Confidence can open doors and is at the heart of so many amazing success stories across industries and disciplines and so we’ve always been interested in learning how we can help our readers and community members increase their confidence and self-esteem. Below, you’ll find highlights of some of the great conversations we’ve had on this topic.

Anne Kiehl Friedman

Therapy, psychedelics, but most of all: lots and lots of practice. I grew up, as many of us do, striving for perfection. I thought it would keep me safe and get me loved. I thought if I were skinny enough, smart enough, pretty enough, kind enough, successful enough, etc., etc., etc., ad nauseam… that would put me beyond criticism. Read more>>

Chance

I remember being a kid, maybe 9 or 10. I used to participate in these adjudicated piano performances. Yearly. You get a 5 for superior, 4 for excellent etc. It was done at a local university, and NORMALLY they were in a small practice room. Read more>>

Nicolas Al Yacoub

Based in Lyon, France. I has always wanted to be a hairdresser. So it was only natural for me to take a vocational training course at Camille Albane after leaving high school.
Fascinated by the luxurious world of Dessange, with the desire to master the sweeps / highlights, I continued my studies at the Dessange School. Read more>>

Jena Fisher

I develop my confidence and self-esteem by believing in myself even when no one does. I choose to set aside any negative thoughts and think throughly about how I want to view myself. I make sure I am very self aware of my knowledge and know who I truly am. I understand my value and worth experiencing life.  Read more>>

Yasmine Perez

A little story time… I grew up very shy and insecure. Maybe it was due to the lack of love I felt in different areas of my life growing up. I moved to Europe when I was 9 years old and in the 4th grade. I looked so different from everyone else in school. I was the only tan and dark-haired Latin. Read more>>

Krendra Harralson

I develop My confidence and self-esteem through Trial and error. There are many things that I like to do that I was not good at there are many things that I like to do that I was good at. The more that I did the things that I like to do and continue to build success in them I also built confidence and self-esteem. Self-esteem and confidence I have the courage to do things that I wasn’t as good at and learn from It. Read more>>

Deborah Hornick

I have developed self-esteem and confidence through growth, life experiences, and living with purpose. It has been a journey that has been particularly enriching through my extensive experience as a pageant title holder for over 30 years, becoming a mother, living through love, divorce and finding love again, and achieving career goals such as a Director for Big Brothers Big Sisters. This is how I have enhanced my self-esteem and confidence: Read more>>

James Michael Hollenstein

I’ve always identified with what I was good at and used it to my advantage. Surrounding myself with positive influences made achieving my goals a lot easier. Read more>>

Bliss Floccare

There were many times over the last 6 years where I thought ‘Maybe I should change my style, maybe I should try to be more ‘Southern Bride and Groom’, maybe I should do the Bright and Airy editing.’ But Every time I thought about it, I knew that just wasn’t me. I knew that my unique editing and shooting style would draw in the right people. Read more>>

Ella Mazur

Running your own business and constantly sharing your art with the world can bring up self-doubt and imposter syndrome, but I managed to develop a comfortable level of confidence and self-esteem fairly early on. Read more>>

Courtney West

Developing my confidence and self-esteem has been quite the journey. From the very beginning my mother would jokingly call me the ugly duckling of the family and that has kind of stuck with me. We all know what the ugly duckling turns into…the beautiful swan.  Read more>>

Qi

Honestly, I don’t think I have super high self-esteem or confidence, but people often think I do. It’s funny because I don’t really know how I come across as confident. I guess it’s because I’m confident in the things I know I can do well, like yoga, or things I’m passionate about, like acting. Read more>>

Angeleah Frey

This is something very close to my heart. I know that I am not the only women who struggles with confidence and self-esteem issues and from a young age I really struggled with this. Even though I knew I was beautiful deep down the constant comparison to other women was truly a struggle.  Read more>>

Hsiao-Wei Hsiang

This is such an interesting question for me! Growing up, I didn’t really experience much praise-based education. Most of the time, people pointed out what we lacked, which made it easy to forget what we were good at. Even though my parents were mostly supportive and encouraging, the environment and my peers made me really insecure during middle school. Read more>>

Courtney Turich

Building confidence and self-esteem has been a journey of evolution for me. It involved a lot of reflection on my past and understanding how far I’ve come. I strongly believe in recognizing our personal strengths as a way to unlock our potential. Once I empowered myself with these core strengths, a whole new world opened up for me. Read more>>

Shawna Lucey

I am very lucky to have been influenced by my grandfather. He came to the US with $20 and an eighth-grade education. He was deeply influential in my upbringing, always telling my sister and I to believe in ourselves. He often told us – some people will tell you that you can’t do what a man can do. Read more>>

Nikki Ausdemore

Building confidence and self-esteem has been a lifelong journey for me. Like many others, I faced significant challenges with my confidence and self-worth throughout my teens, twenties, and even into my thirties. It wasn’t until my forties that I truly began to make meaningful progress in this area, and the work continues now that I am fifty. Read more>>

Jie Yu

As an international student who has never been to study at America before, I could be the most insecure and shy person when I first got here. I threw up during the mixer with my cohort because I was too nervous to talk with people, I dared not share my script (I am a Screenwriting student) with my cohort because I assumed that they would find my story boring. Read more>>

Velina Velikova

As a nonprofit founder that started my organization with a focus on untraditional fundraising – I found it difficult to relate to my mentors because I was starting something new: using social media to not only raise funds; but cover all operations costs. Read more>>

Haoyang Sun

I believe that the essence of developing self-confidence is to develop confidence in one’s ability to respond to unknown problems. Developing the ability to analyze problems and the willingness to meet challenges when faced with them. Gradually, you will become more confident when faced with things you are not good at or have not seen before. Read more>>

Sandy Collora

Confidence and self esteem comes from within. You MUST believe in yourself. The right mental attitude is so important– when notable people in the industry tell you what you need to work on, you do it. I am a man of faith. I believe in myself, and in my heart that that if I work hard, be a good man, help and mentor other people who want to get into the industry, and walk that line between my art and my wife, who is the most incredible human I’ve ever met– I find balance. Read more>>

MaryAnn Sciavillo-Lopez

Growing up, I have always been shy and an introvert and often kept to myself. Because of that, my nature led people to consider me conceited—though I am completely the opposite—and so I had few friends during my school years. I depended on my imagination, my love of reading, and writing to deal with that time in my life. Read more>>

Albert Cruz

Confidence isn’t just about feeling good – it’s about knowing your worth, your capabilities, and your potential. For me, that confidence is built upon a foundation of knowledge. My journey as a lifelong learner has been fueled by critical thinking and an insatiable curiosity. I firmly believe that education isn’t confined to a classroom; it’s a continuous pursuit. Read more>>

kabir singh

My confidence and self-esteem has developed over time and it took a lot of work. When I was a kid, I found it really difficult but I was able to get guidance from a lot of older men that helped me become more confident through working out and martial arts and to be honest, I’m still working on my confidence and self-esteem.  Read more>>

Asi Efros

From Silence to Stardom: My Journey to Confidence From as far back as I can remember, I wanted to be 50 years old. In my young mind, women in their 50s were at the peak of their powers—confident, accomplished, and respected. Read more>>

Maitri Shah

After going through Depression in 2019 and moving to a new country, I feared I could not survive and strive. I knew I was consciously choosing to not face the new phase. But then, when I learned all the hidden facets of mindset, self-development and learning how to overcome sabotaging beliefs, it changed my perspective. Read more>>

Heidi Jeub

I always seemed to surround myself with people would wanted me to succeed. There was no artificial esteem boosters, however, I had to find beauty in myself on my own. I had a tendency to overcompensate somewhere in my life to counter any inadequacies, too. Read more>>

Kaitlyn McColez

I think one thing that helped me develop my confidence and self-esteem as a baker stems from my childhood. Growing up, two of my great aunt’s, Jackie and Frances, baby sat me and my older sister; while we were there we would spend the time standing on chairs or step stools to reach the table tops helping them make cookies, pies, you name it. Read more>>

Justin Patton

“Refuse to own other people’s insecurities!” That line has single-handedly made the most significant impact on my ability to cultivate confidence. I think so many of us walk into spaces thinking, “What will they think about me? What if I say the wrong thing? What if they don’t like people like me? What if I’m too much?” It’s normal, but it doesn’t serve us. Read more>>

Emma Mulvany

I struggled with self-esteem and confidence a lot growing up. I had preoccupations with my appearance and struggled to find my worth as I absorbed a lot of societal messaging telling me I wasn’t good enough as I am. Read more>>

Natalie Colburn

This is such an interesting question. I think there is so much importance to it because no matter who we are, what age we are, or what we look like, we’ve likely all felt isolated from the rest of the room at some point in our lives. Everyone else seems so big and great and powerful and definitely not us. Read more>>

Gigi Grassu

Developing my confidence and self-esteem is always on-going process for me. I think being confident means to love and believe in yourself; I struggled a lot with this growing up. I was people pleasing, selling myself short and being the “cool with anything” girl. I didn’t have the voice to speak up for myself because I didn’t think I deserved it or I was afraid of losing a friend etc.  Read more>>

JDmadethis

“I have only found myself to have ever felt nervous due to a lack of skills or preparation. I learned that any time I was nervous when meeting with a new client or working with a new recording artist, it was because I was not confident in my abilities. Developing confidence and self-esteem only exists through the realm of relentless practice and dedication to whatever your career or practice is. Read more>>

Robyn Schindler

Since I was a young girl people have commented on my confidence. “How did you get to be so confident?” I can even recall sitting in grad school with a professor that I found to be quite pompous and frankly speaking an asshole. He told a story about being on an airplane and how stewardesses, yes–stewardesses–not flight attendants, used to be attractive when he was younger.  Read more>>

Alyson Borowczyk

Developing confidence in myself as a business owner is a continual task. Imposter syndrome strikes me even today, after 5 years in business, because there will always be a little part of me that feels like I’m not qualified or I didn’t deserve my success. Even still, I’ve come a long way from my first networking event in 2021.  Read more>>

Quentin Marcellus

I developed my confidence, and self esteem from spiritual practices such as meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises. I also developed my confidence by exercising, and working out. Read more>>

Crystal Jordan

Developing confidence and self-esteem in Zachariah World involved embracing our unique qualities, celebrating small victories, and surrounding ourselves with supportive individuals. By focusing on strengths and achievements, we fostered a positive self-image and resilience. Read more>>

Erin Summ

I’m a Confidence Transformation Coach now, but I grew up very shy and was this way most of my life. However, I always knew I was put on the planet to make an impact. Throughout my life I put myself in many situations, groups and businesses to help me grow personally
and develop my confidence, so that one day, I would be able to make the impact I knew I
wanted to make.  Read more>>

Safara Malone

My journey was not one traversed alone; alongside stood a chosen family, like my Ballroom mother, Legendary Natalie Lepore. It was Ballroom that gave me the personality I have today. Seeing these strong-willed Black Trans women helped me come out of my shell. Ballroom gave me confidence. It was through Natalie that I found such strength and pride in my identity and rediscovered my love for dance, drama, fashion, and theatrics. Read more>>

Dr. Darrien Jamar

I have found myself feeling and being much more confident and aware of the fullness of who I am as a natural byproduct of healing…of doing the inner work. I heard it said once that healing is letting go; manifesting is receiving. As a result of healing (releasing) we naturally grow more aware and understanding of who we are.  Read more>>

Lisiane Birks-Hay

My journey of developing confidence and self-esteem has been paved with challenges, resilience, and a relentless pursuit of a better life. I was born into a low-income household where the struggle to pay for basic necessities like water and electricity was a constant battle. My parents worked tirelessly, and I remember the heart-wrenching sight of my mother crying every night because of our financial struggles. Even at a young age, I felt a deep sense of responsibility to change our situation. Read more>>

Justin Paperny

I redeveloped my confidence and self-esteem in federal prison. In my 20s, I lost my way as an executive at Bear Stearns and UBS. Those bad decisions crushed my confidence, and I questioned if I could rebuild it. As a consequence of my bad choices, I created victims, ruined my career, embarrassed my family, tarnished my reputation, and eventually lost my freedom. Read more>>

Chandlyr Jackson

When I started my career as a designer working at a small agency, I was fresh out of college and hungry to prove myself to my peers and gain trust from those above me. What I didn’t realize at the time is that when you’re in a position of seeking approval from those people, you’re depending on them to let you know if you’ve done well, or not, because you’re still learning what that threshold is.  Read more>>

Natalia McGuffee

Building my confidence as an artist is a work in progress. There are lots of elements to this, but I would say the three biggest ones for me have been knowing my purpose, having a strong support system, and learning to take “no” as a learning opportunity. Read more>>

Melody Williams

The household I come from was strict,fun and wild lol….so I had morals, discipline, self respect and a mother who didn’t play about her kids and me being her only daughter, she had to learn more about me being her last child but first daughter out of 3 sons.  Read more>>

Nikkeii Chevelle

I developed my self – esteem and confidence from continuing to step outside my comfort zone when it comes to me, myself and I. I have learned to allow myself the space to feel my emotions and work through them instead of compressing them and telling myself that they don’t matter. I give myself grace and check myself when I start negative self talk.  Read more>>

Brey Foster

It has taken a lot for me to get where I am today. People can be very harsh toward someone who is transgender and striving to find their true self. Read more>>

Jaeson Frederique

A few ways I developed my confidence and self-esteem was by continuously learning, and practicing consistently to help learn and refine technical skills so I could get quicker to adapt and work under varying conditions no matter the shoot.  Read more>>

I notice my confidence growing stronger every time I step outside my comfort zone. Things like attending social events alone or sharing my work with others used to scare me. However, I realized that letting fear hold me back was preventing me from pursuing my passions.  Read more>>

Stefanie Potter

Like most people, I have fought insecurities over the years. Culture and advertising tries to tell us who we’re supposed to be, and what we’re supposed to do, to be liked and loved. From covering up “imperfections” with makeup, to weight management, to clothing styles, to expected roles (in life, business, and music)–women are especially bombarded with these messages. Read more>>

Maria Rei

Developing my confidence and self-esteem has been a lifelong struggle for me, starting from my earliest memories when I was a little girl going to school everyday feeling like I looked different from other girls in my class. Read more>>

Samantha Vetter

Through the exception that, sometimes people aren’t going to like you. Whether its your appearance, humor, or even just your vibe; you’re not always going to be palatable for everyone in the room. But you know what, neither is cilantro, and for the people that know it’s delicious, they’ll enjoy the moments they experience it in something.  Read more>>

Lisa Lansing

I developed my confidence and self-esteem through daily practice. My practice includes one or all of the following: meditation, shamanic journeying, ceremony, mindful movement, gratitude, breathwork and following my dreams. Read more>>

Alie Frankel

It’s easy to love the parts of yourself that are easy to love. The parts that are less savory, that’s the tricky part, and that’s where deeper self-confidence comes from. Read more>>

Libby Nett

Confidence isn’t something that comes easily, it is something that you have to learn, by overcoming obstacles and feeling like you belong. I feel that confidence comes and goes, and that is okay, it’s how you grow into a better self each and every day. Read more>>

Kelly White

I feel like my confidence has been developing in stages. There is the confidence in my talents and abilities that I have gained through practice, hard work and looking to and learning from other great artists. Then there is the confidence to put myself out there to be perceived and potentially face rejection.  Read more>>

Seth Beamer

This question is honestly one that I still work on constantly. But all I can say is… DO IT! Whatever that thing is that you’re scared to do, do it. Because let’s face it, at the end of the day nobody cares, and that’s very freeing!  Read more>>

Jason Hollis

Over the past 20 years, I’ve immersed myself in the dynamic world of artist development and music production. My journey has been fueled by a deep passion for music and a commitment to helping artists achieve their fullest potential.  Read more>>

Willman Morcillo

Growing up, I realized early on, that putting the way I feel about myself in the power of other people, was going to be shaky, at best. Even if they had good intentions, it was my life and my experience of life that was more important to me. Read more>>

Diana Zuniga

I developed my self-esteem and confidence through a mix of fitness, self-discovery, and persistence. My journey began when I started going to the gym regularly. Working out helped me feel stronger and more capable. Seeing progress in my physical strength made me feel more confident, and by consistently showing up at the gym, I proved to myself that I could stick to a goal and achieve it. Read more>>

Emelyn Garcia

It took time to gain confidence in my self and my profession. So much training with my inner self. Growing my knowledge and continuing my learning growth. I continued in taking classes every. month in my cosmetology profession. I also took self growth courses. Attended manager classes and growth to help others succeed. Read more>>

Irma La Dulce

I believe that anyone can develop a “f*ck what they think” persona and can increase their self esteem through practice and a new outlook on self perception. Some of our limiting self beliefs can be traced back to childhood or our adolescence. Read more>>

Samaria TyasiaRenae Frye

Any Content Creator can tell you their stories about not having support when starting the journey . You expect family and friends to be your biggest supporters and when you find out that they aren’t your confidence level goes down or you feel like you’re not capable. That was me but I pushed through it anyways. Read more>>

Onzie B

That’s a good question actually lol. It wasn’t always easy starting out. I think when someone meets a musician for the first time, many questions come to mind. For me, it was no different. I had to learn how to maintain my confidence in order to keep writing and producing. Read more>>

Bri’Asha Aldridge

Confidence is something that I’ve struggled with in my journey as a dance artist. I am nervous every time I share anything I’ve been working on. When you are constantly putting your heart into your art, you are overly aware and conscious of how that art will be perceived by others. I used to think that confidence equated to pride. Read more>>

Teranee Franshá

My MOM!! She is the epitome of foundational affirmatism (did I make that up?) LOL. She’s just that dope! From a very young age she reassured individuality, that it’s ok to be different, unique. and taught me that what is special about me, is that I AM me. Read more>>

Nakia Prince

I contribute my confidence and self-esteem to my parents and my strong foundation in faith. Growing up in a family of six, my parents taught me and my siblings values, morals and standards. Even though we were all different, they allowed us to grow and develop into who God created us to be. There was no competition or rivalry.  Read more>>

Silvio Correa

I developed my confidence and self-esteem alongside my father, who was a merchant, an excellent tailor with his own shop and from time to time I would go to his shop. His communicative nature and strong work ethic inspired me.  Read more>>

ALY-SLAY

I began performing at a young age – on school stages, in children’s choirs, at church, and then made my way into musical theatre. The spotlight has always something I’ve never shied away from so I built this muscle memory from an early age. Over time, I honed my skills to keep building on every performance. Read more>>

Kashi-Tara

Confidence Firstly, I am blessed with a loving, nurturing, creative, free spirited mother. Secondly, I am selective about my inner circle. I only allow those who truly support and uplift me to be a part of it. Being an artist is fragile. Read more>>

Haley Cox

The best way to develop self confidence is by putting yourself out there. I like to challenge myself once a week to get out of my comfort zone. At first I started small by complimenting strangers. Eventually I worked up to making videos for my social media for my business.  Read more>>

Rachel Stern

In essence, the journey to developing confidence and self-esteem is a dynamic process that involves continuous learning, growth, and a willingness to step into the unknown. By embracing new experiences and opportunities, you not only expand your capabilities but also cultivate a deeper sense of self-worth and confidence in your abilities to navigate life’s challenges. Read more>>

John Jamieson Michaels

I developed my confidence through being an overcomer. When I was young, I would get called a loser; even by people in my own family. Over time, I began to believe it. In 9th grade I had serious self-loathing and self doubt issues.  Read more>>

Sophia Arguelles

I grew up a very quiet and shy child. I had trouble conversing and speaking my mind, and it all stemmed from insecurity. When you are a quiet kid, you spend a lot of time stuck in your head and convincing yourself that it’s best to stay that way. It is a hard habit to break, that is for sure, but I got to a place where I wanted to change, and there were a few steps that really helped break me out of my shell.  Read more>>

Raven Fleming

Developing confidence as well as healthy self-esteem in my field wasn’t easy. It took so much time and discipline before I was able to allow myself to develop those healthy characteristics business-wise. One of the biggest things I struggled with was celebrating my success and milestones.  Read more>>

Destine Perkins

It’s the God in me ! I know that I was made perfect in his image. As crazy as it may seem I feel as if I was born with high confidence and self esteem . No matter how I look or what I have on I have always felt like that girl. Read more>>

James Lewis

My journey of developing confidence and self-esteem has been a transformative one, marked by numerous hardships and challenges that paved the way for eventual success. Starting with nothing, I faced the daunting task of improving my speech and communication skills to attract more clients and seize networking opportunities. Read more>>

Lucy Claire

I struggled a lot with insecurity and self hate for a very long time. I wanted to love myself and I tried to do all the “right” things. Like maybe if I was healthy enough, I would feel differently, I’d be cured. But I remember being asked if I accepted myself and a lightbulb went off. Read more>>

Tidy Tova

As they say, “the proof is in the pudding.” I’m lucky to have a strong innate skill that I was able to identify as something that other people struggle with and are willing to pay for. My confidence comes from years of validation from very satisfied clients and feeling the transformation of spaces. Clients feel lighter, relieved, euphoric, and so grateful when we finish jobs. Read more>>

Melissa Galbraith

From a young age my mother had my sisters and I in her sewing room making all sorts of hands-on crafts. I have early memories of digging through her scrap bin to make myself a cavewomen outfit from magenta and black animal print fleece. As I got older, my mom always gave my sisters and I the opportunity to try new crafts.  Read more>>

John Agbekponou

I built my confidence and self-esteem by facing and overcoming various challenges in my personal and professional life. Taking time to reflect on my achievements, understanding my strengths and weaknesses, and practicing mindfulness helped me gain a deeper understanding of myself. Read more>>

Melissa Grant

I grew up with parents that were raised in small towns on a farm. They were basically raised to survive. So when my brother and I were growing up they were not concerned or interested in any thing other than the basics of day to day life. Don’t get me wrong, we were loved and well cared for. Read more>>

Lizeth Felix

Developing my confidence and self-esteem was a journey that intertwined with my professional growth as a relationship coach. My journey began with my own personal experiences in relationships. I had my fair share of toxic relationships that led me to very low self-esteem and self-worth. Read more>> 

Elizabeth Lazcano

I was able to develop my confidence in my creative endeavors through my community. Being a new Illustrator at this time can become very overwhelming, and scary! I was very lucky to have the support group I have, my family, friends, and my husband have all helped me in one way or another. Read more>>

Cory3wing Thorell

When asked, “How did you develop your confidence and self-esteem?” my journey can be best understood through the concept of GOP: Gift, Offer, Promise. From the very beginning, I made a commitment to never sell or convince anyone again, but to always tell my own deep truth. This approach has been foundational in building my confidence and self-esteem.Read more>>