Happen To Your Career - Meaningful Work, Career Change, Career Design, & Job Search
How do you find meaningful work that pays really well? How do high performers find purpose and happiness in their career? The hope that there is more out there than feeling anxious, burned out, unfulfilled and stuck in your career has led you here! If you're ready to find work you love that allows you the flexibility and autonomy to prioritize the things most important to you, then you're in the right place! This kind of work not only exists, but there's a better way to get there (and it's not scrolling through job boards). This podcast will challenge you to reconsider what meaningful work looks like and expand your beliefs on what is truly possible for your career & life (and even your job search). Join Scott Anthony Barlow, CEO of Happen To Your Career (HTYC), as he brings you weekly learnings through conversations with successful career changers and experts in psychology, negotiation, signature strengths, happiness, work culture, and unconventional career change. Past guests include Daniel Pink, Gretchen Rubin, Marshall Goldsmith, Jen Sincero, Jenny Blake, Nir Eyal, Vanessa Van Edwards, J.J. Sutherland, Mac Pritchard, Lauren McGoodwin ( Career Contessa ), Dave Stachowiak ( Coaching For Leaders ) Work doesn't have to suck. You truly can find work you freaking love! Let us show you how you can "happen to your career."
Episodes
Your strengths aren't just what you're good at—they're your career compass. When you ignore your signature strengths, even great opportunities become draining. Discover how one IO psychologist used her strengths to break free from the "great opportunity trap" and find work that truly energizes her.
What you'll learn
- Why your signature strengths should guide your career experim...
Maybe you have a "great job" where you've been extremely successful. But does any of that matter if you dread going to work? Nope, you're not ungrateful if you feel this way. When your career no longer aligns with your life, it's often because your identity has become too tightly wound around your job title, creating what feels like an inescapable trap. Learn how Karen stepped away from her all-encompassing job as a Dean and redesi...
Relentless leadership demands and misaligned values pushed Jessica Ward to rethink her career. She walks through the gradual process of redefining success on her own terms, and how setting boundaries, leaning into strengths, and experimenting with a new path allowed her to create work that truly fits her life.
What you'll learn
- How to recognize when you've outgrown a role—even ...
Most people don't leave a job when they should—they leave when something finally forces them to. In this episode, we break down the predictable moments that push people to quit and how to change course before burnout, regret, or crisis hits.
What You'll Learn
- Why most career changes happen years later than they need to
- The common life and work moments that finally make people q...
Thinking about a career change but worried it will mean a pay cut, lost momentum, or starting over? In this episode, we bust the biggest career change myths and reveal the hard truths about building work that actually fits your life.
What you'll learn
- Why most people don't need to take a pay cut during a career change—and how career transitions can actually increase your earni...
Thinking about returning to work after a career break, but feeling paralyzed by the gap on your resume? After years in a demanding executive role, Caroline found herself burned out, unfulfilled, and wondering if this was really "success." Find out how she gave herself permission to walk away, take a two-year career break, and rebuild a work life that finally fits her life and her values.
...
You might have a career that once felt clear, successful, and exactly right—until one day it suddenly doesn't. Hayley Lowe reveals how she recognized the signs her once-linear career no longer fit, and outlines the mindset shifts, experimentation, and clarity that led her to a role that aligns with her strengths and season of life.
What you'll learn
- What it looks like to negot...
When a high-achieving scientist realized the traditional definition of success no longer fit, she chose a radically different path. In this episode, Bre shares how she walked away from a predictable biotech career, trusted her instincts, and built a portfolio-style consulting business that aligns with her values, energy, and love for animal welfare.
What you'll learn
- How to re...
If you're changing careers and worried you'll have to start over or take less pay, this episode will challenge that assumption. Julia Caban shares how she learned to translate her experience, stop settling, and confidently pursue roles that matched her real value.
What you'll learn
- Why most people undersell their experience during a career change—and how to stop
- How to transla...
Discover how to identify your signature strengths and use them to create a career that fits your strengths, values, and goals. In this episode, I break down the surprising obstacles that hide your true strengths and shares practical tools to help you navigate career change, improve career fit, and find more meaningful work.
What you'll learn
- What signature strengths are and wh...
After facing a breakup, career uncertainty, and a long stretch of unemployment, Jim found himself questioning everything — his identity, his strengths, and his direction. Through deeply intentional inner work, clarity exercises, and values-driven networking, Jim rebuilt his confidence and landed a role fully aligned with who he is today. This episode reveals how "clarity equals confidence" became his turning point, and how authenti...
When you start thinking about leaving your job, it's easy to imagine extremes — a dramatic mic-drop exit or the fear that your team will see you as disloyal. 🙃
But a career transition doesn't have to be messy or bridge-burning. You can move into work that fits better while leaving your role, team, and reputation in great shape — think bridge-building, not bridge-burning.
Scott breaks down exactly how to approach your boss once you...
What happens when you realize you're making big life and career decisions without truly knowing what brings you joy or fulfillment? Scott reveals how measuring the invisible parts of your life—enjoyment, memories, and meaningful work—can completely shift the way you make decisions and guide you toward more intentional choices and a career that genuinely fits.
What you'll learn
- ...
If you want a better career in 2026, don't wait until January to figure out what needs to change. These five year-end reflection questions will help you build your life and career on purpose instead of drifting into the new year.
What you'll learn:
- How to refl...
After years of high achievement and nonstop burnout, Katie realized her "success" was costing her health, peace, and presence with her family. Through deep coaching and redefining her relationship with work, she rebuilt her career around balance, boundaries, and value… not hours or titles.
What you'll learn
- How to recognize when burnout signals a deeper misalignment
- Why redefi...
Learn why most careers are chosen accidentally, how Scott rebuilt his life after burnout, and why intentional career design is the key to meaningful work. Includes free access to the full Happen To Your Career audiobook.
What you'll learn
- The surprising origin of the word career—and what it reveals about how we choose work
- Why most people make accidental, reactive career decis...
After years of trying different jobs and feeling lost, Sarah Hawkins believed meaningful work wasn't possible for her. But when she learned to see her many interests as a strength, everything changed. Hear how Sarah rebuilt her confidence, embraced her multipotentialite nature, and found fulfilling work that truly fits.
What you'll learn
- How to identify your unique strengths a...
Most people try to convince companies to hire them, but the real secret to career growth is creating conversations that naturally lead to job offers. In this episode, Scott shares a step by step approach to turning genuine curiosity into meaningful work opportunities. Perfect if you want a career change without endless online applications.
What you'll learn
- How to express inte...
Most people think job searching is a numbers game: apply everywhere and hope something sticks. But let's flip that idea completely. In this episode, Scott shares 7 counterintuitive strategies that will help you land not just a job, but the right job — and even multiple offers to choose from.
What you'll learn
- How getting hyper-specific about what you want leads to more offers
- ...
When Quynh Killpack left Vietnam to study in the U.S., she never imagined her journey would lead to true career freedom. From visa stress and uncertainty to a flexible, meaningful global career, Quynh's story shows how clarity, courage, and self-awareness can transform your work and life. In this episode, you'll hear how she built confidence through action, created remote work that fits her values and family, and designed a life fi...
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