Tag Archives: confidence

How to Handle Self Doubt and Low Confidence!

A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of doing makeup for Anne Fulenwilder. If you’re not familiar with the name, let me give you an intro: She is the Editor-in-Chief of Marie Claire Magazine! 

She was in San Francisco for the “Power Trip,” a Summit she organized that brought 100 “Power Women” from NYC to SF to meet with 100 of the West Coast’s power women to empower each other, network, and enjoy eachother’s company. 

Whenever I do makeup on a celebrity, I always take the time to look them up on Google, for a few reasons: 

1. I want to know what they look like, and how they normally do their makeup (and hair, if I am on hair duty, too). 
2. I like to know a fair amount about them… Since I am going to be up close and personal and in their face, I want to know what they are all about and have a few topics I can chat with them about! 

So, when I was going to be working with Anne, here are a couple articles I read: 

“I want your job” from Elite Daily, and “Career profiles: Marie Claire Editor in Chief Anne Fulenwider.” 

I also watched a couple videos on YouTube, like this one: 

After this bit of research, I was definitely excited and impressed! I loved her “Dear Me” advice, and was excited to be around such a wonderful, powerful woman! It was extra exciting to me, because while I truly believe we can learn SOMETHING from EVERY SINGLE PERSON we meet, Anne is probably the celebrity I’ve worked with whose career is closest to where I’d love to end up, so I kind of wanted to kidnap her and ask her questions for three and a half weeks (but I didn’t). 

Usually, the googling process makes me less nervous about what I am up for. It puts me at ease to sort of “get to know” the person I am going to be meeting. But this time? 

This time, it made me NERVOUS!

Every article I read talked about how confident she is. As well she should be! 

Additionally, think about it: She is the editor of an amazing BEAUTY magazine. Clearly, she is going to know her way around a makeup kit - and as she mentioned when I met her, Marie Claire has a whole makeup CLOSET! 

I was fearful that she would think I was an impostor, even though I was booked based upon my portfolio - an example of my skills. What if she thought “Who is this chick? She doesn’t know what she’s doing, and she’s not using my favorite foundation (Face Fabric, by Armani, which is discontinued, in case you were wondering)!” 

Well, she didn’t. Here’s the periscope I did when I got home from that super early morning: 

The night before I met her, I was talking to Tommy (aka crying in bed to Tommy - see this post) about my fears. I told him what I thought, and how I was thinking of asking her about what she felt about confidence. 

He reassured me, and told me to maybe hold off on telling her I was worried she’d think I was a crap makeup artist until I was done (good idea, since I shouldn’t scare her, but I didn’t totally follow this advice)! 

Anne Fulenwider and I, after I did her makeup before her Power Trip Summit in San Francisco.

So, here’s what she said. I wanted to share it, because if it was helpful to me, it is likely to be helpful to you! 

1. We all feel self-conscious, and like we are impostors. Even men. Even her! She said that she has self-doubt multiple times a day, every single day! 

2. Confidence is a choice! When we have these moments of self-doubt, we can either choose to let them overwhelm us, or rise above them! 

I also asked her her biggest tip for success, and she told me to stick to what I am passionate about, and enjoy the process, and success will come! 

Please share this with someone who could use a pep talk! 

What are some tips that you have used to help eliminate self-doubt? 

xoxo, 

Mandie 

P.S. If you think becoming more fit would help your confidence, please check out my last post, which includes two free upcoming challenge groups to work on exactly that, plus a contest to win $5,000 becoming more fit

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Hammer + Chisel Progress… Positive Thinking + The Scale is a Liar!

Initially, this post was supposed to be all “Yay, check out my amazing progress so far halfway through Hammer + Chisel!” but when I had my 30ish-day pictures this morning and put them next to my Day One picture, I was overwhelmed… with disappointment. 

First, let me say that by afternoon, I felt GREAT, but not until after wasting much of the day feeling sorry for myself, begrudgingly working out when I felt like it was a waste of time (since I wasn’t having the results I had expected) and stopping in the middle of the workout and having an ugly cry. 

If you’d prefer not to read, check this out:

But in morning, I was super upset. I thought “Well, if I don’t see it in the photos, perhaps the scale will tell a better story!” 

Um, no. I weighed a half pound more than the start of the program. 

“Well, the scale is a liar, so I am sure the measurements might be better!” 

Not really. My arms were half an inch larger (I am ok with big guns, but wasn’t sure if these were the right kind). 

My chest was a full inch and a half bigger. What? Waist was an inch smaller, hips and thighs a half inch bigger… I wasn’t sure what to make of that, but I was already on a roll with the negative self-talk, so I assumed the smaller waist was a fluke, and moved on. I was texting Tommy and Nathan between sets about my lack of progress, and then I finally saw it, and finished my workout.

This is the face of someone who just struggled and pushed hard through a workout with a mid-lift cry!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can’t give ALL the credit to the workout, Tommy and Nathan helped, too! 

Anyway, I felt so good after my workout, I even filmed this Periscope… 

See that confidence? 

You are probably wondering about the pics (if you scrolled past the top fast!). Well, here they are: 

The left picture was taken January 21st, and I weighed the most I have ever weighed. 143lbs. 

I did the 3-Day Refresh (which is on sale this month as a challenge pack, by the way) and then took the second picture on January 24th, at 138.5 pounds. 

The picture on the right was today, at 139 pounds. 

Now that I can FINALLY see a positive difference between the second and third pictures, this tells us a couple things. 

1. The scale is a liar. We should use other methods to set our fitness goals
2. We REALLY need to work on positive self-talk

I leave for Chicago tomorrow and get back Sunday. Then I leave for LA Thursday for a few days. I plan on following Hammer & Chisel the best I can while I am at home, but when I get back from LA? It’s ON. 

That also happens to coincide with the start of a challenge group some of the coaches on my team and I are running together starting March 14th. 

What is a challenge group? Check this out to see! 

Care to join us? It’s four weeks long, and there are PRIZES! We don’t pick winners by weight loss, but we will pick based on activity, posting, sharing, supporting! We want you to pick something and commit to it for 30 days, and we want you to track, measure and weigh, so you can see how being consistent will pay off for you!!


Click here to join! 

xoxo, 

Mandie 

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Just DO it!

Hey there! Happy Thursday! 

I LOVE productivity. Although I enjoy relaxing and recharging and just doing nothing here and there, one of the best things I can do for my mood is be productive! I feel so much better when I know that I am a step or two closer to my goals! 

Lately, though, I have had a lot of conflicts in my schedule, which has led to procrastination and frustration! Here’s a video I made, which like usual is to also keep myself in check! 

And here’s why being productive makes ME feel good at least! 

The second video is old, but the reason why the second one isn’t edited is because I PROCRASTINATED! I waited too to record it because I wanted conditions to be perfect when I recorded it, but guess what? They never will be! So like I said - just do it! 

There won’t be a Fit Foodie Friday Recipe Roundup tomorrow… Because of the schedule conflicts I mentioned, this week was INSANE! I spent most of the week at the Moscone Center doing a trade show! So, there was almost no cooking done this week - healthy, but nothing that will inspire you, I’m sure, unless an organic chili dog bowl with greens sounds good (to me, it does)! 

So, I will be back to the blog next week, and promise a Fit Foodie Friday next Friday, even if it is a throwback edition! 😉  

By the way, if your “Just Do It” you’ve been putting off involves getting in better shape, I have a challenge group coming up I’d love you to join! We start a prep week Monday! Click here to join! 

What are your best productivity tips? 

xoxo, 

Mandie 

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How to Get OUT of a Funk!

Last week Friday, I was in a funk. Who gets into a funk on Fridays? Probably mostly people who are self-employed and love what they do, and this past Friday, that was most certainly me!

I think the fact that I still don’t know many people here and have been spending most of my time online was one thing that was getting to me. I think another was that our moving truck STILL had not arrived (it finally did last night), so I was working with very limited clothing options, getting very little, low-quality sleep on an air mattress, and had to leave the apartment if I wanted a luxury like a chair! I know - this is obviously a list of first-world problems, and I will address that in a minute!

In any case, I am sure that I am not the only person to ever get in a funk, and I bet the day I am posting - Monday - is a much funkier day than most (and I don’t mean in a Bruno Mars) sort of way.

I promise, I did not create this post solely to whine about being in a funk. I’ve obviously gotten out of the funk, and wanted to share with you how I did it, and see what ideas you have for when you need to put a smile on your own face!

Without further ado, here are my solutions to a funk!

1. Make a list of things for which you’re grateful! If you take the time to think about why you’re blessed, you can’t focus as much about why you’re down!

2. Put on some fun clothes, and… 

3. Move! The fun outfit should lift your spirits! Try wearing something nice, or simply bright colors! And if you move somehow (exercise, walk, dance, anything) the endorphins will improve your mood!

4. This backtracks a bit to Bruno Mars, but another great way is to throw on some music with an irresistible beat! I think everyone has (or at least should have) a list of songs that make it impossible to sit still, and that type of playlist is perfect for this type of occasion! Call upon your favorite artists, and get a move on!

5. Solve the problem! This probably should have been #1, but if you KNOW a specific reason why you’re upset, do something to fix it! You’re not stuck in your circumstances! Plus, I have made videos before about confidence through action - it works on your mood, too!

6. DECIDE to be happy! You can’t control what happens to you, but you can control how you react to it! It’s not easy, but decide not to let it bother you, even if it’s temporarily!

7. Get some love from a pet or friend! Some snuggles from Refugio helped me! Excuse the mess in the picture - our apartment is still chaotic from the move!

8. Look at a sunshine folder - and if you don’t have one, make one! I have one just for Beachbody - it’s an album of transformation stories that I have been a part of, and looking at it makes me happy! Looking at things that have brought you joy can definitely help you get out of a funk!

9. Pray or meditate! If you are spiritual/religious/into meditation, this could already be first nature to you, but if not, it’s at least worth a shot!

I think that rounds out my list! What are some suggestions you have for how you get out of a funk? Share them in the comments below!

xoxo,

Mandie

P.S. If you are looking for some accountability and motivation in the areas of fitness and nutrition, check this group out! We are accepting people up through April 12th, and would love to have you!

P.P.S. 

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Having An “Off” Day? I may be able to help! How to Get Out of a Funk And Be More Productive!

It’s Monday. Many people hate Mondays, but I am usually not one of those people!

Since I am self-employed and do what I love, I usually really look forward to Mondays! They are a fresh start, and a chance to really move forward toward my goals after a weekend where I relax and have more fun personally than professionally! This is how I usually feel about Mondays:

Every so often, I have a weird Monday where I can’t seem to figure out what to do with myself until the afternoon, and today was one of those days! This is how I felt about Monday today, except this person would have been throwing things at me in a mocking way (haha):

I had a wonderful meeting with a brand new coach on my team, and left the meeting energized… Until my computer was doing something weird, and about five other minuscule things that would not normally bother me bothered me, and then my productivity went to a halt. I ended up getting really productive around 12:30, giving me only a couple hours until Tommy came home (I do my best to only work when he’s at work so that I can spend more quality time with him and our friends).

So, you are probably wondering: How did she get out of her funk?

The answer is this: Through action!

I took advantage of National Nap Day and took a nap, and though it was tempting to read in bed for a long time, instead, I decided I should take my own advice from these videos.

Not only did following my own advice make me feel a little more confident about my Monday being more productive, but it also pushed me to keep going and do more, to the point where I was where I usually am at 3:30 on a Monday - excited to see Tommy, but not honestly ready to stop working!

On that note, I am going to leave you as I am going to go for a walk with Tommy!

How do you feel about Mondays?

xoxo,

Mandie

P.S. If you are interested in joining my Apple Cider Vinegar challenge that starts today, click here and request to join! And if you are interested in our “Meditation For Busy People” challenge that starts Friday, click here and request to join!


 

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Giveaway: Hey You! You Have a GORGEOUS face!

IMG_7112

Hey you! You’re Gorgeous. You got that?

I am doing a little spring cleaning early, and have a brand new 7-Piece Makeup Brush Set from Gorgeous Cosmetics that I want to give to one lucky winner!

Here’s a look at the prize on the Nordstrom website, so you have an idea of the amazing value!

Excited yet?

There will be more giveaways soon, and I am going to be selling a ton of stuff on eBay, so stay tuned!

One required way to enter: Comment below with what makes you feel most gorgeous! Then you can unlock other ways to enter all over social media! Share with your gorgeous friends, please!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

xoxo,

Mandie

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Free 5-Day Body Weight Circuit Workout!

Hello! How’s it going? Happy Friday!

Next week, my team and I are hosting a free 5-Day Body Weight Circuit Workout!

We’ll provide a circuit workout each day that all you need to do is your body! We’ll also be providing support, and accountability, as well as fun motivation and ways to earn prizes by the end of the week!

I truly believe that the best outfit is healthy confidence, and that’s what inspires this challenge!


Click to join, and make sure you read the current posts!

I’m excited to work out with you next week! Update: This has passed, but if you message me via the contact form, I can let you know what my next free group will be! 

Oh! And there’s just one couple day left of my giveaway! Please enter to win a great, free yoga mat spray and produce cleaner from Rebel Green, an amazing company!

xoxo,

Mandie

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How to Build Confidence Through Positive Affirmations!

One of my favorite mentors from afar (at least this is one I have actually met!) always talks about the importance of speaking to yourself in a positive voice.

It’s Chalene Johnson, and she is a personal development hero of mine, as well as a celebrity fitness trainer. She says this “speak to yourself in a positive voice” in many different circumstances - whether it’s to tell her viewers they can accomplish difficult moves/lifts in the exercise video, or in her program, which I highly recommend - the 30-Day Push, which is a sort of life-coaching program.

I made a video passing this message along, with a twist from advice that an old friend gave me back in the day when I wasn’t as self-assured and confident as I am today.  You should totally go watch it, and then subscribe to my channel! 😉


Since following that advice, meeting Tommy, and making tons of lifestyle changes for the better, I am a much more confident and self-assured person. So whenever Chalene tells me to speak to myself in a positive voice and tell myself “I can do this,” I have been thinking to myself “That advice is for someone else, or the old me. I know I can do anything I put my mind to.

I even feel insanely lucky after being in and leading some personal development groups (some were actually going through Chalene’s 30-Day Push as a group) and finding out that many people don’t have anyone encouraging them, believing in them, and speaking to them in positive voices. I have always been told that I will achieve anything I want, from everyone I know, especially important people like in my family, so that has never been a second thought for me.

But I have been a lot more introspective and self-aware lately, and it has brought something ugly to my attention!

I may not speak ill to myself or in bad tones about myself in my head, but there’s an ugly, angry, impatient person that swears at drivers, people who just stop walking in front of me, and tons of other minor things!

So, wherever you are on the journey of being a nice person in your own head, whether it’s toward yourself or the people you encounter, think about this - what you’re thinking is shaping your life!

Be positive. Think positive thoughts about yourself, and be patient with others. Stop cussing people out in your mind - it’s not healthy (that’s me talking to me)!

Hopefully we can all be the change we wish to see in the world!

Do you have any tips on how to make the voice in your head be someone you’d want to be friends with if you met him/her on the street? Who knows, I might make a video out of it!

xoxo,

Mandie

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“There is only one way to avoid criticism…”

Wow. I never thought I’d be quoting Aristotle twice in one week. Shaq, for sure - I have had plenty of DAYS where I quoted him twice. But Aristotle? I hope that’s a sign I’m evolving!

One thing that has been an interesting adjustment to me since I started Mandie.tv is all of the people who have come out of the woodwork to offer me tips. It has been hard! I am a perfectionist, so hearing that people aren’t in love with everything that I do has been a rough road to ride, and I mean that in the humblest way possible!

I am trying to learn from this in two ways.

One, is to take it as a compliment, exactly as a result of the quote by Aristotle - ” The only way to avoid criticism is to do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.” This means that whenever someone has some advice to offer, I take that as a reminder that I am taking a risk. I am sticking my neck out by putting myself out there and making myself open to criticism, and that is a good thing!

Here’s the other trick I am trying to get over…

I don’t want to be “most of us!” I am trying to stand out. I want to reach millions of people so that I can help millions of people. So, whenever someone takes time out of their day to tell me they don’t like my show’s theme song, to tell me I am talking too fast or gesturing too much with my hands, or to tell me that my sound quality could use some improvement, instead of getting grumpy, I am taking it into consideration and looking for ways to improve, because….

I want to be a wise man… Or… Well… A wise Mandie!

Another important thing to consider when receiving criticism is the source - is it someone who has knowledge in the area that they’re critiquing? Is it someone with your best interest in mind? Someone happy, or a hater?

So far, I am blessed to say that apart from one person who just commented “terrible” on one of my videos on facebook, that I have been blessed to feel that everyone who has offered up criticism has had good intentions, which this “wise Mandie in progress” truly appreciates!

Do you have any tips for receiving criticism well? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

xoxo,

Mandie

P.S. Oh, and an update! A friend I haven’t seen since high school won my CHI Hair products giveaway! I am excited to meet up with her to hand deliver the prize! Stay tuned for a new giveaway soon! And if you’re a company looking for exposure, message me about a possible future giveaway!

P.P.S. 

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Like Mom Always Said - Say “Thank You!”

Here’s the first post I am bringing over from the Tumblr page to here. I think it is super valuable, and a new way to look at something pretty common that you may overlook - saying thank you!

Without further ado:

Confession: I am a personal development junkie.

I have been listening to a ton of podcasts lately, which is not that different from the norm for me.

One of them is Chalene Johnson’s Show, and I have a few takeaways that I would love to share with you. The first is about accepting compliments.

It is so easy sometimes, especially (it seems) for women, to dismiss a compliment… For example, “I like your shirt,” “Oh this old thing? blah blah blah…”

You may think that you are being modest, or you may legitimately feel uncomfortable receiving praise.

But one perspective I had never considered was the fact that it can actually be rude to the complimentor to deflect their kind words.

Think about it - they are expressing their opinion, which is positive, about something about you. If you dismiss it, you are basically devaluing their opinion, and telling them they are wrong!

When I was less confident, a mentor of mine at the time told me that any time someone pays me a compliment, the first thing I should do is look them in the eyes and thank them sincerely, and then repeat the compliment three times in my head so that it sticks!

I’ve always thought this was great advice for the person receiving the compliment, but now love it in the frame of reference of the person paying the compliment as well! Chalene says that when we look that person in the eye, say “thank you” and smile, that is like giving that person a gift.

The moral of the story? Don’t be selfish. When you are complimented, look that wonderful person in the eye, say “thank you,” and then repeat that compliment silently to yourself three times. For both of you!

xoxo,

Mandie

Did you like what you read? Make sure to check out other blogs on the page, and to subscribe by entering your email below, so you never miss a post! 


 


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