🎧 Episode 2 – Where confidence really comes from
In this episode, Susie shares how confidence is built, not a personality trait you’re born with, but a skill you grow by taking action. Drawing from her journey from shy child to property developer, she explains why you shouldn’t wait to feel ready before doing something bold and how stepping out of your comfort zone repeatedly earns real confidence.
Timestamps:
00:35 – Susie’s early lessons in confidence
02:09 – How small actions pushed her out of her comfort zone
03:35 – Confidence isn’t a personality trait — it’s earned
05:19 – Acting before feeling ready in business and property
07:13 – First stage experience: nerves, mistakes, and growth
08:27 – Your action step: do the thing that makes you uncomfortable
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Transcript:
Susie Batista (00:00)
Welcome to the Just Build It podcast. I am your host, Susie Batista.
Susie Batista (00:05)
And before being a full-time property developer, I built and sold a luxury interior design firm. That chapter taught me far more than how to run a business. It taught me about standards, pressure, and confidence. This podcast is a space to talk honestly about money, mindset, and all the small decisions that shape our lives over time. If you're building something in business, in property, or in yourself, you're in the right place. This is Just Build It.
Susie Batista (00:35)
Welcome to episode 2 of the Just Build It podcast. Thank you for sticking around. I appreciate that. So this episode is all about confidence and where it really comes from. And some people may be surprised to hear that I was actually such a shy child. I, acutely shy, used to hide behind my parents' legs and just really not want to talk to anybody. I'd get dropped off at brownies or rainbows when they had events and there'd be people there that I didn't know, and I'd just be so upset. I was talking to my dad about this the other day, And I said, Dad, what did you use to think? He said, I'll be honest, I was worried about you. I was worried that you'd just turn into a really shy adult. So what he did is he started at a very early age to push me out of my comfort zone. So for example, we were walking home one day, I think I was about eight or nine, and somebody had left their keys in their car door. Yes, Gen Zs. That was a thing. You had to open up your car door with a set of keys, not just like a ding, ding.
Susie Batista (02:09)
Anyway, keys were in the car door and my dad said, Soos, go and knock on their front door. He stood at the end of the drive, go and knock on their front door, tell them that they've left their keys in their car. And for a very, very, very shy eight-year-old, can you imagine? But I did it because I respected my mum and my dad greatly. So I did it. And then afterwards, he said, How did that make you feel? I was like, Actually, really good. And you're like, Wow, I actually did it. And lots of little things like that along the way, always, you know, Sue's, go and ask the waitress over there where our drinks are. Or go and ask the waitress over there for colouring books. And I'd go and do it, again, because I respected my parents. But all All those little acts very quietly, but confidently, pushed me out of my comfort zone. And I guess made me realise that what was I so worried about? As soon as you start to actually do it, you're like, That wasn't so bad. And with me, For me, especially, I would say confidence was 100 % not a personality trait.
Susie Batista (03:35)
It was something that I really did build through taking action. And I know there are many people out there who come out of the room singing and dancing and twirling and My daughter is definitely one of those people. And we all look at her and say, who's daughter is this? So sometimes you've either got it or you've not. But that's from a real personal confidence inside of you. But in terms of confidence with business, and I think this is where a lot of people do get stuck. Most people wait to feel confident before doing something really bold. So they wait to be a bit more knowledgeable or all those sorts of things before doing something bold. But confidence doesn't show up before the action. It shows up after. And there have been so many times where I have felt completely underqualified and not confident. And I sometimes think, what belief held me back for too long? And I would say that was definitely a belief in property. And I've said this before, when I have my design firm, I could design houses all day long. But when it came to buying them and bridging them and refinancing them and then selling them, that was just like learning Chinese.
Susie Batista (05:19)
It sounds really simple, and it actually is very simple, but I had it in my head that I wasn't going to be good at it because put an Excel spreadsheet, a spreadsheet in front of me and start giving me big numbers and percentages and yields and all that stuff. And I just go, oh. And property is very, very number, number heavy. And so I did use to walk into these networking events, being from a design world to suddenly being a property developer after I saw my business and just thinking, Oh my God, I don't know what I'm talking about. I did not feel confident, but I did it because I'd always been taught that from my mentors, from coaches. Get yourself in those rooms that feel big and scary and push you out of your comfort zone, and you will just come out so good from it. And I stick by that. And I invite you to do the same. Just push yourself out of your comfort zone, and the confidence really will follow. And it's totally earned by doing the thing before you feel ready. And I would say to you, if you want to take some action on confidence, then try and pick that one thing that makes you feel super uncomfortable, whether that is going to a networking event or standing up and doing a talk about your expertise or be on a panel, go on a podcast.
Susie Batista (07:13)
There's all these incredible opportunities There's a lot of changes out there that will push you. And you won't always feel confident about it. The very first time I got up on stage, in my head, I was going to be all right. And I was excited about it. I'd really, really planned everything down to the T, and I got on stage and I just felt so nervous. My voice started to warble. I had these cue cards. I was holding cue cards and holding a mic and everything was getting really slippy and I was forgetting my next slide, and it was just... I felt like it went terrible. But the feedback I had from that was that it was amazing. That inspired people. But I did it because I've got on my vision boards. I've had on my vision boards for ages that I'm going to stand and do public speaking. And you've got to start, right? Can't just dream about it. So I did it. And then after that, I felt amazing. And then since then, the more I've done, it just... You still get that little nervous feeling, but the confidence is definitely growing. So it's amazing.
Susie Batista (08:27)
So do that one thing that makes you uncomfortable. Book the networking event, reach out to somebody, ask somebody for a coffee that you're always nervous about asking, and do it without negotiating with yourself. Just Do it really, really quickly. If you're listening to this podcast, you're in the car, pull over, write an email, pull over, write a text message. If you're listening to it on a walk, get your phone out and do that thing. Then you're like, I've done it. I've done it. And let the confidence follow because trust me, it will follow. And don't forget to just keep going. You're closer than you think. And just to end it, nothing changes without taking massive action.
