In this episode we chat to Julie Smith about the nuances of confidence and practical strategies to boost yours. Julie shares insights from her coaching experience and her award-winning book, Coach Yourself Confident, offering tips on overcoming self-doubt, managing setbacks, and cultivating humble confidence.

Key Topics Covered:

• Why confidence often hides behind other development themes
• The concept of humble confidence — aligning your capabilities with your self-view
• The importance of realistic, grounded self-assessment
• Common misconceptions about confidence and success
• The impact of societal norms and gender differences on confidence
• Recognizing and managing internal saboteurs like comparisonitis and perfectionism
• Practical exercises to strengthen your confidence muscle
• Handling external setbacks and life's inevitable challenges
• The power of awareness, language, and self-compassion in building confidence

Special Highlights:

• The "full stop" technique to combat negative self-talk
• Naming your inner critic (sorry Nigel!) for greater self-awareness
• Embracing the idea that confidence fluctuates — it’s normal to feel confident sometimes and doubtful others
• Insights from The Authority Gap on gender and confidence

Julie’s book Coach Yourself Confident is a finalist for a prestigious business book award, with a special Kindle offer for just 99p until mid-August 2025: https://mybook.to/CYC-eb

Connect with Julie:

• Website: talentsprout.co.uk
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-smith-talent-sprout/

Resources:

• Download Tara Mohr’s cheat sheet on minimizing language in emails: https://www.taramohr.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Before-You-Hit-Send-Checklist-Tara-Mohr.pdf

If you enjoy the podcast please help us grow by sharing this episode, or writing a review.

You can also find me at http://www.thetripleshift.org

connect with me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmacthomas/

follow along on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/middlingalong_podcast/

or subscribe to my Substack at https://middlingalong.substack.com/