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The Confident Podcast
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.
Episodes
221 episodes
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 Const...
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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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, asso...
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. Through...
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 ...
EP 214 | Why Successful People Have Coaches (And What Happens When You Do)
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 p...
EP 213 | Why Perspective Matters: The Skill That Changes Everything
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 relat...
EP 212 | How do you handle feedback?
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 te...
EP 211 | Books That Changed My Leadership Journey (and Why You Should Never Stop Learning)
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....
EP 210 | Trust the Rope, Trust Yourself: Adventures in Leadership and Life
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 i...
EP 209 | In the ZONE: The Method for Working Smarter, Not Harder
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 lea...
EP 208 | Becoming Parents with Confidence (and a Lot of Grace)
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 f...
EP 207 | Dear Future Me (A Letter Before the Pause)
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 po...
EP 206 | The Freedom of Being Unimpressive
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.<...
EP 205 | Embracing the Pivot: How to Find Confidence in Change
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 transit...
EP 204 | Breaking the Patterns That Hold Us Back
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 corpor...
EP 203 | The Power of Integrity: How to Stay True to Yourself When Opinions Overwhelm
"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...
EP 202 | The Confidence Formula: 9 Daily Habits That Make a Difference
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 throu...
EP 201 | Navigating Postpartum, Business & Marriage: Dr. Nona Djavid’s Story of Transformation
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. ...
EP 200 | Why Do We Hold Onto Things That No Longer Serve Us?
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...
EP 199 | They Say These Are the 6 Habits to Have. Here Are Mine.
What if the key to transforming your life isn't about finding more time, but about how you use the time you already have? After years of research and personal experimentation, I've identified six powerful habits that consistently appear in the ...
EP 198 | From $400 to Self-Made: Jenna Banks on Breaking Free, Betting on Herself, and Choosing Self-Love
Could you imagine starting your journey to success with just $400 into your business? Meet Jenna Banks, an inspiring entrepreneur who transformed her challenging upbringing into a remarkable tale of perseverance and triumph. Raised in a strict ...
EP 197 | Stop Talking, Start Doing: Making Every Meeting & Day Matter
Unleash your potential by turning endless chatter into powerful action. Join me, Lisa Tarkington, on the Confident Podcast as we tackle the pervasive issue of unproductive meetings and conversations that hinder progress. Did you know that profe...