Unshakable Confidence: Helping High-Achieving Women Lead with Calm, Clarity, and Confidence—at Work and in Life

44: From Fortune 500 to Freedom: My Interview on Lead with Dr. Ralph Hughes

Coco Duan, Fortune 500 Senior Executive Turned Life & Leadership Coach Episode 44

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 This week, I’m sharing a powerful conversation I had on Lead with Dr. Ralph Hughes—and we went deep.

Dr. Ralph invited me to share my journey from being a senior executive to coaching, and the pivotal mindset shifts that changed everything—from burnout and people-pleasing to boundaries, purpose, and unshakable confidence.

In this episode, we unpack:

 ✅ My exit from 20+ years at Nike, Walmart, Chewy, and Coupang—and what finally pushed me to walk away
 ✅ Why emotional intelligence is the key to real leadership (not squeezing more out of people)
 ✅ The two practices that saved me from burnout—and still anchor my life today
 ✅ The real confidence killers: self-criticism, people-pleasing, and tying your worth to your job title
 ✅ The “Achievement Board” technique I use with clients to rewire their internal thermostat for success
 ✅ Why I stopped living on autopilot—and started designing a life I actually want
 ✅ And some very real stories… including road rage and a stolen scooter (yes, really)

At the heart of it all is this: When you shift your thoughts, you shift your reality.

The moment you move from reactive to intentional… everything begins to change.

Tune in to hear the full story—and walk away with inspiration and practical tools to lead powerfully and live authentically. 

  • Coco Duan helps high-achieving women executives who secretly doubt themselves to lead powerfully and live authentically by building unshakable confidence.


  • I'd love to invite you to take the next step toward building your Unshakable Confidence.
    • I'm offering a free 45-minute consultation call where we’ll explore how I can support you in leading powerfully and living authentically—on your terms.
    • 👉 Just email me at Coco@CocoDuanCoaching.com with the subject line: “Consultation.”
  • Let’s discover what’s possible for you. 💫