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.

La Juana

To be honest, I can’t take full credit for developing my confidence and self-esteem, especially when I was younger. That foundation was laid by my parents. From the beginning, my sister and I were told we could do anything. I know that might sound like a cliché, but in our home, it was a truth we lived every day. There was never a narrative of limitation. We weren’t taught that our race, our gender, or our background were obstacles. We were taught that those things made us stronger. Read More>>

Tiara

There was a point in my life where I was constantly comparing myself to my peers. During my undergraduate studies, I was an illustration major before changing my major to printmaking. I was in a class full of awesome creatives, however, I found myself comparing myself to them. I was in a class filled with talented artist who were more experienced in illustration and knew how to work in a fast pace.  Read More>>

Briggsy Hamren

Personally, I believe confidence is a skill like any other. And that skill can be practiced and mastered by anyone willing to try. What makes confidence tricky, is that it seems like there is no clear path to it when you don’t understand it. You see confident people and it’s like they just breathe different air or something. But in reality, they’ve just practiced, whether they realize it or not. Read More>>

Jesse Griffin

During my adolescent years I struggled with self-esteem and self-confidence due to the poor choices I made, which followed drug addiction and doing prison time for 2 1/2 years. It took a long time for me to overcome guilt, shame and condemnation in order for my self-confidence and self-esteem to undergo its development.

In life, we will all make mistakes, it is inevitable. Our past mistakes and poor choices do not dictate to us who we are, what our future should be or look like, nor do they have a say in what our purpose is in life. We are all here on earth on purpose with a purpose. None of us are a mistake. Read More>>

Tenisha Harris

My mother had a lot to do with the confidence and self-esteem that I carry now. Growing up, she would always have me to look in the mirror and say “self, I love you” or ” you are so beautiful” but as a child, I couldn’t comprehend. Her words would go in one ear and out the other. Fast forward to middle school, puberty hit me hard. I would get teased by the kids all the time about my acne. It crushed me. HOWEVER, in the midst of all the negative comments, I would hear my mom’s voice saying,” you are so beautiful, never forget that” etc. and that made me feel 100% better.  Read More>>

Phoebe O Chou

Confidence is built through the accumulation of small improvements. I like to set to-do lists and small goals for different periods, and each time I complete a task, I check it off. It may seem small, but over time, these accomplishments have helped me understand my capabilities.

The more you know yourself, the more confident you become. When you clearly understand your strengths and limitations, other people’s opinions have less influence on you. Ultimately, self-awareness is the foundation of true confidence. Read More>>

Shiran Nicholson

Since I started in the events industry at 16, I’ve immersed myself in every facet of the business—from my early days as a professional B-Boy to evolving into a DJ, MC, company owner, producer, event planner, and now venue owner. This journey, built on relentless hard work and hands-on experience, has cultivated a deep confidence and self-esteem, driving me to continuously innovate and lead in the industry. Read More>>

Equality Education

Arianna’s Answer

I remember being an unhappy college student, lost and unsure of how to take care of myself. My health was in bad shape—both physically and emotionally. I didn’t have any direction, any real purpose. Confidence? It was a foreign concept to me. I struggled with claiming my wants and needs in life, often silencing myself to please others. Deep down, I knew I wasn’t living the life I deserved, but I didn’t know how to change it. My lack of self-belief was keeping me stuck in this endless cycle of self-doubt. Read More>>

Mandie Fenrich

My journey to confidence and healthy self-esteem wasn’t easy. Born with a cleft lip and palate, I underwent 10 surgeries between the ages of 10 days and 12 years to correct the condition. Growing up, I felt different from other kids. My speech was impaired, my teeth were crooked, and I had awkward haircuts and growth spurts, which made it difficult to feel confident or make friends. Read More>>

Elizabeth O’Connor

While I’m the most confident I’ve ever been, it wasn’t always this way, and I still have moments where I have to remind myself of my worth—regardless of having acne or textured skin.

Growing up, I loved makeup and dreamed of becoming an artist or a model. But when puberty hit, so did my acne—worse than most of my peers. My self-image took a huge hit, making it difficult to put myself out there. I felt like there were two versions of me: the one I aspired to be—bold, beautiful, and ambitious—and the one I actually was, afraid to be seen.  Read More>>

Sade Bassan

I developed my confidence at a young age, inspired by my mother’s strength and determination. A Haitian immigrant who came to the United States in the 1990s, she is the youngest of 13 siblings and the matriarch of our family. Her unwavering confidence and clarity in her desires has always been a guiding force in my life. To this day, she works tirelessly to provide my siblings and I with the opportunities she never had, instilling in us the values of resilience, ambition, and self-belief. Read More>>

Tim Nyberg

Honestly, my confidence has been built through a long road of trial and error. I’ve taken on a lot of challenges over the years—some successful, many not—but each one has been a chance to learn something new. Every failure has added to a growing pool of experience, and that experience becomes the foundation I lean on when facing new obstacles. Read More>>

Ontaneque Ottrix
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Growing up in California, a true melting pot of cultures, significantly shaped my self-confidence and self-esteem. The rich diversity around me fostered open-mindedness, allowing me to appreciate varied perspectives and experiences. This exposure broadened my horizons and ignited a sense of creative freedom that I didn’t fully grasp until I became a college student athlete, mother, supporter of my household, and business owner. Read More>>

Johnny Ferro

I started out as an actor 20 years ago, which I think has given me a pretty good base for both dealing with rejection, and knowing how to give something a shot and let it go if it doesn’t work out. The second part took a long time, and I definitely used to attach my self worth to whether or not I was booking roles. Over time I’ve learned that it’s much healthier to have other irons in the fire, creatively speaking, and to let those roles come up when they come up. So now I’m always working on making something myself, whether it’s with friends or for hire as a cinematographer, editor etc. Read More>>

Michael Sean McGuinness

There are several ways that I’ve developed my confidence and self-esteem throughout my life.

First, throughout my childhood, my father worked for the railroad. His job transferred him to a different city about every two years, so I was always “the new kid in town.” This constant relocation taught me to how to make new friends very quickly. I didn’t want to be a loner just because I was a new arrival. I learned how to talk to other kids I didn’t know, tell jokes to make them laugh, and be friendly and kind to them. This was a great boost to my confidence; I learned that I could get along with all sorts of people in all sorts of places. Read More>>

Shelina Elyse

I developed confidence through learning to trust myself. I believe you have to intentionally practice confidence until it becomes your default. Determining what’s most important (passions, goals, values, skills) for you will guide you to becoming your best self. Also, let go of expectations! Knowing you’re on this path allows you to trust yourself at any given moment leading to a confident approach to life. Read More>>

Jennifer Barrett

I’ve developed my confidence through my family. They’ve always been my biggest supporters, even my aunt and cousins discovering I had a voice, she always told me that my voice would make room for me. I started singing in my aunts church when it was in her house and she had me singing every Sunday and eventually I started singing all over. Read More>>

Brandon Norvell

Building confidence and self-esteem came through experience, persistence, and a strong belief in the value my business provides. When I started Pittsburgh Package Pros, I had to step outside my comfort zone—whether it was pitching my services, handling customer concerns, or learning the ins and outs of marketing on a budget. Each successful installation and satisfied customer reinforced my abilities. I also made a point to continually educate myself, refining my skills and learning from mistakes. Over time, seeing my business grow and receiving positive feedback gave me the confidence to know I could handle challenges and continue scaling my company. Read More>>

Kate Nguyen

Confidence and building up my self-esteem did not happen overnight. With anything, it takes time. I still have days where I don’t feel as confident. But what I’ve found that has helped me the most is surrounding myself with supportive and positive people who will lift me up, and appreciate me for me.

I was a very shy kid growing up. I didn’t speak to anyone unless I was spoken to, and I’m still that way sometimes. Being shy is never ever a bad thing, but I think the wrong people in your life will make it seem like it’s this awful thing and that you should change yourself. Read More>>

Jeff Padilla

Confidence and self-esteem for me started developing beginning in high school. As my older brother used to tell me, “If you are able to speak, you are able to communicate,” meaning that you can express your wants and needs to others regardless of who they are. That to me was a big saying to have myself start talking to others and begin my networking journey. Wherever you are, networking is THE most important aspect of finding new opportunities. Whether you are at school, at the barbershop/hair salon, the mailbox, the people you communicate with have the connections with what you want or need in life. Read More>>

Gabe Saldivar

Notably, I was nominated for a Grammy in 2006 before transitioning from the music industry to focus on my artistic endeavors. This decision led me to build my photography career while also building my other business Heavy Hitters USA, where I design custom, one-of-a-kind jewelry for many elite clients. Read More>>

Bailey Hope

I developed my confidence slowly over time through hard work and dedication to becoming the person I wanted to be. It wasn’t always easy—mental toughness was key, especially when people I looked up to tried to bring me down, but I came out resilient.

Starting something new can be tough and jarring. It’s hard to find your footing at first. You have to adopt a mindset of “I’m not done until I win,” which is one of my favorite quotes. There will be moments when you question if you’re on the right path and if you’re doing the right things. You’ll have days where it feels like there’s no hope, and giving up seems like a good option.  Read More>>