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.

Tamiqua Whittaker

My confidence and self esteem come fm within (with a side of Beyoncé affirmations lol) laughing but serious…I was very quiet/shy growing up, and didn’t really find my real voice until I was around 30 after giving birth for the 1st time. Becoming a mom is very empowering knowing that your kids are watching and taking their cues from you. Read More>>

Kyle Muha

I think the biggest thing that helped build my confidence and self-esteem was consistently putting myself in uncomfortable situations. Early in your career, that might mean saying yes to gigs you don’t have much experience with. But the more I pushed myself into those unfamiliar spaces, the faster my confidence grew. Now, no matter what the gig is, I go into it fully believing I’m going to crush it. Read More>>

Alex Sabonge

My parents divorced when I was 5 years old and since then I always developed a sense of responsibility towards my family. It helped me develop a leadership personality and established a high self-esteem on me. Read More>>

Jessica Lily

I used to think that confidence meant being the best, so that’s what I tried for. I strove to be the best student in art class, always tried for all A’s, and was generally reliable. A classic overachiever, I was committed to always giving my 110%. As a result, my professors trusted me to hang shows or design gallery materials. I worked hard, and people generally liked me. I thought that was what I needed to feel whole. Read More>>

Kelly Staubs

For eight years, I lost myself in an abusive marriage. I forgot my worth, dimmed my light, and lived in survival mode. But God had a different story for me.

It didn’t happen overnight, but piece by piece, I started rebuilding.

I leaned into my faith—because when everything else felt broken, His love reminded me I was never truly alone. Read More>>

Macy Fulford

Honestly, my confidence came from just doing it over and over again. When I first got into the balloon industry, there was a big learning curve—I had to figure out what worked, what didn’t, and really find my own style. It took a lot of trial and error, but through all that practice, I started to feel good about the products and services I was offering. Over time, as I kept improving and honing my techniques, I started to feel more confident taking on more work and really standing behind what I was creating. Read More>>

Abe

Honestly, my confidence and self-esteem didn’t come from a single defining moment. It was a quiet build, a mix of faith, failures, and small wins that stacked up over time.

I used to be really unsure of myself, especially early on when I was just starting in photography. I’d compare my work constantly, wonder if I belonged, and second-guess whether anyone would trust me to document such important moments. But little by little, every couple that believed in me, every story I got to tell through my lens, helped shift something inside. Read More>>

Alexander Helisek

A lot of people would ask the question, “If you could tell your younger self something, what would it be” and I think many people think about that question and then retrace what they’ve done in life, and I would include myself in that group, and I realize now that I have done everything that I’ve wanted to do, because I’ve wanted to do it. Read More>>

Inara Ali

For me, confidence didn’t come all at once — I grew into it over time.
Ever since I was little, I was always around my parents when they talked about real estate, business deals, and big ideas. I didn’t fully understand it back then, but I was always curious.

They never made it feel like a boring lesson — they turned it into something fun, like a game. I’d ask questions, walk job sites, and listen in on conversations. Slowly, I started picking up terms, strategies, and most importantly, the mindset. Read More>>

Josiah Sanchez

Confidence and self-esteem were nothing short of foreign to me for many years. I was a heavily medicated kid for my ADHD-having been put on them at a very young age. Said medication silenced me, for whenever I was off of it, every emotion I had lacked regulation. So everything I felt was what I would consider greatly enhanced than the average individual. I learned very early on to shut up and do what I was supposed to, despite my mind and body wanting to do a million different things that actually interested me.  Read More>>

Johnny Hiland

I was born and raised in Woodland, Maine with an eye disease called nystagmus which rendered me legally blind. From an early age, music became the driving force of my self-esteem and confidence. My parents were absolutely wonderful to me, but yet, they were also very hard on me. They wanted me to grow up with a “no fear” mentality. Read More>>

Marine Léa Thomas

It’s a journey, truly. I still have so much to learn, but I’ve also come a long way.

I grew up as a very creative and somewhat confident child. I always performed in front of family members or loved to make my friends laugh. I was also a very sensitive child, and I had a hard time dealing with this sensitivity since I was the only hypersensitive one at home. It impacted my confidence, self-esteem, and self-image. Read More>>

Robert Schwenkler

It’s been a real journey for me. Is there anyone for whom that’s not true?

In my 20s I suffered from extremely deep depression, with years of feeling suicidal. This absolutely impacted my self esteem, assertiveness, and sense of worth in the world.

There have been a few core elements to me becoming happier and more confident:

1. Deep inner work. Learning to accept and allow the parts of myself that I realized I’d suppressed since painful early childhood events. Reclaiming my emotional expression… grief, anger, and beneath it all, my joy. Read More>>

Vico Velez

My confidence in my work has developed over time, through both personal and creative evolution. A lot of it came from seeing how my photography made others feel and the long lasting impact it has left people that has been expressed to me even years later. When someone tells me they feel powerful or truly seen in one of my images, it affirms that my voice and perspective matter. I find a lot of comfort and joy in knowing I’ve been able to give that to people. Read More>>

Ulku Pehlivanoglu

For me, confidence didn’t come all at once — it grew through years of doing the work, facing setbacks, and learning to trust my instincts. Early on, I often found myself in unfamiliar or challenging environments, especially as a woman in creative leadership roles. Working with children and young people has always been a source of joy for me; I love rekindling their passion for life and motivating them. Each project I completed, each child I inspired in my workshops, and each story I told through film helped build my inner foundation. Read More>>

Shonte Youmans

Developing my confidence and self-esteem was a journey—one filled with personal growth, faith, and intentional inner work. It started with understanding that my voice matters. I used to shrink in spaces where I was called to shine, but once I began to recognize the value of my experience, my education, and my ability to connect with others, everything shifted. Read More>>

Isabela Quilodrán

I feel like I’m still journeying through the ever-unfolding path of confidence. As an actress, I sometimes find myself tangled in doubt, in a world that urges you to mold, to conform, to shape-shift into something more expected, less true.
It’s a quiet battle, this dance between self and standard. But with therapy, and the gentle power of self-love, I remind myself, again and again, that it’s not only okay to be different…it’s beautiful.
Because that’s what makes me me. Read More>>

Erika Archer

Over the years I have really done a deep dive into who I really am. I credit my faith, the Bible and my relationship with God in developing my confidence and self esteem. I dealt with low self esteem, rejection and not feeling good enough during my formative years. I would shrink myself to fit in. It took me getting to know myself on a deep spiritual level to build up my confidence, boldness and self esteem. This journey hasn’t been easy. Read More>>

Daniel DiCriscio

I developed my confidence and self esteem from a very young age. I was always “different” from the other boys in school because I was always told I was “beautiful” and sometimes handsome but beautiful is not a usual boy term. My mom would tell me that this was a gift and not to misuse it but use it to my fullest benefit because I was unique. I listened and took this advice and it would always empower me. I also in my adult years say to myself “I am the parent of my own child” which are both parts of me and help me through trying or difficult times.  Read More>>

Jessica Lam

I’ve come to realize that genuine confidence isn’t something you’re born with — it’s something that you have to earn. It’s built through experience, by showing up for yourself even when it’s hard, and by leaning into the fear instead of running from it. Read More>>

Wen Lin

I developed my confidence through years of emceeing and producing events. Every time I step on stage as a host, I’m not just speaking—I’m building bridges between cultures and connecting people through shared stories and experiences. Read More>>

kay_zeee

I chose to talk about self confidence & self esteem for this feature. Developing self confidence can take many forms, and also years to achieve. For me, one way I have been able to stay secure & grounded in myself was by practicing positive self talk. I know that can sound cheesy and redundant, because that is what I used to think too. I would actually roll my eyes at people who would give me the same advice. Until one day, I had decided that my current situation/ viewpoint was just no longer cutting it for me. I didn’t want to focus so heavily on the negativity in my life, or to experience the same situations, over and over again, that did not positively benefit my life. Read More>>

Clay Newman

Enjoy every tiny victory. Wherever you’re at, you need to remember that a lot of people are trying to get there. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by how high the ceiling for success is with the entertainment industry, especially living in Los Angeles. Treat it like the opposite of being afraid of heights: make sure to look down. Otherwise you won’t be able to appreciate how high you’ve already climbed. Let yourself celebrate the callback or even just the invite audition, even if it doesn’t lead to a gig. Plenty of people didn’t get that far. Read More>>

Rob Kligman

My father was a big influence early on. He would often remind me of a quote by Nelson Mandela: “You never lose—you either win or learn.” That message stuck with me. Through sports, I learned how to bounce back from setbacks, stay present, and use failure as a tool for improvement rather than something to fear. Read More>>

The’Cool Flame

My confidence comes from knowing that I’m already the best. It also comes from knowing my flaws and not shying away from them, its having the mentality to use those shadow parts of myself to good use instead of letting them lead me to self-destruction. Confidence is essentially a muscle, the more you train your mind to be at ease with who you are, you learn to love yourself to the point of absolute delusion. There’s also a fine line between ego. Read More>>