UNSHAKEABLE HER: Get Promoted by Building Leadership, Influence and Confidence (For Women Done Being Overlooked)

Caroline Esterson from Inspire Your Genius Leadership, Influence and Promotion Coach.
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You're already leading. So why does it still feel like nobody's noticed? Unshakeable Her is the leadership podcast for ambitious women who are done second-guessing themselves in systems that weren't designed for them. Every week we get into the promotion strategies that get you recognised for the leader you already are by exploring the real science of leadership confidence, the unwritten rules of influence, and how to build the kind of presence that makes promotion inevitable. Hosted by Caroline Esterson - a leadership development specialist with 30 years inside hundreds of organisations, who knows exactly why brilliant women get overlooked and what to do about it. This podcast offers practical, repeatable ways to build influence, confidence, and career momentum. Each week you'll learn: How to build the visibility and strategic positioning that gets you promoted.How to lead with more influence without losing yourself in the process.The science behind imposter syndrome in leadership (and what actually shifts it) so you can get promoted.With new episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, ‘Unshakeable Her’ delivers stories, strategy, and insight to help you become someone nobody can shake. New here?  Episode #7 is your imposter syndrome reset. Episode #56 is where leadership finally clicks.

  1. 1h ago

    #120 | Why Your Boss’s Brain Could Be Working Against Your Promotion & The Surprisingly Strategies That Build Your Influence: Leadership, Influence & Promotion

    How visible are you to the people who actually make decisions about your career—and what happens when your boss remembers your work less clearly than someone else’s? You can be highly competent, deliver consistently, and add enormous value while still being overlooked for your next opportunity. In this episode, you’ll discover why visibility isn’t about being showy or political—it’s about understanding how your boss’s brain makes decisions and deliberately building influence around the work you’re already doing. You’ll learn: Why familiarity matters: Understand the mere exposure effect and why repeated visibility can influence how credible and trustworthy you appear to decision-makers. Why the promotion standard can be different: Explore the research around gender and why women may be expected to demonstrate performance while others are assessed more heavily on potential. How to make your contribution harder to miss: Use cognitive availability and intentional visibility to ensure the right people know what you’ve achieved before promotion decisions are made. Listen to the episode to turn visibility into a strategic advantage that strengthens your influence, supports your growth, and helps your boss see the full value of what you already contribute. New episodes are released every Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. Stuck, simmering, or onto something juicy? I want to hear it. Drop me a line at caroline@inspireyourgenius.com - I read them all. And here is the Spotify Playlist to accompany UnShakeable Her. Unshakeable Her is the podcast for women in leadership who are ready to build real influence, earn the promotion they deserve, and lead with confidence in systems that weren't built for them. Each episode tackles the challenges that shape leadership from the inside out, including imposter syndrome, resilience, credibility, boundaries, conflict, and feedback, while unpacking how pressure, workplace politics, strategic thinking, decision-making, and visibility affect the way ambitious women grow, lead, and get promoted without losing themselves in the process.

  2. 2d ago

    #119 | The Leadership Influence Mistake That Keeps High Performers Overlooked For Promotion Even When They’re Doing Brilliant Work

    What if your six-month review sounds positive—but is actually a warning sign for your career? If you’re a high performer doing brilliant work but still wondering why you’re not being seen as the obvious choice for promotion, the problem may not be your performance. It may be your leadership influence. In this episode, you’ll hear Cara’s six-month review and discover how one vague comment—“you can come across as a bit too much”—reveals a much bigger problem: doing excellent work and being seen as someone ready for the next level are two different skills. You’ll learn: Why vague, pleasant feedback can be more dangerous than a bad review when it gives you nothing actionable to change. Why good work doesn’t speak for itself and how visibility plays a critical role in leadership influence and promotion. The mindset shift that can help you stop being overlooked without working harder, becoming louder, or trying to prove yourself. Listen to the episode to discover how to turn your leadership influence into the visibility that gets you recognized for your next level. New episodes are released every Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. Stuck, simmering, or onto something juicy? I want to hear it. Drop me a line at caroline@inspireyourgenius.com - I read them all. And here is the Spotify Playlist to accompany UnShakeable Her. Unshakeable Her is the podcast for women in leadership who are ready to build real influence, earn the promotion they deserve, and lead with confidence in systems that weren't built for them. Each episode tackles the challenges that shape leadership from the inside out, including imposter syndrome, resilience, credibility, boundaries, conflict, and feedback, while unpacking how pressure, workplace politics, strategic thinking, decision-making, and visibility affect the way ambitious women grow, lead, and get promoted without losing themselves in the process.

  3. 5d ago

    #118 | The Curiosity Strategy Influential Leaders Use To Build Powerful Relationships Inside Meetings They’re Already Attending: Leadership, Influence & Promotion

    What if you could build stronger professional relationships without attending another networking event, collecting another business card, or adding another spreadsheet to your workload? If networking feels awkward—or you simply don't have the time for it—the answer may already be sitting inside the meetings you attend every week. In this episode, you'll discover how curiosity can help you turn ordinary conversations into meaningful professional connections, strengthen your influence, and create opportunities you might otherwise never see. You’ll learn: How to use the surprise question to move beyond transactional conversations and uncover what really matters to the people you work with.How a no-ask follow-up can turn a one-off conversation into a lasting relationship without making another request of someone.How the four names audit helps you deliberately strengthen your network by focusing on one meaningful relationship at a time.Listen to the episode to discover how curiosity can help you build powerful relationships, increase your influence, and create opportunities—all without adding traditional networking to your already-full calendar. New episodes are released every Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. Stuck, simmering, or onto something juicy? I want to hear it. Drop me a line at caroline@inspireyourgenius.com - I read them all. And here is the Spotify Playlist to accompany UnShakeable Her. Unshakeable Her is the podcast for women in leadership who are ready to build real influence, earn the promotion they deserve, and lead with confidence in systems that weren't built for them. Each episode tackles the challenges that shape leadership from the inside out, including imposter syndrome, resilience, credibility, boundaries, conflict, and feedback, while unpacking how pressure, workplace politics, strategic thinking, decision-making, and visibility affect the way ambitious women grow, lead, and get promoted without losing themselves in the process.

  4. Aug 19

    #117 | The Little-Known Leadership Beliefs That Are Costing You Opportunities And How To Reframe These To Catapult Your Influence: Leadership, Influence & Promotion

    Who would take your call tomorrow if you had a genuine problem? You can have thousands of LinkedIn connections, a packed calendar, and more ways to communicate than ever — and still be dangerously disconnected. The leadership beliefs costing opportunity you hold about productivity, networking, and asking for help may be quietly limiting your influence and promotional prospects. The research reveals why the relationships that matter most to your career are often the people you barely know, why remote work has made those relationships harder to build, and why you're probably underestimating how willing people are to help you. In this episode, you'll discover: Why weak ties create opportunities — and why the people who can change your career are often outside your immediate circle. How modern working practices are shrinking your network — and what the research involving 61,000 Microsoft employees reveals about workplace connection. Why you're probably more approachable than you think — and how the liking gap and our tendency to underestimate people's willingness to help can change the way you build relationships. Listen to the episode to challenge the leadership beliefs costing opportunity and create the relationships and influence that can move your career forward. New episodes are released every Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. Stuck, simmering, or onto something juicy? I want to hear it. Drop me a line at caroline@inspireyourgenius.com - I read them all. And here is the Spotify Playlist to accompany UnShakeable Her. Unshakeable Her is the podcast for women in leadership who are ready to build real influence, earn the promotion they deserve, and lead with confidence in systems that weren't built for them. Each episode tackles the challenges that shape leadership from the inside out, including imposter syndrome, resilience, credibility, boundaries, conflict, and feedback, while unpacking how pressure, workplace politics, strategic thinking, decision-making, and visibility affect the way ambitious women grow, lead, and get promoted without losing themselves in the process.

  5. Aug 17

    #116 | How Influential Leaders Build the Relationships That Get Them Promoted Without Awkward Networking or Asking for Favours: Leadership, Influence & Promotion

    What if the networking advice you’ve been following is actually making it harder to build influence and get promoted? If you’re a capable leader who knows you need more visibility, you may have tried the coffees, LinkedIn messages, networking events, and carefully crafted introductions. But when every interaction starts with an agenda, networking becomes transactional—and genuine relationships become much harder to build. In this episode, you’ll discover how influential leaders build relationships to get promoted by approaching networking in a completely different way. Stop treating your network like a pipeline and learn why the people who would actually take your call matter more than the number of contacts you have.Build genuine relationships without needing a reason to reach out, so your conversations create connection rather than another transaction.Use better questions to uncover unexpected opportunities and influence, including the simple question that transformed an eight-minute operational call into a valuable relationship.Listen to the episode to learn how to build relationships to get promoted without forcing networking, chasing visibility, or treating people like opportunities. New episodes are released every Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. Stuck, simmering, or onto something juicy? I want to hear it. Drop me a line at caroline@inspireyourgenius.com - I read them all. And here is the Spotify Playlist to accompany UnShakeable Her. Unshakeable Her is the podcast for women in leadership who are ready to build real influence, earn the promotion they deserve, and lead with confidence in systems that weren't built for them. Each episode tackles the challenges that shape leadership from the inside out, including imposter syndrome, resilience, credibility, boundaries, conflict, and feedback, while unpacking how pressure, workplace politics, strategic thinking, decision-making, and visibility affect the way ambitious women grow, lead, and get promoted without losing themselves in the process.

  6. Aug 14

    #115 | These 3 Steps Will Transform Your Briefings From Dysfunctional to Decision-Making & Elevate Your Leadership: Influence, Promotion & Leadership

    What if the fastest way to transform decision making in a briefing isn't adding more information—but having the courage to say less? If your briefings are packed with slides but leave people unclear about what happens next, you're not alone. Strong leadership isn't about proving how much you know; it's about creating enough clarity for other people to make decisions and move. In this episode, you'll discover how to transform decision making, demonstrate leadership in the moments that matter, and make your impact more visible when you're ready for promotion. Turn information into influence by using the “so what” filter to cut unnecessary detail and focus your briefing on what your audience actually needs. Demonstrate leadership without overstepping by creating clarity and helping a room identify the decisions, actions, and owners that matter. Make your message stick by using outcome-setting, priming, and anchoring to create momentum and make your contribution more visible. Listen now to transform decision making, strengthen your leadership presence, and start showing up like the person who deserves the next promotion. Resources: Get the 1-page briefing cheat sheet here New episodes are released every Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. Stuck, simmering, or onto something juicy? I want to hear it. Drop me a line at caroline@inspireyourgenius.com - I read them all. And here is the Spotify Playlist to accompany UnShakeable Her. Unshakeable Her is the podcast for women in leadership who are ready to build real influence, earn the promotion they deserve, and lead with confidence in systems that weren't built for them. Each episode tackles the challenges that shape leadership from the inside out, including imposter syndrome, resilience, credibility, boundaries, conflict, and feedback, while unpacking how pressure, workplace politics, strategic thinking, decision-making, and visibility affect the way ambitious women grow, lead, and get promoted without losing themselves in the process.

  7. Aug 12

    #114 | The 3 Crucial Things You're Overlooking That Will Tank Your Leadership Reputation In Briefings & How To Fix It FAST: Leadership, Influence & Promotion

    What if your briefing is quietly damaging your leadership reputation—even when you're the expert in the room? You can have the right data, polished slides, and hours of preparation, yet still leave people unclear about what they were supposed to remember or do. The problem often isn't your presentation skills. It's the thinking and design that happen before you ever stand up to speak. In this episode, you'll discover the neuroscience behind information overload, the curse of knowledge, and why nervous presenters often turn to data dumps as a form of self-protection. You'll also learn a simple framework for creating briefings that move people from information to action. You’ll learn how to: Cut through cognitive overload so your audience knows what matters and retains the information you actually need them to remember.Design outcome-driven briefings using priming, outcome clarity, and anchoring to guide people toward decisions and action.Strengthen your Leadership, Influence & Promotion by communicating with greater clarity, intention, and strategic focus.Listen to the episode to learn how to stop treating briefings as slide presentations and start designing them as strategic moments that influence what people think, feel, and do. New episodes are released every Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. Stuck, simmering, or onto something juicy? I want to hear it. Drop me a line at caroline@inspireyourgenius.com - I read them all. And here is the Spotify Playlist to accompany UnShakeable Her. Unshakeable Her is the podcast for women in leadership who are ready to build real influence, earn the promotion they deserve, and lead with confidence in systems that weren't built for them. Each episode tackles the challenges that shape leadership from the inside out, including imposter syndrome, resilience, credibility, boundaries, conflict, and feedback, while unpacking how pressure, workplace politics, strategic thinking, decision-making, and visibility affect the way ambitious women grow, lead, and get promoted without losing themselves in the process.

  8. Aug 10

    #113 | This Promotion Killing Briefing Mistake Is Sabotaging Your Leadership Influence: Promotion, Leadership & Influence

    What if the biggest threat to your leadership influence isn’t your confidence, preparation, or presentation skills—but one question you never asked before the briefing? When you’re newly promoted or stepping into greater responsibility, you’re often expected to communicate more, brief more senior stakeholders, and lead conversations with people who may not know you well. But knowing your material isn’t the same as knowing what you need your audience to do with it. In this episode, you’ll discover why capable leaders can lose influence even when they’re thoroughly prepared—and how a simple shift in your preparation can turn an information dump into a genuine leadership moment. You’ll learn how to: Spot the moment when information stops creating clarity and starts overwhelming your audience.Avoid the promotion mistake that causes you to focus on delivering information instead of creating an outcome.Use one powerful question to define what your audience needs to think, feel, and do before your next briefing.Listen to the episode and learn how to turn your next briefing from a monologue into a moment of leadership. New episodes are released every Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. Stuck, simmering, or onto something juicy? I want to hear it. Drop me a line at caroline@inspireyourgenius.com - I read them all. And here is the Spotify Playlist to accompany UnShakeable Her. Unshakeable Her is the podcast for women in leadership who are ready to build real influence, earn the promotion they deserve, and lead with confidence in systems that weren't built for them. Each episode tackles the challenges that shape leadership from the inside out, including imposter syndrome, resilience, credibility, boundaries, conflict, and feedback, while unpacking how pressure, workplace politics, strategic thinking, decision-making, and visibility affect the way ambitious women grow, lead, and get promoted without losing themselves in the process.

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You're already leading. So why does it still feel like nobody's noticed? Unshakeable Her is the leadership podcast for ambitious women who are done second-guessing themselves in systems that weren't designed for them. Every week we get into the promotion strategies that get you recognised for the leader you already are by exploring the real science of leadership confidence, the unwritten rules of influence, and how to build the kind of presence that makes promotion inevitable. Hosted by Caroline Esterson - a leadership development specialist with 30 years inside hundreds of organisations, who knows exactly why brilliant women get overlooked and what to do about it. This podcast offers practical, repeatable ways to build influence, confidence, and career momentum. Each week you'll learn: How to build the visibility and strategic positioning that gets you promoted.How to lead with more influence without losing yourself in the process.The science behind imposter syndrome in leadership (and what actually shifts it) so you can get promoted.With new episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, ‘Unshakeable Her’ delivers stories, strategy, and insight to help you become someone nobody can shake. New here?  Episode #7 is your imposter syndrome reset. Episode #56 is where leadership finally clicks.

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