Own Your Game Podcast - by Esther Huijsmans

Esther Huijsmans
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The Own Your Game Podcast - for women leading in sport Hosted by Esther Huijsmans, Executive Leadership Mentor with 22+ years of experience at FIFA, UEFA and global tournaments. This podcast goes beyond traditional leadership advice and strategy into embodied authority, feminine leadership in masculine systems - and the identity required to truly lead on your terms. For women who don’t just want a seat at the table - but want to shape the game. To lead on your terms - the feminine way. To raise the standard. To own your game🔥 More info about Esther: https://www.estherhuijsmans.com/

  1. 5D AGO

    #18 - Why being good under pressure is no longer enough at this level - Leadership lessons from working at the Olympic Games

    Ever wondered what truly separates confident female leaders in sport from those that simply survive the pressure? In this episode of Own Your Game, I pull back the curtain on leadership in environments where the stakes are sky-high and performance isn’t optional. Drawing from two decades at the highest levels of international sport, in this podcast I share unfiltered lessons about what pressure reveals, not just how it tests. Why do some women stay steady while others brace and tighten? How does your nervous system shape how you show up and lead, long before anyone hears your words? And what if the patterns that got you here are holding you back from your next level? If you’re ready to challenge your assumptions about high-pressure leadership and discover what elite athletes and powerful leaders have in common, tune in and see why the real work is nothing you might expect. Want to work or connect with me? Click here to book a match callLinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/esther-huijsmans/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/estherhuijsmans/⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to my free Inspiration Boost: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://estherhuijsmans.com/inspiration-boost/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    14 min

  2. FEB 20

    #17 - The Opening Opening Ceremony doesn't wait - Leadership Lessons from the Olympic Games

    Lessons from working in and around the Olympics Walking across Medals Plaza, national anthems playing, athletes on the podium - and feeling nothing. Not because it wasn't special, but because of what it had taken to get there. Working at the Olympics is a dream assignment in the sports industry. It was for me too. But what you see on the outside is only the surface. A few days earlier, Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games.... the rooms were shut down for three hours. Security sweep; we couldnt' do anything. They reopened twenty minutes before 3,800 guests walked in. No option to postpone. Want to receive regular inspiration and/or connect with me? Subscribe to my free Inspiration Boost: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://estherhuijsmans.com/inspiration-boost/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/esther-huijsmans/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/estherhuijsmans/⁠⁠⁠S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Programme: ⁠https://estherhuijsmans.com/success-programme⁠

    17 min

  3. FEB 20

    #16 - The project where I wasn't allowed to use my own name - and what it taught me - Leadership Lessons from the Olympic Games

    Lessons from working in and around the Olympics What would you do if you were told you couldn’t use your own name at work? In this episode, I share an almost surreal experience from my early career - an Olympic project where I was asked to leave her identity at the door. Instead of medals and ceremonies, this story dives into unexpected lessons about choice, boundaries, and what we sacrifice (or claim) while climbing the ladder in high-performance environments. I share what happened, how I responded, and what this moment taught me about ownership and true leadership. Which decision would you have made? Want to receive regular inspiration and/or connect with me? Subscribe to my free Inspiration Boost: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://estherhuijsmans.com/inspiration-boost/ ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/esther-huijsmans/⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/estherhuijsmans/⁠⁠S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Programme: https://estherhuijsmans.com/success-programme

    11 min

  4. 06/13/2025

    #15 - What if life happens for you, not to you?

    Challenges, setbacks, losses, disappointments. We all face them; in life, in leadership, in careers. But what if...life isn't working against you? What if the detours are actually part of your next breakthrough? What if you stopped fighting what’s happening and started working with it?In this podcast episode I share how to deal with setbacks and how you can let them work for you in ways you didn't expect. It's a reminder that even the hard thing things can serve you...if you let them.What if life is actually happening for you, not to you? Want to receive regular inspiration and/or connect with me? Subscribe to my free Inspiration Boost: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://estherhuijsmans.com/inspiration-boost/ ⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/esther-huijsmans/⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/estherhuijsmans/⁠

    16 min

  5. 05/30/2025

    #14 - A recipe for salad - and for your career moves

    What does a mango cheese salad have to do with your career? More than you’d think. In this episode, I share the story of a 35-year-old recipe I’ve made again and again — and how it reveals something deeper about the way you make decisions (or don’t), override your intuition, and stay stuck without meaning to. You’ll recognise the habit of waiting until everything feels “right,” the hidden cost of hesitation, and how one simple shift can move everything forward — in your career, your growth, your leadership. Oh - and if you want the recipe?Just DM me. I’ll send it to you.Which one?I’ll let you decide😉

    12 min

  6. 05/18/2025

    #13 - 7 Important reasons ambitious women struggle to set boundaries

    In this episode, I share 7 important reasons why even smart, capable, ambitious women still struggle to set boundaries — especially in male-dominated environments.This isn’t about saying no more often.It’s about what’s really behind the hesitation, the overgiving, and the silence. 🎧 Listen in — and start seeing the patterns you didn’t know were running the show.

    11 min

  7. 04/07/2025

    #12 - From the FIFA World Cup to your career: why you need to ask 'What's the worst that can happen?'

    "What’s the worst that can happen?" Maybe you're thinking: shouldn’t we focus on positivity and manifesting instead? And yes, I believe in all of that.My friends and business buddies don’t call me the "Manifestation Queen" for nothing. But real transformation starts when you’re willing to look at what you’d rather avoid. In this episode, I share why asking "What’s the worst that can happen?" is so important. When preparing for major events like the FIFA World Cup and just as much in your own life and career. If you want to work with me, ⁠click here to book your match call⁠. Want to receive regular inspiration and/or connect with me? Subscribe to my free Inspiration Boost: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://estherhuijsmans.com/inspiration-boost/ ⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/esther-huijsmans/⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/estherhuijsmans/⁠⁠

    18 min

  8. 03/20/2025

    #11 - Passion, prestige, profit

    How do you make decisions? When choosing projects, I simplify it down to three key elements: passion, prestige, and profit. In this episode, I share how I use these three factors to guide my choices—plus, a few other P’s that might be just as important. Want to receiveregular inspiration and/or connect with me? Subscribe to my free Inspiration Boost: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://estherhuijsmans.com/inspiration-boost/ ⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/esther-huijsmans/⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/estherhuijsmans/⁠⁠

    11 min
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About

The Own Your Game Podcast - for women leading in sport Hosted by Esther Huijsmans, Executive Leadership Mentor with 22+ years of experience at FIFA, UEFA and global tournaments. This podcast goes beyond traditional leadership advice and strategy into embodied authority, feminine leadership in masculine systems - and the identity required to truly lead on your terms. For women who don’t just want a seat at the table - but want to shape the game. To lead on your terms - the feminine way. To raise the standard. To own your game🔥 More info about Esther: https://www.estherhuijsmans.com/

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