How to Build Confidence: What It Really Takes to Be Seen, Heard, and Bold at Work

By Mary Killelea, Founder of 2B Bolder

Confidence isn’t just about walking into a room and commanding it.

It’s about showing up, especially when your voice shakes.

It’s about raising your hand even when you doubt if you’re “ready.”

It’s about being visible not because you want the spotlight, but because you finally understand that your voice has value.

After interviewing over 100 women in business and tech on the 2B Bolder podcast, one thing is crystal clear: confidence isn’t something you’re born with. It’s something you build.

But here’s the part that most advice leaves out...

Confidence doesn’t look the same for every woman.

You Don’t Need to Be Loud to Be Confident

You need to be honest.

With yourself.

About the stories you’ve carried. The voice in your head. The fear that maybe, just maybe, you’re not “enough.”

We’ve all been there.

Some of us were raised to play small. Some of us were told we were “too much.” Others spent decades proving ourselves in rooms where we weren’t invited in, but earned our seat anyway.

That’s why confidence isn’t a one-size-fits-all formula.

It’s not about faking it.

It’s about unlearning the stories that have held you back and rewriting them with truth,

ownership, and visibility.

The 2B Bolder Approach to Confidence: Mindset. Muscle. Habit.

Confidence is a mindset:

Believing you’re worthy of being seen, even if no one told you that before.

Confidence is a muscle:

It strengthens with every uncomfortable action posting online, speaking up in meetings, pitching yourself, setting a boundary.

Confidence is a habit:

It’s choosing to show up, again and again, before you feel “ready.”

That’s how I built mine. Not overnight. Not in a vacuum. But by doing the work creating content, launching a podcast, showing up publicly, even when I didn’t have all the answers. The visibility came after the action.

For the Woman Who Fears Being Invisible

Here’s what I know about you.

You’ve got experience. You’ve got stories. You’ve got value.

But imposter syndrome whispers,

“Who am I to share this?”

“Won’t I sound self-promotional?”

“Do people even care what I have to say?”

The answer?

You’re someone who’s lived, built, led, overcome.

And yes, people do care. But only if you’re willing to share.

Your wisdom helps someone else rise. Your presence helps other women speak up.

Visibility isn’t vanity, it’s service.

But first, you have to get out of your own way and build confidence at work.

7 Bolder Ways to Build Confidence That Actually Work

These aren’t generic tips. These are real strategies for women who are ready to show up and be seen.

1. Audit the Voice in Your Head

The stories you tell yourself shape your behavior.

If you’ve been carrying a voice that says you’re “not ready,” “not enough,” or “not the type” it’s time to call it out.

Ask: Would I say this to a friend I admire?

If not, reframe it. Practice saying what’s actually true.

2. Show Up Before You Feel Ready

The myth of “readiness” is a trap. Most people who are thriving didn’t feel ready, they just acted anyway.

Confidence is built through action, not before it.

3. Document the Wins

You forget how far you’ve come when you’re always focused on the next goal.

Keep a “Bolder Brag Book” a place to store praise, projects, outcomes, and moments of resilience.

Use it to remind yourself: I’ve done hard things before. I can do them again.

4. Post Your Voice Online

Yes, this one’s bold. And no, it’s not just for influencers.

LinkedIn isn’t about perfection. It’s about presence.

Start with one post that shares a lesson learned, a belief you hold, or something you’re proud of.

Visibility begets confidence. Period.

5. Ask for What You Need

Whether it’s mentorship, budget, time, or credit say it out loud.

You are not a burden. You are a professional with valid needs.

Bold women advocate for themselves. Even if their voice shakes.

6. Dress for Power, Not Perfection

Choose outfits that align with your boldest self not what others expect.

Wear something that reminds you who the hell you are. Your posture, tone, and energy will follow.

7. Track the Moment You Realize You’ve Become Who You Once Admired

For me, it was the day I realized I wasn’t just building a podcast, I was living out the career I used to dream of.

When you notice you’re actually doing the thing you once thought was out of reach… own it.

That’s confidence.

Final Thought: Confidence Doesn’t Come First. Action Does.

Too many brilliant women are waiting.

Waiting to feel ready.

Waiting to be noticed.

Waiting to be perfect.

But the truth is, if you wait for confidence to come before you act, you’ll wait forever.

At 2B Bolder, we don’t wait.

We take one small, scary step.

Then another.

Then another.

And that’s how you stop being invisible.

That’s how you build the habit, the muscle, the mindset.

That’s how you become bolder.

Ready to show up and speak up with more confidence on LinkedIn?

Download the free guide: “Fast Track to LinkedIn Influence” and let’s get visible together.