June 24, 2025 • 15 mins
Ever felt stuck waiting to feel ready before taking that big leap? Niki Sterner discovered the secret isn't waiting for confidence to arrive—it's taking courageous action first and letting confidence follow.
The Confidence Shortcut revolves around three essential pillars: mindset, path, and action. When these elements align, transformation happens faster than you might believe possible. Niki vulnerably shares how she spent years playing small until she developed a system that helped her reconnect with her dreams and take bold action despite her fears.
One particularly powerful ritual Niki describes is her "burning ceremony," where she wrote down all her limiting beliefs, read them aloud to her family, and set them on fire—symbolically releasing what had held her back. This act of courage created ripple effects not just in her life but in her children's lives too. They've since stepped into leadership roles, tried new things, and embraced challenges they previously would have avoided.
For parents especially, Niki addresses the guilt that can come with pursuing personal dreams while balancing family responsibilities. She's discovered that quality time matters more than quantity, and modeling courage for her children has become one of her greatest gifts to them. When we evolve, we give permission to those around us to do the same.
Whether you're facing career transitions, creative blocks, or simply feeling that there's more to life than what you're currently experiencing, this episode offers practical wisdom for moving forward. As Niki says, "Pick something and jump"—because the shortcut to confidence is courage, and what's meant for you will never pass you by. Ready to take your first step? Download the free Confidence Kickstart Morning Routine in the show notes and start building momentum today.
New episodes every week — packed with honest conversations, mindset tools, and real-life shortcuts to help you silence your inner critic, build true confidence, and take bold action.
📌 Subscribe + share if you're ready to stop overthinking and finally move forward.
💛 For freebies and updates, Join The Confidence Shortcut Community
✨ Grab your free Confidence Kickstart Guide.
🧠 Click to learn more about the Dynamic Neural Retraining System (DNRS) and how it helps rewire your brain for healing.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Niki Sterner (00:01):
Welcome to the Confidence Shortcut, the podcast
for ambitious creatives andentrepreneurs who are ready to
stop overthinking, take boldaction and finally step into the
life they've been dreamingabout.
I'm your host, Niki Sterner,mom, actor, comedian and
producer.
After years of playing smalland waiting to feel ready, I
went on a courage quest andfound a shortcut to confidence.
(00:21):
Each week, I'll bring you realstories, simple steps and
conversations with experts.
In mindset courage andconfidence, plus heart-to-hearts
with fellow creatives who areturning their dreams into
reality.
It's time to get unstuck andstart showing up.
Let's dive in.
Micah Caldwell (00:40):
So what are the three pillars of the confidence
shortcut?
Niki Sterner (00:44):
Okay, so the three pillars of the confidence
shortcut are mindset, path andaction.
I feel like for so long Ididn't have all three, like I
might've been taking action butI didn't have the right mindset.
Or I had a mindset but I wasn'tclear on my path.
And to truly jump into yourgrowth mindset, to live the life
that you love, you have to haveyour mindset, your path and
(01:07):
take action.
All three, and I have a systemthat you can get there quicker.
I can't believe how far I'vecome in one year from when I
started doing this, so it reallycan be a shortcut to your dream
life.
You can step in quickly whenyou have these things in place.
Micah Caldwell (01:25):
How did you remember who you were and what
mattered most?
Or how do you along the way,how do you remember who you are
and what matters most?
Niki Sterner (01:36):
By looking back and writing down my star list
and my success list and myscared list.
My three lists are really whathelped me remember, and I had to
write it out.
I couldn't just think Icouldn't be in my head, I had to
see them.
I'm a visual learner, soremembering was a lot of writing
, a lot of journaling, a lot oflists and just trying to figure
(01:59):
it out, and sometimes I didn'tknow and I would have to start
writing or typing.
The 10 minutes that I wouldwrite every morning really
helped.
I did a program called theActors Think Tank and that had a
bunch of questions my why, myvalue, my 20 year career plan
that I reverse engineered.
All of that helped me to gainclarity on who have I been in
the past and who do I want to be, and how do I mash those
(02:22):
together to remember the dreamthat I have.
There was a lot of meditation toask, call for what is it, and
sometimes it's not my headthat's thinking, it's my heart
that's thinking it, and sogetting that out, without
actually knowing what was goingto come out on my keys or
writing, is really how Iremembered it.
(02:43):
I had to ask the question,though, and I had to listen for
the answer.
Micah Caldwell (02:48):
What was the hardest part about transitioning
into the person you've alwayswanted to be?
The?
Niki Sterner (02:53):
hardest part was knowing how to still be a mom
and juggle the career part of it.
That was a big transition for mebecause I used to be all in mom
and sometimes I'd have a job,but it was not as important as
my kids.
I don't know if you've everheard the saying you're married
to acting.
I've always heard that and it'spretty true because acting is
(03:16):
supposed to take priority overyour schedule.
That makes it hard as a mom,because a lot of times I feel
like I show up at things and I'mthe only mom there, or there's
two of us and there's like 20,30 other people and I look
around and I'm like I could beat home with my kids and my
husband right now and sometimesI feel bad about it.
There's a little bit of guilt.
But then at the same time I wasat home with them for a long
(03:38):
time and I was not happy justbeing at home.
I know that it's a balance andI'll be a work in progress for
the rest of my life and so aslong as I make the most of the
time that I have with them andI'm fully present, it's quality
of time with them versusquantity of time.
Micah Caldwell (03:55):
Yeah, that makes sense and I was going to ask
how you juggle being a mom andan actor, but especially when
your identity is evolving, howdoes that work?
Niki Sterner (04:03):
Yeah.
So I did this thing called aburning ceremony, and it was
getting rid of limiting beliefs,because a big part of my
identity was holding my own selfback because of my limiting
beliefs for a very long time,and so I had written out all
these things that I was notgoing to let hold me back
(04:24):
anymore on a piece of paper, andthen I wrote out my new beliefs
, my growth beliefs, and Ibrought my family with me new
beliefs, my growth beliefs and Ibrought my family with me
outside on the sidewalk and it'sa vulnerable moment, saying I'm
not going to hold myself backanymore.
I'm going to always know thatI'm enough.
All the things that you wantyour kids to have.
But it's just so vulnerable,but it's such a special moment
(04:47):
that I wanted them there, and soI read it, and then I, of
course, te up and then I lit thepiece of paper on fire and
watched it dance around becauseI was getting rid of these
limiting beliefs and it was sucha powerful thing to do with
them because I wanted to takethem on the ride.
When I did the courage quest, Ibrought the kids along with me
(05:10):
on a lot of the adventures andit really opened up their life
as well to having more courageand trying new things.
And the more that I evolve, themore I bring them with me
because they see everything andtheir lives are better for it.
And that is the payoff ofliving the life that you're
meant to live by having thatcourage.
(05:30):
Confidence doesn't come first.
Action and habits do.
That's why I created theConfidence Kickstart Morning
Routine.
The life that you're meant tolive by having that courage,
mindset, path and action.
It's the exact routine I use toget up on stage and speak up.
(05:53):
No more shrinking or secondguessing.
The link's in the caption.
Grab it now and build theconfidence to move forward every
single day.
Micah Caldwell (06:03):
I imagine it would be hard to be vulnerable
in front of your kids whenyou're so used to keeping up a
really strong front.
How did they respond?
How have they responded?
Niki Sterner (06:15):
I've noticed they are all growing a lot.
They've grown a lot over thepast year, like in leadership
roles, in trying new things.
My son, jake he loves gamingand computer stuff and he signed
up for Science Olympiad.
I stopped pushing them a fewyears ago when I had my
evolution.
I was like I'm not going tohelicopter parent anymore.
(06:35):
I'm not going to ask them to dothings or push them to do
things.
They're going to be their ownadvocates.
And so Jake signed up forScience Olympiad, which has been
really great.
He's had to be there multipledays a week, mornings before
school.
He has Science Olympiad meets.
I'm really proud of him forthat.
And then Kelsey is our collegestudent and she's taken on a
(06:57):
leadership role in a computerscience club on campus and she
schedules her own conferencesand she got an internship which
is pretty difficult to get incomputer science.
So she's taken all of that on.
And then Breezy stepped intostudent government this year and
she's really great at planningthings and making events happen.
(07:18):
So I feel like they've allreally stepped up this year and
it's been quite magical to see,because that's what you want for
them.
I don't want them to feel stuck.
I don't want them to feel smallor play small at all in their
lives.
And they really aren't anymore.
So that's wonderful, yeah, andI saw Breezy just graduated from
the STEM program yeah, there'sthree different pieces of the
(07:42):
STEM program and there's like 60some kids that have been
together for four years takingthese really difficult classes.
Micah Caldwell (07:48):
It's like us with the comedy we've been
together for however many monthsnow, taking classes together,
getting up on stage, doing thehard things, training for what
we want to do, and they're doingthe same thing in high school
In terms of the burning ceremony, and you were letting go of the
past version of yourself toembrace the present version of
yourself and, hopefully, thefuture version of yourself as
(08:08):
well.
Were you at all sad to let goof the person you used to be?
Niki Sterner (08:24):
to be.
I think I was sad that I hadheld myself back for so long and
that I had believed thesethings for so long.
I think that's what I was sadabout, and it is like a death,
like when you release thatperson.
There is a grief process yeah,I'm not that person anymore.
There is a sadness.
That's not my life anymore andit's more.
I wish I would have knownbetter sooner, but it shaped me
for who I am and it makes mewant to get this message out
(08:46):
that much more, because it wassuch a long period of time that
I held myself back.
Micah Caldwell (08:51):
If I were to put together my own scared list, I
think it would be overwhelming.
So how can listeners begin tostretch their own edges without
overwhelming themselves, likeyou did so many things?
And how did you keep fromgetting overwhelmed?
Niki Sterner (09:10):
The first thing was that I had a goal in mind.
I knew that I wanted to be onthis TV show.
I told myself that I was goingto be on the TV show and start
training for that.
So what is it that the listeneris wanting to do right now?
And then what is holding themback?
So that's what goes on thescared list.
So if it's I want to get onstage and do comedy, what's
(09:31):
holding me back?
Maybe I don't have a set yet,so I have to sign up for a class
that will help me write a fiveminute set, and then maybe it's
getting on stages, like the 30stages in 30 days or whatever it
is for that person that'staking action.
But I think you have to geteducated.
You have to know what it isthat you want and then learn
(09:51):
about it.
You got to get curious aboutwhat does that look like and how
could I add something into mydaily routine that would help me
get there quicker.
I think developing a habit,adding a habit in there, is
really important for gettingthere, but just knowing why do I
want that and what do I want.
(10:13):
And then what's the one thingthat I can do today to get me
there.
Whether that's researching howto do it or finding someone who
can teach you, there's alwayssomething you can do right now
that puts you in action versusjust thinking.
Micah Caldwell (10:30):
And it seems like the action is more
important than anything else.
Yeah, just pick something andjump.
Pick something and jump.
Yeah, I love that, becausesometimes it doesn't all stick.
Niki Sterner (10:42):
Sometimes we try things and maybe that wasn't it,
but I'm glad I tried it.
If you've been living withchronic symptoms like pain,
brain fog, sensitivity to smells, light or sound, it might not
just be your body, it could beyour brain, stuck in a survival
loop.
Dnrs stands for Dynamic NeuralRetraining System.
It's a science-backed programthat helps rewire the limbic
(11:04):
system, the part of the brainresponsible for fear, fight or
flight and overreaction toeveryday things.
It changed everything for me,helping me heal and return to
the creative life I love.
If this speaks to you, clickthe link in the caption.
It might be the answer you'relooking for.
Micah Caldwell (11:22):
And that makes me think of another question.
You told me that in themornings you do your
affirmations and you have thismiracle mindset that miracles
are going to happen, andcertainly a lot of wonderful
things have come into your lifeover the past year or so that
you've been on this journey.
How do you deal with it whensomething that you want doesn't
(11:49):
happen for you?
Niki Sterner (11:51):
Oh yeah, you mean, it doesn't happen right away.
Oh, okay, that's an interestingtake A lot of times it's coming
, but it's not coming as fast aswe want it.
That's a mindset shift.
Having patience and knowingthat the journey might take
longer than you think it will isreally important, because I am
(12:15):
impatient.
I think a lot of people justwant it right now.
I want to be good now and likeeven I got an audition right now
for a great role where it's atwin sister, and so she's
playing both people, thecharacters.
Micah Caldwell (12:29):
Yeah.
Niki Sterner (12:30):
And I watched another TV show three or four
years ago and, oh my gosh, Iwould love to play a role like
that.
And just to get the opportunityto audition for this role, I'm
like wow.
But then I think back and I'mlike, okay, what have I been
doing the past few months?
I've been learning lines a lotwith our classes for comedy,
(12:51):
which is really working on mymemory, because if you're going
to be doing a show or a movie,it's constant memorization and
lines every day.
So that has been preparing mefor something like that.
And then also I've been on ashort film set recently where I
loved the process of workingwith the director, and so that's
(13:12):
also preparing me for it.
And then doing the sketch andimprov is more memorization.
And getting on stage andperforming even before I feel
ready.
It's not perfect, but gettingup there and being open to new
ideas and just performing onstage before I feel like it was
perfect is a big deal.
And this audition came along ata great time, because I do feel
(13:33):
like I could do this if I washired, but I wanted it three
years ago, oh I see, yeah, right, you did.
Micah Caldwell (13:42):
And I was like why am I not?
Niki Sterner (13:44):
getting this, but I didn't have the tools in place
and I feel like the universeoffered me a lot when I was
right out of college and I waslike, ooh, too fast, I'm not
ready.
So now I feel like the universeis like okay, you take action
and then, when you're ready,I'll know and I'll present
opportunities.
Micah Caldwell (14:02):
What if you don't get this particular role?
Niki Sterner (14:06):
Yeah, and that could happen, because I've had
that happen recently too withother commercial jobs, just to
be perfect.
But then there's a part of youthat has to not really care
either way.
If I get this role, great, if Idon't, there's going to be
another opportunity, and thatwhole mentality of what's meant
for me will never pass me by.
So this could just be a greatopportunity to audition and
(14:29):
learn how to prepare for a role,or it could be something that I
book.
But I think just having themindset more opportunities are
coming.
There's an abundance ofopportunities that are showing
up for me, and just having thatmindset helps me to know that
there's less pressure to beperfect at this audition,
because if I get it, great, itwas meant for me.
If I don't, then something elseis coming.
An opportunity that's meant forme will not pass me by something
(14:53):
else is coming, an opportunitythat's meant for me will not
pass me by.
Thanks so much for listening tothe Confidence Shortcut.
I hope today's episode wokesomething up in you, reminding
you that your dream matters andyou can start now.
If this sparked something,share it with a friend who needs
it too.
And don't forget to follow meon Instagram, at Nikki Sterner,
and join our Facebook communityat the Confidence Shortcut.
Ready to take the next step?
Check out my free guide at theConfidence Shortcut.
(15:14):
Ready to take the next step?
Check out my free guide, theConfidence Kickstart, linked in
the show notes.
Keep showing up, keep takingaction and remember.
The shortcut to confidence iscourage.
Welcome to the Confidence Shortcut, the podcast
for ambitious creatives andentrepreneurs who are ready to
stop overthinking, take boldaction and finally step into the
life they've been dreamingabout.
I'm your host, Niki Sterner,mom, actor, comedian and
producer.
After years of playing smalland waiting to feel ready, I
went on a courage quest andfound a shortcut to confidence.
(00:21):
Each week, I'll bring you realstories, simple steps and
conversations with experts.
In mindset courage andconfidence, plus heart-to-hearts
with fellow creatives who areturning their dreams into
reality.
It's time to get unstuck andstart showing up.
Let's dive in.
Micah Caldwell (00:40):
So what are the three pillars of the confidence
shortcut?
Niki Sterner (00:44):
Okay, so the three pillars of the confidence
shortcut are mindset, path andaction.
I feel like for so long Ididn't have all three, like I
might've been taking action butI didn't have the right mindset.
Or I had a mindset but I wasn'tclear on my path.
And to truly jump into yourgrowth mindset, to live the life
that you love, you have to haveyour mindset, your path and
(01:07):
take action.
All three, and I have a systemthat you can get there quicker.
I can't believe how far I'vecome in one year from when I
started doing this, so it reallycan be a shortcut to your dream
life.
You can step in quickly whenyou have these things in place.
Micah Caldwell (01:25):
How did you remember who you were and what
mattered most?
Or how do you along the way,how do you remember who you are
and what matters most?
Niki Sterner (01:36):
By looking back and writing down my star list
and my success list and myscared list.
My three lists are really whathelped me remember, and I had to
write it out.
I couldn't just think Icouldn't be in my head, I had to
see them.
I'm a visual learner, soremembering was a lot of writing
, a lot of journaling, a lot oflists and just trying to figure
(01:59):
it out, and sometimes I didn'tknow and I would have to start
writing or typing.
The 10 minutes that I wouldwrite every morning really
helped.
I did a program called theActors Think Tank and that had a
bunch of questions my why, myvalue, my 20 year career plan
that I reverse engineered.
All of that helped me to gainclarity on who have I been in
the past and who do I want to be, and how do I mash those
(02:22):
together to remember the dreamthat I have.
There was a lot of meditation toask, call for what is it, and
sometimes it's not my headthat's thinking, it's my heart
that's thinking it, and sogetting that out, without
actually knowing what was goingto come out on my keys or
writing, is really how Iremembered it.
(02:43):
I had to ask the question,though, and I had to listen for
the answer.
Micah Caldwell (02:48):
What was the hardest part about transitioning
into the person you've alwayswanted to be?
The?
Niki Sterner (02:53):
hardest part was knowing how to still be a mom
and juggle the career part of it.
That was a big transition for mebecause I used to be all in mom
and sometimes I'd have a job,but it was not as important as
my kids.
I don't know if you've everheard the saying you're married
to acting.
I've always heard that and it'spretty true because acting is
(03:16):
supposed to take priority overyour schedule.
That makes it hard as a mom,because a lot of times I feel
like I show up at things and I'mthe only mom there, or there's
two of us and there's like 20,30 other people and I look
around and I'm like I could beat home with my kids and my
husband right now and sometimesI feel bad about it.
There's a little bit of guilt.
But then at the same time I wasat home with them for a long
(03:38):
time and I was not happy justbeing at home.
I know that it's a balance andI'll be a work in progress for
the rest of my life and so aslong as I make the most of the
time that I have with them andI'm fully present, it's quality
of time with them versusquantity of time.
Micah Caldwell (03:55):
Yeah, that makes sense and I was going to ask
how you juggle being a mom andan actor, but especially when
your identity is evolving, howdoes that work?
Niki Sterner (04:03):
Yeah.
So I did this thing called aburning ceremony, and it was
getting rid of limiting beliefs,because a big part of my
identity was holding my own selfback because of my limiting
beliefs for a very long time,and so I had written out all
these things that I was notgoing to let hold me back
(04:24):
anymore on a piece of paper, andthen I wrote out my new beliefs
, my growth beliefs, and Ibrought my family with me new
beliefs, my growth beliefs and Ibrought my family with me
outside on the sidewalk and it'sa vulnerable moment, saying I'm
not going to hold myself backanymore.
I'm going to always know thatI'm enough.
All the things that you wantyour kids to have.
But it's just so vulnerable,but it's such a special moment
(04:47):
that I wanted them there, and soI read it, and then I, of
course, te up and then I lit thepiece of paper on fire and
watched it dance around becauseI was getting rid of these
limiting beliefs and it was sucha powerful thing to do with
them because I wanted to takethem on the ride.
When I did the courage quest, Ibrought the kids along with me
(05:10):
on a lot of the adventures andit really opened up their life
as well to having more courageand trying new things.
And the more that I evolve, themore I bring them with me
because they see everything andtheir lives are better for it.
And that is the payoff ofliving the life that you're
meant to live by having thatcourage.
(05:30):
Confidence doesn't come first.
Action and habits do.
That's why I created theConfidence Kickstart Morning
Routine.
The life that you're meant tolive by having that courage,
mindset, path and action.
It's the exact routine I use toget up on stage and speak up.
(05:53):
No more shrinking or secondguessing.
The link's in the caption.
Grab it now and build theconfidence to move forward every
single day.
Micah Caldwell (06:03):
I imagine it would be hard to be vulnerable
in front of your kids whenyou're so used to keeping up a
really strong front.
How did they respond?
How have they responded?
Niki Sterner (06:15):
I've noticed they are all growing a lot.
They've grown a lot over thepast year, like in leadership
roles, in trying new things.
My son, jake he loves gamingand computer stuff and he signed
up for Science Olympiad.
I stopped pushing them a fewyears ago when I had my
evolution.
I was like I'm not going tohelicopter parent anymore.
(06:35):
I'm not going to ask them to dothings or push them to do
things.
They're going to be their ownadvocates.
And so Jake signed up forScience Olympiad, which has been
really great.
He's had to be there multipledays a week, mornings before
school.
He has Science Olympiad meets.
I'm really proud of him forthat.
And then Kelsey is our collegestudent and she's taken on a
(06:57):
leadership role in a computerscience club on campus and she
schedules her own conferencesand she got an internship which
is pretty difficult to get incomputer science.
So she's taken all of that on.
And then Breezy stepped intostudent government this year and
she's really great at planningthings and making events happen.
(07:18):
So I feel like they've allreally stepped up this year and
it's been quite magical to see,because that's what you want for
them.
I don't want them to feel stuck.
I don't want them to feel smallor play small at all in their
lives.
And they really aren't anymore.
So that's wonderful, yeah, andI saw Breezy just graduated from
the STEM program yeah, there'sthree different pieces of the
(07:42):
STEM program and there's like 60some kids that have been
together for four years takingthese really difficult classes.
Micah Caldwell (07:48):
It's like us with the comedy we've been
together for however many monthsnow, taking classes together,
getting up on stage, doing thehard things, training for what
we want to do, and they're doingthe same thing in high school
In terms of the burning ceremony, and you were letting go of the
past version of yourself toembrace the present version of
yourself and, hopefully, thefuture version of yourself as
(08:08):
well.
Were you at all sad to let goof the person you used to be?
Niki Sterner (08:24):
to be.
I think I was sad that I hadheld myself back for so long and
that I had believed thesethings for so long.
I think that's what I was sadabout, and it is like a death,
like when you release thatperson.
There is a grief process yeah,I'm not that person anymore.
There is a sadness.
That's not my life anymore andit's more.
I wish I would have knownbetter sooner, but it shaped me
for who I am and it makes mewant to get this message out
(08:46):
that much more, because it wassuch a long period of time that
I held myself back.
Micah Caldwell (08:51):
If I were to put together my own scared list, I
think it would be overwhelming.
So how can listeners begin tostretch their own edges without
overwhelming themselves, likeyou did so many things?
And how did you keep fromgetting overwhelmed?
Niki Sterner (09:10):
The first thing was that I had a goal in mind.
I knew that I wanted to be onthis TV show.
I told myself that I was goingto be on the TV show and start
training for that.
So what is it that the listeneris wanting to do right now?
And then what is holding themback?
So that's what goes on thescared list.
So if it's I want to get onstage and do comedy, what's
(09:31):
holding me back?
Maybe I don't have a set yet,so I have to sign up for a class
that will help me write a fiveminute set, and then maybe it's
getting on stages, like the 30stages in 30 days or whatever it
is for that person that'staking action.
But I think you have to geteducated.
You have to know what it isthat you want and then learn
(09:51):
about it.
You got to get curious aboutwhat does that look like and how
could I add something into mydaily routine that would help me
get there quicker.
I think developing a habit,adding a habit in there, is
really important for gettingthere, but just knowing why do I
want that and what do I want.
(10:13):
And then what's the one thingthat I can do today to get me
there.
Whether that's researching howto do it or finding someone who
can teach you, there's alwayssomething you can do right now
that puts you in action versusjust thinking.
Micah Caldwell (10:30):
And it seems like the action is more
important than anything else.
Yeah, just pick something andjump.
Pick something and jump.
Yeah, I love that, becausesometimes it doesn't all stick.
Niki Sterner (10:42):
Sometimes we try things and maybe that wasn't it,
but I'm glad I tried it.
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It's a science-backed programthat helps rewire the limbic
(11:04):
system, the part of the brainresponsible for fear, fight or
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It changed everything for me,helping me heal and return to
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If this speaks to you, clickthe link in the caption.
It might be the answer you'relooking for.
Micah Caldwell (11:22):
And that makes me think of another question.
You told me that in themornings you do your
affirmations and you have thismiracle mindset that miracles
are going to happen, andcertainly a lot of wonderful
things have come into your lifeover the past year or so that
you've been on this journey.
How do you deal with it whensomething that you want doesn't
(11:49):
happen for you?
Niki Sterner (11:51):
Oh yeah, you mean, it doesn't happen right away.
Oh, okay, that's an interestingtake A lot of times it's coming
, but it's not coming as fast aswe want it.
That's a mindset shift.
Having patience and knowingthat the journey might take
longer than you think it will isreally important, because I am
(12:15):
impatient.
I think a lot of people justwant it right now.
I want to be good now and likeeven I got an audition right now
for a great role where it's atwin sister, and so she's
playing both people, thecharacters.
Micah Caldwell (12:29):
Yeah.
Niki Sterner (12:30):
And I watched another TV show three or four
years ago and, oh my gosh, Iwould love to play a role like
that.
And just to get the opportunityto audition for this role, I'm
like wow.
But then I think back and I'mlike, okay, what have I been
doing the past few months?
I've been learning lines a lotwith our classes for comedy,
(12:51):
which is really working on mymemory, because if you're going
to be doing a show or a movie,it's constant memorization and
lines every day.
So that has been preparing mefor something like that.
And then also I've been on ashort film set recently where I
loved the process of workingwith the director, and so that's
(13:12):
also preparing me for it.
And then doing the sketch andimprov is more memorization.
And getting on stage andperforming even before I feel
ready.
It's not perfect, but gettingup there and being open to new
ideas and just performing onstage before I feel like it was
perfect is a big deal.
And this audition came along ata great time, because I do feel
(13:33):
like I could do this if I washired, but I wanted it three
years ago, oh I see, yeah, right, you did.
Micah Caldwell (13:42):
And I was like why am I not?
Niki Sterner (13:44):
getting this, but I didn't have the tools in place
and I feel like the universeoffered me a lot when I was
right out of college and I waslike, ooh, too fast, I'm not
ready.
So now I feel like the universeis like okay, you take action
and then, when you're ready,I'll know and I'll present
opportunities.
Micah Caldwell (14:02):
What if you don't get this particular role?
Niki Sterner (14:06):
Yeah, and that could happen, because I've had
that happen recently too withother commercial jobs, just to
be perfect.
But then there's a part of youthat has to not really care
either way.
If I get this role, great, if Idon't, there's going to be
another opportunity, and thatwhole mentality of what's meant
for me will never pass me by.
So this could just be a greatopportunity to audition and
(14:29):
learn how to prepare for a role,or it could be something that I
book.
But I think just having themindset more opportunities are
coming.
There's an abundance ofopportunities that are showing
up for me, and just having thatmindset helps me to know that
there's less pressure to beperfect at this audition,
because if I get it, great, itwas meant for me.
If I don't, then something elseis coming.
An opportunity that's meant forme will not pass me by something
(14:53):
else is coming, an opportunitythat's meant for me will not
pass me by.
Thanks so much for listening tothe Confidence Shortcut.
I hope today's episode wokesomething up in you, reminding
you that your dream matters andyou can start now.
If this sparked something,share it with a friend who needs
it too.
And don't forget to follow meon Instagram, at Nikki Sterner,
and join our Facebook communityat the Confidence Shortcut.
Ready to take the next step?
Check out my free guide at theConfidence Shortcut.
(15:14):
Ready to take the next step?
Check out my free guide, theConfidence Kickstart, linked in
the show notes.
Keep showing up, keep takingaction and remember.
The shortcut to confidence iscourage.
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