It’s okay to be scared, often that’s a sign that you are pushing yourself towards greatness. However, it’s equally important to build up your confidence and we hope the conversations presented below can help provide some food for thought around how you can level up your confidence and self-esteem.
Elyse Welles
My confidence and self-esteem really comes from my deep convictions and knowledge of self. And I wouldn’t have either of those things without my spiritual path. Even before I had a name for spirits, I was connecting with the land as a child. I have always been somebody comfortable with solitude. That isn’t to say I like to be alone, but when I have the chance to be alone with my thoughts, I try to never run from it. Read more>>
Mayaraq Sousa
Developing confidence and self-esteem is a work in progress and always will be. Therapy, experiences, and age definitely help you get to a more comfortable place of owning up to who you are, your ideals, and feeling good in your own skin. However, especially as someone who had big dreams and is nowhere near where I thought I’d be at 30, there’s definitely a little imposter syndrome and a little voice on my shoulder every now and then that I am still in the process of learning to ignore. Read more>>
Joyice Robinson Myers
As a girl, my mother cultivated a positive identity of myself for me. Over time, and in our interactions with each other, I developed a true sense of self that gave me healthy self-esteem. I learned and came to accept that self-esteem is giving respect and admiration to myself. Read more>>
Haley Green
Throughout my young adult years I have made very bold decisions within my life that only someone with a great sense of confidence would make. I am a huge risk taker, I truly believe your inner dialogue is what carries your self esteem, your own voice in your head is the first one you hear every morning. I moved on my own to Chicago out of Undergrad with the intention to thrive in a metropolitan city. Read more>>
Hannah Rice
I am still working on it. When we talk about confidence and self-esteem, I think we often tie it to “success.” “Once I win x competition, I will be a ‘real musician,’ and this will give me the confidence and validation I need!” or “Once I sing at x venue, I will no longer question if I’m a good singer.” We believe that working toward and achieving our goals will give us confidence in what we do. Read more>>
Samantha Thammahong
I consider myself a confident woman and on multiple occasions have been told this is a trait I possess. This is not the easiest road to travel, as there are plenty of drawbacks of being a confident woman. Confidence challenges traditional gender roles and expectations to be modest and agreeable. Read more>>
Nick Hogan
It has taken me a long time to develop the confidence and self-esteem I have today. I’ve spent a lot of time hyping myself up, believing in myself, and being willing to take chances to prove my own worth – not just to others but also my own self. It’s what has helped me become the person I am today, and believe that I am worth the value in the things that I want to do. Read more>>
Tay’Laur Ambrene
My confidence is a tree with multiple roots that continues to grow. I have a lot of role models in and out of my family that have inspired me through my life. My grandma raised me, my sister and brother after raising my mom and aunt by herself so she’s veryyy headstrong, very bold, enjoys doing things her way. Read more>>
Jordan Canova
Building my confidence and self-esteem is an ongoing journey for me. Understanding the difference between the two was life changing for me. My confidence is impacted differently in every season depending on outside factors in both my personal and professional life. Read more>>
Michael Khoury
I feel that self esteem and confidence are gained through discipline and building evidence both to the world and to one’s self of your capabilities and accomplishments. There is no substitute for doing the work, and that causes us to grow. Read more>>
Rob Martinez
My parents. My father was a hard worker and a natural entertainer. Performing music with him on stages across New Mexico and throughout the USA instilled in me a sense of optimism and purpose that I still use to this day as a musician and a historian. My mom was always there for us kids, feeding us, caring for us and nurturing us. Read more>>
Rima Nasser
A sign that reads: “Great Things Never Come From Comfort Zones” hangs above my desk as a reminder for all aspects of life. When I’ve gone “outside the box,” good things came of it. The biggest risk for me was starting my business more than a decade ago and deciding to follow my dreams. I took a huge risk and dedicated myself to the business. Once you make it over enough hurdles, you can say to yourself, “I can do this!” Read more>>
Tish Wright
Reflecting on this question brings me back to a place I only recently discovered. I’ve always had confidence to some extent. Growing up, I faced teasing and bullying at times, As a middle child, resilience became second nature – you had to toughen up and sometimes let things slide off your back, but I was also a tomboy and a fighter, so I really didn’t let too much slide, lol. Read more>>
Lucero Barry
The truth is building and maintaining confidence and self-esteem is a work in progress. It is like a plant that needs loving care and the right conditions to survive. I suffered severe self-hate. I started working on it in my 20’s through talking therapy. In my 30’s and 40’s I started doing long Vipassana silent meditation retreats. I began with the traditional 10-day retreat and found a teacher that I trusted and followed. Read more>>
Casey Morris
An aikido sensei spoke to a group of students at a dojo in Chicago that I attended, about mastery and what it was. I had the common problem of comparing myself to my peers and thought that if I was more talented, I could be at their level. I was constantly feeling less than and behind everyone else or, even worse, not possesing something special in any way. Read more>>
Lu Wang
The issues of self-confidence and self-esteem stem from one’s mindset and how they perceive themselves. I understand myself well enough to recognize all my strengths and weaknesses. I don’t become overly confident because of my strengths, nor do I feel inferior because of my weaknesses. Therefore, I remain unaffected by the complexities of the environment and human nature in any situation. Read more>>
Damian Fitzsimmons
The bottom line is this; if you don’t believe in yourself no-one else will. Like so many artists, I suffered from imposter syndrome for years, decades really. I didn’t come from an artistic background. If anything, creativity was frowned upon. It took me a long time to recognize my own talent. It didn’t matter that I won awards or that people sought me out. Read more>>
Ann LePore
I’m an artist and educator who works with performance, animation and technology. I used to be an introvert. I puzzled over what I was capable of and worried that my fears were and indication that I was less capable than the bold, loud attention-grabbing folks around me. From 3rd grade onward, educators always told me I was not living up to my potential. Read more>>
Christine Nightingale
I faced a tough challenge in developing self-confidence and self-esteem as a shy middle child amongst two strong personalities. However, living abroad in different countries played a significant role in shaping my personality. During my teenage years, I lived in the US, where I celebrated my differences and uniqueness, which helped me develop my confidence. Read more>>
Ricquélle Badger
I’m still a work in progress when it comes to truly exuding confidence. At an early age my parents taught and encouraged me and my siblings to embrace and live ourselves. My mom founded a daycare called Images and I’ve shared before we had a daily mantra or “theme song” where we would say “I’m an African American and I’m proud of who I am just the way I am.” Read more>>
ONLY1 THEORY
I chose this question because it resonates deeply with me. I developed my confidence by going through life and having to be in situations where the only person who believed in me was me. I accept that my vision or desire wouldn’t be placed in my heart if I wasn’t able to manifest it. I work at perfecting my craft and also take time to balance myself spiritually and mentally. This gives me confidence and peace. Read more>>
Michelle Cella
I have always been involved in fashion in some way, beginning as far back as 15 years old and working at a (fashion forward at the time!) store called Cignal. I went in to be a fashion retail major at Syracuse and had various jobs in the fashion industry. I took a turn and worked in a different profession for a few years but eventually returned to what I love best, being a stylist. Read more>>
Ryan Freeman
Growing up, I used to have a horrible stuttering problem. It forced me to learn my trigger words and widen my vocabulary at a young age. One day, I screwed up my courage and tried out for the school play, The Wizard of Oz. Surprisingly, I landed the role of the Wizard. I was so excited (and terrified) that I memorized my lines in a single night. Read more>>
Rhonda Noordyk
I definitely struggled with confidence as a young girl and young adult. I knew true, authentic confidence was possible. but I didn’t know where to start. I had the aspiration and determination (aka stubbornness), but I was a hot mess! Read more>>
Sascha Illyvich
They must love me… Those things come from within and the understanding that you cannot believe a thought you think. The mind is constantly doing what it tells you it needs to in order to protect you until you tell it a new story. If you’re feeding your mind what you should, then it can build resilience to criticism. Read more>>
Nicole Schmidt
One of the most important aspects of working as a recording engineer, in my opinion is trusting yourself and being confident in your skills. It can be very overwhelming working in a high profile environment surrounded by top industry professionals and I definitely didn’t start out very sure of myself. Read more>>
Hiroshi Sosa-Nakata
Developing confidence or finding your voice takes time. I’m inspired by a deep appreciation of culture and diversity. I speak three languages, my mother was born in Japan, and my father was born in Mexico. I’ve been fortunate enough to have spent multiple summers abroad and been completely immersed in each culture. Read more>>
Colin Biz
My journey towards confidence began with embracing my unique identity. I firmly believe that there’s nobody quite like me, and that sense of individuality became a source of pride. Additionally, I had to work on bolstering my self-esteem, especially considering the discouraging words I encountered in my upbringing. Despite being told I wouldn’t amount to much, I made a conscious effort to defy those expectations and strive for the opposite. Read more>>
Ashley Hinken
I’ve been working on being more confident and comfortable in who I am. I’ve been learning ways to work through things emotionally. I have also been going out of my comfort zone by creating videos to post on social media. Read more>>
Jessica Arteaga
My confidence started when I became a mom. Raising boys has made me a stronger more confident person. I try to work on my self every day by eating healthy, working out, and working on my buisness goals. It’s not always easy, but the importance of it is continuing to thrive. Read more>>
Sarah Shackelford
A huge part of my personal development as it relates to my business has been to normalize not feeling “ready”. It’s very easy to get caught up in procrastination if you have the mentality that everything has to be perfect before you share it with the world. Just do the thing. Read more>>
Makenna Carpenter Birch
The short answer: “Fake it till you make it” The long answer: Starting in middle school and throughout high school. I struggled a lot with my confidence and sense of self-worth. I’ve always been a shy & reserved person, but I felt especially ugly and socially inept when I was surrounded by peers that were not. Read more>>
Mack Ibekwe
By understanding that every other position in this world is already taken. We can only be ourselves. I’ve always believed that God has a big plan for my life since I was a child and He has reminded me of that in many ways ever since. There have been times when I have been humbled or lost confidence, but then I realized that I was trying to find confidence in who I thought people wanted me to be and not who I really am. Read more>>
ADRIENNE DEVASTO
Developing self-confidence and self-esteem is often a journey filled with both challenges and triumphs. Reflecting on my own journey, I can see how my life experiences and interactions with others have played pivotal roles in shaping and enhancing these aspects of myself. Read more>>
Taylor Mroski
I don’t always feel confident. Everything is on the line when you make original music. You sacrifice so much in terms of security, money, time. That only intensifies the feeling of exposure as you step in front of your audience. What if it’s cringy? Should I have really written this song? What if they’re offended by the way I look at the world? What if my execution is poor? Read more>>
Jeannie Rapstad
The confidence I display in my speeches and theatrical performances comes from advance preparation. Regarding my speech presentations, my personal motto is “Write, Rehearse, Speak, Succeed.” I am willing to do the necessary research and wordsmithing to craft relevant and interesting content. Rehearsal plays a huge role in my preparation. I keep a log of every rehearsal I do when preparing for a speech presentation, a master class, a theatrical performance, or one of my “Comic Sketches” characters. Read more>>
Judy Ricquel Harris
Self confidence and self esteem for me is an ever changing process. And rightfully so. Life has so many stages and one year can look completely different from the last. It’s human to grow, change your mind a million times, learn and evolve. And I think the key to self confidence and self esteem is being kind to yourself through those stages. Read more>>
Tristan Chandra
I think any shroud of confidence I have comes from an endless string of failures. I’m probably stealing this from Edison, or someone else far smarter than me – but, every failure really does present itself as a new way of knowing how not to do something. That super slight increase in my odds is like a small shot of confidence to the dome. Read more>>
Graham Jewell
Differentiating between professional and personal value has been essential to my confident as an individual and creative. I used to put my confidence solely in the work basket, judging my creativity based on the value it holds in a societal sense instead of a more intentionally personal sense. Since moving to New York, I’ve been blessed with an incredible community of friends, colleagues, acquaintances and creatives. Read more>>
Laura Houha
Growing up, I was a painfully shy kid. My mom tried to get me to join Girl Scouts, but when we arrived, I had a (very silent and contained, especially for a 6 year old) panic attack. I barely made it two feet into that school gymnasium before I was begging to turn tail and head home. For most of my life, I saw myself as someone who was timid, concerned with the opinions of others over my own ability to express and be myself, and it took years to discover that it’s ok to shine your light as bright as possible. Read more>>
Ginger Hamilton
Confidence and self-esteem is crazy, it really is. There is nowhere and nothing that can control your confidence besides what is inside of you, however we all (myself included) totally allow these outside factors to dictate both of these things. As an artist, it is so easy to tie your confidence to the success of your work and the general feedback that you receive from people, but you have to almost have this small sense of delusion along with it. Read more>>
Ruth Rathblott
Growing up with a limb difference, I spent a big part of my life in the shadows, trying my best to blend in and not draw attention to what made me different. For twenty-five years, it wasn’t just about hiding my physical difference; it was about trying to shield myself from potential judgment and rejection. The turning point for me wasn’t a single moment of epiphany but a series of small, brave steps towards accepting myself and letting others in. Read more>>
Corrine Rogers
My confidence and self esteem is constantly evolving. I spend a lot of time reflecting inwards, seeking internal validation versus external. We are living in our own personal realities, and the most important relationship, is the one we have with ourself. Being kind to myself and using positive affirmations, along with a loving community, helps me to believe and know I can do anything. Read more>>
Sean McBride
Having low self-esteem is pretty commonplace for most artists, considering we are always seeking validation in some form. It might not necessarily feel like that here in LA, but I think that is more due to people outwardly projecting extreme confidence, to the point of being cocky, but it’s because they’re masking their low self-esteem. Read more>>
Diane Dierking
I developed my confidence and self-esteem by 1. Failing
2. Getting Up & Pushing Forward
3. Listening to People Tell Me I Can’t – Used as Motivation
4. Wanting to Have a Better Life for My 4 Children
5. Working with Mentors that are Successful & Following their Lead In Spite of my Fear
6. Trusting that God Will Bless the Hands of My Work Read more>>
Tristan Lauzon
Honestly, my confidence stems from a long line of failures. I’ve always been the type to throw myself into projects and really give them my all, even if I don’t REALLY know exactly what I’m getting myself into. This has lead to all kinds of projects falling flat on their faces, (countless bands I’ve tried to start, conducting my own choir, gathering all of the necessary musicians to start our own independent big band, and many, MANY more) but it’s also given me what I believe is a fairly healthy relationship with failure. Read more>>
Robyn Reyna
Confidence and self-esteem are inherently tied together. They develop along-side one another and often blur together almost becoming one. Everyone gets their confidence from a different quality. In Adlerian Play Therapy we refer to these qualities as the Crucial C’s: connection, capability, courage, and counting. For me, Capability is my focus and because of that, developing my confidence and self-esteem comes directly from knowledge. Read more>>
Jacob Logeman
I was pretty quiet in grade school, but I found my voice when I joined the video club. I realized that my strengths in storytelling thrived through writing and video editing, more so than when I would actually speak. Once I found that passion, it forced me to work with others and develop my visual storytelling in order to earn an audience. Read more>>
Casey Hanson
By pushing through hard things. You won’t hear that your work is good when you first start out as an artist. You have to really get used to hearing that “it could be better’. When you can hear criticism without being insulted, you will get stronger and more confident. It takes building yourself up with positive talk, discipline and the willingness to grow while making mistakes. Read more>>
Chelsea Shafer, RD, LD
My confidence comes from authenticity- I know in my heart that I offer something special because I offer my services in a way that only I can. I struggled with perfectionism and authenticity throughout childhood and in my last semester at college I completed a 200 hr yoga teacher training course that, first and foremost, taught me how to be an authentic leader. Read more>>
