December 30, 2025 • 10 mins
As we wrap up the year, Jill Griffin revisits the biggest themes that shaped The Career Refresh—from redefining worth and leading through uncertainty to the quiet power of clarity. This episode pulls together the year’s most impactful insights, helping you reflect on your growth, realign your focus, and prepare for what’s next.
In this episode:
- The key mindset shifts leaders made in 2025
- Why clarity—not control—is the foundation of reinvention
- What “worth” really means when your title or company changes
Jill Griffin, host of The Career Refresh, delivers expert guidance on workplace challenges and career transitions. Jill leverages her experience working for the world's top brands like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Hilton Hotels, and Martha Stewart to address leadership, burnout, team dynamics, and the 4Ps (perfectionism, people-pleasing, procrastination, and personalities).
Visit JillGriffinCoaching.com for more details on:
- Book a 1:1 Career Strategy and Executive Coaching HERE
- Build a Leadership Identity That Earns Trust and Delivers Results.
- Gallup CliftonStrengths Corporate Workshops to build a strengths-based culture
- Team Dynamics training to increase retention, communication, goal setting, and effective decision-making
- Keynote Speaking
- Grab a personal Resume Refresh with Jill Griffin HERE
Follow @JillGriffinOffical on Instagram for daily inspiration
Connect with and follow Jill on LinkedIn
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Hey there.
Welcome back to the CareerRefresh.
I'm your host, Jill Griffin.
I'm an executive coach,strategist, and your guide to
career reinvention.
As we close out 2025, I want topause and look back at the
conversations, the ideas, andthe themes that I have noticed
(00:23):
throughout this year'sconversations and episodes.
I also want to point out,because I did the math right
before recording this, that Idid over 801 hours of coaching
between individuals, workingwith teams, groups, workshops,
800 hours.
That's about 25% higher than theyear before.
(00:46):
So pretty amazing.
I do this work because it'smission based for me.
I want to reinvent theworkplace, how we think about
workplace, how we think aboutwork, how to make work work for
more people.
Those are my missions.
And again, I also feel that whenwe are able to work through our
mindset and perform and have allof our facets sparkling, when we
(01:07):
leave work, when we leave forthe day, whatever that looks
like, whether it's shutting downthe laptop and walking down the
hall or getting in your car orgetting in, you know, your
commuter rail, whatever thatlooks like, I want to make sure
that the people that we livewith and love are not impacted
by any negative experience we'vewe've had during the day in the
work.
And that again is why I do thiswork and why mindset for me is
(01:28):
front and center for the kind ofwork that we're doing around
executive coaching andreinvention and leadership and
leadership identity that we'realways focused on mindset to
know that the greatest gift thatI ever gave myself was the
ability to manage my mind.
It does not mean I'm not sad.
It does not mean that I don'thave days where I want to be
like, rah ha, you know, that Iscream and I want to pop off.
(01:48):
Of course, I'm human, I'm messylike everybody is, but I also
know how to get myself out ofit.
The cycles in which I'm in itare much shorter.
And that over the years of doingthis work, it's um 20, I'm gonna
quick say quick math, 20 yearsnow, um, of doing this kind of
work full time for almost 10, isthat you're able to know how to
(02:10):
tap into the tools and theystart to become second nature
and you're able to use them toreally navigate whatever the
situation is that you're in.
So if I was to name 2025, I'mgonna say it's the year of
change and the year ofreinvention in our careers, in
our leadership, what we value,in our world, all the things.
So let's dig in.
(02:31):
Okay, one of the strongestthemes that I saw this year was
the understanding of self-worthversus market worth.
And it's easy to talk about howwe often confuse what we do with
who we are.
And I did an episode on how tostop feeling worth less.
And we explored tying our valueto a title or a paycheck leads
(02:51):
to burnout, resentment.
And it comes really hard to howto separate our self-esteem from
performance.
So many of you wrote me and toldme that your employers at times
told you that you were toovaluable to promote.
Well, let me reframe that foryou because that is a signal
that you need to challengeyourself and them.
They can't imagine losing you.
(03:13):
That is evidence of your impact.
And it's also evidence, perhaps,of their lack of planning or
laziness because they don't wantto promote you because it's
going to create havoc for them.
Is that your hiring manager thatsaid that, or is that the
organization, right?
So don't put yourself in aposition where that's an
acceptable answer.
I would challenge, again,appropriately, professionally,
(03:35):
work with a mentor, work with acoach, find out the ways that
you can professionally challengethat.
I appreciate that I'm reallyvaluable, but at the same time,
I'm not wanting to stay in thisposition forever and I need to
grow and I have a desire togrow.
So making sure that you'rehaving the conversation.
It is a big signal for you, ifthat's the feedback that you're
getting, that it is time toreinvent.
And whether that's in the sameseat, the same title, the same
(03:57):
department, the same company,could be.
It could also be a newexperience.
It's time to reinvent and startcreating what's next.
The next big conversation thatwe had a lot this year was about
comparison and how it cloudsclarity.
This also, I believe, camethrough a lot of the
unsettledness in the market,whether we were part of a
reduction ourselves or whetherwe're seeing reductions, we're
(04:20):
comparing what's going on.
Am I safe?
Am I not safe?
I was saved, I was not saved,what does this mean about me?
It's all of that comparison.
So the comparison trap that youdidn't even know you were in,
right?
It's that leadership trap thatyou don't even know you're in.
We explored how assumptions theydrive doubt.
They also, our brains will startto fill in the blanks.
If we don't know, we want to becertain.
(04:41):
So we start filling in a storyto break.
And then how this causes us tocreate uncertainty with others.
Because if I'm always somebodydifferent based on what I'm
thinking and therefore acting onsomething that might not be
based in truth, I create aninconsistency in my behavior.
Leaders need to pause and actand ask themselves, is this a
fact or is this a feeling?
And based on that answer, wedecide what to do next.
(05:03):
That question changes how youapproach things.
That clarity doesn't come fromknowing all the answers, it
comes from grounding in what'strue, knowing who you are,
knowing your leadershipidentity, and making sure that
you're moving forward withevidence, not just emotion.
And that's where you createsteadiness, even in uncertainty.
Next area that we found that wasbig this year was leading
(05:28):
through transition.
Uh, leading through transitionwas one of the episodes that I
did where we unpacked thebridges transition, right?
This is about the bridgestransition model.
There's three phases (05:37):
there's endings, there's the neutral
zone, or the hallway, as I callit, and new beginnings.
And only when something ends canwe actually start.
We have to also remember thatchange is external, but
transition is internal.
And that growth often happenswhen we realize that the end is
the beginning.
(05:58):
And it's that in the space, thatin-between space where that
discomfort is where we start toget clarity, we start to be
creative, we start to figure outhow are we going to be
innovative against thisparticular challenge within
every problem.
Is that solution?
That's what happens in thatneutral space.
That's when you're in thehallway, the P, the place
between what's now, what's next,and that you're not um, you're
(06:22):
not behind, right?
It's that you're really, as ateam, what you're becoming, what
you're moving towards andremembering that as you're
navigating transition.
Over the year, I also watchedleaders build lots of new
muscles, right?
Lots of reps.
Here is the courage to say less,but mean more, right?
Two ears, one mouth when whennecessary, use them in
(06:44):
proportion.
To have the strength to setboundaries without guilt and no
is a complete sentence.
It doesn't have to be no, right?
You're in a job, obviously, youneed to be a team player, but
it's that negotiation.
Um, no, I can't do this, but Ican do it by then.
Or sure, I can do this now, butI want to make sure that, you
know, I'm gonna start two hourslater tomorrow because I want to
(07:07):
spend time with my family in themorning if I'm gonna stay late
tonight, right?
It's making sure that you'rehaving that conversation around
boundaries and that that you'reable to set that without guilt.
It's also showing up and beingin alignment with your values
and not your fear.
We all have fear.
We fall into fear with someregularity, that's
understandable.
But making sure you're comingback to what do I value here?
(07:29):
I value integrity and honestyand wisdom and kindness and
creativity and innovation.
Well, if I was emulating thosevalues or living those values or
bringing those values into thesituation, what would I do?
How would I act?
How would I lean into thosevalues and use them to help
guide me?
That's what we're talking aboutwith evidence of growth that I'm
(07:49):
seeing throughout this year.
And reinvention, I've said thisbefore, I do a keynote on this
that reinvention is not aone-time act.
Hollywood would have you believeit happens like, oh, we just
need the affable partner, andthen we can reinvent and we'll
get the challenge and then we'lldo all the things.
No, that's not what it is.
Reinvention is a mini-series.
It happens in the rear of amirror.
It's not a major feature film,it's a mini-series.
(08:10):
It's step by step by step iswhat builds resilience.
And you know what?
You only know it when you'rethrough and you look back and
you go, huh, look what Icreated.
That's how you build resilience.
So every boundary, every pause,every no in service of a bigger
yes is where you're reallycoming and leading from
intention and your values andhow you want to be seen and how
you want to show up for yourselfand others as a leader.
(08:33):
So as we step into 2026, I wantto leave you with three things
to journal.
If you're a pen to paper personor a notes app, grab it, think
about what was this lesson fromthis year that you want to bring
forward into next year?
And then what is the belief orbehavior that no longer fits
what you're becoming or whoyou're becoming?
(08:54):
Or when I say what you'rebecoming, meaning your
organization, your department,right?
Or who you're becoming.
And then last is what withleading with intention and
clarity look like next year?
What are the swim lanes aroundthat?
How will you know?
Are you with an intention or areyou being unintentional?
Are you in clarity or are you incloudiness?
(09:14):
How will you know?
Get clear on that.
Look, I appreciate you beinghere all year, being part of
this community, listening,contributing, sharing your
stories, emailing me yourthoughts.
As always, I want to hear them.
Tell me how your year went.
Email me, hello at JillGrif andCoaching.com.
I wish you a great holidayseason, a beautiful start to
your next year.
(09:35):
Be in possibility, beintentional.
And you know, always be kind.
All right, friends, I'll see younext time.
Hey there.
Welcome back to the CareerRefresh.
I'm your host, Jill Griffin.
I'm an executive coach,strategist, and your guide to
career reinvention.
As we close out 2025, I want topause and look back at the
conversations, the ideas, andthe themes that I have noticed
(00:23):
throughout this year'sconversations and episodes.
I also want to point out,because I did the math right
before recording this, that Idid over 801 hours of coaching
between individuals, workingwith teams, groups, workshops,
800 hours.
That's about 25% higher than theyear before.
(00:46):
So pretty amazing.
I do this work because it'smission based for me.
I want to reinvent theworkplace, how we think about
workplace, how we think aboutwork, how to make work work for
more people.
Those are my missions.
And again, I also feel that whenwe are able to work through our
mindset and perform and have allof our facets sparkling, when we
(01:07):
leave work, when we leave forthe day, whatever that looks
like, whether it's shutting downthe laptop and walking down the
hall or getting in your car orgetting in, you know, your
commuter rail, whatever thatlooks like, I want to make sure
that the people that we livewith and love are not impacted
by any negative experience we'vewe've had during the day in the
work.
And that again is why I do thiswork and why mindset for me is
(01:28):
front and center for the kind ofwork that we're doing around
executive coaching andreinvention and leadership and
leadership identity that we'realways focused on mindset to
know that the greatest gift thatI ever gave myself was the
ability to manage my mind.
It does not mean I'm not sad.
It does not mean that I don'thave days where I want to be
like, rah ha, you know, that Iscream and I want to pop off.
(01:48):
Of course, I'm human, I'm messylike everybody is, but I also
know how to get myself out ofit.
The cycles in which I'm in itare much shorter.
And that over the years of doingthis work, it's um 20, I'm gonna
quick say quick math, 20 yearsnow, um, of doing this kind of
work full time for almost 10, isthat you're able to know how to
(02:10):
tap into the tools and theystart to become second nature
and you're able to use them toreally navigate whatever the
situation is that you're in.
So if I was to name 2025, I'mgonna say it's the year of
change and the year ofreinvention in our careers, in
our leadership, what we value,in our world, all the things.
So let's dig in.
(02:31):
Okay, one of the strongestthemes that I saw this year was
the understanding of self-worthversus market worth.
And it's easy to talk about howwe often confuse what we do with
who we are.
And I did an episode on how tostop feeling worth less.
And we explored tying our valueto a title or a paycheck leads
(02:51):
to burnout, resentment.
And it comes really hard to howto separate our self-esteem from
performance.
So many of you wrote me and toldme that your employers at times
told you that you were toovaluable to promote.
Well, let me reframe that foryou because that is a signal
that you need to challengeyourself and them.
They can't imagine losing you.
(03:13):
That is evidence of your impact.
And it's also evidence, perhaps,of their lack of planning or
laziness because they don't wantto promote you because it's
going to create havoc for them.
Is that your hiring manager thatsaid that, or is that the
organization, right?
So don't put yourself in aposition where that's an
acceptable answer.
I would challenge, again,appropriately, professionally,
(03:35):
work with a mentor, work with acoach, find out the ways that
you can professionally challengethat.
I appreciate that I'm reallyvaluable, but at the same time,
I'm not wanting to stay in thisposition forever and I need to
grow and I have a desire togrow.
So making sure that you'rehaving the conversation.
It is a big signal for you, ifthat's the feedback that you're
getting, that it is time toreinvent.
And whether that's in the sameseat, the same title, the same
(03:57):
department, the same company,could be.
It could also be a newexperience.
It's time to reinvent and startcreating what's next.
The next big conversation thatwe had a lot this year was about
comparison and how it cloudsclarity.
This also, I believe, camethrough a lot of the
unsettledness in the market,whether we were part of a
reduction ourselves or whetherwe're seeing reductions, we're
(04:20):
comparing what's going on.
Am I safe?
Am I not safe?
I was saved, I was not saved,what does this mean about me?
It's all of that comparison.
So the comparison trap that youdidn't even know you were in,
right?
It's that leadership trap thatyou don't even know you're in.
We explored how assumptions theydrive doubt.
They also, our brains will startto fill in the blanks.
If we don't know, we want to becertain.
(04:41):
So we start filling in a storyto break.
And then how this causes us tocreate uncertainty with others.
Because if I'm always somebodydifferent based on what I'm
thinking and therefore acting onsomething that might not be
based in truth, I create aninconsistency in my behavior.
Leaders need to pause and actand ask themselves, is this a
fact or is this a feeling?
And based on that answer, wedecide what to do next.
(05:03):
That question changes how youapproach things.
That clarity doesn't come fromknowing all the answers, it
comes from grounding in what'strue, knowing who you are,
knowing your leadershipidentity, and making sure that
you're moving forward withevidence, not just emotion.
And that's where you createsteadiness, even in uncertainty.
Next area that we found that wasbig this year was leading
(05:28):
through transition.
Uh, leading through transitionwas one of the episodes that I
did where we unpacked thebridges transition, right?
This is about the bridgestransition model.
There's three phases (05:37):
there's endings, there's the neutral
zone, or the hallway, as I callit, and new beginnings.
And only when something ends canwe actually start.
We have to also remember thatchange is external, but
transition is internal.
And that growth often happenswhen we realize that the end is
the beginning.
(05:58):
And it's that in the space, thatin-between space where that
discomfort is where we start toget clarity, we start to be
creative, we start to figure outhow are we going to be
innovative against thisparticular challenge within
every problem.
Is that solution?
That's what happens in thatneutral space.
That's when you're in thehallway, the P, the place
between what's now, what's next,and that you're not um, you're
(06:22):
not behind, right?
It's that you're really, as ateam, what you're becoming, what
you're moving towards andremembering that as you're
navigating transition.
Over the year, I also watchedleaders build lots of new
muscles, right?
Lots of reps.
Here is the courage to say less,but mean more, right?
Two ears, one mouth when whennecessary, use them in
(06:44):
proportion.
To have the strength to setboundaries without guilt and no
is a complete sentence.
It doesn't have to be no, right?
You're in a job, obviously, youneed to be a team player, but
it's that negotiation.
Um, no, I can't do this, but Ican do it by then.
Or sure, I can do this now, butI want to make sure that, you
know, I'm gonna start two hourslater tomorrow because I want to
(07:07):
spend time with my family in themorning if I'm gonna stay late
tonight, right?
It's making sure that you'rehaving that conversation around
boundaries and that that you'reable to set that without guilt.
It's also showing up and beingin alignment with your values
and not your fear.
We all have fear.
We fall into fear with someregularity, that's
understandable.
But making sure you're comingback to what do I value here?
(07:29):
I value integrity and honestyand wisdom and kindness and
creativity and innovation.
Well, if I was emulating thosevalues or living those values or
bringing those values into thesituation, what would I do?
How would I act?
How would I lean into thosevalues and use them to help
guide me?
That's what we're talking aboutwith evidence of growth that I'm
(07:49):
seeing throughout this year.
And reinvention, I've said thisbefore, I do a keynote on this
that reinvention is not aone-time act.
Hollywood would have you believeit happens like, oh, we just
need the affable partner, andthen we can reinvent and we'll
get the challenge and then we'lldo all the things.
No, that's not what it is.
Reinvention is a mini-series.
It happens in the rear of amirror.
It's not a major feature film,it's a mini-series.
(08:10):
It's step by step by step iswhat builds resilience.
And you know what?
You only know it when you'rethrough and you look back and
you go, huh, look what Icreated.
That's how you build resilience.
So every boundary, every pause,every no in service of a bigger
yes is where you're reallycoming and leading from
intention and your values andhow you want to be seen and how
you want to show up for yourselfand others as a leader.
(08:33):
So as we step into 2026, I wantto leave you with three things
to journal.
If you're a pen to paper personor a notes app, grab it, think
about what was this lesson fromthis year that you want to bring
forward into next year?
And then what is the belief orbehavior that no longer fits
what you're becoming or whoyou're becoming?
(08:54):
Or when I say what you'rebecoming, meaning your
organization, your department,right?
Or who you're becoming.
And then last is what withleading with intention and
clarity look like next year?
What are the swim lanes aroundthat?
How will you know?
Are you with an intention or areyou being unintentional?
Are you in clarity or are you incloudiness?
(09:14):
How will you know?
Get clear on that.
Look, I appreciate you beinghere all year, being part of
this community, listening,contributing, sharing your
stories, emailing me yourthoughts.
As always, I want to hear them.
Tell me how your year went.
Email me, hello at JillGrif andCoaching.com.
I wish you a great holidayseason, a beautiful start to
your next year.
(09:35):
Be in possibility, beintentional.
And you know, always be kind.
All right, friends, I'll see younext time.
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