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.
Arina Sprynz
For me, confidence didn’t arrive overnight — it was a journey. I had to learn to celebrate my own strengths instead of comparing myself to others. Competing in Ms Great Britain really accelerated that process, because I was constantly pushed out of my comfort zone. Read more >>>
Tiarra
I developed my confidence and my self-esteem from watching my parents. My parents instilled in me a confidence and a belief in myself. My dad showed me what resilience and tenacity looks like. My mom poured in words of affirmation over me as a child. They also allowed for me to dive into self-expression. Read more >>>
Steve Walters
You only gain confidence by overcoming fear. The only way to do that is by facing what you’re afraid of. I’m old enough now and have enough experience in life to know that when I face something scary, I can figure it out—just hold my chest high, smile, and walk in like I know what I’m doing. Read more >>>
Miana Coleman-Berry
I developed my confidence and self-esteem through a process of teaching myself to love who I am over time. It came from learning to be comfortable in my own skin and embracing my true self. Read more >>>
Jessica Burch
I’ve always been a confident person—or maybe stubborn is the more accurate word. Even as a kid, if an idea popped into my head, it wasn’t enough for it to just exist. I had to bring it to life. That relentless urge to create, to see things through, was always stronger than any fear of failing. But the truth is, confidence is often an illusion. Read more >>>
Arushi Surve
I developed my confidence and self-esteem through belief. From the start of Mission Green Global, I set goals that others thought were too ambitious: building an international nonprofit at 15, launching chapters across 35+ countries, hosting global events, and even speaking at the US Climate Action Network about youth involvement in climate action. Read more >>>
June Koxhi
My confidence as a photographer didn’t happen overnight. I developed my confidence and self-esteem through consistent practice and a commitment to learning. Early on, I was often filled with self-doubt, but that changed with every project I completed. Each time a client was genuinely happy with the final photos, it was a powerful validation of my skills. Read more >>>
Nemi Brooks
Growing up, I experienced a lot of bullying and harsh criticism from my peers and even mentors over my looks. Read more >>>
Kelsie Coleman
The confidence and self-esteem I have began with knowing the family I come from. All the women in my family, especially on my mother’s side, have always carried themselves like queens. Since I was younger, my mother taught me to trust in who I was and who God created me to be. That was mirrored in how she carried herself. Read more >>>
Sitong Liu
As a freelance illustrator, I often struggle with self-doubt and insecurity. But I’ve realized that this mindset does nothing to support my artistic growth, so I make a conscious effort to manage it. One effective way has been building my presence on social media. Sharing my work online often brings encouraging feedback, comments, and even commissions. That recognition from an audience directly strengthens my confidence. Read more >>>
Maddie Toren
Confidence wasn’t something that just appeared for me, it’s something I’ve built step by step. Before pickleball, I tried things like musical theatre and Toastmasters to break out of my shell, but refereeing was what truly pushed me to my limits. At one point I even thought about quitting because the pressure felt overwhelming, but choosing to stick with it was the difference maker. Read more >>>
Sumire Kudo
I’ve faced numerous difficult challenges on my own, and those experiences have fortunately fostered the confidence to try new things. Read more >>>
Mi Do
At first, I was not confident about my art, and I was never satisfied with it. I felt different from other artists around me. I am not good at rendering art, the skills that most artists are practicing on. I do not like to render my art because I rather keeping the shadow and highlight sharp and clean. Read more >>>
Yomi Chef
I’ve come to realize that confidence and self-esteem don’t come from outside validation. They come from trusting yourself. And trust only shows up when you step into the unknown. That’s usually what people fear the most: not knowing how things will turn out. Read more >>>
Terrell Starks
Confidence is something I’m still continuously developing, but with time I’ve realized how vital it is—no matter what you’re pursuing or enduring in life. One of my earliest lessons came during my very first modeling casting in Chicago. I can’t remember the exact month, but it was freezing. Read more >>>
Nicholas Doan
My confidence and self esteem are rooted in my own desires and goals. I focus on what I want to achieve and always remember that if I don’t go get it myself, no one is going to give it to me. Confidence comes from that, because if you don’t stay on that path and stay focused on your goals, you will stumble. Read more >>>
Elaine Mascarenhas
I believe my confidence and self-esteem are also influenced by my roots. I am from Brazil, a country known for its vibrant and happy people, and beautiful women. I’ve naturally absorbed that energy for life. Also, it makes me feel good when l engaged in activities that I am passionate about. And most importantly, embrace who you are and practice lots of self-love, self-nurturing. Read more >>>
Tonni ‘Pharoh’ Fewell
My confidence and self-esteem weren’t handed to me—they were forged through years of experience, adversity, and purpose. Growing up, I watched my mother lead with strength and grace, raising three boys on her own. Her example taught me that confidence isn’t loud—it’s consistent. It’s showing up, even when the odds are stacked against you. Read more >>>
Dr. Tamala Coleman
Wow, it was hard to build my confidence and self-esteem. Growing up wasn’t easy especially within my peers. I was bullied a lot and lost my confidence even in my early 20’s. My journey positive self-talk, setting achievable goals, and focusing on my strengths. It also included practicing self-compassion . I had to learn to love myself and find my worth. Read more >>>
Abby Park
I think confidence and self esteem is something that many artists struggle to hold on to throughout their entire artistic journey. But I believe something that will always bring it back is remembering that as the only Abby Park, I have my own unique experiences and story to tell. Read more >>>
Livvy Nelson
I finally realized it was no accident that I was born. For so long, I moved through life feeling lost and worthless—even while achieving things others might call incredible. I could receive a hundred compliments and still spiral over one critique until the room felt like it was spinning, often leading to panic attacks. Read more >>>
Adriana Brito
When I was little, I wasn’t the most extroverted or the most introverted—I’d say I was somewhere in between. Looking back, I realize a lot of that came from the fear of “what will people say” if I did something out of the ordinary. Read more >>>
Courtney Harris
Honestly, a lot of my confidence was built through my modeling career. Being in that world taught me how to carry myself, how to walk into a room and own my space, and how to handle both praise and criticism with grace. Read more >>>
Thom Hunt
This has been a lifelong project for me. I suppose it is rooted in necessity, as my family moved from Illinois to Connecticut to Michigan while I grew up – each time in the middle of the school year which sort of forced me to develop a sense of humor as a defense mechanism when in new social groups. Read more >>>
jesse yeakle
Developing confidence and self-esteem is an ongoing internal process for me. I did not always use to have confidence in myself or think of myself in a bright light. However, now I feel and look at myself differently and how I show up in a room, or space. Read more >>>
Madison Simon
Finding your confidence, self esteem, and even your identity, is one of the messiest journeys in one’s development. It is such trial and error, as you don’t know what you don’t know. Then adding in societal and parental pressures on top of it, it gets messy. Read more >>>
Barbara Lager
For me when I think of self-confidence and cultivating it, the most important step is to say yes! Finding the courage inside myself and acting upon it. That act alone it’s huge. What I’m truly saying to myself in that moment is I can MOVE past any obstacles that may arrive. Read more >>>
Ryan Rud
I was a shy kid. I had friends and what not but I was always a shy kid and never really had a lot of self confidence. We could go into reasons why but I’ll leave that to my therapist. Anyways, It wasn’t until I started playing music that I began to cultivate a little self esteem and confidence. Music was mine. Read more >>>
Demi Gilmore
When I was a little girl I remember being surrounded by highly ambitious and creative people. My Aunt Dana, a well known poet and writer in Atlanta Georgia, has always been a huge inspiration to me. She always spoke to me with reassurance and love. She always told me I’d be something special, that I could change the world and I always believed her. Read more >>>
Jacques Lyles
How I overcame and developed my confidence and self-esteem was putting myself in situations to where they were out of my comfort zone by trying new things and experimenting with where and how I created, my content in order for me to develop that sense of being comfortable in the most uncomfortable situations. So I would experiment with doing my content in different environments. Read more >>>
Jess Kennedy
I’ve developed both my confidence and self-esteem over time by just consistently showing up for myself—on the good days, the hard ones, and everything in between. Each challenge has taught me something and reminded me that I’m stronger than I think. Read more >>>
Kayla Symone Price
I built my confidence and self-esteem based on my upbringing. My mother consistently reminded me and helped me realize that I am beautiful, intelligent, god-fearing, brave, unstoppable, and all those wonderful qualities. She nurtured my focus and purpose so that I would understand how I should feel about myself, even if I didn’t yet have a specific title or clear understanding of my life’s purpose. Read more >>>
