The Confidence Origin Story: How Brave Moves Begin

The Confidence Origin Story: How Brave Moves Begin

In this episode of Brave Moves, Julie takes listeners back to the beginning of her confidence journey and shares the story behind why confidence became such a meaningful part of her life and work. After realizing that some listeners may be joining the Brave Moves journey mid-story, Julie opens the door to her own origin story. She reads from the first chapter of her book, Confident You: Simple Habits to Live the Life You Have Imagined, sharing a vulnerable and memorable junior high moment that shaped how she understood confidence, insecurity, shame, and self-worth. This episode is not really about gym class, mean girls, or an unfortunate see-through bra situation in the Miami heat, although yes, that story makes an appearance. It is about how early moments can define us, how confidence can be misunderstood, and how women often learn to perform confidence before they truly feel it. Julie reflects on growing up in a family of strong women, learning the value of leadership, and eventually discovering that confidence is not something you either have or do not have. Confidence is something you practice, build, and return to one small brave move at a time. This episode is an invitation to stop seeing confidence as a personality trait and start seeing it as a habit, a result, and a pathway back to who you really are. In This Episode Julie shares: *  Why she wanted to give listeners the “first book” of the Brave Moves story  *  A vulnerable story from her book Confident You *  How an awkward junior high moment shaped her confidence for years  *  Why so many women are taught to be good, quiet, pleasing, and mold-fitting  *  The difference between acting confident and becoming confident  *  Why confidence is built through action, not perfection  *  How strong women, mentors, and trailblazers helped shape her mission  *  Why she wrote Confident You for women, her nieces, and anyone needing a reminder of what is possible  Key Takeaway Confidence is not something you are magically born with. It is something you build through small choices, honest reflection, and brave moves that help you become more of who you were meant to be. Memorable Quote “Confidence is a result rather than an action.” Call to Action Think about one early story that shaped how you see yourself. Is it still serving you, or is it time to write a new chapter? And this week, make one brave move that helps you become the confident you. You can get a copy of my book here [https://a.co/d/04dUcdm0] If you loved this episode, text me and let me know what you though. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2542996/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2542996/support] Join the Community [https://www.skool.com/confident-you-rawconversations-4533/about] Brave Moves is a daily confidence and personal growth podcast for ambitious women, women entrepreneurs, and leaders who are ready to overcome self-doubt, build resilience, and take bold action in business and life. Each short, practical episode blends mindset science, decision-making psychology, and real-life stories to help you strengthen your confidence, rewire negative thought patterns, and create meaningful forward momentum. If you are navigating career pivots, burnout, reinvention, or leadership growth, Brave Moves gives you the tools to think differently, act bravely, and design a future aligned with your values and vision. Because confidence isn’t something you’re born with. It’s something you build, one brave move at a time. Liked this episode? Share it with your midlife woman, entrepreneur friends! Love this show? Let us know how we helped you increase your confidence by leaving a review. For more about me and what I do, check out my website [https://goconfidentlycoaching.com/]. If you’re looking for support to grow your business faster, be positioned as an authority in your industry, and impact the masses, schedule a call [https://calendly.com/goconfidentlycoaching/coaching-call] to explore if you’d be a good fit for one of my coaching programs. Fo...

Courage as a Way of Life: Why Fear Isn't the Only Thing That's Contagious

Fear is contagious; we all know that. But courage is contagious too. In this episode, Julie explores what it really means to live courageously, not as one big heroic moment, but as a quiet, repeated way of showing up. She breaks down why courage isn't a highlight reel, and why the hardest part of courageous living is letting go of the outcome entirely. In This Episode: * Why fear spreads fast in a room, and why courage spreads just as fast * The myth of courage as a one-time, heroic, cinematic moment * What everyday courage actually looks like: pricing, boundaries, hard conversations, showing up * Why courageous living means letting go of the outcome * A simple Brave Move Challenge to practice courage today Key Takeaway Courage that only shows up in big moments isn't courage; it's adrenaline. Real courage is a way of life, built through small, unglamorous, repeated choices. Brave Move Challenge Notice what you're spreading today, fear or courage, and to whom. Then choose one small, honest, non-heroic moment to do the steady thing, and let go of how it turns out. Quotable Moments * "Fear moves fast. It doesn't need permission; it just spreads." * "Courageous living means we also let go of the outcome." * "Be the courage in the room." If you loved this episode, text me and let me know what you though. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2542996/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2542996/support] Join the Community [https://www.skool.com/confident-you-rawconversations-4533/about] Brave Moves is a daily confidence and personal growth podcast for ambitious women, women entrepreneurs, and leaders who are ready to overcome self-doubt, build resilience, and take bold action in business and life. Each short, practical episode blends mindset science, decision-making psychology, and real-life stories to help you strengthen your confidence, rewire negative thought patterns, and create meaningful forward momentum. If you are navigating career pivots, burnout, reinvention, or leadership growth, Brave Moves gives you the tools to think differently, act bravely, and design a future aligned with your values and vision. Because confidence isn’t something you’re born with. It’s something you build, one brave move at a time. Liked this episode? Share it with your midlife woman, entrepreneur friends! Love this show? Let us know how we helped you increase your confidence by leaving a review. For more about me and what I do, check out my website [https://goconfidentlycoaching.com/]. If you’re looking for support to grow your business faster, be positioned as an authority in your industry, and impact the masses, schedule a call [https://calendly.com/goconfidentlycoaching/coaching-call] to explore if you’d be a good fit for one of my coaching programs. Fo...

Comfortable Isn't the Same as Good: Why Staying Too Long Costs You Your Best Years

Inspired by a powerful quote from Karen Salmansohn, "If you stay too long in a bad situation, you forget it's a bad situation and get comfortable. Meanwhile, the best years of your life will pass you by," this episode explores how we quietly settle into situations, jobs, relationships, and business models that stopped serving us long ago. Julie breaks down why comfortable and good are not the same thing, and challenges listeners to name what they've stopped noticing. In This Episode: * The Karen Salmansohn quote that inspired this episode, and why it hits so hard * How bad situations slowly become "normal" without us realizing it * Why comfortable is not the same as good * The real cost of staying too long, and it's not drama, it's time * A simple Brave Move Challenge to help you see your situation clearly again Key Takeaway Comfortable just means your nervous system stopped flagging the problem. It doesn't mean the situation is right for you. Brave Move Challenge Name one situation you've gotten too comfortable in. Write it down. You don't need a five-year plan today, just the honesty to see it clearly again. Quotable Moments * "Comfortable and good are not the same word." * "Comfortable just means your nervous system stopped flagging it." * "It's not that bad becomes the sentence that keeps people stuck the longest." If you loved this episode, text me and let me know what you though. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2542996/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2542996/support] Join the Community [https://www.skool.com/confident-you-rawconversations-4533/about] Brave Moves is a daily confidence and personal growth podcast for ambitious women, women entrepreneurs, and leaders who are ready to overcome self-doubt, build resilience, and take bold action in business and life. Each short, practical episode blends mindset science, decision-making psychology, and real-life stories to help you strengthen your confidence, rewire negative thought patterns, and create meaningful forward momentum. If you are navigating career pivots, burnout, reinvention, or leadership growth, Brave Moves gives you the tools to think differently, act bravely, and design a future aligned with your values and vision. Because confidence isn’t something you’re born with. It’s something you build, one brave move at a time. Liked this episode? Share it with your midlife woman, entrepreneur friends! Love this show? Let us know how we helped you increase your confidence by leaving a review. For more about me and what I do, check out my website [https://goconfidentlycoaching.com/]. If you’re looking for support to grow your business faster, be positioned as an authority in your industry, and impact the masses, schedule a call [https://calendly.com/goconfidentlycoaching/coaching-call] to explore if you’d be a good fit for one of my coaching programs. Fo...

Hanging On: Why Checking In Matters More Than You Think

A video of a German Shepherd sunning himself on a balcony, until one small shift sent him slipping between the rails, sparks this week's Brave Move. His owner happened to glance out at exactly the right moment and pulled him to safety. In this episode, Julie unpacks why the real brave move wasn't the rescue, it was the noticing, and why the people around us who "look fine" may be hanging on more than we realize. In This Episode: * The Instagram video that inspired this episode, and why one small shift changed everything * Why "no news is good news" isn't always true * The people in our lives who look like they have it together, and why that's not the full story * A simple, real challenge to check in on someone today Key Takeaway You never know who's hanging on quietly. Being brave sometimes just means paying attention. Brave Move Challenge Think of one person who "looks fine" but you haven't really checked in on in a while. Reach out today, a text, a call, a voice memo. Let them know why you're thinking of them. Quotable Moments * "Nobody's going to bark. Nobody's going to send up a flare." * "The brave move in this story wasn't the rescue. It was the noticing." * "You never know who's hanging on." If you loved this episode, text me and let me know what you though. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2542996/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2542996/support] Join the Community [https://www.skool.com/confident-you-rawconversations-4533/about] Brave Moves is a daily confidence and personal growth podcast for ambitious women, women entrepreneurs, and leaders who are ready to overcome self-doubt, build resilience, and take bold action in business and life. Each short, practical episode blends mindset science, decision-making psychology, and real-life stories to help you strengthen your confidence, rewire negative thought patterns, and create meaningful forward momentum. If you are navigating career pivots, burnout, reinvention, or leadership growth, Brave Moves gives you the tools to think differently, act bravely, and design a future aligned with your values and vision. Because confidence isn’t something you’re born with. It’s something you build, one brave move at a time. Liked this episode? Share it with your midlife woman, entrepreneur friends! Love this show? Let us know how we helped you increase your confidence by leaving a review. For more about me and what I do, check out my website [https://goconfidentlycoaching.com/]. If you’re looking for support to grow your business faster, be positioned as an authority in your industry, and impact the masses, schedule a call [https://calendly.com/goconfidentlycoaching/coaching-call] to explore if you’d be a good fit for one of my coaching programs. Fo...

Everything Is Your Fault; And That's the Most Empowering Thing I'll Ever Tell You

What if the most empowering thing someone could say to you started with the words "everything is your fault?" In this episode of Brave Moves, Julie DeLucca-Collins opens with a statement that might make you want to close the app — and then spends the rest of the episode turning it into the most liberating idea you've heard all year. This is an episode about radical responsibility. About the quiet ways we hand over our power without realizing it. About the difference between fault, which looks backward and keeps you stuck, and responsibility, which looks forward and puts you back in motion. Julie introduces the CEO of Your Life framework: the mindset shift that separates people who feel like life is happening to them from people who know they are the ones making it happen. You'll learn the four things great CEOs do consistently, the small language patterns that signal you've given the wheel away, and the one question that will immediately return your power in any situation. If you have ever caught yourself saying "I don't have time," "that's just how I am," or "it's their fault" — this episode is for you. In this episode, you'll learn: * Why "everything is your fault" is actually a statement of empowerment, not blame * The difference between fault and responsibility, and why it changes everything * How to apply the CEO of Your Life framework to your decisions and habits * The small language patterns that signal you've given up your power * The one question to ask yourself when you feel stuck or reactive * The four habits of people who lead their lives with intention Mentioned in this episode: The CEO of Your Life framework; the concept of radical responsibility and response-ability. Episode Description (short, for Spotify/Apple preview text) Everything that is happening in your life is your fault. Stay with me. This episode is about radical responsibility, the CEO of Your Life mindset, and why owning your role in everything is the fastest path to actually changing it. Key Takeaways * Fault looks backward and assigns blame. Responsibility looks forward and creates motion. * You are the CEO of your life — not the intern waiting for direction, not the passenger hoping someone else takes the wheel. * We give our power away quietly: "I don't have time," "I can't afford it," "that's just how I am." * Response-ability is your ability to respond. You cannot control what happens, but you always control your response. * The one question that returns your power in any situation: What is my role in this? * CEOs make decisions, review results honestly, invest in themselves, and take the long view. Brave Move Today This week, catch yourself giving the wheel away. When you hear yourself say "I can't," "I don't have time," "that's just how I am," or "it's their fault," pause. Ask: What is my role in this? What is one thing I can do differently? You don't have to fix everything. Just take back the wheel. If you loved this episode, text me and let me know what you though. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2542996/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2542996/support] Join the Community [https://www.skool.com/confident-you-rawconversations-4533/about] Brave Moves is a daily confidence and personal growth podcast for ambitious women, women entrepreneurs, and leaders who are ready to overcome self-doubt, build resilience, and take bold action in business and life. Each short, practical episode blends mindset science, decision-making psychology, and real-life stories to help you strengthen your confidence, rewire negative thought patterns, and create meaningful forward momentum. If you are navigating career pivots, burnout, reinvention, or leadership growth, Brave Moves gives you the tools to think differently, act bravely, and design a future aligned with your values and vision. Because confidence isn’t something you’re born with. It’s something you build, one brave move at a time. Liked this episode? Share it with your midlife woman, entrepreneur friends! Love this show? Let us know how we helped you increase your confidence by leaving a review. For more about me and what I do, check out my website [https://goconfidentlycoaching.com/]. If you’re looking for support to grow your business faster, be positioned as an authority in your industry, and impact the masses, schedule a call [https://calendly.com/goconfidentlycoaching/coaching-call] to explore if you’d be a good fit for one of my coaching programs. Fo...