Brand Building: Living The Whole Picture with Jama Pantel
Brand Building: Living the Whole Picture is the go-to podcast for ambitious women ready to elevate their visibility, build authentic confidence, and become the face of their brand.
Hosted by luxury portrait photographer, author, educator, and former influencer Jama Pantel, this podcast delivers actionable strategies on personal branding, photography, and business growth—so you can step into the spotlight with clarity and purpose.
If you've ever felt unseen in your industry, struggled with confidence on camera, or hesitated to show up boldly, this is your roadmap to build a powerful presence that gets you noticed and respected.
Join Jama as she helps you build a brand that stands out, master your presence in photos and video, and turn your expertise into a magnetic business.
It’s time to stop playing small and start showing up like the leader you were meant to be.
Brand Building: Living The Whole Picture with Jama Pantel
Bridging the Confidence Gap: Empowering Women to Overcome Self-Doubt
Do you ever feel like you're capable of more but find yourself holding back or second-guessing your abilities? You're not alone. In this episode of Living the Whole Picture, Jama Pantel dives deep into the "confidence gap," a common issue among high-achieving women who doubt their potential despite their accomplishments.
Drawing from her personal experiences in politics and entrepreneurship, Jama candidly shares why women often underestimate themselves and practical tips to build authentic confidence. If you're tired of playing small and ready to step boldly into your power, this episode is your roadmap to overcoming self-doubt and owning your voice.
Timestamps:
- 00:00 – What is the Confidence Gap and how it impacts women
- 02:03 – Jama’s personal story of overcoming self-doubt in a male-dominated career
- 03:03 – Understanding why women hold themselves back: perfectionism, societal expectations, and fear of judgment
- 05:02 – Practical strategies to bridge your confidence gap
- 05:30 – Reframing your inner dialogue for growth and empowerment
- 06:03 – Why intentionally leaning into discomfort accelerates confidence
- 07:03 – Celebrating small wins as stepping stones to success
- 07:32 – Building your "confidence squad" and finding supportive communities
- 08:15 – Why confidence is a skill anyone can develop with practice
- 09:38 – How you can take immediate action to start bridging your confidence gap
Key Takeaways:
- The Confidence Gap is the tendency for capable women to doubt their own worth or hesitate despite being highly qualified.
- Perfectionism and societal conditioning often pressure women to remain silent unless they feel perfectly qualified.
- Fear of judgment prevents many women from speaking up and being visible in their careers and personal lives.
- Practical actions like reframing self-talk, leaning into discomfort, celebrating small victories, and building a supportive network can significantly boost your confidence.
- Confidence is not innate, but rather a skill developed through intentional practice and persistence.
Ready to take action?
Pick one courageous act today—share your story, speak up in a meeting, or post something authentic online—and tag Jama on social media to celebrate your brave step forward.
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🌟 Connect with Jama Pantel:
Visit jamapantel.com for more resources, courses, and inspiration on building your powerful presence.
Have you ever felt like you're capable of so much more but somehow find yourself playing small, holding back or second-guessing your own voice? Listen closely. Confidence isn't something some women magically have and others just don't. It's built, it's earned, and today we're bridging that gap together. Let's stop holding ourselves back and start owning the powerful presence we deserve.
Jama Pantel:Hey y'all, welcome back to Living the Whole Picture, the podcast for ambitious women ready to elevate their visibility, build authentic confidence and become the face of their brand. I'm your host, Jama Pantel, a luxury portrait photographer, author, educator, influencer and dream chaser here to help you master your brand presence and show up authentically with confidence. Each week, we'll dive into topics to help you shine in business and in life, so you can stop hesitating and start showing up like the leader you were meant to be. If you've ever struggled with confidence on camera or hesitated to put yourself out there, this podcast is for you. Let's get started on living the whole picture together. Today, we're diving deep into something I like to call the confidence gap. It's real, it's frustrating and it's holding too many of us back from stepping into the spotlight and truly shining. So let's jump right in. Today we're tackling this issue that so many of us feel, but rarely speak openly about what I call the confidence gap. Of us feel, but rarely speak openly about what I call the confidence gap. Simply put, the confidence gap is the tendency for women, even those who are incredibly talented, educated and successful, to underestimate themselves, second-guess their qualifications and hold back their brilliance in spaces where their voices need to be heard the most. How many times have you found yourself overthinking a situation, hesitating to speak up during meetings or even backing away from opportunities simply because you weren't 100% sure you were qualified? If you're not in your head right now, trust me, you're not alone. I'm going to share something very personal with y'all right now.
Jama Pantel:Early in my career, when I was working in politics, I often walked into rooms where I was the youngest person and frequently the only female. Despite my education, experience and the incredible ideas I wanted to contribute. My self-doubt would creep in, whispering those damaging little thoughts. They'll think I'm too young, they won't take me seriously. And what if I embarrass myself? I held back my own voice, my presence and my potential because I allowed these internal messages to dictate my actions. It wasn't until I saw male colleagues confidently asserting themselves without hesitation, even if their ideas weren't half as good that it finally clicked for me. Why was I holding myself back while others boldly stepped forward? The truth was they weren't necessarily smarter or more capable. They just weren't stuck in the cycle of overthinking and second guessing. They simply moved forward confidently. This moment of realization became the cornerstone of the powerful presence I now teach women to build.
Jama Pantel:But the journey and bridging my own confidence gap wasn't overnight. It required intentional work, honest self-reflection and practical strategies that I'm sharing with you today. Now, before we can fix something, we have to understand it. So let's look into a few reasons why women, despite being incredibly capable, often doubt themselves and hold themselves back. Number one the perfectionism trap. This is something I fall into. Research shows that many women feel they must meet 100% of job criteria or qualifications before applying or speaking up, whereas men they often apply confidently at 60%. Whereas men, they often apply confidently at 60%. We believe we must be perfect, otherwise we remain silent. I did a lot of research on this topic before coming to speak on it and all of it made total sense and sounds like stuff I had done early on. So I feel more confident talking and sharing about it now.
Jama Pantel:Number two is societal conditioning. From a young age, many of us have been subtly taught to be agreeable, humble, polite, not too loud, not too ambitious. You know being the perfect girl. While humility and kindness are virtues, they shouldn't come at the expense of your own voice or your own ambition. And number three this is the one I hear all the time from women. I've worked with fear of judgment. Women, particularly in male-dominated industries, often fear being judged harshly or labeled negatively for showing assertiveness or ambition. This fear can prevent us from stepping up, even when we're completely capable. Recognize these. You're not alone and the good news is, each one is something we can actively work on overcoming. So now let's dive into strategies to overcome this confidence gap. So I promised practical tips to help you bridge your confidence gap, and here they are.
Jama Pantel:Number one reframe your inner dialogue. We spend so much time in our own heads, so we need to learn to shift the dialogue and remember that the words we say to ourself truly matter. Change that inner narrative from I can't to I'll try, and from what if I fail I fail to what if this is exactly the opportunity I've been waiting for. They really are simple fixes and things we need to remember to do in our own heads where we live. So here's a personal example from me Whenever my inner critic starts whispering doubts, I challenge it directly and I've done this publicly sometimes, where I challenge myself to do things that I don't think will work and then I've proved that they do and I was wrong. So I go from that whole. I'm not qualified enough to force myself to pause and literally say things like I'm exactly where I need to be or where I should be. I know it sounds simple, but saying it out loud helps drown that negative inner voice.
Jama Pantel:Now, number two lean into discomfort intentionally. This is again something I do a lot, y'all. Confidence grows faster in uncomfortable situations. Challenge yourself to speak up in the next meeting. Post that video online or volunteer to present your ideas first. Post that video online or volunteer to present your ideas first. Lean into your discomfort intentionally and realize it's a gateway, not a barrier.
Jama Pantel:When I first started creating videos and reels, I was terrified. My first YouTube video, ridiculously scared, and I was thinking what if no one watched? Or what if they thought I looked silly? Guess what happened Nothing. Some people absolutely loved it. Most really didn't care. No one criticized or attacked me, and the more I did it, the easier it became. The growth came because I leaned into that discomfort and I know you can too, and I say this all the time. Just record yourself, no one has to see it. Practice, practice, practice Now.
Jama Pantel:Number three celebrate every win, big or small. Every small act of courage matters and each one is a building block. Learn to pause and celebrate every win, even tiny little moments, like speaking up during a meeting or finally posting a confident selfie. These little celebrations rewire your brain to associate confidence with positive outcomes. It becomes addictive, motivating you to repeat that courageous behavior over and over again.
Jama Pantel:Number four build your confidence squad. I talk about this often networking and community building and finding your tribe. This is huge. You can never underestimate the power of surrounding yourself with people who uplift you, challenge you and genuinely want to see you succeed. Find those mentors, accountability partners or join groups specifically focused on uplifting ambitious women. Trust me, I have my groups and I don't know where I would be without them. So remember that confidence grows stronger when we see it reflected in the eyes of those who truly believe in us. You know what they say. You are who you surround yourself with, so make sure you surround yourself with the right people.
Jama Pantel:I want to encourage you today, right here, right now, to stop holding yourself back. You have talent. You have skills and brilliance that this world needs. You have unique stories, insights and perspectives that must be shared. Confidence isn't a personality trait. It's a skill you build, a muscle you strengthen and a bridge you can cross over and over again until it becomes second nature. I think that's why I love running so much. I have this ingrained in me to just show up day after day, even when it's not the best, and that plays so much into this. Practice makes perfect and it becomes a habit.
Jama Pantel:I want you to take one intentional action today to bridge your confidence gap. Post something authentic online, speak up about your idea in your next meeting, or reach out to someone you've been meaning to connect with but have held back. Then DM me or tag me in your social media stories. I want to celebrate these brave moments alongside you. So for my closing thoughts, listen up y'all. The confidence gap is real, but it's not permanent. Remember, confidence isn't something you're born with necessarily, but it is something that you can build. It's a hero's journey, and every single step you take forward is bringing you closer to that confidence, that powerful presence you're meant to have.
Jama Pantel:Thank you so much for tuning in to Living the Whole Picture. If this episode resonated with you, I'd love for you to subscribe, leave me a review and share it with another high-achieving woman who needs to hear this message. Or, better yet, share it and tag me on social media. Visit my website, jamapantel. com, for more resources, updates and ways we can work together. Be sure to subscribe while you're on the website so you never miss anything. You've worked hard to get where you are Now. It's time to show up confidently and own your presence. Until next time, keep showing up and living the whole picture.
