#upYourConfidence is a podcast brought to you by a woman and it is designed to benefit women of all professions and ages. It is the destination podcast for female listeners seeking to build their self-esteem for maximized leadership skills and high performance at work and in life.
The host, Lisette Zounon is dedicated to creating a podcast that serves to equip, empower, elevate and enhance confidence in women all over the world. Through this podcast, she aims to inspire women so that they can leverage their confidence as the key ingredient to reaching their God-given full potential.
In this episode, Lisette Zounon explores an often-overlooked leadership tool: strategic darkness. Far from being about loneliness or isolation, it’s a purposeful technique to foster innovation, clarity, and problem-solving by intentionally withdrawing from noise and distraction.
Discover how leaders and creators can harness silence to elevate their thinking, decision-making, and creativity.
In this episode:
The true meaning of strategic darkness and how it differs from isolation
The science behind silence and how it promotes deep thinking and pattern recognition
Personal stories of retreats, hotel stays, and other strategies to implement strategic darkness
How top leaders like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and monks utilize silence for innovation
Practical steps to create your own strategic darkness routine
The surprising connection between fasting and enhanced mental clarity
Tips on how to protect your thinking time amidst constant distraction
The importance of staying with a problem longer for meaningful solutions
The myth of leadership as nonstop activity and the emphasis on deliberate retreat
25 May 2026
The Secret Skill Most Women Never Learn for Effective Executive Readiness
Most women in leadership are misread—not for lack of competence, but because they haven't mastered the subtle art of balancing internal power with external influence. I
In this episode, Lisette Zounon , our host reveals the game-changing difference between strong presence and executive presence—and how understanding this gap can transform the way women lead at the highest levels.
You'll discover why strong presence, rooted in confidence and identity, can sometimes be mistaken for intimidation—and how to reframe it as an inspiring force for influence.
Lisette unpacks the critical components of executive presence: credibility, strategic communication, emotional regulation, and how to leverage them without losing authenticity.
She shares concrete tactics for managing energy before high-stakes meetings, framing decision-making with collaborative language, and closing conversations with clarity and impact.
We break down essential skills like reading room dynamics, navigating political intelligence, and using silence and calm body language to command authority—without alienating others.
Whether you're stepping into your first executive role or looking to refine your influence as a seasoned leader, this episode offers practical frameworks to elevate your leadership presence and deepen trust.
If you're ready to harness your internal power and turn it into genuine influence—without shrinking or overperforming—this episode is your playbook.
Perfect for ambitious women ready to lead with authenticity and impact. Tune in, level up your confidence, and unlock your full leadership potential.
16 Apr 2026
Planned Grieving: How I Learned to Grieve Without Losing Myself
Grief does not wait for the right moment.
It shows up in the middle of transitions, growth, travel, deadlines, and responsibilities.
In this episode, I share what the last few years have looked like behind the scenes. Losing my father during what was supposed to be a defining summer. Losing my job while relocating internationally and expanding my business. Losing my brother in the middle of a demanding work assignment where I still had to show up, train, and perform.
There was no pause. No perfect time to stop.
So I had to learn a different way to process it.
I talk about what I now call planned grieving — the decision to create space for your emotions instead of letting them take over your life unexpectedly.
From taking three intentional weeks to grieve, to spending ten days alone journaling and resetting, to building a weekly self-care routine that allows me to stay grounded, this episode is about learning how to carry grief without losing yourself.
This is not about slowing down your ambition.It is about sustaining it.
What You Will Learn
Why grief often shows up at the worst possible time
What happens when you suppress emotions while still performing
The concept of planned grieving and why it works
How to process grief without disrupting your responsibilities
Why high performers need emotional structure, not avoidance
How to create your own space to feel, reset, and move forward
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
11,760
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
18 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 49 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
17
Social presence
91
YouTube
85
Engagement
71
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