How Do You Rebuild Your Confidence After Taking a Career Break? A Real Coaching Conversation with Amanda Wood

Send us Fan MailReturning to work after time away can bring hope, excitement, and more self-doubt than many people expect.This week on The UpLevel Podcast, our host Christie Mann coaches multidisciplinary creator Amanda Wood through the very real experience of preparing to return to the workforce after an intentional 18-month career break.Amanda has spent her career leading creative teams, building brands, and running her own agency. During her time away, she developed greater clarity about the kind of work she wants to do, the life she wants to create, and the values she refuses to leave behind.Together, Christie and Amanda explore how coaching can help shift attention away from the inner critic and back toward possibility. Through future visioning, embodiment, metaphor, and practical coaching techniques, Amanda reconnects with what gives her energy: meaningful collaboration, creativity, trust, flexibility, and contributing to something larger than herself.One of the most powerful moments in the conversation comes when Amanda recognizes that the loudest voice in her head is not the most truthful one. As Christie reminds her, self-doubt often grows louder when we're getting closer to something that truly matters.Whether you're returning after raising children, recovering from burnout, taking a sabbatical, caring for loved ones, or intentionally stepping away to reset, this conversation offers encouragement and practical coaching tools to help you move forward with greater confidence.In this episode, you'll learn:How to rebuild confidence after taking a career breakWhy self-doubt often increases before meaningful changeA coaching exercise that creates momentum through future visioningHow to reconnect with your strengths instead of your fearsWhy values should guide your next career movePractical ways to move forward before you feel completely readyAbout Amanda:Amanda Wood is a multidisciplinary creator with a degree in fine arts and over 15 years of experience as a creative professional in advertising and communications. She has worked in large agencies as an art/creative director for clients like Toyota, Air Canada, McDonald’s, and Mazda and later founded her own agency specializing in bringing new brands to market. She is also a certified yoga instructor and a student of acting and is engaged in many community-based creative projects such as sign painting, schoolyard revitalization, and children’s face painting, to name a few. Amanda lives in downtown Toronto with her husband, six-year-old son, and dog, Cosmo.🎉 The UpLevel Podcast was listed as one of the Top 10 Best Coaching Culture Podcasts!!! https://podcasts.feedspot.com/coaching_culture_podcasts🎉 It was also ranked #4 among the top 50 Best Workplace Mental Health Podcasts! https://podcast.feedspot.com/workplace_mental_health_podcastswww.uplevelproductions.comhttps://www.instagram.com/uplevelproductions/https://www.linkedin.com/company/uplevelproductionscompanyhttps://www.facebook.com/uplevelproductionscompany