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.
Abby Purcell
From a young age, I was constantly encouraged by my peers, mentors, and parents to put myself out there. I feel incredibly fortunate to have received such encouragement throughout my life. If someone believed I could do something, I believed them without a doubt. However, it wasn’t until I faced something completely outside my comfort zone that I realized that, as much as encouragement and support matter when pursuing something big, what truly matters is how you view yourself in moments of doubt. Read more>>
Will Benoit
My confidence and self-esteem can be credited to my dad and grandpa. Throughout my youth, they constantly encouraged me to pursue my passions and validated that I had what it took to be successful in whatever I put my mind to. As a kid, having two generations of men speak into my life in this way helped me see my potential. Read more>>
Taylor Friedel
I grew up being very shy and often focused on meeting other people’s expectations, always trying to do the ‘right thing.’ I was constantly comparing myself to others, which held me back and was exhausting. I let my insecurities and fear of judgment shape how I saw myself. But over time, I began to realize that true confidence doesn’t come from trying to please everyone else—it comes from embracing who I am and learning to trust my own voice. Read more>>
Tammy Cavallucci
I have always grown up never sure or had any confidence or self-esteem. I was blessed to have a child when the doctor’s told me it was going to be impossible. I decided to make the decision to quit my day office job in the dental field and stay home to be with my one and only child. It was then I decided to start my baking journey. I started off not very confident in my ability or talent in decorating. I stayed within my little box of just creating simple treats. With the encouragement of my husband and friends they helped me realize that I can decorate just as well as any professional baker out there who went to culinary school or is professionally trained. Read more>>
Heaven Keams
I stopped believing in fear
I realized life is all about illusions and choosing what you want to believe in
So I decided “why not believe in the positive side of life “
As soon as I changed my thinking habits is when my confidence built up and my motivation levels were off the charts
Also I spent my entire childhood being afraid & doubtful towards everything
I got tired of it and really wanted to change my life. Read more>>
Tiffany Katuls
Building confidence and self-esteem took time and a lot of intentional work. I started by setting clear goals and holding myself accountable. Early on, I learned that confidence isn’t about being fearless, it’s about taking action despite fear. For me, self-esteem grew as I recognized my own strengths and pushed through setbacks. I surrounded myself with people who believed in me, and I made a habit of learning from every experience, whether positive or challenging. Owning my story, knowing my worth, and understanding that every day brings an opportunity to learn and grow have been essential. Confidence is built step-by-step, by showing up, staying resilient, and not being afraid to stand strong in my own vision. I also truly believe sports helped me with confidence growing up as it taught me to try again over and over again. That sort of resilience helps confidence more than I could express! Read more>>
Jordan Elmore
Growing up, I often felt like I was carrying the weight of the world—both literally and figuratively. Struggling with being overweight made me feel out of place among my peers. I avoided sports, dreaded pool parties, and carefully chose clothing in hopes of hiding my size. It wasn’t just about my body; it was also about how I saw myself. Every mirror seemed to reflect someone unworthy, someone not good enough of anything great. Read more>>
Allanah Dobson
I developed my confidence and self-esteem by believing in myself no matter who or what I was surrounded by. I learned at an early age that people are comfortable just existing and I wasn’t. I wanted more out of life and I worked hard to get it. I believed in myself because I knew how hard I was willing to work and tapped into my talents. Lastly, I never tried to be anyone other than myself and I was comfortable in my skin. These two qualities are the ultimate recipe for confidence and self esteem. Read more>>
Naira Tangamyan
Through years of dedicated practice, and pushing myself to learn and improve every day, I found that my confidence naturally grew. The more time you spend refining your craft and truly immersing yourself in what you love, the stronger your skills become—and with that, your confidence solidifies. Also, the encouragement from others plays a big role. Positive feedback, support, and people’s admiration for my work have been incredibly uplifting. Knowing that my illustrations resonate with people gives me the energy to keep pushing forward, always aiming to grow even more. Also, traveling, reading, exploring other cultures really good for self development as a person and as a professional simultaneously. Read more>>
Mark Facet
This whole mark character was built by constantly performing infront of new people —the confidence, however, is built by the people that don’t like me in particular. At first, you see a frown in the audience and think “What am I doing wrong ??” —“Am I annoying??” Etc… but after months on the job and thousands of both good and bad opinions you realize just how irrelevant and temporary these things are. Read more>>
Sarah Cucuzzella
Moving from Australia to New York nine years ago taught me the importance of resilience and self-belief. My confidence grew through my work as a personal trainer, where helping clients reach their goals also pushed me to reach my own. Every challenge I faced—whether in fitness or in navigating a new city—reinforced that confidence is built by setting goals, showing up consistently, and celebrating every bit of progress along the way. Now, with Aussie FIT, I’m proud to help others find that same inner strength. Read more>>
Darren Peterson
I’ve always been a stutterer. According to research people HATE public speaking more than death. So I have struggled with many mental obstacles that come with that, but I never let that be an excuse on why I could not achieve my dreams. In addition, people that stutter have a high suicide rate. As a result of knowing that, that was never an option and i began to love adversity and it’s the reason why I am here today. The confidence from my Father and instilling me hard work. He went through a lot as a kid and it was only right for him to instill that in me. So you can say confidence is something that i learned through valuing myself. Sports played huge part in that and my Dads resources and support. Read more>>
Christiana Annisa
I developed my confidence & self esteem by first developing myself. To have confidence and self-esteem is more than being an outgoing person. To be confident is to walk in a room & know even though there’s 100 other pretty girls you’re also a pretty girl & that you should uplift everyone! I learned this at a very young age & took this philosophy into every aspect of my life which has brought me to where I am today. Do you think I became a nail artist by being scared and negatively comparing myself to others? Immediately no. I became a nail artist by deciding to make the conscious choice to be myself and share my creativity to everyone. I always give myself challenges and make it my duty to win, it’s only me versus me. Read more>>
Diana Hernandez
I think that over the years in the wedding photography industry, my self-esteem and confidence have transformed with every event I cover. I believe practicing, taking risks, and getting closer to your community are huge parts of it. The more weddings I covered, the more confident I became. Being confident while keeping it humble is the most important part for me. Read more>>
Clarissa Shepherd
I developed my self-esteem from my nana. She told me from the time that I was little that I am beautiful and the best. She told me to always walk with my head held high and to never dim my light for anyone. I got my confidence from dancing at night clubs. You have to be able to perform in front of a bunch of people who will judge you. You have to have thick skin and it takes a certain level of confidence to do that. Read more>>
Nora Flores
As a woman in the beauty industry, developing confidence and self-esteem has been a journey. Stepping into this field challenged me to embrace my strengths, acknowledge my growth areas, and value myself beyond surface-level beauty. I’ve learned that confidence is built through persistence, self-awareness, and celebrating small victories. I’m proud to be a work in progress, constantly evolving, and I honor that by showing up authentically every day for my clients and myself. Read more>>
Bunyamin Alkan
Developing my confidence and self-esteem has been a continuous journey shaped by both my personal and professional challenges. My story began with my passion for soccer. I played semi-professional soccer for top clubs in Turkey, but when I didn’t make the professional team, I realized I had to make a significant change. At just 18 years old, I made the bold decision to move to San Diego, all by myself. I didn’t speak English, and I had no family support here, but I was determined to create a new path for myself. The act of leaving everything familiar behind and starting fresh in a new country forced me to build resilience and trust in my own abilities. Adapting to a new culture and language wasn’t easy, but every small step I took reinforced my confidence. Read more>>
Alexey Boyko
The most important thing is to believe in what you are doing, don’t give up and it will definitely start working out. And the better the result over time, the higher your self-esteem and confidence rise. Read more>>
Lindy Xenidis
I truly feel confidence and self-esteem never come easy. It’s something we start preparing for at an extremely young age and for some it can be more challenging than others. Then of course as life moves at it’s normal unforgiving pace we sometimes end up facing situations that can harshly interfere with the progress we have already made, putting us back at square one. In Elementry school I developed a passion for track and excelled very quickly. This was something I felt incredibly confident in as well as it truly boosted my self-esteem. I would have to say this was the foundation to building my confidence & self-esteem. As life moved forward and challenges presented themselves in one situation after the other I have to admit I started feeling the loss of both confidence and self-esteem I had worked so hard to gain. Read more>>
Aster Canis
Confidence truly doesn’t come overnight. As a teenager I was really shy, it took a lot for me to speak up for myself. Because of that I learned to build my self esteem up in different ways. It started with my sense of style. I wanted to be the most unique person in the room without having to speak up, so I would wear a lot of statement pieces. I also took to writing lyrics more often to boost my emotional intelligence and that put everything in perspective for me. Read more>>
Charles Jones
My confidence comes from a combination of having great teachers, my own experience, and a deep passion for what I do. Early in my journey, I was fortunate to have mentors who not only taught me the technical skills but also instilled in me a sense of pride in the craft. One thing I learned from these teachers is that confidence doesn’t come from being perfect—it comes from being willing to learn, make mistakes, and improve. As a woodworker, I’ve spent countless hours honing my skills, learning from both successes and challenges, and continually pushing myself to improve. There’s something incredibly fulfilling about taking raw material and transforming it into something beautiful and functional and that process builds pride in my abilities. Read more>>
Brittany Vermilyea
Growing up, it was always reinforced to try everything until you land on something that you equally love and are good at. Throughout my life and career, I’ve always “followed my gut” and usually when I begin to feel insecure, I know I need to reevaluate my environment. Prior to starting Tini Bar, I had that gut feeling something wasn’t right: I was insecure about everything! So I reevaluated what I was good at and what I liked doing, and cocktail making came to mind. From my first event, private bartending came so naturally to me, and I truly feel the most confident behind my bar. Now, I have so much fun curating craft cocktails for events and my social media accounts, and sourcing unique and custom bar decor and supplies. Read more>>
Debra Jones
I have competing issues here. I overcame the fear of not having a style or actual creativity by telling people I was a human camera. I always could draw. I copied my favorite movie stars, and was always in terror in my art school, because I never understood color theory. The day I went into the teachers office and broke down, he was amazed. He said not to worry, he was giving me an A. He also stressed it was THEORY. I thought I was not learning the rules. That somehow I just was not ever getting it…. So I did commercial art for a while, during which time I rarely made art. I worked in an advertising agency and to this day, I swear I wrote more radio copy than did much drawing! Read more>>
Kayla Trujillo
My confidence and self esteem is something that ebbs and flows – like most entrepreneurs. Most of the time I feel very confident in myself and what I have to offer this industry. When I am having a less confident day, I reread reviews and testimonies from past clients to reassure myself I belong in this space and I am on the right path. Over time, my passion grows and so does my self-esteem. Read more>>
Jennifer Malone
The first time I set up all of my work for a show, seeing it all on display before visitors came, I felt completely naked. I had only been painting for five years or so. I thought, “what did I get myself into here? Who do I think I am?” But I had asked my instructor, friends, my husband. They all encouraged me to take the dive and enter this show. So I did. Having improved significantly in a short time, I uncovered an aptitude for creating. And knowing it was there, I worked diligently to learn as much as I could. Read more>>
Juan Rivera
Confidence and self esteem was instilled in me as a young private in the military which helped build my overall character and helped form and shape the person I am today. As I look back from time to time on many life experiences I can easily say being in the US Army gave me the all of the above. Read more>>
Dawn Anna Ritter
I have been a high fashion model & actress my whole life. This is a career where everyone actually picks you apart and you can never be perfect or have completely clear skin, etc. Your value is only when you’re shooting- then the minute the job is over- your value was gone. I was with the top agency in the world (FORD models)- and I learned to really work on myself (in a world where I was expected to be perfect) & focus on my good attributes & the fact that no-one looks like me, or has what I have. If I didn’t book a certain job- it was not because I was lesser- but because I wasn’t right for it, or they wanted a different look. In my store when I dress people- I believe in “lifting” them up; and making them feel beautiful. Read more>>
Fatimah Hanif
I built my confidence and self-esteem through self-love and gratitude. I learned to appreciate myself and be thankful for who I am because there’s no one else in the world like me. I started loving myself the way I wanted others to love me, and that changed everything. Using vibrational wellness practices like affirmations, journaling, sound healing, and mindfulness helped me connect with myself on a deeper level. Once I began truly loving myself, my confidence naturally started to grow—it became a part of me. Read more>>
Marci Estiverne
I have come to develop confidence and self-esteem from a combination of my cultural pride as a Haitian, personal achievements, familial and community support and resilience built over time. My confidence and self-esteem has come from engaging with positive representations, learning from role models, and building a network of support. Some practices that I have instituted in my everyday life such as setting personal boundaries, celebrating my unique strengths, and engaging in activities that reinforce identity and self-worth has come to contribute to my strong self-esteem. Read more>>
Carrie Irene Crosby
Finding My Voice: The Journey to Self-Esteem and Confidence There was a moment in my life when the weight of despair pressed down so heavily that I nearly succumbed to it. I vividly remember the night my parents discovered I was gay—a revelation that felt like shattering glass, the sharp edges cutting deep into the fabric of my existence. In that dark hour, I stood on the precipice of despair, contemplating the unthinkable. The world felt overwhelmingly heavy, and I felt utterly alone. Read more>>
