Confident You - Raw Conversations

Why do stories matter so much? In this episode of Brave Moves , Julie DeLucca-Collins shares the fascinating story of a 2006 experiment where ordinary thrift store items were sold for thousands of dollars after being paired with compelling stories. Julie explores what this teaches us about leadership, personal branding, human connection, and the importance of sharing our own stories. If you'v...

What would you tell your younger self if you had the chance? In this heartfelt episode of Brave Moves , Julie DeLucca-Collins shares the life lessons, mindset shifts, and wisdom she wishes she had learned sooner. From learning to trust yourself and stop comparing your journey to others, to understanding the power of service, community, and emotional growth, this episode is a reflection on what tru...

Do you ever feel discouraged because your goals seem so far away? In this episode of Brave Moves , Julie DeLucca-Collins explores a powerful quote from Aldous Huxley: "Every ceiling, when reached, becomes a floor upon which one walks." Julie shares why patience, consistency, habits, and community are essential ingredients for personal growth and success. If you've been feeling frust...

Are you an introvert, extrovert, or ambivert—and does it really matter? In this episode of Brave Moves , Julie DeLucca-Collins explores the differences between introversion, extroversion, and ambiversion while revealing the real key to personal growth: energy management. Julie discusses how introverts and extroverts gain and lose energy, why personality labels shouldn't become limitations, an...

Have you ever woken up at 2 a.m. with an idea you couldn't stop thinking about? In this episode of Brave Moves , Julie DeLucca-Collins explores the fascinating history of biphasic sleep, the science of creativity, theta brainwaves, and why some of our greatest insights may emerge during the quiet hours of the night. Drawing on historical research, neuroscience, and her own experience launchin...

Have you ever been having a perfectly good day only to have anxiety suddenly show up and pull you into the future? In this episode of Brave Moves , Julie DeLucca-Collins shares a personal experience with unexpected anxiety and the powerful lessons it taught her about mindfulness, happiness, and returning to the present moment. Drawing inspiration from Emily Dickinson and the Stoic wisdom of Marcus...

Are you searching for love, or unknowingly blocking it? In this episode of Brave Moves , Julie DeLucca-Collins explores the powerful idea that love, connection, and belonging may not be missing from our lives. Instead, the barriers we've built to protect ourselves from pain may be preventing us from fully receiving them. Inspired by a quote often attributed to Rumi, Julie discusses vulnerabil...

Are you spending your life trying to control everything—or learning to be present for what matters most? In this episode of Brave Moves , Julie DeLucca-Collins explores the difference between being present and constantly chasing comfort, certainty, and control. Julie discusses mindfulness, stress, emotional resilience, and the powerful question that can help you focus your energy on what you can a...

How do you move forward when you're scared? In this episode of Brave Moves , Julie DeLucca-Collins explores the connection between fear, courage, confidence, and personal growth. Julie shares why many of life's greatest opportunities begin with uncertainty and how looking back at your own experiences can provide powerful evidence that you're capable of doing hard things. If you&apos...

Why do we jump to conclusions so quickly—and what happens when we don't have the full story? In this episode of Brave Moves , Julie DeLucca-Collins explores a viral moment involving Gwyneth Paltrow and how a quote taken out of context sparked widespread reactions online. Julie uses this example to discuss assumptions, cognitive biases, emotional intelligence, and the importance of understandi...

Have you ever felt guilty for slowing down, getting sick, or taking time to recover? In this episode of Brave Moves , Julie DeLucca-Collins shares a personal reflection after taking a week off from podcasting due to illness. She explores the connection between physical health, productivity, self-worth, and recovery, and explains why rest is not a sign of weakness but a necessary part of sustainabl...

Should you forgive, ignore, or seek revenge when someone hurts you? In this episode of Brave Moves , Julie DeLucca-Collins explores the popular quote, "Weak people revenge. Strong people forgive. Intelligent people ignore," and unpacks what emotional strength, forgiveness, boundaries, and personal peace really look like. Julie discusses how revenge keeps us emotionally attached to pain,...

Do actions really speak louder than words? In this episode of Brave Moves , Julie DeLucca-Collins explores why consistent actions reveal more than promises, intentions, or explanations ever can. Inspired by a powerful quote from Maya Angelou, Julie discusses relationships, trust, personal growth, self-awareness, and the importance of paying attention to patterns instead of potential. If you'v...

Are you appreciating your life, or rushing through it, waiting for something bigger? In this episode of Brave Moves , Julie DeLucca-Collins shares five powerful reminders for living with more gratitude, intention, joy, and presence. From taking care of your future self to finding beauty in everyday moments, Julie explores practical ways to build a more meaningful life without waiting for the next...

Are fear and impatience keeping you stuck? In this episode of Brave Moves , Julie DeLucca-Collins explores why the biggest risk in life is often not failure—but staying where you are. Julie discusses fear, comfort zones, risk avoidance, confidence, personal growth, and why waiting for certainty can quietly steal your joy and potential. This episode is for anyone who feels stuck between where they...

Should you really follow your passion? Or is that advice keeping you stuck? In this episode of Brave Moves , Julie DeLucca-Collins challenges one of the most popular career and personal development myths: "Follow your passion." Drawing on research from psychologists Paul O'Keefe and Carol Dweck, Julie explains why passion is often developed through effort, skill-building, and persis...

Why do some people achieve success consistently while others keep waiting for motivation? In this episode of Brave Moves , Julie DeLucca-Collins explores the powerful connection between identity, habits, mentorship, confidence, and motivation. Building on the previous episode about stories and systems, Julie explains why action creates confidence, why confidence creates motivation, and how mentors...

Are the stories you tell yourself keeping you stuck? In this episode of Brave Moves , Julie DeLucca-Collins explores how limiting beliefs become identities and why many of us live inside stories we never consciously chose. Through a personal story about gardening, inherited beliefs, and the psychology of behavior change, Julie explains why willpower often fails and how systems help us create lasti...

Do we actually experience reality—or do we experience our interpretation of reality? In this episode of Brave Moves , Julie DeLucca-Collins explores the teachings of Taoist philosopher Zhuangzi and how our minds constantly interpret, label, and create meaning from the world around us. Julie discusses the power of perspective, limiting beliefs, mindset, cognitive filters, and how the stories we tel...

What can the Golden Buddha of Bangkok teach us about confidence, self-worth, and personal transformation? In this episode of Brave Moves , Julie DeLucca-Collins shares the inspiring story of the Golden Buddha and explores how life experiences, fear, self-doubt, and societal expectations can cause us to forget our true value. Through this powerful metaphor, Julie discusses confidence, resilience, p...

How do you forgive yourself for past mistakes, regret, and the things you didn’t know at the time? In this episode of Brave Moves , Julie DeLucca-Collins explores self-forgiveness, emotional growth, regret, and the wisdom that only comes through lived experience. Julie shares why so many women judge previous versions of themselves harshly and how growth changes the way we see our past decisions, r...

Why are so many ambitious women rethinking hustle culture, burnout, and traditional career success? In this episode of Brave Moves, Julie DeLucca-Collins explores the growing shift among women who are redefining ambition, success, and fulfillment outside of hustle culture and corporate expectations. Julie discusses: burnout among high-achieving women the pressure to “do it all” why women are quest...

Why do so many intelligent, highly educated people still struggle financially? In this episode of Brave Moves , Julie DeLucca-Collins explores the psychology of money, emotional decision-making, perfectionism, and why intelligence alone does not guarantee financial success. Drawing from research on financial behavior, neuroscience, and mindset, Julie breaks down how overthinking, fear of failure,...

Is your phone rewiring your brain and lowering your attention span, motivation, and focus? In this episode of Brave Moves , Julie DeLucca-Collins explores the neuroscience behind smartphones, dopamine, focus, and emotional overstimulation. Julie breaks down how constant phone use and social media create dopamine spikes that can lower motivation, increase distraction, and make everyday life feel le...

Is modern comfort making us emotionally weaker, more anxious, and less fulfilled? In this episode of Brave Moves , Julie DeLucca-Collins reflects on lessons learned during a mission trip to Haiti and explores the ideas from The Comfort Crisis about resilience, discomfort, gratitude, and personal growth. Julie shares how witnessing gratitude in difficult conditions challenged her understanding of c...