#70: How can you go from feeling Stuck to feeling Expansive?
We're only at Session 3 and the results are already giving!
On May 21, I launched an 8-week program called From Stuck to Expansive. The title says it all, but it’s a program that I’ve specifically designed to help senior peeps in tech expand their options for opportunities so they can be more strategic and intentional about their next career step.
What does that mean?
It means I created this group program for senior PMs/UXers/Engineers/functional experts who are now at a crossroads in their careers. They’ve done a lot and seen plenty, so now they’re asking themselves:
“I’ve been doing this for so long, and now I want to change, but I’m not sure what I want next.” They’ve built strong careers, but now they’re asking themselves if they should keep going down the same path even if it doesn’t feel so inspiring anymore, or should they change and try something new? What used to feel clear doesn’t anymore.
“I want more control over my career, but I’m afraid to make the wrong move.” They want more freedom and autonomy, but it all feels too risky, and they’re at the point in their lives where they feel like there’s only so much risk they can take.
“I have ideas, but I don’t know which one to follow. And even if I do, I’m not sure what the first step I should take is. Also, what if I’m wrong?” They’re tired, uninspired, or juggling too many paths. They’re looking for focus and a way to choose without regretting it later.
The origin story of “Stuck to Expansive”
Before I share what’s been happening in the 8-week program, because we just wrapped Phase 1 last week, let me share a little story first. About how this program is also, in a way, how I went from stuck to expansive myself.
I’ve been thinking about how to expand my coaching practice.
Not the “expand my number of clients” kind, but the “expand my coaching offering” kind.
I had some ideas, but they didn’t feel aligned with either how I wanted to be of service or with the kind of rhythm I wanted to have in my life.
Until earlier this year, when I needed to pivot the work that I was doing with some of the Senior PMs I was coaching, because of big moments that were happening in their lives: moving countries, getting laid off, and burning out.
But it wasn’t until they asked me “how did you do it?” (“it” being deciding to not go back to corporate tech after getting laid off and make a living out of my coaching business + become a startup co-founder instead) that a spark of an idea started to form in my head.
And from there, I started validating how important and how big the problem was. And how did I want to deliver the value in a way that was aligned with the kind of business I wanted to have and the kind of life I wanted that business to enable?
It wasn’t about how I can have more clients. It was about asking myself the right questions first to create more opportunities that I can experiment with and take it from there.
And since then:
I ran a 90-minute free workshop to validate parts of the framework + the problem<>user resonance
I ran a 7-day email journey to validate parts of the framework + how to deliver the value
Instead of spiraling through a million questions and pros and cons lists, trying to find the one answer that will help me feel “ready” to expand my coaching business, I decided to make intentional moves to gather insights instead that can help me find my answers.
These were the same steps I took to create and solidify my coaching business that made it easy for me to walk away from corporate tech and take more ownership of my career.
And in a way, my own expansion journey became the framework I’m now using for the Stuck to Expansive program.
On being stuck
If I have a € for every single time somebody tells me they feel stuck in their careers, I probably wouldn’t have to work a single day for the rest of my life. 😂
And more often than not, it’s the people who’ve done plenty and seen even more.
They’ve climbed through the ranks, worked across companies of all shapes and sizes, built impressive careers with real impact.
And now they’re asking themselves: “Now what? What else is there?”
They’re not feeling stuck because they don’t have the chops. They’re feeling stuck because the options they’re seeing don’t seem to make sense for them.
Most experienced people look for their potential next step backward. As in: they look for open roles out there in the common job boards and try to make their stories fit into whatever titles are being offered.
When we do it this way (yes, we, because I used to do it like this too):
The opportunities we see are limited. Limited by the platform, the algorithm, or the companies themselves who publish ghost listings.
The opportunities can feel uninspiring. Something's not a fit (the company, the scope, the product?). And the lack of energy impacts our applications.
So what does make sense?
That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it? And this level of uncertainty can feel intimidating.
Because if it’s not this job that they’ve been doing for so long, what else could they be doing? And could they even do it?
And even if the options were right in front of their noses, how to get it feels like an “all or nothing” move. And who can ever feel ready to do an “all or nothing” move these days, especially in this job market?!
If these are questions that you're also sitting with, this cohort for Stuck to Expansive is closed but you can book a call with me and we can discuss your predicament.
🔗 Click here to book a callThe first steps to becoming expansive
In the first phase of the Stuck to Expansive program, instead of going through more job listings, we started from the inside out.
We created the conditions for clarity, so we could answer that million-dollar question:
What actually makes sense for you?
And not just sense from a rational point of view, but sense as in
“What’s actually aligned with the life I want to build?”
So Phase 1 of Stuck to Expansive was about creating the space to surface this alignment.
So we looked at the following:
The kind of life they want to enable. Not just the roles they want to land or the side hustles they want to start.
The tools that they already have. Because at this point in their careers, they’re no longer starting from scratch. They already have the strengths they can lean on and the evidence of impact they can capitalize.
And the story they’ve lived — and the story they want to keep on living.
And then we went a layer deeper.
If we’re choosing new opportunities, we’re also choosing the version of ourselves that can lead and live those opportunities.
So we explored identity too.
The parts that they wanted to bring forward.
The patterns and beliefs that they need to leave behind.
The kind of person they need to be to create this version of their career and this version of their life
Becoming expansive also means knowing that the role they needed to take was to be the writer of their own story.
That’s when powerful insights started to take shape.
The job has a job.
Every opportunity, whether it’s a steady role or a self-created path, has to serve a purpose.
Sometimes the job is the dream.
Sometimes the job funds the dream.
Sometimes it’s a stepping stone to figure out what the dream actually is.
What matters is knowing which one it is for them — right now.
From there, we asked: What are the opportunities that actually fit this story?
So by Session 3, we were prioritizing opportunities intentionally.
And by intentionally, I don’t mean prioritizing according to scope, title, company, or industry. We were prioritizing according to what was aligned with what was truly important for them.
The kind of work that gives them energy.
The kind of work that brings them to a career that can support their ideal scenario.
By the end of Session 3, here’s what people had to say:
“This makes so much sense now”
”This was so satisfying to do”
”I didn’t think of looking at it this way before”
The collective sigh was loud.
And I sighed too! Because I knew they got it! 😂
Session 3 marks the end of Phase 1. And at the end of it, the participants have aligned opportunities. Prioritized for their needs, their interests, and their version of success.
Some of those opportunities already exist, while some are waiting to be created.
And this is why prioritization is important: Prioritization creates focus. And focus creates movement. And that movement is where clarity gets created — not just found.
And that’s what Phase 2 is for. Movement.
🧠 Clarity Corner. If you're also seeking that kind of clarity to figure out the next step that makes sense for you, here's how you can start:
Imagine a future where everything worked out well for you. Where everything you ever wanted became real, and everything you ever needed was within reach. What does that future look like? Where are you? Who are you with? What are you spending your time on? How are you feeling?
And the version of you who made this all real? Who are they? What habits do they have? What do they believe? And what have they let go of?
Want to keep going? Click here to find out more about working with me.What’s next
Phase 2 (Session 4-6) is where we move from alignment to movement. This is where we take their prioritized opportunities and start validating them.
Our goal?
To gather evidence to make sure that the opportunities are indeed aligned and are a fit for their purpose
To address their fears and concerns through intentional actions
To design the steps that will start to bring their ideas to life in a more sustainable way.
So that they stop waiting to be ready and instead, make themselves be ready.
This is also where we shift from “hoping somebody will notice” to strategic positioning.
So we’ll work on how the participants show up. We’ll define what they want to be known and we’ll make sure their strengths and aspirations are visible, to themselves and others, so the right doors are more likely to open.
Phase 2 is about momentum. Slow if needed, but sustainable and always forward. It's about building confidence through evidence. And always be learning so they can adjust whenever needed.
If the opportunities are real and aligned? We’ll create them. Or we’ll attract them. Either way, we don’t wait. We act.
But first we take a break this week and conrtinue with the rest of the work next week.
As one of the participants said:
We’re normalizing taking breaks, here!
📌 Coaching Bulletin Board:
📌 I’m something for first-time Product, UX, and Tech leaders. If you’re struggling to empower your team, deliver the impact that matters to the business, influence people within your organization, and try to stay sane through it all, I’d love to support you. I’m looking for 10-15 people to pilot the Leadership Lab with me. You can read all about it and sign up for the waitlist here.
📌 But if you feel that a dedicated space is what you need, then 1:1 Coaching might be the space for you. For the new and emerging leaders in Product, UX, and Tech going through career dilemmas, I’d love to help you define your strategies to set yourself and your team up for success. Book a free call and let’s discuss how we can work together.
📌 Magical Audios is partnering up with creative companies who want a more engaged and productive team. We’d love to design a program with you to help your team tap into their most creative and expansive selves so that they never run out of ideas that win. If this exactly what you’re looking for, I’d love to talk with you! Let’s chat about how the Magical Audios team can work with you :)
As I’ve mentioned earlier, the Stuck to Expansive program is also a reflection of my own expansion. So doing this program and writing about it means so much to me.
So if you got to this part of this newsletter, thanks for staying with me until the end. And thank you for sharing with me topics that you’d like for me to share my thoughts, feelings, and violent reactions on.
❤️
Kax