Taking a Career Break with Katrina McGhee

Episode 40 - Escaping the 9-to-5: Proving Worth vs. Finding Devotion In this episode of the podcast  Taking a Career Break with Katrina McGhee , Katrina reflects on one of the biggest questions people face when considering a break from their careers:  Are you working to prove your worth, or are you devoting yourself to what truly matters? Katrina shares how this powerful question surfaced during h...

Episode 39 - Katrina Reflects on BreakSpace: What 100+ Members Taught Us About Career Break Success In this episode of  Taking A Career Break With Katrina McGhee , Katrina reflects on the first year of running  BreakSpace , the community she co-founded with her partner Lyndall to support people in taking intentional and transformative career breaks. Over the past twelve months, more than 100 membe...

Episode 38 - Katrina Answers Your Questions on Career Breaks: Money, Mindset & Stigma Welcome back to  Taking A Career Break With Katrina McGhee ! In this episode, Katrina answers your questions about career breaks, from how much money you really need to budget to how to ask your employer for a sabbatical, and even how to overcome the stigma that still surrounds taking time off work. Katrina i...

Episode 37 - Career Break Mindset: Overcoming Guilt, Finding Joy & Redefining Success Taking a career break isn’t just about money, logistics, or checking off boxes—it’s about mindset. In this episode of the  Winging It Travel Podcast , James Hammond sits down with career break coach  Katrina McGhee  to dive into the mental and emotional side of stepping away from work. Together, we unpack the...

Episode 36 - The Cost of Waiting: A Powerful Story on Dreams Deferred and Why You Shouldn't Wait For Retirement In this powerful and profoundly moving episode, James Hammond sits down with career break coach and author Katrina McGhee to explore the true cost of waiting to chase your dreams. Katrina shares a personal and emotional story about one of her earliest clients — a man who had big plan...

Episode 35 - Sabbatical vs. Career Break: What Kind of Break Do You Need and For How Long? In this episode of the  Winging It Travel Podcast , James Hammond sits down with career break coach  Katrina McGhee  to explore one of the biggest questions professionals face:  what type of break should I take—and how long should it last? From stacking paid time off for a mini reset to negotiating a leave o...

Episode 34 - Burn the Bridge: The Mindset Shift You Need to Finally Take Your Career Break In this episode of  Taking a Career Break with Katrina McGhee , we dive into one of the most powerful mindset shifts you can make when you’re dreaming about – but not actually taking – your career break. It’s called “burning the bridge,” and it’s about removing the escape hatch that lets you walk away when t...

Episode 33 -  From $0 to $120K: What People Actually Spend on a Career Break How much does a career break really cost? In this eye-opening episode, Katrina McGhee and James Hammond unpack the actual numbers behind taking time off work—ranging from breaks that cost absolutely nothing to those that hit the $120,000 mark. Whether you're just beginning to think about a sabbatical or already mappin...

Episode 32 - Career Break Travel Hacks: Bucket Lists, Upskilling Abroad & Phone Boundaries Thinking of taking a career break or sabbatical? This episode is packed with practical tips and mindset shifts to help you make the most of your time away from the 9–5 grind. Katrina McGhee, sabbatical coach and author of  Taking a Career Break for Dummies , joins James Hammond to talk about how to turn...

Episode 31 - Mixing It Up: Smart Ways to Keep Travel Fresh on Your Career Break In this episode of  Taking a Career Break with Katrina McGhee , we dive into the challenge many travellers face during extended trips: boredom and burnout. Katrina and James share honest stories about moments of travel fatigue—from cathedral overload in Europe to quiet days in Thailand—and offer smart strategies to kee...

Episode 30 - Why Routines Matter on a Career Break: Find Balance, Create Bedtime Habits & Have Regular Check-Ins Taking a break from your career can feel expansive and freeing — but sometimes that much freedom can also feel overwhelming. In this episode, Katrina and I dive into the importance of routines and rhythms while on a career break or sabbatical. Whether you're a structure-loving p...

Episode 29 - Why Career Breaks Are the Key to Mental Health, Wellness & Radical Prioritization In this honest and inspiring episode, Katrina McGhee and James Hammond dive deep into the emotional and physical realities of taking a career break to reclaim your mental health and overall wellness. Katrina shares her powerful story of investing $6,000 into a health coaching program, losing 21 pound...

🎙  Episode 28 – When to Job Hunt on a Career Break: Timing Your Reentry Right In this insightful episode, Katrina McGhee and James Hammond explore one of the most common pitfalls for career breakers: job searching too soon. Drawing on Katrina’s experience as a career break and sabbatical coach, and James’s practical wisdom from years of international job hopping, this conversation gets honest abou...

Episode 27 – Overcoming the Fear of Taking a Career Break In this insightful and practical episode of  Taking a Career Break with Katrina McGhee , we explore one of the most common roadblocks to pursuing a meaningful break:  fear . Whether it's fear of damaging your career, financial insecurity, public perception, or simply not knowing how to structure your time away from work, these concerns...

Episode 26: Key Components of Rest: How to Heal, Recharge, and Not Just Stay Busy In this episode of  Taking a Career Break with Katrina McGee , we dive deep into a topic that’s too often overlooked when planning time away from work:  true rest . Rest isn’t just about sleep or doing “nothing.” It’s about intentional choices that allow your body, mind, and nervous system to  recover from burnout  a...

Episode 25 - Pre-Trip Planning for Career Breaks: How to Prepare for Life-Changing Travel Ready to take the leap into the unknown with a career break but not sure how to get started with travel planning? In this special role-reversal episode of  Taking a Career Break with Katrina McGee , Katrina takes over as host and interviews podcast co-creator and travel expert  James Hammond , host of  Wingin...

Episode 24 - Why ‘Variation Creates Appreciation’—Essential Advice for Sabbatical Travel In this episode of  Taking a Career Break with Katrina McGhee , we dive into one of the most overlooked secrets of long-term travel: “Variation creates appreciation.” Katrina, career break coach and author of  Taking a Career Break for Dummies , joins travel expert and podcast host James Hammond to discuss how...

Episode 23 - Learn How to Cope with Loneliness on a Career Break: Real Talk & Practical Tips 🌍 Taking a career break can be life-changing—but what happens when loneliness creeps in? In this heartfelt and honest episode, Katrina and James dive into a topic that doesn’t get talked about enough:  loneliness during a career break . Whether you're traveling the world solo or staying local whil...

Episode 22 - How Asking Better Questions Can Transform Your Career Break Experience In this inspiring and deeply reflective episode, career break coach and author Katrina McGhee explores how the simple act of asking better questions can completely reshape your career break journey—and your life. Drawing from personal experience, client stories, and her best-selling book  Taking a Career Break for...

Episode 21: What Most Career Coaches Get WRONG About Career Breaks This episode is a  rant with purpose . Katrina McGhee is back on the mic to call out the outdated, fear-driven, and downright  misguided  advice often handed out by traditional career coaches when it comes to taking a career break. From staying “relevant” to upskilling nonstop and obsessing over your resume during a break — Katrina...

🎙️  Episode 20 – How to Talk About Your Career Break 📘  Hosted by James Hammond & Katrina McGhee, Career Break and Sabbatical Coach Show Summary: In this episode, Katrina McGhee, author of  Taking a Career Break for Dummies  and co-founder of BreakSpace, joins host James Hammond to dive deep into a challenge many career breakers face— how to talk about your career break confidently and authen...

🎙️  Episode 19 – Letting Go of Career Break Expectations: Why 3 Months Is the Magic Number What happens when your career break doesn’t go as planned? You take time off expecting to feel restored, get fit, maybe write that book, or finally tick off a bucket list goal… but a few months in, you’re still exhausted, overwhelmed, or nowhere near those expectations. In this episode, James sits down with...

Episode 18 - How to navigate the ups and downs of a career break In this episode, career break coach Katrina McGhee and host James Hammond explore the complex journey of taking a career break. From the exhilarating highs of newfound freedom to the unexpected lows of self-doubt and life’s curveballs, they unpack it all. Katrina shares strategies to navigate these phases effectively, ensuring your b...

🎙 Episode 17: Is It Time for a  Second  Career Break? Yes, and Here's Why Description: You took the leap once—and now you're thinking about doing it again. In this episode, host James Hammond and career break coach Katrina McGhee dive into the powerful (and totally normal) desire to take a  second career break . Whether you're feeling burned out  again , misaligned in your career path,...

Episode Title:   Pain Tolerance & Career Breaks: How Much Can You Handle? Show Notes: Are you stuck in  grind culture , pushing through exhaustion, and ignoring the signs that your  pain tolerance  might be holding you back from taking a much-needed  career break ? Many professionals pride themselves on  resilience, endurance, and mental toughness , but when does  persistence  turn into  burno...