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.
Stephanie Zi Yi Yang
I develop my confidence and self-esteem from failure. As a concert pianist, it is hard to have a perfect concert as I wish every time. I have had moments which I doubted myself after making obvious mistakes at performances. I still remember how terrifying it felt that there was nothing for me to blame on but myself. Read more>>
Abeer Atashi
From being beat down in every way imaginable. I had to fight for me and teach myself how to set boundaries so others don’t continue to steal my confidence and self esteem. Read more>>
Tyler Simmons
My journey with self esteem has been a long one. I was a very shy and unconfident kid growing up. I didn’t feel like I fit in at all with my school friends and my community. When I was 13 years old, I found music. I distinctly remember playing my first show in front of all my friends and getting a really positive reaction. Read more>>
Chris Williams
I’ve always been pretty expressive person generally, but there’s definitely a moment that I consider to be my “origin story” when it comes to the full embrace of my weirdness and lack of care of judgement. Read more>>
Noah Mellette
I Developed Confidence early on, i would say by the end of my 10th grade year i was confident as ever. I was starting to get known as one of the better dressers in my school and city at the time, while killing on the basketball court seamlessly. Read more>>
Lolita Chanel
Through the art of drag I gain the love and appreciation for my body that I felt I never got until recent years. I now have so much love for my body and what I can do that I know other people should respect it just as much. Read more>>
Khatera DeGrate
I developed confidence by going after the things I wanted in life, even though I did not know the outcome. My self-esteem developed once I accepted the fact that I must love and embrace myself with whatever flaw I have. Read more>>
Sam Vreeland
I think I started developing confidence at a young age. I’ve always been super outgoing when it comes to my goals, and I feel like going above and beyond when tackling a project boosts my self-esteem. Taking a leap of faith with crocheting was nerve-wracking. Read more>>
Joshua O. Meekins
I developed my confidence and self-esteem at an early age. As a child, I moved around a lot and was exposed to many different environments that I would have to adapt to. So I got used to being comfortable and confident in unknown situations fairly quickly. Read more>>
Jonell Brown
At the tender age of eight, I was thrust into the competitive world of track and field. Although I was terrified to race among the likes of record holders at the USATF Junior Olympics, I did my best to show up every time. As soon as the gun sounded off, I had no choice but to sprint as fast as I could. Read more>>
Sierra Lund
I have learned that my confidence and self-esteem is directly impacted by the effort I put into every aspect of my life. In the moments I am feeling most insecure, I can typically find I could be giving more to at least one aspect of my life whether it be personal or professional. Read more>>
Leigh Manacher
Confidence and self esteem is something that I believe is nurtured from a young age. I was a shy and somewhat insecure child and didn’t over achieve in school but I always knew I was creative, because adults told me so. Read more>>
Kanika Bennett
I’m originally from Thailand. I have lived here in the US for half of my life. My life growing up as a child was not easy. I remember when I was young, the family on my dad’s side and especially my grandparents didn’t like my mom that much. Read more>>
Danny Elliott
There were a few questions on this panel that stuck out to me, Overcoming Imposter syndrome, the source of optimism and this one particularly, developing confidence – I believe they’re all interconnected, or sides of the same coin if that imagery makes more sense. Read more>>
Tyshari Lockett
Painting the canvas of my journey towards confidence and self-esteem involved a profound realization that fear was the only obstacle standing between me and my aspirations. Recognizing this, I decided that lacking confidence wouldn’t pave the way to the fulfilling career I envisioned. Read more>>
ILIJA
I believe that my education and experience play the main role when it comes to my confidence. I started my music education when I was 8 and haven’t stopped since. From elementary music school, Jazz high school, undergraduate studies at the Berklee College of Music, and now Master’s at the Los Angeles College of Music. Read more>>
Angel De Paz
Being a young entrepreneur in this generation you receive a lot of criticism. You also receive a lot of support if surrounded by the right people. Remembering why I started and who I am representing is what gets me determined to succeed. Read more>>
Samantha Lyons
Growing up can be really hard because there is so much pressure from the people around you to be a certain person. So many young people ask me about how to be more confident, and my constant reiteration is to live in the truest form of who you really are. Read more>>
Conner Chant
Growing up, I was an extremely shy kid. Having a twin brother meant I often stayed in his shadow, making it challenging for me to feel confident on my own. It wasn’t until college that I began to develop my confidence. Read more>>
Amanda Calderon-Kidston
I grew up in central Mexico in a bicultural household with a Mexican dad and USA-born mother. While we primarily lived in Mexico, in the summers we would visit my mother’s family and my family’s employing churches in the United States. Read more>>
Paul Klemperer
I’ve always had a mix of exhibitionism and self-doubt. I’ve learned over the years to see them both as strengths, that balance each other. My parents gave me a lot of support and encouragement, but also a lot of criticism. Read more>>
Cara Pencak
I believe that confidence and self-esteem comes from just doing the thing. I can plan all day long and come up with a million different scenarios, but all that does is give me a plan. When I finally execute that plan, I develop confidence that I can follow through and I can tackle my goals and ideas. Confidence takes action, so it’s important to just start. Read more>>
Maya Jones
One of my favorite movies growing up was Akeelah & The Bee. As a fellow spelling bee enthusiast, I found myself enthralled watching a young black girl navigate some of the most challenging words in the English language at times with ease but also with difficulty. Read more>>
Mandy Hougas
Honestly? I get it from God and never giving up. I’m very blessed to be alive and able to say this. I’ve learned some tough lessons in my youth and young adulthood. I learn new lessons every day. But I think one of the best lessons I learned was to face adversity head on and be honest with myself and others when I needed help. Read more>>
Jade Starling
Ever since I was born my parents have instilled loving yourself and being comfortable in your own skin.They always told me I was special and my talents were God’s gift to.me to share with the world. I’ve always felt that my contributions to the world were to lift people up and heal them with my music. Read more>>
Sylvia Wilson
I developed my confidence and self-esteem from being subjected to and enduring many trials and tribulations in my life from issues such as being ostracized due to the color of my skin, and my Plus Size Physique; which is not seen as being the “norm” or beautiful in society, as well as overcoming domestic, emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual abuse. Read more>>
Michelle Franklin
Trials and Tribulations to say the least. My life has always been an interesting journey. So many life lessons from people I thought were close or would never hurt me made be build up a resilience and the mindset that I could achieve anything and everything! Anytime the road became difficult, the universe had a way of working it out!!! Read more>>
Franziska Pugh
If you’re reading this, you probably want to change the world. You have an insatiable desire to make an impact, develop innovative ideas, and work with world-class leaders to drive businesses toward the future – all while being yourself. Read more>>
J. R. Armstrong
As a child I had a lot of empathy. I’m not sure where this came from, it was just part of who I was. My mother would try to get me to understand that the world wasn’t coming to an end, that what I saw or heard was not that big a deal. Read more>>
Babajide Bashiru
As a creative entrepreneur, one of my major strength has always been the urge to seek for knowledge in every aspect of life. I’ve been able to develop my confidence and self-esteem through continuous learning and practices. Read more>>
Soo Hyun Namkoong
I struggled with self-esteem issues for as long as I can remember. Facing my inner self was a daunting task, and I found myself constantly searching for something to fill the void in my heart. Yet, nothing seemed to work until I decided to delve into my past. Read more>>
Makini Smith
I have been quiet and introverted my entire life. I often doubted my abilities and felt overshadowed by my more outgoing peers. In school, I was afraid to answer questions out loud for fear of embarrassment. Other kids would shout out the answers confidently, and the correct one was the one I was too afraid to say. Read more>>
E. Nigma
As an author, confidence didn’t always come easy for me, as when I first started writing, I was like George McFly from Back to the Future. I would write, but wouldn’t let anyone read them. I just wasn’t confident enough to let anyone read my work. Read more>>
Norah Shazad
Developing confidence has been a journey rooted in self-awareness, goal-setting, and resilience. By understanding my strengths and weaknesses, I set achievable goals that allow me to celebrate incremental victories and cultivate a positive inner dialogue. Read more>>
