Courage Loading...

E9: Bold Enough to Own Your Story: The OWN Framework for Career Identity

EPISODE SUMMARY Alicia shares the talk she delivered at Speak and Shine Summit (7 May 2026), exploring her nine-month journey from audience member to speaker. Using the OWN framework (Origins, Worth, Narrative), she breaks down how identity - not career moves - drives real change. A raw, personal exploration of what it means to stop playing it safe and start living authentically. KEY TOPICS Framework: OWN (Origins, Worth, Narrative) | Core Concept: Identity before strategy Keywords: Career identity, career transition, leadership, burnout recovery, authenticity, mid-career change, women's empowerment, executive coaching EPISODE BREAKDOWN Cold Open (0:00–1:30): The Promise — Speak and Shine Summit journey (Sept 2025–May 2026) Intro (1:30–2:30): Welcome + Event context (12 speakers, Andrea Rainsford keynote) Main Talk (2:30–17:30): Bold Enough to Own Your Story * Nelson Mandela quote: "There is no passion to be found in playing small" * Living a B+ life: mortgage, pension, adulting league table * The three inner voices: "This isn't it" | "This is not you" | "There's something missing" * Playing safe vs playing small (the difference matters) * Origins: Apartheid South Africa → unsegregated school → bold 21-year-old → corporate masking → burnout * Worth: Outsourcing validation to performance metrics (companies, qualifications, ratings) * Narrative: Inherited stories ("not the right time," "not the right person," glass ceilings) * The turning point: Leaving corporate from trust, not desperation * New script: Truly mine, trusts my worth, owned WHO THIS IS FOR Women navigating mid-career transitions | Professionals stuck in "B+ lives" | Anyone considering a bold move held back by fear | Leaders seeking authenticity over performance | People rebuilding after burnout Special mention: Speak and Shine Collection - Kier Adair [https://kieradair.com/speak-and-shine-summit/] Contact Alicia: Website: Alicia Noble | Leadership Coach & Career Transition Coach | Alicia Noble [https://alicianoble.com/] Email: alicia@alicianoble.com Linkedin: Alicia Noble | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-noble-1b377923/] Instagram: @alicianoble.co

E8: Procrastination in Your Career Is a Signal: What You’re Really Avoiding (And Why)

Why you’re procrastinating on your career change isn’t laziness — it’s emotional regulation. Learn the 4 feelings behind it and 5 questions to move forward. EPISODE SUMMARY In this episode of Courage Loading, leadership coach and career transition strategist Alicia Noble reframes procrastination as an emotional regulation strategy, not a time management problem. When you’re in the messy middle of a career change, stepping into leadership, or building professional visibility, procrastination often gets louder — and for good reason. It’s trying to protect you. The question is, from what? Alicia looks at three dynamics that make procrastination spike during career transitions, the four feelings that most often sit underneath it, and a five-question framework you can use the next time you catch yourself putting something off. KEY THEMES COVERED * Why procrastination is emotional regulation, not poor discipline * The three dynamics that amplify procrastination during career transitions: uncertainty, identity, and the performance gap * How procrastination can quietly fuel burnout in high achievers * The four feelings underneath procrastination: fear, shame, overwhelm, and boredom — and what each one is really telling you * How to treat procrastination as information, not a character flaw THE ONE ACTION The next time you notice yourself procrastinating, pause and work through the five questions in the episode. Don’t shame yourself out of it — get curious about what it’s trying to protect you from. REFLECTION PROMPTS * What exactly am I avoiding? * What am I feeling, and where is it showing up in my body? * What might this be trying to tell me? * What needs to shift? * What’s one small action that will help me make this shift? YOUR NEXT STEP If this episode landed, download the BRAVE Life Audit — https://alicia-scph0aky.scoreapp.com [https://alicia-scph0aky.scoreapp.com] Alicia offers 1:1 coaching and you can book a call to explore the options here: https://calendly.com/alicia-noblearc/connection-call [https://calendly.com/alicia-noblearc/connection-call] Follow and subscribe to Courage Loading wherever you listen, and if this episode helped, a review makes a real difference in helping others find the conversation.

E7: Are You Coping or Thriving? Why "Fine" Is the Hardest Place to Leave

COURAGE LOADING | EPISODE 7 Are You Coping or Thriving? Why “Fine” Is the Hardest Place to Leave Most of us were never taught to recognise when a career that looks successful on paper is quietly wrong for us. In this episode, Alicia Noble explores why “fine” is often the hardest place to leave — and the psychology behind what keeps high-achieving women coping instead of thriving. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN * The Region-Beta Paradox (Daniel Gilbert) - why moderate dissatisfaction is harder to escape than misery * The sunk cost fallacy - and how to stop letting past investment drive future decisions * James Clear’s 'hats, haircuts, and tattoos' - a different way to look at risk and career decisions * Why many decisions that feel permanent are far more reversible than fear suggests CONNECT * Follow Alicia on LinkedIn - Alicia Noble | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-noble-1b377923/] * Download the free BRAVE Life Audit - The BRAVE Life Audit [https://alicia-scph0aky.scoreapp.com/]

E6: Leading Your Career Starts With Self-Leadership

Most leadership development focuses on leading others. But the skill that actually determines whether you can navigate a career transition successfully? Leading yourself. In this episode, I break down what self-leadership really means, why the knowing-doing gap isn’t a willpower problem, and the four dimensions of self-leadership you need to work on right now. I talk about: * Why self-leadership is the most overlooked skill in leadership development * The belief iceberg: why surface behaviour change doesn’t stick * How Self-Determination Theory (autonomy, competence, relatedness) explains why career transitions leave us feeling stuck * The four dimensions of self-leadership in a career transition RESOURCES & LINKS 📥 Download the free BRAVE Life Audit: The BRAVE Life Audit [https://alicia-scph0aky.scoreapp.com/] 🎤 Subscribe to Courage Loading on Spotify / Apple Podcasts 🔗 Connect with Alicia: Alicia Noble | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-noble-1b377923/]

E5: What Playing It Safe Is Really Costing You?