The Confident Podcast

How many of us say we want honest feedback, then avoid it the moment it feels uncomfortable? Lisa is joined by her friend Sarah Maday, a Learning and Development leader, former professor, and passionate advocate for personal growth, to talk about why feedback feels so difficult and how we can approach it with more confidence. Together, they unpack why so many of us avoid difficult conversations, w...

How many of us have an identity that maybe is wrapped into our career? Lauren Boss knows that moment firsthand and she also knows what can grow from it. After nearly a decade in the corporate world, she’s navigated motherhood, freelancing, self-publishing a memoir, and an unexpected leap into business ownership that put her in the CEO seat. Lisa and Lauren talk about the confidence of being an “an...

Your body is giving you information all day long, but most of us are moving too fast to hear it. In this episode, I sit down with my friend Libby Rapin , a leadership and conscious living coach for high-achieving women, to talk about the kind of confidence that comes from inside your nervous system, not from hype or hustle. We get real about why intuition can feel so subtle, why it often arrives w...

If you’ve ever replayed a conversation in your head at 2 a.m. wondering if you sounded “too much,” “too direct,” or “not nice enough,” this one is for you. I sit down with my dear friend Stephanie Greene, President of the Greater Michigan Construction Academy, to talk about the real work behind confidence: filtering outside voices without losing your empathy. We dig into how people-pleasing can sl...

The loudest voice in your life is rarely the wisest one and for athletes and leaders right now, the noise is constant. In this episode, I sit down with Kristen Kelsay, head coach of Michigan State University volleyball. We talk about pressure, confidence, and the question that keeps coming up for high performers: whose opinion matters and how do you keep the rest out? Kristen shares the real path...

What if you could chase big goals without burning out your brain, your team, or your life? I sit down with Julius Thomas, former NFL Pro Bowler turned Health Psychologist and founder of Optimal Performance Systems, to map a science-backed path to sustainable high performance. His story starts with a leap: walking away from the NFL at 30 to pursue a doctorate and build evidence-based systems that h...

Ever feel like you’re performing your life instead of actually living it? I sit down with best-selling author and keynote speaker, Judi Holler to unpack the courage it takes to stop pleasing, start trusting yourself, and make space for a truer version of success. From her decade-by-decade journey, Judi shows how small brave experiments compound into identity shifts. We dig into why “make it till y...

Confidence doesn’t show up on command...it is the training that goes on behind the scenes through preparation, risk, and relentless attention to detail.  In this episode, I sit down with Cathy George, head coach and Mike Gawlik, associate head coach of the Grand Rapids Rise, a women's professional indoor volleyball team to unpack how pros build confidence, why team energy can swing matches, a...

What if growth finally clicked the moment you stopped gripping the wheel? I sit down with Sarah Fechter, owner of Sarah Fechter Fitness, a global online coaching and premium in-person training business to unpack how real change happens. Throughout this episode, we get honest about the parts of leadership most folks skip: learning to lead humans, not tasks; investing in mentors earlier; and helping...

Ready to trade performative hustle for focused power? We kick off 2026 by unpacking six hard-won leadership lessons drawn from Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour—then translating them into simple moves you can use this week. From truly operating in your zone of genius to leading with emotional clarity, this conversation is a practical blueprint for confidence that compounds. We start with alignment: why the...

Most people talk about coaching like it’s a luxury or a nice-to-have. In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on what actually changes when you work with a coach. The before-and-after that happens internally, strategically, and professionally. If you’ve ever wondered:  “Why do successful people have coaches?”  “Is coaching really worth the investment?”  “Will it actually help me grow?”  …thi...

In this episode, Lisa Tarkington breaks down one of the most underrated skills: perspective. She shares a personal story that reveals how quickly our minds create narratives, why perspective influences everything—from our reactions to our relationships—and what happens when we don’t have it. You’ll learn how perspective impacts problem-solving, emotional regulation, confidence, communication, and...

Let’s be honest, everyone says they want feedback until they actually get it. In this episode, I’m diving into why feedback feels so personal, how to take it without getting defensive, and how to give it in a way that builds trust instead of tension. We’ll talk about:  Why feedback triggers us (and what it’s really reflecting back)  The difference between opinions and growth-centered feedback  Wha...

Lisa dives into one of her favorite topics, growth through learning. From the books that have shaped her leadership to the insights that have stretched her mindset, she shares her personal takeaways from some of today’s most powerful reads. Lisa opens up about her own evolution from post-college burnout to becoming a lifelong learner and how reading, coaching, and continuous development have fuele...

Have you ever been at the edge, heart pounding, palms sweaty, knowing you have to go first? In this episode of The Confident Podcast, host Lisa Tarkington takes you on a journey through some of her most defining adventures from bungee jumping in New Zealand, skydiving at 14,000 feet, hiking solo, and even navigating life’s quieter challenges like tough conversations and major life changes. Through...

What if the reason you’re tired, overworked, or stuck has nothing to do with how hard you’re working and everything to do with where you’re working from? In this episode, Lisa introduces a brand-new method she created to help leaders and high achievers find clarity, protect their energy, and finally move forward with purpose. It’s the framework that changed how she works, coaches, and leads and it...

After a season away from the mic to welcome their son into the world, Lisa returns to The Confident Podcast with a very special guest her husband, Marc. Together, they open up about one of life’s biggest transitions: becoming parents for the first time. In this heartfelt conversation, Lisa and Marc share the highs and lows of pregnancy, birth, and navigating those first months of parenthood while...

Have you ever felt the pressure to keep going when everything in your body is telling you to pause? You're not alone. In a letter to future herself, our host Lisa Tarkington, talks how she plans to prepare for maternity leave and a temporary podcast hiatus. This isn't a goodbye – it's a transformation in progress. Whether you're navigating parenthood, career transitions, or sim...

Have you ever felt exhausted from constantly trying to impress people? That heavy feeling where your worth becomes tied to your impact, your confidence dependent on applause, and your authenticity lost in the performance? You're not alone. In this episode, our host, Lisa Tarkington, pulls back the curtain on what true confidence really looks like - and why it might be the opposite of what we&...

What if the clarity you're desperately seeking only comes after you take the leap? In this deeply personal episode, Lisa Tarkington reflects on seven years of podcast evolution while unpacking the complex emotions surrounding change and transition.  Lisa identifies the subtle signs your professional life might be calling for transformation: dreading tasks that once energized you, feeling pers...

What if the biggest obstacle to your dream career isn't your skills or experience, but the limiting beliefs you've carried for years without realizing it? Stacey Gorin, an executive coach at Ernst & Young, spent 20 years climbing the corporate ladder at IBM before discovering her true calling, then another decade actively pursuing it. Her journey reveals a truth many of us face: we o...

"I lost myself this year. I let everybody else's opinions dictate how I lived my life." Those tearful words from a friend struck me deeply because we've all felt that painful disconnect between who we are and who others expect us to be.  In this episode, I dive into the struggle of maintaining your integrity when the world is shouting its opinions at you. Drawing from my own re...

What if your biggest what-if wasn't about failure, but about success? This transformational question lies at the heart of confidence-building, as we explore the fundamental truth that confidence isn't innate—it's a skill carefully crafted through daily habits and mindset shifts. Perhaps most powerful is the mindset shift from "what if I fail?" to "what if it works?&qu...

Have you ever found yourself sobbing, wondering how you ended up so far from the life you actually want? That's exactly where Dr. Nona found herself—a successful business owner with 13 employees, a new baby, and a marriage that wasn't working. Despite checking all the boxes of conventional success, she was deeply unhappy. In this raw and transformative conversation, Dr. Nona shares her j...

We all have them—relationships, jobs, habits, or beliefs that once served us well but now hold us back. Yet something keeps us hanging on, trapped in a comfortable prison of our own making. Why is letting go so difficult, even when we know it's time? This episode dives deep into our reluctance to release what no longer serves us. I explore how fear of loss often outweighs potential gain, how...