It’s okay to be scared, often that’s a sign that you are pushing yourself towards greatness. However, it’s equally important to build up your confidence and we hope the conversations presented below can help provide some food for thought around how you can level up your confidence and self-esteem.
Alexis Lenae
Oh, this is a hard one lol. From a young age I always struggled with confidence and insecurities. I struggle with my skin complexion, my size, my abilities.. I didn’t feel pretty enough or valued.. you name It, it was an issue lol! This wasn’t because of something my family did, It was just because I couldn’t see what they saw. It wasn’t until my late 20s early 30s that I really started to see myself in a different perspective. Read more>>
Aleksandra Milanova
Developing confidence is an ongoing journey for me, and I believe for everyone else out there. Every day I devote time and attention to myself and I nurture my soul properly to ensure I maintain a healthy self-image. I constantly remind myself of who I am, what my core values are, and I check my motivation on a regular basis. Being a highly sensitive person, I couldn’t ignore any negative thoughts in my mind, even if I wanted to. I immediately address any negative feelings and try to process them, especially when I’m facing a challenge. Read more>>
Christopher Woll
For me, possessing a healthy amount of self-esteem, especially around clients, is crucial to the success of a freelancer. And it starts with having complete and total confidence in your professional skillset. Being unsure of your abilities is a quick road to workplace anxiety and it shows to those who hire you. I know that when a director walks into my studio that any request of theirs can be answered quickly and with a high degree of creativity because I have spent years crafting my process. Read more>>
Jessica Miller
I think my confidence and self-esteem fluctuate with my mental health. As most of us know, mental health isn’t linear, which means that my confidence and self-esteem could also take a dive should my mindset not be at a great place. As a neurodivergent artist and entrepreneur who has ADHD, I’ve learned to give myself permission to not do things exactly as everyone else. Read more>>
Jason Wright
Growing up athletics played a big role in my confidence. I played baseball and soccer and was pretty good. After HS I went into the military where I gained a lot of leadership experienced and performed a difficult job. Those two pieces are the foundation of where I draw my confidence and self-esteem. Read more>>
Jen Coker
I feel like it has taken me well into my adulthood to finally feel confident. It’s actually through failures, flaws, and setbacks that have helped to develop my confidence and self-esteem. Life is a learning process and we are continually growing and evolving. I’ve learned to embrace my flaws and anything that makes me different and unique. I also want my daughters to be confident so being that way myself is crucial to paving the path for them. Read more>>
Aaron Fleming
I get my self esteem from building my self being around positive people. Seeing others win and my own trials being the older child so responsible was different. I achieve my confidence from know that failure is only a lesson as well as finding good in everything know I can achieve anything. Read more>>
Carrin Fernandes
I didn’t always have good self esteem or confidence in who I was and I didn’t really know fully what I stood for. My own life’s trials, tribulations, losses and difficulties have been the catalyst that helped me to stretch and grow beyond what I thought was possible for me. Read more>>
Sanniyah Antoinette
Developing confidence and self-esteem didn’t really begin for me until I graduated high-school and went to college if I’m being 100% honest. In high-school I was labeled as the weird POC girl who dyed their hair multiple different colors, and wore flower crowns + shoe strings as headbands. I was still trying to get an understanding on my personality and who I was. On top of that, being bullied for being out of the “normal” and 5’10 didn’t really help with my confidence. It wasn’t until I made the full realization that I wanted music in my life that I realized it doesn’t matter what other people thought of me. Read more>>
Amber Simon
Hi, I’m Amber Joy, founder and CEO of QUIVR. My journey to the confidence and self-esteem I have today is literally miracle work! From my formative teenage years to adulthood I faced “all” the challenges, I mean you name it and I think I faced it. Growing up, my sisters and parents were my cheerleaders, instilling in me the belief that I could achieve anything. Despite this, I grappled with the need for external validation, especially as a young black girl in predominantly white spaces. I often felt overlooked and struggled to see my own beauty and worth. Read more>>
Natalie Nishoka
When the pandemic hit, I had just graduated from college and struggled to find a job. So, I decided to explore my passion for landscape photography and turn it into a business. It wasn’t easy at first, but I gained self-confidence as I learned how to sell and price my products. I realized I shouldn’t compare myself to other vendors but instead focus on my unique skills. Read more>>
Lynn Klopfer
“To create is to bring something into existence that wasn’t there before.”
– Rick Rubin, The Creative Act: A Way of Being. From the start I wanted my business to participate in the world in a way that felt authentic to me. It has taken a ton of self confidence to start, and maintain an independent book selling business for going on nineteen years now. Much of that confidence comes from reading, and reading a lot. When people ask ‘When did you start this business?’ sometimes (if I’m feeling punchy) I’ll say, ‘when I was five,’ and it’s not really incorrect. Read more>>
Aaron Jay Young
I consider myself to be a seeker. The beginning of my journey to self-esteem was really born out of misery. I was in my early 20’s and had not yet dealt with any past trauma or pain. There were a lot of unresolved things I was carrying around with me that shaped my experience of life. It was really out of this low place in my life that the desire to do something came from. I started going to therapy and quickly realized I had a passion for self-development. Read more>>
Nubia Adams
Developing confidence has been a journey of practice and intention. I’ve found that as you grow comfortable with yourself, self confidence begins to come natural. As a person who grew up with little confidence I learned to work from the inside out. My self love deepened with knowledge and acceptance of self. When I sought knowledge of self it led to more self awareness and wisdom of what makes me who I am. It gave me grace for my humanness and imperfection. Read more>>
Kontent
Through repetition. The more you do something the more confident you’re going to be at it. After having had hundreds of sessions with many different artists from around the world I know I can be in a session with any artist of any caliber and leave a good impression. I know deep down that no matter what happens in a session I’ll be fine because it worked out well so many times in the past. That’s why repetition is the key for developing confidence in any field. Read more>>
Dustin & Denzel Mooney
Developing our confidence and self esteem actually began in our childhood. Growing up we would get teased for being African. Both of our parents are from Liberia, which is in West Africa. Kids can be really brutal and being teased can shape the way your life goes, but it all depends on how you handle it. Those situations made us love ourselves more! We started to think of ourselves as more than what meets the eye. Read more>>
Celeste Seitz
I can point to a few key experiences that have shaped my confidence and self-esteem, and the reason is because they’ve given me the gift of perspective. Full disclosure: I am an adrenaline junkie and have ADHD. This has shaped the course of my life. Having ADHD, for me, means missing certain social cues. Read more>>
Melanie Jean
I believe confidence and self-esteem comes from knowing your worth and value, and not settling or selling yourself short. You are irreplaceable, no one like you. Created to do amazing things and make an impact on those around you. Be true to yourself. My confidence comes from knowing I am a daughter of God and He created me with a purpose. When I am doing my best, and doing whatever task at hand I’m doing with my whole heart, working as if I am serving the Lord (Colossians 3:23-24) — then I know I can be confident in myself, my work, and who I am. Read more>>
Gene June
A ton of trial and error. I failed a ton as a kid and in my life in general and yes it was terrible at times but I think my saving grace was that I was failing at things I was passionate about. Or “failing forward”, as some would say. Unbeknownst to me, I was failing myself into a position to be able to recognize what felt good to me (most importantly) but to others as well. In hindsight, it sounds funny to say that I developed confidence inadvertently but here I am and I’m grateful that I can trust myself in what I do. Read more>>
Tony Mantor
It took a period of time. By working on projects and building a body of work i was able to see the difference of my work. I could look back at my earlier projects and know they were done with quality, yet i was able to see my growth and how my career was building with people referring me to others. Each step of way had its challenges, but i was able to overcome them. This led me to a greater knowledge of my chosen career. Read more>>
Lucy Sarasin
I think being confident is much easier said than done. Everyone always says, “Just be confident!”, because in most scenarios it is beneficial to be confident. Personally, I think most of us are not inherently confident but instead it is something we have to learn. At least, that is true for myself. Like any child, I struggled with confidence, especially about my looks. Read more>>
Ai Fujimoto
Introducing Japanese fermented foods to the US market was indeed a bold move. Having grown up in Japan, where daily consumption of miso soup is common, I was uncertain about how these traditions would be received in the U.S. I anticipated skepticism, like ‘Fermented soybeans? Is that actually tasty, or just spoiled? I’ve never eaten anything like that.’ Read more>>
Mark Catalano
I’ve been fortunate to have great people around me… My parents, siblings, teachers, and peers have all helped me to understand how to be humble while not being too self-deprecating. It’s good to laugh at myself, and admit my faults, but everything requires balance. Too much negative self-talk can tip me in the wrong direction. Read more>>
Mariel Siverio
This is such an important topic! confidence and self-esteem is the basic individual force that comes and reflects in many aspects of your life. Loving your self and believing in your own worth attracts situations, people, opportunities. Personally, it took me years to understand this, and of course still working on this everyday. Specially I can understand that this impacts my work directly because sometimes I don’t feel my work is enough, but the trick is doing what you love, giving your own personal touch, success will come no matter what. Read more>>
Loni Burkow
I develop my confidence and self esteem by surrounding myself with people who not only lead by example but support their colleagues, in every way. You must allow (if not encourage) yourself to fail, at times. That is the only way you grow and change. You have to work at accepting the good and not allowing negativity to take over. Read more>>
Avissh Trivedi
That has been a long Journey for me. Growing up I was very shy, introvert and low confidence. I think Partnership dancing has been the first thing that got me out of my comfort zone, made me talk with more people, made me more extrovert. Meeting so many new people everyday, talking and teaching them and sharing the experiences that we go thru in life is definitely a first step in developing the confidence. Read more>>
Mikeal Lee
Having confidence and self esteem comes from accepting who you are, truly loving yourself, and having a great foundation. My family has always been extremely supportive with any decision that I made and understood early on that I was a unique character. We all go through the phase where we question ourselves or care what others think, so my mother always told me, “If you like IT then nothing else matters” and that really stuck with me. Read more>>
TaNia Williams
My confidence and self-esteem was something that didn’t happen overnight. It took me giving myself so many chances and allowing myself to have room to elevate. I learned from people that were more experienced than me and took that into consideration to be my best self. Read more>>
Liza Janel Caballero
Gaining confidence after living most of my life as an obese individual is an incredible journey filled with self-discovery and resilience. Embracing a healthier lifestyle not only transformed my body but also nurtured a newfound sense of self-worth and assurance. Each step toward wellness became a testament to my determination, and a belief in your capabilities. Read more>>
Maritza Yoes
I grew up needing to be my own advocate. In a small town where arts and culture was pretty much non existent. When you have to create your own world of creativity around you you become a lot more resilient to the naysayers. Read more>>
Takuro Tsubaki
In my ongoing journey to develop my self-confidence, one key focus for me is to maintain my sound, ideas and skills. Continuous learning can boost confidence. I also consciously embrace the idea that each mistake is an opportunity for growth. At the same time, accept your imperfections. I’ve found true confidence comes from acknowledging and embracing my imperfections as integral aspects of my unique identity. It’s a reminder that nobody is perfect, and our individuality is what makes each person special. Read more>>
Juan Cardenas
My confidence grew little by little channeled through people who saw my potential and dedicated themselves to helping me or worried about me. Seeing people whom I admired help me, believe in me, in my work and in my art, little by little gave me the confidence necessary to express myself in a better way. Read more>>
Tiffany Patmon
The game of basketball is something that God used to help shape my perspective for life in many ways. It definitely added to the development of my confidence and self-esteem. When I was a little girl, my dream was to become a professional basketball player. Playing outside with my dad gave me the confidence required to walk into that as a reality. Read more>>
Sanjini Bhakta
When I was a kid growing up in Zimbabwe, I was very shy, introverted and a book worm. I was quiet in public but deep inside I always yearned to be an actress and to express myself. I excelled at school and was number one in all my classes – I was basically a nerd. I had inner confidence but not much outer confidence. Read more>>
Danisha Brown
I developed my confidence and self-esteem by staying consistent in the business. I have been a licensed agent for over 9 years and when I first started I didn’t know anything. I passed my test still feel confused about what insurance is. During my first few years in insurance, I was connected to two older gentlemen who have been in the industry for over 20 years combined. I gained my confidence by learning from others. Read more>>
Mimi Bosika
I believe that confidence comes from practice and from being exposed to difficult and uncomfortable things in life. As a hi9h level table tennis player, I have been used to working hard and training since I was 6 years old. My father, who is a world class coach, encouraged me to work hard even when I didn’t feel like it. As a result, I developed a very important skill of resilience, which contributed to my self-esteem. Read more>>
Kathryn Jade Jarvie
m of the impression that confidence is a practice, much like having patience or being compassionate, or any other value we learn as children. The difference is that those other values come into play while practicing confidence. It wasn’t until I started practicing patience and compassion with myself that my confidence seemed to improve. Read more>>
Dr. Dewayne Washington
Confidence and self esteem Three internal statements guide me. I am enough. I am the only one in the race. My ideas are valid. Early in my professional career I was often plagued with the idea that I wasn’t enough, my ideas didn’t matter, and that I had to compete with others and didn’t quite measure up. Read more>>
Albert Lew
Wow…in an industry that has so much more rejections/non-responses than bookings, that’s a great question! Based on my years in this business so far, I can think of three ways: 1) Know this business – the good/bad/ugly (emphasizing the latter). The reason is mainly preparation through awareness – you’re ready to not be too high or too low for whatever you encounter in this industry. Read more>>
Melanie Young
I was an only child with parents who believed in me and put me on a pedestal. My parents encouraged me to embrace my individuality, creativity and potential. At age 18, I read Dr. Wayne Dwyer’s book, “Your Erroneous Zones.” Dr Dwyer’s message was that your Self Worth in your True Worth and “No One Person’s Opinion of You is Half as Important as the One You Hold of Your Own Self.” Read more>>
Rachel Elaine
I developed my confidence by creating, whether it’s a personal project or an event I’m hosting. Putting yourself out there can be scary, we seek acceptance & I’ve learned you attract people who are aligned with your passions/ideas by continuing to share your ideas & creations. Setting an intention helps build a solid foundation to build on. Read more>>
Andrea Polnaszek
I think this is a great question because I have been doing a lot of thinking about self-esteem and how it relates to confidence in my life. Over the course of my lifetime, I have had specific low points in my self-esteem. For most of my school years, especially middle and high school, I had a pretty low self-concept. I felt ugly and didn’t really fit in. When I went to college, things got better and I had more friends but I still didn’t feel great about myself. Read more>>
Vago Galindo
Well, I had a great support system during my development. It’s amazing what a little encouragement can do! Building confidence and self-esteem is a unique journey for each individual, setting realistic goals is very important as well as learning how to embrace failure as a learning opportunity. I pay attention to my inner dialogue and challenge negative or self-critical thoughts and I surround yourself with positive influences as well as spending time with people who uplift and support me. Read more>>
Jacquie Joy
I have never compared myself, my achievements or my music, to other creators/musicians and what they are doing. I think comparing to others can be detrimental to one’s own confidence. We all have our own special paths to follow! However I do love learning and getting inspired from what other people are producing and writing. Read more>>
Mirette Seireg
Developing confidence and self-esteem has been a journey for me, one that has been shaped by my life experiences, challenges, and a strong sense of purpose. Here’s a glimpse into my journey: 1. Embracing Risk: As I mentioned in my earlier response, I’ve always been drawn to taking risks. From a young age, I engaged in adventurous activities like climbing cliffs and scuba diving, which allowed me to push my boundaries and build a sense of fearlessness. These experiences taught me that I could handle uncertainty and overcome challenges. Read more>>
Kevin Seals
To develop my confidence and self-esteem, I have devoted time to truly understand and appreciate myself. I have recognized the unique value I bring to every endeavor I pursue. In this journey, I have refrained from comparing myself to others, regardless of the company I keep. By focusing on my own growth and progress, I have cultivated a mindset that enables me to approach challenges with optimism and embrace new opportunities with a deep sense of self-assurance. Read more>>
Andante Petit-Homme
I found out at an early age that I was different than most LOL. With maturity and studying how I was treated from loved ones and naysayers, I figured that there was no pleasing both parties with the thoughts I had in life, pursuing things that I liked and choosing who I hung out with so I unknowingly began to be me. Read more>>
Marea Janae
I believe that the only way to gain self-confidence is to push yourself out of your comfort zone and do hard things that you aren’t certain you’re capable of. Once you do the hard thing and realize that you accomplished a new feat, you unlock a new level of confidence in yourself! Pushing outside of your comfort zone is a practice. It’s hard and scary at first, but it gets easier with time and repetition. This is one of the reasons that I became a rock climber! Read more>>
