Building Blocks of Success: Confidence & Self Esteem

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.

Valenttina Dias

This is a really important subject for me. A big part of my message as an artist is to give people the confidence to be their true-self. From a young age, I always felt that I didn’t really fit in with everybody. But for the longest time, I tried to. From wearing what my friends were wearing, to wanting to pursue a “normal” career and go to college because my family expected me to. Read more>>

Allan Gromilic

I would say that I develop my confidence over time. Working with clients one-on-one or companies/businesses, it can be a challenge to keep confident in yourself and your work. Seeing these things get completed start to finish really helps elevate confidence and self-esteem Seeing people happy to use what you’ve produced for them helps alot. Read more>>

Jen Guss

It hasn’t been easy. The environment I grew up in wasn’t the most encouraging or supportive. As children, we were to be seen but not heard, but also not always seen, either… I was verbally abused, occasionally physically as well. Making art was one of the easiest ways I found I could get positive feedback.  Read more>>

Butterr

Joining Improv 101 has made us more confident people, both individually and as a group. Each of us signed up for different reasons—some to improve public speaking, others to network, or simply to try something new. Coming from different generations and backgrounds, we didn’t know a single person when we walked into our first class almost two years ago.  Read more>>

Jessica Wilson

I’ve always had supportive family and friends around me, and they have always been there to champion my ideas, good or bad lol. In turn, that has given me confidence to know that I can bring whatever I put into my mind to life. And when you have people surrounding you rooting for you, that is a huge self-esteem boost. Read more>>

Lorena Ubillus

Developing my confidence and self-esteem has been a journey of continuous effort and growth. Unlike some, I wasn’t naturally endowed with confidence; it’s a skill I’ve diligently honed day by day. I firmly believe in its importance, both personally and professionally.  Read more>>

Nicole Koch

I believe that finding your confidence is rooted in a lot of trial and error. Growing up I was definitely not like the kids in my class. I did Theater so I was social but had one or two friends. Middle School was traumatizing, to say the least; I was severely bullied which destroyed my confidence- and my desire to attend class. Read more>>

Toni Bellon

When I turned ten, my parents began holding summer conferences. They would bring high-level educators from around the country to various hotels with meeting rooms. Us children would help by running errands and being available for random jobs. We didn’t look like anyone in the room. Sometimes we didn’t sound like them either. Read more>>

Marina Viola

As a little girl I was always extremely shy and lacked self-confidence. Although I had danced almost my whole life, I was also always self-conscious of my body, particularly as I entered my teen years. I was diagnosed with scoliosis at age 14, around the time that I was going through puberty. I had Body Dysmorphia and believed that my body was ugly. At age 19, while in college, I took my first belly dance class. Read more>>

Xinyu Wo

Career in art creation is a passion that I can strive for throughout my life, but at the same time, the art industry is also a challenging and competitive field. In this world, there are many artists, creators, and dreamers. To stand out in this industry, I believe that confidence and high self-discipline are essential. As a creator, only by being confident in one’s own work and abilities can one possibly gain the favor of others. Read more>>

Kayla Shaw

Embracing Your Inner Beauty: The Power of Self-Love and Confidence In a world where societal standards often dictate our sense of self-worth, it’s easy to get caught up in the notion that our value lies in our physical appearance. But let’s shatter that myth once and for all! You are so much more than your looks.Your beauty shines from within, and it’s time to celebrate your unique awesomeness. Read more>>

Dalori Ajane

I used to think that confidence was something some people were born with. It didn’t require being perfect, but it would require self-acceptance, and I believed for so long that I had nothing worthy of acceptance. I was raised to have anxiety about my decisions, how I socialized, my talents, and how I present myself. Read more>>

Lilliana Winkworth

Having confidence and self-esteem is a constant work in progress for me. Anxiety has been a constant companion of mine since the elementary school playground, but it’s also been my greatest source of inspiration. Once I accepted my anxiety as the lens through which I see the world, I was able to embrace it and have some fun with it which ultimately led to building confidence and self-esteem. Read more>>

Laila B.

Embracing my facial features has been a transformative journey in developing my confidence with makeup. Instead of using makeup to mask perceived imperfections, I’ve learned to accentuate my natural beauty, highlighting what makes me unique. This mindset shift has not only boosted my self-esteem but has also influenced my approach to working with clients.  Read more>>

Mariah Haberman

Getting out of my comfort zone has been key to developing my confidence and self-esteem. Saying yes to opportunities that scare me has been transformative. An early example of this was participating in the Miss Wisconsin Organization / Miss America Organization in my early 2os. Read more>>

Hugo Mejia

By putting myself in uncomfortable situations. Growing up I was terrified of public speaking. In middle school, I remember we had to give a presentation on career day and the night before I panicked just thinking about everyone looking at me. I vividly remember how fast my heart was pounding. I couldn’t sleep that night. Read more>>

Rachel Leedom

Building my confidence and self-esteem has been a long journey. I know many can relate. When I was a kid, I was shy, but I also had a decent natural level of confidence and assertiveness. That boldness was shamed by some of my peers when I was in elementary and middle school, so over time, I shut it down. Read more>>

Beth Holli

As a child I was told you can do anything you want to accomplish. Put your heart and soul into it and think positive and know you can do it. Having always lived with that advice and having accomplished many things in my life. Read more>>

Cielo L

My self confidence and self esteem developed more through my spiritual journey! Astrology in particular helped me understand myself, where I want to go and what I want to do in this lifetime! I used to have really bad confidence and struggle with self esteem issues, I still do, but thats part of the self love journey! Read more>>

Lauren DeYoe

Over the past 12 years as an orthopedic physical therapist, my confidence and self-esteem have been shaped by both my professional experiences and personal journey. Initially, the process of working with diverse patients and successfully guiding them through their rehabilitation was a significant confidence booster.  Read more>>

Ewelina Borkowska

Developing confidence and self-esteem has been a significant journey for me, rooted in both personal experiences and my career as a singer-songwriter. Growing up, I always had big dreams of writing songs and performing them on a big stage, but I often struggled with self-doubt and insecurities. Despite my passion, I didn’t believe I was good enough to pursue this path. Read more>>

Natalie Sullivan

Having a good sense of self esteem and confidence is most certainly a task for some and comes natural for others. However, for me it took continuous work. Implementing with reading about the inner self, counseling and positive self talk has significantly helped me remain confident. Also remembering to keep showing up for myself and treating myself with kindness. Read more>>

Nick Franklin

Honestly, I strongly believe in myself at the end of the day. I realize that your success in whatever you do comes from your output and outlook on yourself. My parents were the first people to instill in me that I could do whatever I chose to do. More so my mom always let me know I can achieve my dreams and complete my goals.  Read more>>

Rasheedah Shahid

The reality is confidence and self esteem are both plants that are fully dependant on your soft skills. Affirmations in the mirror are only a small percent of what builds and establish these traits, it’s the moments when everything is going wrong, how do you problem solve. Read more>>

Jeremy Turner

I think building confidence and self-esteem is one of the greatest things we will ever do for ourselves. It impacts absolutely everything. Personally, with me, it was about learning to take the more difficult path and understanding that failure is a foundational process in building confidence and self-esteem. Read more>>

Jen Bauman

I have this theory that we’re all born full of joyful confidence (have you seen toddlers on a playground?!), but that as we learn about the world and how to navigate humanhood, we give away bits and pieces of ourselves in exchange for love and belonging. Slowly, we lose the courage to be ourselves and to show up confidently in the world. Read more>>

Rebecca Otis

Taking risks is probably the thing that has taught me the most about myself and helped me to build my confidence. The first risk that comes to mind is when I quit my corporate job in the middle of the pandemic. I was absolutely terrified I was making a huge mistake, but that job no longer made me happy. Read more>>