Despite the fact that this was the first installation of Confidence Live, it provided a level of inspiration fitting of a conference that had been perfecting its craft for years. The emotions stretched far beyond confidence — our team left feeling energised, motivated and inspired.
We’ve rounded up our favourite quotes, moments and key takeaways from the conference.
Rebecca Sibanda – Transcreation Content Manager
Dr Kieran Fenby Hulse presented confidence as connection and community: what does a community of confidence look like at work, at home, in society?
The overall message from James Routledge’s talk of letting go of our ego and accepting the different parts of ourselves was particularly inspiring. By finding our peace we can find our confidence, and how can we contribute from that place?
Fiona Faint – Account Manager
Shani Dhanda: “I’m not underrepresented, I’m over excluded” and Spoken Word Poet Desree: “feeling the fear and doing it anyway”.
Denitsa Stamboliyska – Marketing Intern
A part of the inspiring event was Thierry Alain’s speech, where he spoke about the effort to start something new, to chase your dreams and move forward. He said: “It sounds like a lot but all it takes is this 1%.”
Claire Marshall – Account Director
My highlights included Caitlin Moran's analogy about pressure turning us into diamonds, Shani's comments about over-exclusion and pretty much everything Desree spoke about!
Monika Metodieva – Digital PR & Outreach Executive
Kirsty’s talk about fixed mindset versus growth mindset made me think deeper about my own behavioural and thought patterns. I loved when she said that "a fixed mindset doesn't allow us to be beginners" — as I often struggle with wanting everything to be perfect. But, of course, it's not about perfection: it's about growth.
Louise Ali – Head of Digital PR
Harnaam Kaur: "Every time you hit rock bottom you have the opportunity to build yourself back up to become the person you want to be" and "don’t live by trying to conform, live by how your body is forming". I also loved Jess Jones and how she talked about finding a picture of you as a child and talk to it when negative thoughts come up, because you wouldn't talk to that child the way you talk to yourself.
Rona Leslie – Lead Marketing Strategist
I LOVED Caitlin Moran’s analogy of how humans are like precious stones in that immense pressure, turbulence and tough times make us sparkly like diamonds — that coming through hardships can in fact make us shine.
Sophie Roberts – Systems & Admin Assistant
Jess Jones was brilliant (as I can relate with the 4 kids) — I love the idea of putting a picture of your younger self in the mirror and also not letting fear get in the way of something you want to do. We should be showing our children that they can do anything!
Gemma Francis – Head of Content
Kirsty Hulse presented the concept of a fixed and growth mindset — and how although conceptually you might say you have a growth mindset, but do you in reality when you’re in the moment of failure? We should taking failure as a learning but often we don’t.
Collette Easton – CEO
Caitlin Moran’s comments around young men resonated in particular with me. This is pertinent to me as a mother of a teenage boy. The audience was probably 75% female. Women’s lives, certainly in most western society is now unrecognisable compared to 100/120 years ago. We are empowered and mainly supportive of each other. Mens lives don’t seem to have changed in the same way. Most men still lead lives just like their great grandfathers — not able to talk about issues, not being supported well by other men.
Emily Davies – Head of Business Intelligence
Caitlin Moran: “We spend so much time worrying about what other people think of us when 90% of people are also so worried about tripping themselves up that they’re paying no attention to you anyway.”
Rhiann Brokenshaw – Software Developer
Harnaam Kaur: “Get out of your own way!”
Emma Malcolmson – Senior Digital PR Executive
Jess Jones: “Live like you're running out of time.” I loved something Kirsty said about how shame can't kill you and to stop feeling ashamed about mistakes. Desree's poetry was so, so powerful too.
Floran Calvet – Digital Marketer
Caitlin Moran: “Making others feel confident in themselves will only make you more confident.”
We hope you enjoyed reading this article as much we did putting it together. We highly recommend attending Confidence Live in 2024 and can’t wait to participate ourselves.