Taking a Career Break with Katrina McGhee

About Taking a Career Break with Katrina McGhee

Taking a Career Break is the podcast for mid-career professionals seeking a strategic break. If you’re burned out, considering a career change, or need extended time off, Break Expert Katrina McGhee shares her Break Blueprint© + other proven tools to help you exit the corporate grind safely. Learn to take an intentional break, rediscover your spark, and return to a life that’s 100x better—without sacrificing success. Join BreakSpace: www.gobreakspace.com Book a call with Katrina: https://kmcgheecoaching.as.me/freeconsult Produced by Winging It Productions: https://www.wingingitproductions.com

Publisher

Katrina McGhee | Career Break and Sabbatical Coach

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

7 Oct 2024

Latest episode

30 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

92 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   30 Sept 2026

   Too Busy Working to Stop for Gas? How to Evaluate a Career Break When You’re Close to FIRE

   Episode 79 - Too Busy Working to Stop for Gas? How to Evaluate a Career Break When You’re Close to FIRE Are you close to achieving your FIRE (Financially Independent, Retire Early) goals, but feeling completely burned out, exhausted, and ready to quit? You are not alone. In this episode of Taking a Career Break with Katrina, career break and sabbatical coach Katrina McGhee and producer James Hammond dive into the intersection of the FIRE community mindset and taking a purposeful career break. While saving aggressively and striving for financial freedom is admirable, many high-achievers fall into the trap of delaying their life until a future date that isn't guaranteed—sacrificing their health, youth, and experiences today. Tune in as we unpack how to look beyond a one-dimensional mathematical equation, weigh the 360-degree risks of not taking a break, and ensure your money serves your best life rather than holding you hostage. Key Takeaways: The Peak Earning vs. Peak Living Trap: Why focusing entirely on your accumulation phase can cause you to neglect the only years your body and energy are truly primed for adventure. Defining Freedom Now: How to build a financial cushion that allows you to make choices without money dictating your every move. The 360-Degree Risk Assessment: How to evaluate what is actually at stake if you don't take a break, versus just looking at the financial cost. The Power of Purpose & Themes: Why your brain needs something as concrete as a well-defined break plan to combat the fear of losing money. Enjoying the podcast? ⭐ Follow or subscribe on your favourite podcast app so you never miss an episode! 💬 If the show has helped or inspired you, leaving a quick 5-star review genuinely makes a huge difference and helps more people discover the podcast. 📲 And if you know someone feeling burned out, stuck in their career, or dreaming about taking a career break, share this episode with them — it might be exactly what they need to hear. ❤️ Your support helps us continue creating honest conversations, practical advice, and inspiring stories for people ready to make a change. ▶️ Watching on YouTube? Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and turn on notifications so you never miss future episodes and career break conversations - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@TakingaCareerBreakwithKatrina⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.youtube.com/@TakingaCareerBreakwithKatrina) ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction: I’m Close to FIRE. Do I Keep Working or Take a Break? 01:00 – Welcome to Taking a Career Break with Katrina 01:44 – What is the FIRE Movement? Understanding Financial Independence and Freedom 04:21 – The Big Worry: Missing Out on Youth, Health, and Life Experiences 09:30 – The Real Problem: Your Peak Earning Years Are Also Your Peak Living Years 13:47 – Strategy #1: The Importance of Purpose Statements and Themes for Your Break 15:45 – Strategy #2: Doing a 360-Degree Risk Assessment (What Happens If You Don't Take a Break?) 18:23 – Bonus Insight: The Value of Location-Independent, Laptop-Based Skills 20:37 – The Ultimate Analogy: "You’re Too Busy Driving to Stop for Gas Ready to stop "running on empty" and start running toward a life you actually love? 🫶🏼Join the BreakSpace community - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.gobreakspace.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (www.gobreakspace.com) 🎁Order Katrina's book (w/ special bonus!) - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.kmcgheecoaching.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.kmcgheecoaching.com/book) 🔔 Subscribe for more deep dives into career growth, work-life balance, and mental resilience. 🎧Produced by Winging It Productions - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.wingingitproductions.com (https://www.wingingitproductions.com/)

2. 

   23 Sept 2026

   Hitting the Career Break Wall? Don't Fall For This Midpoint Trap

   Episode 78 - Hitting the Career Break Wall? Don't Fall For This Midpoint Trap Feeling the urge to pack it in and go back to work right in the middle of your career break? You aren't alone. In this episode, Katrina McGhee and James Hammond dive deep into the hidden "trapdoor" that trips up high achievers around the midpoint of their break. Once the initial bucket list items and big adventures are checked off, a wave of discomfort, existential questioning, and the familiar urge for productivity can hit hard. Katrina breaks down why your brain panics when faced with spaciousness, the massive costs of returning to work too early, and a simple 3-step framework to help you push through the discomfort and completely transform your life. In this packed conversation, we explore why default living and decades of hustle culture trick your nervous system into believing that being busy equals being a good person. You will learn how to spot the early warning signs of the midpoint slump, why your brain desperately seeks the familiar comfort of a job, and how a former client successfully handled a sudden job offer without breaking the commitment she made to herself. To overcome this tricky phase, Katrina outlines her actionable, no-nonsense solution built around defining your core purpose and themes, establishing temporary targets, and creating a grounded morning routine. By leaning into structure and intention instead of defaulting back to autopilot, you give yourself the vital mental space needed to reshape your relationship with work and rest. Whether you are currently on a career break, planning a sabbatical, or dreaming of stepping away from burnout, this episode gives you the exact blueprint you need to master your time without regret. Enjoying the podcast? ⭐ Follow or subscribe on your favourite podcast app so you never miss an episode! 💬 If the show has helped or inspired you, leaving a quick 5-star review genuinely makes a huge difference and helps more people discover the podcast. 📲 And if you know someone feeling burned out, stuck in their career, or dreaming about taking a career break, share this episode with them — it might be exactly what they need to hear. ❤️ Your support helps us continue creating honest conversations, practical advice, and inspiring stories for people ready to make a change. ▶️ Watching on YouTube? Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and turn on notifications so you never miss future episodes and career break conversations - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@TakingaCareerBreakwithKatrina⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.youtube.com/@TakingaCareerBreakwithKatrina) Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome to the show: What happens after the bucket list? 02:00 – The Career Break Trapdoor: Why the midpoint is the danger zone 04:15 – Should you pace your bucket list items or dive right in? 08:50 – The painful spaciousness: Why your brain craves the comfort of a job 12:20 – The uncomfortable questions you're trying to avoid 16:00 – The true cost of returning to work too early 19:00 – The alternative: Rethinking work, retirement, and default living 21:40 – The 3-Step Framework to save your break: Purpose & Themes, Targets, and Morning Routines 28:10 – Real-life coaching story: How a former client handled a sudden job offer Ready to stop "running on empty" and start running toward a life you actually love? 🫶🏼Join the BreakSpace community - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.gobreakspace.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (www.gobreakspace.com) 🎁Order Katrina's book (w/ special bonus!) - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.kmcgheecoaching.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.kmcgheecoaching.com/book) 🔔 Subscribe for more deep dives into career growth, work-life balance, and mental resilience. 🎧Produced by Winging It Productions - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.wingingitproductions.com (https://www.wingingitproductions.com/)

3. 

   16 Sept 2026

   Does a Career Break Mean You're Not Ambitious Anymore?

   Episode 77 - Does a Career Break Mean You're Not Ambitious Anymore? Are you worried that stepping away from the daily grind means losing your edge? In this episode of Taking a Career Break, hosts Katrina McGhee (career break and sabbatical coach) and James Hammond tackle a heavy stigma: the idea that taking a career break or sabbatical means you are no longer ambitious. Inspired by recent client discussions and a viral Substack reflection titled "I lost my ambition in Europe," Katrina and James unpack the traditional, work-centric definition of ambition and why it often leads to burnout. They explore the difference between ambition and motivation, discuss the societal pressure to tie your self-worth to a corporate ladder, and offer a powerful reframe. Tune in to discover why taking a career break isn't a sign of laziness—it's the ultimate act of being ambitious about your life, your well-being, and living a truly rich existence. Enjoying the podcast? ⭐ Follow or subscribe on your favourite podcast app so you never miss an episode! 💬 If the show has helped or inspired you, leaving a quick 5-star review genuinely makes a huge difference and helps more people discover the podcast. 📲 And if you know someone feeling burned out, stuck in their career, or dreaming about taking a career break, share this episode with them — it might be exactly what they need to hear. ❤️ Your support helps us continue creating honest conversations, practical advice, and inspiring stories for people ready to make a change. ▶️ Watching on YouTube? Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and turn on notifications so you never miss future episodes and career break conversations - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@TakingaCareerBreakwithKatrina⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.youtube.com/@TakingaCareerBreakwithKatrina) Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction: How a Substack newsletter sparked this episode's debate on losing ambition. 01:42 – Welcome to the Show: Setting the stage for high achievers feeling burned out and ready for a change. 03:44 – Is Not Being Ambitious a Bold Statement? Exploring different definitions of ambition. 05:08 – The "Lost My Ambition in Europe" Insight: Unpacking why high-achievers feel a shift during sabbaticals. 08:11 – Ambition vs. Motivation: What does Miriam Webster say about the true meaning of ambition? 10:17 – BreakSpace Announcement: Your launchpad for a life-changing career break. 12:06 – Why We Default to Work-Centric Ambition: The primitive drive for safety, status, and financial reward. 14:58 – Is Being Unambitious Bad? Challenging the societal stigma of being "lazy" or "not driven." 18:42 – The Ultimate Reframe: Becoming ambitious about life and living well, rather than just a career. 21:11 – Why Taking a Career Break is Actually Hugely Ambitious. 22:02 – Final Thoughts & Wrap-Up. Ready to stop "running on empty" and start running toward a life you actually love? 🫶🏼Join the BreakSpace community - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.gobreakspace.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (www.gobreakspace.com) 🎁Order Katrina's book (w/ special bonus!) - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.kmcgheecoaching.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.kmcgheecoaching.com/book) 🔔 Subscribe for more deep dives into career growth, work-life balance, and mental resilience. 🎧Produced by Winging It Productions - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.wingingitproductions.com (https://www.wingingitproductions.com/)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

13 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 44 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

75

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

Contact Taking a Career Break with Katrina McGhee

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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