We were lucky to catch up with Lisa Maki recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Lisa, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
My parents used to tell me that at the early age of two, mom or dad would put me on top of the table, and I would start singing. I also remember how, as a child, I would walk up to my classmates and be the first one to introduce myself. While others have stage freight, I’ve always had no qualms about public speaking.
I guess I can say that confidence has always come naturally for me. Perhaps it’s because of being the eldest of five children and always having this feeling that I was next in line to my parents. Maybe it’s just my personality.
As I grew older, I began to experience betrayal from those I trusted, which brought about feelings of inadequacy. Unknowingly, I became who other people wanted me to be, only to end up more hurt and angrier.
When I started my business in 1999, I was a single mom, newly divorced from her husband. While I looked so confident on the outside, no one knew that I was crumbling on the inside. I desensitized myself from all the emotional turmoil I was going through by putting up a very confident front. My confidence became the shield that hid all my hurt and brokenness.
I eventually realized that because of my insecurity issues, the innate confidence I had turned into some self-seeking and self-absorbed character. Because of my anger issues, I used my confidence as some sort of vendetta to spite the ones who have hurt me.
This realization was brought about by a spiritual awakening that facilitated my internal healing process.
My internal healing journey brought me back to my true self and where my true confidence was restored – a genuine confidence that comes from knowing who I truly am, the way God created me to be.
The confidence I had as a child was my blueprint. That bubbly, friendly, assertive, expressive kid who wanted to make everyone feel welcome had no emotional baggage. She carried with her such genuine confidence that it affected others around her positively.
Retracing my steps back to that child entailed letting go of my hurt and releasing forgiveness. It was a painful but rewarding process.
The more my internal issues got resolved, the more confident I became – a genuine confidence that’s not mired by unresolved issues.
My process of developing confidence and self-esteem continues. It includes a maintenance program where I examine myself regularly, to make sure that there are no internal issues getting in the way. Additionally, I revisit my brand identity, which is actually my true self, to make sure that I’m walking in alignment with it.
This brand identity is founded on my uniqueness and includes my purpose, vision-mission, message, offer, image I project, and other visual elements of my business.
Having a solid brand identity keeps me anchored on my true identity where confidence comes from the inside-out.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I believe that you carry such unique gifts inside of you that nobody else has.
That uniqueness is the combination of your skills, experience, knowledge, personality, character, and every other part of you that makes you different from everybody else.
That uniqueness is your competitive edge.
However, it’s not easy concretizing all these parts of you into a message that people can understand, and an image that will resonate with them.
This is the most frustrating part.
When people come to me for help, they always say the same things …
“I can’t seem to find the right words that will make them know that I’m the one they’re looking for.”
“I don’t know how to package myself in such a way that people will see what I can do for them.”
Bringing out that uniqueness and translating it into your message, offer, and image is what we do best.
Lisa Maki Consulting or LMC caters to both individuals and small businesses who want to have a greater competitive edge.
Whether you want to get your foot in the door or you’re aiming for something higher, we’d love to help you.
You may be a Senior Executive who wants to have a more professional corporate image, a full-time Employee who wants to shift careers, or a Business Owner who wants to attract and win more customers.
Or you may want to create your personal brand, be a better version of yourself, discover your purpose, or all of these.
LMC specializes in brand identity development, branding & design, and corporate communication.
Our products and services include digital courses, coaching & consulting, training programs, website content & design, branding & logo, and professional writing.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Every experience we’ve had is like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle that forms part of the bigger picture of our destiny. Most of the time, it doesn’t make sense while we’re going through it. But what we don’t realize while it’s happening, is how it’s meant to train us for the fulfillment of our purpose, whatever that may be.
The reason why I’m still in business after 25 years is the result of my experiences that molded me into the type of person that I am today. And who that person is has been prepared to handle the challenges that go with being an entrepreneur.
These experiences include both personal and professional.
On the personal side, I’ve become a stronger person because of the emotional trauma I’ve been through. This strength has sustained me during hard times, when I felt like giving up. My previous divorce, which made me start a business, developed such tenacity in me. At that time, I had no choice but to provide for my children. This same tenacity has given me the capacity to face my problems head on and allow my desperation to push me forward. Another quality I’ve honed because of my personal experience is objectivity. I learned this during my healing process where I had to look at my situation from an outside perspective. This has also helped me become a better coach and consultant.
On the professional side, my work experiences have honed a variety of skills, including writing, consulting, training, public relations, branding, and corporate communication. These skills have allowed me to offer a variety of related services in my business and have widened my reach.
Based on what I’ve experienced, the best advice I can give anyone who is early in their journey is to learn from your experiences. Embrace every phase of your journey. Write down what you’re learning. Use every pain to push you forward.
Whatever challenge you’re going through, step back and ask yourself these questions: What is really going on? What can I start doing that’s within my control?
Look at problems as opportunities to be better at solving problems, to be more creative, and to come up with new ways of doing things.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
I previously mentioned that I had a spiritual awakening that brought me back to my true self, the way God created me to be. Well, it all started from a book.
It was a very emotionally draining day for me. I lost two huge accounts due to reasons beyond my control. My business was shaken – a business that has become my rock. Back then, the bookstore was my go-to place. I went straight to the self-help section and there was a white small book with a red and gold emblem that caught my eye: “Do Less, Achieve More” by Chin Ning Chu.
The title got me curious. “How can I do less for more?” I grabbed the book, paid for it, and went home. I waited for my two sons to fall asleep, after which I flipped open the book to whatever page it would land. Lo and behold, the chapter read, “Surrendering to the Divine Will”.
This book was not labeled a religious book, but it had lots of spirituality in it.
When I read the chapter title, I cried and called out to a God I barely knew. “Teach me how to surrender.” He heard me and the rest is history.
This book was the catalyst to surrendering my life to my Creator, which led me to the greatest book of all times, the Bible.
Based on my personal experience, the Bible is like God’s love letters to me, something so personal that talks about all issues of life. From leadership to managing your resources to managing emotions, this book is the foundation of my business and all my other services.
Proverbs 24:3-4 is an example.
By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
Wisdom for me is the bigger picture. It’s the vision of the business and what it stands for. This, for me, is also the Word of God. This is the foundation where the house is built. Knowledge is based on facts. It brings in pleasant riches. Understanding is putting together the wisdom and knowledge to establish the business. It answers the question: How do I combine my faith and business?
This is just one of the many examples.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lisamakiconsulting.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachlisamaki/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coachlisamaki/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisamaki/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/lisamaki
Image Credits
All images used were created by LMC.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
