We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Antoinette Chanel a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Antoinette, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
I used to search for confidence and self-esteem outside of myself, but learned that seeking external validation to build my sense of self-worth upon was an unstable way to build myself up. People are fickle; if someone is jealous of you and what you have or what you’re building, they might decide to cut you down as they project their own insecurities onto you. I was trapped in a cycle of not believing in myself, seeing myself as limited in what I could do or accomplish when I approached my own self-esteem and confidence this way. I had to place distance between myself and others in an effort to get better acquainted with myself – my own voice, my own strengths and weaknesses, my own successes or shortcomings. Once I connected to my own internal voice, it became easier to lower the volume on everyone else’s, and this deeper connection to myself is what ultimately built my confidence. I tell myself the truth about what I am able to do, all I have accomplished, and my intentions rather than wallowing in criticism of myself or subscribing to the limiting belief that I am unworthy or incapable. Pumping myself up with positivity and belief in myself helps me do better than being critical of myself.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I run a full-service indie publisher that helps people take their book ideas and turn them into books on their shelves. We amplify the voices of those whose voices are often silenced or talked over, such as Black women authors, authors with disabilities, indigenous authors, and LGBTQIA+ authors. One reason I established Feathered Press was to help clear up the indie, self-publishing process for independent authors. We pride ourselves on transparency and integrity.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I used to think that the mark of success was a meteoric rise, but not anymore. Patience is key to building a business on a steady foundation, so I have had to learn to be patient with myself and my business’s development. I also had to learn that creativity begets more creativity. As Maya Angelou once famously stated, “Creativity cannot be used up.” On the surface, this is about one’s ability to create continuously, but I have also learned from doing business in the arena to have confidence in my ability to come up with new ideas, even when others “borrow” concepts I came up with. Lastly, giving myself grace allows me to keep going. Grace leads to rest, better self-care, more self-love, and patience with self.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
One book I recommend everyone reads is We Should All be Millionaires, by Rachel Rodgers. Wealth and income are often explained from the male point of view, from people like Dave Ramsey, Peter Lynch, or Ben Stein. Rachel provides a perspective that is more accessible to women by not weaponizing $4 lattes or $20 pedicures. I found this book taught me how to look at income and income generation differently, so it’s high up on my list.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.featheredpresspub.net
- Instagram: @msantoinettechanel
Image Credits
Adrienne Fletcher Photography https://www.adriennefletcher.com/
