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PODCAST

Taking a Career Break: Sabbatical Planning and Career Break Strategy

Katrina McGhee | Career Break and Sabbatical Coach

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:

business careers

All Episodes

00:31:45

Announcing the BreakSpace Backstage Pass: Inside the...

Taking a Career Break: Sabbatical Planning and Career... ·

2026/10/07

Episode 80 - Announcing the BreakSpace Backstage Pass: Inside the Community with Katrina and LyndallIn this special crossover episode, Katrina welcomes special guest and business partner Lyndall Farley to announce the Breakspace Backstage Pass. The hosts introduce the podcast and dive into the inspiration behind creating a curated, two-hour immersive live event designed to open the doors to the Breakspace community.The conversation covers a high-level walkthrough of what attendees can expect,

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00:21:55

How to Evaluate a Career Break When You’re Close to FIRE

Taking a Career Break: Sabbatical Planning and Career... ·

2026/09/30

Episode 79 - How to Evaluate a Career Break When You’re Close to FIREAre 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

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00:31:21

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

Taking a Career Break: Sabbatical Planning and Career... ·

2026/09/23

Episode 78 - Hitting the Career Break Wall? Don't Fall For This Midpoint TrapFeeling 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

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00:22:57

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

Taking a Career Break: Sabbatical Planning and Career... ·

2026/09/16

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

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00:32:17

What 10 Life-Changing Sabbaticals Proved Wrong About...

Taking a Career Break: Sabbatical Planning and Career... ·

2026/09/09

Episode 76 - What 10 Life-Changing Sabbaticals Proved Wrong About Career BreaksIn this episode, Katrina and James catch up after the summer break to reflect on the inspiring stories shared throughout the Summer Series. They dive deep into the 10 core beliefs and fears that almost stopped 10 high achievers from taking a sabbatical—and how their real-life experiences proved every single one of those beliefs wrong.From navigating the fear that "everything will collapse without me" to

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01:08:19

Summer Series #10 – From Survival Mode to World...

Taking a Career Break: Sabbatical Planning and Career... ·

2026/09/02

Summer Series #10 – From Survival Mode to World Travel: Nicole Starling’s Family Career BreakIn the final installment of the Summer Series, host Katrina McGhee sits down with Nicole Starling to explore the transformative power of taking an extended family sabbatical. After facing consecutive family losses, caregiver responsibilities, and corporate burnout, Nicole and her husband decided to pause, pivot, and take their two children on a world-schooling adventure.Nicole shares the raw reality of

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00:55:22

Summer Series #9 – Jessica Walked Away From a 60-Hour...

Taking a Career Break: Sabbatical Planning and Career... ·

2026/08/26

Summer Series #9 – Jessica Walked Away From a 60-Hour Week and Discovered a Whole New LifeWhat happens when you're really good at your job, you're making a difference in the world, and yet you know deep down that the life you're living isn't good for you anymore?In this episode of the Summer Series, I talk to Jessica O'Neill about one of the most incredible career-break transformations I've encountered.Jessica had spent years building and leading a community food-access organisation in Western

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00:49:35

Summer Series #8 - Elly Quit Her 20-Year Career and...

Taking a Career Break: Sabbatical Planning and Career... ·

2026/08/19

Summer Series #8 - Elly Quit Her 20-Year Career and Discovered a Completely Different LifeWhat happens when the career you spent 20 years building no longer feels like you?In this powerful episode of the Summer Series, Katrina sits down with Elly, a former Assistant Dean for International Programs at the University of Illinois, elected county board member, and lifelong high achiever who reached a breaking point. After years of managing teams, navigating bureaucracy, and pushing through burnout, she

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01:02:48

Summer Series #7 - From Burned-Out School Counselor...

Taking a Career Break: Sabbatical Planning and Career... ·

2026/08/12

Summer Series #7 - From Burned-Out School Counselor to Medical Interpreter in Guatemala | Heidi Leal's Career Break StoryWhat happens when you walk away from a stable career without another job lined up?In this episode of Taking a Career Break with Katrina McGhee, Heidi Leal shares her remarkable journey from high school counselor to freelance medical interpreter in Guatemala. After more than 20 years in public education, Heidi knew she could no longer continue in a role that left her feeling

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00:56:21

Summers Series #6 - Kisha Left Without a Plan: The...

Taking a Career Break: Sabbatical Planning and Career... ·

2026/08/05

Summer Series #6 - Kisha Left Without a Plan: The Career Break That Opened Unexpected DoorsKisha Ward loved her corporate career—until burnout caught up with her. After years of leading major projects, ERP implementations, mergers, and international supply chain work, she made the courageous decision to negotiate an exit without having another job lined up.In this episode of Taking a Career Break with Katrina McGhee, Kisha shares the fears that came with stepping away from a successful career,

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01:05:23

Summer Series #5 - Henriette Left a Successful...

Taking a Career Break: Sabbatical Planning and Career... ·

2026/07/29

Summer Series #5 - Henriette Left a Successful Corporate Career at 55 — And It Changed EverythingHenriette was a successful engineering manager leading multiple corporate teams, but behind the achievements, she was exhausted, disconnected from herself, and asking a question many high achievers quietly carry: “Is this all there is to life?”In this inspiring Summer Series conversation, Henriette shares how she went from burnout and late-night tears to taking a fully intentional career break at the age

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00:56:11

Summer Series #4 - Karin Quit Her Job to Save Her...

Taking a Career Break: Sabbatical Planning and Career... ·

2026/07/22

Summer Series #4 - Karin Quit Her Job to Save Her Health—What Happened Next Will Inspire YouWhat happens when your body forces you to stop?In this inspiring episode of the Taking A Career Break Summer Series, Katrina McGhee sits down with Karin Holmberg to share the remarkable story of how a planned career break became a life-changing healing journey.After years of unexplained health issues, long working hours and mounting burnout, Karin reached a point where she could no longer ignore what her body

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00:53:37

Summer Series #3 - From 3AM Panic to Peace: Jon's...

Taking a Career Break: Sabbatical Planning and Career... ·

2026/07/15

Summer Series #3 - From 3AM Panic to Peace: Jon's Career Break TransformationIn this incredibly moving episode of Taking A Career Break, Katrina sits down with former client Jon, who shares his deeply personal story of reaching breaking point after decades in the IT industry.For years, Jon lived under constant pressure, waking in the middle of the night worrying about work, carrying the weight of responsibility for his team, and believing that taking time away would be selfish. What followed was

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01:00:23

Summer Series #2 - Juliana Left a Six-Figure Job to...

Taking a Career Break: Sabbatical Planning and Career... ·

2026/07/08

Summer Series #2 - Juliana Left a Six-Figure Job to Finally Live Her DreamMany of us dream about taking a career break—but fear, security and other people's opinions often stop us before we ever begin.In Episode 2 of our Summer Series, Katrina sits down with former coaching client Juliana Moreira, whose career break journey proves that the biggest transformation isn't always changing careers—it's changing yourself.After spending two decades climbing the corporate ladder, Juliana found

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00:57:22

Summer Series #1: Brittany Took a Sabbatical...Then...

Taking a Career Break: Sabbatical Planning and Career... ·

2026/07/01

Welcome to the very first episode of our new Taking A Career Break Summer Series!Throughout this special series, Katrina sits down with former coaching clients who have taken courageous career breaks and sabbaticals to hear what really happened after they stepped away from work.Our first guest is Brittany Coleman, whose story is one of the most remarkable transformations we've ever shared.When Brittany began her sabbatical, she was exhausted after years of nonstop work in the nonprofit sector

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00:45:34

Do You Really Need a Coach for Your Career Break or...

Taking a Career Break: Sabbatical Planning and Career... ·

2026/06/24

Episode 75 - Do you really need a coach for your career break or sabbatical?In this milestone 75th episode of Taking A Career Break, Katrina and James tackle a question many aspiring career breakers ask themselves:Do I need a coach to take a successful career break?Katrina pulls back the curtain on what career break coaching actually looks like, sharing powerful client stories and explaining why the biggest challenges of a career break aren't the logistics—they're the mindset shifts, fears, identity

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00:52:24

Behind the Scenes of a Career Break Entrepreneur:...

Taking a Career Break: Sabbatical Planning and Career... ·

2026/06/17

Episode 74 - Behind the Scenes of a Career Break Entrepreneur: Katrina McGhee’s 9-Year JourneyNine years ago, Katrina took a leap that made absolutely no sense on paper. She left behind a successful corporate career, launched a business helping people take career breaks, and stepped into a space that barely existed at the time.In this special behind-the-scenes episode, Katrina shares the real story of building a business around an unconventional idea. From being featured in Forbes just months after

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00:27:29

The Hardest Parts of Taking a Career Break (And How...

Taking a Career Break: Sabbatical Planning and Career... ·

2026/06/10

Episode 73 - The Hardest Parts of Taking a Career Break (And How to Get Through Them)Taking a career break can be life-changing, but it's not always easy.In this episode of Taking a Career Break, Katrina and James break down the hardest parts of stepping away from work and explain why so many people struggle at the same points during their break journey.From making the decision to leave your job, navigating those final months before departure, dealing with burnout recovery, and figuring out

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00:20:02

How to Start Living Your Career Break Before You Quit...

Taking a Career Break: Sabbatical Planning and Career... ·

2026/06/03

Episode 72 - How to Start Living Your Career Break Before You Quit Your JobWhat if you didn’t have to wait until your career break or sabbatical officially started to begin changing your life?In this episode of Taking a Career Break, Katrina and James explore the powerful idea of living your break life early. Through the story of one of Katrina’s coaching clients, they discuss how gaining clarity around your values, goals, and vision can create immediate momentum—even years before your planned break

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00:26:05

7 Warning Signs You Need a Career Break (Before...

Taking a Career Break: Sabbatical Planning and Career... ·

2026/05/27

Episode 71 - 7 Warning Signs You Need a Career Break (Before Burnout Takes Over)Are you feeling burned out, emotionally drained, or questioning whether your career still fits the life you want? In this episode, James and Katrina unpack the seven warning signs that it may be time to step away from work and take a career break.From burnout and chronic stress to losing your spark, feeling disconnected from your purpose, and struggling to find balance in life, Katrina shares the most common signs she

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