effective teams, and create what’s next. With 20+ years of experience at companies like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Hilton, and Martha Stewart, Jill brings a practical, real-world lens to leadership, decision-making, and career strategy. Visit GriffinMethod.com to learn more about working together: The Next Era Leader An 12-week cohort for women leaders ready to expand their capacity and lead through complexity with clarity and intention Executive Coaching & Leadership Advisory 1:1 strategic partnership for leaders navigating growth, transition, and what’s next Connect with Jill for Leadership Development for Organizations and Speaking & Workshops Instagram: @JillGriffinOffical

October 20, 2026Episode 29620 min

When Everything Becomes Your Job: Role Clarity on Leadership Teams

When roles are unclear, work doesn’t just sit there. Someone picks it up. And on leadership teams, who ends up carrying it often has as much to do with personality and team dynamics as actual responsibility. In this episode of The Career Refresh, Jill Griffin looks at how to operate in the gray, contribute beyond your remit, and recognize when “I’ll take a look at it” quietly becomes “I own this now.” You’ll hear: • Why undefined roles can create unexpected power dynamics • What to consider when new work lands on your plate • The difference between stepping up and taking it all on Support the show Jill Griffin , is a leadership and career strategist, executive coach, and host of The Career Refresh podcast. She works with high achievers to strengthen their leadership, navigate career transitions, build effective teams, and create what’s next. With 20+ years of experience at companies like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Hilton, and Martha Stewart, Jill brings a practical, real-world lens to leadership, decision-making, and career strategy. Visit GriffinMethod.com to learn more about working together: The Next Era Leader An 12-week cohort for women leaders ready to expand their capacity and lead through complexity with clarity and intention Executive Coaching & Leadership Advisory 1:1 strategic partnership for leaders navigating growth, transition, and what’s next Connect with Jill for Leadership Development for Organizations and Speaking & Workshops Instagram: @JillGriffinOffical

October 13, 2026Episode 29549 min

Human-Centered Leadership In The AI Age with John Doyle, Chief Strategy Officer at DonerColle

What does it take to lead when technology is changing faster than anyone can predict? Jill Griffin talks with John Doyle, Chief Strategy Officer at DonerColle Partners, about career pivots, AI, uncertainty, and why the human side of leadership may matter more as technology advances. • Why persistence and a strong point of view can create opportunities you couldn’t plan for • What AI is changing about how we think, work, and lead • How to stay grounded in who you are when everything around you is changing Mentioned on the show: Forbes Artice: Grief without a Funeral: Grieving Lost Opportunities, written by Jill Griffin The Career Refresh, Episode 284: How Your Anxiety Impacts Your Leadership Style, and What to Do About It Substack: How not to use AI Scott Galloway Dr. Ulcca J. Hansen | Author & Futurist What the next 10 years will look like. Archetypes in Branding: A Toolkit for Creatives and Strategists Show guest: John Doyle is Chief Strategy Officer at DonerColle Partners and a leading voice on AI, agentic transformation, and the future of brands. A writer and teacher by training, John has spent his career helping organizations navigate periods of technological and cultural change, from digital transformation to experience design and now artificial intelligence. His work is grounded in a simple philosophy: brands are characters. Today, he helps agencies and clients translate that character into agentic systems that can think, act, communicate, and create on behalf of organizations. John frequently speaks on AI, innovation, organizational transformation, and the evolving relationship between technology and humanity. Support the show Jill Griffin , is a leadership and career strategist, executive coach, and host of The Career Refresh podcast. She works with high achievers to strengthen their leadership, navigate career transitions, build effective teams, and create what’s next. With 20+ years of experience at companies like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Hilton, and Martha Stewart, Jill brings a practical, real-world lens to leadership, decision-making, and career strategy. Visit GriffinMethod.com to learn more about working together: The Next Era Leader An 12-week cohort for women leaders ready to expand their capacity and lead through complexity with clarity and intention Executive Coaching & Leadership Advisory 1:1 strategic partnership for leaders navigating growth, transition, and what’s next Connect with Jill for Leadership Development for Organizations and Speaking & Workshops Instagram: @JillGriffinOffical

October 6, 2026Episode 29410 min

How to Stay Sane During a Job Search: 8 Rules to Keep You Going

Looking for a job can mess with your head. One great interview suddenly feels like THE job. A rejection feels personal. Silence makes you question everything. And before you know it, your mood is riding on what happens in your inbox. In this episode of The Career Refresh, Jill Griffin shares 8 rules for staying sane during a job search. • Why job searching has more in common with dating than you might think • The mistake that can make an already difficult job search even harder • What you need to stay sane when the hiring process feels anything but Show notes: The Career Refresh, Episode 290 : The Hiring System Is Broken: Why Your Job Search Isn’t Working and What to Do About It Support the show Jill Griffin , is a leadership and career strategist, executive coach, and host of The Career Refresh podcast. She works with high achievers to strengthen their leadership, navigate career transitions, build effective teams, and create what’s next. With 20+ years of experience at companies like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Hilton, and Martha Stewart, Jill brings a practical, real-world lens to leadership, decision-making, and career strategy. Visit GriffinMethod.com to learn more about working together: The Next Era Leader An 12-week cohort for women leaders ready to expand their capacity and lead through complexity with clarity and intention Executive Coaching & Leadership Advisory 1:1 strategic partnership for leaders navigating growth, transition, and what’s next Connect with Jill for Leadership Development for Organizations and Speaking & Workshops Instagram: @JillGriffinOffical

September 29, 2026Episode 29314 min

You Became the Ceiling: How Strategic Leaders Build Team Capacity

The more capable you are, the easier it is to become the person everything depends on. It can look like strong leadership from the outside while quietly limiting your capacity and your team’s. In this episode, Jill Griffin breaks down how to recognize when your involvement is essential, when it may be getting in the way, and the leadership shift that creates more room for strategic thinking and greater impact. In ths episode learn: • The subtle difference between being highly valuable and becoming the place where everything gets stuck • Two questions that can change how you decide what deserves your involvement • Why stepping back doesn’t always mean delegating, and what strong leaders do instead Support the show Jill Griffin , is a leadership and career strategist, executive coach, and host of The Career Refresh podcast. She works with high achievers to strengthen their leadership, navigate career transitions, build effective teams, and create what’s next. With 20+ years of experience at companies like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Hilton, and Martha Stewart, Jill brings a practical, real-world lens to leadership, decision-making, and career strategy. Visit GriffinMethod.com to learn more about working together: The Next Era Leader An 12-week cohort for women leaders ready to expand their capacity and lead through complexity with clarity and intention Executive Coaching & Leadership Advisory 1:1 strategic partnership for leaders navigating growth, transition, and what’s next Connect with Jill for Leadership Development for Organizations and Speaking & Workshops Instagram: @JillGriffinOffical

September 22, 2026Episode 29210 min

Stop Proving It. Start Declaring It: How to Communicate Like a Strategic Leader

Being the smartest person in the room doesn’t automatically make you sound like the strategic leader. In this episode, Jill Griffin breaks down the analysis-to-authority gap and why the way you communicate your expertise may be affecting how your leadership is perceived. • Why your best thinking may not be getting the reaction it deserves • The subtle habit that can position you as the expert in the work, but not the person making the call • What changes when you stop trying to prove you’ve earned the right to have a point of view Support the show Jill Griffin , is a leadership and career strategist, executive coach, and host of The Career Refresh podcast. She works with high achievers to strengthen their leadership, navigate career transitions, build effective teams, and create what’s next. With 20+ years of experience at companies like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Hilton, and Martha Stewart, Jill brings a practical, real-world lens to leadership, decision-making, and career strategy. Visit GriffinMethod.com to learn more about working together: The Next Era Leader An 12-week cohort for women leaders ready to expand their capacity and lead through complexity with clarity and intention Executive Coaching & Leadership Advisory 1:1 strategic partnership for leaders navigating growth, transition, and what’s next Connect with Jill for Leadership Development for Organizations and Speaking & Workshops Instagram: @JillGriffinOffical

September 15, 2026Episode 29122 min

Beyond Smart Goals: A More Realistic Way To Make Career Progress

Most career goals depend on more than your effort. You can do everything right and still face a hiring freeze, an internal candidate, or a decision you cannot control. In this episode, Jill introduces the PROGRESS Framework, a more realistic approach to goal setting that accounts for setbacks, uncertainty, motivation, and changing information. You’ll learn: • Why a well-written SMART goal can still leave you without a workable strategy • How to tell whether you have a skills gap, visibility gap, relationship gap, or positioning problem • The difference between a bad week and evidence that it is time to change direction • How to measure progress before the promotion, offer, or career change arrives Support the show Jill Griffin , is a leadership and career strategist, executive coach, and host of The Career Refresh podcast. She works with high achievers to strengthen their leadership, navigate career transitions, build effective teams, and create what’s next. With 20+ years of experience at companies like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Hilton, and Martha Stewart, Jill brings a practical, real-world lens to leadership, decision-making, and career strategy. Visit GriffinMethod.com to learn more about working together: The Next Era Leader An 12-week cohort for women leaders ready to expand their capacity and lead through complexity with clarity and intention Executive Coaching & Leadership Advisory 1:1 strategic partnership for leaders navigating growth, transition, and what’s next Connect with Jill for Leadership Development for Organizations and Speaking & Workshops Instagram: @JillGriffinOffical

September 8, 2026Episode 29030 min

The Hiring System Is Broken: Why Your Job Search Isn’t Working and What to Do About It

The hiring system has changed, but most job-search advice hasn’t caught up. From ghost jobs and AI screening to algorithms that can repeat bias across employers, there’s more happening between your application and a human than you may realize. In this episode, Jill Griffin breaks down what’s happening behind the scenes and why your strategy needs to go beyond applying for posted jobs. • What the LinkedIn investigation, Workday lawsuit, and new AI hiring research reveal about the systems screening candidates • Why applying to ten different companies may not mean you’re getting ten independent chances to be considered • How to shift your strategy toward positioning, relationships, visibility, and opportunities that exist beyond the application process Sources: Lauren Weber & Leslie Kwoh, The Wall Street Journal, "Beware the Phantom Job Listing" (2013) Te-Ping Chen, The Wall Street Journal, "Job Listings Abound, but Many Are Fake" (2023) Isabel Berwick & Sophia Smith, Financial Times, "Beware of Ghost Job Listings" (2022) Reuters Breakingviews, "Fake Jobs Hide Cooler Reality for US Workforce" (2023) Reuters, Derek Mobley v. Workday lawsuit. Stanford University, Chapman University & Northeastern University, Algorithmic Monocultures in Hiring Michael Sinkewicz, Fox Business, Linkedin Investigation Support the show Jill Griffin , is a leadership and career strategist, executive coach, and host of The Career Refresh podcast. She works with high achievers to strengthen their leadership, navigate career transitions, build effective teams, and create what’s next. With 20+ years of experience at companies like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Hilton, and Martha Stewart, Jill brings a practical, real-world lens to leadership, decision-making, and career strategy. Visit GriffinMethod.com to learn more about working together: The Next Era Leader An 12-week cohort for women leaders ready to expand their capacity and lead through complexity with clarity and intention Executive Coaching & Leadership Advisory 1:1 strategic partnership for leaders navigating growth, transition, and what’s next Connect with Jill for Leadership Development for Organizations and Speaking & Workshops Instagram: @JillGriffinOffical

September 1, 2026Episode 28920 min

Portfolio Careers: Why They're the Future of Work (and How to Start Yours)

A portfolio career is about working smarter. More professionals are combining full-time roles, consulting, advisory work, board positions, teaching, writing, speaking, investing, and passion projects into careers that are more resilient, flexible, and rewarding. In this episode, you'll learn: • What a portfolio career is and why it's becoming the future of work. • The difference between a portfolio career and simply juggling side hustles. • How to identify the skills, experience, and expertise you already have that can create new opportunities. • Why your professional reputation matters more than ever. • How to position yourself for greater career resilience, income diversification, and long-term growth. • Practical steps to start building your own portfolio career, whether you're employed, self-employed, or somewhere in between. Support the show Jill Griffin , is a leadership and career strategist, executive coach, and host of The Career Refresh podcast. She works with high achievers to strengthen their leadership, navigate career transitions, build effective teams, and create what’s next. With 20+ years of experience at companies like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Hilton, and Martha Stewart, Jill brings a practical, real-world lens to leadership, decision-making, and career strategy. Visit GriffinMethod.com to learn more about working together: The Next Era Leader An 12-week cohort for women leaders ready to expand their capacity and lead through complexity with clarity and intention Executive Coaching & Leadership Advisory 1:1 strategic partnership for leaders navigating growth, transition, and what’s next Connect with Jill for Leadership Development for Organizations and Speaking & Workshops Instagram: @JillGriffinOffical