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.
Kelly Kowall
As a child, I had low self-esteem and confidence that continued throughout my 20s. It compromised my mental health, career, and overall happiness. I constantly questioned my self-worth. In my early 30s, I decided I didn’t want to live my life that way anymore and started reading all the self-help books I could get my hands on. I also attended workshops and started seeing a good therapist. Read more>>
Renata Rodrigues
I have developed confidence in the work I do by doing it a lot. Practice makes you better, always. And as long as you don’t quit when it gets tough, the only outcome is to get better at it. I believe that self-esteem is developed by taking risks and trying new things along your journey, being teachable, working constantly on your craft and learning the value you bring to the table. Read more>>
Backwood Biddy
With music, I DJ’d for other artists before I hit the stage myself. That enabled me to learn from others mistake, and helped me to prevent myself from doing the same thing. Over time, with my music gaining traction and making guest appearances at many shows I developed that confidence in my craft. Read more>>
Angie Klein
I have always gravitated toward people, and when I started photography, it allowed me to share my love for art and interact with like-minded people in new and exciting ways, allowing me to collaborate with other creatives and express myself on unique platforms. By practicing self-discipline and kindness, I learned to assert and validate myself by doing things I enjoyed; It gave me the confidence I needed to continue putting myself out there. Read more>>
Marquez Cohen
I developed my confidence and self esteem from my parents, teachers/professors and coaches. They always speaks highly of me and tell me I was different, I had that “it” factor and I was special. They spoke confidence into me daily at an early age and I started to seeing it for myself. So they saw potential in me before I saw it in myself. Read more>>
Zaneta Zaza
Sometimes I think something is mentally wrong with me because I do what I want whenever I want. People tend to tell me I’m crazy, loud, and have no filter; people always ask this question, “how are you so confident and don’t care what people think?” Easy as that! I don’t care! Read more>>
Nickola Magnolia
I developed my confidence through a lot of practice and patience with myself. I’ve always marched to the beat of my own drum which meant I stuck out, and was bullied. I had to learn to not look for outside approval to find happiness with myself. It took many years and a lot practice of kindness with myself along the way of learning to like myself to develop confidence. Once you realize most people are wrapped up in their own lives to pay attention to yours, it can be really freeing. Read more>>
Mayowa Ojo
I developed my confidence and self-esteem, from constantly seeking validation externally, which led me to the path of knowing I am the only one that can validate myself. I learned I can only find happiness within myself. Once I realized what I was looking for in other people, I can find in myself..it became much easier to have positive self talk, and to truly build my self-confidence from the inside out. Read more>>
Terrence Pasley
My confidence and self esteem has been built and developed a lot thru my networking with Terry’s Taste. I’m usually a very quiet and shy person but it’s difficult doing so when you running a business. Sometime I still have moments of being timid but life’s all about chances and you don’t get them if your shy or scared, so building your confidence as a entrepreneur is key to connecting with clients and other businesses. Read more>>
Morghan Vincent
Positive thinking, practice, training, knowledge and talking to other people are all useful ways to help improve or boost your confidence levels. Confidence comes from feelings of well-being, acceptance of your self and belief in your own ability, skills and experience. I developed my confidence by joining the dance and theater group at my school. Read more>>
Nery Kim
My confidence and self-esteem have grown through various means. Firstly, my family has been a significant source of support and validation. Being a devoted daughter and a beloved wife has given me a sense of purpose and importance in my personal life. Secondly, I’m fortunate to have wonderful friends who continuously encourage and uplift me. Nurturing these relationships and maintaining positive connections has contributed to my self-esteem. Read more>>
Tatiana Fedotova
Developing confidence and self-esteem are feelings of worth that I needed to work on through the years. We tend to reflect and focus on the negative aspects of ourselves and lives, which in turn, contribute to low self-esteem. So, I try to create a balance and think about the positive attributes of myself and aspects of my life to combat any negative sense of self. Read more>>
Jonathan Butler
Through my work ethic, as an artist when I started like anyone I looked up to the greats and mainstream artists and expected those same results. Quickly you get humbled and understand that you can’t just get that overnight success. I view music like going to the gym daily; you have time put work in to see the results and once you know you’ve put the work in the confidence and self-esteem come together naturally. Read more>>
Shades of Oleander
I think it just hit me one day. I realized that none of us know what we’re doing. Usually we’re all just doing the best we can with what we have and that helped take some of the pressure off. And then I watched confident people and realized how attractive confidence can be in a person. There’s no pressure and mostly people like to see confident people in action. Read more>>
Julia Moore
As far as confidence goes, I had really good role models growing up. My parents always supported and believed in me, as well as many of my other family members, teachers and friends. Self-esteem was more difficult for me. It wasn’t until college that I felt as though I could be comfortable with myself and my own presence. Read more>>
Janet Campbell
I gained my confidence and self-esteem through my journey which was shaped by my unique background and life experiences. Growing up, I lived in both Puerto Rico and Brooklyn, which allowed me to embrace my multicultural identity and gain perspective on life. The journey didn’t come without challenges since english was my second language. Read more>>
Michelle Reeves
Confidence and self-esteem didn’t come easy to me. In fact I grew up feeling less than adequate and unworthy. While confidence and self-esteem are closely related, they most certainly are not the same thing….at least for me. When I was young my self-esteem almost crippled me. While I was confident in certain abilities I had which were always in either, sports or art, it wasn’t enough to guide me. So when I say I’m a “late bloomer” it couldn’t be more true. I’ll explain: Read more>>
DeShawna Ladd
How did I develop my confidence and self-esteem? That’s a great question! The development of myself having true confidence, and self-esteem has been a journey. As a child, I was always outgoing, had a lot of friends, and wasn’t afraid to be myself. One of my elementary school gym teachers said: “That girl is gonna be the president some day!”, because of my personality, frankness, and opinions. Read more>>
Nicole Salander
Confidence and self-esteem are attributes many of us strive to possess, yet they can often seem elusive. I, too, grappled with these insecurities for the longest time. It wasn’t until I embarked on a journey of self-discovery that I realized gaining confidence and self-esteem was more about faking it initially and eventually making it through the power of self-validation. Read more>>
Myka Smith
I developed my self confidence and self esteem by pursuing my goals and dreams relentlessly, passionately and loudly. I knew what I wanted in life and I just don’t let me falling keep me down, I get up every time and I build myself back up again through Gods plan and will for me. Read more>>
Sammie Cimarelli
I have been raised by an army of women. The second oldest of 6 sisters and 2 brothers, I have always wanted to set an example. Ever since I was little, I wanted to be the star of the show, and my family knew that. I was constantly being told “Sammie, dance for us! Sing for us!” Read more>>
Melissa Yearwood
My confidence and self esteem comes from within! It has taken a long time for me to feel comfortable in confidence, and it’s something I’m still actively working on. I have a wonderful support system consisting of family and friends, and that helps tremendously. Read more>>
Tiera Turner
Some tell me it takes a lot to be an advocate for my children, but it really doesn’t. Being their voice, when they sometimes lack, has made me walk in the light. I have to be a vessel for my boys, they deserve that. They push me and motivate me to remain confident in what I’m doing because it has to be done; someone has to do the work! Read more>>
Whitney O’Halek
Looking back, I can see that I always had it within me, I just didn’t know it. I remember always being willing to go first in school when everyone else was too afraid; I could get up and talk in front of a crowd with no problem; when others wanted to put things off, I always just wanted to knock things off the list ASAP! That said, I always thought others were smarter or better than I could ever be. Read more>>
Brianna Colbert
Developing confidence and self esteem was not an easy task for me. I constantly doubted myself or listened to people that would often tell me that my dream was too big. One day I woke up and I said to myself, “Enough is enough. Get up and show out for yourself; you have one life to live so live it.” And from that moment forward, I started gaining confidence and putting myself first. Read more>>
Rachel Rouse
My teen years were full of loud punk music and aggressive political dialogue with anyone I could trick into engaging. Misanthropy was oozing from my existence and, quite frankly, being around me was not a particularly good time. I was mad at the world – and beating the hell out of strangers in a moshpit who I knew would pick me up if I fell was the closest I could get to feeling hopeful about humanity. Read more>>
Marla Lacey
Confidence & self-esteem, two traits that I have learned to hone, understand, & navigate since as long as I could remember. Growing up, the challenge to learn confidence, and build self-esteem were many. From the outside lookin in, you would look at my life and think I lived the “Cosby” show life. Successful parents with prosperous careers, 3 sisters and a brother, household of good solid family morals, values, and beliefs; and for the most part it was relatively true. Read more>>
Victoria Peters
I’m a naturally confident person, and I have been since I was little. I know that bumps in the road help me learn and improve and don’t mean I’m not capable. We all have strengths and we all have weaknesses, but we are all adaptable. Read more>>
Bryson and Peighton Cantrell
Bryson – Up until this point my confidence and self esteem have been developed by the people around me. The people you surround yourself with, family included, make a big difference in how you view yourself. I’ve learned that being my authentic self has brought me a long way and I plan to keep on that journey. Read more>>
Keandria Washington
I knew being a teen mom at 12 years old was very hard for me and I knew going into the real world I had to build my confidence and self-esteem up drastically so I found any and everything to help me with my self-esteem and confidence. It all started with programs like Teen Parent South Chicago Childcare Society, Local School Council , Early Head Start, Marion Williams Learning Academy,Acts Raising Care, Parent/Child Monthly Socialization, Home Visiting Program,SGA Youth & Family Services,Ethics In The Helping Relationships ,Stewart’s of Children Training,Parent Policy Committee, Lyft Chicago Program,Sista, Kennedy King College, Bud Billiken Parade,Partners Achieving Student Success,Chicago Parent Program, Home Links to Learning Program, and Chicago Gourmet. Read more>>
Jose Flores
Developing confidence and self-esteem is an ongoing process that requires dedication and self-awareness. Some of the strategies and actions that have helped me build my confidence and self-esteem are: Read more>>
Rebecca Gade Sawicki
I grew up as a pretty shy kid — I had bad acne and hand-me-downs (I was even teased for it relentlessly), so I was always looking for opportunities to hide in the background. I think as I got older, I realized this fear was causing me to miss out on life, and slowly but surely I started to step out of my comfort zone. When I first started my career, I had so much anxiety about messing things up but getting a few wins under my belt and finding people to mentor and support my development was a huge help. Read more>>
Luca Fontaine
Being a really introverted and shy kid growing up, it wasn’t a natural thing. It took time, work, getting out of the comfort zone and a lot of trial and error. I believe self-esteem and confidence are really fragile but they are things you need to keep working on and nurturing. As an actor confidence is the most fragile but essential thing to protect and develop. Read more>>
Laura Ray
Confidence and self-esteem are not things that come naturally to me. I’ve had to work hard over the years to overcome doubts and insecurities in many areas of my life, but especially in my musicianship. In my mind, I had been a pretty good musician growing up in my small town. Read more>>
Sade Moore
I develop my confidence and self esteem by positive affirmations, prayer, and trying new things that got me out my comfort zone. My advice to anyone who want to build their confidence is to block out negativity and doubt with positive thoughts and positive affirmations. I strongly believe growth and confidence comes from during what scares you. Be bold, Be free, Be you! Read more>>
Big Business
I found that most people don’t tell you the truth when you are a child because they don’t want to hurt your feelings and want to be kind. When people become adults the tide turns and people became in some cases, overly pessimistic. I had to find a standard that I choose and learn to be okay with that. People generally will want more of something when they consider it good but you have to be fine with saying no sometimes and caring less about other people’s opinions. Read more>>
Zainab Bassam
Self-confidence simply means feeling complacent and self-esteem, which leads to a feeling of positivity towards ourselves and about our lives in general.People with high self-confidence are usually characterised by satisfaction with themselves, pride in what they do, and faith in their abiliti Steps to build self-confidence: Read more>>
Devin Reeve
There were two key factors that guided the development of my confidence and self-esteem and those things are my parents and martial arts. As a young kid I was rather shy and at the age of ten my parents decided to enroll me into my first martial arts class. The self-discipline and dedication learned from martial arts is an amazing way to build one’s confidence. Read more>>
Ray Litt
I developed my confidence from the Lord! Before I was a scary kid I was scared of life scared to make a change or step into something new . God showed me the path and strengthen me! So now I walk as if I know I am the son of the most high it’s a different kind of feeling to walk into a room and knows you are empowered and equipped for any battle. Read more>>
Terrance Pope
I developed my confidence & self-esteem through 1. Discovering my true identity. Read more>>
Alicia Ciak
Growing up, confidence wasn’t something that came naturally to me. Especially as someone who struggles with anxiety, this caused me to have a very low self-esteem. However, one of the most impactful things that has improved my confidence was getting in a gym at 16 years old and starting strength training. Not only did it help me become confident enough to now coach other women and start my own brand, but has also helped me become confident in so many other areas of my life as well. Read more>>
Ericka Goss
Growing up I always wanted to be a ballerina; it was my biggest dream! I grew up in a small country town with very few opportunities for dance. But my parents were determined to help me achieve my dream and would drive an hour and a half each day, both ways, to get me to dance classes. I struggled because besides having nice feet, my body wasn’t really built for ballet. Read more>>
