The Confident Podcast

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224

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Jul 2026

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About the show

The Confident Podcast with host Lisa Tarkington, a certified coach, keynote speaker, and leadership strategist. Lisa brings her contagious energy, real conversations, and the signature leadership support to help you navigate the mindset, strategy, and habits required to have confidence in today’s world. Whether you’re navigating imposter syndrome, facing a tough transition, or simply ready to grow, you’ll find motivation, clarity, and the confidence to lead yourself and others well. Each episode blends practical tools, powerful stories, and adventure-inspired insights to help you strengthen your self-awareness, protect your time, operate in your genius, and lead with more confidence and clarity—without burnout or second-guessing. This isn’t just talk, it’s your playbook for becoming the kind of leader people trust, respect, and remember. Subscribe now and start stepping into your full potential—one bold action at a time.

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July 7, 202651 min

EP 224 | How to Give Feedback Without Fear with Sarah Maday

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, what it costs our relationships and teams, and how small shifts can make feedback feel like a conversation instead of a confrontation.Lisa and Sarah talk about the WRAP framework for giving meaningful feedback, how to move from criticism to feedforward, and why psychological safety is about so much more than a workplace buzzword. We get real about choosing the right timing, reading emotional cues, communicating with intention, and separating our self-worth from someone else's feedback. Sarah also shares why having trusted mentors and advisors can help us process feedback with confidence instead of letting it define us.Chapters:1:02: Feedback Fears And What They Cost7:06: The WRAP Method Explained14:19: Timing Feedback Without Making It Worse18:48: Make Feedback Feel Like Conversation23:25: Sponsor Break Fresh Set Hair24:58: Psychological Safety For Both Sides34:20: Choose The Right Feedback Channel37:22: Growth Mindset And Trusted Advisors43:48: WRAP Recap And Quickfire Questions49:31: Takeaways And How To ConnectSubscribe for more confidence and leadership conversations, share this with someone who could use a better way to approach feedback, and leave a review to help more people find the show.More than just a podcast: Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Subscribe to our Newsletter Apply to be coached by Lisa and receive a free call Sponsor Athletic Greens, click to order and receive a free gift!

June 2, 202651 min

EP 223 | The Power of "And": Breaking Free from a Single Identity with Lauren Boss

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 “and,” not an “or.” We get real about the identity shift that happens when you stop being “the corporate girl,” the quiet ways we lose our voice over time, and how you rebuild it through small, brave actions. Lauren shares how journaling, meditation, faith, and quiet reflection helped her find clarity, trust her intuition, and redefine success on her own terms, not someone else’s checklist.Chapters:2:40: Corporate Life And Identity6:45: Layoff Reset And Freelancing11:50: Becoming An And Not Or15:25: Writing A Memoir From Journals18:29: Finding Your Voice Again28:55: Motherhood And Not Feeling Alone32:26: Buying A Business With Your Husband35:41: Real Work Life Logistics40:52: Advice For Women Feeling StuckSubscribe for more confidence and leadership conversations, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review to help more women find the show.Check out Lauren's book here: https://www.amazon.com/All-Girls-Was-Before-Motherhood/dp/B0FRS8XTZR More than just a podcast: Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Subscribe to our Newsletter Apply to be coached by Lisa and receive a free call Sponsor Athletic Greens, click to order and receive a free gift!

May 5, 20261 hr 0 min

EP 222 | How to start to trust your intuition more with Libby Rapin

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 without the “how,” and what it takes to strengthen self-trust through stillness, presence, and practice.We also unpack signs, timing, and the way guidance can show up in unexpected forms when you’re willing to slow down and notice. If you’ve been asking for clarity in your business, leadership, or relationships, this conversation will help you recognize what might already be in front of you.Chapters:3:43: Building And Closing A Business13:47: How Intuition Speaks Through The Body23:20: Asking For Signs And Noticing Them26:55: Sponsor Fresh Set Hair Mist28:17: You Are The Medicine Slowing Down39:54: Nervous System Tools For Hard Moments53:16: Zone Of Genius And Life Lessons58:37: Final Takeaways And How To ConnectIf this resonates, subscribe, share it with someone who needs a reminder to trust themselves, and leave a review so more people can find the show. More than just a podcast: Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Subscribe to our Newsletter Apply to be coached by Lisa and receive a free call Sponsor Athletic Greens, click to order and receive a free gift!

April 7, 202643 min

EP 221 | The Freedom of Not Caring What People Think

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 slowly distort your identity and why approval can feel like safety even when it is costing you your peace. Stephanie shares what it looked like to outgrow old versions of herself, how direct honesty gets misread by people who don’t yet know your heart, and why the “spotlight effect” makes us believe everyone is judging us far more than they are. Stephanie opens up about having a health scare and how stress and overwork forced a reset in priorities. If you’re navigating change and feeling your confidence shake, you’ll walk away with clearer questions to ask yourself, stronger self-trust, and a more grounded way to lead.Subscribe for more conversations on confidence and leadership, share this with someone who needs a healthier filter, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.Chapters:6:00: People-Pleasing And Losing Yourself12:30: Direct Feedback Without Being Misread17:01: Stress, Health Scare, And A New Priority List19:50: Leading With Boundaries And Accountability23:55: Family First And Filtering The Noise31:30: Who You Are & Quieting The VoicesMore than just a podcast: Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Subscribe to our Newsletter Apply to be coached by Lisa and receive a free call Sponsor Athletic Greens, click to order and receive a free gift!

March 24, 202656 min

EP 220 | Building Confident Female Athletes with MSU Volleyball Coach Kristen Kelsay

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 to becoming a Big Ten head coach, from getting a rare opportunity at 22 to returning to MSU with a deeper sense of peace, purpose, and leadership clarity. We talk about women in sports and the growth of volleyball, along with many other amazing topics. If you’re a coach, leader, parent, manager, or competitor, this is a grounded look at emotional safety and what it takes to protect it.If this resonates, subscribe, share it with someone who’s carrying too much noise, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s one voice you need to stop letting in today?Chapters:3:08: Kristen’s Road To Head Coach11:35: Women’s Sports Growth And Pressure17:40: Parenting, Empathy, And Emotional Safety28:13: Conflict Stories And Clear Communication33:30: Saying No And Holding Standards41:35: Youth Sports Systems And Parent Choices49:19: Hope For Women In AthleticsMore than just a podcast: Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Subscribe to our Newsletter Apply to be coached by Lisa and receive a free call Sponsor Athletic Greens, click to order and receive a free gift!

March 10, 20261 hr 5 min

EP 219 | From NFL Star To Psychologist: Julius Thomas On Sustainable High Performance

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 help people win without losing themselves.We unpack some amazing things such as The 4 R's, the 5 keys of performance and striving for 100. Each framework is amazing and easy to adapt into your life. If you’re tired of the false choice between hustle and health, this conversation gives you a third way: align goals with behaviors, build environments that protect focus, and let performance and well-being rise together. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review with the one habit you’ll change this week.Chapters:7:40: Faith, Identity, And Choosing Purpose12:45: Life After Football: Doctorate And Reinvention18:10: Zone Of Genius Vs Excellence21:13: The Dual Mandate: Performance Plus Well-Being28:12: Calling Out Broken Performance Models37:20: Four Rs For 1% Leaders41:00: Evidence-Based Systems And Interfering Factors45:24: Presenteeism And Culture Change49:10: Balance Explained: Cognitive Limits And Time54:00: Striving For 100: Five Daily Behaviors1:03:20: Goals And Behaviors Must MatchMore than just a podcast: Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Subscribe to our Newsletter Apply to be coached by Lisa and receive a free call Sponsor Athletic Greens, click to order and receive a free gift!

February 24, 202656 min

EP 218 | Stop Performing, Start Living: Even When It Disappoints People with Judi Holler

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 you make it” beats “fake it till you make it,” and how to jump with a parachute: savings, skills, support, and a plan. Judi opens up about the cave season that stripped away applause and forced her to find worth without a stage, ultimately birthing her new book, Holler At Your Dreams (which is a must read). We talk about going from hustle and stress to hustle and flow, click bait, protecting your peace, and choosing delayed gratification.Ready to step out of performance and into a braver, truer life? Hit follow, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review with the one belief you’re dropping this week. Your future self will thank you.Chapters:2:15: Judy’s Decade-By-Decade Journey8:12: From Improv Class To Keynote Career12:09: The Leap: Quitting Corporate With A Plan16:36: Make It Till You Make It20:20: Letting Old Selves Go24:14: Stop Outsourcing Your Power27:40: Intuition, Soul Vs Brain31:05: Life As A Creative Laboratory34:44: Holler At Your Dreams: Why She Wrote It39:09: Spirituality As A Success Advantage43:05: Hustle And Flow Can Coexist47:26: Algorithm Anxiety And Reality Checks51:15: Curate Your Inputs, Protect Your PeaceMore than just a podcast: Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Subscribe to our Newsletter Apply to be coached by Lisa and receive a free call Sponsor Athletic Greens, click to order and receive a free gift!

February 10, 20261 hr 0 min

EP 217 | Beyond the Court: How Grand Rapids Rise Coaches Build Confidence, Trust, and a Winning Culture

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, and what it takes to grow a startup franchise into a contender. We explore mental versus physical demands at the elite level, what separates consistent pros from talented prospects, and the staff chemistry that matters. If you lead teams, on the court or in the office, you’ll walk away with practical mantras, smarter practice ideas, and a renewed respect for the small actions that compound into big wins.Chapters7:03: Mike’s Path From Volunteer To Head Coach9:18: Earning Roles and Initiative Over Titles13:39: How Coaches Build Real Confidence18:49: Preparation, Practice and Risk21:20: Team Energy, Culture and Film24:06: Professional Growth and Staff Chemistry27:05: Mentors and Support29:06: Quick Hits: Confidence, The Game, And GrowthMore than just a podcast: Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Subscribe to our Newsletter Apply to be coached by Lisa and receive a free call Sponsor Athletic Greens, click to order and receive a free gift!

January 27, 202645 min

EP 216 | Pauses, Pivots, And The Power Of Self-Connection with Sarah Fechter

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 teammates see their vision inside yours. We share practical tools you can use today like always measure backwards to see progress, ask curious questions instead of assuming, and set boundaries that are real, not avoidance in disguise. We also dig into delayed gratification, why multitasking steals presence, and how your body signals misalignment with tightness, racing thoughts, and a quickening pulse.Hit play, then tell us the pivot you’re making this year. If this conversation helped, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it.Chapters:9:40: Introducing Guest Sarah Fechter10:05: Origin Story: Grief To Fitness Mission14:05: Building A Gym And Pandemic Identity Shock18:15: Mentors, Leadership, And People Skills22:35: Presence, Assumptions, And Delayed Gratification26:05: Measuring Backwards And Taming Overwhelm29:15: Boundaries, Control, And Letting Go33:05: Rock Bottom, Identity Shifts, And Lasting Change38:20: Play, Flow, And Attracting Opportunities41:10: Rapid-Fire: Zone Of Genius And Life Lessons45:08: Closing Takeaways And Listener InviteMore than just a podcast: Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Subscribe to our Newsletter Apply to be coached by Lisa and receive a free call Sponsor Athletic Greens, click to order and receive a free gift!

January 13, 202632 min

EP 215 | 6 Lessons In Leadership & Confidence From Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour

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 Year of the Horse energy—boldness, flow, freedom—matters, and how a short holiday reset changed my eyes-under-bags reality. Then we get tactical. You’ll hear how staying in your lane elevates the whole team, why EQ beats emotional suppression, and how the real magic happens in rehearsal, not the spotlight. We dive into culture design too: setting clear goals, sharing the upside with meaningful bonuses, and building rituals that recognize people who rarely touch the mic.Pressure will come, so we map out calm responses: scenario planning, clear roles, and the “respond, don’t react” first five minutes. Finally, we talk about being fully yourself without using authenticity as an excuse to stop growing. Expect reflection questions you can use with your team, your calendar, and your next big decision, plus a peek at what’s new: a fresh set, logo, website, and a lineup of guests we can’t wait to share.If you’re aiming for higher performance with less friction—more clarity, cleaner systems, deeper confidence—this is your start line. Hit play, save your favorite takeaway, and send it to a friend who’s ready to lead with courage. And if this resonated, subscribe, leave a quick review, and join the newsletter at podcast.lisatarkington.com so you don’t miss what’s next.Chapters: 0:00: Welcome And New Year Energy1:07: Year Of The Horse: Boldness And Flow3:15: Rest, Renewal, And Fresh Direction6:38: Why Study Taylor Swift7:50: Lesson 113:21: Lesson 216:35: Lesson 319:02: Lesson 424:06: Lesson 526:40: Lesson 6More than just a podcast: Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Subscribe to our Newsletter Apply to be coached by Lisa and receive a free call Sponsor Athletic Greens, click to order and receive a free gift!