Funny how a morning walk can turn into a TED talk with yourself, right? This morning, on my daily walk (a new routine that’s quickly become a favorite), I found myself reflecting on self-worth. It’s something I’ve struggled with in my life—professionally and personally—and it’s a topic I’ve worked hard to address through therapy, personal development, and plenty of soul-searching. Here’s the realization that changed everything for me: our self-worth is ours alone to determine. Yet, so often, we hand over that power to others—whether consciously or not. It’s something I’ve done, and something I now work to help others unlearn, especially my team. 🌱 As a leader, one of my most important roles is to guide my team—brilliant, ambitious individuals in their twenties and thirties—to recognize this truth sooner than I did. My hope isn’t to shortcut their journey (we all need life experience), but to plant a seed: You, and only you, get to decide your value. What struck me during my walk today is how deeply self-worth ties into the work I do every day. Helping people uncover and develop their personal brand isn’t just about marketing or strategy—it’s about self-awareness. It’s about helping them understand themselves, which leads to understanding others, building meaningful relationships, and, ultimately, a more fulfilling life. 🤯 Realizing this connection felt like a “light bulb” moment. Self-worth, personal branding, and building relationships—they’re all intertwined, and they’re all rooted in showing up authentically as yourself. So, if you take anything away from this post, let it be this: Your self-worth belongs to you. No one else gets a say in it.
Recognizing your self-worth empowers authenticity and confidence, but it also takes time and unlearning. The journey is worth every step.
My best conversations with myself are on my morning walk as well.
And I think you could also say the more self worth you own, the more powerful the connections and mentorship that is added to the work you do! Putting yourself out there is hard and takes a lot out of you, but it’s rewarding to see it reflect in others you get to coach each day! ❤️
Yes, a great and easy read on this subject is, Gary Kadi’s Raise Your HDL (Healthy Deserve Level). 🙌
I don’t drink coffee, but I constantly have a TED talk going in my brain. Thank you for sharing your thoughts Sarah Ruberg!
Guiding others to own their value is leadership at its best Sarah!
Was thinking about the same thing recently, love how you articulated it!
That's a great insight! As I read your thoughts, I can see that you add a lot of value! Hugs so many!
Ours is ours alone to determine, but somehow I’m the harshest critic. 😬 Work to be done. Thanks for sharing!
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1wSarah, I love this post—such a great topic! My favorite morning routine involves pushing myself out of my comfort zone and embracing failure. For me, that looks like starting with something physical (gotta aim for immortality, right? 😄) and then coming home to make lattes. I try my hand at latte art—not my strong suit, but I love starting my day by failing and learning. By the time others are awake, I’ve already had a few small “fails,” which keeps me grounded and motivated. Your “inner TED talk” resonates with me deeply. I’ve had to ask myself in the past whether my feelings of imposter syndrome came from my own self-doubt or from others’ inability to recognize my value. More often than not, I’ve realized it’s the latter—but I do believe we can adjust our own behaviors to navigate this better. Vanessa Van Edwards recently spoke on this podcast about social cues that build trust and confidence in social settings. It’s a great listen if this topic interests you: https://youtu.be/VHUrdELKjDw?si=rEY6W5bRbMCuY1cE At the end of the day, I believe growth starts within. It’s always “you vs. you,” and stepping out of our comfort zones is the key to expanding our horizons.