In this episode, Cindy Esliger addresses what it takes to build a fulfilling career and how it’s not necessarily the most talented or best-connected people who achieve fulfillment. It’s about cultivating intentionality and setting a vision to act on. She explains how to do the work when it’s uncomfortable and to stop waiting for the perfect moment to arrive before we start acting on our goals. Cindy offers a guide for not just having a plan but acting on it without holding out for a mysterious invitation or ideal moment.

There is a tendency to wait for the perfect conditions before forging ahead into the progress we want to see in our careers. But waiting for life to beckon us in is futile. Building the career we want starts by just taking a step forward on a random Tuesday. It’s about doing something today, even if it’s slightly uncomfortable. Cindy offers advice on how we can create momentum to make the first steps less daunting. Once we start moving, we build self-trust and confidence, the foundation of success.

Cindy explores why adaptability is essential to building our careers, but why adaptation without direction will allow us to be blown off-course. We need to develop a steady core that includes our values and sense of purpose to create anchors for ourselves. She discusses cultivating mentorship, understanding what energizes us, and developing mental strength instead of relying on luck. Her guidance shows us the path to creating the career that matters most to us.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Guide to Doing What It Takes
• Astronomic Audio
• Confidence Collective

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Contact Cindy Esliger 

Career Confidence Coaching: website | instagram | facebook | linkedin | email

In this episode, Cindy Esliger talks about reframing challenges into opportunities for growth. The challenges that pop up in the workplace over and over can erode our confidence in the long run, but what Cindy wants us to know is that we have the power to shape what the challenges mean. They can be empowering instead of destructive if we view them the right way. How do we transform struggles into power? How do we use the challenges to our benefit? 

Amid the confusion and frustration of workplace struggles lies a profound opportunity. While we can’t control other people or circumstances that arise, we can control our own responses and interpretations of the experience. Cindy walks us through ten steps on how to build a stronger foundation for success from the struggles and setbacks we encounter. 1) Acknowledge the hurt. 2) Accept that people will behave according to their fears, not our merits. 3) Reframe setbacks as stepping stones. 

Cindy continues explaining how to build success from challenges. 4) Master the stories we tell ourselves. 5) Identify patterns and learn from them. 6) Distill lessons into personal wisdom. 7) Adjust our beliefs and behaviors. 8) Build and protect resilience. 9) Shift from blame to ownership. And 10) Choose intentional action every step of the way. Cindy guides us through these ten steps because, as she says, “you have the power to make this the beginning of your transformation”. We are the only ones who get to decide what’s next for ourselves.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Guide to Turning Setbacks Into Success
• Astronomic Audio
• Confidence Collective

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Contact Cindy Esliger 

Career Confidence Coaching: website | instagram | facebook | linkedin | email

In this episode, Cindy Esliger explores emotional exhaustion, the extreme weariness that makes everything feel like just another item on an endless to-do list. It’s a common lived reality, and Cindy addresses what it feels like and how it can snowball into impacting everything from work quality to health. However, it can be managed. There is a way to reframe setbacks and find the good among the chaos, a way to regain control and prioritize our well-being, that Cindy lays out for us. 

How do we know if we’re in the midst of emotional exhaustion? Cindy shares four telltale signs that we’re running on empty: 1) Struggling to find joy, 2) Increased resilience on distractions, 3) Feeling stuck or hopeless, and 4) Numbness. She assures us that not only is emotional exhaustion not a personal failing, but everyone feels it at some point. But just because it’s normal doesn’t mean we have to stay stuck in it.

Cindy asks us to remember that bad things will happen, but we can choose to find something good to focus on. We can also assess what’s draining us by using these four tips on how to decide whether we’re putting energy into the right things: 1) Take inventory, 2) Solve or shift, 3) Break the pattern, and 4) Restore energy. When we shift from trying to control outcomes to focusing on our responses and energy allocation, we have the key to maintaining resilience and progress. 

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Guide to Turning Exhaustion Into Empowerment
• Astronomic Audio
• Confidence Collective

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Contact Cindy Esliger 

Career Confidence Coaching: website | instagram | facebook | linkedin | email

In this episode, Cindy Esliger encourages us to examine our reasons for leaving a job to make sure we’re moving from a place of strength and not defeat. Are we running from an intolerable situation or running toward something better? Cindy walks us through what both look like and why taking the time to move toward something with intention is better for our careers. So while leaving a bad job because it’s draining us is a good move, make sure we’re leaving with a step towards the next thing we want instead of just fleeing. 

The problem with just slapping down a letter of resignation and walking away dramatically without a goal in mind is that the satisfaction is temporary. When we impulsively run, we may fall into the same mess, just with a different title somewhere else. There’s value in forming a clear vision of what we want next before handing in that resignation so we leave on our terms, confidently, instead of rushing out in overwhelm. 

Cindy talks us through how to take stock of our current situation, why we’re leaving, and how to decide what comes next. What lessons have we learned from this intolerable place that we’re identifying so we can avoid them in the future? Once we have a clear vision, we can leave the past and enter the new role with purpose. Cindy offers five strategies for making the transition smoother: 1) Give ourselves time, 2) Set realistic expectations, 3) Reward ourselves for having courage, 4) Stay curious, and 5) Reflect regularly. With intention, we can leave something bad with the purpose of heading toward something better instead of just running. 

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Guide to Making Confident Career Moves
• Astronomic Audio
• Confidence Collective

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Contact Cindy Esliger 

Career Confidence Coaching: website | instagram | facebook | linkedin | email

In this episode, Cindy Esliger discusses the internal voices we listen to that can prove to be one of the most insidious obstacles in navigating our workplaces. She examines how our own negative thoughts and overthinking can sabotage even the most accomplished professionals. So, how do we learn to question our own thoughts? How can we learn to separate facts from fiction in our own minds to embrace self-empowerment and move forward confidently? Cindy is here to help.

Our own unchallenged thoughts can impair our decision-making and make us easy targets for manipulation. But just because we think a thing doesn’t mean it’s true. We need to learn to question some of our thoughts, especially the negative ones. To challenge the limiting beliefs with tangible evidence. Changing thought patterns isn’t easy, but Cindy offers three strategies to help: 1) Practice daily thought audits, 2) Get a second opinion, and 3) Focus on progress, not perfection. 

Cindy posits that reframing our questions doesn’t just change answers, it changes mindset. It shifts focus from fear to possibility. Because negative thoughts aren’t just inconvenient but damaging, it’s important to build our resilience and develop tools to challenge our thoughts. Cindy shares three ways to build that mental muscle: 1) Stay curious, not critical, 2) Normalize self-reflection regularly, and 3) Focus on the progress. Once we are able to build mental resilience, Cindy leads us through practical tools for moving forward. This episode guides us in challenging our own negative thoughts so we don’t just believe everything we think, but counter our limiting beliefs with facts.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Guide to Questioning Your Thinking
• Astronomic Audio
• Confidence Collective

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Contact Cindy Esliger 

Career Confidence Coaching: website | instagram | facebook | linkedin | email

In this episode, Cindy Esliger talks about choosing to opt out of toxic dynamics in the workplace. We don’t need to continue trying to win the approval of toxic coworkers. We can disengage and break free from the harmful patterns. It isn’t about giving up, it’s an act of self-protection and empowerment. Cindy explains how to identify toxic dynamics and provides guidance on how to step back and reclaim our control and confidence.

To help us see the truth behind motives, Cindy identifies five common tactics used to camouflage toxic behavior: 1) Manipulation, 2) Gaslighting, 3) Devaluing others, 4) Entitlement, and 5) Dismissiveness. These behaviors are often subtle and cumulative. Over time, they play into our self-doubt and create a toxic atmosphere. To turn our attention away from them and back to what we can control, Cindy offers these steps: 1) Reframe our role, 2) Detach emotionally, and 3) Reclaim our narrative.

In the effort to disengage, toxic people can have extreme reactions, which make the effort more challenging. Cindy offers four ways to stay grounded while reclaiming our control: 1) Stop trying to change them, 2) Hold boundaries, 3) Stop feeding the cycle, and 4) Redirect energy. Once we have successfully disengaged from the toxic workplace scenario, we can focus on healing and growth. While toxic workplaces are draining and demoralizing, they don’t have to hold us hostage. This episode shows how to get our power back. 

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Guide to Disengaging from Toxic Workplace Dynamics
• Astronomic Audio
• Confidence Collective

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Contact Cindy Esliger 

Career Confidence Coaching: website | instagram | facebook | linkedin | email

In this episode, Cindy Esliger discusses the cycle of unrealistic expectations and false promises that keeps us striving indefinitely. It’s not just exhausting, it feeds into a culture that thrives on our self-doubt and overwork. We’re left blaming ourselves instead of identifying the truth, which Cindy explains isn’t us but the system that maintains control with ever-moving goalposts. How do we break free from this unending grind? Cindy tells us how to create an authentic and fulfilling career independent of other people’s arbitrary standards. 

Cindy calls the coercive control loop of false promises ‘future faking’. It erodes our confidence and fosters burnout. Continuing to shift the goalposts is designed to keep us striving but never arriving. It’s a demoralizing control tactic that is used to maintain control and keep us off-balance. When we let it get to us, we start doubting ourselves, which causes us to double down in effort. Cindy says the first step to stop playing the game is recognizing that we don’t have to prove our worth, and the second step is to redefine what success means to us. 

There are three common patterns that prevent us from taking back our power. 1) Unrealistic expectations, 2) Invisible work, and 3) Toxic dynamics. When we can identify those patterns, we can see them for what they are and reclaim our confidence and agency. Cindy offers a roadmap for how to acknowledge future faking and stop internalizing the problem. With her guidance, we can shift the power dynamic and choose ourselves, our goals, our values, and our well-being instead of playing a rigged game.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Guide to Stop Hanging On To False Promises
• Astronomic Audio
• Confidence Collective

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Contact Cindy Esliger 

Career Confidence Coaching: website | instagram | facebook | linkedin | email

In this episode, Cindy Esliger examines the fine line between honesty and encouragement when offering advice. While we don’t want to ignore challenges or sugarcoat reality for others, we also shouldn’t crush their dreams prematurely by offering too much realism that comes across as pessimism. How do we encourage others while still offering constructive insights to help refine their path? Cindy offers a way forward through reframing the conversation in curiosity and empowering others to see potential instead of doubt. 

When we reflect on our experiences and offer advice like “don’t get your hopes up” or “it’s harder than it looks” we may think we’re protecting someone from disappointment by being realistic. In reality, however, we’re letting our own insecurities or cultural conditioning towards skepticism deflate their confidence. Cindy offers three reasons why telling people their dreams won’t work is a waste of energy: 1) They’ll figure it out for themselves, 2) We might be wrong, and 3) We’re robbing them of growth. 

Cindy differentiates honesty from negativity and reframes our advice-giving with curiosity instead of cold realism. She suggests a line of questions about why they’re excited or how they’ll approach challenges. There are ways to be honest without crushing dreams. Cindy shares four strategies for how to answer honestly while also making it easier to take in: 1) Validate first, prepare later, 2) Frame feedback constructively, 3) Encourage self-reflection, and 4) Resist the urge to over-prepare them. Fostering possibility is good for everyone.  

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Guide to Empowering Possibilities
• Astronomic Audio
• Confidence Collective

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Contact Cindy Esliger 

Career Confidence Coaching: website | instagram | facebook | linkedin | email

In this episode, Cindy Esliger talks about the social window, the fleeting time that occurs during the first few weeks in a new environment, when people are more open to connection and bonding. The social window won’t last forever, so it’s important to take advantage of it to build relationships, establish influence, and form a supportive network. What is the best way to use the social window to our career advantage, and what should we expect while trying? Cindy explains the process.

The social window offers the easiest time for us to engage in networking. There is a fleeting openness in it that creates a low-stakes environment for relationship building. Cindy shares five ways to make the most of the opportunity: 1) Be proactive, not passive, 2) Join group activities, 3) Leverage shared hardships, 4) Focus on quality over quantity, and 5) Follow up. 

Cindy discusses being intentional about the social window by deciding what we want to accomplish and forming a plan. Having goals will help prioritize our efforts when meeting new people. She suggests reframing our perspective to see introductions as a career investment instead of as a series of awkward moments. If we don’t take advantage of this time, real consequences can follow. Cindy identifies three of the most common: 1) Feeling out of place, 2) Missed career opportunities, and 3) Undermined confidence.  

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Guide to Building Connections That Last
• Astronomic Audio
• Confidence Collective

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Contact Cindy Esliger 

Career Confidence Coaching: website | instagram | facebook | linkedin | email

In this episode, Cindy Esliger discusses the value of reflecting on our past experiences as a guide to navigating a more empowered future. Looking backward can teach us a lot. When we reflect on what we’ve been through, we can see unfinished business, repeated patterns, and things we’ve also done right. All these things become a strategic tool for forward thinking. But how do we look back without wallowing in regret or spiralling? And how do we use our experiences in the future? 

Backwards reflection isn’t just about wishing we’d done things differently; it’s about gathering data. Unfinished business doesn’t stay in the past. It follows us into the future, undermining our confidence and sabotaging our career success. Reflection allows for analysis and reframing of the situation. Cindy has five ways to avoid falling into regret while reflecting: 1) Acknowledge what we wanted, 2) Allow ourselves to feel, 3) Separate fact from fiction, 4) Extract the lesson, and 5) Apply the lesson learned. 

Cindy gives us a guide for turning reflection into a powerful move for future success. Instead of stifling feelings about past experiences, she encourages us to process the feelings to clear the way for growth. By keeping reflection focused, we gain clarity. Identifying what we learned allows us to decide how to apply it moving forward. Cindy walks us through looking backwards with a clear purpose in order to shed light on the best way to proceed in our careers. Reflection isn’t about regret, it’s about resilience and capability. 

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Guide to Turn Past Lessons Into Future Wins
• Astronomic Audio
• Confidence Collective

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Contact Cindy Esliger 

Career Confidence Coaching: website | instagram | facebook | linkedin | email