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.

Mia Davis

I’ve always believed I was one in a million. I often think back to that little girl who was fearless and spunky. I remember always wanting to be the leader during group projects. I enjoyed speaking up and letting my voice be heard. My confidence has grown tremendously as I’ve gotten older because I love that inner child within me. Read More>>

Camila Guzman-Lozano

Confidence and self esteem come from being okay with taking chances and failing. I play golf and it’s a very individual sport. There are many times when fear and self doubt set in but I’m working on learning how to overcome this. That is one reason why I like to post honestly about my struggles. As creators it is important to post your authentic self because images of perfection create unrealistic expectations for other girls. Read More>>

Nature Trammer

Confidence and self-esteem are things I’ve had to work on over time. Growing up, I faced challenges that made me doubt myself. But I’ve learned to focus on my strengths and surround myself with positive people who uplift me.

As a model, I’ve had to deal with rejection and criticism, but I’ve learned to take constructive feedback and use it to improve. I’ve also learned to appreciate my unique features and celebrate what makes me different. Read More>>

Britain Simons

I love this question, and I hope it can help bring hope to anyone- that confidence and a healthy self-esteem are skills worth developing. Don’t ever give up on yourself. Confidence is a mixed bag. Anyone honest would have to give well deserved credit to wonderful parents or a solid mentor. I thankfully had both. But, it’s also something you can foster and grow for yourself. I was dealt a good hand, but I also worked hard to grow into the person I am today. Read More>>

Stephen Chang

confidence is funny.

i remember people telling me when i was younger to “be confident.” whether it was on the basketball court or asking a girl out, i would recite the mantra over and over to myself…be confident, be confident, goddamnit just be confident! Read More>>

Pamela

As a self-employed beauty therapist building your business is not easy, developing confidence and self-esteem is crucial—not just in my skills but also in running and growing my brand – Peachfur. It has taken a number of years personally and professionally to build confidence over time by mastering my craft, handling challenges, and promoting myself effectively. Read More>>

Jake Thomas-Freeman

In my twenties, I embarked on a journey of personal growth, and one of the most transformative aspects of this journey was the opportunity to travel. Through my travels, I encountered a diverse range of individuals from various walks of life—each with their own unique stories, perspectives, and experiences. Engaging with people from different cultures and backgrounds challenged my preconceived notions and pushed me out of my comfort zone. Read More>>

Mars The Star Child

A lot of people tell me I’m brave or think I’m full of confidence. My response? It’s not confidence—it’s just a lack of shame. I’ve never been able to please everyone with my choices, so I decided to make choices that build my life, not anyone else’s. I have a vision for myself and the world around me, and I encourage everyone to chase their own vision too. Read More>>

Cristina Perez Basora

When I was a teenager, I found the Lord through prayer. Initially, I was the one doing all the talking, but before long, I began to hear the small, still voice of the Holy Spirit. I remember hearing the voice of the Lord telling me things about myself that only someone who truly knew me would know. This built a deep trust within me. This voice acted as a counselor, a motivator, a teacher, a guide, and a friend. He spoke to me like a perfect father, rooting for His child, believing in me, and encouraging me to pursue my destiny. Read More>>

Grant Saxman

Confidence and self esteem are two very important, but oftentimes difficult things to work on as an artist. I often find myself comparing my work to other’s I see online, and it can be easy to put yourself and your own work down when you see other talented artists making great things (why can’t I figure out how to do this technique when this person online makes it look so easy!)
What has helped me is to take pride in my own personal accomplishments and make sure to look back on my growth and development.  Read More>>

Ember Williams

My confidence and self-esteem really developed early on when I was younger, just with being in school and not being able to truly hide my real authentic self. I just had to walk around the negative energy and thoughts that would come in my mind when I’m out and being seen and even from other people who if you truly see through them your own confidence and knowing you are prefect just the way you are is what they wish they had the nerve to do. I just had to understand I’m not gonna be everyone cup of tea, I’m gonna do me and no matter what achieve whatever I put my mind towards. Walk into any room with your head held up high and know you the baddest thing walking. No matter what anyone says Read More>>

Emily Farewell

I was always a shy kid. Never enjoyed being in the spotlight and kept to myself mostly. When I moved to Maui in 2018, things changed for me. My boyfriend at the time left and moved back to the mainland, and I decided to stay in Maui by myself. I learned independence and gained confidence living alone on an island. I worked at Cafe Mambo and gained friends quickly, integrating myself into the culture of the island.  Read More>>

 Sadie Kaye

I have always been able at creative things: art, music, maths and science. I was always terrible at other things, like getting myself organised, doing admin, and especially at sport. My school was therefore very mixed but when it came to maths and science I never had any difficulty. I got a place in a very good university, and once I had learnt the lesson that I had to work at my studies — I couldn’t coast and be top of the class like at school —  Read More>>

Kev Martinez

As a first-generation Filipino-American, I was raised to keep my head down, to blend in rather than stand out. But deep inside, there was always a fire—a yearning to speak up. Not through words, but through action. That’s what acting gave me: a voice. And the moment I found it, I knew exactly what I wanted to say with my work. Read More>>

India Blackshear

Growing up, I used to believe confidence and self-esteem were traits some people were just born with—and I wasn’t one of them. But over time, I learned that confidence isn’t something you’re given; it’s something you build. For me, it came from trying, learning, failing, and proving to myself—over and over again—that I’m capable of whatever I set my mind to. The more I showed up for myself, the more my confidence grew. It’s less about perfection and more about trusting your own resilience and competence. Read More>>

Emily Boden

To start your own business, and make your creative side public, you need to have some sort of confidence. After inserting myself into the photography industry, my confidence dwindled after comparing my work to others, especially those with 10x more experience than myself. I even encountered imposter syndrome in the first few years of my career. However, my clients are the ones that help me overcome that and build my confidence. I have been lucky to have had such great clients who share with me how much they love my work.  Read More>>

Amanda Staab

Confidence is always a work in progress. It develops little by little over time, and the process can start all over again when you try anything new.

My confidence stems from putting my passion — helping people heal and transform their lives through spirit and self connection — into practice and seeing positive results for my clients. Whatever they are going through, whatever reason they came to see me, I’m going to help them through it, whether it takes one session or multiple. It truly lights me up when my clients report back anything from ‘My whole outlook on life has changed’ to a simple ‘I feel better.’ That’s my objective in a nutshell. Read More>>

Juliana Caiuby

Eu nasci cercada por mulheres fortes, guerreiras e que nunca desistiram de NADA.
Eu sou única neta e filha única, então minha avó e minha mãe sempre foram o meu maior exemplo.
Por meio delas, desenvolvi uma confiança em mim e em qualquer coisa que eu fosse fazer; e com elas aprendi que mesmo sendo a única mulher negra em um local eu nunca deveria me sentir ou deixar que o outro me colocasse em um lugar inferior.
Com isso desenvolvi uma grande confiança em mim e no que faço e uma autoestima poderosa. Read More>>

Kamila Assylkhanova

I have studied art for 10 years now; however on a regular basis, I keep questioning my skills and myself. In art, generally, every artist have to get used to the feeling of being imperfect and find a passion in it; otherwise, you will stuck and burn out eventually. I got through this process dozens of times and after another try – it’s still hurts – but the habit of continuous attempts moves you forward. Acknowledging that « Whatever that awaits me can happen, I will start over again » brings me confidence and peace. Read More>>

Lisa Blasi Lo

How do you develop more confidence? Let me start by sharing from my own experience that there is no magic pill or potion you can take to become a more confident person. There is truly no “quick fix” or short cut to developing a sense of self esteem.

When I look back over the course of my life and career, confidence was honed in the fire, in the failures, and in the daily grind of practice, planning, and preparation. Read More>>

Ana Peña

Confidence is a quiet satisfaction that comes from knowing you did your best in the moment, with the belief that, with hard work and faith, each step forward will only get better. Confidence comes from practice, the people you surround yourself with, your gratitude habits and your self-talk. I’ve learned some of these principles through my personal journey, and here are a few of them that underline this very theme. Read More>>

Justin Ellen

I built my confidence and self-esteem through pure delusion—seriously haha. I’m a big believer in “fake it till you make it,” and honestly, it works. When I first started my business, I was so shy. I would never post on social media, let alone show my face. But then I started seeing other bakers and creators grow, and I was like, “Wait… why are they doing so much better?” The common thread? They were putting themselves out there and showing their personalities. Read More>>

Lynne Wadsworth

When I started out on this journey, my self-esteem and confidence were pretty low. This is something that I have worked on over the years through educational means, prayer, being around positive influencers, and having mentors in my life who helped me see how valuable I am and how valuable my work is. My confidence has built as I stepped out and tried different things, and certainly with having clients whom I have helped over the years has greatly impacted my confidence and self-esteem. I did mindset work which was very impactful.. Read More>>

BRVNDO

My family. My parents allowed me to be myself. They always told me I can do anything I put my mind to. They allowed me to take risks and try new things, and I was confident enough to do it because I knew my parents were going to love me even if I failed. Also my sister’s. They helped me develop thick skin, so nothing really bothers me. I love my sisters, they’re a big reason why I am the way I am. Read More>>

Wilfredo Diaz

Going through a life full of challenges since I was a kid I saw myself in a position where I had to decided wether to grow or stay behind in life, I developed a passion for self development and personal growth and this helped me to develop other aspects of my life, others as crucial as my confidence and self-esteem, during my early years this was something I struggled with, experiencing the absence of a father figure when I was very young and the absence of a mother figure shortly afterwards, caused a great impact on my self confidence, working on this has been an unforgettable but beautiful experience. Read More>>

Marcelo Quinonez

My confidence comes from countless failures. I guess the confidence part comes from each time I stumbled, I made a decision: I would keep going, no matter what. No failure, no setback, no moment of doubt was ever enough to make me stop trying. Though it wasn’t about never failing—it was about always getting back up. So I think over time, that resilience became the foundation of my confidence. I didn’t need to prove to myself that I would succeed on the first try; I just needed to know that I would never stop trying. Read More>>

Alexi Adam

When I started Psalm Beauty in late 2023, it wasn’t because I lacked other options. I had a degree. I had an esthetician license. But out of everything I was trained to do, makeup was the one thing I was fully confident in and gave me confidence. There was something about the way I could transform someone’s features, enhance their natural beauty, and give them a sense of radiance and joy. It wasn’t just about artistry—it was about making people feel beautiful, seen, and special. For me, confidence wasn’t something that just appeared—it was something I had to grow into, something that God had to reveal to me over time. Read More>>

Whitney Waz

What an interesting thing to sit back and resonate on, where I developed my confidence and self-esteem. I think this goes back to my childhood really. My family is everything to me and my parents as well as my brother played a huge part in the person I am today. Of course there have been countless times throughout my life in which I felt like I wasn’t good enough or I was different or just had a negative mindset in general, but the people cheering me on in my corner always helped to alleviate those feelings of self doubt and now they’re partially aspects of me I cherish.  Read More>>

Janine Aquino

It’s a combination of factors as to why I have a certain type of confidence and self-esteem. I have always allowed myself to make mistakes because inevitably, that is how you learn. For me, another factor is how I grew up. I grew up in a dysfunctional environment where chaos reigned. I was constantly trying to figure out how to make my situation more even-keeled, so I had to handle all types of personalities and the chaos made me a stronger person. Read More>>

Christina Lathrop

My confidence has been built over time, but it didn’t come easily. I grew up in an abusive household where I was constantly made to feel like I wasn’t good enough—never smart enough, never pretty enough. After leaving home at 18, I married into another abusive situation because, at that point, that kind of treatment felt comfortable. But after a few years, I realized there had to be more to life than just surviving. I put myself through technical school so I could build a career and support myself and my daughters. Read More>>

Brandon Hawkins

I truly think my confidence and self esteem developed at an early age, through sports. I had several good people coaching me and some outstanding teammates, and it helped me to know I wasn’t alone in the world. Read More>>

Gerry McCambridge

I have been performing since I was nine years old. I know I’m very good at what I do. I have been performing for over 36 years. So my confidence comes from years and years of practice. Read More>>