Imagine walking into a room full of accomplished professionals and being completely at ease—knowing you belong. For many women in tech, this feels like a distant dream. But it doesn’t have to be.

In a survey of RTC members last year, the overwhelming majority did not feel confident about attending conferences. 

We want to change that. 

We want to empower you to be more confident with actionable confidence strategies that help you overcome self-doubt—not just at conferences or networking opportunities, but in your everyday life.

In some ways, confidence feels nebulous. You can point to a person and say, “That person looks so confident,” but when you talk to them, they might say that they weren’t feeling confident at all. Most people understand the concept of confidence, but what is the exact definition of confidence, and, most importantly, how can we become more confident? 

Karla Angel, Confidence Coach, talked to our members all about it in her 3-part webinar series on building confidence. 

Redefining Confidence as a Mindset

Karla said something in that webinar that might seem a bit hard: 

Shift how you define confidence.

Think of confidence not as a fleeting emotion, but as a mindset you build—one that helps you in overcoming self-doubt and tackling challenges head-on.

Most people assume that feeling confident equates to positive thoughts and confident actions, but confidence can be fleeting. Similar to motivation, you have to build strategies into your life to improve that confident mindset. Recognize that you won’t always feel confident, but you can still act confidently. 

Confidence is when you align your thoughts and actions to reflect your authentic self as you work toward your goals. 

The Confidence Building Blocks You Need

Now what? 

Because confidence is a mindset, it’s something we can work on growing, and there is one key part of it that makes being confident possible:

Tell yourself, “It is possible for me to be confident,” or “I’m becoming someone who is confident and self-trusting.” 

Reframe those negative thoughts when they pop up—this is one of the most effective confidence strategies for overcoming self-doubt. If you’re constantly telling yourself that you aren’t confident, guess what? You’re going to feel that way! But if you tell yourself that you’re on a journey to confidence or that you’re a confident woman, you’ll start to actually believe it! Affirmations work, and science backs that up. 

In her book How to Change, one of the world’s leading behavior scientists, Dr Katy Milkman, states that you should “focus on personal experiences that make you feel successful or proud. This kind of self-affirmation makes you more resilient and helps you quash self-doubt.”

Confidence Strategies: Building Blocks to Overcome Self-Doubt

Multiple building blocks can help you reach your confident self. While these are not the only building blocks, they are the ones that Karla Angel believes are key:

Self Awareness

Become aware of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors – you can’t take action without knowing what’s happening. 

Develop this skill through mindfulness, meditation, and journaling. 

Self Trust

Trust that you are capable, respect your boundaries, and follow through on promises to yourself – tell yourself, “I am becoming someone who trusts myself.”

Develop this skill by setting and maintaining relevant boundaries and reflecting on ways you’ve already followed through on your plans or trust yourself.

Resilience 

Be willing to bounce back from whatever challenges and setbacks you have — know that you will be okay no matter what happens.

Develop this skill by choosing to do something scary to prove to yourself that you can do it and celebrate the tiny wins. 

Growth Mindset

Look for the opportunity from a challenge or a lesson learned from an experience – failing at something doesn’t make you a failure.

Develop this skill by reflecting on events and asking yourself, “What can I learn from this?” or “What can I keep in mind for next time?”

Self-Compassion

Understand that you are human – be kind to yourself.

Develop this skill through speaking to yourself as you would a friend.

Commitment

Commit to doing the work even if it’s hard – you’ll become stronger if you do.

Develop this skill by starting with small, manageable tasks.

By developing each of these, you’ll reach your definition of confidence. 

Next Steps

What we’ve covered here is just the beginning. Watch Karla’s three-part series to dive deeper into confidence and developing a growth mindset. Not a member yet? Join us today and unlock your potential.