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.
Gina Carrillo
Every morning I started to read quotes. Then I started writing daily affirmations! I read a lot of motivational poetry and get inspired by the works of other creative artists! My self-esteem took years of therapy. I graduate Domestic Violence Therapy this week after six years with Bridges of Williamson County! I’ve also done some Co-dependents therapy and Al-anon in the past. Read More>>
Cece Logue
I’d say my confidence really started to take shape in college. I went in determined to try everything when it came to clubs, leadership roles, competitions, internships, even things I wasn’t sure I’d be good at. Pushing myself into those situations taught me that I could adapt, learn fast, and keep improving. Read More>>
Reva K
My confidence and self-esteem definitely didn’t develop overnight, especially as a creative, when the question that always seems to hang over my head is, “What if people don’t like my work?” I’m not sure if that anxiety will ever completely go away. However, experience has taken a lot of the weight out of that question. Read More>>
Wynter Spears
I was fortunate to have parents who not only encouraged me, but also challenged me to do hard things and rise to difficult challenges, which I believe gave me confidence and self esteem at an early age. The story I love to tell about my dad is that he never let us win at board games as children. Read More>>
Mo Davis
I grew up in a family where honesty was a key factor in development. My mom always critiqued us without restriction and restraint. I was rewarded for perfection and my short-comings were analyzed for improvement. My self esteem is a result of knowing that failures are normal but your reaction to the failures is what sets you apart from others. Read More>>
Rishika Agarwal
By learning to believe in myself—my voice, my skills, and my personality. It took time, but I realized that confidence isn’t something you wait for; it’s something you build by backing yourself, especially when it would be easier to shrink. I stopped comparing myself to others when I understood that just like all five fingers are different, so is every human being. Read More>>
Joel LeBlanc
I truly think Confidence is a struggle I will face every day. That wont stop me from pursuing my dream and finding happiness. I spent many years not believing In myself, but I do not want to look back at my life in regret. One day I had the privilege of meeting the brilliant actor, David Dastmalchian. Read More>>
Nattalie Cornwall
My confidence comes from knowing that even when I fall short, I can always get back up. I’ve always been solutions driven, even since I was young. I’ve faced many adversities in life, and each time I worked through or overcame them, it added to the confidence I had in myself to take on big challenges and come out stronger. Read More>>
Orá Cruz
I have always believed that if you put in the effort there will always be an outcome. That mindset has been the foundation of my confidence and self-esteem as an artist. From the beginning I never let fear or hesitation stop me from creating, whether it was painting a canvas or capturing a fleeting moment through my lens. I created simply because I loved it. Read More>>
Yena Nam
When I think about the terms confidence and self-esteem, they immediately make me ponder two different questions: how much faith do I have in my abilities, and how much effort have I put in seemingly unattainable challenges? I believe that self-esteem is the foundation of building one’s confidence. Read More>>
Jadon Lowe
Believe it or not, Myrtle Beach has gotten me out of my shell in so many different ways. Read More>>
Emily Marella
Self esteem and confidence grew within me over many years and experiences. But a particular catalyst that makes for a good story: I shaved my head. It was midnight on August 1st of 2023- do you remember where you were? Well, I was in my bathroom, giving myself a pep talk in the mirror that I could do something I was afraid to. Read More>>
HAZL
It’s been a been a journey that has taken a hell of a lot of both time and courage. Now at 30, I can see how much I’ve grown, and I know that if I were asked this question at 21, my answer would have been quite different. Read More>>
Elizabeta Vidovic
I was always insecure about my writing. English is my second language, and with that comes certain limitations – especially since I was self-taught, for the most part. The more I trudged into the deep waters of filmmaking, the more I realized that I would have to put this fear behind me. Read More>>
Clifford Walker
For me, confidence and self-esteem are built by keeping the promises I make to myself. It’s easy to get excited about big goals writing a book, starting a business, getting in shape but the real test comes in the follow-through. Even the small commitments matter: reading a few pages each day, sticking to a meal plan, showing up consistently. Read More>>
Brittany Osborne
Confidence and self-esteem are definitely things I’m still working on. I don’t always feel confident, even if it might look that way from the outside. Honestly, it’s one of my biggest struggles. Where I’ve found the most confidence is in my career… being able to build something meaningful- and in motherhood! Read More>>
Lana Spencer
My confidence wasn’t something I was born with—it was something I built through resilience and intentional practice. Early in my career, I often found myself in rooms where I was the youngest or the only woman, and at first, that was intimidating. Instead of shrinking back, I made a conscious decision to prepare twice as hard and speak once with clarity and conviction. Read More>>
Gregorio Lozano III
Growing up in a challenging familial environment, the odds were stacked against me of ever getting to the place I’m at now. I had many risk factors that would normally predict a different outcome. Read More>>
Sasha Smothers
Growing up, I was bullied and left out of groups. I never had a core group of friends and had to get comfortable being on my own. I did not speak up. In fact, I rarely used my voice to the point that I developed strep throat quite often. My throat chakra was completely out of balance. Read More>>
Chris Ahlman
From a very young age I have been involved with the Arts. Due to a shoulder injury when I was about ten years old, I was not able to participate a lot in sports. That situation allowed me to get deeply involved in theater and music. Through my younger years I had a number of leading roles in local theater productions. Read More>>
Cerena Brown
I developed my confidence and self-esteem by doing things that came to me at ease. I’ve always had a creative mindset and spirit. Makeup was a way to express my creativity to the world while being shy. Modeling helped me see the beauty that I always had when it was difficult for me to see on my own. Read More>>
Sava Rilak
My confidence and self-esteem were largely developed from a young age, thanks to the support of my family. I was always encouraged to try new things and take on challenges. This created a strong internal belief that I could handle whatever came my way. As I’ve gotten older and faced challenges on my own, I haven’t been paralyzed by the fear of failure. Read More>>
Dr. Dave Montgomery
My confidence developed early in life, a combination of intentional nurturing and trial by fire. My mother instilled an ‘I can’ attitude in me and placed me in environments where that mindset was echoed and reinforced through action. Growing up on the Southside of Chicago, necessity and some wrong turns taught me that I can do hard things. Read More>>
Tyler Visions
My confidence really started to grow when I landed my first job out of college. Up until then, I was hustling just to get by, so finally being able to make a living and afford the things I wanted felt like a huge turning point. It gave me a sense of stability and validation that the years of effort were paying off. Read More>>
Benjamin Behrooz
I’ve always been more soft-spoken by nature. Early in my career, and even before that, I was shy about speaking up. It wasn’t because I didn’t have ideas, but because I wasn’t sure if people wanted to hear them. But over time, I realized something important: I could convey information, and when I spoke with honesty and intention, people listened. Read More>>
Beth Freese
I built my confidence by doing things that scared me. I didn’t wait to feel ready. I just started, whether that was launching my business, having hard conversations, or showing up in spaces that felt intimidating. Each time I pushed through the discomfort, I proved to myself I could handle more than I thought. I also stopped chasing perfection. That was a big one. Read More>>
Keyerra Green
It’s simple but complex. I developed my confidence and self-esteem through failure. I lost myself many times but through my faith in my father I was able to find myself again every time. Through my trials, I was able to find strength, and I learned that no matter how many times I lost I can get it back again. Read More>>
Traci Moore
My confidence and self-esteem were nurtured early on by my family. They supported my creativity, encouraged my talents, and affirmed my voice. The way they carried themselves with pride, boldness, and presence left a deep impression on me. I don’t know if I ever learned another way to be. That foundation gave me the freedom to show up unapologetically in everything I do. Read More>>
Danny Archer
As a magician, you have to project confidence and self=esteem from the stage. But many times, you are not feeling as confident as the audience might think. Early in my career, I had to fake it especially when doing new material or in a performing situation this was new or different. Read More>>
Sherry Ellis
Being in the spotlight didn’t come easy for me. I am a naturally quiet and shy person. I think the biggest thing that helped me overcome ‘stage fright,’ is being well-prepared. If I’ve put the time in, rehearsing music, or rehearsing speeches for presentations, then I feel confident that I can do a good job. Read More>>
Kunwar Prithvi Singh Rathore
I developed my confidence and self-esteem gradually through experience, self-reflection, and taking bold steps—especially when I made the decision to move from India to New York to pursue my passion for photography and art. Leaving behind everything familiar—my family, friends, and cultural environment—wasn’t easy, but it taught me resilience and forced me to believe in my own voice and vision. Read More>>
Jenny Mahoney
Discovering the world of Color Analysis and applying it to myself in all beauty, fashion, and lifestyle choices made going forward played a huge role in how I developed my confidence. For the longest time, I had been playing the ultimate guessing game with my beauty choices. Read More>>
Claire Pearce
I grew up in an alcoholic household where conflict between my parents was constant, and the mixed messages I received about myself left me questioning my worth from a young age. Those early experiences shaped how I saw myself for many years, chipping away at my confidence and self-esteem. Read More>>
P.S. Wilson
I often trace my confidence and self-esteem back to the lessons I absorbed from my parents. They didn’t just tell me I could achieve anything, they modeled it in the way they carried themselves, the risks they took, and the opportunities they created for me. Read More>>
Daun Jeong
To be honest, I’m not sure if I’ve fully figured this out yet. But, recently there’s something I learned about how to keep my confidence and self- esteem. I always try to tell myself this: “Never doubt myself.” It has been 3 years from now since I came to the U.S. for college. Read More>>
