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

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 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

In this episode, we speak with Cor Dubois, who explores how leaders can make more intentional career decisions through a “Personal Board of Directors.” He shares insights on the risks of unstructured career choices, the importance of purpose, network, and strategy, and how diverse external perspectives help uncover blind spots and hidden strengths. The conversation highlights accountability, long-term thinking, and the need for reflection, agility, and human connection in navigating career transitions and the evolving future of work.

Cor Dubois is an executive leader and board advisor with experience across telecommunications, entertainment, consumer goods, and consulting, including roles at Nokia-Alcatel-Lucent, BMG, Rothschild Inc, and Market Bridge. He is Founder and Chairman of Stichting Board Companions in the Netherlands, supporting governance in social organizations. Cor also lectures at HEC Paris and INSEAD and contributes to publications such as California Management Review and Harvard Business Review France.

Links from the episode:

Article ‘Building a Personal Board of Directors in an Era of Nomadic Careers’ by Noah Askin and Cor Dubois in California Management Review

Cor’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 Selina Millstam, who reflects on her career journey from social work to senior HR leadership, driven by a deep curiosity about human behavior. She explores leadership as a “human relating” challenge, the importance of transparency, inclusion, and managing biases, and shares practical insights on well-being, career transitions, and legacy. The conversation also looks ahead to generative AI, emphasizing the need to balance technological progress with a deeply human approach to leadership and organizations.

Selina Millstam is an experienced Human Resources and Talent Management executive with a strong track record across the information technology, science and technology, and consulting industries. She specializes in executive and career development, HR consulting, and coaching, helping leaders and organizations navigate growth and transformation. With a Master’s degree in Organizational Change from Ashridge Business School, she brings a practical, business-driven approach to developing talent and building effective, future-ready organizations. She is also co-host of the podcast Plain Speaking, alongside Burak Bakkaloglu.

Links from the episode:

Selina’s LinkedIn profile

Selina’s podcast ‘Plain Speaking by Selina and Burak’

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 Pauline Kiraithe, who reflects on curiosity, lifelong learning, and a passion for helping people live intentionally. She shares her journey from corporate HR to entrepreneurship, the personal crisis that sparked her search for purpose, and the realization that “the gift is in you.” Pauline discusses leadership role models, advice for early-career professionals, the importance of nurturing women leaders, and her legacy of being a catalyst for mindset shifts.

Dr. Pauline Kiraithe is a Career Transformation Strategist, Executive Leadership Coach, and Founder of Talentgurus@254, one of Kenya’s most recognized career coaching institutions. With 30+ years across banking, NGOs, telecom, retail, media, and consulting, she helps professionals and leaders re-engineer their careers for intentional impact and alignment. She is the author of Owning Your Career and has shaped thousands of careers, becoming a trusted voice on career ownership, leadership identity, and purposeful growth.

Links from the episode:

Talent Gurus 254 homepage

Pauline’s book Owning Your Career

Pauline’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 Neri Karra Sillaman about her journey from childhood refugee to entrepreneur and academic, and how education became her North Star. She shares how experiences of inequality shaped her values, her approach to risk and failure as redirection, and why being an outsider can be a strategic advantage. The conversation explores building businesses with limited resources, “frying in your own oil,” and redefining legacy as long-term impact on people, organizations, and society.

Neri Karra Sillaman is an immigrant entrepreneur, academic, and author. Born into a persecuted Turkish minority in communist Bulgaria, she moved to Istanbul as a child refugee, where her family later co-founded a company that has grown internationally. She holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge and is an entrepreneurship expert at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. Her work focuses on building sustainable businesses that combine purpose and long-term performance.

Links from the episode:

Neri’s book Pioneers

Neri’s personal website

Neri’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

You’ve built a life that looks successful, but inside, something’s stirring. You’ve done everything “right,” yet you find yourself wondering: Is this it? What now? In Live Your Opus: Reclaim Your Energy, Redefine Success, and Create a Life That Truly Matters, Janine Mathó writes for ambitious, high-achieving people who feel depleted, disconnected, or misaligned, and who sense that the version of success they followed no longer fits.

In this edition of Author Chat, Disrupt Your Career speaks with Janine about her book, reclaiming energy, redefining success, and choosing a life that truly fits. She shares the core ideas behind Live Your Opus, that your life is your opus and that you are your greatest work, and offers a practical path for creating sustainable, meaningful success.

Order Janine’s book Live Your Opus

Janine’s website

Janine’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