Ignite Your Confidence with Karen Laos

Dr. Shawn Horn, also known as The Shame-Busting Psychologist, has 28 years of experience in the mental health field. In today’s podcast, she talks about her experiences growing up, how she flourished in her career, and some of the ways she let go of shame and found success. Was there a time when you didn’t feel so confident? As a young child, Dr. Shawn was placed in special education classes and w...

How do you say no to someone you don’t want to be friends with (when they do)? How do you say no to your boss? What’s the best way to do this and what do you need to know first? Karen covers these highlights: Mindset: what’s getting in your way? What’s the “why” behind preventing you from saying no in the first place? Priorities: are you intentional about what you want your life to look like? How...

Although she grew up with confidence instilled in her as a child from her dad, when she got married she wasn’t allowed to be herself.  Aleta lived in an aura of criticism at home where her first husband actually said: “I’m trying to figure out what’s wrong with you” when she didn’t live up to the “ideal” wife he was expecting. She put on her fake smile and went about her way in the world.  So many...

Karen shares two stories of where her confidence started back when she was 18 years old. It involves Mary Kay cosmetics and Arthur Murray dance studio.  Three highlights in this solo episode: You have to trick your brain (tune in for what anxious reappraisal is and how to leverage it for YOUR confidence!) Be kind to yourself. It takes time to change habits Feel the fear and do it anyway! About me:...

Most people aren’t ready when asked to introduce themselves. The one thing we should be ready to talk about is ourselves! Use Karen’s PPU method to be memorable and give structure to your message so you can stand out. In meetings, learn sentence prompts on exactly what to say when you want to interject. She talks about empathy and acknowledgement as a way to do that. Lastly, sometimes it’s hard to...

Highlights: After battling with illness for so many years and conquering it, Catherine asks herself: why am I here? She realized that illness can also manifest itself in your outlook on life, so one day she made the decision to put the illness aside and instead begin to be well, to think well, and to live well. Humans are born to create and creating can be immensely healing. Catherine reminds us t...

Highlights: How do you overcome cultural norms that expect you to stay silent? Like many of us, Yon faced this question growing up amid two different cultures: one where you don’t share your opinion unless you’re asked to and another where speaking up and sharing your ideas is highly valued. Yon constantly challenged herself to speak up while balancing cultural peace. When trying to influence othe...

When reflecting on her past, Patricia acknowledges that for the first two years of her consulting career, the desire to always come across the right way and to say the right things actually constrained her from contributing to conversations as much as she would have liked.  Patricia believes that this habit of biting her tongue stemmed from the fear of rejection, but once she was able to overcome...

Succeeding in the film industry was no easy feat. Ashley and Erica reflect on ingrained biases against women and recount difficult interactions with male colleagues. When you're in an uncomfortable situation, communicating and using your voice is key. Knowing what you want and then articulating it in a way that the audience hears you is am entire art. If only we didn't have to expend so much menta...

As a young person, Jessica  spread her wings and left home to pursue her dreams with no financial support. Though it took her attending seven colleges to get her bachelor's degree, she did it. With a commitment to perseverance, she bootstrapped her way to success even after several failed businesses. She's a true inspiration and encourages us to do the same. She encourages us to have a "no cancell...

Take the plunge at any age! We talk about how we're always  evolving and to find the inner flavor of yourself. You can turn your passion into purpose on social media. Just like a recipe, every chef has her hand on it and makes it her own. Find yours and take baby steps to build your confidence. Do it with no expectations and a lot of love. Have fun, be a positive soul and a free spirit! About Pari...

Listen as we exchange stories from being raised in the midwest around conflict. Jenn shares a little about the Enneagram and three conflict styles to notice. We talk about the importance of vulnerability and how that affects culture and how everything comes back to what the real problem is. Listen to her story about a moment during a speaking engagement when she realized she's really able to help...

Learn from this doctor turned anti-diet wellness expert! There's a social system that's been created that's pressured us to want to get smaller. It's defined us and has played into the guilt and doubt we feel as women about our bodies. "I should be this, I should be that". Toss out the narrative of societal expectations and shame and give yourself permission to  just BE. When we let that go we can...

Jeanne shares that every feeling is valid and speaks to the importance of compassion and communication, especially with yourself.  She talks about how she decided to lean into a sense of self-worth vs. having to prove herself. Her in-the-moment-decision in her early 20's (when faced with a question from a woman almost 30 years older than her) is powerful. Listen to her response!  She tells us: suc...

Christine also suggests you evaluate what you can compromise on and what you can't. Set boundaries and empower yourself.  Listen for her two pieces of advice for finding your voice.  She’s the CEO of Sleep Like a Boss where she helps CEO’s, high achievers and miserable insomniacs get a full night’s rest. Who doesn’t want that? About Christine: Christine Hansen is a business coach for online coache...

Katy and Melanie (co-owners of Chic Influencer) talk about the power of collaboration over competition and how perfectionism gets in the way of success. They share why their own course, “No More Failure to Launch,” failed (can you say “ironic?!”) and what they learned from that experience. They help business owners take their business ideas and unique story and effectively market to their ideal cl...

Your voice is the best instrument you have to influence others. There are three common mistakes we make that take away from our presence and credibility: Upspeak Being soft-spoken Using a scripted tone Listen in to learn how to move beyond these so you can leverage all the power in that beautiful instrument of yours! I'll talk about how to get rid of upspeak, how to project your voice, and how bei...

I've been in leadership for a long time and have made a lot of mistakes. I'm also celebrating all of the things I did right that made a positive difference in people's lives.  How about you? What are you celebrating and what have you learned? Think about your leadership journey as you listen to my stories today. Here's a glimpse:: Stop looking for permission to speak up Ask directly for what you w...

What are the ways we do this?  1) We let other people define us 2) We hesitate to self-promote 3) We use minimizing language  Listen in to learn strategies on how to build credibility by being clear on the value you bring to an organization, strategically promoting yourself, and how to eliminate words that bring doubt.  I'll share my top tips with stories that show the value of communicating who y...

Trust has everything to do with connection. Sue gives us the #1 "secret" to sharing your faith. Listen in for that! Hint: it has everything to do with being focused on your audience! She also talks about how she shared her faith at work for the first time and what it was like to come out of hiding.  About Sue: Sue Warnke is the Senior Director of Content & Communications Experience at Salesforce,...

Are you a leader holding back? What is that costing you? What if you could channel your fear and self-doubt? It’s actually possible. I know, because that’s my story.  That’s what the Ignite Your Confidence podcast is all about.  It’s for women in leadership who want to speak up and stand out. You’ll find both solo and candid conversations with real people sharing vulnerable stories to inspire you...