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.

Li Wei

I have always been quite shy, especially as a child, and speaking in public used to terrify me. Over time, I realized that developing confidence and self-esteem starts with doing something you love and are good at. For me, that came through choosing architecture as my major. I found my true passion within the field—interior design—and it has been an incredible journey. Read More>>

Aaron Schondorf

I am a musician, and we often think of musicians as exuding a certain level of confidence and self-esteem. From the outside, it can seem that the music industry is rife with ego and self-pride, but I find that its really a select few that are like this, and even less so in the screen scoring industry. Developing confidence, both in my music and myself, was integral to my journey as a musician. Read More>>

Amanda Hinton

Confidence and self-esteem will probably always be works in progress for me. Some days, everything clicks, and I feel like I’m nailing it—other days, I wonder if my clay and I need couples therapy. It’s easy to get caught up in what people think, and doubt has a sneaky way of creeping in. Read More>>

Amber Rhodes

You know, it’s funny – I often hear other photographers talk about looking back at their early work and cringing, almost wanting to hide those first sessions away forever. But I don’t feel that way at all. When I look back at those initial galleries, I see pure heart. Read More>>

Ashleigh Ellis

Growing up as the only Black ice skater in my community, I faced unique challenges that ultimately shaped my confidence and self-esteem. My mother instilled in me the belief that I needed to work harder and strive to be better than my peers. This mantra became my driving force. I dedicated myself to practicing before and after school, and I spent every summer at skating camps to hone my skills. Read More>>

Desdamona Ross

As a child I was surrounded by creative people who encouraged my creativity and allowed me to explore and create freely. They encouraged me and took notice of what I was doing and their words pushed me to work harder. When they told me I was good at something, I believed them and wanted to show them I could do more. Read More>>

Et Mathews

Realizing and trusting that there’s only on true ‘me’ Read More>>

Kristi Keding

Confidence and self-esteem didn’t come from any one big moment or achievement. It’s really been a gradual process, built over time through small, consistent actions. It’s not glamorous, but it’s those unsexy, daily decisions that make the biggest difference. Read More>>

Matt Schumacher

It’s been a long hard road. To make a long story short, I had an older woman that basically told me to man up. Read More>>

Michael Marchesan

My confidence and self esteem was developed over many years through countless experiences.

Growing up, I was introduced to things such as skateboarding, surfing, tools, fixing things, being in the garage and other such activities that were often associated with getting hurt and dealing with pain. I will never forget my dad and older brother always saying, “Take the pain.” Read More>>

Tula Gout

Growing up I was a very shy person. Every time I had to talk in class or do a presentation I would struggle and immediately turn red. So becoming an actress was quite contradictory to this behaviour. Despite this I knew that acting was my passion and the one thing I truly enjoyed doing, it brought me great happiness and a purpose in this life. Because of that, despite the nerves I would act in my highschool theater. Read More>>

Mignon Francois

I never thought I was pretty. In fact, my whole life is categorized by never having the right outfit, hair never laid quite right and always a little awkward, sometimes a lot of goofy. You can aptly describe me as the shy quiet type. Read More>>

Cameron Jackson

Growing up, sports played a central role in shaping my confidence and self-esteem. From baseball to football and track, I immersed myself in athletic challenges that not only sharpened my skills but also taught me the value of teamwork, discipline, and resilience. Each game and practice session was an opportunity to push my limits and celebrate my progress, reinforcing the belief that I could overcome any challenge. Read More>>

Stacey D. Mitchell

There were two primary conditions that helped me develop my confidence and self-esteem, but my assignments were the greatest drivers of my confidence. Read More>>

Jazzi Bee

Developing my confidence and self-esteem has been a journey shaped by experience, self-reflection, and intentional growth. Read More>>

Trevor Bumbarger

I overcame my confidence and self-esteem because people always told me I couldn’t do something. I wanted to prove them and the world wrong. I spent many times suffering through pain and practice, but I managed to keep going. I noticed that my family wanted me to be better and I was all for that. Read More>>

Ajawavi Ajavon

I grew up in Liberia, West Africa, and during my early years, I struggled with low self-esteem due to being bullied from 5th to 9th grade. It took a toll on my confidence, and for a long time, I felt like I didn’t have a voice. Read More>>

Aryanna Vigier

Developing my confidence was a journey, and it definitely wasn’t easy. I faced a lot of self doubt while building up this business, but that also pushed me to keep going. As a dog trainer, I have to adapt to each clients needs and their dogs. I may have two dogs facing fear reactivity but their triggers and responses are both different. Read More>>

Chaka Balamani

I owe A great deal of my Confidence to my childhood church Ebenezer AME in Ft.Washington Md. At age 10 I can vividly remember the day I got over the fear of Public speaking, Welcoming the visitors On Youth Sunday in front of a couple of hundred people in the 1980’s, when I was done the claps and cheers were so loud I felt like I could do anything life. Read More>>

Hunter Bright

My mother and father divorced when I was very young, around 3 years old, and for the most part my father was absent from my life aside from arranged visitation periods, though even then I never developed much of a bond…quite the opposite, rather. Read More>>

Matt Haley

I got my confidence from y father. My dad was the most confident, calm, self-assured person, and he led by example. He was a radio broadcaster for six decades, and did a lot of community outreach and public speaking, which gave me the ability to get on stage without panicking! Read More>>

Natasha B

I wasn’t born confident—I built it. For years, I played small, worried about what people thought, and dimmed my light to make others comfortable. But after becoming a mom, I looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize myself. I had lost my fire, my presence, me. That’s when I knew something had to change. Read More>>

Rick Ring

How did I develop my confidence and self esteem? The dirty secret is that I haven’t really developed it yet. But I’m unafraid to share my art, and I let my creations speak for themselves. Read More>>

Amit Tishler

I embraced my weirdness, and defined my view of failure and success. Knowing who I am, and what I want, did wonders for my self-esteem. I believe that the first step of gaining confidence is defining what confidence is, or at least what it means to you. Read More>>

Kwan Patton

For most of my life, I lacked confidence and self-esteem. I was very insecure, although in my young adult years, I believed I had very high self-esteem. My self-esteem and lack of confidence stemmed from a lot of traumas in my life at an early age, mostly from feelings of pain. Read More>>

Zachariah Stearn

Confidence is taught through lived experience. I think that people who struggle with developing their self confidence have not had enough opportunity to strengthen it. It is my belief that confidence is built by understanding a process, developing a plan, and executing the intention but that does not mean that it must be successful. Read More>>

Annie Cole

As a born introvert who naturally loves to spend time alone, I wasn’t always the socially confident person that I am today. It took years of dedicated effort to get comfortable with public speaking, being in the spotlight, or even taking on leadership roles. Read More>>

Marissa Myer

For me, confidence has been a journey of “fake it until you make it” while embracing every opportunity to learn along the way. Starting this entrepreneurial path in my early 20s wasn’t easy—I constantly battled self-doubt, questioning whether my age, lack of experience, or what I didn’t know would hold me back. Read More>>

Jessica Faust

I can credit my parents a lot for this. I was raised to believe I could do anything and to challenge those people or situations who told me I couldn’t. That being said, it has also taken a lot of work on my part. People can tear you down. Read More>>

Cam Buttrick

I come from a theater background, so I always remind myself that if I can perform in front of 500+ people while wearing a crazy costume and embarrassing myself, I can handle a job interview. As cheesy as it sounds, I also make a point to remind myself before any big interview or presentation: “I worked hard for this, I’m awesome, and I deserve it!” Read More>>

Jaylene Cabrera

By nature, connecting with others in group settings is sincerely overwhelming. But when it comes to my art, I’ll push past overwhelm and insecurity to promote my artistic pursuits. The art scene is a much older crowd in Jacksonville, there’s not a lot of artists in their 20s. Read More>>

Shagane (shagoh) Barsegian

My journey to confidence came through an unexpected door – surrender. Over the past year, I’ve been diving deep into mythology, Carl Jung, and those beautiful ancient stories that remind us we’re all on this hero’s journey together.* Read More>>

Dianne Jean Erickson

Within the journey of growth as an artist, there is vulnerability in putting my work out there, and it’s easy to feel like others have a more polished or professional edge. I finally recognized that everyone has different tastes and that not everyone will vibe with my work, such an important lesson. Read More>>

Rudy Alceda

Literally, by trial and error. Going out there and trying your best, until you feel confident in your work. Confident enough to start sharing it to the world and being happy with the result. Read More>>

Morgan Keene

Since I was a little girl, self-confidence has been a real struggle. I think many women can relate—growing up, society tells us how to act, what to say, and how to fit in. We aren’t always told that being different is okay—in fact, it’s better to be different! I was an extremely impressionable child, and well into my teenage years, I didn’t truly know who I was or what I wanted. It wasn’t until my late 20s that I started to figure it out. Read More>>