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.

Dustin Abrams

I have built confidence and self-esteem through overcoming various obstacles in life. I’ve learned a great deal from my friends and family, whose support and encouragement continuously motivate and inspire me to be the best version of myself. Learning from these incredible people has helped me grow both personally and professionally. Their guidance has shown me the importance of staying open to new experiences and continuously learning. As a result, I approach each day as an opportunity to grow and improve, which further reinforces my confidence and commitment to self-improvement. Read More>> 

Dominic Martella

I developed confidence through prepping my movies. Camera guides and Google have been my friends when I am in the beginning stages of planning a feature. Because I usually have to be the one to film my scripts, I always make sure I know all about the cameras I am using to avoid any issues on the sets. I also do camera tests where I film a bunch of random things to check my settings and make sure the camera provides good footage.  Read More>> 

Nairemy Gonzalez

When I started Billionaire, I was very slim. Back then, I didn’t think of the brand as a tool for self-love or body empowerment. It was born out of a simple need—I wanted a trendy piece of lingerie that I couldn’t find in my city. So I made my first bralette using recycled fabric, with no idea it would become something so meaningful.

Years later, after several migrations, lifestyle changes, and the impact of stress and diet on my body, I began to feel completely disconnected from myself. My self-esteem dropped. I no longer felt beautiful, sexy, or desirable. That’s when everything shifted. I realized I could no longer create from a place of perfection—I had to create from my truth. Read More>> 

John Fletcher

I didn’t always have the confidence and self-esteem that I have today. In fact, for a long time, I struggled with these aspects of myself. But over the years, I’ve come to understand that confidence isn’t necessarily something you’re born with; it’s something that’s built, layer by layer, and it’s an ongoing process. I’ve worked hard to develop it, and I continue to do so every day. Read More>> 

Vasudha

My confidence and self-esteem didn’t come overnight—it has been a journey filled with learning, challenges, and growth. When I started Shreeta Salon & Spa, I didn’t have a business background. I come from a working-class family, and I built everything from scratch in a new country with new responsibilities. Read More>> 

Donny White

Honestly, it all traces back to my roots in Nebraska—a place where wide-open skies met even wider dreams. From an early age, my parents showered my little brother and me with affirmations that lit a fire in our hearts: “You only have limitations if you set them—or people don’t rise to low expectations.” Their words became a soundtrack to my childhood, nudging me to believe in myself, to see every challenge as a chance to shine. Read More>> 

Seyi Akogun

Identity, identity, identity! This is one of my favorite topics to discuss. My journey of developing my confidence and self-esteem is a continuous one dating as far back as primary school through navigating the complexities of being a teenager, college days, and now adulthood. One thing that has kept me rooted and growing is getting back to original design. As I have grown, I realized that the One who made me is the One who gets to define me and that has made all the difference. Read More>> 

Lars Kommienezuspadt

My confidence was always an overcompensation, to be honest. I grew up in Scranton, PA, a really small town. I had some artistic talent and in a small town, the bar wasn’t that high to get recognition. Naturally, I’d push boundaries trying to get my work out beyond my hometown and as the calibre of artists and quality of art improved, I would experience immense imposter syndrome. Over the last twenty years, that process continued, each time becoming more and more comfortable with my style and artistic expression, feeling less and less of a need to try and convince others I was, “good”. Read More>> 

Faith Fossett

You know, I thought I’d have a pretty straightforward answer, but the more I thought about my response, the more complex and layered it became. While pondering, I discovered that my self-esteem and confidence are directly connected to joy. This kind of joy flourishes when I am 100% my authentic self. A happiness and freedom wash over me, increasing confidence in my own worth. As a result, that level of confidence opens a door to pure unabashed honesty and vulnerability. It takes a lot of shaking to bring down such a solid mountain.  Read More>> 

Nilmar Atencio

I think that throughout your life you develop many skills, and experiences help you grow and learn.

You should always believe in yourself no matter what, being confident helps you to open many doors. In my adolescence, I had to learn, live some experiences, but today, like everything else, the situations that you go through will help you to build yourself, and trust your intuition. Read More>> 

Yelena Alpert

It all started when I moved to New York and worked at Conde Nast. It helped me understand that truly creative things are not always for the masses, and you have to step outside your comfort zone to achieve something great that will be noticed. It started out with mixing and matching pieces in my wardrobe—sometimes the most unexpected things go together. Read More>> 

John Truitt

The confidence that I possess started a long time ago. I attended a private elementary school in Pacoima California that taught the normal curriculums taught in every school system and they were also big on the students knowing and learning about Black History education. I was a singer in the choir, I competed for roles in plays that taught about God and the history of the Bible, I competed in poem competitions, spelling bee’s etc. So, although I may not know everything about my full history , I most certainly know who I am, where I come from and the person that I would like to become. Read More>> 

Bailey

For me, it came through experience and showing up consistently. The more I practiced and put my work out there, the more I built trust in my eye and my creative instincts. No matter the subject, each shoot taught me something new, and over time, that built a solid foundation of confidence. Not every shoot goes as planned, and I’ve learned not to let that shake me. Instead, I see those moments as part of the process—there’s always something to learn. Read More>> 

Mercedes Nelson

I’ve been able to build my confidence and self-esteem by cultivating a healthy relationship with myself. When I first started therapy, I was in a dark and low place in life, I honestly had no idea who I truly was and felt exhausted from living unfulfilled. Therapy gave me the courage to begin my self-love journey, which has helped me discover who Mercedes really is and what she truly wants in life. Along the way, I’ve tried new things, invested in myself, and taken risks that have aligned me with my authentic self. Read More>> 

Power

I have to admit that building confidence and self-esteem is a journey that takes time and patience, but it’s definitely doable with the right approach. Here are a few of my strategies that could help:

1. Positive Self-Talk
One of the most immediate ways to boost confidence is by changing your internal dialogue. Challenge negative thoughts about yourself and replace them with positive affirmations. Over time, this can shift your mindset and help you believe in your worth. Read More>> 

Bianca Bonciu

I developed my confidence by consistently stepping outside of my comfort zone. This meant doing things I was afraid of doing, even when my heart pounded with nerves. I think that you grow stronger every time you do something you’re scared of doing. I remember when I joined the Warner Bros. Toastmasters club, Read More>> 

Isis Kenney

Confidence wasn’t something I just woke up with, it was something I had to build, early and often. I grew up as an only child in a community where no one else had a name like mine. My name is Isis, and while it holds deep historical and cultural meaning, not everyone understood that. I constantly had to explain it, defend it, and own it. That taught me how to stand firm in who I was, even when people didn’t get it. Read More>> 

Joseph Garcia

My confidence first came out when I was in 8th grade. You see I had obtained my first job at that time working at a barbershop and that job gave me the taste of making money but more importantly the taste of that provider feeling. I was the only person around my friends that was actually earning money and that set a higher expectation on myself. I was able to treat my friends and do things on my own. I got to experience the feeling of my work paying off.  Read More>> 

Aaron Thomas

I would say trial and error, that and mainly time – I’ve always felt highly self-aware so for me confidence was something I had to almost work at especially early on as a child, as I’ve grown into an adult I feel like my values and general ideas have help to cement my overall confidence and self-esteem + even then there’s still days where these aspects are constantly moving up or down, similar to life Read More>> 

Jackie Barnes

Supportive friends and family: My friends and husband have always been my biggest cheerleaders, encouraging me to follow my heart and take bold steps, even when I wasn’t entirely sure of myself. Their support isn’t just comforting; it’s foundational. I truly believe I couldn’t have pursued my passions or taken risks without knowing they were in my corner. Having that kind of encouragement gave me the freedom to step outside my comfort zone, try new things, and—most importantly—grow my confidence along the way. Each time they believed in me, it helped me believe in myself a little more. Read More>> 

Jackie Smith

Easily, thanks to my parents. No matter what I set my mind to, my parents let me try. I didn’t always succeed but I was encouraged to try and to continue to try until it no longer made me happy. When I was in 2nd grade I met a Chinese Storyteller through my moms work and then said I wanted to learn Mandarin. I was then enrolled in a Chinese-American school for an afterschool program to learn the language. Now I didn’t retain any of that but it set me on a path to try new things because I was always given the encouragement to try and be confident in whatever it was I set my mind to.  Read More>> 

Spiria

It took a long time to develop the self-esteem that we needed to pursue music together. However, by putting ourselves out there and taking risks that we were uncomfortable with, we developed the confidence that we were looking for. It’s definitely a good thing to do a lot of work behind the scenes and work on your skills and artistry, but once you know you’ve done the hard work of getting somewhat of where you want to be, just go for it! It’s so helpful as a musician to perform at open mics, join songwriter groups, or just upload music and trust that people will find something in it.  Read More>> 

Jasmine Pittman

Many experiences have contributed to the development of my self-esteem, but I believe the overall process of trial and error has provided the most transformation. I am willing to try even knowing that failure is possible. And sometimes
I do fail. I’m working to release my fear of being perceived, and the progress I’ve made so far has shown that process to be completely worth that risk. Read More>> 

Tiffany Greene

My confidence and self-esteem was instilled in me by my parents. From a young age they could see that I had talent and they immediately nurtured it. They had me audition for a performing arts school when I was 12 and from there I went on to make performing arts apart of my everyday curriculum all the way through junior high and high school. My parents gave me the creative freedom to just “be me” and any opportunity for me to be great they fully supported and cheered me on. I believe that if I didn’t have parents who truly believed in my gifts I wouldn’t have the confidence to embrace my talents the way I do. Read More>> 

Lori Cashman-Lessard

When my last parent passed away, I took on the role of running the family’s ice cream store. I worked at a Fortune 100 corporation for 36 years so I knew that I was more than qualified to do so, but I didn’t know the ins and outs of it, let alone have insight to how my father managed the financials. There was no transition.

First, I relied on those who knew the business best, my 3 children. They were taught by the best, Grandma & Grandpa! We re-opened 1 month after Dad’s passing. We knew the business model worked, my kids knew the business and they led the operations. Read More>> 

Lord Of Horns

Any great endeavor takes an immense amount of focus, determination, and sacrifice. More so, they require the planning and executions of many experiments – trials and errors – the laborious methods of fathomless minor tweaks that build into a calculable success time and time again. A repeatable success that creates a reputable consistency that garners respect from your peers and a returning clientele. Read More>>

Carolyn Lane

Confidence is one of those things that can be shaken at any point in your life, by anything and anyone. A comment, a betrayal, a rejection. In my experience, it isn’t something granted by others; it’s something you build and rebuild, several times throughout your life from the inside. That said, it can be worn down by cruelty or dismissal, especially when you’re young, and you have to claw your way back to yourself again and again. Read More>>  

Jay’Lan Williams

My development of confidence and self esteem mostly came from loving myself for what I am and what I always wanted to be . My “flaws” became my main attraction from that alone .
BASKETBALL really gave me the confidence and self esteem boost once I became good and better than overage Read More>> 

Misha Venegoni

My confidence and self-esteem weren’t things that happened overnight — they were built slowly, almost stubbornly, over years of being told I couldn’t. Growing up, I constantly heard that art wasn’t a ‘real career.’ My parents, relatives, even friends believed I’d eventually give it up for something more ‘practical.’ But deep down, I knew art wasn’t just a hobby for me — it was the core of who I am. Read More>>