Unshakable Confidence: Helping High-Achieving Women Lead with Calm, Clarity, and Confidence—at Work and in Life
Hosted by Coco Duan, a former Fortune 500 executive turned Life & Leadership Coach, the Unshakable Confidence podcast is your weekly guide to building the self-trust and resilience needed to thrive personally and professionally. Coco empowers high-achieving women who secretly struggle with self-doubt to cultivate unshakable confidence, enabling them to lead with calm, clarity and confidence. Each episode offers practical strategies and insightful guidance on topics such as: Rewiring limiting beliefs Regulating your nervous system Setting healthy boundaries Overcoming perfectionism and people-pleasing Aligning with your core values With over 20 years of corporate leadership experience and years of deep personal healing and transformation, Coco has helped numerous women worldwide transform their inner narratives and step into their full potential. Discover more about her "Becoming Unshakable" VIP Coaching Program at: https://www.cocoduancoaching.com/vip-coaching.
Episodes
Have you ever felt restless, uninspired, or trapped in a life that looks successful on the outside but feels empty on the inside?
I know that feeling all too well—because I’ve been there.
In this episode, I open up about my own journey of feeling stuck even after “checking all the boxes”—career success, financial stability, and the picture-perfect life.
I share how I went from hopeless, restless, and disconnected… to liv...
Your work doesn't light you up anymore, but leaving feels terrifying?
That's not weakness—it's your nervous system protecting you from old wounds.
4 fears that keep you stuck:
→ Financial insecurity (not enough)
→ Imposter syndrome (not good enough)
→ Uncertainty paralysis (change = chaos)
→ Need for approval (disappointing others)
Plot twist: These aren't your fears. They were conditioned into you.
What i...
Can't answer "When did you last feel truly fulfilled?"
You're not broken. You're just living someone else's definition of success.
Your nervous system knows the truth: When you suppress your gifts to meet expectations, it registers as unsafe to be YOU.
Discover how to:
→ Identify moments that light you up
→ Uncover gifts you've normalized
→ Use envy as your compass
What would change if work...
If you’ve ever walked out of a meeting thinking, I wish I’d spoken up… this episode is for you.
I know what it’s like to have ideas, insights, and value to share—yet feel your heart race, your mind go blank, or your words get stuck when the moment comes.
I spent years in corporate boardrooms, from business school cold calls to high-stakes CEO reviews, battling the same fears. And I pushed through them the hard way—until...
Struggling to unplug after work?
Your nervous system might think resting is risky — so it keeps you spinning like a hamster on a wheel.
The secret?
Teach your body that slowing down is safe by gently rewiring your nervous system with simple, soothing rituals.
Want to discover how calm leads to clarity and higher productivity?
Ready to lead powerfully without burning out?
DM me “REST” and let’s get you there.
- Coco Dua...
You think your way through leadership while your body holds all the answers.
Plot twist: Your brain forgets. Your body remembers everything.
Science shows: Body → Brain = 80% of information. Brain → Body = only 20%.
Learn the one-minute breath practice that unlocks your hidden leadership intelligence.
When did you last listen to your body's wisdom?
Ready to access your full power? DM me "BODY"
- Coco Duan h...
What does it really mean to feel free?
In this heartfelt conversation with Nurse Nell, I open up about my journey from being an “insecure overachiever” checking all the boxes of success—Fortune 500 executive, high salary, impressive title—to finally feeling safe, grounded, and free in my own skin.
We talk about:
- Why external success can still leave you feeling trapped and miserable
- The moment I realized I couldn’t “pe...
I used to look like I had it all together—on paper, I did. A senior role in a Fortune 500 company. A packed calendar. A life full of achievement. But beneath the surface, I was silently struggling.
In this powerful masterclass-style episode, I walk you through the five silent struggles so many high-achieving women face—but rarely talk about out loud. These are the very struggles that used to define my every day, and no...
You respond to Slack at 9pm while your own needs wait till "someday."
Here's the truth: People-pleasing isn't kindness—it's self-abandonment.
Your nervous system thinks disappointing others = danger. That's why "just say no" never works.
Discover the 3-step method to communicate boundaries without guilt, handle pushback without caving, and honor your needs without apologizing.
What ...
🚨 This might be the most important boundary you're NOT setting
Most high-achievers think getting their needs met is selfish.
It's actually strategic.
But there's a specific order you MUST follow, or it backfires completely.
Watch to discover the internal boundary that changes everything
(Plus the 15-minute trick that rewires your nervous system)
What's the ONE boundary you've been avoiding?
Ready to...
For years, I thought being a good leader meant staying in control, holding it together, and powering through. I was praised for my results—but inside, I was reactive, impatient, and disconnected from my emotions.
Sound familiar?
In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on one of the most overlooked yet transformative leadership skills: emotional mastery.
If you’ve ever snapped at your team and regretted it later...
I...
You take care of everyone else.
You ignore your own needs.
You feel tired, drained, and sometimes resentful.
That’s not just overgiving. That’s a boundary issue.
But before you can set healthy boundaries with others, you have to reconnect with yourself.
You have to know your needs—what makes you feel safe, alive, and well.
Because ignoring your needs doesn’t make you strong. It makes you run on empty.
What’s one sm...
Are you constantly putting out fires, pushing through exhaustion, or feeling stuck in overthinking? If so, you might be leading from stress without even realizing it.
In this episode, I walk you through the four nervous system states that shape your leadership style: the Firefighter, the Ghost Leader, the Deer in Headlights, and the Grounded Leader. You'll learn how to recognize which state you're leading fr...
If your to-do list never ends.
If slowing down makes you anxious.
If you feel guilty when you rest.
It’s not just ambition.
It’s a protector part trying to keep you safe.
At some point, your nervous system learned:
Rest equals danger
Doing equals love, praise, or escape
But now that pattern is draining your energy, clarity, and creativity.
And it’s keeping you stuck in survival mode.
What shifts when you stop run...
Why Beating Yourself Up Backfires
That harsh voice in your head?
It’s not keeping you sharp—it’s keeping you stuck.
Self-criticism activates your nervous system’s fight-or-flight mode. It drains your energy, hijacks your focus, and shuts down your learning.
But there’s another way.
You can turn your inner critic into an inner ally—with self-compassion.
It’s not fluff. It’s neuroscience.
What shifts when you speak to yourself...
This week, I’m sharing a powerful conversation I had on Lead with Dr. Ralph Hughes—and we went deep.
Dr. Ralph invited me to share my journey from being a senior executive to coaching, and the pivotal mindset shifts that changed everything—from burnout and people-pleasing to boundaries, purpose, and unshakable confidence.
In this episode, we unpack:
✅ My exit from 20+ years at Nike, Walmart, Chewy, and Coupang—and what...
Have you ever looked at your life and thought, “I’ve done everything right... so why don’t I feel fulfilled?”
In this heartfelt episode, I’m sharing the full masterclass “From Checking Boxes to Living Aligned”—a deeply personal, practical, and empowering guide to help you reconnect with your purpose and start living in alignment with your true self.
If you’ve hit all the milestones—climbed the ladder, earned the title, ...
Do you beat yourself up when you fall short—like you should’ve known better or done more?
That’s your inner critic trying to protect you.
However, self-criticism doesn’t make you better. It puts your nervous system into stress mode and shuts down your ability to think clearly, lead effectively, or grow sustainably.
You don’t need to shame your inner critic to quiet it.
You can acknowledge it, appreciate it, and ...
Do you ever snap at someone you love—or completely shut down—and wonder, What’s wrong with me?
Here’s the truth: There’s nothing wrong with you. That’s your protector part showing up.
It’s your nervous system trying to keep you safe the way it learned a long time ago.
These parts—like the people-pleaser, the overachiever, or the avoider—once protected you.
But today? They’re keeping you stuck in old stress patte...
Triggered? It’s not just about now.
It’s your younger, vulnerable self remembering a past pain.
You don’t need to fix her—just see her with compassion.
What’s one reaction you’ve had lately that felt bigger than the moment?
DM me if you want support learning how to navigate your triggers with more compassion, clarity, and confidence.
#InnerChildHealing #PartsWork #EmotionalMastery
- Coco Duan helps high-achieving women ex...
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