Self-confidence is built in the moments no one applauds, the awkward missteps and quiet choices that shape how girls learn to trust themselves long before anyone is watching.

Leslie Randolph sits down with journalist and author Rin-rin Yu for a grounded conversation about where confidence actually comes from and why the ordinary moments of childhood matter more than the polished highlights. Drawing from Rin-rin’s debut novel Goodbye French Fry, they talk about bullying, belonging, embarrassment, and the internal shift that happens when a girl realizes she can handle hard things. What changes when confidence grows from self-trust instead of approval? How do everyday experiences quietly shape a girl’s sense of who she is?

The conversation also explores identity, representation, and the pressure to fit in during the tween years. Rin-rin reflects on growing up without seeing herself in books and why normal stories deserve just as much space as extraordinary ones. Leslie connects these ideas to her work with teens and parents, offering a clear reminder that confidence is learned through experience, reflection, and support rather than perfection.

This episode invites parents to slow down and notice the small wins that rarely make headlines. What moments are shaping your daughter right now? And how might honoring the ordinary help her build confidence that lasts?

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Self-Confidence Is a Skill Teen Girls Can Learn

03:05 Goodbye French Fry and the Ordinary Moments That Build Self-Confidence

04:39 Why Representation in Books Shapes Identity, Self-Worth, and Belonging

07:56 Bullying and Self-Confidence: Standing Up for Yourself at Age 10

12:35 Embarrassment, Mistakes, and Resilience as Core Confidence Skills

14:54 Cultural Identity and Name Mispronunciation: Helping Kids Feel They Belong

21:55 Journaling and Daily Reflection as a Confidence-Building Practice

30:56 Curiosity vs Mockery: Teaching Kids to Respect Differences

38:49 Perfection Pressure and Self-Forgiveness in a High-Achievement World

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Help Your Teen Cultivate Confidence

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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Self-confidence is not a personality trait you either have or lack but a skill you can choose to build and strengthen starting right now.

This conversation reframes self-confidence as something you practice through daily choices rather than something reserved for confident women or naturally confident teens. Leslie Randolph invites listeners to see confidence as a skill built with intention through how you speak to yourself, how you follow through and how you respond when discomfort shows up. The message is practical and grounded with reassurance that becoming more self-confident is possible at any stage of life.

Listeners are guided to consider what a truly confident year would look like in real terms. What decisions might change if self-confidence led the way? What would you stop tolerating? What would you try if fear did not get the final vote? Leslie breaks confidence into three core foundations: thinking highly of yourself, building self-trust and allowing uncomfortable emotions without letting them control your actions.

This episode speaks directly to moms of teens as well as the teens themselves with a reminder that confidence is learned through modeling and repetition. When adults practice self-confidence out loud young people learn how to do the same. The takeaway is clear and empowering. Self-confidence grows when you keep promises to yourself, trust your inner voice and take action even when doubt is present.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 What Self-Confidence Really Is and Why It Matters

09:57 The Three Foundations of Self-Confidence

14:51 How to Build Self-Confidence Through Intentional Goals

20:14 Choosing Confidence and Taking Courageous Action

Connect With Leslie:

Help Your Teen Cultivate Confidence

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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Raising confident girls starts with how moms regulate emotions, make decisions under pressure and talk to themselves when parenting gets hard.

This year-end episode reflects on self-confidence through the lens of motherhood, offering insight for raising self-confident girls who grow into confident teens and confident women. Drawing from conversations with Dr. Lisa Klein, Nina Badzin, Abby Gagerman, Emily Gordon, Heather Redisch, and Simone Knego, these moments stayed with me long after the mic turned off because they speak to what actually shapes confidence in real life, especially during the emotionally charged seasons of raising teens.

Again and again, the conversation returns to the same truth. Kids are still figuring themselves out emotionally and neurologically, which makes the intensity make sense even when it feels overwhelming. Belonging matters, but tying worth to approval creates fragile self-confidence. Painful moments do not need to be erased to be survivable. When we lead with regulation, patience, and repair, we give our kids something far sturdier than quick solutions.

The lens also turns inward. What happens when we release the pressure to make the perfect call every time? How does parenting shift when self-trust replaces second-guessing? The way we speak to ourselves quietly teaches our children how to respond to their own doubt, disappointment, and discomfort.

As the year comes to a close, this episode offers a steadier way to think about self-confidence. Not something to manufacture or guard, but something practiced daily through presence, perspective, and self-respect.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Reflections on 2025: Lessons and Growth

02:26 Understanding Tween and Teen Development

06:38 The Importance of Friendships and Community

13:51 Navigating Social Struggles and Emotional Resilience

19:40 Deciding When to Let Kids Quit

25:59 Building Real-World Skills for Independence

30:14 Practicing Self-Confidence Daily

Connect With Leslie:

Help Your Teen Cultivate Confidence

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm