How to Build Self-Confidence in Business & Trust in Yourself


Overcome Self-Doubt and Insecurity with 3 Helpful Tips from a Business Mindset Coach



By, Esther Spina

Business Coach for Ambitious Businesswomen & Female Entrepreneurs

Inspired by Chapter 14 of my Amazon Best-Selling Book, 

The Ambitious Woman,

What It Takes and Why You Want to Be One,


“LIVE A CONFIDENT LIFE!”



Are you FROZEN IN FEAR and afraid to take that next step in your career? 

Do you have big dreams, but you’re not sure you have the right skills or experience to succeed?


Are you afraid to work for that next  promotion because you’re not sure you can do it?


All the successful businesswomen I’ve mentored, battle with self-confidence issues at some point in their careers.

In this article, I show you what you need to know to combat over-thinking and fear. This frees you up to sail into your future with conviction and style!






1. Stop Overthinking by Shaking Things Up

Do you have a hard time meditating or going to sleep because you can’t get your mind to turn off? Are there a million thoughts running through your head at any given moment?


As a women’s business coach, I know you have a lot on your mind, and it’s hard not to focus on multiple things at once. It’s how you get stuff done. But it’s also how you get trapped in overwhelm, unable to see a clear path forward.

Signs you’re overthinking include:

  • Worrying all the time about things that haven’t even happened yet
  • Beating yourself up for making “mistakes”
  • Procrastinating because you’re afraid of making the “wrong” decision

So how do we stop our racing minds and start being open to growth?

I encourage you to go out and try something you’ve never done before. Take up a new hobby, try a different exercise style, or go to a city you’ve never been to before. This puts you immediately into a beginner’s mindset for learning. It prepares you for handling the unexpected.

This way you’ll see anything that happens in business as an opportunity for learning. You won’t beat yourself up when things don’t go as planned. Because we can’t control everything. Instead, keep your mind open to learning and you’ll become more adaptable to change.

When you allow yourself to be flexible, you become bulletproof to events beyond your control. This includes recessions, pandemics, and normal business downturns. And you’ll build confidence in ways you never could have imagined!



2. How to Reframe Negative Thinking & Take Action!

To overcome a lack of self-confidence in business — mindset is everything.

I coach women in business to re-wire negative thinking patterns and to expect positive results.


Habitual thoughts turn into beliefs, which turn into actions or INACTION.


If you’re thinking of starting a new business, career path, or promoting, fear of the unknown can be crippling.

Worrying about everything that could go wrong stops you from taking any action at all.


The businesswomen I work with in my mindset coaching programs suffer from perfectionism and self-critical thinking. These traits are a natural result of their ambitious natures. The same characteristics that propel you to the top work can destroy your self-confidence if you let them.

Instead, it’s better to get started and take any step forward. There’s no way you can think ahead to everything that could go wrong and prevent it. This is why a beginner’s mindset is so important so you can learn through trial and error.

For example, I had a thriving online baby clothing business until the economy slid into a recession. Then I had to unexpectedly shift gears and reinvent myself. It was devastating at the time, but the resiliency I developed gave me so much confidence. And my next business was even more successful.


I also experienced what felt like many betrayals in business. It hurt when partners I considered friends left to pursue other opportunities. I felt like I’d failed as a business owner at the time. I now realize that’s just a natural part of life and evolution. Things change, but these experiences had a silver lining . . .


Without these personal “failures,” I wouldn’t know how much I could handle on my own.


Thanks to these challenges, I became more self-reliant, which helped me gain confidence in myself. When you build this trust in yourself, you’ll feel invincible when business changes occur.



3. Fake it Til You Make It! — The Secret of Confident Business Women


Confidence is about perception. This means that as long as you appear confident, people will believe you are.

Many seasoned performers or speakers still get stage fright, but they know how to walk onto the stage appearing confident.


And, you know what? The audience can’t tell the difference. When they hear the applause, the confidence they were pretending to have becomes real. 


Katy Perry said, “If you’re presenting yourself with confidence, you can pull off pretty much anything.” (From the article, 51 Self-Confidence Building Quotes for Women of All Ages)


Every time you show up and put yourself out there you build confidence.


The only way to gain self-confidence is through experience and there’s no better time than the present. Taking that first step is a confidence booster in itself. Get started even if you don’t feel “ready.”


If you wait to be 100% ready, you’ll always be on the sidelines.


Don’t expect perfection, especially your first go-round. Expect that experience will teach you everything you need to know to get to where you want to be.


The most successful businesswomen in the world didn’t get there because it was smooth sailing to the top. They got there because they experienced setback after setback and kept moving forward.


When you successfully navigate obstacles, you naturally build faith in yourself.



And the more you create trust in yourself, the more others trust you too.



If you’re struggling with self-confidence, reach out to me. I’ve helped many businesswomen overcome self-doubt to achieve their goals.


Always Ambitiously,



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How To Empower Yourself to Succeed as a Woman in Business

Inspiring stories of successful female entrepreneurs and women business leaders who dominate their industries in 2021.

Empower in 2021

Ambitious women

By, Esther Spina

Business Mindset Coach for Ambitious Women & Female Entrepreneurs

Inspired by Chapter 5 of my Amazon Best-Selling Book, 

The Ambitious Woman: What It Takes and Why You Want to Be One,

Empowered Ambitious women

LIVE AN EMPOWERED LIFE!

What do Bumble, YouTube, and In N Out all have in common?

You may be surprised to learn, they are all run by female CEOs! And we’re talking about successful businesswomen who are managing multi-billion dollar companies that were once thought to be male-dominated industries. More on the women at the top of these mega-successful ventures below, but the point is . . .

Female founders and CEOs are on the rise.

In 2019, 42% of businesses were owned by women, which is a 37% increase since the ‘70s. But, in Network Marketing, 77% of distributors in the United States are women. Globally that number is 76%. This is a great sign that women are empowering themselves to level up in all industries, smashing the glass ceiling, and taking on business leadership roles that were once thought to be impossible for women. 

Finding ways to stay empowered as female entrepreneurs and businesswomen, prevents you from getting discouraged and giving up before you’ve even had a chance to experience success.

In this blog, I’ll discuss some of the ways you can empower yourself as a woman in business and/or direct sales companies to take charge of your life and make your vision a reality.

Get inspired

Get Inspired By Successful Women Business Leaders At the Top of Their Game

Looking to those that have paved the way before you for inspiration makes it feel less daunting to go for those passion projects you dream of. When you see other women in business achieving similar dreams to yours, it suddenly feels more possible.

Fortune 500 reports that more women are running their top businesses in 2021 than ever before. Now that’s encouraging! And even better, women are breaking records in major executive roles. This article mentions that a woman business leader took over as CEO of CVS, which is 4th on the Fortune 500 list, and that the ”$268 billion retail pharmacy turned health care giant is now the largest company ever to be run by a female chief executive.”

Now 41 of the Fortune 500 companies are run by women, which is a huge increase from the year 2000 when there were only 2. 

Here are some inspiring businesswoman success stories to show you anything is possible when you set your mind to it and work towards it relentlessly:

There’s Whitney Wolfe Herd, who you may have never heard of, but I bet you’ve heard of her popular dating app, Bumble, which has had over 22 million users. As the founder and CEO of Bumble, she generated $162M in revenue by the age of 30! And, according to the above article, she also started the successful matchmaking app as a way to empower women, since it gives women the power to choose which men they want to match with first.

Another woman I look up to is Debbie Bolton, founder and CEO of Norwex, whose mission is to replace toxic household products with green cleaning solutions. Since 1999, Debbie Bolton has led global sales for this direct sales company which has an annual revenue of over $45 million! She is also known to be a kind and compassionate woman who empowers others, such as when she recently bought a plane ticket for a struggling father who couldn’t afford to pay for his daughter’s seat on a flight. Debbie is a great role model both as a business woman and as a caring person.

Women are empowering themselves in business and direct sales companies like never before and you can be a part of that wave if you’re willing to dedicate the same amount of time and persistence. 

Persistence

Being an Empowered Woman

Being an Empowered Woman Means You’re a Creator, Not a Follower

Think about Amelia Earhart, who was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic alone. She didn’t let anyone hold her back from her dreams, even though she had many challenges along the way. Amelia Earhart overcame many failed business ventures and financial struggles to receive the American Distinguished Flying Cross and empower other female pilots. In an era where the aviation industry was dominated by men, she had to forge her own trail, and in doing so, paved the way for many other women to follow in her footsteps.

It takes a pioneering spirit like hers to set out on your own, with no assurance of success. Likewise, what sets the top-earning female entrepreneurs and CEOS apart from the pack is their ability to empower themselves and keep going no matter what. 

Early on in my career in sales, my mentor taught me, “Successful people do what unsuccessful people don’t.” I learned this translates to a “whatever it takes” philosophy.

I started out making 20 cold calls a day, plus stuffing and dropping off 250 mailers a week. But, those first, tedious steps set me on my path to becoming a top earner in my direct marketing company later on.

It’s important to have a vision, but it’s also important to get in there and get your hands dirty. Being successful as a woman business owner, female entrepreneur, or career woman, takes grit and good old-fashioned hard work at the end of the day.

Wisdom

Gain Wisdom By Reading Inspiring Business Books by Successful Leaders

One of my all-time favorite, inspiring business books is, Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn, by John Maxwell, which I highly recommend. He reminds us that there is no failure, only opportunities for growth and lessons that help us refine our goals. 

Another favorite of mine is, The Purpose Driven Life, What On Earth Am I Here For?, by Rick Warren. Read a chapter a day to empower your life and get clear on your purpose. 

I created my book, The Ambitious Woman, What It Takes and Why You Want to Be One, to help you move past all the fears that arise as a female entrepreneur or businesswoman. Completing this book was a dream of mine, one that I never expected to achieve, but it’s proof anything’s possible!

The Ambitious Woman

The Ambitious Woman,

Get inspiration and motivation from the successful female entrepreneurs and founders who paved the way for aspiring business women everywhere.

For a limited time when you order my book, you get the Ambitious Woman Audiobook absolutely FREE!

This is perfect for those who enjoy listening to self-improvement books in the car. 

Self improvement

5 Empowering Mindset Tips for Successful Female Entrepreneurs & Businesswomen

Guidance from a Business and Leadership Coach for the ambitious woman who is ready to take charge of her career and scale her business towards greatness.

Inspired by Chapter 3 of my Amazon Best-Selling book,

The Ambitious Woman: What It Takes and Why You Want to Be One,

LIVE AN ACTION LIFE!

By, Esther Spina, Business Coach for Ambitious Women Entrepreneurs

1. Write Your Goals Down to Focus Your Mind on Business Success

According to this article, you are 42% more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down. This will help you pare down what you want to achieve so you can prioritize. 

What is your big picture plan? Start there and then break it down into smaller steps you will need to achieve the long-term goal.

We tend to be perfectionists as businesswomen. This process will help you stay focused on what you need to do in the short term, without losing sight of the end goal. Lower anxiety by getting all of those ideas out of your head and onto paper where you can see them clearly.

Once you do this you will be better able to make day-to-day decisions by making a schedule you can stick to. And this doesn’t have to be a boring process. Make it fun with a cute planner that keeps you motivated like one of these.

This will help you narrow your focus so you can level up and stay on track for your goals. It also grounds them in reality and allows you to see them as possible, not just abstract thoughts in your head.

2. There is No Such Thing As Failure – Only Lessons Learned and Times to Pivot

Some of what you may consider your biggest failures are just springboards to a better future. If you take the trying times as lessons and an opportunity to pivot your business instead of ruminating on what “went wrong,” it may open new doors of opportunity for you to an even better career than you could have imagined before.

I give an example of this in my book, The Ambitious Woman, from my personal experience as a businesswoman. When the recession hit in the ‘90s my once-booming construction business completely tanked.

I went from running one of the top 5 tile companies in San Diego and a successful upscale baby business, to completely bottoming out and having to start over.

I took my success for granted and it was a devastating time that shook my faith to its core. It felt like I had lost it all and I never expected I would have to start over from scratch after having two thriving businesses. I started selling solar pools to get by, which I had no experience with at all. 

Little did I know that this early experience would prepare me to be a top earner in a B to B sales career, as well as in a direct sales company. 

Everything happens for a reason, even if you can’t see that at the time. The trick is not to get stuck in feeling like you’ve failed or like it’s never going to get better when the unexpected happens. As a business coach for women, I know that every stage of our careers, even the scary ones, allows us to course-correct and get one step closer to a brighter future. 

3. Release the Pressure of Perfectionism and Take Charge with Positive Thinking

As a business coach for women, I know we put a lot of pressure on ourselves. It’s important to stay in the present and not to overthink everything too much. Most female entrepreneurs or businesswomen I work with beat themselves up if they don’t get things right the first time.

But, as the example above shows, you can’t always control everything that affects your business success. The 90’s recession was not something I could have avoided even if I tried, and the pandemic has made us all aware that some pitfalls are just not avoidable.

The only thing you can control is how you choose to react and adapt to unexpected challenges.

So how do you stay successful in business no matter what happens?

By maintaining a positive mindset and staying flexible. You will always land on your feet when you release the pressure to get everything perfect the first go-round. Stay open to bending with the times, practice flexibility, and you will always prevail in the end.

Success isn’t always a straight line to the top. We learn the most from our mistakes, failures, and disappointments. Sometimes we have unexpected twists and turns on our path, that is to be expected. You just have to be open to adapting and refining as you go.

Our ability to adapt and change with the times often comes down to one simple thing —

Are you doing what you love?

Journal your wildest daydreams and take some time to visualize every day what you would feel like if you were living your dream life. Visualization is a very powerful tool to manifest business success. Many successful women entrepreneurs and female CEOs cite this as a tool they have used to dominate their industries.

Studies show that visualization has been proven to lead to success in business. According to this study, 76% of business owners who used a vision board eventually realized the dreams they put on their boards. How amazing is that?

This shows us that when we focus positively on the future and picture ourselves winning, we position ourselves to achieve all the business and life goals we dream of.

4. Make Short To-Do Lists to Limit Overwhelm

I recommend writing 2-3 things max on your to-do list. This is less overwhelming than a lengthy checklist, which can just stress you out more when you look at the seemingly endless list of tasks you need to accomplish.

This way when you finish each thing and check it off, you will have a sense of accomplishment. Then you can create another short to-do list until everything is completed.

It’s easy to panic when we focus on too many things at the same time. Breaking it down into smaller steps helps a lot to keep that feeling of being swamped to a minimum. Otherwise, you run the risk of being discouraged when it seems you aren’t getting to where you want to be fast enough.

5. Take Breaks to Save Your Sanity and Stay In It for the Long Haul as an Empowered Business Woman

Where is your happy place? You know that place where you just feel “awwww, I can relax now,” where you take a deep sigh of relief the second you get there. Take a moment to think of where that is for you. I love to go to the beach when I need to recharge and relax to get my mind off things

Is there somewhere you are thinking of right now that heals your soul when you need a time out?


The next time you are starting to feel frazzled, put your work down and go to your special place to clear your head and get re-inspired. Nature has an amazing way of helping us to declutter our thoughts and gain a fresh perspective. Yoga or meditation can also help with this.

As ambitious businesswomen, we often work too hard and don’t give ourselves enough grace. We don’t acknowledge how far we’ve come enough and tend to over-focus on our “mistakes.” Perfectionism is something all overachieving businesswomen deal with when we are striving to reach the top, but we don’t want it to rule our lives and destroy our mental health.

When it all gets to be just too much, go to your happy place (even if it’s just in your mind) to recharge instead of giving up.

As a business leadership and mindset coach, I know how important it is to stay focused on action and to take responsibility for any challenges that come our way.

Grab a copy of my book to learn more about inspiring female entrepreneurs like Mary C. Crowley, founder of the multimillion-dollar home decorating company, Home Interiors & Gifts. You may be surprised to hear who her sons are and how she created such a successful national company despite many personal struggles.

Get empowered to take charge as an ambitious woman!

You can get your copy of

The Ambitious Woman, What It Takes and Why You Want to Be One,

1st edition, at a discounted rate for a limited time here:

I hope it inspires you to take action and take charge for the ultimate success in your career!