Promoted

Ep. 91 - Burnout, Redundancy and the Reset We Didn’t Plan For

Welcome back to Promoted with Felicity Furey and Renee Wootton-Tomlin — and this week’s episode is one of the most honest conversations we’ve ever had. Burnout isn’t a buzzword. It’s a warning sign. In this deeply personal episode, Felicity shares the story behind her decision to step away from much of her work in 2025 to focus on healing complex PTSD and trauma. For years, achievement had been her identity — building businesses, writing books, delivering projects, constantly striving. But underneath the success was a nervous system running on overdrive. Felicity opens up about what it really took to stop. The discomfort. The identity shift. The books that changed her perspective — including The Body Keeps the Score by The Body Keeps the Score — and the daily practices she now embeds to regulate stress, rebuild capacity and prevent burnout from creeping back in. She reflects on the shift from striving to prove something… to striving because she genuinely wants to. Renee brings her own powerful reflections, sharing several periods of burnout across her career and the perspective-changing moment of redundancy in September 2025. Instead of rushing into the next role, she paused. She questioned. She reconsidered what success really meant and how she wanted to show up moving forward. Together, they explore: 1. The hidden drivers of burnout in high performers 2. Why engineers and leaders are particularly vulnerable 3. How trauma and stress live in the body — not just the mind 4. The identity crisis that can come with slowing down 5. Practical habits to build resilience before burnout hits If you’ve ever felt exhausted, resentful, wired-but-tired or quietly questioning the pace you’re living at — this conversation will meet you where you are. Tune in for an episode that goes beyond career strategy and into what it truly means to lead — and live — well.

Ep. 90 - Balancing The Scales this International Women's Day

Welcome to a special International Women’s Day 2026 episode of Promoted, where Felicity Furey and Renee Wootton Tomlin unpack this year’s theme: Balancing the Scales. But what does “balancing” really mean? In this honest and thought-provoking conversation, Felicity and Renee turn their attention to the hidden middle — the career stage where many talented women quietly disappear from leadership pathways. It’s not entry level. It’s not the executive suite. It’s the messy, demanding, high-potential middle where capability is high, expectations are rising, and life outside work often intensifies. Why do so many women leave at this point? Is it confidence? Capability? Or something deeper within the systems we’ve designed? Drawing on their own experiences in engineering and leadership, Felicity and Renee explore the structural pressures women face during this stage — invisible load, inflexible career pathways, biased performance expectations, and cultures that reward constant availability over sustainable contribution. This episode doesn’t focus on “fixing women.” Instead, it asks the harder question: How do we redesign workplaces so everyone can thrive? You’ll hear practical, research-backed strategies for leaders and organisations to: 1. Rethink progression and promotion pathways 2. Design roles that support performance and life 3. Measure outcomes instead of presenteeism 4. Create cultures of belonging that extend beyond policy If we want to truly balance the scales, we must move beyond symbolic gestures and intentionally design systems where talented women — and all leaders — can stay, grow and lead. This episode is a powerful reminder that equity isn’t about lowering the bar. It’s about building better structures. Tune in for a candid, solutions-focused conversation on what it really takes to create workplaces where people don’t just survive — they succeed.

Ep. 89 - Beyond the Standard: The 60/30/10 Rule for Better Decisions

In this episode, Felicity Furey and Renee Wootton Tomlin tackle a tension every engineer and emerging leader faces: when do you stick to the standard… and when do you use your judgement? In highly regulated, risk-aware industries, standards exist for a reason. They protect safety, quality and reputation. But real leadership begins when the standard doesn’t quite fit the situation in front of you. When time is limited. When stakeholders disagree. When the data is incomplete. Felicity shares her practical 60/30/10 decision-making rule from her book the Future of Engineering (out 18 March 2026), 60% data, 30% consultation, 10% professional judgement, and explains why waiting for 100% certainty can stall progress and erode confidence. Renee reflects on moments in her own career where she had to decide whether to escalate, comply, challenge or adapt and how backing her judgement (after doing the work) changed her trajectory. This episode is a must-listen for technical professionals who want to move from “good engineer” to trusted leader. Takeaways: 1. Why hiding behind the standard can limit your leadership growth 2. How to apply the 60/30/10 rule in real workplace decisions 3. The trap engineers fall into when chasing 100% certainty 4. How consultation strengthens, not weakens, your authority 5. When to escalate, when to comply, and when to trust your judgement If you’ve ever second-guessed a decision or waited too long for perfect data, this conversation will give you a practical framework, and the confidence, to decide and move forward.

Ep. 88 - Leading Self Through Grief and Challenge

Welcome back to Promoted. In this very real and authentic episode, Felicity Furey and Renee Wootton Tomlin open up about what it really means to lead yourself through seasons of grief, burnout and personal challenge. After a year that tested them both in different ways - Renee navigating the loss of her beloved grandparents, and Felicity recovering from burnout - this conversation explores the unseen personal leadership work that happens behind the scenes. The kind no one applauds, that doesn’t come with a promotion title but does determine who you become next. Together, they unpack how personal challenges impact your identity, confidence and capacity at work, and why self-leadership is often the most important leadership skill you’ll ever build. They share how they navigated emotional processing, energy management, boundaries and rebuilding belief and what they would do differently if faced with it again. This episode is a reminder that growth doesn’t just come from big wins. Sometimes it comes from quietly choosing to keep showing up, one hard day at a time. Takeaways: 1. Why leading yourself is the foundation for leading others 2. How grief and burnout can reshape your identity 3. The hidden cost of “holding it together” and what to do instead 4. Practical ways to protect your energy during challenging seasons 5. How to rebuild confidence and momentum after a personal setback If you’re navigating a tough season right now, or supporting someone who is, this episode will remind you that strength isn’t about pretending you’re fine. It’s about leading yourself forward, even when the path feels uncertain.

Ep. 87 - Career Transitions: Find Your Path, Changing Roles and Industries

In this episode of the Promoted Podcast your hosts Felicity Furey and Renee Wootton Tomlin chat all things career transition and how to effectively change industries and roles. They share how to leverage their number one tip to do this - networking and mentors. They draw on their personal experience of a range career transitions and how they have swapped industries multiple times. Navigating this transition can open up a new understanding of one’s own strengths and the intricacies of each field. Renee and Felicity advocate for the importance of curiosity, adaptability, and proactive networking as essential strategies for individuals seeking to diversify their professional portfolios. The episode underscores that while the process of changing industries may appear daunting, it can also be an invigorating exploration of one’s capabilities and aspirations. By embracing opportunities and fostering connections, we can effectively navigate the complexities of our career paths and emerge with enriched perspectives and skills. Takeaways: * How to see your unique strengths to transitioning between industries in diverse contexts * Navigating career mobility and uncertainty in the face of change. * Strategies to embrace curiosity and seeking mentorship to navigate career transitions and forge new professional pathways. * Leveraging networking as a strategy for switching industries and roles