It started with a simple email.

Michael had been sitting on his business idea for over a year, convinced he needed more skills, a better plan, and—above all—more confidence before he could share it with anyone. One afternoon, he gathered up the courage to send a short message to a successful business owner he knew, asking for a quick coffee chat.

That text message didn’t transform his idea overnight, but it had a more important effect: It proved he could act. Michael sat nervously waiting for a reply. Instead of rejection or the indifference he was expecting, it came back warm and enthusiastic. That tiny moment of validation sparked a chain of events: One conversation over coffee led to another idea, which led to a small test project, which led to his first paying client.

Confidence didn’t arrive before he acted. It grew because he acted. And each step up built on the previous one.

Why Most Entrepreneurs Get Confidence Backwards

Many new entrepreneurs fall into the trap of waiting to “feel ready” before they take action. They see confidence as a prerequisite, something you’re either born with or acquire by being lucky. That could have been me in the story not that long ago…feeling capable of thinking up and sketching plans, but not confident enough to take a step outside my comfort zone.

But that’s not how it really works. Here’s the deal:

Confidence is a construct. You can build it, engineer it, and scale it just like any kind of workable system or structure. Except the good news is the blueprint for confidence starts small and simple.

If you want to dive deeper into reshaping the way you think so action becomes second nature, check out our post The Mindset Makeover. You will learn ways to shift that will help you step into entrepreneurial action faster.

The Confidence Loop – Your Hidden Growth Engine

Think of confidence as a round or oval loop, and see it as your own.

1. Action – Take one small, deliberate step. (send the email, make the call, post the idea).
2. Feedback – See what happens as a result. (positive reaction, neutral outcome, or a challenge).
3. Reinforcement – Notice the proof that action creates outcomes.
4. Identity Shift – Begin to see yourself as someone who takes action and improves.
5. Learning – Identify what worked and what didn’t.
6. Adjustment – Tweak your approach based on what you learned.
7. Momentum – Start the loop again, repeat the process, build speed, and scale over time.

The magic is that you can enter this loop at any point. Do it today, right now. Waiting for a feeling of self-belief is wasting precious time that could be spent winning.

Why Small Wins Matter More Than Big Leaps

Big wins are exciting, but they’re also rare and unpredictable. Small wins, on the other hand, are entirely within your control and can be manifested at will. And they compound!

When you focus on bite-sized actions:

• You lower the risk of overwhelm.
• You create faster feedback cycles.
• You make it easier to course-correct.
• You get more opportunities for positive reinforcement.

These micro-milestones may feel insignificant at first, but together, they form the foundation of lasting confidence.

How to Start Your Own Confidence Loop

Here’s a practical way to put this into action today:

• Pick one action you can take in under 15 minutes that moves you one step closer to your business goal. If 15 minutes feels too much, start with 5 or 10 minutes.
• Commit to doing it now, without overthinking.
• Take note of the outcome (good, bad, unclear, etc.).
• Decide your next small step based on what you learned.

You don’t need a full plan or analysis. The only thing you’re committing to is the start of the short loop. If it didn’t work out as expected, you haven’t lost much!

Confidence as a Business Asset

Confidence is a strategic advantage, and it also feels plain good.

It affects your ability to:

• Negotiate better deals
• Attract clients and partners
• Make faster, more decisive choices
• Recover from setbacks without losing momentum

And just like any other business asset, it grows when you invest in it consistently.

Confidence will never arrive if you just wait for it. You build confidence by doing. Each small action fuels the next, creating a loop of evidence, learning, and momentum.

The sooner you start the loop, the sooner you see results.

If you’re ready to stop waiting for “the right time” and start building the confidence you need to move your business forward, join our entrepreneurial training program. Module 1: Entrepreneurial Fitness is designed to help you create and sustain your own Confidence Loop, so every step you take brings you closer to the business—and the life—you envision.