An “unfiltered and unafraid” (Marie Forleo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything is Figureoutable) guide to building the kind of confidence it really takes to live the life of your dreams, from Impact Theory cofounder and growth mindset guru Lisa Bilyeu.Author Lisa Bilyeu grew up in London, where she was always told her dreams of Hollywood were a little too big for a girl. Despite her first love of movie-making, Lisa moved to Los Angeles and became a housewife—for eight frikin’ years! How the heck did that happen? Radical Confidence is the “empowering, transformative, and practical” (Jay Shetty, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Like A Monk) story of how Lisa unpaused her life to cofound a company that went from zero to a billion dollars in just five years and became the leader in the world of personal development. Transforming herself with a growth mindset, Lisa learned to face her insecurities and inadequacies, embrace new challenges, solve her own problems, tell her negative voice to shut the eff up, and become the hero of her own life by life-hacking her way to feeling confident. Part deeply personal memoir, part guide to life, Radical Confidence “challenges the deep-rooted beliefs that prevent so many of us from knowing or reaching for our dreams” (Dr. Nicole Lepera, New York Times bestselling author of How to Do the Work). Lisa teaches you how -Dream big -Boost your confidence -Toughen the F up -And learn how to save yourself Full of insight and practical tools for honest self-assessment, mastering emotions, and staying motivated, Radical Confidence teaches you how to be driven by your insecurities to create the life of your dreams.
This wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. I thought it was a self help book and it kind of was, but it was more about how her life story went. With maybe a few helpful tips on how to be more assertive. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for review
TITLE: RADICAL CONFIDENCE AUTHOR: Lisa Bilyeu PUB DATE: 05.10.2022 Now Available
Author Lisa Bilyeu grew up in London, where she was always told her dreams of Hollywood were a little too big for a girl. Except after graduating from college, meeting the man of her dreams, and moving to Los Angeles, a housewife was exactly what Lisa became—for eight frikin’ years!
How the heck did that happen? Radical Confidence is the story of how Lisa unpaused her life to cofound a company that went from zero to a billion dollars in just five years and become a leader in the world of personal development. Radical Confidence is a deeply personal memoir filled with insight and practical tools for honest self-assessment, mastering emotions, and staying motivated. With humor, honesty, and Lisa’s beloved hilarious voice, this book teaches you how to be driven by your insecurities to create the life of your dreams.
REVIEW:
Lisa really knows how to make people believe in themselves, no matter the fears, barriers, or motivations. With humor and drive, she tells her story of incredible feat inspiring women to live the lives of their dreams. It’s so refreshing to see someone’s success story, but even more is her desire to help others succeed too! Fantastic book that reinvigorates and inspires!
This book was a wild read, and I honestly don't even know how to rate it. I stumbled upon a short interview with the author and she was so likable I thought, "What the heck, why not?" and ordered her book. I agree with the reviewer who said it wasn't what she expected, as she thought it was a self-help book. If pressed, I guess I would call this a self-help/motivational/memoir hybrid. While hitting the conventional self-help topics, light is shed on these topics by way of personal stories and anecdotes, rather than with step-by-step instructions, and much is made of the power found in the simple, if not always easy, act of reframing your perception of a situation.
At just over 200 pages, the book reads like pamphlet, quick and easy, resembling a pep talk from your best friend more than get-out-your-pen-and-take-notes help from a professional strategist. Lisa is honest, refreshing, and willing to show herself at her worst to encourage others to be their best. She really lets herself shine through, and it makes the book readable, relatable, and enjoyable. I do have two pieces of advice for the editing of future books... The first would be to cut back a bit on the seemingly never ending use of the word "frickin.'" Not because I find it offensive, but because its like, constant, like appearing three or even, like, four times in a paragraph; sometimes, it's like talking to like, a stereotypical teenager who, like, can't utter a sentence without, like, using the word "like." Because of the interview, I could hear her voice in my head, and while it definitely is part of her personality and reflects her excitement around certain topics, I would argue that it hampers the fluidity of her prose and actually detracts from the message (unlike the pink leg warmers). Likewise, there are some words streeeetched out for added emphasis, that would read more easily and effectively with the traditional use of italics for emphasis.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book! Lisa style was endearing, her stories were interesting, and they combined to describe her approach to life in a way that was compelling, encouraging, inspiring, while not seeming out of reach for the reader. I highly recommend the book and wish Lisa the best of luck in her future endeavors.
This book is mostly Lisa's story of how she grew in her confidence as she continued moving up in her career with her husband's company. Big whoop.
It's basically a mash up of her experiences and how she overcame them, using a conglomeration of various confidence boosting ideas (all ones I've heard before). If you want to read a book that boosts your confidence, don't pick this one. Choose one of the many other proven self-help books out there!
She also used the word "frikin" about 300x in 200 pages, and I'm not kidding.
P.S. She shares a totally TMI story that no one needs to read!! Thanks for the gross images, Lisa. :-(
I have been trying to get this as a paperback, but none of our stores in Estonia is selling it and I haven't had enough time to roam through the books stores when going abroad. So I settled for the audiobook on Overdrive and I don't regret it, as Lisa herself is reading her book.
I've been kinda keeping an eye on her and her husband Tom for some years now and I find their podcasts / shows very inspirational and informative. Thus also my wish to read this book. Apparently Lisa has come a rather long way from being a shy housewife into a well-known host of her own talk show (or how should I be calling this?). In her book, she points out a step by step process of her becoming brave and building up her confidence despite all the fears and insecurities. And this is exactly what gives her the right to talk about it. And not only - to inspire other women as well who are perhaps still doubting themselves or their self worth. So I guess this was exactly what I needed. Wrote down some good points to use when motivating my own team.
This book (or Lisa herself) is perhaps not everyones cup of tea though. With all the "homies" and other words like these flying front and back. Her energy is however undeniable and this might shake you out of your state of being frozen in fear. It's not going to work out for you if you keep waiting until you become smart, wise, expert or brave enough to start with what you have in mind. The only way to accomplish your dreams and goals is to start doing and then with time and experience you one day will be good at it and achieve mastery.
Stay strong, homie, and be the hero of your own life!
This book is so raw and honest, and for that, it's one of my favorite self-help books I've ever read. It completely changed my perspective on many things, including what confidence actually is, and with every page, it remotivated me to keep fighting for myself and the life I want. I've been subscribed to Lisa and her husband Tom on their YouTube channels for a few years, and they always offer a unique perspective and helpful advice, whether about building your dream life or learning to love yourself. This book was a deeper dive into their life together from Lisa's point of view and her individual struggles. Learning that someone I look up to has made countless mistakes and is, in fact, not perfect is a crucial and inspiring lesson. I feel like I've grown a lot since starting this book, and I can't wait to move forward in life with radical confidence!
I first heard about Lisa Bilyeu on the Rich Roll Podcast and she captured my attention with her positive attitude and her catchy “radical confidence” saying. This was a fun and somewhat helpful book to encourage motivation but lacked editing. I can’t count how many times the author drew out her words to suggest expression (feeeeeeeellls, reaaaaaaally, whyyyyyyy). It got quite annoying once I noticed it.
This is Nonfiction/Self-Help. I would even add Autobiography into that genre list. I like the ease in how this author speaks out. She has a love for people and a message that shines through. Plus she is positive and encouraging. Now I didn't drink all of the Kool-aid but I certainly felt that she was completely genuine. I wish I had had this book when I was in my 20's so I think it is helpful to a certain extent. I'd definitely encourage my young adult girls to read this.
If I could nitpick one thing, I wish she talked a little about giving back. This felt like a lot of ME, ME, ME....MINE, MINE, MINE. I think there is room in life for a balance between the two. Overall, I enjoyed listening to Lisa narrate this. She was fantastic to listen to. So 4 stars.
I honestly feel kind of bad for Lisa. It just seems like she gave up everything she wanted to do for the sake of pleasing her husband. She spins it like a good thing in this book, but I imagine it's because she knew he'd read it. Her interviews are great. This book? Not so much. There's nothing new, and the writing style drove me insane.
I like listening to her interviews and podcasts but the book is just a rehash of her life story, which if you watch any of her interviews you will already know. Didn’t care for the writing style but each to their own.
I really enjoyed this a lot and thought it was useful. Listened to it in Audible, and I super enjoyed the author's narration. I read this months ago and I still think about it, so I would say that's a winner!
The book has some good overall messages to improve confidence and embrace a growth mindset. A lot of the information wasn’t new but her approach how she reflects on her past experiences and improve her daily life was empowering.
I really enjoy Lisa Bilyeu's "Women of Impact" show, so getting this book was a no-brainer. I was a bit surprised how vastly different Bilyeu's communication style is from the show. It's not a bad book, but perhaps it didn't offer any new insight for those of us who read a lot of self-improvement literature.
The 10 Lessons are pretty stereotypical and possibly a bit ableist. "I can get good at anything.""I can accept that it's all my fault." I love the idea that hard work can make our dreams come true, but it's not the reality. If I had a dollar for every time someone told me to "toughen up" or "stop making excuses" while going through my lows, I would never have to work a day in my life. But those are the lessons presented in the book and a lot of us have heard them a million times.
Bilyeu presents the lessons by discussing her life. How she met her husband, moved to US, played a role of stay-at-home wife, and eventually became the co-founder of Quest Nutrition. This book kind of reads like an ad for Quest at times. A cringy moment was when Bilyeu mentioned a customer who claimed Quest bars have saved her life. Like, that's sweet but must we?
Speaking of cringy...Bilyeu often addresses her readers as "homies". A woman from UK of Greek ethnos saying "homies" is not what my self-help-seeking heart deserves.
Overall, it's awesome to hear a self-made woman's story. However, the story and the lessons with it were predictable.
First, let me acknowledge that this is a review written by a man about a book clearly intended for an audience that identifies as female. This is a powerful book that should have a positive impact on anyone who reads it - regardless of their gender identification. The author, through telling her own story, writes about the importance of having a growth mindset, dealing with (and even anticipating) failure, summoning courage, dealing with anger, and being your own hero. All topics that often occupy their own books. I enjoyed her story. Hers is a story of introspection, selflessness, guarded optimism, failure, success, and all of the emotions that go along with it. There is also the very personal love story that provides the thread holding it all together. There are some detractors in the book for me. The use of foul language is over the top. I'm a huge fan of Brené Brown, so if you know her work you can gauge what I mean when I say Bilyeu's use of expletives is, in my view, both excessive and distracting. And, homie, the author uses waaaaaaaayyyy too many frickin' exaggerated words, shortened words (think vaca instead of vacation), and other colloquialisms - like "frickin'". I am assuming that she writes exactly as she talks, which I find takes away from, and even hides the message that she is trying to communicate. The author states that her mission is to empower fourteen year old girls, and I think the language could be adjusted and still (probably even more effectively) meet the needs of that audience. But, even through this cloud, the messages shine bright and clear. I would recommend this book to anyone, from teen and up...with the parental caveat related to the use of language some situational descriptions which may need some clarification for the younger folks. And, by anyone, I mean you, the macho guy who wouldn't be caught dead with a book with pink writing on the cover. Get the audiobook or ebook form. Or just, get over it. To paraphrase chapter 7 - "toughen the f*!@ up...buttercup." The dedication in the book says it all - "To anyone brave enough to pick up this book and consider change."
"Radical Confidence: 10 No-BS Lessons on Becoming the Hero of Your Own Life" is a game-changer for anyone seeking a straightforward roadmap to boost their confidence and take charge of their life. As someone who's navigated the maze of self-help books, this one stood out, offering practical lessons without the usual fluff.
The author's direct and no-nonsense approach immediately grabbed my attention. This isn't your typical confidence-boosting manual; it's a down-to-earth guide that feels like a pep talk from a friend who's been there. I appreciated the honesty and the absence of sugarcoating – just the straight talk needed to fuel radical confidence.
One of the book's strengths is its focus on actionable lessons. Each of the ten lessons is a tangible step toward building genuine confidence. The author doesn't dwell on vague affirmations; instead, she provides practical strategies and mindset shifts that are easy to implement. It's like having a mentor cheering you on the path to becoming the hero of your own story.
The structure of the book is user-friendly, with each lesson presented in a clear and concise format. The writing style is engaging, with relatable examples that make the content resonate. The inclusion of personal stories and anecdotes adds authenticity, making the author feel like a trusted guide rather than an unreachable expert.
The language used is simple yet impactful, making the book accessible to a wide audience. The author avoids unnecessary jargon, making the lessons easy to grasp for readers at any stage of their confidence journey. The book's emphasis on self-empowerment and taking decisive action adds a motivational layer, encouraging readers to step into their power with radical confidence.
In conclusion, "Radical Confidence" is a must-read for those ready to break free from self-doubt and become the hero of their own lives. Whether you're facing challenges in your personal or professional life, this book provides ten no-BS lessons to propel you towards radical confidence. The author's authentic and relatable style makes it a valuable companion for anyone on the path to unleashing their inner hero.
I really wanted to like this book because I discovered Lisa on Mel Robbins podcast and I thought she sounded so cool.
This book is NOT what it says on the cover. I’m 100 pages in and not a single “lesson” of the ten lessons has been discussed unless I was supposed to somehow interpret the lesson in this god awful autobiography.
After learning the beginning of her story I kind of just lost respect completely. So you’re writing a book on how to become confident when it appears you never “became” confident yourself? You were just born that way?
Also, each time in the story a decision was made on your own behalf, it was a poor one. Like really, you’re an ambitious and motivated woman but you’re gonna live somewhere where you can’t legally do anything about it and then blindly follow a man into several failed attempts at a tech company?
You’re not confident. You’re just kind of dumb, actually. Sorry. That was mean but 🤷🏼♀️
I had to stop reading when she started plugging Quest VERY shamelessly I might add. I laughed OUT LOUD reading this in bed next to my husband who was hopefully reading something more bearable, when she said “no one has made a protein bar that has enough protein, less sugar, and still tastes good!”
Well congratulations, Lisa. Not only are you using this book that is supposed to be about confidence to plug your damn product, but you’re also very correct. There STILL ISNT a protein bar that tastes good. Including Quest. Fucking ew? Have you ever even eaten one? My guess is no. All protein bars are gross and yours is far from the best tasting one.
What a terrible self help book. I really wish people who are financially successful would stop writing them. Most of yall just had really lucky circumstances. Like this entire company despite being successful wasn’t even your idea but you’re using your success to fame yourself and then write this bullshit book about confidence when you wouldn’t know confidence if it slapped you in your face.
Lisa Bilyeu knows how to light up the page just as she lights up the stage! While reading Radical Confidence, I noticed the areas I succeed at radical confidence and the areas I need to improve on. Here are some phrases from her book that relate back to many people that I’ve encountered, including (and sometimes especially) myself.
“My wrong turns were small choices and situations that didn’t seem like a big deal at the time.” Like drinking water and eating a protein-and-veggie-packed meal BEFORE eating dessert.
“Celebrity hunting was an escape for me, because school had always been a struggle.” It’s easy to idealize others to neglect the parts of our lives we don’t like. Instead, try to be radically confident by appreciating the hard work the celebrities put in, and put in the hard work yourself. Over time, struggles become less struggle-filled, increasing confidence.
“But I had to start somewhere, and I showed up those first shows determined to learn, grow, and get better.” Baby steps. Unless you have superpowers that include osmosis, transmutation, and kinetic energy, you won’t fulfill your dreams in a day.
“As much as Tom and I talk about, work on, and renegotiate our boundaries, we also have some nonnegotiable ones.” Having no boundaries is a horrible place to live. As a recovering codependent empath, I struggle with setting and adhering to boundaries, especially when they have to do with people I care about. After reading Radical Confidence, I was able to set a clear boundary with important people in my life that would allow us both space to heal. While they might not respect my decision, it was important for me to do what I needed to heal.
It’s a memoir and i rated it as such. This book showed many examples of advice given to entrepreneurs. For example, they say to raise necessity. Well, when they put their house on the line for the business that certainly accomplished that. I would say it’s mostly helpful for that purpose. If ur interested in business this has plenty of examples of messages one hears. I do like her message that confidence means not being confident and just doing the thing anyway basically saying it’s only courage not confidence, which is an interesting theory that i wish she had explore more in depth given the title of the book. Instead, she just takes it as a given, which is huge no no. She didnt treat it philosophically, which i would have liked. There were some very thoughtful questions for reflection as well as quotes too put up on the wall, which earn this book it’s 4 stars. I do wish she explored them further herself. For example, “don’t think of someone as extraordinary bc it lets you off the hook.” 109. I also felt like the T.m.i was unnecessary and detracted from the book or at least she didnt fully explain how it tied to radical confidence.
There was also too much about her relationship with Tom it again detracted from the main topic of the book. So if ur interested in relationships i would read this book. In general there was a lot there distracting me from the focus on the book. Very poorly focused book. Like others say it read like a memoir. So actually as a memoir it is 4.
First off I gotta say I did really like this book. I’m not one to read much in the self-help genre, but I’m glad I picked this one up and gave it a shot.
To be honest, I bought it initially because I went to school with the author’s husband and wanted to be supportive of his family. I didn’t really expect to get much out of it. I was pleasantly surprised.
Looking at Lisa, I did not think I would be able to relate to her much. She’s thin, beautiful, and seemingly a total LA babe. Pretty much my polar opposite. I was wrong. And I’m glad I didn’t continue to judge this book (or the author) by its cover. She is bold in her confessions about just how much and how badly she screwed up at times. It takes real guts to be that honest about yourself. I feel like I learned so much from her about what a growth mindset really is. I’ve heard her husband, Tom, speak about this topic a lot over the years, but I have to confess I did not truly understand what that meant. Lisa explained it in such a way, from one woman to another, I have a better understanding now. And I also feel like she explained what tools a woman needs to develop a growth mindset. And Lisa’s brutal honesty makes her so relatable and understandable…at least I found her to be that way.
Very enjoyable read and a book I will hang onto for future reference for the times in life when I need a loving kick in the arse ;-)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
It really must take radical confidence to write a memoir with a few "wise words" peppered in and call it a self-help book or anything about life lessons... Especially since the author doesn't seem to be aware that most of the situations she's described demonstrate how confident she wasn't, both in her personal life ("do anything for my hubby and convince myself it makes me happy" vibes) and career (her husband started a company and instead of doing what she wanted to do, she just jumped right in without mention of getting compensated for it or any title, influence in the company, etc..). The things she did just to prove to herself that she can is just weird to me. It read as a typical workaholic journal to me, priding yourself in always pushing out of your comfort zone and all at the expense of your health. Where there is confidence in that, I'm yet to learn. Like I said, if this was written as a memoir, apart from an appalling lack of self-reflection it would be alright, if it weren't for the overuse of the word "freaking" (literally multiple times on one page sometimes) and poor writing style that a decent editor would have corrected - in published books, we don't just press on the keys to elongate a word for emphasis, there are other ways to make your point, besides writing "NO WAAAAAAY" like a 30 year old trying to sound like a cool teenager.
3.5 This book was decent. At times inspiring. At times, a little slow or ho hum for me. I heard Lisa Bilyeu on a podcast and really enjoyed it. I went right to the library and got her book. However, I think I got a little more from the podcast (this has been happening to me more and more lately).
She has an interesting story and the most non-feminist start (which I say with no judgment), but basically her husband had a business and needed help and she was there and ready for a change from being a housewife. For the first few chapters, I really was not a fan of her husband, who seemed to never think of her needs (yeah, yeah, she's supposed to think of her needs and that's the point--I get it, but still) and then when she was convenient to him, he would use her for the business. But I warmed to him as the book went on. A lot of the lessons were good, but not earth shattering. And I didn't feel like they were presented in an earth shattering way either. It was a story of a woman breaking (gently at first) out of her cultural norms. But only with several significant shoves (again, not a problem, just an observation).
As a side note, the language was occasionally distracting for me (yeah, I sound like a grandma, but it really was--the slang and profanity were a little much).
key takeaways from the book: - Self-confidence is essential for achieving success in any area of life, whether it's personal or professional . - Confidence is not something you're born with; it's a skill that can be developed and improved over time. - The way you think about yourself and your abilities has a significant impact on your confidence levels. - Fear and self-doubt are common obstacles to confidence, but they can be overcome with practice and perseverance. - Positive self-talk and visualization techniques can help boost confidence and increase motivation. - Building a supportive network of friends, family, and mentors can provide valuable encouragement and feedback. - Taking action and stepping outside your comfort zone can help you build confidence and overcome fear. - Learning to handle failure and setbacks in a positive way is an essential part of building confidence. - Practicing self-care and prioritizing your physical and emotional well-being can also contribute to increased confidence. - Confidence is a lifelong journey, and it's important to continue practicing and building this skill throughout your life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I enjoy following Lisa on IG, and this her first book - rolling in at just over 200 pages - proved to be a totally quick read.
There are things I liked and will definitely take away for later, and things I didn't care for.
One thing I didn't care for... extra letters in words like "you" and "huge". Read this and you'll see what I mean 🤣 It's a personal preference thing, and it (probably) won't irritate you as much as it irritated me 😅
Things I liked... randomly reminding yourself throughout the day that "you got this". Wearing favorite clothing/jewelry ("bad batch boots") to inspire confidence in yourself. Lisa sharing her and her husband's decision to not have children. Lisa being incredibly personal and honest as she shared anecdotes of growing up Greek, falling in love with the man of her dreams, and overcoming cultural differences.
There's something in here for everybody; take whatever tidbits you want and leave the rest. A book every woman should at least skim through. Definitely inspiring.
I couldn't bring myself to give this book a star rating because after borrowing it from my local library for almost 4 months, I couldn't finish. I guess that tells me what kind of rating I should give it, though.
I picked this one up after hearing Lisa Bilyeu on Jay Shetty's podcast. I think it's important to note that I'm neither a fan of Jay Shetty's or Lisa Bilyeu's. She mentioned Carol Dweck and the concept of growth mindset which I am (in theory) a fan of.
Now the book... It was very much just do it. Although each chapter outlines a particular aspect of gaining confidence, it all felt circular and came back to the idea of just doing whatever. Her anecdotes were kind of reminiscent of the many girl boss stories that dominated years ago. On one hand, I appreciate stories of women succeeding, on the other, reading about childless people with money and resources who want to make movies sell nutrition bars just didn't do it for me.
I gave up about halfway through the book but don't let my review deter you. It might be just what you're looking for.
Lisa Lisa Lisa!!!! I absolutely loved this book, no bullshit, she’s just honest and gives a lot of great advices…and things we can all relate to. Remember to be a badass you have got this, be the hero of your own life! Learn from your mistakes, see them as an opportunity to grow! Accept your emotions, feel them but don’t stay emotionally drunk. Get your ass off and work for the things you want to reach and still need to work on! Don’t say sorry for anything and everything. This book has so much things to offer Lisa is being super honest just like she always do in her podcast “women of impact”. I can promise you after reading this, you’re on for a new change it’s all about being radically confident, accepting flaws , peaking up YOURSELF and moving on to GROW. Nobody’s perfect, the more mistakes you make the more you grow. I loved the book, I have always been a fan of Lisa Bilyeu go read that book now!!!!
It was fun to listen to this audiobook. Lisa shares her story in her colorful voice (and accent) in a straight-forward manner with wisdom learned as she built her empire and discovered her inner strength. She shares how we can all find and use that inner power to work toward our own big dream. She gives practical advice on how to turn your negative voice, failures, mistakes, and insecurities into your own superpowers to help you on your journey. I enjoyed how Lisa blended her personality with honesty and storytelling to teach the reader about what it means (and how to be) radically confident. *Favorite quote: Who you are today is NOT a reflection of the person you can become. *Favorite thought she explored: If your negative voice is always pointing out your flaws, maybe it's time to listen and learn where you can do better.