Career growth feels harder when you're doing everything "right" and still not seeing momentum. Kendall breaks down why traditional goal setting quietly stalls your progress and why the real catalysts for advancement are systems, identity, and daily habits that actually fit your work life. She shares how high achievers unintentionally set themselves up for burnout, why New Year energy fades so quickly, and what sustainable growth looks like for ambitious professionals who want more clarity, confidence, and consistency.

Kendall walks through how to design systems that support the career identity you're building, how to create daily wins that increase motivation, and how to shift from chasing outcomes to becoming the kind of person who grows naturally at work. If you've ever wondered why your goals don't translate into visible progress, this episode gives you the framework to fix that and step into the next level of your leadership.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why goals don't create sustainable career growth

• How to build a system for habits that actually stick

• What "career identity" means and how to define your future self

• How small daily wins increase motivation and visibility

• What to do when you feel stuck despite working hard

What's one "corporate game" rule you've learned the hard way?

🎯 Take the full Level Up Leadership Course: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/get-started-with-my-play-the-corporate-game-course

Kendall Berg is a career coach and creator, helping ambitious professionals master the unspoken rules of corporate life. Through Secrets of the Career Game, she shares honest conversations and practical tools to help you communicate clearly, lead confidently, and navigate work with strategy — not stress.

☕️ Want personalized career advice? Book a free 15-minute Coffee Chat with me — let's talk strategy, leadership, or your next move.
Book your Coffee Chat → https://calendly.com/thatcareercoach/15-min-follow-up

Want to know more about Kendal Berg, that career coach?

Follow her on Instagram: @thatcareercoach_

Check out her courses on the website: https://thatcareercoach.net/

Watch on YouTube:@thatcareercoach_

If you feel like you're failing at work and at home, Kendall explains why the problem isn't you — it's the myth you're trying to live up to. She breaks down why "balance" was never realistic, how it fuels guilt and burnout, and why integration offers a more practical, sustainable path forward. Through personal stories and real client examples, Kendall shows how aligning your values, redefining success, and embracing trade-offs can transform both your career trajectory and how you feel day to day.

She also shares how to choose one meaningful goal without creating chaos, why flexibility matters more than equal time division, and how to set success metrics that actually reflect what matters to you. This episode is your permission to drop perfection, rethink how you measure progress, and build a career that genuinely supports the life you want.

• What happens when you chase balance in a world that doesn't operate that way
  
  

• How to integrate career and personal values without losing your mind
  
  

• Why flexibility matters more than equal time across your roles
  
  

• How to define success using only three measurable goals
  
  

• What trade offs look like for real professionals and parents today
  
  

What's one "corporate game" rule you've learned the hard way?

🎯 Take the full Level Up Leadership Course: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/get-started-with-my-play-the-corporate-game-course

Kendall Berg is a career coach and creator, helping ambitious professionals master the unspoken rules of corporate life. Through Secrets of the Career Game, she shares honest conversations and practical tools to help you communicate clearly, lead confidently, and navigate work with strategy — not stress.

☕️ Want personalized career advice? Book a free 15-minute Coffee Chat with me — let's talk strategy, leadership, or your next move.
Book your Coffee Chat → https://calendly.com/thatcareercoach/15-min-follow-up

Want to know more about Kendal Berg, that career coach?

Follow her on Instagram: @thatcareercoach_

Check out her courses on the website: https://thatcareercoach.net/

Corporate politics isn't about manipulation, it's about relationships.
Learn how to master workplace dynamics, communicate clearly, and build trust fast.

In this 5-minute episode, career coach Kendall Berg breaks down the unspoken rules that shape every workplace. She explains why likability, clarity, and reciprocity matter more than hard work when it comes to getting promoted—and how to use those skills to build influence without playing games.

You'll discover how to:
✅ Adapt your communication style so people actually listen
✅ Build trust with leaders and coworkers through small, consistent actions
✅ Navigate office politics without feeling fake or drained
✅ Avoid information overload and keep your message clear
✅ Turn networking from something awkward into something strategic

Whether you're early in your career or leading a team, this quick breakdown helps you understand the real mechanics of corporate success—so you can advance confidently and keep your sanity intact.

What's one "corporate game" rule you've learned the hard way?

🎯 Take the full Level Up Leadership Course: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/get-started-with-my-play-the-corporate-game-course

Kendall Berg is a career coach and creator, helping ambitious professionals master the unspoken rules of corporate life. Through Secrets of the Career Game, she shares honest conversations and practical tools to help you communicate clearly, lead confidently, and navigate work with strategy — not stress.

☕️ Want personalized career advice? Book a free 15-minute Coffee Chat with me — let's talk strategy, leadership, or your next move.
Book your Coffee Chat → https://calendly.com/thatcareercoach/15-min-follow-up

Want to know more about Kendal Berg, that career coach?

Follow her on Instagram: @thatcareercoach_

Check out her courses on the website: https://thatcareercoach.net/

So many brilliant women get stuck at director level because they're too good at their jobs.
That's the quiet trap executive coach Katy McFee breaks down in this episode of Secrets of the Career Game. Kendall Berg sits with Katy to unpack the habits, mindset shifts, and strategic practices women need to finally be seen as leaders instead of doers.

Katy shares what actually signals VP readiness, why "be more strategic" is useless guidance, and how high-performing women accidentally pigeonhole themselves as execution machines. Kendall and Katy dig into deep work, real-time feedback, and the identity shifts required to show up as a strategic leader — not just the person who saves the day. If you feel like you've been doing everything right and still not getting promoted, this episode gives you the clarity and momentum you've been missing.

• Why do women get stuck at the director level

• What does "be more strategic" actually mean

• How do you show executive presence at work

• Why doing more doesn't lead to promotion

• How to demonstrate VP readiness when no one tells you how

What's one "corporate game" rule you've learned the hard way?

🎯 Take the full Level Up Leadership Course: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/get-started-with-my-play-the-corporate-game-course

Kendall Berg is a career coach and creator, helping ambitious professionals master the unspoken rules of corporate life. Through Secrets of the Career Game, she shares honest conversations and practical tools to help you communicate clearly, lead confidently, and navigate work with strategy — not stress.

☕️ Want personalized career advice? Book a free 15-minute Coffee Chat with me — let's talk strategy, leadership, or your next move.
Book your Coffee Chat → https://calendly.com/thatcareercoach/15-min-follow-up

Want to know more about Kendal Berg, that career coach?

Follow her on Instagram: @thatcareercoach_

Check out her courses on the website: https://thatcareercoach.net/

Katy McFee is an executive coach and the founder of Insights to Action, where she helps high-performing women finally break through the Director-to-VP ceiling. With an 18-year career in biotech and tech, including senior roles where she drove nine-figure revenue growth, Katy knows firsthand what it takes to rise in male-dominated environments. Despite years of over-delivering, she was repeatedly passed over for promotion until she discovered the real barrier: perception, not performance. By shifting how she communicated and led, she landed her first VP role and was soon recruited as an EVP.

• Website: https://insightstoactioncc.com/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katy-mcfee-3880b4a/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katy.mcfee

https://insightstoactioncc.com/vp-ready-quiz/

Kendall Berg reveals why the real career hack is not a promotion or a lucky break. It is the quiet one percent improvements in soft skills that reshape your communication, visibility, and leadership presence. She shares how small daily habits build reputation, influence, and long term career momentum without burnout.

In this episode, Kendall Berg breaks down how to take tough feedback without spiraling, speak up without creating resistance, and build relationships before you need them. She also explains three common career traps that stall growth and the practical soft skill habits that help you stand out, earn trust, and open doors to new opportunities.

In this episode, we discuss:
• How do small daily soft skill habits improve career growth
• What is the best way to ask for feedback without getting defensive
• Why visibility drives faster career progression than perfect performance
• How do you build a strong workplace reputation over time
• How do you avoid job hopping that hurts long term growth

What's one "corporate game" rule you've learned the hard way?

🎯 Take the full Level Up Leadership Course: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/get-started-with-my-play-the-corporate-game-course

Kendall Berg is a career coach and creator, helping ambitious professionals master the unspoken rules of corporate life. Through Secrets of the Career Game, she shares honest conversations and practical tools to help you communicate clearly, lead confidently, and navigate work with strategy — not stress.

☕️ Want personalized career advice? Book a free 15-minute Coffee Chat with me — let's talk strategy, leadership, or your next move.
Book your Coffee Chat → https://calendly.com/thatcareercoach/15-min-follow-up

Want to know more about Kendal Berg, that career coach?

Follow her on Instagram: @thatcareercoach_

Check out her courses on the website: https://thatcareercoach.net/

Most professionals chase the next promotion without ever asking if it's the right move. In this conversation, Kendall Berg and executive coach Whitney Faires expose the myth of the linear career path and why the most fulfilled leaders often take strategic sideways moves instead of climbing straight up.

Whitney shares her Courageous Leader Roadmap, a framework for showing up with authenticity, self-awareness, and fearless communication, the traits that separate high performers from true leaders. Together, they unpack the messy middle of leadership transitions, how to navigate corporate politics without selling your soul, and why your reputation starts forming long before you enter the room.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What are the most overlooked skills when moving from contributor to director?

• How can leaders build influence without self-promotion?

• How do you navigate corporate politics without losing authenticity?

• What's the right moment to make a lateral move instead of chasing a promotion?

• How can specific feedback requests accelerate leadership growth?

• What does it mean to lead courageously — and how can you start today?
  
  

What's one "corporate game" rule you've learned the hard way?

🎯 Take the full Level Up Leadership Course: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/get-started-with-my-play-the-corporate-game-course

Kendall Berg is a career coach and creator, helping ambitious professionals master the unspoken rules of corporate life. Through Secrets of the Career Game, she shares honest conversations and practical tools to help you communicate clearly, lead confidently, and navigate work with strategy — not stress.

☕️ Want personalized career advice? Book a free 15-minute Coffee Chat with me — let's talk strategy, leadership, or your next move.
Book your Coffee Chat → https://calendly.com/thatcareercoach/15-min-follow-up

Want to know more about Kendal Berg, that career coach?

Follow her on Instagram: @thatcareercoach_

Check out her courses on the website: https://thatcareercoach.net/

About Whitney Faires

Whitney Faires is an internationally recognized executive coach, keynote speaker, and leadership advisor with 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Formerly Chief of Staff to the CFO at Intuitive Surgical, she led high-impact organizational health initiatives, launched global leadership development programs, and coached rising professionals into senior roles. Her multifaceted career spans sales, finance, and commercial operations, where she spearheaded the creation of a $2 billion international leasing portfolio.

As the founder of Whitney Faires Coaching, she developed the Courageous Leader Roadmap — a practical approach for leaders to show up authentically, navigate adversity, and drive meaningful results. She is an ICF-accredited PCC coach and is passionate about helping leaders elevate their influence and build high-performing teams.

Connect with Whitney:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-faires-14955a38/

https://www.instagram.com/whitney_faires

https://www.facebook.com/WhitneyFairesCoaching/

https://www.whitneyfaires.com/

Your performance review might be enough to save you from getting fired, but it's definitely enough to keep you from getting promoted. Kendall Berg unpacks why most professionals underestimate their self-evaluations and how a well-written review can make or break your next career move.

She explains how to turn your performance review into your best internal marketing tool: one that showcases impact, influence, and growth. From gathering 360 feedback to crafting measurable goals and starting promotion conversations at the right time, Kendall shares the proven strategies she used as a corporate leader to help people actually get rewarded for their work.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How do you write a performance review that gets you promoted?

• What should you include (and avoid) in your self-evaluation?

• How can you collect 360 feedback that actually helps your career?

• When is the right time to talk to your boss about a raise or promotion?

• What separates average reviews from the ones that get noticed?

• What's one "corporate game" rule you've learned the hard way?

⭐️Get our FREE Accomplishments Tracker: https://fabulous-butterfly-83716.myflodesk.com/n8yzvrtw9v

🎯 Take the full Level Up Leadership Course: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/get-started-with-my-play-the-corporate-game-course

Kendall Berg is a career coach and creator, helping ambitious professionals master the unspoken rules of corporate life. Through Secrets of the Career Game, she shares honest conversations and practical tools to help you communicate clearly, lead confidently, and navigate work with strategy — not stress.

☕️ Want personalized career advice? Book a free 15-minute Coffee Chat with me — let's talk strategy, leadership, or your next move.
Book your Coffee Chat → https://calendly.com/thatcareercoach/15-min-follow-up

Want to know more about Kendal Berg, that career coach?

Follow her on Instagram: @thatcareercoach_

Check out her courses on the website: https://thatcareercoach.net/

Build out the tools you need to navigate the corporate game: — Self Driven Mastermind