Career strategy, job search insights, and real talk for ambitious professionals navigating six-figure remote roles and career pivots. Hosted by Kristina Butler, HR insider and career coach with 15+ years in recruiting. Whether you're unemployed and searching, underemployed and ready to level up, or strategizing your next move, this podcast gives you tactical guidance and an insider perspective to think clearly about your career. New episodes weekly covering resume strategy, networking, interviews, and the mindset shifts that get you hired. Join the community at kristinabutler.com
Choosing Yourself & Getting Paid for Your Brain with Rainah Davis (The Unscripted Pivot: Brunch Series | Ep. 1)
What happens when the career script you spent years writing gets flipped entirely upside down?
In this premiere episode of The Unscripted Pivot: Brunch Series, Career Architect Kristina B. Butler sits down with author, consultant, and DBA candidate Rainah Davis for a raw, unfiltered conversation about identity, resilience, and reclaiming your direction when life changes without your permission.
From navigating unexpected corporate layoffs and managing the beautiful chaos of family (including seven grandkids!) to the silent weight of the "mom tax," Rainah pulls back the curtain on what it really looks like to shed an old identity when life requires something new — and how she transitioned from simply doing the work to getting paid for her thinking.
Inside this conversation, we cover:
The Transit Metaphor: Why an unscripted pivot is simply the vehicle moving you from Point A to Point B — and why that reframe changes everything.
The Airplane Oxygen Mask: Learning the hard way how to choose yourself first in the middle of a life crisis.
Boundaries vs. Capacity: The exact language shift givers need to say "no" without guilt.
Productive Pain: How to redirect the sting of rejection, closed doors, and layoffs into multi-generational purpose.
Visionaries Plot and Plan Victories: Why you are the visionary of your own life — and how thinking in 90-day windows instead of 5-year plans changes how you move.
Paid More for Thinking Than Doing: The ultimate goal Rainah set for herself at 45 — and the strategic choices she has made every day since to get there.
Grab your coffee or tea, pull up a seat at the virtual table, and let's dive into the middle of the pivot.
🔗 RESOURCES & LINKS:
Grab Rainah's Pivot Plan Goodies: https://adept-crafter-5616.kit.com/pivot (https://adept-crafter-5616.kit.com/pivot)
Connect with Rainah on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/rainahmdavis (https://linkedin.com/in/rainahmdavis)
Join The Unscripted Pivot Community: https://kristinabutler.com/unscripted-pivot-community (https://app.paperbell.com/checkout/packages/217532)
Secure your seat for all 4 episodes: https://kristinabutler.com/pivot-brunch-series (https://kristinabutler.com/pivot-brunch-series)
13 Feb 2026
The Income Myth That Keeps High Performers Underpaid
For years, I believed the only way to earn more money was to manage people.
That belief quietly capped my income.
In this episode, I break down one of the most common career myths I see among capable professionals and explain why managing a team, getting another degree, or already working remotely is not always required to increase your income.
As someone who has spent over 15 years in talent acquisition and HR, and who has sat inside hiring rooms making compensation decisions, I’m sharing what actually matters when organizations determine pay.
You’ll learn:
Why people management is not the only path to higher earnings
The narratives that quietly limit income growth
How to research salary ranges strategically
What hiring teams really prioritize
The four moves that helped me increase my own income
If you’ve been feeling underpaid, boxed in, or unsure of your next step, this episode will help you approach your career more intentionally.
If you want access to the weekly remote opportunities I reference, you can join my email list here:→ https://kristinabutler.com/weekly-remote-jobs
If you’re ready for personalized strategy, you can learn more about working with me here:→ https://kristinabutler.com/six-figure-clarity-session
Subscribe to the podcast for grounded conversations about remote work, career alignment, and building income that supports your life.
9 Feb 2026
How Grief Shapes Career Decisions (and What to Do About It)
Grief doesn’t stop at home. It quietly follows us into our careers.
In this episode, Kristina Butler explores how grief impacts career decisions, timing, motivation, and clarity. Not just grief from losing a loved one, but the grief that comes from layoffs, lost roles, broken expectations, and versions of ourselves we thought we’d be by now.
If you’ve ever felt unmotivated, disconnected, or unsure why a “good” opportunity didn’t excite you, this conversation will help you understand what might really be happening beneath the surface.
This episode is about awareness, grace, and why you don’t need to force strategy when you’re not operating at full capacity.
If this resonates:
Follow the podcast so you don’t miss future episodes
Share this with someone who may need to hear it
Explore the resources linked in the show notes when you’re ready for support
→ Join the email community for reflections, resources, and next-step guidance. https://kristinabutler.com/weekly-remote-jobs
→ Learn more about Clarity Sessions when you need a thoughtful space to think things through. https://kristinabutler.com/six-figure-clarity-session
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