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.
Jacob Hollingsworth
My confidence and self-esteem are very difficult to explain. I find it odd when I get asked this question because it’s the little things that I think everyone walks around with, but then I realized, people have to learn some of the things that may come natural to me, and I realize again, we’re all not the same. Read more>>
Shahrokh Zadeh
Developing confidence and self-esteem is a journey that involves overcoming challenges, gaining experience, and continuous self-improvement. For me, Shahrokh Zadeh, this journey has been deeply influenced by my diverse experiences, my family’s support, and my dedication to learning and teaching. Read more>>
Amy Anderson
I am committed to continually improving my confidence and self-esteem, especially as a woman but also as a Registered Dietitian and as a mom. From a nutrition perspective, my confidence grew as I saw a lot of misinformation about food and nutrition shared on social media. Read more>>
Mary Grace
I owe my confidence and self-esteem highly to the pageants and modeling I did when I was younger. Not many people know that I used to do pageants, but between the ages of 15-20 I did quite a few! I modeled till I was about 25 years old. I always was a more outgoing person, but that didn’t necessarily mean I was confident. Read more>>
Talia Ellis
I spent a lot of time being ashamed of myself and my differences. I was always considered odd or “weird” growing up, and it led me to attempt to act “normal” and try not to get attention. This mostly backfired and people could tell I was being inauthentic. I met a co-worker who was completely and utterly himself. Read more>>
Suzan Woodruff
Suzan Woodruff [email protected] The combination of nature and nurture were the foundations of my confidence. My parents divorced before I turned two years old and my mother, sister and I went to live with my maternal grandparents. They were the pillars of my nurturing. Read more>>
Hima Dalal
When I graduated from OT school in Mumbai, India, in 1981, I was a 21-year-old with dreams in my eyes and only a few dollars in my pocket. Arriving in the USA, I found myself timid in a new country with a different culture. My self-confidence was low, and I faced numerous challenges that made me question my abilities and self-worth. Read more>>
Jyl Fashion house
Being a new business in the fashion industry is always tough. When my partners and I met we were each on the journey of opening our own business… or so we told ourselves. I guess we feared to jump in the deep water and learning to swim alone. Read more>>
Chrissy Stewart
I boosted my confidence and self-esteem by shifting my focus away from others and onto myself. It’s natural to have doubts in life, but approaching everything with humility is key. Embrace your own journey and don’t let others bring you down! Believe in yourself! Read more>>
Amber Elliott
I’ve developed my confidence and self-esteem through a combination of self-reflection, setting and achieving personal goals, and surrounding myself with supportive people. Embracing challenges and learning from failures has also played a crucial role. Read more>>
DJ MARV GO HARD
My mom always taught me to be confident. But to keep my confidence boosted, I keep positive people around me and they always remind me how special I am, especially when I seem to forget. Putting out great work and keeping my word has always given people reason to compliment me. Read more>>
Emily Kelly
Growing up, I found myself struggling to be confident. I constantly worried that my scripts weren’t well-written and my stories weren’t good enough. It wasn’t until my sophomore year in college that my screenwriting professor pointed out that my stories are uniquely mine. Read more>>
Amanda Bonds
I kept pushing my self and practicing. I also had advice from an amazing chef and teacher. She was my mentor from school and on the days I felt like quitting she pushed me to keep going. Her voice is now ingrained in me. She passed away last year but she has a forever impact on my career since she knew me from the beginning of my pastry journey. Read more>>
Meg Vanderbilt
Confidence is an important emotional marker as it can gage how we move forward in life. It is a “fear detector” that can evaluate areas that are blocking us from growth and success. When we believe that we have the ability to meet life’s challenges, we will embark on positive choices. Read more>>
Patricia Jane
ancers and performing artists alike are known for their resilience, persistence, and “shamelessness” when it comes to work. They are trained from a very young age to not only have a strong physical and emotional capacity, and to always put yourself out there no matter what. Read more>>
Juan Jose Almenara
This question makes me think about the process of my actions. I normally do not question my thoughts or decisions. So, I think my confidence and self-esteem are a reflection of how I process my thoughts. Read more>>
Josh Rawson
I was the shy, quiet, introverted child in a house where my parents and sister were ultra competitive type-A personalities. As I reflect on the latter parts of high school, throughout college, and in my early professional career, my confidence slowly grew. Read more>>
Ivy Tsai
I developed my confidence and self-esteem by acknowledging my strengths and accepting my weaknesses. Setting small, achievable goals and celebrating each success helped build my self-assurance. Read more>>
Austin Salter
I have been developing my confidence and self-esteem my whole life. Just like anyone else, I have my own insecurities that I struggle with. Over the years, I have found some helpful ways to positively express my confidence. Read more>>
Mario Blade
I began believing in myself whole heartedly once I realized that the people close to me didn’t support the idea of making a living musically. I started speaking life into myself, reminding myself that I am Great, I am brilliant and I am worthy. Read more>>
Lou Donovan
Developing my confidence and self-esteem has been a transformative journey for me, one that evolved significantly over time. In my early twenties, I had a foundation of self-confidence, but it was more subdued and uncertain. Read more>>
Erin Bartels
When I first started writing I felt that I was at a disadvantage because I had a good childhood. There’s a myth that has been built up around artists and musicians and other creative people that you have to be rebelling against something in order to have anything important to say. Read more>>
Rochelle Dockery
My confidence comes from trusting myself and my work, knowing that I have the skills and knowledge to provide my clients with the support they need to grow a business or start a new one. I am someone they trust and believe in, integral to their team and financial strategy. Read more>>
Lori Scott
My parents played a crucial role in my development of confidence and self-esteem. They created an environment of love, laughter, and learning that both nurtured my curiosity and encouraged me to take risks. Read more>>
Tom Paladino
I have great faith in God and I trust in my work ethic. With this foundational setting I am able to make great progress with Scalar Light research. My religious belief and attitudes allow me to have a laser focus on Scalar Light research thereby rendering favorable results. Read more>>
IVANKA LAWRENCE
Developing my confidence and self-esteem has been a journey shaped by various experiences and influences. One significant factor has been my education and training at the American Film Institute (AFI), where I had the opportunity to collaborate with talented peers and mentors. Read more>>
Derrick Richemond
I began boosting my confidence by embracing my smile. Since elementary school, I’ve received many compliments on it, which encouraged me to smile more often. Plus, having naturally straight teeth has been a great confidence booster, especially since I never needed braces. Read more>>
Cassandra Colon Fontaine
I’ve come to realize that confidence and self-esteem are like most things in this world; it doesn’t just happen and like muscles, it requires regular exercise and maintenance as upkeep. For me, developing these qualities has been an ongoing journey rather than a one-time achievement. Read more>>
Logan Newman
Honestly it was something I definitely grew into. But I have to give all the thanks and credit to God who gives me my confidence, or “God-fidence” as I call it. Also, investing into myself: mentally, emotionally, physically and most importantly spiritually. Read more>>
Kenia Del Viento
In 2021, I was suffering from depression and burnout. I remember that I felt hopeless and alone. One night my body started to burst in rashes, and I was so scared when the doctor told me it was because of stress and anxiety. It was as if I had been shaken and made aware of my reality. Read more>>
Sarah Lambert
I was always someone who worried way too much about what other people thought of me. I’d be the one standing in line at the grocery store, not making eye contact with anyone around me, sending the others in line a telepathic message: Read more>>
Monica Avila
I was in my mid 20s when I found my confidence and self-esteem. For me, what shifted my confidence was having my first daughter. Before becoming a mom, I presented as an extrovert but internally, I was 100% introverted. I grew up with two older brothers who always had the spot light because they were able to achieve some really amazing athletic achievements so when the focus would be on me I essentially faked. Read more>>
Lissa Coffey
That’s an interesting question – is confidence something we develop or something we are born with? Do we lose confidence as we age, or do we gain confidence as we grow? And is self esteem separate from confidence or a natural by-product of it? Read more>>
Ryan Fitzgerald
Confident and self-esteem come from two key places: 1. A continued passion for learning and 2. Great mentors that believe in you. I’ve never been able to go too long without having the urge to jump back into learning of some kind; whether it be grad school or certification courses or just reading history, leadership and other non-fiction books. Read more>>
Natalie Del Carmen Singer- Songwriter
That’s a great question, I think finding confidence and assurance are two things that are honestly ongoing and shifting quite a bit, especially in my twenties. I’m sure we all go through phases about what makes us feel grounded, and I’m definitely a part of that. Read more>>
Tara Jones
My faith in God solidifies my sense of being; it is not dependent upon people and cannot be shaken. I am a firm believer in action and self-reflection: taking action toward a goal, smashing it, framing it and actually looking at that achievement regularly to remind myself of what I can accomplish. Read more>>
Katrina Van Maanen
The more time I spent studying singing, the more confident I became in myself. Not because I was necessarily improving my skills in the craft, but because I was able to gain a deeper understanding of humanity through the characters and stories I was singing. Read more>>
Shane Kulman
Although I had always appeared confident, my inner life was dark and filled with self loathing. I use to gaze at the back of the village voice, an old NYC newspaper, at all the sexy ads. I applied for a waitressing job at a strip club, and soon after I began dancing there. Read more>>
Erin Jade Raven
As an artist who is almost entirely self taught, I occasionally catch myself feeling less of myself for not being on the same technical level as other artists my age or younger. Thankfully, this is only a momentary thought to me, because I quickly remember that everyone is on a different path. Read more>>
Natalie Tincher
I was lucky to have parents that emboldened and empowered me from a young age by both example and encouragement. My mom celebrated and reiterated how wonderful it was to be unique, even when I looked or acted different than most of the kids in my small Indiana town. Read more>>
Jerone Darden
I started performing at a young age. The first role I remember having was as Simba in a version of “The Lion King” at Central Elementary School in the mid-90s. My inspiration to perform came from Michael Jackson and Sister Georgia “Peaches” Adams, a minister and pastor’s wife from my church in Allentown, PA. Read more>>
William Greiner
I guess like most teenagers, I did not have a lot of confidence because I had not achieved anything. I did have a love of photography, having watched my grandfather snap a million pictures on holidays. I was also a huge sports fan and I would pour over every edition of Sports Illustrated magazine. Read more>>
Samantha Welch
Confidence and self-esteem have not always plentiful in me. Honestly I’d say that it’s been an internal battle for my entire life and the older I get the more I appreciate all the lessons I had to endure to mold me into who I am today. I’ve been embarrassed, a lot. Read more>>
Sean Breed
I believe that confidence is developed internally. Parents, friends, teachers, etc can give you a head start but after that it has to be developed and worked on constantly but it’s fleeting. If you don’t build it on a solid foundation it can crumble as soon as the strong winds of life hits it. Read more>>
Davis Caruso
I continue to develop my confidence and self esteem by surrounding myself with people that I trust and getting regular feedback. It’s been important for me to recognizes areas of weakness and nurture them. I would add that vulnerability and risk taking are key ingredients along with a healthy blend of not taking yourself too seriously! Read more>>
