What happens when your professional calling goes quiet? Career coach Richard Taliaferro addresses one of the most disorienting experiences in professional life: when work that once felt like your mission suddenly feels... ordinary.

If you've built your identity around meaningful work, this silence can feel terrifying. But Richard reveals why this moment isn't about losing your purpose—it's about your purpose asking to be lived differently. Your mission is greater than this moment, and it's ready to evolve.

In this conversation, discover why staying late used to feel worth it but doesn't anymore, and what that shift really means. Learn how to distinguish between genuine career burnout and the natural evolution of your professional calling. Richard shares three transformative questions that will help you identify what still energizes you and where your gifts want to go next.

This episode is for mission-driven professionals who are questioning whether they still want their current path. You'll gain clarity on how to honor your purpose in ways that energize rather than drain you, and permission to redirect without guilt or fear.

Key Takeaways:

• Your calling's silence signals evolution, not extinction
• How to identify what still lights you up professionally
• The difference between burnout and natural career evolution
• Practical steps to redirect your mission with confidence
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Transform uncertainty into clarity. Subscribe for weekly insights on purposeful career development.

I’m Richard Taliaferro. I’m a certified career coach, specializing in helping mid-stage professionals find the work that works for them. I'm sharing my thoughts on careers, and more, and how I can help you achieve your goals. Find out more at: https://www.richardtaliaferro.com

To get my weekly newsletter with more career tips and insights, click here: https://www.richardtaliaferro.com/emails

#ProfessionalCalling #CareerPurpose #MeaningfulWork #CareerEvolution #ProfessionalDevelopment

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Your career change is gaining steam You're making progress, feeling excited about new possibilities, then suddenly you hit the brakes. Sound familiar?

I break down why this happens to so many of us and shares four game-changing strategies to keep moving forward when self-doubt creeps in. This isn't about motivation—it's about understanding the psychology of change and working with your brain instead of against it.

What You'll Learn:

• Why successful people still experience self-sabotage
• How to talk back to fear (yes, literally!)
• The evidence-based approach to rebuilding confidence
• Why change requires community, not willpower

This episode is perfect for anyone who's ever felt frustrated by their own resistance to positive change. Whether you're contemplating a career shift, feeling stuck despite making progress, or simply want to understand why change feels so scary, these insights will help you move forward with clarity and confidence.

Don't let fear make your career decisions. Listen now and learn to keep fear in the passenger seat where it belongs.

#CareerAdvice #OvercomingFear #CareerChange #ProfessionalDevelopment #PersonalGrowth

I’m Richard Taliaferro. I’m a certified career coach, specializing in helping mid-stage professionals find the work that works for them. I'm sharing my thoughts on careers, and more, and how I can help you achieve your goals. Find out more at: https://www.richardtaliaferro.com

To get my weekly newsletter with more career tips and insights, click here: https://www.richardtaliaferro.com/emails

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you a Gen Xer feeling overlooked in a job market that glorifies “new and next”? This episode is your reminder that experience isn’t a liability—it’s your greatest asset. We unpack how seasoned professionals can reclaim their relevance, reframe their stories, and leverage decades of hard-earned resilience and insight.

Discover how icons like Warren Buffett and Toni Morrison didn’t peak early—and why your most meaningful work might still be ahead. Learn how to make your adaptability visible, tell powerful career stories, and shift conversations from age to advantage.

If you’ve led through crises, reinvented yourself, and kept showing up when others bailed, this episode is for you.

Key Takeaways:

• How to reframe your experience into compelling career narratives
• The power of lived leadership through change and reinvention
• Why emotional intelligence and strategic insight matter more than ever
• How to redirect age-related conversations into value-driven ones

Don’t miss this wake-up call for Gen X professionals ready to reclaim their edge. Subscribe for more real talk on owning your voice, your value, and your next chapter.

#GenX #CareerGrowth #Leadership #MidlifeCareer #ProfessionalDevelopment #WarrenBuffett #ToniMorrison #AgeIsAnAdvantage

I’m Richard Taliaferro. I’m a certified career coach, specializing in helping mid-stage professionals find the work that works for them. I'm sharing my thoughts on careers, and more, and how I can help you achieve your goals. Find out more at: https://www.richardtaliaferro.com

To get my weekly newsletter with more career tips and insights, click here: https://www.richardtaliaferro.com/emails

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You thought you'd have it all figured out by now—job, life, purpose. But instead, you’re flailing like an inflatable tube man at a used car lot. Sound familiar?

This episode dives deep into that disorienting season of “not-quite-there-yet”—and reveals how it’s often the beginning of meaningful growth. We explore why traditional career timelines fall apart, how to navigate identity shifts, and what it really means to pause with purpose.

This isn’t about quitting. It’s about clarity. Learn how to turn uncertainty into momentum—and how to build a career that fits who you are now, not who you were.

Key Takeaways:

• Why flailing is a sign of growth—not failure
• The hidden power of pausing to reassess
• How to detach from outdated career expectations
• What intentional action actually looks like
• Why small steps can be transformational

Ready to stop flailing and start growing? Tune in now.

Don’t forget to subscribe and share this episode with someone who needs it.

I’m Richard Taliaferro. I’m a certified career coach, specializing in helping mid-stage professionals find the work that works for them. I'm sharing my thoughts on careers, and more, and how I can help you achieve your goals. Find out more at: https://www.richardtaliaferro.com

To get my weekly newsletter with more career tips and insights, click here: https://www.richardtaliaferro.com/emails

#CareerGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #CareerChange #GrowthMindset #CareerAdvice #CareerJourney #Resilience #CareerPivot #CareerShift #CareerFlailing #LifeTransitions #MindsetMatters #ReimagineSuccess #SmallWins #LettingGo #IntentionalLiving #MidCareerMoves #EmbraceChange #FindingClarity

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What can mountain biking teach us about leadership, resilience, and career reinvention?

In this episode, I sit down with Liz Donahey—a competitive endurance racer, digital marketer, founder of “MTB Girls Magazine” and author of “The 23 Principles of Mountain Biking”. We explore the powerful parallels between the trail and the workplace. From strategic risk-taking to navigating setbacks, Liz shares how pacing, preparation, and purpose can transform the way we lead, work, and grow.

Whether you're in a career pivot or chasing your next bold chapter, this episode is packed with insight, energy, and practical wisdom.

Where to find The 23 Principles of Mountain Biking: https://a.co/d/5KtMWhA

Where to find: https://a.co/d/2q1JF3c

Follow Liz Donahey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizdonahey

Follow Liz Donahey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizdonahey/

#CareerReinvention #LeadershipMindset #MountainBikingAndBusiness #ResilienceAtWork #EnduranceLessons #WomenInLeadership #DigitalMarketingStrategy #StartupLeadership #MTBGirlsMagazine #CareerChangeSupport #PerformanceMindset #StrategicRiskTaking #CommunityBuilding #FemaleEntrepreneurs #PurposeDrivenWork #OutdoorLeadership #ProfessionalGrowth

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I’m Richard Taliaferro. I’m a certified career coach, specializing in helping mid-stage professionals find the work that works for them. I'm sharing my thoughts on careers, and more, and how I can help you achieve your goals. Find out more at: https://www.richardtaliaferro.com

To get my weekly newsletter with more career tips and insights, click here: https://www.richardtaliaferro.com/emails

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Ken Griffey Jr. captured a viral photo of Rory McIlroy at the Masters, most people were stunned—not just by the image, but by who was behind the lens.

In this episode, we explore how Griffey, a baseball icon, reinvented himself later in life—and why his journey holds a mirror up to so many of us stuck in familiar, but unfulfilling roles. From quiet hobbies to new careers, there’s a powerful message here: you are not just what you’ve done—you are what you’re becoming.

If you’ve ever felt boxed in by your job title or wondered if it’s “too late” to start something new, this story will change your perspective.

💡 Key Takeaways

• Identity isn’t fixed—it evolves
• Hobbies can become callings with space and intention
• You don’t need permission to start, just curiosity
• Your next chapter builds on everything that came before
• How to take the first step into something new

I’m Richard Taliaferro. I’m a certified career coach, specializing in helping mid-stage professionals find the work that works for them. I'm sharing my thoughts on careers, and more, and how I can help you achieve your goals. Find out more at: https://www.richardtaliaferro.com

To get my weekly newsletter with more career tips and insights, click here: https://www.richardtaliaferro.com/emails

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m taking a break for the holiday, and I’ll be back next week. Talk with you then.

I’m Richard Taliaferro. I’m a certified career coach, specializing in helping mid-stage professionals find the work that works for them. I'm sharing my thoughts on careers, and more, and how I can help you achieve your goals. Find out more at: https://www.richardtaliaferro.com

To get my weekly newsletter with more career tips and insights, click here: https://www.richardtaliaferro.com/emails

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Graduation season isn’t just for students—it might be time you graduated… from your job. In this empowering episode, we explore what it means to outgrow a role and how to recognize the signs that it's time to move on. Whether you’re mid-career or just feeling misaligned with your work, we’ll break down the most common fears around making a career shift—like losing stability or starting over—and how to overcome them with confidence.

You’re not starting from scratch—you’re starting from experience.

Tune in to learn how to reframe your skills, build a safe runway to change, and give yourself permission to step into your next chapter with clarity and courage.

Key Takeaways:

• Why “starting over” is a myth—you’re building on your experience.
• How to navigate fear of financial instability during a career pivot.
• The truth about waiting for permission to make a change.
• A new way to think about career transitions as commencements.

🎧 Ready to explore your next chapter? Hit play now and don’t forget to subscribe for more real talk on meaningful work.

I’m Richard Taliaferro. I’m a certified career coach, trained in habit change and specializing in helping mid-stage professionals find the work that works for them. I'm sharing my thoughts on careers, and more, and how I can help you achieve your goals. Find out more at: https://www.richardtaliaferro.com

To get my weekly newsletter with more career tips and insights, click here: https://www.richardtaliaferro.com/emails

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.