Every day, our team is focused on how to help our audience and community reach their full potential in every part of their lives – personal and professional. Building confidence and self-esteem is one of the most essential requirements for success and below we’ve presented some of the conversations we’ve had around how to build confidence.
Chris Stoddard
When I was in high school I was not very outgoing. I mostly kept to myself, hung out with a few good friends, and played many sports. But at some point, I realized that life is short and even if you embarrass yourself from time to time, nobody cares or will remember except you. So I became much more outgoing. Now I enjoy meeting new people, talking to strangers, and not worrying about getting embarrassed occasionally. Because in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter. And it makes life a lot more fun! Read more>>
Liz Foley
Developing confidence and self-esteem has been a journey of stepping outside my comfort zone and embracing the uncomfortable. Starting my own business was a monumental leap of faith, requiring me to learn numerous new skills and, most importantly, to trust myself. The process was not without its challenges. I had to learn through failure, pick myself up, and persevere. Each setback taught me to show myself grace, put on a brave face, and keep going. This cycle of falling and rising built resilience in me, which eventually turned into grit. Read more>>
David Alexander
As a musician this is a tough question. I feel that most musicians are insecure about something in their lives, that’s why we make music, hahaha. However, I do believe it is possible to become more confident in your art, as a musician, or in any other form of art. Read more>>
Warren Caracciolo
Before launching imagery.LIFE, I had two very different careers that shaped my journey toward confidence—sales and singing in a rock band. Both experiences spanned nearly 20 years and, together, they were like a crash course in self-assurance. Read more>>
Elizabeth Craig
I always believed I had a healthy level of self-esteem but it wasn’t until my early 30’s that I realized I had very little trust in myself. It was as if there was a moment when the lens I used to view myself shattered and the new one gave me a crystal-clear picture of the truth; I was nose-deep in quite the pit of low self-worth. Never having been in this place before, I struggled to find my way out. Truly, it was through sheer curiosity, perseverance, and dedication to figuring out how to love myself again that eventually brought me to a healthy balance of Self. My curiosity led me to seeking new information anywhere I could find it. Read more>>
Michaeline F
I think one of the strongest forms of confidence comes from doing something successfully not just once, but multiple times. This tactic can be used and applied in so many areas of your life whether it’s starting a business, growing a presence online, improving your appearance, or speaking up for yourself. The more you do something the more confident you become in whatever that thing is. Read more>>
Luke Thayer
Whew, what a question! I believe in something I call the “confidence tank.” Just a like a hot water tank at your home, you need it full to have a nice hot shower. Ok, maybe the analogy took a weird turn there, but the point is you need a full tank. How does one get a full confidence tank? By doing things that make one feel good about one’s self. So, in a less pretentious way of saying that: do things that make you feel good about yourself, and stop doing things that make you feel bad about yourself. I started performing at places that appreciated me and what I do, and stopped performing places where I wasn’t valued. Read more>>
Ashley Gardner
It comes from working in this field for so long! I don’t think I would be the same designer I am today if I didn’t spend 14 years designing mainstream bridal. It definitely got monotonous, but at the same time I really learned the possibilities and limitations to designing high quality jewelry. I want to make jewelry that’s interesting and will last the test of time. Read more>>
Wren Heft
For me consistency is key! From holding boundaries, standards, and following through on agreements with myself. The confidence and self-worth/self-esteem came over time knowing that I had my own back in any situation or circumstance. The more that I showed up for myself consistently and trusted that I knew it was best for me the smaller day-to-day confidence grew and blossomed over time! Whether it’s teaching yoga applying it to Reiki workshops and solo sessions or even speaking on my podcast the sunroom podcast consistently showing up and Shining my best foot forward has only aided in that confidence and self-esteem boost over time! Read more>>
Sarah Hutcherson
I used to mistake external validation for confidence. I received a compliment from my manager = I felt confident.
My friend texted me to say hello and that she missed me = I felt confident. A coworker asked me to join their project team = I felt confident. I believed I had it or I didn’t, but the funny part about it was that how I defined confidence was based on external indicators rather than the habit of cultivating it. A significant shift for me into viewing confidence as a habit was when I chose to leave a dream sustainability job to focus on healing my body post-Covid. I remember the weight on my chest, the angst, and the internal constriction as I put my resignation in – saying no, especially for myself, was confounding. But that decision, made up of small moments of choosing myself months before leaving the job, showed me that developing confidence is about growing roots from within and acting whether or not anyone else is cheering me on. Read more>>
Chudi
When it comes to confidence, there’s a certain amount of a “fake it till you make it” spirit that I embody. When I was younger, I was bullied for everything: my name, my skin tone, my glasses and engaged in a lot of negative self-talk. For better or worse, I ended up using that as fuel to work hard. It was a “I’ll train hard and become the best” type of attitude that comes from watching too much anime. With the work, came achievements: sports teams, good grades, mixtape placements, muscles, leadership positions, awards. I was a teenager getting looked at by record labels and on popular blogs with artists that made it. It wasn’t until I was 19 though that it truly stuck. College was going rough for me: familial deaths, worse grades, injuries and heartbreak combined to drive me to a very low point. Read more>>
Vanessa Ramirez
In the beginning of my real estate career, I faced several chalenges, often questioning my abilities in a competitive market. However, through perseverance and an strong belief in my vision, I startet on a journey of self-discovery. I set small and achievalble goals that built my skills and gradually transformed my mindset. Each success, like closing of a deal or recieving positive feedback from my clients boosted the confidence that I have now. Today, I am proud not only as an experienced real estae agent but as a women, wife and mom of twins. The power of self believe and resilence changes destinies. Read more>>
Devanshi Patel
I’m an introvert. Confidence in talking to people doesn’t come to me naturally. Luckily my husband is an extrovert and he really worked hard on me when it came to talking about my business, artwork, making bookings. He used to take my mock interview in a way every time I was going to work or had table set ups. I was very bad in the beginning had no confidence at all and I was super shy.
Besides my husband teaching me what to say how to say things to help me, getting more experience and work gave me some real confidence. My customers always loved my work and their appreciation helped boost my self-esteem. At this point both confidence and self-esteem comes naturally because i believe in my work quality i trust myself with any designs and i know my work is worth the price. Read more>>
David Dcwbuilds
For me, it’s definitely a “fake it til you make it” thing.
For much of my life, I had low to no confidence in myself and now, I find myself fluctuating between two extremes. I’m either “the best that there ever was and ever will be, totally untouchable, etc” or I’m “so terrible, worse than dirt, shouldn’t bother” Read more>>
Singer Sterling
I developed my confidence and self-esteem by knowing my worth. Growing up was not easy, especially being in the music and entertainment industry at such a young age. Learning the entertainment industry, as well as learning life all at the same time could be a lot however having such great examples that I was working with helped me gain lots of confidence and self-esteem in knowing that I was amongst many greats and will always be being that I was brought up and trained by many. Read more>>
Carmen Scott
First of all, I think it’s really important to aknowledge that my parents and teachers always made me feel smart and capable. I think that I had a certain amount of natural confidence growing up that was definitely fostered. Participating in the arts was for sure the thing that developed my confidence and self-esteem. I started dancing when I was in second grade and was not the best, but I LOVED it and really gave it my all. A few years in, I was dancing with my studio’s competition team. Dance was the entry point to depth of the human spirit and passion. I’ve also always loved stories, english, and words. Read more>>
Ruya Jesani
I have made it my mission to keep the promises I make to myself. During the lockdown, I chose to invest in my well-being and prepare myself for a brighter future. At first, I was stuck in a cycle of low self-esteem, lacking both direction and self-awareness. I had no real goals and hadn’t yet discovered the power of knowing what you truly want to achieve. So, I started small. Whether it was waking up early, moving my body, or learning something new, I committed to taking action because that’s where real growth begins. By showing up for myself in these small, consistent ways, I built a foundation of trust and saw my confidence bloom. Over time, these daily actions led to powerful transformation, unlocking a sense of purpose and self-belief I never knew I had. Read more>>
Nisprih Mohan-ram
Confidence is a muscle, and like any muscle, it requires consistent training and the right exercises to grow. Here’s how I navigated that journey: First and foremost, I learned to embrace being a newbie. There’s something liberating about acknowledging that you’re just starting out. It allows you to approach situations with curiosity rather than fear. Instead of viewing inexperience as a weakness, I started seeing it as an opportunity for growth and exploration. This shift in mindset has been transformative. Read more>>
Kaitlyn Croker
Having confidence has been an up-hill battle since I first started performing at 10 years old. It’s not that I don’t believe in myself, but the fact that I will always be my toughest critic. It’s hard to develop a healthy amount of self-esteem when you critique every single part of your performance from the second you step on stage to the finale. At the end of the day, I know that I’ve given it my all so I can be assured that I am happy with how I played but also can be grounded knowing where my weak points are. Read more>>
Chef Jay Jones
I developed my confidence by no longer allowing people to create my reality. I was always being put down for trying to start my business and urged to work a 9-5 for the rest of my life. When I had failures early on I never gave up I kept going as hard as it was. Being the only person that believes in you can be very discouraging but I knew my purpose was bigger than my me. I feel damn good about myself, even when I make a mistake. A lot of people wait for someone to make them feel important or to make them feel valued but I make myself feel that way. Read more>>
Megan Miller
I think learning a language as a child really sets up your confidence in that everyone is more likely to give out praise for novelty, so my daily practice of “Guess what I learned!” started early. Of course, into teens and adulthood, I was always questioning myself, my language skills, my teaching skills. Read more>>
Marisa Paradis
I developed my confidence and self-esteem by following through on my word to myself. Do it scared. Do it even if you don’t feel ready. Just do it. So much of my self-esteem has grown by slowing down to check in with my own wants and desires and really taping into that. Finding clarity in my vision of how I want my life to look and feel and then listening to my true self, not the voices of those around me. Once I started to build my confidence, every decision I made became stronger… I knew if it wasn’t an immediate “hell yes” it should probably be a no. Trusting myself, my choices and all my moves have left me knowing that I am truly able to handle anything that comes my way and I will tackle it the best way I know how. Read more>>
Degaryia Witten
Confidence and self-esteem have been a journey for me, one with many ups and downs. There were times in my life where I felt completely lost, where my self-esteem was at an all-time low, and I struggled to see my own worth. Confidence, for me, still comes in waves. But what I’ve learned is that the key to developing both confidence and self-esteem isn’t about achieving perfection or never doubting yourself, it’s about continuously showing up. Read more>>
Jenine Cinco
I truly developed my confidence and self-esteem when I committed to showing up for myself consistently—even on the days I was tired and tempted to just relax and watch a movie. At the beginning of last year, I was constantly fatigued, irritated, and found little joy in anything. It felt like I was slipping into depression. I knew that something in my routine was contributing to how I felt, so I decided to make a change. The first step was deacti vating my social media, which helped a bit, but I still felt off. Read more>>
Salvador Fox
I love this question because I’m a very confident individual and it’s something I worked really hard on becoming. I came out at 14 which was something really brave to do at the time because being gay back when I was in school made you an easy target for bullies. I basically felt the entire school turn there backs on me and it forced me to learn how to forget about validation and look for it in myself. By 8th grade I had transformed into someone that was so unapologetic and confident that people naturally were drawn to my energy I was radiating. Another huge boost to my self esteem was my Mom & Dad who always told me I could be whatever I wanted to be but I needed to be the BEST. So I really have to thank my parents and those who didn’t like me for making me so confident! Read more>>
