Champion Mindset: Building Confidence & Self-Esteem

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.

Lucy Lawrence

I went to art school at UCLA for drawing and painting and was surrounded by incredible artists. It’s very intimidating to be working alongside that much talent. There was a part of me that wanted to compare my work to what to my peers were doing, but I realized in those studio classes that I was happiest when I was making things that made me laugh. I found confidence in my art by listening to my own voice and knowing that was what made my work special. Read more>>

Mike Howard

Practice and repetition! Anything you do in life takes multiple reps and practice to become great. Each repetition of anything you are attacking will eventually start to show progression which will then lead to confidence and build your self-esteem. That goes for business, sports, parenting, the gym, etc… A quote I use frequently in my household with my children is “Practice makes better”. I truly believe if you practice something long enough consistently your confidence and self-esteem will be through the rough in a positive way. Read more>>

Ethan Campbell-Reid

I threw myself into the deep end. I also went to therapy. Despite what anyone sees of me today, being a confident and charismatic content creator I did not always possess these characteristics. In fact I used to be quite the opposite. All of this definitely did not come naturally to me. Particularly in high school I used to wish to possess even a sliver of confidence I saw in other schoolmates. I used to be that boy that lacked so much self confidence that I would be riddled with anxiety to even speak in front of my class to answer a simple question. There were two major journeys I embarked on to develop my confidence and self esteem. The first happened when I migrated to the United States. I always had a passion for comedy and yearned for the confidence and stage presence to command a crowd despite not being sure of myself. So I threw myself into the deep end and began doing stand up comedy in Atlanta. I was also blessed with my first iPhone during this time and I began to make comedic videos online. Admittedly I was not anywhere as good as I am now when I started but I thought of it as an opportunity to learn and to grow as a person and a performer. Read more>>

Confidence wasn’t always my strong suit it was something I picked up while working in this industry. Confidence to me was always something I saw others had or felt like they were born with. I grew up being the odd one out, the last one to be chosen, the nerd, or the forget able. I started gaining confidence when I pursued competitive swimming which oddly led to me doing makeup for school spirit days or game days. Though I wasn’t good initially I felt confident in my craft. That hunger to do better is what caused me to be confident. Then I saw the progress and with the progress came the self-esteem boosts. Then from there was just even more hungry to keep doing what I felt confident in and that was my makeup. Some days were tougher than others but it took time. Read more>>

Colleen Bringle

I’ve been hand-lettering and drawing ever since I can remember. It’s apart of my DNA. I went through years of on and off imposter syndrome and trying to find my way as an artist. How did I fit in this artistic world? Read more>>

Alisha Small

My confidence and self-esteem developed over time. I started with very low self-esteem from issues such as my weight, worthiness, and imposter syndrome. My journey to rediscover myself started about 15 -16 years ago when I became a mother. It has been a rocky uphill battle. I think the biggest contributor to strengthening my self-esteem was my ability to get up and keep going after so many losses. After a while, my mindset went from I can’t do this to I am doing this! If I survived everything I’ve been through I could do anything. I maintain my growth and development with intentional self-care. I am very intentional about strengthening my self-awareness. The more I know about myself the more I can continue to heal, grow, and be the best version of myself for my family and community. Read more>>

Beverly Carlson-Bradshaw

My confidence grew when I opened my own Interior Design firm back in Seattle in 2000. It has helped me now in my return to art full time art after retiring to AZ. I’ve always had a good eye for color. I also believe it is a matter of putting the hours in painting and you gain more confidence in every painting you do. Read more>>

Sarah Klapp

Having self- esteem is an integral part of living life to the fullest. In a culture that doesn’t value women’s bodies or queer identities it takes incredible fortitude to maintain ones self-esteem.

These are the ways I work to maintain my self-esteem

– functioning out of the belief that I can take care of myself and meet my own needs
– keeping promises to myself
– rejecting criticism about my body or gender expression, accepting criticism about my behavior
– following my intuition instead of following money
– telling the truth without exceptions Read more>>

Kaya Dzankich

That’s a constant work in progress, but I have learned some valuable lessons over the years.

• If you put in the hard work and time of building a skill set, the confidence and self esteem will come along with it.
• Embrace learning and keep a curious mind. Everything you learn contributes to a sense of self worth and purpose.
• Don’t compare yourself to others. This is easy to do in the age of social media, but keep the focus on your own strengths. Look inward, not outward.
• Shut out the noise of self-doubt and negative thinking. This is so hard! Any kind of self-care like exercise, therapy, mediation, etc. can contribute to building self esteem and keep energy levels up. Read more>>

Erin Hightower

Developing my confidence and self-esteem hasn’t been easy, it has been something that I struggled with as a teen and even into my younger adult years. The older become, I’ve noticed that when you are confident and have great self-esteem you can establish healthy habits, achieve a better balance between work and personal life, and discover your passion for what drives you. I’ve developed my confidence and self-esteem by believing in myself and my abilities, being kind to myself by remembering it’s okay to make mistakes, avoiding comparison, celebrating my success, and becoming assertive by setting boundaries. Read more>>

Frank Benitez

I developed my confidence and self-esteem by pushing my self to do better and to be better. Getting compliments from family members and strangers helped me move forward. Read more>>

Dylan Sherry

I consider myself someone who has learned almost everything from experience; a big turning point in my life occurred when I stopped caring about what others thought–for lack of better words. Most of my time in high school was spent trying to blend in and seek validation from people that I didn’t really know. It was through receiving judgment and rejection regardless that I learned those things weren’t worth chasing, and it’s a development I’m incredibly grateful for. I gained confidence and self-esteem by quite literally doing the opposite of what I thought was right back then. Read more>>

Anna Storm

Growing up in a small town in Connecticut as an eccentric and creative child, I was misunderstood and bullied by my peers. I didn’t have many friends because I was different and marched to the beat of my own drum. At first, I would come home and cry because I didn’t understand why everyone picked on me so much. I turned to music and writing songs as an escape from my situation at school, at a time when I had no one to turn to but myself. Instead of becoming a victim and letting people’s negativity immobilize and define me, I developed confidence from my adversity. I became a strong and resilient alpha female, Anna Storm, out of necessity and used my developed confidence to empower others to become the best versions of themselves, and live the #slaylife. My first single, “Confident,” tells the story of my journey and how I learned to love myself regardless of other’s opinions. Read more>>

Cecilia Winter

I think that in this industry you have to have a solid back bone. The confidence it takes to put yourself and your work out there, especially with social media today, takes a lever of strength and self esteem that isn’t easy for just anyone. I’ve been in this business now for 10 years and I still struggle with my confidence in my work, especially if I make a mistake, or feel like I’m taking steps backwards, but I’ve learned to coach myself through those mistakes and remind myself I’m still human. Just trying to make other humans feel good about themselves, and I can’t do that if I don’t feel good about myself. Read more>>

Dorothy Mannine

Like most of us, any confidence I had as a young kid was diminished by my teenage years from self-image issues, bullying, and societal expectations. It has taken me a gradual process of almost 10 years to have the confidence that I do today. There isn’t just one thing that contributes to confidence, nor does it really have much to do with what you look like, unlike what most believe. My confidence has stemmed from learning how I deserve to be treated, and not tolerating any less. Doing things that scare me and reminding myself of what I am capable of. Being bold enough to take up space in the way that feels good to me, and letting go of what other’s think about it. Learning to start treating myself like my own best friend and relentlessly loving myself through everything. Introducing positive talk to myself, eliminating any negative self talk and lastly, getting to know myself inside and out. Practicing these fundamental things over time has built a strong foundation of confidence in me, but the key is also to know that you must do these things forever! It’s a muscle that should always be worked on, so that we can face the world every day with our heads held high. Read more>>

Karen DeMamiel

Growing up, my dad was an entrepreneur. He started his own business in the spare room of our house when I was four years old. He was a hard worker and went after the things he wanted in life. My mom would tell me that when he was starting out working at home, he would wear a suit and tie even though he was in a room at the end of the hall in our house. I asked him why and he said because for one it made him feel important and more productive and two, it made it so that if he happen to have a chance to meet with a customer, he was dressed and ready. My dad ended up building a thriving business that soon needed my mom, another person, and an office outside our home. Whenever I would have a performance at school or start a new job or hobby, he would always say his famous line. ” Look sharp, feel sharp, be sharp”. Read more>>

Rhianna Israni

Finding my confidence has definitely been an ongoing journey for me. Constantly developing my skills and scaling my photography to the best of my ability has really helped grow my confidence in myself and my work. I have learned that you can not expect others to trust you and your work if you are not confident in yourself. Yes I am confident in who I am and and my art but confidence is not something that is easily won and something that you have to consistently work on. Being comfortable with in who you are and proud of what you create is an ongoing journey and I will strive to continuously improve myself, therefore building the confidence I need for my career. Read more>>

Emilio Warwar

I build my confidence by constantly thinking outside the box and working hard in what I do to bring my dreams to life. I create a list of steps to clear in order to hit my goals, and as I finish each step my self-esteem builds up, which helps me tackle the next step on the list. A big part in making those steps is by extreme planning that allows you to get the ability to have some form of foresight, which better prepares you for anything you may encounter. As you gain experience in your ability to plan out moves your confidence grows as so does your network and opportunities. Read more>>

Lydia Eku

Honestly, through tests and trials! Growing up I had aspirations and goals, but was fearful to go after some of them. I had peers around me who were flourishing within their paths, and would often want the same for myself, but didn’t have the full motivation to make it happen. Read more>>

Maximilian Lopez

A lot of people have asked me where I got the chutzpah to start a stop motion animation studio. They say “wow, that must have taken a lot of balls” or “You must have really believed in yourself!” Well, I’m here to tell you that that couldn’t be farther from the truth. In some ways I was driven by a lack of self-esteem more than by any confidence I had. I mean, when you see yourself as just a worm in the dirt, what do you have to lose? The process of starting a company drove my self-esteem and confidence down to its lowest point. It has also been instrumental in building it up stronger than ever. While my confidence was borne of deliberate effort, self-esteem was in many ways given to me. Read more>>

Denise Yolén

My confidence and my self esteem was founded by my mother and my sister and is the steam to my engine that keeps me going till this day. I am also propelled by my best friends who truly know me to the marrow, and with whom I can have the most enlightening conversations with. I think the willingness to share with people has always been innate in me. I remember playing with ukulele’s when I was three years old sining “Doo Wah Diddy Diddy” and my grandmother calling me a “ham”. (It still makes me smile to think of it). I’ve always loved to see the light in people emerge, through conversation and laughter; a transference of joy from one spirit to another. I think I recognized early that performance was the medium through which I could channel that joy. Still, the self-esteem that has been cultivated by my family and friends has not always been joyous, in fact, I don’t believe it should be. It’s in the moments of being true to my whole authentic self that I begin to find total acceptance, and that’s were true confidence lies. Read more>>

Kym De Los Reyes

I have a great faith. I believe I am made to create! I have such confidence that I am right where I need to be in this season of my life. I am also an focusing on God’s faithfulness and the fearless self esteem that couples that knowing I am 100% wonderfully made! Read more>>

Sherrie Simmons

I developed my confidence and self-esteem by accepting and celebrating who I am and being proud of the things that make me special, like my eye for fashion and creativity. There is only one Sherrie and that’s my super power. Read more>>

Reed Navarro

I’ve always beat to my own drum. From a very young age I understood the speed at which life passes. I know who I am and I like me! I think it’s easy to waste time worrying about what others think. At the end of the day it’s just that, a waste. You must be unapologetically yourself. You only get one life! I think confidence and self esteem directly stem from being authentic. I think it’s something easy to master when you’re not concerned with the opinions of others. Read more>>

Ryceam Scott

I developed my confidence and self esteem by simply Believing in myself, and my abilities and ideas. Understanding and accepting yourself for who you are. I’ve learned that people may not always agree with you, and that’s is okay not everyone possess the same talents. Read more>>

Marvelous Marissa Daniel

Growing up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin I had severe low self-esteem. I was constantly bullied, harassed and teased for talking proper in school. I was told to my face that I was too big to pursue media or that I didn’t know how to enunciate my words. I was often degraded and taken advantage of by men and this really damaged my self-esteem. However, I prayed that God would deliver me from low self-esteem and heal my broken heart. I started attending church more often and God placed people in my life who encouraged me and prayed with me. It was a journey to get my smile back but I am happy that God has healed my heart, I am no longer broken and he has blessed me with so many opportunities that I am currently pursuing my dreams. The enemy wanted me to commit suicide and to give up, but God had another plan for my life. To anyone who is struggling with their self-esteem or who lacks confidence, I encourage you to see yourself the same way that God sees you. He created you fearfully and wonderfully made, and please know that God does not make mistakes. Remind yourself that you are destined for greatness and he has a specific purpose for you to fulfill. Release everything that people have said or done to you and give it to God. He will vindicate you in front of your enemies. It is important that you know your worth and don’t compare yourself to anyone, embrace your journey, your beauty, your temple and your gifts. I am proud to announce to the world that I have overcome low self-esteem by the grace of GOD. If he can fully delivered me, he is the same God that can do that for you. Read more>>

Gloria De Leon

Getting to a place of healthy self-esteem and confidence has been a journey and it’s an ongoing process. When I was a teenager my self-esteem was non-existent, which lead to suicidal levels of depression. Despite my lack of self-esteem, I’ve always been an overachiever. I always try my best at everything I do and it got me into UCLA where I then auditioned for a spot, and got into, the theater department. That was a huge win for me, but it came with it’s own challenges, and in my senior year of college I walked into the UCLA Student Health Center and asked for help with my ongoing depression issues. There, I was lucky enough to meet an awesome therapist who helped me develop some tools that I use to this day to help me manage my mental health issues. Read more>>

Detrich Swain

I’ve always been sort of confident with a higher self esteem. And as a kid you still have your not so sure moments. But I believe as I got older, my confidence and self esteem came more. I rarely care what someone thinks of me and what I’m doing. I try to stay focused on the vision God gave me along with the self confidence of my skill set. I believe in myself and what I want to do, even when nobody else does. Read more>>