This week inside The Confidence Lounge, I’m introducing you to something I call The Readiness Trap.
It’s that quiet belief that one day, there’s going to be a magical moment when you finally feel ready to...
But here’s the truth…
That feeling of readiness you’re waiting for?
It rarely comes.
And believing you need to feel ready first might actually be the biggest thing holding you back in your career.
In this episode, I’m breaking down:
⚡️ What the Readiness Trap is (and how it shows up in your thoughts)
⚡️ Why this mindset quietly limits your success
⚡️ A simple formula to help you break free so you can finally move, even when you don’t feel ready
If you’ve been waiting for the “perfect moment” to take your next step…
This episode is your moment.
LINKS:
It seems like something small.
Something you think is helping you.
Something sitting right in front of you every single day…
That’s the very thing that’s quietly triggering your overwhelm.
But what exactly is this sneaky little thing fueling your overwhelm?
I am about to tell you.
In this quick-power episode, I’m breaking down:⚡️ The sneaky trigger that’s keeping ambitious women stuck
⚡️ The science behind why it sends your nervous system into overdrive
⚡️ The simple shift that helps you feel calm, clear, and wildly productive again.
🎧 Listen now and find out what’s really behind that mountain of overwhelm and how to take your power back.
LINKS:
Have you ever hit a major milestone and immediately downplayed it?
Got praised at work and brushed it off like it was nothing?
Or scrolled through LinkedIn and thought, “I’m so behind,” even when you’re actually crushing it?
That, my friend, is career dysmorphia - a powerful cognitive distortion that makes even the most accomplished women minimize their wins and doubt their worth.
In this episode I’m breaking down:
⚡ What career dysmorphia is and how it quietly erodes your confidence
🧠 How cognitive distortions exaggerate the negatives and shrink your wins
📱 Why comparison culture fuels feelings of “I’m behind”
💬 The subtle signs (like rejecting praise or chronic self-doubt) you might be missing
🚀 And the strategies to finally see your success clearly again
Because when you start seeing yourself accurately, everything changes - your confidence, your energy, and your opportunities.
Chapters:
00:00 — Understanding Career Dysmorphia
09:34 — Signs and Symptoms of Career Dysmorphia
20:29 — Overcoming Career Dysmorphia
LINKS:
Have you ever walked into a room and felt everyone’s energy shift? The air changes. People sit up straighter. Heads turn.
That’s not luck. That’s not charisma you’re born with.
That’s presence and it’s 100% learnable.
Every week, my clients ask me, “Elyse, what do I do when the nerves hit before an interview or presentation?”
Their voice shakes, their heart races, their mind goes blank and they end up shrinking in moments that are supposed to define them.
In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on what it actually means to command a room and how the world’s most magnetic women (think Beyoncé, Oprah, Michelle Obama) use intention, energy, and science-backed strategies to turn nerves into authority.
If you’ve ever wished you could walk into any room and have people feel your presence before you even speak - this episode is your guide.
Hit play to learn:
⚡Why presence matters more than perfection
⚡What science reveals about the body-confidence connection
⚡How small shifts in energy can change how every room receives you
Because presence isn’t about doing more - it’s about being more intentional.
Chapters:
00:00 The Power of Presence
07:09 Science Behind Commanding a Room
14:42 Practical Tips for Presence
You’ve made it to Day 3 of the Beauty Career Lab Primer Series and this is where everything comes together.
(and remember - even if you don't work in beauty, this still applies to you)
Now that you’ve learned how to spot your limiting beliefs and upgrade them, it’s time to put it all into action.
Today’s episode is all about momentum - how to move your career forward with clarity, confidence, and a mindset that actually supports the results you’ve been waiting for.
I’ll walk you through:
⚡️ Why success is determined more by your mindset than your strategy
⚡️ How to identify the version of yourself you’re becoming (and step into her now)
⚡️ The role fear plays in your growth and how to confront it with confidence
⚡️ How to set a “mental GPS” to guide your career in the direction you want
⚡️ Why future-focused thoughts are the secret to unlocking opportunities
This episode is your turning point - the moment you stop waiting to feel ready and start choosing the identity, thoughts, and mindset that move you toward the career you truly want.
🎧 Let’s lock in your mental GPS and move forward with unstoppable clarity and confidence.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Mindset for Career Advancement
01:36 The Importance of Identity in Career Success
05:27 Shifting Your Mindset: From Fear to Confidence
09:47 Programming Your Mental GPS for Success
LINKS:
JOIN US FOR BEAUTY CAREER LAB LIVE ON 1/24
WATCH THE FULL PRIMER ON LINKEDIN
MESSAGE ME ON LINKEDIN WITH YOUR QUESTIONS
Welcome to day 2 of our Beauty Career Lab Primer series where I am teaching you how to think like you are already qualified.
I had to bring this episode to you because this concept was a game-changer for so many women in who I have worked with over the years.
Today, I’m breaking down The Thought Closet Effect - a way of thinking that limits your career growth without you even realizing it.
We’ll talk about how your brain is like a “thought closet,” packed with thoughts that don't feel good to wear and how to finally clean it out.
Even if you’re not in beauty, this one is for you because if you’ve ever rejected yourself before someone else could, doubted your qualifications, or convinced yourself you “aren’t ready”… you’ll hear yourself in this episode.
Here’s what you’ll take away today:
⚡️ Why mindset shifts are essential for career growth
⚡️ How to spot self-rejection when it sneaks in
⚡️ The “red, yellow, green light” thought model to reframe your thinking
⚡️ How ChatGPT can act as your "thought stylist" to help you rewrite limiting beliefs into empowering ones
⚡️ Why readiness is a decision, not a feeling
Think of this as a closet clean-out for your mind because the thoughts you choose to wear every day determine the career you create.
🎧 Let’s dig into your thought closet and start trying on some better beliefs.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Mindset Shifts
01:35 Understanding Red, Yellow, and Green Light Thoughts
03:22 Self-Rejection and Overcoming Limiting Beliefs
04:40 The Thought Closet Effect Concept
08:09 Using ChatGPT for as your "Thought Stylist"
10:05 Action from Empowering Thoughts
LINKS:
JOIN US FOR BEAUTY CAREER LAB LIVE ON 1/24
WATCH THE FULL PRIMER ON LINKEDIN
MESSAGE ME ON LINKEDIN WITH YOUR QUESTIONS
Welcome to a special 3-day Beauty Career Lab Primer Series here on The Confidence Lounge!
Over the next three episodes, I’m giving you the exact tools I use with my clients to shift their mindset, unlock confidence, and move their careers forward.
I had to share this with you because it was so powerful.
Even if you’re not in the beauty industry - don’t sleep on this series.
These lessons apply to any ambitious woman who’s ready to stop letting self-doubt and limiting beliefs run the show.
In Day 1, we’re talking about the beliefs that are holding you back from landing the roles, promotions, and opportunities you deserve.
Here’s what you’ll take away from today’s episode:
⚡️ Your mindset is 80% of the battle in your career
⚡️ How your brain actually works (and how it’s been blocking you)
⚡️ Why negative thoughts are like mental stop signs—and how to rewire them
⚡️ How to shift your beliefs so you can create new results with confidence
This is about taking back control of your thoughts so you can move forward with power, clarity, and purpose.
🎧 Press play and let’s get started.
Chapters
01:22 Understanding Mindset and how it relates to your Career
03:32 The Science of the Brain and Why You Are NOT Wired For Success
05:14 The Reticular Activating System Explained (and why you need to know how to use this filter)
09:49 Identifying and Overcoming Mental Blocks
12:35 The Power of Green Light Thoughts
16:30 Mindset Study and Action Steps
LINKS:
JOIN US FOR BEAUTY CAREER LAB LIVE ON 1/24
Confidence isn’t something you fake - it’s something you embody when you’re rooted in self-worth and authenticity. And today’s guest proves it.
She’s been behind some of the most iconic moments in entertainment like helping launch Taylor Swift's very first tours, touring the globe with the Black Eyed Peas, and producing concerts with Madonna.
After 20+ years leading campaigns at the intersection of music, tech, and media, she uncovered the real secret to success: it’s not the big names, the accolades, or the spotlight - it’s owning your worth and showing up as your most authentic self.
In this episode, Executive Leadership & Empowerment Coach Candice Maskell pulls back the curtain to share her story, the lessons she’s learned from the top, and the simple tools you can use right now to stop performing for approval and start embodying real confidence.
If you’re ready to rise, inspire, and lead without losing yourself - this is the conversation you’ve been waiting for.
Because when you lean into your true self, bring out your authentic power, and feel at home in your own confidence…everything changes.
LINKS: Visit Candice's Website: www.candicemaskell.com
Connect With Candice On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candiceyusimmaskell/
Follow Candice On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
https://www.instagram.com/
Join Candice's Free Lunchtime Workshop: How to Lead Without Losing Yourself : September 26th 12pm PT/3pm ET.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Candice Maskell
02:58 The Journey from Entertainment to Empowerment
05:59 Finding Self-Worth and Authenticity
09:04 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
12:01 The Power of the Pivot
14:56 Embracing Vulnerability and Authenticity
17:49 The Inner Bully and Self-Compassion
20:51 Networking and Building Connections
23:53 Empowering Women to Embrace Their True Selves
26:52 Practical Steps for Self-Empowerment
29:45 Confidence as a Key Success Ingredient
Did you know the fear of public speaking ranks higher than the fear of death for most people?
I recently experienced what it felt like for this fear to overtake me which resulted in me blacking out on stage.
In this episode, I’m getting real about what that moment felt like in my body, why public speaking fear is so common, and the exact tools that helped me move through it (from meditation and visualization to breathing, support, and self-reflection).
If you’ve ever felt your heart race, your hands shake, or your mind go blank before speaking…this one’s for you.
🎧 Listen in to learn how to turn stage fright into confidence and why confidence doesn’t mean being fearless, but learning how to show up with fear.
LINKS:
Message me your public speaking fears on LinkedInListen to my podcast episode with Jen Olive - TedX Speaker Coach
OMG we did it - 200 episodes!
In this special major milestone episode, I’m sharing the top five lessons I’ve learned from pressing record 200 times, plus the inspirational story of how this podcast came to life.
I almost gave up on launching The Confidence Lounge.
I was a new mom, my parents were my primary caretakers, and I questioned whether I even had the time, energy, or ability to make this dream happen.
But I pushed forward anyway and that messy, imperfect action turned into something magical.
If you’ve ever wanted to start something new but felt not ready, not perfect, or even too overwhelmed, this episode is for you.
I’m sharing the real, behind-the-scenes journey of taking bold, imperfect steps and how it changed everything.
Press play and get ready to feel inspired, empowered, and reminded that you already have everything you need to start your own magic.
LINKS:
Get ready for a raw, unscripted & gritty conversation today.
I had to get on the mic and share my full experience at Powerhouse Women with you and I am talking the highs, the lows, and the deep moments that shook me to my core.
This episode isn’t polished. There’s no script. Just me speaking straight from my heart to you.
Why does this matter?
Because growth doesn’t happen in isolation.
True career breakthroughs happen when you put yourself in the room with women who are already where you want to be, who hold you accountable, and push you to live up to your full potential.
If you want to:
✨ Feel your confidence surge
✨ Activate the woman you’re becoming
✨ Move your body, your energy, and your career forward
…then this episode is for you.
💡 Consider this your activation call - a reminder that the woman you’re becoming is already inside of you, waiting to step up.
Press play, and let’s get to work 💪
LINKS:
Learn more about the Powerhouse Women Event HERE
Connect with me on LinkedIn HERE
Visit my website HERE
If you’ve ever walked into a networking event and suddenly felt like you forgot how to speak, found yourself overthinking every word mid-conversation, or left wondering if anyone would even remember you - you are not alone.
You’re just stuck in a pattern that so many ambitious women in fall into.
The Networking Anxiety Loop – when the same thoughts and actions keep you feeling awkward instead of magnetic.
I know, because I used to live there.
I’d cling to my phone like a lifeline.
Hover awkwardly by the food table.
Pray someone—anyone—would come over and start talking to me.
The idea of walking into a room alone?
Torture.
Now? I can work a room with confidence, grace, and zero desperation because I stopped making a few small, sneaky mistakes that were silently wrecking my confidence and feeding my social anxiety.
In this episode, I’m breaking them down and giving you simple shifts you can use before you even step into the room so you can stop shrinking, start connecting, and leave every conversation knowing you were remembered.
🎧 Listen now to start owning every room you walk into with confidence.
LINKS:
Are you accidentally rambling your way out of job offers?
You show up feeling so qualified and then your nerves takethe wheel.
You start talking and talking and suddenly you’ve served a full-on word salad with a side of “wait, what was the question again?” 🥗
💥Here’s the truth💥
If you’ve ever walked out of an interview thinking: “I think I said too much…”
This episode is for you.
I’m breaking down:
✅What a word salad actually is
✅Why brilliant women do this (hint: it’s not aboutbeing unprepared)
✅The 5 long-term consequences of word salading (this will surprise you)
✅Real interview examples of what NOT to say (and what to say instead)
✅My exact tips to stop rambling and start owning the room
✅How to tie everything back to company goals so they see you as the obvious hire
You’ll leave this episode knowing how to show up crystalclear, grounded in your value, and ready to land the offer.
🎧 Listen now and share this episode with a friend who needs this as she navigates the interview process.
And if it resonated, leave a review + tell me which tip helped the most — I love hearing your breakthroughs.
✨ Bonus: I also share one of my favorite tools to prep for tough questions using ChatGPT (spoiler: it’s weirdly fun AND wildly effective).
Let’s fix that word salad and get you hired.
LINKS:
Who actually taught you how to be a leader?
Because let’s be real - this isn’t something most of us, especially as women, were ever truly shown.
And that’s exactly why so many high-achieving women struggle as they climb the ladder - from manager to director, VP to C-suite. The stakes get higher, the rooms get louder, and the pressure to perform perfectly never seems to slow down.
Ever felt like you have the expertise, but still struggle to command the room?
Like you’re doing everything right, yet your leadership just isn’t landing the way you want it to?
That’s why I partnered with Ashley Rudolph for this conversation.
Ashley is an executive coach for leaders and creatives at a crossroads - those who’ve built impressive careers on paper, but are craving something deeper: more clarity, more confidence, and more power in the rooms that matter most.
Before becoming a coach, she scaled from individual contributor to VP in just five years, leading $75M+ deals and managing 250+ person teams at some of the fastest-growing companies in tech. She knows what it takes to lead in high-stakes environments and what burns you out along the way.
Her insights have been featured in Inc., U.S. News & World Report, The New York Post, Success Magazine, Apartment Therapy, and more. She also writes The Operator’s Edge, a powerful newsletter on the unseen shifts that drive real momentum in leadership and career growth.
In this episode, we’re solving for this:
How do you rise into your next level of leadership without sacrificing yourself to get there?
Ashley is sharing her signature framework: The 3Cs of Leadership — Content, Confidence, and Context
These are the tools most high-achieving women were never taught…but absolutely need to lead effectively in high-stakes spaces.
This is for you if:
You have the expertise but doubt your presence
You’re tired of overthinking, over-preparing, and chasing perfection
You’re ready to lead with clarity, trust yourself more, and stop burning out just to “prove it”
🎧 By the end of this episode, you’ll walk away with:
A clear framework to strengthen your executive presence
Practical tools to speak up, stand tall, and lead decisively
Permission to stop doing the most—and start leading from within
Because true leadership isn’t about following a path.
It’s about defining your own.
Let’s dive in.
CONNECT WITH ASHLEY:🌐 Website: www.workwithashleyr.com📩 Newsletter: newsletter.workwithashleyr.com💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashleyrudolph
You didn’t get rejected. You got redirected.
💔 That job you didn’t land…
💬 That pitch that didn’t land…
💔 That business relationship that ended…
What if the “no” wasn’t rejection at all — but aligned rerouting?
In this episode, we’re going deep into the thing most women avoid at all costs: Rejection.
And I’m here to flip the script in a way that might just change your entire life.
Inside this episode, I am covering:⚡️ The one mindset shift that will turn any rejection into rocket fuel
⚡️ Why so many high-achieving women internalize rejection and how to stop
⚡️ A story I’ve never shared publicly about a time I got rejected and the rejection turned into something unimaginably bigger
⚡️ A question that will help you reclaim your confidence in the exact moment you want to spiral
You think rejection means it’s not happening.
But what if it actually means something better is?
📣 Hit play on this episode if you’re:
→ Navigating a painful no or just got laid off
→ Doubting your direction & fear rejection at all costs
→ Or secretly afraid to put yourself out there because of what might not go your way
Because once you stop fearing rejection…
You start showing up like the woman who’s already won.
✨ And share this with a woman in your life who’s ready to stop taking rejection personally and start taking bold, aligned action.
What do Rihanna, Beyoncé, and a woman who landed herdream job at a billion-dollar beauty brand all have in common?
They knew exactly what they wanted.
They saw it in their minds before anyone else could.
And then they became her - before the title, before the paycheck, before the offer ever hit their inbox.
This is the same approach I teach behind closed doorswith my private clients, at workshops, trainings & retreats and today - for the first time ever - I’m sharing it publicly with you.
It’s called the D.V.A. Formula and it’s how we make yournext big move inevitable.
Inside this episode, I walk you through the exact formula that’s helped women:
💼 Land roles & create opportunities that were bigger than their wildest dreams
🔥Build unstoppable self-belief & self-trust
🚀Take bold action without waiting to “feel ready”
You'll also learn:
▸Why a dream without a why won’t stick
▸The power of discomfort and how to use it as a compass
▸ A step-by-step application of the D.V.A. formula using a real-life example from one of my beauty industry clients
▸What it means to take action as if you already have it
💡 Your future self isn’t waiting for a perfect plan.
She’s waiting for you to start acting like a DVA.
Because divas get what they want.
A true diva isn’t demanding - she’s defined.
She’s bold, unapologetic, clear.
She walks into a room like she belongs there and the room responds accordingly.
That’s the energy I want you to move with.
🎧 Listen now & share this with the friend who needs a confidence boost today.
LINKS:
Ask me a question about how to apply the D.V.A. Formula on LinkedIn
Hire me to teach this inside your company orevent: soulmakeup.com/speaking
The Career Audit That Changed Everything for Me (not to mention got me everything I wanted in my life).
I had no idea I was going to get everything I wanted this year.
But I did.
Not by chance - but by choice.
And it started with one powerful tool: my Career Audit.
In this episode, I’m sharing the exact process I used to radically shift my work, my confidence, and my future.
A Career Audit isn’t just a reflection exercise - it’s a recalibration.
It’s how I got clear on what I actually wanted, what was no longer working, and what needed to change so I could start living a life and career that feels like home.
Because after almost 20 years in an industry that no longer fit, a season of loss and reinvention, and a soul craving more - this was a tool that brought me back to myself.
✨ Today, I’m speaking on dream stages, leading global retreats, building powerful partnerships, and waking up to a life that used to only exist in my journal.
If you're feeling stuck, misaligned, or disconnected from your purpose - I made this for you.
Inside this episode, I’ll walk you through:
The exact career audit questions I used to unlock next-level clarity
How I turned my inner whispers into aligned, bold action
Why you deserve a career that energizes you—not one you have to recover from
By the end of this episode, you’ll have the tools to stop settling and start creating what’s truly meant for you.
This isn’t just a mid-year check-in.
It’s the moment you come back to yourself and your power.
Let’s begin your Career Audit.
Let’s build your dream life.
This episode is your wake-up call to stop settling, stop pretending & get you back in control over what comes next.
📓 Grab a journal and tune in for your mid-year career glow up.
LINKS:
Let’s talk about self-doubt.
Not the kind that whispers “Can I really do this?” before a big moment.
I’m talking about the chronic kind.
The kind that lives quietly in the bodies of high-achieving women.
Women who look confident on paper but are constantly questioning their value, second-guessing their decisions, or walking through their day feeling like one wrong move might expose them.
Here’s the truth: Over 75% of executive-level women report experiencing imposter syndrome.
Let that sink in.
The more accomplished you are, the more pressure you carry and for so many women, that pressure doesn’t build confidence.
It breeds a deep, internal self-doubt that doesn’t go away with another promotion, another raise, or another win.
But let’s be clear: For a lot of us, this isn’t a mindset problem.
It’s a safety problem.
We were never taught to trust our voice.
To take up space.
To feel emotionally safe in rooms not built for us.
And when psychological safety is missing?
Confidence isn’t just hard - it’s impossible.
That’s exactly why, in this final episode of our special edition LIFE podcast series, I knew I had to sit down with Dr. Kasi Lacey - a fellow confidence coach with a powerful story and decades of experience guiding women through the exact challenges we’re unpacking today.
Kasi helps high-achieving women build unshakable confidence, speak up without fear, and lead with authenticity - especially when the environments around them feel anything but safe.
Together, we’re digging deep into the real root of self-doubt and how to stop shrinking in spaces that were never meant to keep you small.
Because here’s the thing: Being in an unhealthy work environment is like staying in a toxic relationship “for the kids.”
It chips away at your self-worth.
It erodes your voice.
And it teaches you to question your own brilliance.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re only as good as your last accomplishment or like you’re walking a tightrope, one wrong move away from being “found out” - this episode is for you.
You'll walk away with:
✅ A breakdown of Kasi’s 5-step framework to overcome self-doubt and reclaim your confidence
✅ A truth bomb on why your 90,000 hours at work mean you can’t afford to stay small
✅ The real reason why men apply at 60% qualified and women wait until they’re at 95%-100%
✅ How to spot when your environment is unsafe, and what to do about it
✅ Mic drop moments on emotional safety, identity grief, people-pleasing, and rebuilding your voice
✅ The permission you didn’t know you needed to stop doubting yourself and start doubting your doubt
You don’t need to become more confident to earn your place.
You need to start believing you already belong.
Let us help you with that.
LINKS:
Loved the episode? Tag @elyseconroy + @drkasilacey with your favorite mic drop moment.
If you’re ambitious, driven, and juggling more than most while feeling like you need 100 naps to cure your exhaustion, this episode is for you.
Because burnout doesn’t always look like collapse.
Sometimes it looks like showing up, smiling, checking the boxes while secretly running on fumes.
In our 4th episode of the special edition LIFE Podcast series, we’re pulling back the curtain on why so many ambitious, high-achieving women burnout & how to break free of this toxic cycle.
I’m joined by Ellyn Schinke, a former scientist turned the #1 burnout coach on Google.
She’s the creator of the Burnout-Proof Business Program and host of the Burnout-Proof Podcast.
Featured in Fast Company, The New York Times, and on stage with LinkedIn, Ellyn is a powerhouse voice on sustainable success.
In this conversation, we’re diving into:
💥 Why burnout hits high performers the hardest
🧠 Why traditional productivity advice is making it worse
⚡ How to plan your day without burning out your energy, your body, or your purpose
This episode isn’t about doing less.
It’s about doing it differently so your success doesn’t cost you your sanity.
Listen now. Your energy deserves a comeback.
LINKS:
Welcome back to LIFE — a special edition podcast series inside The Confidence Lounge, where we get real about the things ambitious women are told to leave at the office door.
The messy human stuff we’re expected to hide while showing up with a smile, a blowout, and a perfectly color-coded calendar.
In Episode 3, we’re digging into something so many women silently struggle with: Why we stress eat after a bad day at work and how to confidently take back control around food.
I’m joined by Amber Abila, an overeating coach & host of the Become a Confident Eater Podcast.
Amber helps women stop binge eating and overeating by rewiring their brains without relying on shame, willpower, or restriction.
If you’ve ever come home after a draining day and found yourself standing in front of the fridge thinking, “I deserve this,” you’re not alone.
For so many of us, food becomes a socially acceptable escape hatch from work stress and burnout.
But what if stress eating isn’t actually about the food?
What if your cravings are trying to tell you something deeper about your career and how safe you feel in your own body?
In this conversation, Amber and I are pulling back the curtain on:
This episode isn’t about discipline.
It’s about learning to meet your real needs, building emotional resilience, and taking back your power around food - especially when work feels hard.
If food has become your after-hours therapist, or if you’re tired of pretending everything’s fine while stress weighs on your body, this conversation is your permission to do things differently.
Let’s dive in.
LINKS:
💚 Connect With Amber On Instagram: @theconfidenteater_
💚 Join Amber's Free Support Group: Join here
💚 Visit Amber's Website: theconfidenteater.org
🎁 Free Gift: Get instant access to her guided audio: “Get Through an Urge WITHOUT Eating” → Download here
🎙 Listen to Amber's podcast Become a Confident Eater → Tune in here