#176: The career come down: What to do when work isn’t working for you with Stefanie Sword-Williams
Release Date: 09/03/2026
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Another Door Opens
"Bravery for them is, well, I can sack 12,000 people and I can do it in an email at 9:30 on a Monday morning. That's not bravery, that's cowardice. I would look them in their face and go, you're a coward. Just because you've got the power…it doesn’t make you brave at all." When is a “brave” decision really just avoiding humanity? David McQueen, leadership consultant, speaker, and author joins me for a provocative and honest conversation about change, leadership, and the myth of bravery at work. We discuss the doors that open when you seize terrifying...
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#176: The career come down: What to do when work isn’t working for you with Stefanie Sword-Williams
Another Door Opens
"The sort of door that closed for me was not necessarily somebody else shutting a door, but me shutting the door on putting work above everything but my health." What happens when the drive for success, identity, and achievement gets shaken by something that stops you in your tracks? In this episode, Stefanie Sword-Williams, founder of Fuck Being Humble and author of Career Comedown, shares her experience of a "lifequake", an unexpected, seismic event that forces you to reassess everything, including your relationship with work. I chatted to Stefanie about why the "career comedown"...
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#175: Closing the door on shame with Andrea McLean
Another Door Opens
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Another Door Opens
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Another Door Opens
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#172: Closing the door on a London agency and building a new creative life in France with Lucy Werner
Another Door Opens
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#171: Navigating life, fame, and self-discovery with Anthony Kavanagh
Another Door Opens
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#170: How leaving the wrong job opened the right door for Cara-Lyn Giovanniello
Another Door Opens
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info_outline"The sort of door that closed for me was not necessarily somebody else shutting a door, but me shutting the door on putting work above everything but my health."
What happens when the drive for success, identity, and achievement gets shaken by something that stops you in your tracks? In this episode, Stefanie Sword-Williams, founder of Fuck Being Humble and author of Career Comedown, shares her experience of a "lifequake", an unexpected, seismic event that forces you to reassess everything, including your relationship with work.
I chatted to Stefanie about why the "career comedown" is such a common but rarely named phenomenon, the pitfalls of always chasing the next high, and why sometimes the bravest thing is to decide which doors you yourself need to close.
This is a very honest, refreshing, conversation about vulnerability, working out when (and what) to share, the myth of always being at the top, and how to check in with yourself whether you're feeling stuck, successful, or searching for the next thing.
Highlights:
00:00 Shutting the door on unhealthy ambition
05:32 The impact of a "lifequake" and how it shakes everything up
09:57 Choosing what (and when) to share about your personal story
12:43 Vulnerability, boundaries, and healing in public
18:03 The idea behind "Career Come Down"
22:47 "Stick, Twist or Tap Out" - a practical framework for work decisions
38:13 Seeing your career as a "body of work" and redefining success
44:51 Gratitude guilt, ambition, and being happy at work
46:58 Why your support system matters
53:16 Favourite quotes on identity and life getting greater later
Stefanie's Change Toolkit:
Soundtrack: Let Me Blow Ya Mind by Eve & Gwen Stefani
Book: Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff and The Power of Regret by Daniel Pink
One piece of advice:
"I have two. Thasunda Brown Duckett said, job titles are rented, they come and go, but what remains true is the story we tell about ourselves. For anyone going through career transitions or industry changes, please remember that. And the second is by Bevy Smith. She did a TED Talk called How to Find Your Authentic Self at Any Age, so I'd recommend people watch that."
About Stefanie:
Stefanie is a change maker, brand advisor, and system rethinker dedicated to challenging norms and helping people and businesses leave a lasting legacy. With a background in advertising and 8 years spent mastering storytelling, she founded F*ck Being Humble in 2018 to rewrite the narrative around self-promotion, empowering people to be unapologetically proud of their achievements. Through keynotes, workshops, and strategic advisory, she helps global brands and forward-thinking individuals rethink how they show up in the world.
Connect with Stefanie:
Website: https://www.fuckbeinghumble.com/
Work with Eleanor:
Buy the Book - Another Door Opens; 5 steps for navigating change. Described as ‘Game changing’ ‘Brilliant’ ‘A must read’ ‘The best book on change’.
Eleanor supports individuals, teams and organisations through change. Whether it’s coaching or large scale organisational change through communications and training.
Work with Eleanor 121 as your coach, when you are starting something new, to develop the idea, to create the idea, to get it launched.
Book in a Change Mastery for a team session - when your team is navigating change.
Book in a 90 minute workshop - to think through change at work.
Instagram:instagram/anotherdooruk
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-tweddell/
Website: www.another-door-opens.com
Produced by winteraudio.co.uk