Comeback Coach

Ask me a Q Hello Bright Minds, today I’m with a super fan of the podcast, Lou Khan, Ecommerce Media Director at Nectar360. Coming back from maternity leave stoked her ambition and we talk about the role of coaching, a highly supportive line manager, being more audacious at work and how a true partnership at home has fueled her rise. LINKS to things I mentioned in the episode: My newsletter Pivotal The "Visible" masterclass you could win for your organisation when you review COMEBACK COACH between 26/8/26 and 31/12/26. My e-mail address: jc@talentkeepers.co.uk ----------------------------------------------- COMPETITION DETAILS Be in with a chance to win an hour of coaching in person in London with me (or remotely) in January 2027 – or have me run our ‘VISIBLE’ masterclass for your organisation in February or March 2027 by leaving a review of COMEBACK COACH on Apple Podcasts, LinkedIn or Instagram (grid post) by Thursday 31st December 2026. Simply rate and review COMEBACK COACH and send a screenshot of your review to jc@talentkeepers.co.uk and let me know whether you would prefer 1:1 coaching with me or the VISIBLE masterclass for your organisation. For a second chance to win subscribe to my fortnightly newsletter, Pivotal , bringing coaching and psychology for career progression to your inbox every other Wednesday at 7am. TERMS & CONDITIONS Promoter: Jessica Chivers, The Talent Keeper Specialists (TTKS), jc@talentkeepers.co.uk Promotion period: Entries open when Season 11 of Comeback Coach launches in August 2026 and close at 23:59 on the day the final episode of the season is released in December 2026 ("the Promotion Period"). Entries received outside this window will not be counted. How to enter Rate and review Comeback Coach on Apple Podcasts, and email a screenshot of your review to jc@talentkeepers.co.uk , or If you listen on Spotify or another platform that doesn't support reviews, post a review or shout-out for Comeback Coach on LinkedIn or Instagram and tag Jessica Chivers/TTKS in the post. Each entrant may submit one entry per method above for a maximum of one entry this way per person during the Promotion Period. Bonus entry Entrants who also subscribe to the Pivotal newsletter at pivotal.subscribepage.io during the Promotion Period will receive a second entry into the prize draw. Existing subscribers as of the start of the Promotion Period are not eligible for the bonus entry under this route. Eligibility Open to anyone aged 18 or over, worldwide, except employees (or their immediate family) of The Talent Keeper Specialists. By entering, you confirm the review or post is genuine and reflects your own honest opinion of the podcast. The prize The winner will choose one of the following: One hour of 1:1 coaching with Jessica Chivers, delivered in person in London or remotely (to be scheduled for January 2027, subject to mutual availability), or A private delivery of the 60-minute VISIBLE masterclass ("How to increase your visibility and accelerate your career when you're caring for others and/or working part-time") for the winner or their organisation/team, timing by mutual agreement. There is no cash alternative. The prize is non-transferable. TTKS reserves the right to substitute the prize for one of equivalent value if circumstances beyond its control make it necessary. Winner selection and notification One winner will be selected at random from all valid entries received during the Promotion Period, after the close of entries. The winner will be notified directly by email or via the platform on which they entered (LinkedIn/Instagram) within 14 days of the promotion closing. If the winner cannot be reached or does not respond within 14 days of notification, TTKS reserves the right to select an alternative winner from the remaining valid entries. The winner's first name and platform/handle may be announced on the podcast, on LinkedIn/Instagram, or in the Pivotal newsletter, unless the winner requests otherwise. Data and privacy Screenshots and entries submitted by email will be used solely to verify and administer this competition and will not be shared with third parties or used for any other marketing purpose without separate consent. By submitting a bonus entry via newsletter sign-up, you are also subscribing to Pivotal in line with its own sign-up terms; you can unsubscribe at any time and this will not affect a prize already won. Other This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Apple, Spotify, LinkedIn, or Instagram (or Meta). TTKS reserves the right to amend these terms, or to cancel or withdraw the competition at any stage, if circumstances make this unavoidable. This promotion is governed by the laws of England and Wales. Entry into the competition is deemed acceptance of these terms and conditions. Questions about the competition? Email jc@talentkeepers.co.uk . MORE FOR YOU DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal . Watch our coaching Success Stories . Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report. Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers. Contact us about executive coaching.

Ask me a Q Hello Bright Minds, this episode will give you nine tactics for raising your visibility at work that have helped coachees get access to growth opportunities and promotions. LINKS to things I mentioned in the episode: Raising & Rising (leadership career retreat for mothers in senior roles) My newsletter Pivotal The "Visible" masterclass you could win for your organisation when you review COMEBACK COACH between 26/8/26 and 31/12/26. Washington Post article. My e-mail address: jc@talentkeepers.co.uk ----------------------------------------------- COMPETITION DETAILS Be in with a chance to win an hour of coaching in person in London with me (or remotely) in January 2027 – or have me run our ‘VISIBLE’ masterclass for your organisation in February or March 2027 by leaving a review of COMEBACK COACH on Apple Podcasts, LinkedIn or Instagram (grid post) by Thursday 31st December 2026. Simply rate and review COMEBACK COACH and send a screenshot of your review to jc@talentkeepers.co.uk and let me know whether you would prefer 1:1 coaching with me or the VISIBLE masterclass for your organisation. For a second chance to win subscribe to my fortnightly newsletter, Pivotal , bringing coaching and psychology for career progression to your inbox every other Wednesday at 7am. TERMS & CONDITIONS Promoter: Jessica Chivers, The Talent Keeper Specialists (TTKS), jc@talentkeepers.co.uk Promotion period: Entries open when Season 11 of Comeback Coach launches in August 2026 and close at 23:59 on the day the final episode of the season is released in December 2026 ("the Promotion Period"). Entries received outside this window will not be counted. How to enter Rate and review Comeback Coach on Apple Podcasts, and email a screenshot of your review to jc@talentkeepers.co.uk , or If you listen on Spotify or another platform that doesn't support reviews, post a review or shout-out for Comeback Coach on LinkedIn or Instagram and tag Jessica Chivers/TTKS in the post. Each entrant may submit one entry per method above for a maximum of one entry this way per person during the Promotion Period. Bonus entry Entrants who also subscribe to the Pivotal newsletter at pivotal.subscribepage.io during the Promotion Period will receive a second entry into the prize draw. Existing subscribers as of the start of the Promotion Period are not eligible for the bonus entry under this route. Eligibility Open to anyone aged 18 or over, worldwide, except employees (or their immediate family) of The Talent Keeper Specialists. By entering, you confirm the review or post is genuine and reflects your own honest opinion of the podcast. The prize The winner will choose one of the following: One hour of 1:1 coaching with Jessica Chivers, delivered in person in London or remotely (to be scheduled for January 2027, subject to mutual availability), or A private delivery of the 60-minute VISIBLE masterclass ("How to increase your visibility and accelerate your career when you're caring for others and/or working part-time") for the winner or their organisation/team, timing by mutual agreement. There is no cash alternative. The prize is non-transferable. TTKS reserves the right to substitute the prize for one of equivalent value if circumstances beyond its control make it necessary. Winner selection and notification One winner will be selected at random from all valid entries received during the Promotion Period, after the close of entries. The winner will be notified directly by email or via the platform on which they entered (LinkedIn/Instagram) within 14 days of the promotion closing. If the winner cannot be reached or does not respond within 14 days of notification, TTKS reserves the right to select an alternative winner from the remaining valid entries. The winner's first name and platform/handle may be announced on the podcast, on LinkedIn/Instagram, or in the Pivotal newsletter, unless the winner requests otherwise. Data and privacy Screenshots and entries submitted by email will be used solely to verify and administer this competition and will not be shared with third parties or used for any other marketing purpose without separate consent. By submitting a bonus entry via newsletter sign-up, you are also subscribing to Pivotal in line with its own sign-up terms; you can unsubscribe at any time and this will not affect a prize already won. Other This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Apple, Spotify, LinkedIn, or Instagram (or Meta). TTKS reserves the right to amend these terms, or to cancel or withdraw the competition at any stage, if circumstances make this unavoidable. This promotion is governed by the laws of England and Wales. Entry into the competition is deemed acceptance of these terms and conditions. Questions about the competition? Email jc@talentkeepers.co.uk . MORE FOR YOU DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal . Watch our coaching Success Stories . Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report. Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers. Contact us about executive coaching.

Ask me a Q **Quick link to register interest in the Raising & Rising leadership retreat for mothers in senior roles – CPO’s and HR professionals please leave your details if interested for your people.** Hello Bright Minds this episode is an unexpected and delightful turn of events off the back of seeing my mate Katy Fridman for coffee a couple of weeks ago. We’d been talking about the state of the employment market for senior professionals who want to work less than full time. Katy is the Founder of Flexible Working People , a career platform helping professionals build part-time and flexible careers. She’s grown a community of more than 100,000 professionals and talks to hiring managers and internal recruiters every day of the week. Katy was about to pilot a four-day sprint for senior professionals who want to land flexible roles and we put a post on LinkedIn and asked if people wanted us to do an episode. The answer was a resounding YES and as well as many public comments I had people DM to tell me about their experiences. MORE FOR YOU DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal . Watch our coaching Success Stories . Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report. Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers. Contact us about executive coaching.

Ask me a Q Hello Bright Minds, you’re about to eavesdrop on a coaching conversation with a woman who wants to do big things in the world of philanthropy. She has a bold ambition to work with Melinda Gates and create a movement that leads to many, many more big female philanthropists around the globe. Female financial empowerment is her driving force and I gave her my ear to help her think about how she moves from where she is now to where she wants to be. She works as a senior fundraiser in the UK and USA and is a mother of two girls age 4 and 19 months. If you are a mother in a senior role who is looking to go further in your career you might like to be part of the second Raising & Rising one day career leadership retreat in London on Monday 12th October. It’s a space for ambitious women to think deeply about their next career step and formulate plans to achieve it alongside being the parent you want to be. It’s designed and hosted by me and my colleague parenting coach and author Anita Cleare. We’re both seasoned coaching professionals working with senior women in corporate roles for over 20 years and the first cohort was made up of women who’s employers had sponsored their places. MORE FOR YOU DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal . Watch our coaching Success Stories . Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report. Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers. Contact us about executive coaching.

Ask me a Q My guest today is Donna Nichol, from Chloe James Lifestyle who started her career in fashion buying and gave into her urge to open an independent store of her own 16 years in the place I call home: St Albans. Earlier this year Donna took a month out of her business to go travelling with her husband and when I saw her photos on Instagram and just how happy the break had made her I thought I need to get her on the podcast to show other business leaders whether in corporate life or running small businesses that they can do this too. I wholeheartedly believe – and research bears it out – that top performers know how to rest and sometimes an extended period of rest or change of scene such as a sabbatical or extra long holiday is exactly what we need to stay fresh and energised about leading in business. RESOURCES & REFERENCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Raising & Rising Leadership Career Retreat for Mothers. Chloe James (Donna's business) Chloe James instagram Jessica's e-mail: jc@talentkeepers.co.uk MORE FOR YOU DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal . Watch our coaching Success Stories . Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report. Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers. Contact us about executive coaching.

Ask me a Q Hello Bright Minds, this episode is for anyone who's just come second in a recruitment process for a job really wanted. LINKS REFERENCES IN EPISODE Executive coaching for 'overlooked professionals'. Raising & Rising register of interest. Raising & Rising career retreat (for mothers in senior roles). Comeback Community employee experience. I’m Jessica Chivers, a chartered coaching psychologist, author of “Mothers Work!” and executive coach who is on a mission to get more women into top jobs. I’m so pleased you’re here and listening to this JESSICA episode of COMEBACK COACH. These episodes are where I get into the psychology of something I think could be of value to the Bright Minds I coach in service of fuelling their careers. If you’re looking for help returning to work after a break then please dig into to the massive library of COMEBACK episodes where you’ll find oodles of practical inspiration in the stories of my guests. You can also DM me your Qs on Instagram using the handle @comebackcommuk and if you are a Head of L&D, Head of Talent or Chief People Officer seeking coaching for returning employees take a look at our website www.talentkeepers.co.uk for how the Comeback Community employee experience programme drives engagement and supports line managers to have the right conversations with their team member who’s taking leave. Also on the website you’ll find our approach to executive coaching for leaders at five pivotal moments including promotion and when preparing for Partnership . MORE FOR YOU DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal . Watch our coaching Success Stories . Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report. Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers. Contact us about executive coaching.

Ask me a Q Hello Bright Minds, my guest today is Helen Rickards, who last year was made redundant from the German insurer Allianz after 25 years. It was traumatic. She’s now back in role at Lloyd’s of London and she’s loving it. You are about to eavesdrop on a wonderfully uplifting tale of how Helen got back to work. We talk about networking, the nuts and bolts of making LinkedIn work, what it’s like to be suddenly without structure and purpose, how the perimenopause affects self-worth and the moment she knew she wanted to work for her new CEO. MORE FOR YOU DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal . Watch our coaching Success Stories . Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report. Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers. Contact us about executive coaching.

Ask me a Q Hello Bright Minds, this episode is for anyone who is currently grappling with a drop in motivation at work or a loss of drive to push forward in your career after a break from work – a break that has shifted your identity in some way. I want to let you know that it’s normal. And that your drive is still there. It’s just staying quiet for a while – and that accepting it will take time for that mojo to resurface is the kindest thing you can do for yourself. I’m Jessica Chivers, a chartered coaching psychologist, author of “Mothers Work!” and executive coach who is on a mission to get more mothers into top jobs. I’m so pleased you’re here and listening to this JESSICA episode of COMEBACK COACH. These solo episodes are where I get into the psychology of something I think could be of value to the Bright Minds I coach and they’re in service of fuelling their careers. If listening sparks a question or you’d like to say hello and tell me how the episode has moved you, you can DM me on Instagram using the handle @comebackcommuk or e-mail jc@talentkeepers.co.uk . Resources flagged in the episode: My book, Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work (Hay House, 2011). How to settle quickly when promoted into a new peer group: https://www.talentkeepers.co.uk/newpeergroup/ Strengths Profile that we use with coachees returning to work from a break: https://www.strengthsprofile.com/ Comeback Community employee experience programme: https://www.talentkeepers.co.uk/comeback-community/ Log-in to Comeback Community for our coachees: https://comebackcommunity.co.uk/ Executive coaching for pivotal career moments: https://www.talentkeepers.co.uk/executive-coaching/ MORE FOR YOU DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal . Watch our coaching Success Stories . Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report. Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers. Contact us about executive coaching.

Ask me a Q Hello Bright Minds, my chat with Suzy was deeply engaging for me as a fellow psychologist – and therapeutic at times - and I think it’s a great big, warm, virtual hug for anyone who is wrung out from taking care of children, partners, direct reports and all the other people who you give to in your life. We talk about themes connected to Suzy’s latest book, How to be selfish , which is about vocalising your needs and your wishes and tending to yourself. You can get more of Suzy on Instagram @suzyreading. I hope you take some learning from it. Register interest in joining the next Raising & Rising career leadership retreat for mothers in senior roles. Free Career Fuel diagnostic tool and report. MORE FOR YOU DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal . Watch our coaching Success Stories . Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report. Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers. Contact us about executive coaching.

Ask me a Q Hello Bright Minds, this is an episode written from the heart on my 47th birthday about audacity being a behavioural muscle we can develop in service of fuelling our careers and getting more women into top jobs. I'm Jessica Chivers, a chartered coaching psychologist, executive coach and author of "Mothers Work!" ** TELL ME ABOUT YOUR AUDACIOUS ACTS & ASKS AT WORK - link to Google form or copy and paste: https://forms.gle/aUjrEiTAxbQtHzzm6 ** Register interest in joining the next Raising & Rising career leadership retreat for mothers in senior roles. LinkedIn State of Women in Leadership report 2026 The Village by Stylist. MORE FOR YOU DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal . Watch our coaching Success Stories . Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report. Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers. Contact us about executive coaching.

Ask me a Q My guest today is Microsoft’s AI Workforce Lead for Government who recently returned to the business after her second maternity leave. Rakhi Sachdeva moved from India to the UK in 2015 and she’s risen in one of the world largest technology companies without a traditional tech background. Rahki is a wonderful example of the power of not waiting until you feel fully ready before you put yourself forward for opportunities at work - and on that note, if you are a mother in a senior role who is feeling stuck or torn about whether or when to push for the next significant step up I would love you to be part of the second Raising & Rising cohort in London in October. It’s a very special one day leadership career retreat for 12 women with me and parenting expert and author Anita Cleare and you can find out more at www.talentkeepers.co.uk/rising . MORE FOR YOU DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal . Watch our coaching Success Stories . Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report. Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers. Contact us about executive coaching.

Ask me a Q Hello Bright Minds and welcome to the first episode of season 10 of COMEBACK COACH with the author of the brand new book, People Glue: Hold onto your best people by setting them free . If you have ever craved more freedom at work, if you are a business leader worried about losing your best people or if you are a Chief People Officer tasked with generating a new talent attraction and retention strategy, this is for you. As a coaching psychologist who works with employers to help them keep and fuel their most talented people at pivotal career moments I found Helen’s book fascinating. And as a person who’s highest value is freedom, I lapped this up. Links to things we talked about Retaining talent diagnostic for HR Helen’s people manager development list Helen’s Freedom Index Sigal Barsade and companionate love at work People Glue by Helen Beedham MORE FOR YOU DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal . Watch our coaching Success Stories . Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report. Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers. Contact us about executive coaching.

Ask me a Q Hello Bright Minds, this is the third of three bonus episodes of season nine where I’m lifting the lid on what the people I and my colleagues coach, actually get from coaching. I’m Jessica Chivers, a chartered coaching psychologist and executive coach of 20 years. I’m the founder of a boutique coaching business called The Talent Keeper Specialists , and this year we turned 13 and completely refreshed our website. We added a new page called Success Stories where you can watch short films of real coachees honestly reflecting on their experiences of executive coaching. You’re about to hear from three women in the world of asset management; Meena Santhosh, Selina Tyler and Karina Langan. I first worked with Meena when she was at BlackRock and we’ve had three coaching engagements – one after each of her three maternity leaves and she’s now at Robeco. And then you’ll hear from Selina Tyler who’s had fantastic career progression since we first worked together when she was at Federated Hermes. She’s now the Head of UK at Jupiter Asset Management. Both Meena and Selina had their coaching paid for by their employers and you can watch more success stories and read about the five professionals we coach at www.talentkeepers.co.uk . The third person you’ll hear from is Karina Lanagan, who is the Head of HR at TT International, another asset management client of The Talent Keeper Specialists. Karina talks about the power of comeback coaching from an employer perspective and the positive ripple on line managers. I hope it’s a useful listen and as ever, if you have questions or comments you can e-mail me jc@talentkeepers.co.uk or DM on Instagram using the handle @comebackcommuk. MORE FOR YOU DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal . Watch our coaching Success Stories . Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report. Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers. Contact us about executive coaching.

Ask me a Q Hello Bright Minds, this is the second of three bonus episodes of season nine where I’m lifting the lid on what people really get from coaching. If you’ve listened to any COACH episode of the podcast you’ve heard coaching in action. Now’s the time to hear the impact and the positive ripple effects of coaching. Please enjoy the reflections of Laura Scougall, the Head of ITV Academy who was also my guest on episode 94 where we talked about redundancy risk on maternity leave, being open at work about the demands at home, having an autistic son and how to get back to sleep. After Laura you’ll hear from Kirsty Duncan, ITV’s Head of Learning, Development and Wellbeing with whom I’ve had the pleasure of working for 8 years. MORE FOR YOU DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal . Watch our coaching Success Stories . Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report. Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers. Contact us about executive coaching.

Ask me a Q Hello Bright Minds, on a whim at the end of the final episode of season nine with Jeremy Bradbury from ITV (episode 117) I wondered aloud about doing a few bonus episodes about what people really get from coaching. This was inspired by the conversations I’ve had recently with a series of past coachees for a 'Success Story’ page on our new website. Listener Suzy heard that and voicenoted me on Instagram saying “yes please”. So here we are. Sincere thanks once again to Little Dish for sponsoring the whole of season nine. Now please enjoy my chat with Jessica Duncombe, an intellectual property lawyer from Kilburn & Strode and there are more executive coaching success stories at www.talentkeepers.co.uk. MORE FOR YOU DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal . Watch our coaching Success Stories . Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report. Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers. Contact us about executive coaching.

Ask me a Q Hello Bright Minds, my guest today loves his job and is incredibly appreciative of the support he received from his employer, ITV, when illness came out of nowhere. This year Jeremy Bradbury had two months away from work with ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and took around four months to phase back to full time. ITV has been a client of The Talent Keeper Specialists for eight years and I had the pleasure of working with Jeremy in a coaching capacity as he transitioned back to work. For new listeners, my colleagues and I work with professionals at pivotal career moments, including returning to work after a break. Our Comeback Community™ employee experience programme is designed to keep employees feeling confident, connected and cared for before, during and after leave - and we work with line managers as well as the people taking leave. It’s about maintaining employee engagement, shrinking the time it takes to feel comfortable and fuelling ongoing sustainable performance and progression. Have a look at our newly revamped website to find out more: www.talentkeepers.co.uk . This episode and the whole of season nine is generously sponsored by Little Dish. The home of happy, healthy mealtimes for kids. MORE FOR YOU DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal . Watch our coaching Success Stories . Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report. Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers. Contact us about executive coaching.

Ask me a Q Hello Bright Minds, I am worried about what's happening to mothers in UK Plc. In February I am hosting the first Raising & Rising retreat with my colleague Anita Cleare. It’s a small, intimate gathering of 8-12 mothers (of children 0-18) in senior roles to give them space, tools and encouragement to explore what they want next in their careers. These women are the ‘talent pipeline’ to become Partners, Managing Partner, Heads of Department and Board members – some sooner, some later. They are the women their organisations want to keep and rise. Our expectation is that employers will sponsor your place and that you will not self-fund. I This episode is the story of why it's taken me 14 years to create Raising & Rising and the statistics about the difficulties mother face in raising their careers compared to fathers and childfree men. Here's the link to watch the replay of the HR webinar I mention in the episode, "What's Stopping Women Stepping Up" plus more stats about the load mothers are carrying at work compared to fathers and childfree men. Best wishes, Jessica MORE FOR YOU DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal . Watch our coaching Success Stories . Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report. Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers. Contact us about executive coaching.

Ask me a Q Hello Bright Minds, Stephanie Ogden, loves her job. She is the UK CEO of the global insurance company HDI Global and she was an absolute treat to chat to because she was so open and honest. We get into the nitty gritty of how to step away from your business when you are holding the top job or another really senior role. But this is not just an episode for senior leaders – if you work in a big organisation, a male dominated environment or you are ambitious for more in your career this listen will be worth your time. This episode is sponsored by Little Dish, a company who's values chime with mine and I am delighted to have their partnership. **Raising & Rising** A leadership career retreat for mothers in senior roles is happening on Monday 9th February 2026. Details here . MORE FOR YOU DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal . Watch our coaching Success Stories . Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report. Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers. Contact us about executive coaching.

Ask me a Q Hello Bright Mind, I start this episode by sharing a piece of academic astonishing research that demonstrates, unequivocally, the powerful and positive link between values and career success. Values frequently come into the work I do with leaders who are having a challenging time at work or in combining work and home. I do a lot of work with professional women with children who place importance on achieving at work and value being present and emotionally available for their children which can sometimes be very, very hard. I hope you enjoy my musings on the psychology of values and strengths and how they relate to career and wider life success. Best wishes, Jessica RESOURCES & REFERENCES Raising & Rising leadership retreat Self-affirmation increases reemployment success for the unemployed (research by Julian Pfrombeck, Adam Galinsky et al) OECD report The Psychology Podcast with Scott Barry Kauffman The Coaching UnpACT Podcast with Hazel Anderson Turner and Rachael Skews VIA Strengths tool (free) Strengths Profile (free version available) Coaching Through Burnout: A Burnout Prevention Toolkit for Busy Leaders and their Teams by Hazel Anderson Turner. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni Little Dish MORE FOR YOU DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal . Watch our coaching Success Stories . Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report. Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers. Contact us about executive coaching.

Ask me a Q Hello Bright Minds, QUICK LINKS to things in this episode: HR webinar on female talent not stepping up. Raising & Rising leadership retreat early bird registration. Women & Men receive different developmental feedback . Anna Marthur’s new book, The Uncomfortable Truth . Little Dish x The Felix Project My guest today is the wonderfully warm and open psychotherapist, speaker and author, Anna Marthur. You might know Anna from her podcast, The Therapy Edit or her books or you might not know her at all – in which case you are in for a treat. She’s written many books that I think will speak to you, dear Bright Mind including “Know Your Worth: How to build your self-esteem, grow in confidence and worry less about what people think” and her latest, “The Uncomfortable Truth: Change your life by taming 10 of your mind’s greatest fears.” I wanted to get Anna on to talk about: The cost of trying to please everyone. Overcoming the pain and shame of being passed over for promotion. Dealing with failure. The art of saying no. Anna and I have both recently collaborated with Little Dish, the wholesome children’s food company. Little Dish are the season nine sponsor of COMEBACK COACH and I am super proud to have their support because we both want to make life easier for working parents. I do that as an executive coach, providing a powerful and confidential thinking and problem-solving space and Little Dish does it by creating easier evenings with their delicious, nutritious and quick-to-cook meals. One thing Little Dish is doing at the moment that has brought an even bigger smile to my face is their ‘Buy One Give One’ campaign with The Felix Project to end school holiday hunger. MORE FOR YOU DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal . Watch our coaching Success Stories . Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report. Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers. Contact us about executive coaching.