090: What do you do when the career you built no longer feels right with Katherine Bryant
Summary
In this episode, Sandra speaks with Katherine Bryant, CEO of The Progress Partnership and founder of the Insurance Breakfast Club, about what happens when a career is going well on paper, but no longer feels right in practice.
Katherine shares why insurance was a clear career choice from the start, how stepping into leadership roles sparked her interest in people and performance, and how a serious health crisis forced her to stop and rethink how she was working. That moment became a turning point, changing how she thought about success, sustainability, and what good leadership really looks like.
Together, they explore a point many women reach mid-career, when the job looks good from the outside but no longer fits. They talk about the guilt that can come with wanting change, the difference between choosing something new and feeling pushed out, and why retaining women is less about ‘fixing confidence’ and more about having honest conversations.
The episode closes with how the Insurance Breakfast Club began, and why panel training has become such a practical route to stronger visibility, not just on stage, but in meetings, client conversations, and leadership rooms.
Takeaways
If you are considering a change, get clear on your “why” first, then test the options that could solve it
Visibility grows when you talk about impact, shifting how colleagues see your contribution and potential
Build networks across the organisation, not just within your team, it changes your influence and access
Don’t assume you cannot do a role because of travel, hours, or visibility demands, propose a different model
Create your own room if you cannot see yourself in the existing ones
Listening to health and burnout signals early matters, because ignoring them can force a much harder stop later on
Coaching can turn “I have no options” into choices, helping you align work with your values, purpose and long‑term wellbeing
Flexibility does not always mean leaving corporate life; reshaping roles, expectations and ways of working can keep women in the industry in a way that also works for their lives
About the Guest
Connect with Katherine Bryant on LinkedIn.
About the host
Connect with Sandra Lewin on LinkedIn
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