With Karen D. The Podcast.
by Karen Donaldson
With Karen D. The Podcast. Hosted by Karen Donaldson, certified neuroscience-backed confidence, communication, and peak performance coach to leaders, C-suite executives, celebrities, athletes, and high-net-worth individuals worldwide. Sought-after guest expert for HuffPost, ABC, FOX, NBC, Citytv, Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health, Entrepreneur .com and more. This podcast pulls back the curtain on how to speak with authority, stay grounded under pressure, stop overthinking, and show up as the most powerful version of yourself. No fluff. No filters. Real conversations + tools that actually stick. Coach Karen D is pulling back the curtain to bring those same confidence, communication, and high-performance strategies straight to you. With Karen D. The Podcast is for driven individuals who are ready to take control of their responses, strengthen their presence, elevate their communication, and operate with clarity and power in eve
Episodes
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Stop Letting Fear of Judgment Hold You Back
ave you ever held yourself back from speaking up, stepping into a new opportunity, or simply being yourself because you were worried about what other people might think? Here's the truth: People are going to judge you. And that's okay. In this episode, I'm challenging you to rethink your...
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Your Brain Is Lying to You! 3 Ways to Break Limiting Beliefs
Who the heck told you that you weren't good enough, smart enough, qualified enough or capable of doing that thing you've been wanting to do? And more importantly, why are you still believing them? In this episode, Karen D. is calling out the limiting beliefs that quietly run our lives, including...
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How to Stay Calm and Confident Under Pressure (5 Techniques That Actually Work)
Ever notice how your body suddenly decides to act up right before something important? Your heart starts racing, your hands get sweaty and your brain starts questioning everything you've spent weeks preparing for. And now you're nervous about being nervous…wonderful. In this episode, Karen D. is...
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Feeling Stuck in Life? 3 Beliefs You Need to Drop to Break Through Your Plateau
How many times have you told somebody that you're stuck, things have plateaued or nothing seems to be moving? Well, Karen D. has a question for you. How long are you planning to keep telling yourself that story? In this episode, Karen challenges three beliefs that can quietly sabotage your...
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How to Finally Set Boundaries that Stick (The Truth No One Talks About)
You don’t have a boundary problem. You have a follow-through problem. Because saying, “I don’t like when you do that” means absolutely nothing when your behavior keeps telling people, “But I’ll tolerate it anyway.” In this episode of With Karen D. The Podcast, Karen is cutting through the...
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Can’t Organize Your Thoughts? 4 Ways to Focus Your Mind and Speak Clearly
Ever start answering a question and halfway through think, “Where the hell was I going with this?” Your brain has 72 tabs open, your mouth is moving faster than your thoughts and now everybody is coming along for the ride. In this quick episode, Karen D. gives you four practical techniques to get...
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How to Stay Calm When Someone Is Trying to Trigger You | 3 Tactics That Actually Work
Some people can get on your last damn nerve before you've even finished your morning coffee. But here's the bigger question: why are we giving difficult people that much access to us? In this episode, Karen D. breaks down how to stay calm and grounded when someone is pushing your buttons,...
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Here’s How to Stop Handing Over Control of Your Emotions
Stop Matching People’s Energy: How to Stay Calm, Powerful, and in Control Matching someone’s negative energy might feel like strength, but it’s actually a sign you’ve handed over control. In this episode of With Karen D.The Podcast, Karen Donaldson explains why reacting to other people’s moods…
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Feel Like You’re Behind in Life? You’re Probably Following Someone Else’s Timeline
Who decided where you were supposed to be by now? If you’ve been looking at other people’s careers, relationships, money, businesses or accomplishments and quietly thinking, “I’m behind,” Karen D. has a question for you: behind compared to whom? This episode gets into inherited timelines,...
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Stop Pretending to Be Confident (Do This Instead)
pretending you've got it all together. The problem is... pretending is exhausting. In this episode of With Karen D. The Podcast, I'm challenging one of the most common pieces of advice in personal development: "Fake it till you make it." I don't buy it, where should you and it's BS! When you…
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The F-Word That's Ruining Your Life (It's Not What You Think)
Fear has one job; to convince you not to move. In this episode, Karen Donaldson explores why so many people stay stuck waiting to feel confident, how fear quietly shapes the decisions we make, and why changing your focus can completely change your future. Through personal stories and practical...
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How Small Actions Lead to BIG Confidence
Karen D shares powerful insights on building confidence, overcoming setbacks, and taking decisive action to achieve success. This episode emphasizes that confidence is a skill you can train and that waiting for perfection is a trap. Make sure to subscribe, like and turn on your notifications so…
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SELF-CONFIDENCE CRASH COURSE: HOW TO HAVE KICK BUTT CONFIDENCE
What if confidence isn't something you feel, but something you build? Most people wait until they feel confident before taking action. That's the mistake that's keeping them stuck. In this episode of With Karen D. The Podcast, Karen Donaldson challenges one of the biggest myths in personal...
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Always Busy? Here's Why You Can't Slow Down
Have you ever sat down to relax... only to feel guilty five minutes later? For many people, slowing down creates anxiety instead of peace. The moment they stop, they feel restless, unproductive, or like they should be doing something else. In this episode, Karen Donaldson explores why so many...
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The 10-Second Breathing Trick That Changes Everything
Anxiety and fear can appear when you least expect them, especially during high-pressure moments. In this episode, Karen Donaldson shares three practical techniques that can help you regain control, calm your nervous system, and stay focused when stress starts to take over. You'll learn how the...
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How to Stay Confident and Unbothered: (even if you’re usually not)
What does it really mean to be confident and unbothered, especially when you don’t feel that way? In this episode of With Karen D. The Podcast, Karen Donaldson explains why confidence isn’t a feeling you wait for and why matching someone’s negative energy doesn’t make you powerful. It gives them...
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How to Instantly Look 10x More Confident
How to Instantly Look 10X More Confident (Even If You Don't Feel It) Confidence isn't just about how you feel; it's about how you show up. In this episode, Karen Donaldson shares practical body language, communication, and mindset strategies that will help you instantly appear more confident in...
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How to Master Networking in 12 Minutes (Even If You Hate Networking)
Networking doesn't have to feel awkward, forced, or exhausting. In this episode, Karen D. shares practical strategies to help you confidently start conversations, build genuine relationships, and make networking feel natural. You'll learn how to ask better questions, reduce networking anxiety,...
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Some of The Best Advice on With Karen D, The Podcast
In this episode, Karen Donaldson explores how body language reveals your inner state, the importance of managing distractions, building and what confidence actually is and discipline. Make sure to subscribe, like and turn on your notifications so you know every time a brand new With Karen D. The...
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How to Calm Anxiety Fast: 5 Tools to Use Before Fight-or-Flight Takes Over
How to Calm Anxiety Fast: 5 Tools to Use Before Fight-or-Flight Takes Over If anxiety tends to hit fast and hard, this episode will give you 5 practical calming tools to use before fight-or-flight fully takes over. Karen Donaldson breaks down simple in-the-moment techniques to regulate your…
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How to Stop Getting Triggered So Easily
Are you easily triggered, constantly offended, or emotionally drained by other people's words and actions? In this episode, Karen D explores what actually happens in your brain when you're triggered, why taking offense is often a habit, and how to retrain yourself to move from reaction mode into...
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How to Stop Breaking Under Pressure and What to Do Instead with Cody Jefferson
In this powerful episode, Karen Donaldson sits down with Cody Jefferson, personal and executive leadership transformation coach to 7, 8, and 9 figure founders, for an honest conversation about resilience, redefining success, emotional strength, and rebuilding yourself when life or business no...
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Ep. 26: The Power of Silence and Communication
In this episode, Karen Donaldson teaches you how mastering silence can transform your leadership presence, influence, and communication skills. breaking down the psychology behind over-talking, the strategic use of pauses, and how to stay grounded under pressure—essential skills for impactful...
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Ep. 25: 5 Grounding Techniques to Help You Command Any Room
This episode, Karen Donaldson, explores the critical role of body language in executive presence, emphasizing how non-verbal cues influence perception and authority. Learn practical tips to manage nervous system responses, project confidence, and command rooms with grounded, intentional…
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Ep 24: Stop Saying These Things in Meetings (They Quietly Kill Your Authority)
Stop Saying These Things in Meetings: The Boardroom Series. Part 1 Some of the smartest people in the room unintentionally sound the weakest, not because they lack intelligence, but because their language leaks nervousness, overexplaining, approval-seeking energy, and emotional discomfort. In…
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Ep. 23: Stop Calling It Anxiety: What’s Really Happening to You
Not every activated feeling means you have social anxiety. In this episode of With Karen D. The Podcast, Karen Donaldson breaks down the difference between social anxiety and an overactive nervous system. Learn why your body reacts before your thoughts sometimes, how labels shape identity, and...
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Ep. 22: The Real Reason You Lack Confidence (No One Tells You This)
Most people think confidence is something you feel before you act. It’s not. In this episode of With Karen D. The Podcast, Karen Donaldson breaks down why hesitation keeps you stuck and how to shift it. Through a simple confidence audit, you’ll learn how self-belief and identity shape your…
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Ep. 21: Rewire Your Brain for Confidence: 5 Steps to Stop Hesitating
Hesitation isn’t a lack of confidence, it’s a pattern your brain has learned. In this episode of With Karen D. The Podcast, Karen Donaldson breaks down how hesitation forms and how to rewire your brain for action using a simple 5-step approach. Learn how to recognize your patterns, interrupt...
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Ep.20: The Truth About Boundaries: Why Yours Aren’t Being Respected
Most people think setting boundaries is about saying them out loud. It’s not, it’s about enforcing them. In this episode of With Karen D. The Podcast, Karen Donaldson breaks down why boundaries often fail and the part most people avoid: consistency. Learn how to communicate limits clearly without...
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Ep. 19: Why You Feel Off (And How to Get Back to Yourself)
Feeling off isn’t random, it’s a signal. In this episode of With Karen D. The Podcast, Karen Donaldson breaks down why you don’t feel like yourself and what’s really going on beneath it. From comparison to second-guessing, she explains how you slowly disconnect from yourself and how to shift it....
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Ep. 18: Fix Your Confidence in 3 Minutes (Do This Every Morning)
Most people don’t lose confidence during the day they lose it before the day even starts. In this episode of With Karen D. The Podcast, Karen Donaldson breaks down a simple 3-minute reset to help you shift your mindset, body language, and actions before you leave the house. Learn how to change…
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Ep. 17: How To Be Assertive Without Sounding Aggressive
Most people think being assertive means speaking up more. That’s not the problem. The problem is how you come across when you do. In this episode of With Karen D. The Podcast, I break down the real difference between being assertive and being aggressive and why so many people either hold back to...
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Ep. 16: Kill Your Excuses
Most people think they’re stuck. They’re not, they’re just uncomfortable. In this episode of With Karen D. The Podcast, Karen Donaldson calls out the excuses that keep you playing small and challenges you to tell yourself the truth. Through three powerful self-check questions, she breaks down the...
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EP. 15: Change you "F" Word
Fear has a lot to say and most people listen to it without even realizing it. In this episode of With Karen D. The Podcast, Karen Donaldson calls out the quiet ways fear runs people’s decisions, keeps them stuck in hesitation, and convinces them to play smaller than they’re capable of. Karen...
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Ep. 14: Stop Saying This to Yourself: 5 Phrases That Are Quietly Destroying Your Confidence
The language you use with yourself shapes your confidence more than you realize. In this episode of With Karen D. The Podcast, Karen Donaldson breaks down five common phrases people say to themselves that quietly destroy self-belief and keep them stuck. Learn why phrases like “I should be further...
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Ep. 13: The Blueprint for Boundaries: How to Set Them and Actually Keep Them
Most people don’t struggle to set boundaries, they struggle to keep them. In this episode of With Karen D. The Podcast, Karen Donaldson shares a clear 4-step blueprint to create and maintain boundaries that actually protect your time, energy, and peace. Learn how to communicate your standards...
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Ep. 12: Trying To Feel Confident is a Waste of Time (Do This Instead)
Confidence isn’t a feeling you wait for, it’s a standard you build. In this episode of With Karen D. The Podcast, Karen Donaldson breaks down 5 non-negotiable behaviors that create real confidence and 2 contrarian ways to strengthen it faster. You’ll learn how to stop tying your worth to…
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Ep. 11: Respond With Confidence: Listen To This If You Want To Level Up Your Communication Skills
Respond With Confidence: Listen To This If You Want To Level Up Your Communication Skills Most people don’t lack confidence; they're using language that weakens their authority. In this episode of With Karen D. The Podcast, Karen Donaldson breaks down 7 phrases that make you sound unsure and what...
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Ep. 10: Stop Matching People’s Energy: How to Stay Calm, Powerful, and in Control
Stop Matching People’s Energy: How to Stay Calm, Powerful, and in Control Matching someone’s negative energy might feel like strength, but it’s actually a sign you’ve handed over control. In this episode of With Karen D.The Podcast, Karen Donaldson explains why reacting to other people’s moods…
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Ep. 9: Why Successful People Decide Fast (And How You Can Too)
Success isn’t about more information, it’s about deciding. In this episode of With Karen D. The Podcast, Karen Donaldson shares the core power move high performers make: intentional decision-making. She explains how to stop procrastinating, quiet overthinking, and build momentum by committing to...
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Ep. 8: What Happens when you don't fit the Mold
If you’ve ever been told you’re too different, too bold, or just not “right,” this episode is for you. In this honest and empowering conversation, I share my journey of being second-guessed in professional spaces,not because I wasn’t capable, but because I didn’t match people’s expectations. By…
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Ep.7: Why You Struggle With Charisma Under Pressure (It’s Not What You Think)
Most people don’t lack charisma, they just can’t access it under pressure. In this episode of With Karen D. The Podcast, Karen Donaldson breaks down the neuroscience behind why smart, capable people go blank, freeze, or feel flat in high-stakes moments. She explains how your nervous system…
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Ep.6: How to Become a Distraction-Free Bada$$ (The Focus Skill Most People Never Train)
In this episode of With Karen D. The Podcast, Karen Donaldson breaks down the real difference between high performers and people who stay distracted. It’s not talent or intelligence, it’s the willingness to manage distractions and train discipline on purpose. Learn how small, intentional actions,...
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Ep.5: The Lie About “Fake It Till You Make It” No One Talks About
“Fake it till you make it” sounds good until it starts costing you your peace. In this episode of With Karen D. The Podcast, Karen Donaldson challenges one of the most popular success myths and explains why pretending to be someone you’re not leads to anxiety, burnout, and deeper imposter…
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Ep.4: Confidence Is Not a Feeling. It’s a Skill (And You’ve Been Doing It Backwards)
Most people think confidence is a feeling, it’s not, and that belief is exactly why so many people stay stuck. In this episode of With Karen D. The Podcast, Karen Donaldson breaks down why waiting to feel confident before taking action is backwards and reveals the truth: confidence is an attitude...
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Bonus Episode: 3 Questions That Will Change Your 2026 (Before the Year Even Starts)
If you want 2026 to be different, it starts with the questions you’re willing to ask yourself now. In this bonus episode of With Karen D. The Podcast, Karen Donaldson challenges you to stop waiting and get honest about what actually worked, what didn’t, and what you’re ready to change. She walks...
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Ep.3: Addicted to Busy? Why Rest Feels So Hard (And How to Fix It)
Why can’t you slow down, even when you’re exhausted? In this episode of With Karen D. The Podcast, Karen Donaldson breaks down the neuroscience behind our addiction to busyness and why rest feels so uncomfortable for high performers. She reveals how dopamine keeps you stuck in “go mode,” why...
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Ep.2: The Truth About Fear No One Teaches You (Until Now)
In this episode, Karen Donaldson breaks down fear and anxiety and explains why self-management is the real skill behind confident performance. She shares three powerful techniques used by high achievers to calm the nervous system, maintain focus, and stay grounded under pressure. A practical...
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Ep.1: Why Waiting is a Lie and the Moment I Decided to Go and Get It
In this inaugural episode, Karen Donaldson shares the real story behind her rise from high school athlete to international confidence and communication coach trusted by leaders, celebrities, and high performers. She opens up about becoming a young mom, being counted out, and the moment she…
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About this show
With Karen D. The Podcast.
Hosted by Karen Donaldson, certified neuroscience-backed confidence, communication, and peak performance coach to leaders, C-suite executives, celebrities, athletes, and high-net-worth individuals worldwide.
Sought-after guest expert for HuffPost, ABC, FOX, NBC, Citytv, Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health, Entrepreneur .com and more.
This podcast pulls back the curtain on how to speak with authority, stay grounded under pressure, stop overthinking, and show up as the most powerful version of yourself. No fluff. No filters. Real conversations + tools that actually stick. Coach Karen D is pulling back the curtain to bring those same confidence, communication, and high-performance strategies straight to you.
With Karen D. The Podcast is for driven individuals who are ready to take control of their responses, strengthen their presence, elevate their communication, and operate with clarity and power in eve
Hosted by
Karen Donaldson
Categories