She Said No to Another Qualification—After 16 Years,
with Bethany Rodgers
I’m joined by Bethany Rodgers, Director of People at Sheffield Students’ Union, to explore the pressure to prove yourself through continual learning—and what changes when you decide you are already credible enough.
Listen to this Episode:
Here are some key takeaways from our conversation on the pressure to prove yourself
“I want to be able to take my dog for a walk and not feel guilty because I should be doing an assignment.”
In this episode of The New Peak Podcast, Bethany Rodgers shares why, after 16 years of continual professional development, she decided not to pursue another qualification.
Bethany loves learning, but she recognized that her qualifications had also become connected to feeling credible and having to prove she belonged. Saying no was not about abandoning ambition—it was about making room for family, friends and ordinary moments without feeling she should be working.
You’ll relate if you’ve been:
🔺 Pursuing the next qualification to feel credible
🔺 Feeling guilty when you are not being productive
🔺 Wondering when you have finally done enough
🎧 Episode Timestamps
00:00 – Saying No to Another Qualification
01:10 – When a Love of Learning Becomes Proving
02:34 – Why Ambition Feels Loaded for Women
05:50 – The Grandfather Who Made Learning Feel Possible
07:37 – When Drive Becomes Self-Imposed Pressure
09:59 – Qualifications, Credibility and the Price of Expertise
12:36 – The Decision to Stop After 16 Years
13:19 – When Life Feels Too Short to Keep Proving
15:20 – Putting Relationships Before the To-Do List
17:23 – Choosing a Slower Pace and Accepting the Trade-O
LINKS: Pressure to prove yourself with Bethany Rodgers
Connect with Bethany Rogers: [on LinkedIn]
OTHER LINKS:
- Work with Nicola McCrabbe
Executive coaching for leaders and high achievers seeking sustainable performance under pressure.
[Coaching] - Take the Leadership Pressure Check
Consider how pressure may be affecting your capacity and leadership behaviour.
[Pressure Check] - Read Burnout Be Gone
Explore high-achiever patterns, pressure and healthier ways of performing.
[Book]