Silencing The Inner Critic, Strategies for Confidence
lisatarkingtonHappy New Year everyone! We’re thrilled to kick off the year with a burst of positivity in this episode of The Confident Podcast, hosted by Lisa Tarkington (formerly Thompson). Join us as we delve into the empowering theme of silencing the inner critic to foster confidence. Lisa engages in a compelling conversation with our special guest, Trevor Szafranski, the visionary Founder and CEO of R1SE—an innovative education company and a game-changing parent solution.
Continue to read on for the key points of this conversation with Trevor!
Meet Trevor, Founder & CEO of R1SE
Lisa: I’m excited for today’s topic—Silencing the Inner Critic: Strategies for Confidence. Today’s guest is Trevor Szafranski, the Founder and CEO of R1SE, an innovative education company and parent solution. I’ve had the pleasure of watching Trevor grow as both a parent and a leader. Trevor, why don’t you introduce yourself to our audience?
Trevor: Thanks for having me! Yeah, it’s been a wild and fun journey. I started out as an elementary school teacher, later became a varsity basketball coach, and eventually, my passion for helping both kids and parents led me to create Rise. It’s been an amazing experience, and I’m so grateful for the impact it’s had.
Lisa: What makes you so passionate about working with kids?
Trevor: I believe everyone has a God-given passion, and mine happens to be working with kids. It took me some time to realize it, but when you find something that excites you and doesn’t feel like work, that’s your passion. For me, the most rewarding thing in life is making a positive impact on someone else. I want my footprint to be one of inspiration, where people remember something I did or said that made a difference.
Lisa: I love that. But let’s talk about the inner critic—that negative voice that causes self-doubt and imposter syndrome. How do you deal with it?
Trevor: Everyone has that voice, no matter how confident they seem. Even the most successful people you meet experience moments of self-doubt. For me, I’ve gone through seasons of confidence and self-doubt, just like everyone else. It’s important to remember that nobody is immune to it. The key is to recognize it’s normal and keep moving forward.
Lisa: You’ve been a teacher, a coach, and now you’re the CEO of R1SE. How did you get the idea for R1SE, and did the inner critic play a role during that time?
Trevor: Absolutely. The idea for R1SE came out of nowhere. I was gearing up for another school year when suddenly I had this burning desire to do something bigger. I prayed for guidance, asking God to show me the door, and one day, while watching the movie Inception, the phrase “leap of faith” hit me like a ton of bricks. The idea for Rise was downloaded into my brain, and I couldn’t stop writing it all down. It was a moment of clarity, but of course, the inner critic made me second-guess everything. Still, I trusted the process and took that leap of faith.
Lisa: It’s incredible how the universe—or faith—guides us when we’re ready. How did you keep going when self-doubt crept in?
Trevor: It wasn’t easy, and there were moments when I thought, “Am I crazy?” But I kept getting signs to continue. I even met a stranger who told me the exact words I needed to hear: “It’s a leap of faith.” That moment was powerful, and it gave me the confidence to push forward. My advice to anyone dealing with self-doubt is to trust yourself and keep moving, even when the path is unclear.
Lisa: So, Trevor, any last piece of advice for our audience today.
Trevor: I would say first find your passion. I would say first find your passion. I think, like you mentioned, I echo that confidence comes from knowing what makes you special. And I firmly believe that every single person has at least one thing that is very unique and something they have to offer the world. And it will be a process of figuring that all out.
It took me a long time to figure out, I guess, what is unique about me. And so you know, don’t get frustrated If you don’t know what that is yet. Try new things, dive into things, but as soon as you find that thing, that like lights, that fire, then pursue it and your confidence really should be born through that, because then you’re going to know your purpose, you’re going to know what excites you in life, you’re going to know why you’re here and you’re going to walk forward into any room, doesn’t matter the audience, and know who you are and what you have to offer. And it definitely is a journey getting there. You know you might find it at 20. You might find it at 30. I have heard countless stories recently of people in their 40s and 50s that all of a sudden hit it big and it was just, sometimes by coincidence, but sometimes because they didn’t give up in trying to find what you know lit their fire, so to speak.
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