We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nadja Sayej a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Nadja, 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?
By lifting myself up when I am down. By surrounding myself with positive messages taped around my home, from my bathroom mirror to my fridge. If I am surrounded by post it notes and phrases written on index cards, and inspiring quotes, I’ll be in a positive mindset all day. I highly recommend it. I also developed my confidence by putting myself out there, and remembering (writing down) when I received a genuine compliment. You have to always remember what you are good at, your natural talent. It’s a gift and you should share it with the world.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a culture journalist, celebrity interviewer and red carpet photographer based in New York City. I have written 7 books about my life, my travels, and my interactions with celebrities. I’ve interviewed everyone from Salma Hayek to Bill Nye, Susan Sarandon and Pierce Brosnan (who I once sat behind on a plane, and almost lost it). I love going after the biggest goals I have, and inspiring others to do the same. Life just isn’t worth living unless you actively chase after your dream. Every day, you can take one small step towards your dream life, one step at a time. As my mom would say, “Take one day at a time.”
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The most important three qualities I think I have developed are seeking mentors, writing down my goals, and the power of prayer. I always seek out mentors to ask them for advice when I need it the most. I like to think I have an advisory board of mentors who I seek out when I need them, it can be once a year, or once a month. But in turn, I have to mentor others too, in order to give back. Writing down my goals that I want to achieve at the start of each year (or month) is also great, because you can go back to this Goal Diary and check off everything you accomplished. Talk about empowering. And lastly, I never underestimate the power of prayer. Praying sets a certain mindset, a certain positive energy you put out into the universe. There’s no proof of the power of prayer, but I can honestly say it has always helped me. Always make the time to pray every day.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
Les Brown, a motivational speaker from Miami, Florida, who has made a living speaking and inspiring others with his wisdom and knowledge. I discovered Les Brown on YouTube in a search for motivational videos a few years ago, and I have been listening to him ever since. He has one saying: “It’s possible.” He asks people to look at their dreams, and their lives, and what they want to accomplish, and to say that it is possible for you. Listening to his speeches, podcasts and videos have helped me pursue my dreams. I’m so grateful I randomly discovered his work. Another thought leader who has helped me is Bob Proctor. Look him up.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nadjasayej.com/
- Other: https://muckrack.com/nadja-sayej
Image Credits
BFA.com
