Confidence can open doors and is at the heart of so many amazing success stories across industries and disciplines and so we’ve always been interested in learning how we can help our readers and community members increase their confidence and self-esteem. Below, you’ll find highlights of some of the great conversations we’ve had on this topic.
Marie Rouhban
Well I’ll start by saying I’m not completely there yet! Nor do I think that one ever gets to a point in life where they’re fully confident. But I don’t believe it’s necessarily a bad thing to have self doubt and constantly seek improvement. It is the best way to progress in life and achieve greater things. Most filmmakers wish to create something better each time they embark on a new project. Read More>>
Cole Allen
As a musician, confidence is key. This is especially true for solo artists, who have to be bold enough to take the stage on their own. Crowds will become disinterested if you are timid at the mic and don’t take control of the room. I believe that self-esteem and confidence are less intrinsic qualities as they are qualities that derive from comparing yourself to others. The development of my confidence came at an early age for me. I have always taken pride in my level of self-awareness, and since I was young, I always felt like I was just more gifted and talented (GT) in most aspects of life compared to my peers. I was the fastest kid on the playground and the smartest kid in school (even though that’s not very hard to do in Arkansas). Read More>>
Shanta Weaver
I developed my confidence and self esteem by reminding my self who God created when He created me. This was not an over night process. Life’s experiences and people mislabeled me to the point I started believing it. I fell into a deep depression all while wearing a mask because I still had to put on face for “the people”. Until one day, I begin to pray and God allowed me to vent my frustration. Once, I was done venting. He asked me the question… Who did I create you to be? I begin to go to the Word of God, Psalm 139, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1) I begin to remind myself who my Father is. Once I regained my identity, I discovered that I can do all things through Christ and because I can, I walk confidently in the fullness of who God created when He created me. Read More>>
Akeem Mair
Akeem, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours? Read More>>
Briona Phonhrath
Having confidence and self-esteem is not easy. In fact, it is a battle that a lot of us face. I can state with assurance that while I’m still on the path to gaining self-esteem and confidence, I have come a long way. My confidence came about in a variety of ways. Read More>>
Tameka Harris
Growing up I had a strong family foundation. My parents taught me to believe in myself and that I can do anything I put my mind to if I try. They made sure I was actively involved in community groups such as McKnight Achievers. Groups like this taught me about career exploration, leadership, the power of positive speaking and giving back to people in my community. As I grew up I began to maintain that level of confidence by being grounded in the Word of God. I believe that, “All things work together for good to those who love the Lord.” and I believe that if I ask and believe, I shall receive. Read More>>
Travis Mitchel
In the beginning I was not confident about my ability to sell my cookies or that it would grow. The confidence came with the more I did, the more confident I became. Consistent positive feedback from the community also confirmed I was moving in the right direction. Read More>>
Alesasia C
I always had confidence since I can remember. I’m the type of person who doesn’t care what people think of me. I know what type of person I am and that’s all that matters. The key to confidence is self love. The thing I do is basically pictures and videos of myself. I show different types of styles that represent me and not what is trending. I want to be able to motivate people to love themselves for who they are. I want people to want to look like themselves and not like everyone else. Read More>>
Shane Hite
My confidence and self-esteem have really grown in the past 2 years once moving to Nashville. I know I bring a different skill set and attentiveness when it comes to being a wedding filmmaker. I have worked extremely hard to build my business and am always motivated and ambitious to perfect my craft. I specialize in cinematic story telling with a touch of modern and classic styles. Attention to detail and emotion are objectives I also strive for to incorporate. I want everyone watching to see and feel those components even if they don’t know the couple. Read More>>
Trang Huynh
The process of building my confidence and self esteem took years of work that expanded well into adulthood. If we rewind my journey, I grew up in a negative and trauma filled environment. I lived a very sheltered childhood. My parents created a strict routine for me and my siblings that didn’t allow for any distractions outside of school, chores and homework. Extracurricular activities, hobbies, and a social life were non-existent. Read More>>
Kalyn Barbary
I am a self taught photographer as well as a creative. There were nights where I would stay up until 4am on YouTube; trying to figure out how to elevate my craft and set myself apart from everyone else. Imposter syndrome is real and getting distracted by everything and anything that other people are doing can be discouraging sometimes. Creating your own lane and finding out what works best for you helps with having and maintaining that confidence that you’ve worked so hard to obtain in the first place. Read More>>
Cierra Ross
I have always had a high level of confidence and self-esteem. I would say it developed through family. Having an extremely supportive family definitely makes a difference. Also, setting small goals and conquering them can help boost your confidence. Read More>>
Kareem “Reemo Meerak” Tyson
Honestly, I must say from a very young age of 11, 12 years old. Despite being a quiet child, My parents always instilled Critical Thinking over Emotional Intelligence with me because I was a very high strung child emotionally. Then, I started really started solidifying it in High School where I really came into my own, as well as just not allowing my value to decrease because someone else “Feels” like it should be. Also, playing Basketball and being an Athlete (still wish I was Pro, lol) added onto the growth of my confidant esteem. Read More>>
Chef Scoota
I developed my confidence and self-esteem by deciding to love myself more and not settling. I realized once I hit 30 years old that I did not want to be the same person i use to be. Certain traits and qualities I hold on to of course, but evaluating who and what I give my time and energy to played a huge role as well. I evaluated my inner circle and fellow business colleagues and I knew a lot of them either had to go or more boundaries needed to be set. I grew up a people-pleaser unknowingly and being on this journey of entrepreneurship, self love and healing is what I attribute these amazing changes to. It has helped me learn that yes I have a good heart but sometimes my feelings need to be hurt when it comes down to picking me and what I should Read More>>
Angela Gentile
It definitely did NOT happen overnight, that’s for sure. Being confident and having a strong sense of self is really about knowing what you value, what your non negotiables and showing up every day making the hard choices and decisions that you need in order to align your choices to what you value. Read More>>
Kate King
Confidence and self-esteem are two different animals. In my opinion, confidence is something that must be built through time, exposure and experience. Self-esteem, on the other hand, is intrinsic. When self-esteem is running low, inner work is necessary through introspection, therapy, healing, and personal growth. When confidence is burning dimly, it is a call for courage and bravery; exploring the unknown, expanding beyond your comfort zone, and practicing what you believe in. Read More>>
Theo Alexander IV
My confidence and self-esteem comes from living in alignment with my purpose.
I believe it all starts with self-awareness. Understanding your unique gifts, understanding the person you wish to become.
I truly began to understand who I was after months of isolation, loneliness and depression during the pandemic. Read More>>
Neely Mullins
Confidence and self-esteem do not come easily for most people, including me. I’ve struggled with eating disorders and mental health issues my entire life. Trying to “fit in” was always what I was striving for. I always strived to be the skinniest, or the prettiest, or the funniest. Basically, I wanted people to like me and want to hang out with me. I hated being alone. I quickly learned through the recovery of my eat disorders, that no one else is like you. Read More>>
Aaron Perlut
Nearly everyone except my wife and really close friends has typically thought I was an arrogant, over-confident ass and nothing could be further from the truth. Finding confidence and any semblance of self-esteem took a remarkably long time. As a kid, I was an outcast. I was bullied, and do you know how I reacted? I bullied others. I just wanted to be accepted, liked, made to feel like I mattered. It all left a mark. I developed a remarkable sense of anxiety in trying to be liked. It would always backfire on me, too. Read More>>
John Hope
My dream was to gain admittance to West Point and become a career Army officer. Starting in Junior High, I created my academic programs and my extracurricular activities to be an ideal candidate for consideration and admission. I got above-average grades, I was a three-sport athlete, and I participated in student government and several high school clubs and associations. I received my nomination from my state Congressional Representative early in my senior year. However, I broke my neck playing football my senior year and was medically disqualified for admission. Of course, I was crushed. Read More>>
Nakita Robinson, LMFT
I developed my confidence and self-esteem through a combination of factors, including:
• Learning to be kind to myself. I used to be very hard on myself, always focusing on my flaws and mistakes. But I realized that this was only making me feel worse about myself. So I started to focus on my strengths and accomplishments and to be more forgiving of myself when I made mistakes.
• Challenging my negative thoughts. I used to have a lot of negative thoughts about myself, such as “I’m not good enough to be in this space.” or “It will be too hard for me to succeed.” I learned to challenge these thoughts by asking myself if they were really true, and by finding evidence to the contrary. Read More>>
Shanita Dixon
My confidence was definitely developed over time. Growing up, I was picked on for being a tomboy and being different. I used to be the odd one out and thought that I had to fit in to be accepted and loved. I think it all changed for me in college. I really honed in my sense of style and got back to my creativity. In my late 20s, I found my voice and boundaries. I’ve been bold ever since. Read More>>
Catherine Seelie
I built my confidence over the years through affirmations, mindfulness exercises and most importantly, becoming my own best friend. I went from a deeply insecure child and teen to the confident woman and mother I am today, but it took time and a lot of persistence. Doubts and fears still come up. I’ve learned to push past them and know that it only means growth is happening! Read More>>
Nicole de la Cruz
Confidence and self-esteem are hard to tackle, even once you have established high respect for yourself. It is an ongoing battle. Why? Because you’re not the only person in the world. It’s human nature to compare ourselves, our looks, our skills, our societal status to others. It’s human nature to want what we can’t or don’t have. I always use the example of curly/wavy hair versus straight hair. A lot of curly and wavy hair women want to straighten their hair or wish for natural straight hair. Read More>>
Kaneshia Henderson
To be honest it was already there, because if I didn’t have the confidence and self-esteem, I wouldn’t have had the guts to start my own business. I knew that I was going to be good at what I do it was just a matter of planning and executing my ideas. I remember having a guest that spoke about her daughter working at a high-end restaurant, and she asked for a Lemon Drop. “This is really good” she said after taking her first sip. Even though a lemon drop is a simple martini with for 4 ingredients, to be compared to a Bartender (her daughter) that bartends at a high-end restaurant felt GREAT. Read More>>
Danielle Fewings
Like anyone, I’ve made mistakes along the way, whether it be financially, partnering with the wrong people or just going on all in on the wrong things. It’s easy to fall into the trap of poor me, but I really feel like our time is better spent operating with the mindset of ‘lucky me’ – yes even for the missteps. I’m constantly grateful for what I can learn from those mistakes, how they help me set up better systems for my business and stand much more firm in my future decision making. Read More>>
Brynlee Hunter
As a transgender female coming from a very small conservative town with very little coaching, support or motivation I found myself maturing at a very young age. It was during this time that I went through numerous challenges where I had to learn to adapt very quickly and that’s how I developed my overall confidence and self-esteem. Read More>>
Amanda Garibay
Growing up my parents did a great job of encouraging me to be the best version of myself. However in college, my classes and extracurriculars helped me develop my confidence and self esteem as an adult. I loved having a fresh start in college, I liked that no one knew me and I was able to become the person I had always wanted to be. I was in leadership positions on campus and I also took personal development classes. I started seeing myself in a new light and I gained a new form of confidence. Read More>>
Tony West
My family was very abusive. I grew up with no self-esteem and no self-worth. It was getting sober and doing the 12 Steps that gave me self-esteem. Esteem-able acts will give you self-esteem too. Read More>>
Chyna Baker
By simply believing in everything that I am capable of. Knowing that I COULD as long as I placed the mental discipline upon myself to achieve it. By knowing my worth due to the work I’ve put in to evolve in every aspect.
I had to really sulk over every accomplishment, or roadblock I had surpassed and grasp the fact that I achieved everything I ever put my mind too. Big or Small. Confidence and Self-Esteem is simply just knowing you are worthy! Believe in yourself always. Read More>>
Amy Forsyth
Growing up, my parents never told me there was something I couldn’t do, so that has always contributed heavily to my passionate nature and confidence in myself. I remember when I turned 17, I realized that I wanted to attain a certain lifestyle and I committed myself to ensuring that I would work to gain it. My Dad was a really encourager of this. I come from an immigrant family of extremely hard workers. He always told me; “strive to be rich, not famous” and, as silly as that sounds, I’m so glad that was instilled in me – it’s so much better to work toward generational wealth and security than chase after fleeting fame (especially in today’s here today, gone tomorrow world). Read More>>
Taylor Dru
From a young age, my incredible mom instilled in me the belief that I could conquer anything. Her unwavering support and encouragement fueled my determination to push beyond my limits. However, as I navigated adolescence and young adulthood, I faced a period of insecurity and uncertainty. It was a challenging time as I grappled with self-doubt and questioned my abilities as a person, student, professional, daughter, friend- you name it! Read More>>
Frank Ruiz
For me it was something that I had to develop otherwise I never would have made it or lasted in my field. This was not something that I really had a lot of in my younger days. Did I have some confidence & self-esteem back then? Sure, but it definitely was something that I more hid with my sense of humor. In the past, I was always very shy & nervous, I wanted to converse with folks but a lot of times I didn’t know how to even begin a conversation or how to approach them. Now the thing was, I always knew I really enjoyed & needed to be able to chat & converse with other people but unless I was approached by someone 1st, I would not make the effort to do so. This continued through into community college & it wouldn’t be until going to Full Sail University where I really had to make an effort to come out of my shell. Read More>>
Iesshia Thomas
Journaling and talking to God was the key steps that I took to build my confidence and self-esteem. I made it a priority to focus on myself and my health to feel good mentally because society can be cruel and have ways of tearing people down. Therefore, I learned to block out negativity and take breaks from social media. I started going to the gym, being mindful of what I eat, journaling, and praying then I begin to see a change within myself. Read More>>
