A Tip to Boost Credibility and Navigate Power Imbalances: 2 Minutes of Motivation | Live Greatly Podcast with Kristel Bauer
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A Tip to Boost Credibility and Navigate Power Imbalances
2 Minutes of Motivation with Kristel Bauer
n this episode of Two Minutes of Motivation, Kristel Bauer shares a powerful mindset shift to help you boost your credibility and navigate power imbalances in both your personal and professional life.
Drawing on insights from her conversation with Dr. Kate Mason, author of Powerfully Likeable, Kristel explores how “imposing syndrome” can cause people to unintentionally minimize their value—and how small changes in language and mindset can dramatically improve confidence, influence, and connection.
You’ll learn how to approach important conversations from a place of mutual respect, show up authentically, and stop putting others on a pedestal at the expense of your own worth.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
How to boost credibility at work and in relationships
Why minimizing your time and ideas weakens your influence
How “imposing syndrome” affects confidence
Ways to navigate power dynamics with authenticity
How to approach high-stakes conversations with self-respect
Who This Episode Is For:
This episode is for professionals, leaders, entrepreneurs, and high performers who want to:
Communicate with more confidence
Build strong professional relationships
Navigate workplace hierarchies effectively
Strengthen executive presence
Stop underselling their value
Hosted by Kristel Bauer, keynote speaker, performance expert, and creator of the Live Greatly podcast, this short episode offers practical tools you can apply immediately.
About the Host
Kristel Bauer is a corporate wellness and performance expert, keynote speaker, and TEDx speaker who delivers engaging, science-backed keynotes that drive measurable results for organizations. With a rare combination of clinical medical training and real-world business expertise, Kristel helps leaders and teams improve performance, resilience, well-being, and workplace culture—without burnout.
As an Integrative Medicine Fellow and Physician Assistant with clinical experience in Integrative Psychiatry, Kristel brings medical credibility and evidence-based insight to the stage. She translates cutting-edge research on mindset, behavior change, and peak performance into practical, actionable strategies audiences can immediately apply. Her high-energy keynotes are tailored to support leadership development, team engagement, productivity, and sustainable success—while inspiring audiences to “Live Greatly.”
Kristel is the award-winning author of Work-Life Tango: Finding Happiness, Harmony, and Peak Performance Wherever You Work (John Murray Business, November 19, 2024) and the creator and host of the globally ranked self-improvement podcast Live Greatly. She is a contributing writer for Entrepreneur, was named a Forbes Top 10 Social Media Influencer, and was recognized as a 2026 Top Impact Speaker by Real Leaders—highlighting her influence at the intersection of leadership, well-being, and business performance.
Kristel’s prior clients include AbbVie, BP, Cognizant Technology, General Mills, Home Depot, Santander Bank, among many more. She has appeared on major media outlets including NBC News Daily, ABC News Live, FOX Weather, ABC 7 Chicago, and WGN Daytime Chicago. Based in the Chicago area and available for engagements worldwide, Kristel Bauer is an ideal keynote speaker for conferences, events and leadership summits seeking a dynamic, medically credible voice on peak performance, happiness, well-being, and leadership in today’s workplace.
Learn more at: https://www.livegreatly.co
Edited Transcript
This transcript has been edited for clarity and readability.
Introduction
On today’s episode of Two Minutes of Motivation, I’m going to be sharing something that can be helpful in boosting your credibility and in navigating any potential power imbalances you may be experiencing in your personal or professional life.
This week on the show, I talked with Kate Mason, PhD. She’s the author of Powerfully Likeable, and we discussed many interesting ways to support you in navigating these issues. Today, I want to highlight one specific takeaway.
Approaching Power Dynamics
If you’re interacting with someone who is in a position of power—maybe someone you admire or want to build a strong relationship with—it’s important to approach that interaction from a level playing field.
That means not putting this person on a pedestal or treating them differently in ways that cause you to minimize your own value. Sometimes we start thinking, “Wow, their time is so much more valuable than mine.”
This is something Kate and I discussed, and she called it “imposing syndrome.” It happens when you unintentionally minimize yourself by saying things like, “This will just take a moment,” or “This will only take a couple seconds.”
When you do that, you’re unintentionally diminishing your worth.
Instead, it’s important to approach these conversations from a place of mutual respect.
Showing Up Authentically
I remember when I was starting out with this podcast and had some bigger guests coming on. I started building it up in my head as a really big deal. I got nervous. What if I said the wrong thing?
Then I reminded myself: I just want to have a conversation. I’m going to show up as me.
Sometimes we build things up in our head and make them bigger than they need to be. When that happens, come back to your authentic self and the value you bring.
Approach conversations with confidence, respect, and authenticity.
Small Shifts, Big Impact
These may seem like small tweaks and adjustments, but they can have a powerful, positive impact over time.
I hope this helps you.
Until next time, this is Kristel Bauer with Live Greatly, inspiring you to awaken your ultimate potential.
Thank you so much for spending time with me today. If you have a moment, I would greatly appreciate you leaving a review. Reviews help the show gain visibility so others who can benefit can find it.
Disclaimer: The contents of this podcast are intended for informational and educational purposes only. Always seek the guidance of your physician for any recommendations specific to you or for any questions regarding your specific health, your sleep patterns changes to diet and exercise, or any medical conditions. Always consult your physician before starting any supplements or new lifestyle programs. All information, views and statements shared on the Live Greatly podcast are purely the opinions of the authors, and are not medical advice or treatment recommendations. They have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration. Opinions of guests are their own and Kristel Bauer & this podcast does not endorse or accept responsibility for statements made by guests. Neither Kristel Bauer nor this podcast takes responsibility for possible health consequences of a person or persons following the information in this educational content. Always consult your physician for recommendations specific to you.