Advice to my Younger Self | How to Gain Confidence

Whenever I get the opportunity to speak with professionals, I always like to ask what advice they would give to their younger selves. I’ve had the opportunity to be interviewed by a couple of high schoolers about my chosen career path and I was asked that very same question. In this blog post, I’ll fill you in on what my answer is!

My answer is sweet and simple and it all has to do with confidence. Confidence in myself and my abilities is what held me back from starting my little side hustle. The self-doubt, lack of confidence, and fear of what others would think prevented me from starting my design Instagram account. It actually wasn’t until we were assigned in one of my art foundation courses that I started a social media account specifically for my work. And I regret waiting! The same lack of confidence prevented me from putting myself and my work out there. At the start of this year, I decided my word for the year is bold and since then, I’ve been pushing myself to be bolder and more confident. Being boldly and authentically you is the mantra I use when working with my branding clients and that is the advice I would give to my younger self and anyone looking to not only start a side hustle, but anyone embarking on any sort of new adventure. I’m not going to lie to you and say outside influences don’t matter, because honestly, they do. But at the end of the day, you are the one who can put the biggest limitations on yourself. This is something I have learned over the last couple years and it is something I’m working on daily. Simply put, my advice is to not limit yourself and just go for it!

If you’d like a daily reminder of this piece of advice, this sticker is available for purchase here.