UNSHAKEABLE HER: Silence imposter syndrome, build real influence and get promoted on your terms

Caroline Esterson from Inspire Your Genius
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Doing brilliant work and still getting overlooked? Unshakeable Her is for ambitious, capable women tired of second-guessing themselves and exhausted by navigating workplace rules nobody explains so you can grow your influence & get promoted. Hosted by Caroline Esterson, who has spent 30 years helping thousands across hundreds of organisations uncover what is really going on and still get promoted.  This podcast offers practical, repeatable ways to build influence, confidence, and career momentum. Each week, you’ll learn: How to grow your influence without becoming someone you don’t likeThe science behind imposter syndrome and what actually works to overcome itHow to build confidence so you can stop being overlooked, and finally get the promotion you deserve 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? Start with fan-favourite #56 or jump into Imposter Syndrome with #7

  1. 2h ago

    #86 | Are You Quietly Building Colleague’s Influence At Work While Quietly Losing Your Own Promotion Case?

    What if the work that makes you invaluable is the very thing preventing your promotion? If you've ever stayed late to help a colleague, onboarded new team members, solved problems that weren't yours, or kept your team running smoothly behind the scenes, this episode will feel uncomfortably familiar. Through the story of Jade, you'll discover why so much essential workplace contribution goes unseen, unrewarded, and disconnected from career advancement. In this episode, you'll learn: Why invisible work often receives little workplace recognition despite being critical to team success.How consistently saying yes can quietly limit your career progression opportunities.The hidden organizational patterns that cause caring, capable employees to become overloaded and overlooked.Listen now to understand the real cost of invisible work and learn why doing more isn't always the path to greater career progression and workplace recognition. 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. This podcast explores resilience, imposter syndrome, and credibility while unpacking how boundaries, conflict, and feedback shape the way we handle pressure, influence, and guilt at work. It also looks at promotion, work-life balance, people pleasing, decision making, and visibility, offering honest conversations about how to grow professionally without losing your confidence or yourself.

    15 min

  2. 3d ago

    #85 | The 3 Essential Moves That Turn Promotion Into Irresistible Influence

    Would your team still choose to work for you if they had another manager available tomorrow? In this episode, we move from theory to action. After exploring the stories and science behind followership, you'll learn three practical leadership moves that create trust, commitment, and team loyalty in everyday situations. You'll also discover why the smallest leadership moments often have the biggest impact on whether people choose to follow you. You'll learn:  How to strengthen followership by protecting your team when things go wrong and supporting them when it matters most.  Why specific recognition is one of the fastest ways to build team loyalty and help people feel genuinely valued.  How effective leadership develops future talent by creating growth opportunities rather than holding onto control. Listen now to discover the simple leadership actions that turn compliance into commitment and create the kind of followership that lasts for years. 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. This podcast explores resilience, imposter syndrome, and credibility while unpacking how boundaries, conflict, and feedback shape the way we handle pressure, influence, and guilt at work. It also looks at promotion, work-life balance, people pleasing, decision making, and visibility, offering honest conversations about how to grow professionally without losing your confidence or yourself.

    11 min

  3. 5d ago

    #84 | 3 Surprisingly Simple Science Facts That Prove Old School Management Is Killing Your Influence

    What if the biggest factor affecting your team's performance isn't skill, experience, or motivation—but trust? In this episode, you'll discover the science behind genuine followership and why teams willingly give discretionary effort to some leaders while giving only the minimum to others. Drawing on research from neuroscience, psychology, Harvard Business School, and Google, you'll learn why a traditional management style is often damaging trust and limiting your long-term influence. You'll discover:  The four measurable ingredients of trust and the one factor most managers overlook that can undermine everything else.  Why psychological safety drives performance, innovation, and accountability more effectively than control and authority.  The critical difference between compliance and commitment—and how to identify which one your team is giving you right now. Listen now to learn the science-backed leadership shifts that build trust, strengthen influence, and create teams that choose to give their best work every day. Resources: Safe To Speak Checklist Psychological Safety Performance Hack Sheet The Conversation Guide 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. This podcast explores resilience, imposter syndrome, and credibility while unpacking how boundaries, conflict, and feedback shape the way we handle pressure, influence, and guilt at work. It also looks at promotion, work-life balance, people pleasing, decision making, and visibility, offering honest conversations about how to grow professionally without losing your confidence or yourself.

    16 min

  4. Jun 1

    #83 | 3 Signs Your Traditional Management Style Is Damaging Trust & Influence (And How To Fix It)

    Why do some managers inspire lifelong loyalty while others struggle to earn even basic trust from their team? In this episode, you’ll discover why the old leadership rulebook is failing modern managers and how genuine followership is built through honesty, safety, consistency, and trust — not charisma, authority, or motivational speeches. Through the stories of Ruth and David, you’ll hear what truly makes people willingly go the extra mile for a leader. Inside this episode, you’ll learn:  Why a traditional management style often damages trust and influence without leaders realizing it  The small leadership moments that quietly create loyalty, safety, and long-term team performance  How honest communication and accountability build stronger followership than authority ever will Listen now to learn the leadership approach that makes people want to follow you long after the job itself has changed. 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. This podcast explores resilience, imposter syndrome, and credibility while unpacking how boundaries, conflict, and feedback shape the way we handle pressure, influence, and guilt at work. It also looks at promotion, work-life balance, people pleasing, decision making, and visibility, offering honest conversations about how to grow professionally without losing your confidence or yourself.

    19 min

  5. May 29

    #82 | Be The Calm In The Storm: The Foundation That Creates A High-Performing Team

    What do you do when one comment, one email, or one look completely throws off your leadership presence? In this episode, you’ll learn practical nervous system resets and calm leadership techniques you can use immediately before difficult meetings, presentations, and high-pressure conversations. Through personal stories, neuroscience-backed tools, and simple leadership choreography, this episode shows how influence is built in the smallest moments — often before you even speak. Inside this episode, you’ll learn:  The 90-second nervous system reset that stops panic responses before they damage your leadership  How calm leadership phrases become emotional anchors that steady your team during uncertainty  The exact physical sequence that helps you walk into meetings calmer, clearer, and more influential You’ll also hear the powerful “corridor story” — and why the moments before the meeting often matter more than the meeting itself. If you want to lead with more calm, influence, and emotional steadiness under pressure, this episode gives you practical tools you can start using immediately. Resources: The Corridor Protocol - How To Lead With Calm When You Don't Feel It 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. This podcast explores resilience, imposter syndrome, and credibility while unpacking how boundaries, conflict, and feedback shape the way we handle pressure, influence, and guilt at work. It also looks at promotion, work-life balance, people pleasing, decision making, and visibility, offering honest conversations about how to grow professionally without losing your confidence or yourself.

    20 min

  6. May 27

    #81 | How To Create Calm Even When Everyone Else Is Panicking (Imposter Syndrome, Influence & Promotion)

    Why do some leaders calm an entire room before they even begin speaking? In this episode, we unpack the neuroscience behind calm leadership, nervous system regulation, and the hidden biological signals shaping every meeting you lead. You’ll discover why teams unconsciously mirror the emotional state of the leader in front of them — and how tiny physical shifts can completely change the atmosphere in high-pressure conversations. Inside this episode, you’ll learn:  How co-regulation and nervous system science explain why people “borrow” calm from effective leaders  The physical leadership cues that instantly make meetings feel safer, steadier, and more collaborative  Why performing calm is not “faking it” — and how your body chemistry actually changes through embodied leadership If you want to communicate with more calm, lead difficult conversations more effectively, and become the steady presence your team trusts under pressure, this episode gives you the science behind how it really works. Resources: The Corridor Protocol -  How to Lead with Calm When You Don't Feel It 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. This podcast explores resilience, imposter syndrome, and credibility while unpacking how boundaries, conflict, and feedback shape the way we handle pressure, influence, and guilt at work. It also looks at promotion, work-life balance, people pleasing, decision making, and visibility, offering honest conversations about how to grow professionally without losing your confidence or yourself.

    18 min

  7. May 25

    #80 | When Imposter Syndrome Kicks In Before High Stakes Moments, Steal Maggie’s 3 Preparation Moves To Boost Your Influence

    What happens when your team looks to you for calm… and you don’t actually feel calm yourself? In high-pressure moments, your leadership is shaping more than decisions and communication. Your pace, posture, breathing, and presence directly influence your team’s nervous system — often before you even say a word. In this episode, you’ll hear the story of Maggie, a leader unexpectedly tasked with guiding 140 anxious employees through uncertainty, and the small shifts that completely changed the emotional temperature of the room. Inside this episode, you’ll learn:  How calm leadership functions as nervous system regulation for your team during uncertainty  The exact sentence that instantly lowers tension and creates psychological steadiness in meetings  Why pace, pauses, posture, and breathing matter more than having the “perfect” leadership message If you want to become the kind of leader people trust under pressure — even when you’re nervous yourself — this episode will completely change how you think about calm, leadership, and the nervous system. Resources: The Corridor Protocol -  How to Lead with Calm When You Don't Feel It 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. This podcast explores resilience, imposter syndrome, and credibility while unpacking how boundaries, conflict, and feedback shape the way we handle pressure, influence, and guilt at work. It also looks at promotion, work-life balance, people pleasing, decision making, and visibility, offering honest conversations about how to grow professionally without losing your confidence or yourself.

    14 min

  8. May 22

    #79 | 3 Surprisingly Simple Moves For High Performers To Keep Their Spark, Build Their Influence And Remove Imposter Syndrome

    What happens when the thing you love doing starts becoming the thing you dread most? In this episode, we bring together the psychology, neuroscience, and career strategy behind sustainable high performance. Using Alicia Keys’ “Girl on Fire” as the backdrop, this conversation explores the hidden cost of overperformance, why ambitious people struggle to define “enough,” and how burnout prevention starts long before a breakdown happens. You’ll learn the practical shifts that help high performers protect their energy, lead sustainable careers, and stop treating exhaustion like proof of ambition. Inside this episode, you’ll discover:  Why burnout prevention is essential for long-term high performance and career sustainability  How defining your personal version of “done” changes the way you work forever  The simple recovery and capacity habits that protect your performance without slowing your ambition If you want a career that stays brilliant without burning you out in the process, this episode gives you the blueprint to build it. 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. This podcast explores resilience, imposter syndrome, and credibility while unpacking how boundaries, conflict, and feedback shape the way we handle pressure, influence, and guilt at work. It also looks at promotion, work-life balance, people pleasing, decision making, and visibility, offering honest conversations about how to grow professionally without losing your confidence or yourself.

    14 min
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Doing brilliant work and still getting overlooked? Unshakeable Her is for ambitious, capable women tired of second-guessing themselves and exhausted by navigating workplace rules nobody explains so you can grow your influence & get promoted. Hosted by Caroline Esterson, who has spent 30 years helping thousands across hundreds of organisations uncover what is really going on and still get promoted.  This podcast offers practical, repeatable ways to build influence, confidence, and career momentum. Each week, you’ll learn: How to grow your influence without becoming someone you don’t likeThe science behind imposter syndrome and what actually works to overcome itHow to build confidence so you can stop being overlooked, and finally get the promotion you deserve 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? Start with fan-favourite #56 or jump into Imposter Syndrome with #7

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