You worked hard, built the career, and achieved what you thought success was supposed to look like.

So why can you still feel stuck?

In Episode 20 of Beyond the Corporate Ladder, I sat down with performance coach Joe Kamara to explore what happens when high achievers reach a point where their old definition of success no longer fits.

After thousands of coaching conversations, Joe has seen recurring patterns across different stages of a career from younger professionals trying to establish themselves, to mid-career leaders asking “now what?”, to experienced professionals facing an entirely new identity as their careers wind down.

The conversation explores why these moments aren't simply career changes. They're often identity shifts.

• Why successful professionals can still feel stuck
• The identity shifts that happen throughout a career
• How to question the “shoulds” driving your decisions
• Why changing your career doesn't always require one giant leap
• How small experiments can help reveal your next chapter
• Joe's five levers of sustainable performance
• Why protecting your attention has become increasingly important
• How boundaries can improve focus and reduce overwhelm
• Why “integration” may be more useful than chasing perfect work-life balance

[00:00] Meet Joe Kamara and Rethinking Peak Performance [02:30] Why High Achievers Start Questioning Their Careers [05:00] The “Now What?” Phase of Success [07:00] Career Transitions Are Identity Transitions [09:30] What Feeling “Stuck” Really Means [12:00] Exploring Change Without Blowing Up Your Life [14:30] The Five Levers of Sustainable Performance [16:30] Sleep: The Master Reset [18:00] Stress, Perspective, and Controlling the Controllables [20:30] Discipline and the Power of Consistency [22:30] Focus in an Attention Economy [25:00] Creating Boundaries Around Your Attention [27:30] Forget Balance, Think Integration [29:00] Sustainable Energy for Your Next Chapter [30:15] Connect With Joe Kamara

Joe also walk me through the five areas he uses when helping high achievers improve sustainable performance: sleep, stress, discipline, focus, and sustainable energy.

If you've reached a point in your career where you've accomplished a lot but find yourself wondering “What now?”, this conversation offers a different way to approach the question.

Have a career journey or leadership lesson worth sharing? Book a call to explore being a guest on Beyond the Corporate Ladder: https://beyondthecorporateladder.com/podcast-guest-booking

What if becoming a better leader isn't about eliminating fear, but learning how to move forward while it's still there?

In this episode of Beyond the Corporate Ladder, I sat down with Margo Masri, founder of Heartfelt CFO, to explore the career experiences, uncomfortable decisions, and mindset shifts that shaped the leader and entrepreneur she is today.

Margo shares how an early experience with money influenced her relationship with financial security, why her first accounting role left her exhausted and unfulfilled, and what happened when she began listening to the work she actually felt called to do.

She also tells the unforgettable story of nearly running from a speaking engagement in front of 700 people and how facing that moment taught her one of the biggest lessons of her career: be yourself.

• Why fear doesn't have to disappear before you take action

• How Margo learned to navigate imposter syndrome

• Why saying “no” can be essential to meaningful growth

• How to rethink success beyond money, status, and comparison

• Why business owners need financial leadership, not just reactive accounting

• How Margo leads her team through significant organizational change

• Why one uncomfortable step can change the direction of your career

[00:00] — Welcome to Beyond the Corporate Ladder [02:00] — The Childhood Money Experience That Shaped Margo [06:00] — Building Heartfelt CFO and Financial Leadership [10:00] — Margo's Early Career in Accounting [14:00] — Recognizing When a Career Isn't Working [18:00] — Taking Risks and Following Opportunities [21:00] — The 700-Person Speaking Event [26:00] — Imposter Syndrome and Choosing to Show Up [30:00] — Becoming Intentional About Who You Want to Be [34:00] — Why Saying No Matters [37:00] — Leading a Team Through Change [40:00] — Redefining Success [42:00] — Take the One Step You've Been Avoiding

Margo's journey is a reminder that building the career and life you want often requires questioning the definition of success you started with.

Have a career journey or leadership lesson worth sharing? Apply to join us: https://beyondthecorporateladder.com/podcast-guest-booking

What happens after you leave the corporate structure behind and suddenly realize you're responsible for creating the structure yourself?

In Episode 18 of Beyond the Corporate Ladder, Stephen Lee-Thomas sits down with internationally award-winning photographer, educator, and speaker Shawn Black to unpack his transition from television and agency work to building a photography business that has lasted more than 16 years.

Shawn shares how losing his agency job became the catalyst for entrepreneurship, why he initially photographed almost anything to build momentum, and how his career eventually evolved from weddings into a specialized boudoir photography business centered on confidence, strength, and helping clients see themselves differently.

But this conversation goes well beyond photography.

Shawn explains why “freedom needs to be managed,” how entrepreneurs can create structure without recreating the corporate environment they left, why continuous learning matters at every stage of business, and how knowing when to delegate can unlock the next stage of growth.

• Why entrepreneurial freedom still requires structure
• How Shawn turned an unexpected career disruption into a 16-year business
• Why finding the right niche can change both your business and your fulfillment
• How to learn from people at every experience level
• Why outside perspectives help uncover business blind spots
• How Shawn manages overwhelm and protects focused work
• When outsourcing starts making financial sense
• How to move from doing everything yourself toward building a scalable business
• Why Shawn is now designing the company to operate beyond his own time behind the camera

[00:00] Meet Shawn Black [01:12] What Boudoir Photography Really Means [03:08] Helping Clients Rediscover Confidence [05:10] From Television and Agency Work to Photography [07:06] Losing His Corporate Job and Taking the Leap [09:02] Building Momentum by Saying Yes to Everything [10:03] Why Shawn Started Moving Away From Weddings [12:45] Finding Purpose Through Boudoir Photography [16:01] The Biggest Surprise After Leaving Corporate [18:55] Why Entrepreneurs Need Their Own Structure [20:13] The Importance of Never Stopping Learning [22:40] Why Outside Perspectives Matter [24:17] Managing Overwhelm as a Business Owner [26:05] Knowing When It's Time to Outsource [28:53] Scaling Beyond the Owner [31:03] How to Connect With Shawn

Shawn's journey is a reminder that leaving corporate isn't the destination. Building a career and business around the life you actually want requires continuous adjustment, learning, and intentional decisions.

If you have a career journey or leadership lesson worth sharing, apply to join us on Beyond the Corporate Ladder: https://beyondthecorporateladder.com/podcast-guest-booking