Comeback Coach
COMEBACK COACH is for bright minds returning to work from maternity leave, other extended breaks and facing pivotal career moments. Hosted by chartered coaching psychologist and executive coach, Jessica Chivers, you can eavesdrop on one-time coaching conversations and hear real comeback stories. She’s exactly what you need when being in the role you’re capable of and performing at your best isn’t straightforward.
Episodes
129 episodes
128. COMEBACK - Donna Nichol - Leaders CAN take long holidays - trusting your team and building their self-trust before you go
My guest today is Donna Nichol, from Chloe James Lifestyle who started her career in fashion buying and gave into her urge to open an independent store of her own 16 years in the place I call home: St Albans.Earlier this year Donna took ...
127. JESSICA - The psychology of coming second – what to do when you don’t get the job – how to leverage the visibility you’ve gained in the recruitment process.
Hello Bright Minds, this episode is for anyone who's just come second in a recruitment process for a job really wanted. LINKS REFERENCES IN EPISODE
126. COMEBACK - Helen Rickards - Allianz/Lloyds of London - springing forward from redundancy after 25 years - using LinkedIn effectively - networking - perimenopause
Hello Bright Minds, my guest today is Helen Rickards, who last year was made redundant from the German insurer Allianz after 25 years. It was traumatic. She’s now back in role at Lloyd’s of London and she’s loving it. You are about to eavesdrop...
125. JESSICA - Psychology of identity + missing work mojo after maternity leave - who am I now? Will my career drive come back? Mental TLC for new working mums + dads
Hello Bright Minds, this episode is for anyone who is currently grappling with a drop in motivation at work or a loss of drive to push forward in your career after a break from work – a break that has shifted your identity in some way. I want t...
124. EXPERT – Psychologist Suzy Reading – tending to self - why mums fantasise about a hospital stay – toxic resilience - not expecting others to intuit our needs
Hello Bright Minds, my chat with Suzy was deeply engaging for me as a fellow psychologist – and therapeutic at times - and I think it’s a great big, warm, virtual hug for anyone who is wrung out from taking care of children, partners, direct re...
123. JESSICA - Audacity at work - How to make audacious asks to accelerate your career and change corporate systems that weren't built for women
Hello Bright Minds, this is an episode written from the heart on my 47th birthday about audacity being a behavioural muscle we can develop in service of fuelling our careers and getting more women into top jobs. I'm Jessica Chivers, a chartered...
122. COMEBACK – Rakhi Sachdeva – Microsoft – missing work on maternity leave – stretch in your career before you feel ready – “hype me” folder – self advocacy
My guest today is Microsoft’s AI Workforce Lead for Government who recently returned to the business after her second maternity leave. Rakhi Sachdeva moved from India to the UK in 2015 and she’s risen in one of the world largest technology comp...
121. EXPERT – Helen Beedham - Freedom at work – stay interviews - retaining your best people – why do we make brilliant individual contributors people managers?
Hello Bright Minds and welcome to the first episode of season 10 of COMEBACK COACH with the author of the brand new book, People Glue: Hold onto your best people by setting them free. If you have ever craved more freedom at work, if yo...
120. BONUS – coaching success stories – Meena Santhosh, Selina Tyler & Karina Langan (coaching commissioner) from three asset management firms on comeback coaching for maternity leave
Hello Bright Minds, this is the third of three bonus episodes of season nine where I’m lifting the lid on what the people I and my colleagues coach, actually get from coaching. I’m Jessica Chivers, a chartered coaching psychologist and executiv...
119. BONUS – coaching success stories – Laura Scougall (coachee) & Kirsty Duncan (coach commissioner) at ITV on the positive ripple effect of coaching
Hello Bright Minds, this is the second of three bonus episodes of season nine where I’m lifting the lid on what people really get from coaching. If you’ve listened to any COACH episode of the podcast you’ve heard coaching in action. Now’s the t...
118. BONUS – coaching success stories - IP lawyer Jessica Duncombe on the efficiency, effectiveness and breadth of coaching
Hello Bright Minds, on a whim at the end of the final episode of season nine with Jeremy Bradbury from ITV (episode 117) I wondered aloud about doing a few bonus episodes about what people really get from coaching. This was inspired by the conv...
117. COMEBACK – Jeremy Bradbury – ITV – Coaching through ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – how coaching shifted my mindset and helped me make sustainable return to work
Hello Bright Minds, my guest today loves his job and is incredibly appreciative of the support he received from his employer, ITV, when illness came out of nowhere. This year Jeremy Bradbury had two months away from work with ME/Chronic Fatigue...
116. JESSICA - Stop wasting mothers' potential in UK businesses - why it's taken me 14 years to co-create Raising & Rising for mothers in senior roles
Hello Bright Minds,I am worried about what's happening to mothers in UK Plc. In February I am hosting the first Raising & Rising retreat with my col...
115. COMEBACK – Steph Ogden – CEO HDI Global – Stop! Step away from the business on maternity leave (it won’t fall apart without you).
Hello Bright Minds, Stephanie Ogden, loves her job. She is the UK CEO of the global insurance company HDI Global and she was an absolute treat to chat to because she was so open and honest. We get into the nitty gritty of how to step away from ...
114. JESSICA - How knowing your values and being interested in the values of others helps you lead better and enjoy sustainable career success.
Hello Bright Mind, I start this episode by sharing a piece of academic astonishing research that demonstrates, unequivocally, the powerful and positive link between values and career success. Values frequently come into the work I do with leade...
113. EXPERT – Anna Marthur – You are not a failure because you failed to get the promotion – the cost of pleasing people – asking for feedback
Hello Bright Minds,QUICK LINKS to things in this episode:HR webinar on female talent not stepping up.
112. COACH - Louise - Pressure to impress senior leaders after maternity - showing commitment to get promoted (and being the only mother on the team)
**Quick link to register interest in the Raising & Rising leadership retreat for mothers in senior roles in February 2026 – CPO’s and HR professionals please regist...
111. COMEBACK – Astrid Limal – The Hustle Factory - What I’d do differently if I lost my job tomorrow + using redundancy as a career catalyst and get a coach
Hello Bright Minds, today’s guest has had a squiggly career, graduating as a graphic designer and making it up to creative art director before moving into an MD role and then into entrepreneurship. She’s the co-founder of The Hustle Factory whe...
110. JESSICA - How I coach lawyers, accountants and ambitious professionals to get better at networking for commercial and career success
Hello Bright Minds,**Here's the link to register your interest and get early bird access to the exclusive gathering for 12 senior talented professional working mothers...
109. EXPERT - Nicola Jane Hobbs - Relaxed Woman - Reclaim rest to rise in our careers - new theory of stress (GUTS)
Hello Bright Minds, I’m trying something new for this season of the podcast and that’s to bring you a couple of expert voices on topics that are coming up in coaching conversations with the people I, and my colleagues, are coaching. Today I am ...
108. COMEBACK – Norah Prida-Bay – Jupiter Asset Management – lessons from 118 interviews to get back to work after 8 year career break
Hello Bright Minds, you are in for a treat with this first episode of the new season. I am so pleased you’re here and you are about to hear a magnificent tale of grit, perseverance, honesty and so much warmth from my guest Nora Prida-Bay from J...
107. COMEBACK - Lucy Watkins – Salesforce – returning 6 months early for dream job + how to be a peak performing leader + career acceleration after maternity
Hello Bright Minds, I have a completely wonderful powerhouse for you today who returned from maternity leave eight months ago. Her dream job came up whilst she was away so she decided to return six months early and on day two of her comeback th...
106. COACH - Emilia - Global healthcare leader - interim promotion when your boss leaves - team psychological safety - fitting in with new peers
Hello Bright Minds, my guest coachee today is Emilia, which isn’t her real name. She’s been an avid listener of the podcast and got in touch about having a coaching session to support her in making a lateral move in a large multinational health...
105. COMEBACK – Danielle Wallington – Flockhere founder – building a biz after flex request refused on maternity leave – guilt + grit – community is everything.
Hello Bright Minds, today I’m talking to Danielle Wallington who lives in St Albans, the place I’ve called home for 23 years. Danielle was an events manager who had her flexible working request turned down after maternity leave with her first s...
104. COMEBACK – Samantha Downes – The Express - it's OK to be ambitious - ditching freelance for employment - is your career in bloom?
Hello Bright Minds, my guest today is 53 year old journalist Samantha Downes, who last year took up the post of senior news reporter at The Express after many years working freelance. She joined The Express in November after specialising in pen...