Karen Laos joins host Eunicia Peret for a powerful conversation about finding your voice, asking for what you want, and learning to command a room, whether in a board meeting or a high-stakes conversation. Karen shares the personal moment that launched her mission to help millions of women silence self-doubt and speak with clarity and confidence. Together, they explore why even successful professionals get tongue-tied, how assumptions derail relationships, and why knowing your audience might matter more than knowing all the answers. From vocal presence to mindset shifts, this episode is filled with real-life strategies to help you speak up, stand tall, and trust yourself, at work and in life.

Key Takeaways:

Confidence isn’t just a feeling: It’s built through preparation, body language, and intentional pauses

Assumptions can cost us deeply: Never underestimate the power of asking the hard question

Warmth builds trust faster than competence: People want to feel safe before they’ll listen

Pausing is a power move: It gives your words weight and your audience time to absorb them

Control is often an illusion: Letting go of the need to know everything opens the door to real connection

Recording yourself is a growth hack: You can’t fix what you don’t realize you’re doing

Clarity wins over perfection: Know your bottom line and lead with it

Speak to serve, not to impress: Flip the focus from yourself to your audience

Timeline Summary:

[00:00:00] Meet Karen and her mission to impact 10 million women

[00:02:00] The moment she froze in a boardroom, and what it taught her

[00:05:00] What confidence really looks like (it’s not what you think)

[00:07:00] How to build trust quickly using body language and warmth

[00:10:00] Why filler words happen, and how to stop them

[00:13:00] Getting over the fear of saying “I don’t know”

[00:16:00] The three things humans want most: to be right, look good, and feel in control

[00:20:00] The trap of trying to be right, and what it really costs you

[00:24:00] How to think on your feet under pressure

[00:28:00] Speaking from alignment instead of performance

[00:30:00] Karen’s biggest regret, and the lesson she teaches because of it

[00:33:00] The “BLUF” method for clear communication

[00:35:00] Final thoughts on clarity, confidence, and credibility

Ep117: Karen Laos on How to Speak Up Without Apologizing