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.
Nicky Posley
My confidence comes from believing that anything is possible, as long as I’m willing to keep learning and work for it. I didn’t have a lot of resources growing up, but what I’ve always had was a genuine curiosity about the world around me, tenacity and resilience. Combine those with your passion, and they can take you far. Read More>>
Christine Coughlin
I really thought that when a woman reached 35, she just magically became the most confident, assured version of herself. Like it just… happened. And as I was closing in on 40, I realized it doesn’t. It’s not something that comes naturally. It’s not effortless. And for some women… it doesn’t come at all unless they decide to change their life. Read More>>
Jacqueline DiMare
I don’t think my confidence came from always having it – it came from learning how to stay with myself, even in moments where it would have been easier to shrink. When I was younger, I was very aware of how deeply I experienced everything. It made me perceptive, but it also made me question myself more than I let on. Read More>>
Courtney Harris
It definitely helps to have the foundation of a mother who has fully supported your goals and dreams, to help build confidence and self-esteem. Navigating confidence and your own self-esteem as an adult requires self-work and introspection. We can be our own worst critic and doubt ourselves often, so you have to be your own cheerleader. Read More>>
Milana Bartolotta
Through experience, not theory. Confidence came from trial and error, from building, failing, adjusting, and doing it again at a higher level each time. Working in design, you are constantly being evaluated, your ideas, your taste, your execution. Over time, you learn to separate noise from substance and trust your own judgment. Wins reinforce that, but failures are what actually build it. Read More>>
Paola Amaya
I built my self-esteem by showing up every single day and putting in the work to become who I am today. I didn’t run from what was hard—I sat with it, worked through it, and grew through it. Because real confidence comes from evidence. From the days you didn’t feel like it but still showed up anyway. Read More>>
Courtney White
I developed my confidence through experiences that shaped who I am today. As a child, I was very shy and lacked confidence, especially through middle school. That uncertainty followed me into college at The Ohio State University, where I struggled to figure out my path before eventually choosing Strategic Communications. Read More>>
Bjarne Nicolaisen
Being 82-year-old and retired for more than 20 years you might feel outdated and superfluous unless you have some meaningful way to spend your time. One of my main interests is philately, but although this is a pleasant and time-consuming hobby, it does not invite much social intercourse. It is easy to start losing confidence in oneself. Read More>>
Juan Velilla
My self-esteem and confidence as a chef come from my relationship with the learning process. I’ve learned that confidence isn’t about proving something to others—it’s about being fully immersed in the craft and genuinely enjoying it. Read More>>
Phiona Durrant
Confidence wasn’t something I was born with. It’s something I built—piece by piece—through experience, responsibility, and resilience. Growing up in Jamaica, I learned early what it meant to take ownership of my life. By the age of eight, I was already helping to run a small shop. That’s where I learned discipline. That’s where I learned independence. Read More>>
Jeff Kubes
My confidence grew out of the work I do every day. I run a design support studio that helps builders, retailers, and manufacturers bring clarity to their projects through drawings, elevations, and well‑structured documentation. Read More>>
Hadar Harush
Self-doubt, for me, was never loud. It didn’t show up as “you can’t do this.” It showed up in much quieter ways, hesitation, questioning decisions I already felt were right, searching for purpose while sensing it was already somewhere within me. And it was also reflected from the outside, lack of support, people doubting me, mirrors that reinforced the same internal pattern. Read More>>
Gata Herrera
A lot of my confidence starts from the cliche “fake it till you make it”. Skills are something you build. No matter where you start, you work every day to learn new or better ways to do things. Read More>>
George Lokko
My confidence came from adversity and tackling them head on. It slowly started out of curiosity that grew into exploring my passion and ultimately became a dream come true through adversity. There’s a saying that goes if you fail, fail faster Read More>>
Gregg Wietstock
One of my favorite quotes is, ‘Do the thing, and you will have the power’ Ralf Waldo Emerson. It sounds simple enough, but the ‘do’ part is the catch. It takes action. There are four main activities that took persistence, perseverance, determination, focus, and discipline that I have been able to ‘do’ at a level of acceptance by peers. Read More>>
Isabel Custer Edwards
Confidence and self-esteem come from the same place as creativity. It all comes from within. It’s like a well that you need to fill. In my case, I fill the well with prayer. Read More>>
Georgia McClintock
Being bullied as a young Black girl for my bigger size and my country “white girl” accent in the rural communities of Moore and Sugar Tit, SC, and my small-town roots in Reidville, shaped me in ways I didn’t fully understand at the time. It took years for me to truly understand my identity and accept me for me. Read More>>
Shannon Horton PhD
Let’s start with I am a highly empathic individual and believed I had very little confidence and self-esteem in childhood until I arrived in my mid-thirties. My journey in my thirties led to my awareness and healing. I went to school at The Southwest Institute of Healing Arts in Tempe, AZ. Read More>>
Christina Monteiro
Honestly, I think a lot of it was always in me, but it was also poured into me by the people who raised me. Since I was young, my family and friends have always told me I carry myself with confidence. I was raised around strong women, and that had a huge impact on me. Read More>>
Fran LaVoix
I developed my confidence and self-esteem by understanding that it is an ever evolving process. I’m grateful to God for HIS WORD and the ability to pray, repent, and reaffirm myself in HIS WORD to set my path. I believe in being honest with myself….good, bad, beautiful, and ugly. Read More>>
LaReashia Harlin
I developed my confidence through maturity and self growth. Unfortunately I didn’t grow up with mental support and self love. Learning how to unlearn what didn’t benefit my journey was a task but well worth the determination. Read More>>
Breyana Wright
Something that continuously helps me develop my confidence and self esteem is improving my image on a regular basis. Read More>>
The Gore Boyz (TGB)
Confidence and self-esteem didn’t happen overnight for us—it was built over time through preparation, experience, and growth both on and off the stage. Early on, like many young artists, we had moments of doubt. Walking into rooms with seasoned professionals or stepping onto stages in front of large audiences can be intimidating. Read More>>
Hasmik Vardanyan
Earlier in my career, I didn’t always feel confident performing on stage, especially during concerts where I questioned my technique and my interpretation of the music. I realized that this uncertainty was limiting both my performance and my growth, so I made a conscious effort to improve. I began preparing more deliberately for each performance, setting small, specific goals for myself. Read More>>
Elaine Luna
I was able to develop my confidence by being on stage. I’m a big music and singing lover, and over the years, I’ve challenged myself to practice being on stage even though I don’t like presenting in front of an audience. Growing up, I wanted to be in an advanced choir group called Chamber Singers. Read More>>
Bradley Raymond
For me, the way that I developed my confidence was learning. I am alway looking for ways to learn from anybody and everybody. If you have knowledge in the field that you are in or want to be in, you have a very good chance to succeed. Read More>>
Brandon Jones
The first thing is to admit to yourself that you know absolutely nothing. Arrogance is the opposite of confidence and a high indicator of low self-esteem. The second is maturity. Knowing yourself, your strengths, and weaknesses, and not being defined by the things you do, but defining the things you do. Read More>>
Cindy Valente
I can still picture the version of me who sat in the room with something to say – and didn’t say it. It wasn’t the lack of ideas. It wasn’t that I wasn’t prepared. It was the quiet, persistent voice that whispered, ‘Who do I think I am’? So I stayed silent, started overthinking the why did I do that again? Read More>>
Rhea Ray
Early on, I realized that confidence isn’t something you wait to feel before taking action. It’s something you build by doing things despite not feeling ready. Each time I stepped slightly outside my comfort zone—whether that was speaking up, sharing my work, or trying something new—I gathered small pieces of evidence that I could handle more than I thought. Over time, those moments added up. Read More>>
Mary Ekene
I developed my confidence and self-esteem because I have two parents who instill them in me daily. I remember growing up as a child how many times my parents would tell me I am beautiful and smart. They would tell me this consistently and taught me to always believe in myself. Read More>>
Alexander Negrete
One of the greatest pieces of advice I’ve ever received came from a conversation I had shared with David Howard Thornton. He had told me that your one ‘yes’ will come after ninety-nine ‘no’s’. Read More>>
Eric Cooper
Confidence, for me, is built on reliability. I’ve often thrived in the ‘underdog’ position, but that role has taught me that true leadership isn’t about the spotlight—it’s about stepping up when others retreat. My confidence comes from knowing that when circumstances demand it, I will be the one who steps up, especially when others fail to keep their commitments. Read More>>
Adam Johnson
I don’t spend much time looking in the rearview mirror. Confidence, for me, comes from forward motion. Wake up. Coffee. Hustle. Shoot. Create. Whiskey. Reiterate. Repeat. You build self-trust by doing the work — not by overanalyzing whether you belong in the room. I’ve never really subscribed to imposter syndrome. If this wasn’t my first rodeo, maybe I’d entertain it. Read More>>
Lucie Becus
When I earned my first Pilates Certification, I was eager to teach but also felt I needed to know more. I had learned so much in my training but I was also very aware of how much more there was to know. I would go to Pilates conferences and everyone I met had been teaching for so many years. Read More>>
Heather Pond
People don’t talk enough about the courage it takes to suck at something for a while but to keep doing it anyway. My writing was ridiculous when I started 20 years ago, but I wrote every day anyway, and eventually that’s how I found and learned to use my true voice. Read More>>
Vicente Delgado Jr.
My decision-making skills were shaped by responsibility early on, growing up in a ministry environment as a pastor’s kid. I learned quickly that decisions carry weight—they impact people, not just outcomes. As I stepped into leadership roles, I realized that decision-making requires both clarity and conviction. You don’t always have perfect information, but you still have to move forward with purpose. Read More>>
Tonia Thomas
I developed my decision-making skills over time through a combination of life experience, reflection, and my faith in God. Early on, I relied heavily on instinct and the advice of others, but as I grew, I learned the importance of slowing down, seeking wisdom, and being intentional about my choices. My faith has been a guiding force in that process. Read More>>
Olga Hilgers
For a long time, I thought better decisions come from having more information. So I did what most people do – I analyzed more, added more layers, tried to eliminate uncertainty. But something strange happened: decisions didn’t get better. They just got slower. The shift didn’t come from learning more. It came from seeing differently. Read More>>
Dana Panetta LMHC-D, CASAC
Decision-making within the therapeutic setting is guided by the treatment plan. The treatment plan contains a golden thread that links the reason someone is coming into therapy, to the goals we develop together, and ultimately the modalities and interventions used that would be most effective for them. Read More>>
Flo Jacques
I started developing my decision-making skills as a child just by observing. I paid close attention to how the adults around me lived and the choices they made, and I could clearly see the outcomes. Read More>>
Elisa Dibble
I used to be a lot more tentative with my decision making, and it caused me to stay in situations that didn’t serve me. I used to blame my indecision on wanting to be very thorough with research and thoughtful with considerations, but that wasn’t the REAL reason I was dragging my feet. Read More>>
