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.
Angela Taylor
I always love to create things since art class in elementary it later developed into fashion styling myself and others, home interior putting colors together to create a space that suits my needs while working in retail stores buying a little at a time to sort out my vision, eventually going to college to better market myself as time went life happens so my focus shifted until this virus plagued the world that put me back to where I belonged starting Yummie dville. Read more>>
Kim Truong, L.ac.
The lessons in having confidence and self esteem is a lifelong journey for all of us, I believe. It may change its complexion and outlook through age and experience, but it’s definitely a fluctuating ride with its ups and downs for most of us. It’s a learned concept we grow into and certainly not a part of the innate psyche we were born with. So we can actually look at it as a mental and even emotional exercise, and so a vital ingredient in our overall health. Read more>>
Sabrina Rivera
From MANY years in vocal performance! Theater, recording my own songs, choir, and trying out for American Idol. I sang a Martina McBride song. Her voice is just SO powerful. I promise you, once you’ve had to write five critiques for other cast members and vice versa, you build some thicker skin. Also showing up to my studio on days when I am not booked or busy. That has got to be the biggest mind trick ever. Read more>>
Alysia Lee
Through the arts I developed self-confidence and self-esteem on a journey rooted in embracing my unique strengths and passions. In music making, I was able to find community, take risks, and reflect and grow. After two decades as a singer and conductor, in 2020, I began composing and publishing my work. Read more>>
Intikana
Self-mastery is critical to manifesting dreams. Believing in yourself is a pre-requisite to victory in anything. Hesitation and doubt are dream killers. Be careful of the thoughts you allow in your head. Self-confidence stems from witnessing achievement and experiencing progress. Self-esteem accumulates as a result. Although life can try to beat the confidence out of us, we must be determined to not falter. Read more>>
Zion Richardson
My confidence and self-esteem stem from a deep understanding of who I am and a clear vision of how I want to present myself each day. I really believe in the power of clarity and momentum. Clarity in my self-identity provides a solid foundation, while momentum along my journey helps sustain my confidence. Introspection has been invaluable for me. By continuously asking why I do the things I do and how I want to show up, I’ve been able to refine my sense of purpose. Through these practices, I take intentional steps toward my aspirations every day. Read more>>
Kelly Lynn Adams
Reminding myself that I get to consciously create and commit to taking one courage action after another until the confidence is remembered because it was never not there even in the times when it doesn’t feel comfortable I keep in action. I like to play games with myself and get comfortable in the uncomfortable and propel myself into my edges. Read more>>
Christopher Spivery
Growing up I was shy, introverted and socially awkward. So I developed a pretty moderate fear of people and social situations. I wasn’t comfortable with things like presentations or being the center of attention. Not knowing how to healthily deal with my anxiety I spent most of my time in my head, judging myself for my shortcomings and others. Despite that I desperately wanted to connect with many people but I thought of myself as too much of a loser to be worthy of that. Read more>>
Brooklynn Quirola
My confidence and self-esteem have evolved significantly as I’ve grown into adulthood. As a child, I was quite shy and often kept to myself. However, starting my own company pushed me to step out of my comfort zone and develop a strong sense of confidence. Networking became an essential part of my business, and representing something I built entirely on my own, while witnessing the positive reactions from others, truly solidified my self-esteem. Read more>>
Stephanie Bennett
My confidence and positivity are two of my favorite traits, and they’ve been years in the making. Developing them is something I work on daily. I’ve perfected skills like maintaining a positive mindset, reading and reciting empowering affirmations, and keeping a gratitude journal. Read more>>
Robert Jacob
I have always have a very outgoing personality. In High School, I studied drama and other performing arts. However, the 31 years I spent in the United States Marine Corps really developed my confidence. In addition to many leadership classes, real-world experience as the officer in charge of four units and the commanding officer of a Department of Defense formal school refined my skills. Read more>>
Yibo Xu
For me, it mostly comes from the urge to open my eyes and see the world, to meet different people. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed reading, watching, and exploring others’ visions. The more I expose myself to different contexts, the more I understand who I am and what I like. Being aware of my thoughts and preferences really brings confidence when we are working on something of our own. Read more>>
Bradly Grizzard
This is such a deep question because it took me a long time to develop my confidence and self-esteem over the years. One of the best decisions I ever made was leaving Ohio and moving to Los Angeles to help pursue and build a company from the ground up with my friend Cyrus Ausar. During that time we spent a lot of time talking about our ups and downs up until this point and what it was like to grow up and deal with issues that affected me. Read more>>
Cherie Miracle
My journey in photography has taken 11 years to develop my confidence and self-esteem. Having been completely self-taught, imposter syndrome has always been a challenge for me. I strive to have the best connections with my clients. to produce the best photographs that they will be proud to display and that will bring tears to their eyes in the years to come. Read more>>
Austin Rich
Confidence and self esteem in my situation simply came from practicing and refining my craft mostly, trying to get better. In my field of audio and music production, making quality product for mass consumption is essential, you’re competing with professional music producers/DJ’s, and that is extremely intimidating, there is an obvious tendency to doubt yourself and feel insecure and critical of yourself and your work. Read more>>
Ashton Henry
When it comes to social media – I feel like confidence to show up makes it harder. But there are two things that have helped me to be more confident. 1. Is mindset. I think part of the problem with self esteem issues is just the way we talk to ourselves. We listen to the voice that says we aren’t good enough, or that no one will care. But that’s simply not true! We have value that we bring to the table and if you don’t share it, you’re with holding something that could really help someone else. Read more>>
Joseph Elvis Akwaah Lamptey
My confidence and self-esteem was developed right from primary school where I had traits of leadership hence proceeded to take on leadership positions. My peers looked up to me in decision making and I always was the mouthpiece of my peers as well as the protector. I gained further confidence in taking roles that enabled me to speak in front of the whole student body without fear. Read more>>
Elena Wilhoit
My confidence and self-esteem have been strengthened thanks to the word of God, who constantly reminds me that I am his daughter, that I was created for perfection. Before starting out, I had many insecurities, I thought I had to have more knowledge, a partner to share expenses, failures, etc. and I did not dare to take that step to start. Read more>>
Emma Bouthillette
As someone who has been fat my entire life, it took me well into my thirties to find my confidence. At the age of five, I was diagnosed with a craniopharyngioma — a benign brain tumor that was removed during an eleven-hour surgery. The procedure was successful in removing the tumor, but damage to my optical nerve and pituitary resulted in a loss of left peripheral vision and significant hormonal imbalances that I have managed with various medication since 1991. Read more>>
Sarah Kastanek
I think confidence is an ongoing process of building but the older I get, the more comfortable I am in my skin. I find it helpful to remind myself of all that I have accomplished personally and professionally. We live in a ‘doer’ society and I think it’s easy to finish one goal and kind of forget about what an achievement it was and how hard we worked to get there because we have another goal to reach. Read more>>
Liza Fleming
I try to surround myself with positive people and an environment that’s conducive to good things. Although I’m very critic and have high expectations, I treat myself with kindness. I continuously revise and hold myself accountable which is why I set goals that keep me on track and make me feel valuable. I think knowing your self worth is important for you and to be able to help others. Read more>>
Marisa Devicaris
It took me a long time to find myself. For years, I searched for validation in everyone else’s eyes, wondering why I felt unhappy, insecure, and alone in a crowded room. It wasn’t until I looked within and truly understood my purpose that I found the confidence I needed—not just to grow for myself, but for my kids and for the incredible community of women I have surrounded myself with in Level Up Vibes. Read more>>
Helen Zhao
I developed my confidence and self-esteem through being honest and authentic with myself about my strengths and weaknesses. Acknowledging uncomfortable truths about my own character flaws has allowed me to grow and better myself as a person. I am confident and have high self-esteem because I know through the self-work I have done, that I am a good quality human being. That confidence gives me the courage to push my boundaries and comfort zone, in order to excel at new endeavors and challenges, which in turn builds more self-esteem. Read more>>
Holly Skieth Webb
My road to having confidence in myself and strong self-esteem started at a young age born from struggles. In preschool, I was diagnosed with a neurological disorder called apraxia of speech. I had to practice basic sounds daily for hours and go to speech classes till I graduated the third grade to be able to communicate with those around me, and even then, I struggled to relate to my peers. But through all these struggles, I never forgot what my father told me when I asked him what apraxia meant on the ride home when I was first diagnosed. Read more>>
Andrea Andree
I had built up my corporate confidence over the years by asking a lot of questions, doing a lot of hands-on work with my software products, and accumulating positive feedback from co-workers, bosses, and customers. That confidence did not immediately carry over when I did a 180 in my life and started a spiritual coaching business! I started from the bottom, afraid to tell people what I did because I thought I’d be judged for it. (Who gets 2 engineering degrees then becomes a spiritual coach?) Read more>>
Bella Glanville
It was the moment that I realised how important self-love is, and that it is a decision you can make at any point. With the click of your fingers, you can decide that you love yourself. You are your first and your last love, and at the end of the day, you’re going to end up with yourself so you may as well make an effort to have a good relationship with yourself or things could get quite awkward. And just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, love, light and radiance are in the eye of the beholder because they all mean the same thing. Read more>>
Andreka “lynn” Howard
I developed my confidence and positive self-esteem through failure and constructive criticism. Missing my intended “mark” has always brought an instant state of clarity. Self-reflection always followed and it was in those vulnerable moments I developed the ability to see my value and contributions regardless of the outcome. Read more>>
Becky Bailey
I’ve come to realize that confidence and self-esteem are gifts that I can only give myself. Over the years, I’ve discovered several key elements that help me build and maintain my inner strength every day: 1. A Supportive Work Environment: Working in a place where mistakes are seen as learning opportunities is invaluable. In my supportive environment, we view every challenge as a chance to grow, and we back each other up unconditionally. Read more>>
Teressa Fiderio
Growing up I was a ballet dancer. I started dancing when I was 4 years old. Ballet taught me discipline, focus, and adaptability and played a huge role in developing my confidence and self-esteem. As a child, I was incredibly shy, and dance helped me have a safe space to express myself. Ballet taught me body awareness and helped me develop a positive relationship with my body. It takes confidence and internal fortitude to push through the self-doubt and hold back against the internal monologue of feeling like you’re not enough. Read more>>
Barbara Ellen Leicht
Confidence and self-esteem don’t always come naturally, and that’s okay! Both can be built. This is especially good to know if you’ve ever been bullied, marginalized, or are recovering from trauma. (All relatable.) Here are 3 core steps I take to build and nourish confidence and self-esteem: 1. Mindset: As a Mindset Career Coach for 10+ years, I’ve found and firmly believe that everything starts with Mindset. Often times, confidence is a choice. The mantra, “Fake it until you make it,” doesn’t always work for me. There may be a mindset conflict with my authenticity-value. Read more>>
