The Comeback Career Podcast with Fexingo: Returning After a Gap, Stay-at-Home Re-Entry

Episode 32 of The Comeback Career Podcast tackles a hidden advantage of career gaps: the ability to reframe failure honestly in job interviews. Lucas and Luna explore how stepping away from the workforce can actually strengthen your narrative around setbacks, using the example of a former marketing manager who took two years off after a product launch flopped, then returned as a director of brand...

In this episode of The Comeback Career Podcast, hosts Lucas and Luna explore how a career gap can actually make you a better negotiator when re-entering the workforce. They discuss the concept of 'negotiation capital' — the unique perspective and leverage that returning professionals bring, such as a clearer sense of priorities and a willingness to walk away. The hosts use the example of a former...

Episode 30 of The Comeback Career Podcast explores a practical strategy for career returners: using volunteer and pro-bono roles to rebuild professional credibility, update skills, and generate recent references. Lucas and Luna examine the case of a former marketing manager who spent 18 months as a stay-at-home parent, then used a board treasurer position at a local nonprofit and a pro-bono social...

In this episode of The Comeback Career Podcast, Lucas and Luna dive into a practical strategy for re-entering the workforce after a career gap: building a professional network from scratch. They discuss why a gap can be a hidden advantage for networking, focusing on authenticity and curiosity. Lucas shares the story of Maria, a former teacher who took five years off to raise her kids and then used...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how starting a blog during a career gap can rebuild professional credibility and open doors. They dive into the story of Maria, a former marketing manager who took a 3-year stay-at-home break, launched a blog about toddler nutrition, and landed a content strategy role at a health-tech startup. Lucas explains the concrete steps: picking a niche, writing 10 so...

In this episode of The Comeback Career Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how a career gap — often seen as a liability — can actually make you a stronger, more memorable interviewee. They unpack a 2025 study from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) showing that hiring managers rate returners higher on listening, self-awareness, and structured thinking. Lucas shares the story of Maya, a f...

Episode 26 of The Comeback Career Podcast explores a counterintuitive career-gap advantage: negotiation skills. Lucas and Luna break down why a career break can actually sharpen your ability to advocate for yourself, using the specific example of Sarah Chen, a former marketing director who took a three-year gap to care for aging parents and returned to negotiate a 20% higher salary than her previo...

Lucas and Luna explore how one woman's forced career break after becoming a stay-at-home parent led her to spot an underserved niche in project management software for nonprofits. They walk through her exact steps: auditing her volunteer treasurer work to identify a transferable skill gap, building a lightweight SaaS tool using no-code platforms during nap times, and launching it as a side project...

Lucas and Luna explore how a career break, especially one spent as a stay-at-home parent, can become a powerful credential for launching an independent consulting practice. They walk through the story of Mia Chen, a former marketing director who took five years off to raise twins and then built a $120,000-per-year consulting business focused on helping mid-size brands reach millennial moms. The ep...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how publishing thoughtful writing on platforms like Medium or LinkedIn can help career-returners rebuild credibility and demonstrate expertise. They focus on the real story of Maria, a former marketing manager who took five years off to raise twins and used a weekly newsletter on marketing psychology to land a senior role at a mid-sized agency — without ever...

Episode 22 of The Comeback Career Podcast. Lucas and Luna explore how re-entering professionals can leverage a career gap to negotiate flexible work arrangements from day one. Using the example of Sarah, a former marketing manager who took a five-year break to care for aging parents, the hosts break down the specific negotiation framework she used to land a senior role at a midsize tech company wi...

In this episode of The Comeback Career Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore a counterintuitive strategy for re-entering the workforce after a career gap: building a personal board of directors. Instead of relying on one mentor or a single networking contact, they explain how curating a small group of advisors — each with a different role — can provide the accountability, perspective, and connections yo...

In this episode of The Comeback Career Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how a career gap can be the perfect launchpad for a side hustle. They discuss the story of Maria, a former marketing manager who turned her six-year break into a thriving Etsy shop selling custom planners, generating $50,000 in her first year. Lucas breaks down the three key steps: identify a marketable skill from your gap, val...

In this episode of The Comeback Career Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how a career gap can be the perfect launchpad for a portfolio career — juggling multiple income streams instead of returning to a single 9-to-5. They walk through the story of a former marketing manager named Priya, who after a four-year gap to raise twins, built a $75,000-per-year mix of freelance consulting, a niche Substack...

Episode 18 of The Comeback Career Podcast tackles a question many returners face: you don't just want any job back — you want a different industry. Lucas and Luna break down how to leverage a career gap as a strategic pivot, using the case of Maria Torres, a former elementary school teacher who took a four-year break to raise twins and then landed a project manager role at a mid-sized health-tech...

In this episode of The Comeback Career Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore returnship programs — structured internships for professionals returning to the workforce after a career gap. They dive into the mechanics of how companies like Walmart and IBM run these programs, discuss why they can be a lower-risk entry point than a direct hire, and share tips on finding programs in tech and finance. Lucas b...

In this episode of The Comeback Career Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how returning professionals can use freelance or contract work to bridge a career gap. They discuss the story of Maria, a former marketing manager who took five years off to raise twins and then built a freelance content strategy portfolio that landed her a full-time role at a mid-sized tech company. Lucas breaks down the speci...

Episode 15 of The Comeback Career Podcast tackles a specific strategy: using your stay-at-home or career gap to pivot into remote-first roles. Lucas and Luna break down the case of Sarah Chen, a former marketing manager who returned after a six-year gap and landed a remote role at a mid-size tech company. They discuss how to highlight self-management, async communication, and project-based volunte...

In this episode of The Comeback Career Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how a personal side project can serve as a powerful bridge back into the workforce after a career gap. They share the story of Maria, a former marketing manager who spent four years as a stay-at-home parent, then built a local newsletter that grew to 2,500 subscribers. That project became the centerpiece of her re-entry resume,...

In this episode of The Comeback Career Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how targeted skills bootcamps can help career-gap returners rebuild credentials and confidence fast. They examine a specific case: a former marketing manager who completed a 12-week data analytics bootcamp from General Assembly and landed a full-time role within 8 weeks of finishing. The hosts break down what to look for in a r...

In Episode 12 of The Comeback Career Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how informational interviews can be a strategic tool for career re-entry after a gap. They walk through a specific case: a former marketing manager who took five years off to raise kids and used 15 informational interviews to land a role at a mid-size agency. Lucas breaks down the three-step process — research, ask, follow up — w...

In this episode of The Comeback Career Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how returning professionals can use AI tools to stay sharp during a career gap. They discuss real-world examples like a former marketing manager who used ChatGPT to build a portfolio of mock campaigns, and a stay-at-home parent who learned basic Python through AI tutoring apps. The hosts share practical tips for leveraging AI f...

In this episode of The Comeback Career Podcast, Lucas and Luna tackle a sensitive but critical challenge for career-gap returners: age discrimination layered on top of employment gaps. They unpack a 2024 Federal Reserve Board working paper that found callback rates for older women with a two-year gap dropped to roughly that of a sixty-two-year-old applicant no gap. The hosts discuss why a four-yea...

In this episode of The Comeback Career Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore a practical, under-discussed strategy for career re-entry after a gap: temporary staffing agencies. Focusing on the story of Maria, a former marketing manager who returned to work after six years at home, they break down how temp placements can rebuild confidence, refresh skills, and open doors to permanent roles. Lucas cites a...

In this episode of The Comeback Career Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how strategic volunteer work can close a resume gap and build professional credibility. They examine the case of a former marketing manager who landed a full-time role after a four-year gap by joining a local nonprofit's board and taking on a pro-bono consulting project. Lucas breaks down why nonprofit board service, event comm...