BoldJourney is all about helping our audience and community level up by learning from the experiences of others. One of the most important topics we’ve been focused on sharing insights and lessons on is confidence building and self-esteem. Below, you’ll find some brilliant entrepreneurs and creatives sharing their perspectives and advice.

Tannia Godinez

Developing my confidence and self esteem is an ongoing journey for me. For the most part of always had a loud and bold personality which could come across as confident but I wasn’t. Having people in my life remind of what I look like caused me to have low self esteem. For a really long time, I considered myself unworthy unless I did a lot of people pleasing things to be seen or be validated. And when I wasn’t, I felt like I wasn’t doing enough. My worth felt like it was non existent. Read more>>

Terri-Leigh Huleis

In the very beginning of my design career I sometimes worried I wasn’t good enough. I had years of hands on experience and was proud of the multiple homes I had worked on and the small side projects I had completed but imposter syndrome sometimes held me back from pursuing opportunities and putting myself out there. Eventually, I realized I needed to take on my career with the same attitude and ambition that I had approached everything with and so began my “make it until you make it” approach.  Read more>>

Zohra Zori

I’d love to say that my confidence and self esteem came from having great bosses in my career or taking some interesting courses (yes, to both of those), but the real root of my confidence is my grandmother. I remember being around 4- or 5-years-old, living in Kabul, Afghanistan. Many of the households in Afghanistan were set up as “compounds,” meaning there was a main house and several smaller homes. Read more>>

Sammy Ruiz

I’ve developed confidence and self esteem primarily from doing good for others. A good looking person will always age and changes to our physical appearance is sometimes out of our control. Despite all of that, we can always do good for others which creates truth self esteem. Read more>>

Terese Young

This might sound cliche but I think confidence is more about self acceptance. I turned 50 this past year and was so surprised about how that would change me! I definitely had people pleasing tendencies and spent WAY too much time caring what others thought. Read more>>

Brian Andrew Whiteley

I stopped listening to other people and started listening to myself. If you are not on your own journey then you are on someone else’s. I write down/ideate on what I want to do and then I do it. I may mess up a few times but eventually I get it right. I learn from my mistakes, make adjustments and continue forward. Sometimes I look back and realize what I thought was a mistake was a success. I take advocates along with me and keep telling others to buzz off. I keep pushing forward. I never compromise myself (this gets harder the bigger you get). Read more>>

Mallory Duncan

Being in front of the camera and talking with people I don’t know didn’t always come easy. I am actually very introverted and need time to recharge by myself. But over the past three years, I have been working on myself in multiple ways. During quarantine, I decided to prioritize myself and became a committed Peloton rider. Read more>>

Boss Tootie The Hip-Hop Princess”

My self-esteem came after creating my first music video, “Go!”. All the love and support I received from the participants and viewers. Read more>>

Aaron Jordan Jr.

My confidence came from all the no’s I received over the year’s. Adapting to art of proving the naysayers wrong. But then a shift came when I didn’t care what the naysayers was saying, I begun to care more about changing the meaning on my last name. Read more>>

Zoe Carlin

So, to be honest, growing up, I was extremely unconfident. I faced bullying and resentment from the other kids at school which caused my insecurities and self esteem issues. Later down the road, I realized that there is nothing to be ashamed of if you have different features than other people. In life, some people are bitter and not very kind, but that is a different kind of self esteem issue. I became truly my best, authentic self when I stopped caring what others thought about me and focused on my future. Read more>>

Ashley Gooden-Stewart

Growing up, my grandparents, mother, and older sister all encouraged me to believe in myself and to feel confident with who I am. I was always told to do my best, look my best, and to feel my best. This great influence started when I was younger. Even though developing confidence and self esteem started at home, I was faced with challenges in school from my peers and later on in the corporate world.  Read more>>

Tiffani Chiles

From the time I was born, my mother made it a point to speak positive affirmations over me. She did this wholeheartedly because it was something she didn’t receive growing up. She always reminded me of how beautiful and smart I am. She would also tell me that I could do anything I put my mind to. By the age of 6, I had already self-proclaimed myself as a “star” and no one could tell me different. Until this day, still, no one can tell me different. Read more>>

Toni Shaw

Building confidence and self-esteem as a photographer, like in any creative field, is a gradual process that involves skill development, practical experiences, mindset shifts and learning to endure the good and bad by balancing both. Read more>>

Benign Envy

I struggled with the way I looked a lot growing up and always wondered if I would feel comfortable in my own skin. The only pretty part of me I knew was music and songwriting. I used my songs to remind me how genuinely beautiful I can be underneath it all. I started to make choices with my physical appearance as well that made me feel good about myself and make me the me I wanted. Read more>>

Elisha Kelly

I’m incredibly fortunate that I had parents who instilled confidence and self-esteem from a young age. I’ll never forget my dad telling me that I can do anything I want in this world, as long as I had determination and was willing to put in the work. So that’s the mindset i’ve always had! After losing him 8 years ago, it’s all I can do to make him proud and continue to know my self-worth. Read more>>

Sarah Stecker

Sometimes people say I am too much now-a-days, I say I have established self confidence and am proud of who I have become. It’s not something I thought I would ever confidently say, especially when I was in my 20’s. Fortunately, it has developed as I have gotten older, wiser and listened to my mentors around me.  Read more>>

Jay Horn

My confidence and self-esteem come from the legacy of my grandparents. My grandfather, who was a pastor for 41 years and a country boy, whose work ethic and tenacity were unmatched. The will to win at all cost was his approach, and his belief in God was so strong, that he believed that he could do anything he put his mind to. My grandmother was the same person, but in a different body, and just as efficient in getting things done but with a much more collaborative vibe.  Read more>>

Dan Kieri

With commitment. I commit to something until I excel at it. And even when I am doubting myself or afraid, I still show up. I keep moving towards the goal. When I don’t believe I can do it, I continue on course anyway, like a lunatic. The worse that can happen is I fail. And I have done so much of that, I am not afraid of it. But at the same time, I’ve made progress. I see myself getting closer to success. Read more>>

Terayle Garnett

I realized a long time ago that I’m on my own timeline. I see people judging themselves based on what others have or don’t have. I thought to myself, “I’m going to create my own story. I’m on my own path, and no one will ever do things the way I do.” I want to be a role model for others and have them see the real me and the human in me. Read more>>

Theresa DiMenno

Confidence and self-esteem are the result of a journey inward, at least, they have been for me. I believe in looking back to move forward. I’ve examined my family of origin story to unlock the nuances of the baggage I’ve carried and to understand better what serves my greater good and what doesn’t. Through the process, in my life and business, I’ve learned to set good boundaries. I’ve learned that being organized, disciplined, and delaying gratification equates with self-respect. I’ve developed a thicker skin through disappointing client interactions. Read more>>

Skip Reeves

Due to the racial climate my Father was forced to deal with as young man, He raised his children in a way so as to develop self esteem and respect. I saw my Father when I was very young defend and protect his family. It leaves a deep impression when you see your Father come to your aid with Mother Bear instincts. As a result, I grew up very secure as to who I was. I was not afraid to stand out and be different. Us children always knew he had our backs! Read more>>

Sinia Alvarez

I’m 34 years old and as far as I remember, I’ve always been interested in everything that is related to health and beauty, that being said I try to be the best version of myself possible. Throughout the years, I experiencing many challenges in my life, a lot of ups and downs, great moments but also difficult situations and it doesn’t matter what I’m going through in my life, I face it all in high heels, make up and beautiful clothes, but also by taking care of my body, eating healthy, taking care of my mental health as well by having a safe place that can bring me peace and where I can recharge my energy, and feel amazing after that, and for me that is the spa and when there is times that I don’t have the opportunity to actually go to the spa, I learned to create my own spa and beauty time at home. Read more>>

Ivan Andrews

Building confidence, for me, has been an ongoing journey rather than a one-time achievement. Over the years, I’ve learned to navigate this process by adopting practices that contribute to my well-being. Setting and pursuing goals consistently has been pivotal; it gives me direction and a sense of accomplishment. Read more>>

Beania Tanae

Well… I truly feel like I developed my confidence and self esteem when I moved to GA and joined the cheer team. It was so out of my comfort zone since I was new to the area and didn’t know anybody. Joining that team forced me to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. I made a bunch of new connections with the girls I met and learned how to push myself physically like never before. Read more>>

Jenna Ricciardi

From a young age I feel like it was ingrained in me from my parents to be strong & believe that I could truly make things happen for myself. I always felt like I was confident & did things to make myself happy vs making other people happy. I picked out clothes for me vs what others would like, found my own style, stayed with friends that I felt good around vs ones that made me self-conscious or were not trustworthy. Read more>>

Chris Naoki Lee

Starting us off strong with a deep question, huh? I like it! Well, the presence of confidence and self esteem has evolved quite a bit over my life. Confidence felt so much easier as a kid. Less responsibility, less stakes. I read somewhere recently how in order for you to be successful, you must be confident, and in order to be confident, you must be successful. It’s that chicken and the egg conundrum. Which one comes first? Read more>>

Chandra Brooks

I gre up with limited self-assurance, yet always sensed a unique and special quality within myself. My perspective on the world was distinct; I envisioned greater opportunities for personal growth and the chance to positively influence others. This awareness emerged as early as middle school. Consequently, I carried myself with a distinctive presence, garnering attention and admiration for my unique qualities, even though I didn’t perceive them in the same light. Read more>>

Jada Lee

I’ve always had a high confidence & self esteem when it comes to my brains and beauty . However , being an artist i had to develop a new confidence / esteem for myself because in the beginning i did not know what path I would be on , what audience was intrigued with my music ,and I felt like I had to play catchup with top artist so I could “make it to the top” . I found myself losing that confidence in myself . I had to surround myself around people who saw the best in me. Read more>>

Paisley Bird

I believe that developing confidence is a practice. I cultivate my confidence by choosing self acceptance on a daily basis. Once I had trust in myself, my confidence naturally followed. This involves granting myself the freedom to make mistakes, extending grace to myself in challenging times, and navigating through fear rather than resisting it.  Read more>>

Jason Gaines

My confidence and self-esteem can be credited to the many great people that have influenced my life. It’s not really something that I have found that comes naturally, as I believe we all have some level of self-doubt and hesitation at times. Read more>>

Monika Norman

Starting out in the Hair Industry….is daunting at best. In beauty school, they make everyone feel like their going to be a “Rock-Star” from the moment you graduate. Sadly, not true. When you graduate it is the beginning and what you put in, you will get out. Every day should be part of your plan to success. Every day should build on your confidence and self-esteem. In our industry as most, it takes years of training and motivation to be not just good…but a Rock-Star. Read more>>