In this episode, we speak with Julian Lighton, who reflects on a career driven by curiosity, from law and consulting to leadership, entrepreneurship and executive coaching. Drawing on his book Navigating Your Next, he shares how major career transitions shaped his perspective on decision-making, identity and success, why clarity starts with knowing what you truly want, and how leaders can cut through complexity. Julian discusses the importance of developing people-centric leadership through learning and failure, before sharing the advice he would give his younger self.

Julian Lighton is a Silicon Valley-based executive coach, strategist and author. Over a career spanning law, consulting and senior leadership, he held strategy and executive roles at McKinsey, Cisco and Hitachi before becoming an executive coach. He is the author of Navigating Your Next, a practical guide to helping professionals navigate career transitions, define success on their own terms, make better career decisions and approach what’s next with greater clarity.

Links from the episode:

Julian’s website

Julian’s book on Amazon.uk

Julian’s book Navigating Your Next on Waterstones

Julian’s LinkedIn Profile

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Visit our homepage at https://disrupt-your-career.com
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In this episode, we speak with John Tarnoff, who reflects on how repeated career disruptions—from Hollywood to a failed startup—led him to reinvent his own career and develop the Boomer Reinvention framework. He explains why mid-career professionals struggle with transitions, introduces the concept of identifying your “superpower,” and shares practical advice on networking, visibility, and navigating the hidden job market. He also explores ageism, identity, resilience, and the inner work needed to turn career disruption into purposeful reinvention.

John Tarnoff is a career transition coach, author, and former Hollywood executive who helps mid- and late-career professionals navigate career change with greater clarity and resilience. After working for decades in entertainment and tech, including at DreamWorks Animation, he shifted into coaching and career strategy. Drawing on his own experiences of reinvention and disruption, he focuses on networking, personal branding, and helping people identify the work they are best suited to do.

Links from the episode:

John’s book Boomer Reinvention

Mid-Career Lab website

John’s LinkedIn profile

Thanks for listening!
Visit our homepage at https://disrupt-your-career.com
If you like the podcast, please take a moment to rate it and leave a review in Apple Podcast

In this episode, we speak with Tendayi about the importance of flexibility in career planning. He shares his journey from academia to innovation consulting, emphasizing the value of seizing opportunities and staying open to new directions. Tendayi differentiates between incremental, adjacent, and transformative career innovation, highlighting the risks of rigid planning and the need to adapt to changing environments. He also stresses the importance of reputation and storytelling, and introduces the concepts of “career theater” and “innovation theater.”

Tendayi Viki is an author and advisor to corporate leaders. He specializes in creating buy-in for innovation, transformation and breakthrough ideas. He holds a PhD in Psychology and an MBA. As Partner at Strategyzer, he has worked with leaders and teams to navigate the human elements of innovation, ensuring their initiatives gain the trust, support, and active participation from stakeholders. He has delivered keynotes, led workshops, and advised global organizations including Novartis, Standard Bank, Unilever, Airbus, Pearson, Pfizer, Lufthansa-Airplus and The British Museum.

Links from the episode:

Tendayi's books

Tendayi’s personal website

Tendayi’s LinkedIn profile

Thanks for listening!
Visit our homepage at https://disrupt-your-career.com
If you like the podcast, please take a moment to rate it and leave a review in Apple Podcast