Ignite Your Confidence with Karen Laos

In this episode, we're cutting through the noise to reveal the counterintuitive truth about building a magnetic personal brand: You don't need to do more. You need to be known for ONE thing.

Forget the polished perfection you see online. Discover why messy beats perfect, why people buy you before they ever buy what you're selling, and how showing up authentically (flaws and all) creates the kind of trust that turns followers into cl...

Here are 6 tips you’ll learn:

1. Start with why it matters.
   Don’t just explain what something is — connect it to why it matters to your audience. Influence begins with meaning.
2. Lead with stories, not stats.
   Facts tell, but stories sell. You’ll discover how to use stories that make your message memorable and magnetic.
3. No more data dumping.
   Too much information overwhelms and disconnects your audience. I’ll show you how to simplify your m...

• Welcome Questions – Treat them as a sign of engagement, not challenge. Smile, thank the person, and show openness.
   
• Pause Before Responding – Take a beat to think. It signals confidence and helps you avoid rambling.
   
• Clarify if Needed – If a question is unclear, repeat or reframe it: “So you’re asking about…”
   
• Be Concise and Focused – Give clear, to-the-point answers—don’t drift into a second presentation.
   
• Bridge Back to Your Key ...

Here are some strategies you can use:

1. Listen First, Understand the “No”
   Show genuine curiosity about their perspective. Ask questions, listen without interrupting, and validate their concerns to build trust.
    
2. Reframe as Collaboration
   Shift the conversation from your request to a shared solution. Position it as: “How can we make this work together?” instead of “Why won’t you do this?”
    
3. Offer Flexible Paths Forward
   Instead of pushing f...

• Newsflash - we are all difficult at times!
• Be mindful of the four types (the controller, the people pleasers, the pessimists, and the victims). Do you identify as one of these?
• Know your triggers (most difficult people trigger us because of a past situation, not the current one - be aware of what and who triggers you).
• Respond vs. react - learn the mantra of a client of mine who needed help responding instead of reacting with her ...

In this episode, Karen shares 5 simple phrase swaps that:

✅ Remove hesitation from your speech

✅ Boost your executive presence

✅ Build instant credibility with your audience

These are quick, actionable, and perfect for meetings, presentations, or interviews.

Some resources for you:

Some resources for you:

Project more confidence and credibility with my free tips: 9 Words to Avoid & What to Say Instead: Words to Avoid | Karen Laos

My book “...

If you want more opportunity, but you think it’s going to find you, think again! You have to recognize that doors you think might be locked, are not locked - they just need to be opened.

Here are 5 tips:

1. Your mindset - you have to believe that anything is possible
2. Paint the vision for others
3. Share the benefits to your audience - how will this help them?
4. Position yourself as the expert
5. Practice in lower stakes situations to build your...

Here are 6 tips:

1. Recognize the thoughts and feelings as separate from facts. When you catch yourself thinking "I don't belong here" or "I'm going to be found out," pause and remind yourself that these are anxious thoughts, not objective truths. Just because you feel like a fraud doesn't mean you actually are one.
2. Keep a record of your accomplishments. Write down positive feedback, successful projects, and skills you've developed....

Compensation Gaps: Research market rates and come prepared to meetings with your boss. Frame requests around value delivered rather than personal needs.

Career Advancement Costs: Document your achievements regularly and present them confidently in your meetings with your boss. Show this value by using examples and metrics.

Workplace Dynamics and Respect: Balance warmth and assertiveness with your voice and your expressions.

Idea Owner...

If you wonder how you can stand out, be remembered and get more opportunities, listen to these 5 tips that you can immediately apply!
 

Be genuinely curious about others. Ask thoughtful follow-up questions and remember details from previous conversations. When you show real interest in someone's work, hobbies, or challenges, they'll remember how you made them feel heard. People forget what you said but remember how you made them feel...

Ever wonder how you’ll ever stop people-pleasing and say yes to yourself instead? This episode is for you!
 

1. Set small boundaries first. Start with low-stakes situations to practice saying no or expressing your preferences. For example, choosing the restaurant when asked, or declining a small favor when you're genuinely busy. These smaller moments build your confidence for bigger boundary-setting situations.
2. Pause before automatic...

In an ideal world, everything goes as planned. Everyone asks the questions you expect and nothing throws you. You and I both know this is not the case. Even for the most well-prepared moment, someone will ask a question or comment that derails your entire thought process, and you’re left with only one option: to think on your feet. Listen to this episode for tips on handling these circumstances with confidence.
 

Tangible Takeaways:

Influencing up is a critical skill to moving up in our careers. We need to be intentional and strategic if we want to be more visible for a new role, promotion or to attract any new opportunity. These six tips will help you get there faster.

1. Build credibility with consistent excellence
   Deliver exceptional results consistently to establish yourself as reliable and valuable. When leaders trust your work quality and judgment, they'r...

5 Communication Strategies for Handling Someone Who Interrupts or Talks Over You

1. Hold your ground calmly but firmly. When interrupted, pause briefly, then say something like, "I'd like to finish my thought before moving on" or "I wasn't quite done with my point." Use a neutral tone that's assertive without being confrontational.
2. Have a private conversation. Address the pattern outside of group settings: "I've noticed that I'm oft...

If you want to build relationships, increase trust and be seen as an influential leader, you’ll want to practice empathy. Sometimes it escapes us, as you’ll hear in my opening story about a recent customer service professional missing an opportunity.

5 Tips for Empathy at Work

1. Practice active listening. Focus completely on understanding your colleagues before formulating your response. Put away devices, maintain eye contact, and ...

There are strategic things we can do to advance - the key is to be intentional and make a plan! See below for 5 ways to do it!

1. Build a strategic skillset: Identify skills that are both in high demand in your industry and align with your career goals. Focus on developing technical expertise alongside transferable skills like leadership, communication, and problem-solving that will remain valuable as you progress. Create a deliber...

There are many habits we don’t even realize may be getting in our way and hindering our ability to advance. But what are they? Being confusing instead of clear in our communication, not saying what we want, halting when we speak so we sound unsure, and staying quiet instead of speaking up…are just a few of the examples in this episode.

Listen as I unpack some of the most common ways we hinder our credibility but often have no idea t...

You know how you get those butterflies before speaking in a meeting or making a presentation? Listen to these 10 tips to reduce your anxiety and calm your nerves!

Tip 1: Prep - know your content

Tip 2: Say “I’m so excited” instead of “I’m so nervous” 

Tip 3: Breathe and do the Navy Seals box breathing

Tip 4: Sing your favorite song

Tip 5: Rock back and forth or side to side

Tip 6: Tap yourself lightly on the arms and legs

Tip 7: Stretch

Ti...

Some people who advance make it look so easy, and yet successful people are strategic. You can be, too. Karen shares both strategies and lessons we can learn from others who have catapulted their careers. Thanks to Gissell Moronta, SVP of Sales and Marketing at Atrium Hospitality, who shares her success story publicly.

Some resources for you:

Want to see how you score as a confident communicator? 

Take The Confidence Cocktail Assessme...