Michael interviews keynote speaker and USA Today bestselling author Simone Knego about her new book, Real Confidence, and why confidence is built like a skill rather than something you’re born with. Simone shares her journey as a mom of six, becoming a grandmother, and a pivotal 2015 decision to climb Mount Kilimanjaro that helped her reframe self-doubt and capability. She explains her REAL method—Respect yourself, Embrace your failures, Ask yourself what you want, and Live without limits—plus a practical “control-alt-delete” reset to change unhelpful thoughts and habits. They discuss high achievers’ confidence gaps, dropping “just” from self-talk, psychological safety and connection at work, and how leaders can use AI without losing human culture.

Timestamps:

00:24 Welcome and Guest Intro
01:23 Simone Journey and Book
03:29 Kilimanjaro Confidence Shift
06:12 Reframing Self Worth
06:54 The Confidence Gap
08:35 REAL Method Overview
09:17 Respect Yourself First
10:40 Embrace Failure to Grow
13:01 Ask What You Want
17:20 Living Without Limits
18:47 Control Alt Delete Method
20:08 Rewrite Your Inner Story
21:35 Thrive At Work Teams
24:17 Imposter Syndrome Promotions
27:06 Drop The Just Rule
29:38 Three Confidence Takeaways
31:23 AI And Company Culture
33:18 AI Confidence Risks
34:43 Where To Find Simone
35:14 Final Thanks And Wrap

Connect with Simone:
https://simoneknego.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/simoneknego/