Whether it’s to a Play-date or the Boardroom, Step Forward with Confidence! with Courtney Feldman

Meet today's guest:

Courtney Feldman

“Credentials alone do not equal success. Professional presence, social smarts, and an ability to convey civility are essential to managing first impressions – and without a positive first impression, your chances of success decrease significantly!”

This understanding has enabled Courtney Feldman to achieve success in launching HIGHStyle Impression Management, a consulting company that offers services in key skills areas related to conveying lasting positive impressions; professional presences, podium protocol and presentation skills, performance and confidence, and social skills.

As an Internationally Certified Impression Management Mentor® and Master Certified Civility Trainer® recognized by the International Civility Trainers’ Consortium (ICTC), Courtney has built upon her Honours degree from the Asper School of Business, University of Manitoba and knowledge gained through past leadership and mentoring roles to become a leading expert in the field of impression management.

Courtney is a member of the Civility Speakers Bureau and the Human Resource Management Association of Manitoba. Outside of family commitments and work, Courtney is an active volunteer in her community, spending time coaching student ambassadors, holding a seat on the board of directors for her community centre and working alongside non-profit organizations through the Fast Pitch program with The Winnipeg Foundation.

Have you ever watched someone and wondered at their incredible level of confidence?

At any point in watching them did it occur to you that they might be feeling nervous or uncertain in that moment?

Feeling confident on the inside can be a challenge, however projecting confidence on the outside is easier than you might think.

My guest today, Courtney Feldman, is a specialist in using confidence to help you put your best foot forwards and she provided us with an abundance of ways to build up our own.

There's this whole realization when you become a mother that things are new.  Things are different for you… you have different expectations, new responsibilities, you have a new outlook on the future… and I think coming to terms with that, understanding that, appreciating that, is a big factor in how you're going to project yourself and be self confident moving forward.

To help us understand the topic of confidence and make it more applicable to our lives, Courtney created a handout with lots of great ideas.

I broke this concept of bringing confidence to yourself into 4 main components:

Be Proud – this encompasses everything about yourself – that inner pride about who you are and what you have to offer.

Be Purposeful - this involves your actions; how you're interacting, the non-verbal, your body language, being purposeful in your gestures…

Be Present – tuning in to what's happening around you and how you can use that energy to boost your own self confidence.

Be Prepared – looking into the future, which as a mom, whether you're at home in the trenches of laundry or you're in the boardroom making strategic decisions on where your organization is going, it's always important to keep those next steps in perspective and in mind. This helps you control your behaviour and your attitude, which adds to your confidence.

Courtney shared some of the reasons she thinks many moms struggle with confidence and touched on how even our social media habits such as 'subconscious comparison' can make us feel like we are not measuring up.

She shared the number one thing you can do when you walk into a room that is intimidating you in some way, as well as subtle ways you can shift what you are projecting to others.

...just a smile and a look in their eye projects confidence on your part and it also opens up that road to communication, by making the other person feel welcome and comfortable – which again makes you look confident in your actions.

We talked about how cell phones can project a closed countenance and Courtney issued a challenge for listeners who are ready to take back their power from technology.

We covered several of the points shared in her handout, like the importance of having – and sharing – your opinion, avoiding a negative groove, using decisions to propel you forwards and the importance of keeping the end in mind.

Tune in to the podcast to hear all the great tips and then head over, with confidence, to pick up your complimentary copy of this beautiful handout.  www.highstyleimage.com/confidentmom