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Every mid-career professional has faced that gut-punch moment when a colleague shifts blame, steals credit, or takes a public swipe to protect their image. In this episode of The Mid-Career GPS Podcast, John Neral dives into why “bus-throwing” happens, how to stay composed when it does, and what to do next to protect your professional reputation without reacting emotionally.

If you’ve ever felt the sting of embarrassment, anger, or self-doubt after someone undermined you, this episode gives you a clear, practical playbook to regain control, rebuild trust, and move forward with confidence.

What You’ll Learn

• Why fear, insecurity, and low psychological safety drive blame-shifting behavior
• How mid-career professionals often become easy targets when they hold responsibility without equivalent authority
• How to pause under pressure, stay calm, and separate truth from perception
• The exact language you can use to clarify facts in a meeting or email
• A simple documentation strategy that prevents misinformation and protects your credibility
• When to address issues privately, when to set firm boundaries, and when escalation is appropriate
• How to rebuild credibility through consistent performance and visible results
• Why executive presence—composure, clarity, and confidence—is your best defense

John also shares step-by-step recovery actions you can take after a professional setback to ensure your brand stays strong, your work stays respected, and your relationships remain authentic.

Episode Highlights

• How insecurity, fear, and imposter syndrome show up in colleagues’ behavior
• The power of neutral, fact-based communication
• Setting healthy boundaries to protect your energy and career reputation
• Rebuilding trust and visibility through transparency and strong alliances
• When and how to involve HR with clarity and documentation

If you’re navigating a challenging workplace dynamic or working to rebuild your credibility, this episode will help you lead with calm authority and protect your professional reputation.

Take the Next Step:
Schedule a 45-minute Career or Leadership Strategy Session with Jo

Support the show

Ready to give your career the jumpstart it needs to whatever is next? Schedule a $197 Career/Leadership Strategy Session. Click here to learn more about how this transformative strategy session will help you.

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

• Subscribe to my free leadership and career newsletter
• Get The Mid-Career Promotion Blueprint to help you figure out whatever is next for you and your career
• Join The Mid-Career GPS Membership Community.

Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here.

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

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Feeling stuck, tired, or unsure how long you can keep pushing through your role? In this episode of The Mid-Career GPS Podcast, John Neral shares one golden question that can help you rediscover purpose, evaluate fit, and make smarter decisions about your career: Why do you come back to work every day?

This simple yet powerful question uncovers what really drives you and what’s holding you back. John walks you through how to use it to gain clarity in your current role, prepare for a job change, or guide your next interview.

You’ll learn how to choose the right person for an honest conversation, set a clear intention, and listen deeply for what’s said and what’s not. Then, using John’s signature Four F Framework—Fit, Function, Finance, and Forward—you’ll translate those insights into action.

John also explores how this question can transform how you evaluate company culture during informational interviews or final-round panels. When the answers align, you gain confidence in your decision. When they don’t, you gain valuable insight about what’s missing.

This conversation helps you:

• Name the weight you might be feeling in your career right now
• Set up an intentional, trust-based conversation about work satisfaction
• Ask and reflect on the golden question with curiosity and courage
• Map your insights using Fit, Function, Finance, and Forward
• Apply what you learn to your interviews, offers, or current role
• Recognize how your motivations change—and that it’s okay

Whether you’re evaluating a new opportunity or trying to reignite momentum where you are, this question helps you create a clearer, more aligned career path.

🎯 Free Resource:
Download The Interview Confidence Roadmap for five make-or-break strategies to help you stand out in your next interview. Get your free copy at johnneral.com/resources.

Support the show

Ready to give your career the jumpstart it needs to whatever is next? Schedule a $197 Career/Leadership Strategy Session. Click here to learn more about how this transformative strategy session will help you.

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

• Subscribe to my free leadership and career newsletter
• Get The Mid-Career Promotion Blueprint to help you figure out whatever is next for you and your career
• Join The Mid-Career GPS Membership Community.

Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here.

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

Send us a text

The ground keeps moving and for mid-career professionals, that shift feels sharper than ever. As we approach 2026, success will hinge on your ability to adapt, communicate strategically, and lead through change.

In this episode, leadership and career transition coach John Neral breaks down six essential skills that will define your value and visibility in the year ahead.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, undervalued, or uncertain about how to stay competitive in a fast-changing job market, this episode gives you a clear and actionable roadmap for leveling up.

What You’ll Learn

John walks you through six career-defining skills for 2026 that will help you stay relevant, increase your professional impact, and confidently navigate your next career move:

1. AI Fluency and Digital Agility – Understand how to use AI critically and practically in your workflow. Learn what to automate, what needs your judgment, and how to show confidence, not resistance, with emerging technology.
2. Strategic Communication and Storytelling – Discover how to frame your accomplishments with metrics and impact, and tailor your stories to executives, peers, and clients so your value lands clearly and quickly.
3. Building Trust and Emotional Intelligence – Explore how empathy, accountability, and consistent communication build credibility and create psychological safety within your team.
4. Resilience and Change Leadership – Learn to influence without authority, keep morale high through uncertainty, and lead steady in a fast-paced environment.
5. Cross-Functional Business Acumen – See the bigger picture by understanding how your work connects to revenue, risk, and the customer experience, making you indispensable to leadership.
6. Networking and Relationship Capital – Redefine networking as a long-term investment, not a transaction. Build authentic professional relationships that create opportunities before you need them.

For more tools and resources to accelerate your mid-career success, visit johnneral.com/resources or book a Career and Leadership Strategy Session using the link in the show notes.

Support the show

Ready to give your career the jumpstart it needs to whatever is next? Schedule a $197 Career/Leadership Strategy Session. Click here to learn more about how this transformative strategy session will help you.

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

• Subscribe to my free leadership and career newsletter
• Get The Mid-Career Promotion Blueprint to help you figure out whatever is next for you and your career
• Join The Mid-Career GPS Membership Community.

Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here.

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

Send us a text

Feeling stretched thin by nonstop news and workplace pressure. In this episode, executive and career coach John Neral helps mid-career professionals regain momentum with presence, pace, and practical wins. Learn how to prevent burnout, ask leadership for targeted support, and use small controllables to improve performance. We also cover a data-driven approach to job search and interviews, plus a simple Mid-Career GPS to turn chaos into clarity. Ideal for managers, team leads, and job seekers pursuing career clarity and promotion in a challenging market.

Who this is for:
Mid-career professionals ages 35 to 55 who want practical strategies to manage stress, stay effective at work, and make measurable progress in a challenging job market.

What you’ll learn

• How to pause and assess when current events and shutdown stress weigh on your energy and focus
• Why presence and pace improve decisions on the road, in meetings, and during interviews
• The manager’s responsibility to check in and support people, and how to ask leadership directly for the help you need
• How polarization creeps into daily interactions and how to defuse it at work
• The value of “taking a knee” to rest and reset without guilt
• Small controllables that compound: food journaling for awareness, quality sleep as performance gear, and 15-minute movement breaks to reset your brain
• A smarter, data-driven approach to mid-career job search: networking goals, interview preparation, and weekly traction metrics
• DSD: Do Something Different to get different results, even when you feel stuck
• How to build your Mid-Career GPS so you navigate chaos with clarity and intention

Practical takeaways

• Start each day with a two-minute check-in: energy, focus, and one priority
• Define three controllables for the week: nutrition awareness, sleep window, and one movement break per work block
• Set a weekly networking target with names, messages sent, and outcomes tracked
• For interviews, script two results-first stories and practice concise delivery
• Managers: schedule a 10-minute pulse check with each direct report and ask, “What support would be m

Support the show

Ready to give your career the jumpstart it needs to whatever is next? Schedule a $197 Career/Leadership Strategy Session. Click here to learn more about how this transformative strategy session will help you.

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

• Subscribe to my free leadership and career newsletter
• Get The Mid-Career Promotion Blueprint to help you figure out whatever is next for you and your career
• Join The Mid-Career GPS Membership Community.

Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here.

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

Send us a text

Have you ever been told you “lack executive presence” but never received a clear explanation of what that means? You’re not alone.

For many mid-career professionals, this overused buzzword becomes a frustrating barrier to promotions and leadership opportunities.

In today’s episode of The Mid-Career GPS Podcast, John Neral challenges the outdated definition of executive presence and offers a fresh framework that makes leadership expectations more actionable and achievable.

Instead of relying on vague notions of confidence or “looking the part,” John introduces the concept of effective presence; a practical approach built around four key principles:

• Clarity – Communicate ideas simply and ensure expectations are understood.
• Credibility – Build trust by following through and backing up your words with action.
• Connection – Relate authentically to colleagues at every level of the organization.
• Consistency – Provide stability through dependable leadership behaviors.

You’ll also learn how to reframe feedback when someone questions your presence. By asking the right questions such as: “What specifically would you like me to do differently?” Then, you can turn vague criticism into concrete steps that strengthen your leadership reputation.

If you’re navigating a competitive job market or aiming for your next promotion, this episode will help you stop worrying about whether you “look the part” and instead focus on creating impact through authentic and effective leadership.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why “executive presence” is an outdated and biased concept.
• How effective presence helps mid-career professionals stand out in today’s workplace.
• The Four C’s that define effective leadership presence.
• How to turn vague, unhelpful feedback into actionable career guidance.
• Why consistent communication and results matter more than polish.

Support the show

Ready to give your career the jumpstart it needs to whatever is next? Schedule a $197 Career/Leadership Strategy Session. Click here to learn more about how this transformative strategy session will help you.

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

• Subscribe to my free leadership and career newsletter
• Get The Mid-Career Promotion Blueprint to help you figure out whatever is next for you and your career
• Join The Mid-Career GPS Membership Community.

Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here.

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

Send us a text

The line between personal expression and professional consequences has never been more blurred. With recent headlines putting workplace conduct and public statements in the spotlight, many mid-career professionals are asking a tough question: Could what I say cost me my job?

In this episode of The Mid-Career GPS Podcast, we unpack what every professional in today’s job market needs to know about free speech, at-will employment, and safeguarding your career.

You’ll learn why your constitutional right to free speech does not necessarily protect your employment and how at-will employment gives employers broad authority to terminate workers. For mid-career professionals navigating leadership roles or job transitions, this conversation is especially relevant.

We’ll cover:

• What at-will employment really means for employees and employers
• Why your words and actions outside of work can still impact your professional reputation
• How to review your employment agreement for ethics, morals, and behavioral clauses
• The importance of managing your online presence during a job search
• Practical steps for “digital cleaning” to align your online footprint with career goals
• How leaders can balance employee expression with organizational responsibility
• When it may be wise to consult an employment attorney

Whether you are actively job searching, worried about your current position, or leading a team through turbulent times, this episode gives you practical strategies to maintain both your career clarity and professional credibility.

Why This Matters for Mid-Career Professionals

If you’re between 35 and 55 and working in a leadership or management role, your career is built not only on what you do but also how you show up. Employers and hiring managers pay close attention to digital footprints and personal branding. The stakes are higher than ever—and understanding these dynamics can help you stay employable, promotable, and respected.

Resources and Next Steps

• Subscribe to The Mid-Career GPS Podcast for weekly guidance on career clarity, job search, and leadership growth

Support the show

Ready to give your career the jumpstart it needs to whatever is next? Schedule a $197 Career/Leadership Strategy Session. Click here to learn more about how this transformative strategy session will help you.

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

• Subscribe to my free leadership and career newsletter
• Get The Mid-Career Promotion Blueprint to help you figure out whatever is next for you and your career
• Join The Mid-Career GPS Membership Community.

Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here.

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

Send us a text

At some point in your career, you will be asked how you’ve used AI.

Most candidates will talk about optimizing resumes or practicing interview questions, but what if your answer could be more memorable?

In this episode, I share a deeply personal story about saying goodbye to my beloved cat, Amy Farrah Meowler, and how I turned to ChatGPT for guidance during that difficult time. What I learned goes far beyond grief. It demonstrates how authentic personal experiences can showcase your problem-solving skills and set you apart in today’s competitive job market.

Whether you’re searching for a new role, pursuing a promotion, or looking to clarify your career direction, you’ll discover how to reframe unique experiences with technology into compelling interview responses that highlight creativity, resilience, and leadership.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why authentic personal stories often make the strongest professional interview answers
• How my experience with ChatGPT during a pet’s end-of-life decision highlighted critical problem-solving skills
• The importance of understanding when and how to share personal experiences in a professional context
• How to use personal AI experiences to demonstrate your ability to think strategically and process information under pressure
• Why memorable interviews often come from moments of genuine authenticity

Who This Episode Is For:
If you’re a mid-career professional feeling stuck, undervalued, or uncertain about how to stand out in interviews, this episode will help you think differently about how you showcase your skills and stories.

Resources and Next Steps:
For more support in your career journey, join my Mid-Career GPS Membership Community, where you’ll find monthly masterclasses, office hours, and ongoing support to help you land a job you love or love the job you have. Learn more at johnneral.com/membership.

Support the show

Ready to give your career the jumpstart it needs to whatever is next? Schedule a $197 Career/Leadership Strategy Session. Click here to learn more about how this transformative strategy session will help you.

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

• Subscribe to my free leadership and career newsletter
• Get The Mid-Career Promotion Blueprint to help you figure out whatever is next for you and your career
• Join The Mid-Career GPS Membership Community.

Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here.

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

Send us a text

Why do some highly qualified candidates land the job while others get passed over?

The answer often lies in how well they tell their career story.

In this episode of The Mid-Career GPS Podcast, Career Transition Coach and Forbes Coaches Council member Gina Riley, joins me to share insider strategies from her experience at Intel and as an executive search consultant. She explains how mid-career professionals can stand out in today’s competitive job market by documenting accomplishments, creating compelling stories, and positioning themselves as the solution to an employer’s biggest challenges.

You’ll discover:

• How to build your Career Data Vault so you can confidently communicate your value.
• Why recruiters read resumes in an “F” pattern and what that means for how you present your experience.
• The crucial difference between mentorship and sponsorship—and why you need both.
• Ways to quantify achievements in support roles to prove business impact.
• How to align your interview stories with the problems hiring managers are trying to solve.
• Why developing a personal board of directors helps guide smart career decisions.

Whether you’re frustrated with your job search or looking to move up in your career, this conversation will help you craft stories that resonate with hiring managers and position you as a must-hire candidate.

Connect with Gina on LinkedIn | Get Gina's New Book on Amazon.

Support the show

Ready to give your career the jumpstart it needs to whatever is next? Schedule a $197 Career/Leadership Strategy Session. Click here to learn more about how this transformative strategy session will help you.

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

• Subscribe to my free leadership and career newsletter
• Get The Mid-Career Promotion Blueprint to help you figure out whatever is next for you and your career
• Join The Mid-Career GPS Membership Community.

Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here.

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