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.

Vincent

I always make sure to present myself well. Being invited to high profile events has taught me that sometimes you only get one shot to connect with the right people. Those experiences showed me how important confidence is to success. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved at 22, and I truly believe the people I choose to be around push me to keep growing—confidence really is contagious. Read More>>

Diana Diaz Tarakanova

I became more confident by going through different life experiences and learning from them. I always try to listen to what I really want and do things that make me excited. When I do something new—especially in a new country—I often feel scared or unsure, but I do it anyway. I try not to compare myself to other people. Instead, I focus on getting better at my own pace. That helps me understand myself and grow. Read More>>

Yoshua Israel

That’s an excellent question—and one I had to reflect on for a moment. My parents played a foundational role in developing my self-esteem and confidence. As a homeschooled student, they were instrumental not just in my education, but in shaping how I viewed myself and the world around me. Read More>>

Abbi Rodes

I grew up on a farm. My mother was a narcissist and my father was a workaholic. My family did not encourage us but rather mocked one another. I separated myself at an early age from this mentality and was very clear minded that this type of behavior wasn’t kind, helpful, or something I wanted to be a part of. I parented myself. I decided who I was and what kind of person I wanted to be. Read More>>

Nicholas Pellam Cheeves

It started at a young age, my mom had my brother and I in different sports and activities. Being an athlete fosters competitiveness and I’ve used that energy throughout my academic and career endeavors. I may not be the smartest or most knowledgeable person in the different spaces I’m in, but I stay my authentic self no matter what. No one can take away the experiences I have gone through which helped shape the person I have become. Read More>>

Andrea C Scott

I remember from an early age being the kid that wanted to entertain or be around all of my parents friends. I always found older people way more interesting than the kids my age. I also had a deep awareness of being close to God and knowing that l was special to him. I would get dressed for Sunday School and walk 10 Bronx blocks to church by myself, even as my parents and brother slept in. Read More>>

Chama Ataya

Growing up, I was the shy, quiet kid. During class reading time, I’d mumble my way through my section, barely audible. At parent-teacher conferences, my mum would always hear the same thing — “She’s so quiet; we never quite know what she’s thinking.” Expressing myself, especially in a room full of people, never came naturally. Read More>

Steven Huff

This was something that I have always struggled with, particularly as a child. I was extremely shy and tended to keep to myself, and always felt sort of out of place. Even coming out of high school I still lacked a lot of confidence, even though I had been doing martial arts for a while at that point. Read More>>

Jessica Aguilar

My mother taught me at a very young age to believe in myself. She was a very strong women and taught me the value of knowing your worth out in the world. As I got older, I let the world dictate my worth until I said “enough is enough.” Read More>>

Lisa Rose

I love this question! I think confidence is like happiness; an emotion that comes and goes. Most days when I’m feeling my best, looking my best (in my opinion), and feeling productive, I feel most confident! My self-esteem has been a journey of building blocks for most of my life, starting young, of course. Luckily, I’ve been able to surround myself with people who support me in my endeavors, which keeps my self-esteem at a great level. Read More>>

Dr. Melissa Brock

The biggest factor for me in gaining confidence in my work has come with experience and age. At a certain point in life you realise that you’ve been doing this work for decades and the only person who is going to give you the validation you are looking for is yourself. Read More>>

Sky Swisa

Where do I get my confidence from?

It is a work in process and is still growing. It’s something I’ve had to nurture gently over time—through life’s big moves, small steps, and the quiet decision to believe in myself, even when I didn’t feel ready. Read More>>

CRYSTAL GRIFFITH

How I Developed My Confidence and Self-Esteem

I wasn’t born into a life that fostered confidence. I came from a broken home—born to a mother who didn’t truly want me. Her interest was in my father’s money, and when that ran out, so did her desire to keep either of us in her life. She was beautiful, polished, and driven by material things—soon finding another to bankroll her lifestyle. Read More>>

Unmarried Woman

This feels like an excellent question for me to respond to because I often get asked how I appear to approach each project or performance with such confidence. In terms of a specific DJ performance, the answer would be that this side of my life doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Read More>>

Keri Marino

I developed my confidence and self-esteem by building an audacious, deeply accepting, and conscious relationship with myself.

I experienced a significant amount of childhood trauma, and it showed up in all the ways you might expect—low self-worth, body image struggles, and a deep disconnection from myself. When you don’t receive the emotional support, stability, and presence you need as a child, it creates an inner ache—a sense that something is missing or broken. Read More>>

Matias Faundez

I’ve always made myself “jump to the pool” -sort of speak, in order to achieve my goals, I’d force myself to at least try , and then try again. If it’s either apply for that dream job, travel to that location you’d always wanted, you have to take at least some baby steps. Read More>>

Billy Ray Wheaton

I’ve learned a lot competing in circles that I didn’t really need to be in. It forced me to learn quickly and adapt. It allowed me to see how people acted, and that helped me learn what mannerisms, attitudes, and demeanor I did not want to have or present in myself. It helped me understand what and how I didn’t want to be but it also made me feel like I was always deficient. Read More>>

Ashanti Davis

To keep it simple, my confidence is rooted in my faith. There will always be times when I don’t feel confident or when I wonder if I’m the best candidate for a role, but I’ve learned that I don’t have to be perfect. I operate in the identity that I’m a child of God, and that alone has given me the courage and self-esteem to push myself forward. Read More>>

Shakeemah Smith

Confidence and self-esteem weren’t something I was born with—I built them through experience, trial and error, and pushing myself beyond my comfort zone. My journey started when I took my first solo trip. I was nervous, unsure, and questioned if I could really do it. But once I landed in a new country, navigated unfamiliar streets, and connected with people despite language barriers, I realized I was far more capable than I ever gave myself credit for. Read More>>

Jahmeir Chapman

As a young boy, my family gave me the freedom to shape my own reality. Not being forced into a religion, told what to wear, or what to eat gave me confidence in making my own choices and embracing my own perception. Although I can be quite indecisive and have experienced deep inadequacy, I’ve always believed in myself—and even more so, that anything is possible. I truly believe the thoughts I hold inside my mind can be brought to reality without bounds or limits. Read More>>

Debbie

I have always struggled with my self worth since I was a kid. I was lucky enough to have a great group of friends through high school & into college where I was able to be myself. When I moved from Thunder Bay to Toronto to pursue my dream of being a photographer I had my family’s support. I managed a small studio in Mississauga but the pay was terrible. Read More>>

Léo Dester

Desenvolvi minha confiança e auto estima através do estudo , das histórias sobre o lugar que vivo que é a cidade do Rio de Janeiro, o Morro da Babilônia, a cidade como um todo me mostra as estórias reais e vou desenvolvendo e moldando meu caráter em cima do meu trabalho que é exatamente mostras as belezas daqui para os visitantes. Read More>>

Jonny Thomas

I developed my confidence by continuously putting myself outside of my comfort zone. I think I enjoy being uncomfortable in some senses — as in I’ve always had a desire to explore new terrain — but when it comes to turning my passion into a business, it’s been year after year of pushing my limits. At a certain point, a good amount of confidence naturally comes with that type of exploration. Read More>>

Jeff Gomez

When I was a kid I had every reason to be withdrawn, anxious, second-guessing myself. At birth, a misapplication of forceps gave me a tilted smile, my family grappled with poverty, I was Puerto Rican at a time when that wasn’t cool, and the Lower East Side of Manhattan was a dangerous place to live. Read More>>

Rashawnda C. Scott

As a woman we go through many trial and tribulations. We gain confidence and we lose it again as we step into new territory and evolve into the unknown. What has helped me maintain and continue developing my confidence the awareness of my inner self and noticing when I have step outside of who that woman is. Read More>>

Camesha Jones

My confidence and self-esteem are deeply rooted in my family’s legacy of resilience. The women in my family have served as guideposts and strong examples for me. My father was a brilliant man but struggled with alcoholism. My mother, an outstanding elementary teacher. Read More>>

Lillian Smith

For me, like most dancers, confidence and positive self esteem can be difficult qualities to maintain. There have been times I’ve been told I wasn’t thin enough or didn’t have the right “dancer body.” When I was younger especially my teenage years, I really let comments like these get to me, to the point where I’ve questioned if ballet was something worth continuing. Read More>>

Rachel Jorich

I believe I developed my confidence and self-esteem by the major risks I took in life to find myself and my own self worth. By leaping into the unknown, I discovered a way of living I never knew existed- one that allowed me to open up and embrace my most authentic self.

I personally believe people are born confident, but the world has a way of stripping that confidence away. I was born a child who had a joy for life and found the beauty and fun in the little things. Over time, the world started to influence me into believing that I was worthless, unintelligent, ugly, and never good enough. I think much of my self worth and confidence got stripped away because of fear. I had fears of being made fun by cruel kids at school, which caused me to shrink myself and keep my head down, as well as fears from my religious upbringing. “Don’t step out of line or you could go to hell.” Read More>>

Koree L. Thatcher

Confidence and self-esteem… that’s a journey, isn’t it? For me, a significant part of that journey was embracing my individuality, even when it felt challenging. As a beauty industry professional, I discovered a powerful source of confidence in my vibrant red hair. At the time, it was an unpopular color, out of my comfort zone, and no one looked like me. Read More>>

Rachel Pierre

I love when someone asks me this question because you are looking at a girl who was super insecure and had zero confidence in herself, so much so that I would try to make myself not be seen or heard because I felt like I had nothing valuable to contribute. But for me it was truly simple, my physical appearance was the first step. Whether people like to admit it or not we live in a shallow world and I know for me my appearance was my biggest insecurity, namely my teeth. Read More>>

Bryan De Justin

I developed my confidence through confronting my own inner darkness and self-doubts. Everyone has personal fears, shadows, etc. but not everyone confronts them and comes out stronger and better. I told myself that if I wanted my clients to be able to do this, I needed to be able to do the same thing. Read More>>

Anna Levchuk

I don’t think I’ve always made great decisions in my life — especially when I was younger, and honestly, even now sometimes. During my teenage years, I used to second-guess almost every move: choosing my university, my major, my career path, even the people I spent time with. And I definitely can’t say I developed strong decision-making skills overnight. Read More>>

Michelle Nguyen

I didn’t come from a business background, so in the beginning, I had to learn by doing — and by failing. Every mistake became a lesson that teaches me to trust my instincts. Over time, I built a team of incredibly talented people who believe in TAD’s vision as much as I do. We don’t always agree but I have learnt to listen to their advice and take calculated risks. Read More>>