On Wednesday, my podcast episode with Career Coach and LinkedIn Top Voice Mark Crossfield hit the airwaves.

I had a blast recording it.

And it was thought-provoking too.

This question of Mark's had me pondering in particular:

What advice do you have for listeners who want to love their job and have a great career?

If someone had asked me that question 2+ years ago, I’ve no idea what I would’ve said.  My distrust & disillusionment for the “rat race” was plain for all to see.

(take a look at some of my older emails if you don’t believe me.  I well & truly read the 9 to 5 the riot act)

If I'd been asked that question 18 months ago, I might’ve mused on the importance of knowing your values and finding a career which is aligned to these.

And a year ago I might’ve kicked about the merits of ideas like passion & purpose.

But when Mark asked me this question on the podcast, I said none of these.

Instead, I went off the beaten track and gave an answer you’ll never find in a CEO's leadership handbook, a step-by-step guide to changing career or a useful leaflet at a career fair.

Nor is it something you’ll ever hear your boss, colleagues or friends tell you.  It’s got nothing to do with setting boundaries, work/life balance, networking or any other practical meat & potatoes type advice.

In fact, it’s got nothing to do with work at all.

But anyone who follows the advice I give on the podcast cannot help but fall in love with their job.  

It's bound to happen.

And from this place, having a great career will likely follow.

The suggestion I give has been one of the biggest insights I’ve had personally since I quit my job three or so years ago.

And, I believe, has been one of the major reasons I've gone back to my old job – a job that used to grind my gears, get me down and make me wonder “is this really how I’m going to spend the rest of my life” – with a spring in my step and a twinkle in my eye. 

And still have that same spring & twinkle today, 6 months later. 

I usually save this idea and its exploration for my paid coaching clients.

But you can discover exactly what I said for free by tuning into the podcast episode.

Here’s the link:

https://www.bravocoaching.co.uk/podcast

Or head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify and search for “Your Bravo Career”.

Have a great weekend.

 - Tom

p.s. here are some of the other topics Mark and I chew the fat about:

*** How my experience of the 9 to 5 has shifted from anguish & torture to ease & flow.  4 years ago I was mentally & physically exhausted and tearing my hair out about my workload, the bureaucracy and the stress of my job.  If someone had told me that 4 years later I’d be working in the same job and looking forward to going into the office each day, I would’ve stared at them as if they’d come straight from the loony bin

*** My “battle-tested” tips to anyone feeling trapped or unfulfilled in their careers

*** What led to me quitting my banking job (I mention some personal stuff I’ve never talked about publicly before)

*** One thing I wish I’d known at the start of my career which undoubtedly would’ve stopped me experiencing the job-related turmoil I did.  I strongly believe that anyone who sees this for themselves will have a more relaxed, easy-going relationship with work, whatever that relationship is like today. That might sound like a big claim, but I stand by it

*** The changes my colleagues have noticed in me since I've come back to the office

*** The single biggest a-ha moment I had during my 7 month certification training with “supercoach” Michael Neill and the game-changing impact this a-ha moment has had on my life

*** How I’m sharing what I’ve learnt with my colleagues in the office

*** The one sentence I read in countless books and heard on multiple podcasts which made no sense to me for pretty much 20 years. Yet which I now not only understand, but which has completely changed my perspective on how to be happy at work (and in life, for that matter)

*** Feeling burnt out or on the road to burn out?  I talk to Mark about one thing you can do right here, right now, to release some of that pressure

*** My daily routine, my writing, my newsletter and my love of magic