Overcoming Fears and Mastering Self-Confidence with Sausha Davis

Have you ever struggled with self-confidence? It happens to all of us, right? No one is confident 100% of the time. It’s challenging to keep showing up through all kinds of hardships, failures, and even traumas with perfect confidence. I know I’ve experienced my share of confidence crises in my life, and I’m betting you have too.

In fact, that’s why I started this podcast in the first place! Here on the Millennial Doc podcast, my favorite phrase is “Step Out with Confidence.®” I created this podcast and this community with the goal to reach other healthcare professionals like myself and encourage you all to grow in your confidence so you can rock your life!

And that’s why I’m super excited about today’s guest. Sausha Davis is a confidence coach on a mission to help women overcome their fears and master self-confidence in business and in life. She has so much wisdom to share as well as practical tips and strategies to help women like you and me develop the confidence we need to succeed! And today, she’s sharing her brilliance right here on the Millennial Doc podcast.

This episode is full of so much value, and I think you’re going to love it. I learned so much from listening to Sausha! We talked about everything from confidence to falling in love with failure to creating vision boards for the future. I promise — this is an episode that you don’t want to miss! 

Who Is Sausha Davis?

Sausha Davis, like many of us, wears many hats. She’s a wife, mamma, and business owner. She’s also an adrenaline junkie — with experiences like roller derby and cliff jumping under her belt — and a genuine horse lover! (In fact, Sausha is a certified Equine Therapist, meaning she rides horses with her clients as a way of providing therapy!)

But Sausha hasn’t always been a powerhouse coach and confidence expert. Growing up, Sausha had a number of struggles. She was raised by her dad, and she got involved with drugs, struggled to graduate from high school, and even had a near death experience. After that, she had an awakening — she didn’t want to live her life in and out of jail. She wanted to transform into a better version of herself.

Sausha worked hard, and ultimately found a way to attend college. Then, after earning her BS in psychology and sociology, Sausha spent several years climbing the ladder in corporate America. And she did well there — she quickly rose through the ranks at her company, and ultimately found herself in an upper management position with a corner office.

However, Sausha also found herself feeling burned out, exhausted, and frustrated with corporate life. That’s when she decided to become a coach. She wanted to live a life of joy and empowerment, and she is totally lit up by helping other women to do the same.

Today, Sausha is committed to reaching as many women as possible and helping them to rediscover who they are and achieve the confidence they deserve. She is the host of the SAUSHA DAVIS podcast as well as a confidence and business coach and leader of the Manifesting Mastermind. She is helping countless women overcome fear, self-doubt, and failure to become strong and confident in who they truly are! 

Tribe, I know you’re going to love Sausha as much as I do. She’s an incredible testament to the power we have to develop self-confidence. So without any further ado, let’s dive into our conversation!

Overcoming Failure and Self-Doubt

I was excited to have Sausha on the show to talk about how we can all develop confidence. However, before we can develop confidence, I think it’s essential to understand self-doubt. Where does self-doubt come from, and how can we overcome it? Sausha had an interesting perspective that I want to share with you:

“I think comes from if you failed and haven’t been properly shown how to fail. … I think self-doubt comes from everywhere. … You look at social media, you look at the news, you look at any kind of media, and there’s this picture-perfect version of what you’re supposed to be, and it’s unattainable.” – Sausha Davis

Have you ever turned on the TV or scrolled through Instagram and thought, “I wish I was more like so-and-so?” It happens to all of us. We’re constantly shown images of what we should be doing or supposedly could be doing if we worked just a little bit harder. But here’s the thing: Those images are way too perfect to be attainable. They hide the messiness of real life, and they don’t necessarily align with the best version of your unique self. 

Nevertheless, too often those images make us doubt ourselves. We spend time wishing we were smarter, thinner, wealthier, stronger, or more accomplished, and that causes us to feel self-doubt. At the same time, we don’t always have the resources to help us overcome that self-doubt. So, we might try to reach an unattainable goal, fail to reach it, and then find ourselves unsure of what to do next.

But here’s the good news: There is a way to fail without being defeated. We can use our failures to teach us — and we can even fall in love with failure.

“You’re going to fail … in life. … It is going to happen. There is no such thing as . … Failure is okay, and it’s inevitable, and it’s up to you to just get back up and … build that thick skin, that grit, that determination figure out what’s important to you and just go after it, no matter what.” – Sausha Davis

I know it might sound crazy, but I’ve actually learned to love failure. When I fail, I see it as an opportunity to do exactly what Sausha just said — get back up, develop some grit, and continue pursuing what I want. I’ve learned a lot from my mistakes, and through those setbacks, I’ve learned that I am more resilient and courageous than I thought. 

Tribe, I want to encourage you to see your failures as opportunities. Next time something doesn’t go your way, take a step back, and see what you can learn from the situation. What can you do differently next time? How do you need to shift your course in the pursuit of your goals? Does your mindset need some work? Remember — failure is inevitable, but perfection is impossible. Use your failures as learning opportunities to grow!

Practical Tips for the Confidence-Builder

I love Sausha’s perspective on failure, but sometimes it can be difficult to keep moving forward. However, Sausha learned a great technique from a psychology professor she knew in college that I think we can all use to help us keep focused on our goals:

“ had us read … and then she had us do vision boards. … A vision board, at least in the sense the first one I did, you would grab some sort of copy paper or poster board … and whatever visions you have for yourself within that year, within five years, within ten years, you would cut out those images within a magazine and place them on the poster board to bring that vision to your awareness on a daily basis. … It’s just to bring a visualization to what your goals, hopes, dreams, wants are so that you have a visual of what you’re working towards.” – Sausha Davis

What are some of your goals? Do you want to start a business? Do you want to learn to cook? Maybe you want to launch your very own podcast! By finding pictures that represent those goals and putting them on a vision board, you create for yourself a visual reminder of your goals that will help you stay on track.

For example — let’s say you really want to buy a home. You’re ready to own your home and make it a comfortable place for you and your family. In that case, you could put pictures of your ideal home on your vision board! Cut out pictures of pretty gardens, beautiful kitchens, and bedrooms decorated just the way you like. Then, put your vision board somewhere you’ll see it regularly and be reminded of your goals! You’ll be amazed at how much your vision board can help you stay focused and manifest your goals more quickly.

However, while vision boards are great tools, sometimes you just get stuck in a rut. Maybe you find that your goals change, and you’re not sure how to pivot. Or maybe you experience a failure, and you don’t know how to get back up. In cases like that, a mentor might be just what you need.

“I thought people would think I was worthless, … like, ‘Oh, if Sausha can’t figure it out, then who is she?’ … And so I never asked for help … until I got really stuck about three or four years ago. … That’s where there’s beauty in a mentor or a mentorship. … I had to get over my own pride, ask for help, but I’m telling you, … I have made leaps and bounds since getting over myself and just asking people for help.” – Sausha Davis

Asking for help is such a courageous thing to do. It can be so scary to admit that you need a mentor, but once you find one, you’re so focused on the amazing progress you’re making that you don’t have time to be scared! 

If you don’t have a mentor, I’d encourage you to reach out and find one! Look for professionals in your industry who have already achieved what you want, and ask them to teach you. You can learn so much from their experiences and mistakes, and they can make your path much clearer. I understand being afraid to ask for help, but I assure you — the benefits outweigh the risks!

The Morning Routine for Success

I love to ask my guests about their morning routines because I find that the way you start your morning really sets the tone for your mindset throughout the day. When I asked Sausha about her regular morning routine, she did not disappoint! Sausha’s morning routine starts at 5:00 AM. I know that sounds early, and it is, but having that extra hour in the morning before getting ready for work really gives Sausha the time she needs to focus on herself and her goals for the day. 

From 5:00 AM – 5:30 AM, Sausha likes to journal. Her journaling process is divided into three parts:

#1: Intentions

“My journaling looks like this: I set my intentions for the day. I usually pick a word that resonates with the day. So like, today was, ‘focused,’ like I really need to focus to be productive and not Shiny Object Syndrome, you know, like squirrel brain, like, ‘Oh, there’s distractions everywhere!’” – Sausha Davis

I love the idea of establishing your intentions for the day based around a specific word. By choosing one thing to focus on, you truly grow in your ability to embody that trait. You could choose “focused” like Sausha did, or you could choose a different word like, “loving,” “resilient,” or “persistent.” From there, take a moment to write down the tasks you want to complete and get ready to be productive.

#2: Gratitude

“And then I do gratitude, and I do anywhere from five to ten things that I’m grateful for. I try not to do any repeats, and I try to relate to things that I will be doing today. … my mom is in town, … so I’m grateful that my mom was able to travel safely … and things like that. And so it gets me in a gratitude mindset.” – Sausha Davis

Gratitude is such an important part of a success mindset! Take a few minutes each day to think about the things you’re grateful for in your life. When you’re grateful for everything that’s going right and you take the time to express that gratitude — whether in your mind or in writing — you get yourself into a mindset of abundance and receiving, and that enables you to be productive and successful all day long.

#3: Affirmations

“And then my affirmations. The one that I say every day is, ‘I am worthy.’ For a really long time, I felt unworthy of everything. … And so the thing that I have to tell myself every day is, … ‘You are worthy.’” – Sausha Davis

At the end of your journaling practice, it’s a great idea to say and write some affirmations to yourself. Affirmations are a beautiful way to reinforce positive truths about yourself and help you get into a good mindset. Yours doesn’t have to be, “I am worthy.” You could say, “I am intelligent, beautiful, and capable” —  truly, affirmations can be whatever encourages you!

#4: Yoga

After completing her journaling practice, Sausha spends about 30 minutes doing some morning yoga. Yoga is an amazing way to stretch and develop strength, and it’s a nice, smooth activity for the early morning. Sausha recommended the Beachbody app and the YouTube channel Yoga with Adriene if you need a place to start! Yoga is also a beautiful way to practice mindfulness and calm yourself before heading into the hustle and bustle of your busy day. 

And there you have it — Sausha’s complete morning routine for success. Do you have a morning routine? If not, I’d encourage you to try one like Sausha’s! You might be surprised at how much a morning routine like this one helps you transform your mindset and prepare for positive and productive days.

Step Out with Confidence® with Sausha Davis

I truly loved this conversation! Sausha is an inspiration to me, and I learned so much about overcoming fears and failures to step into a totally confident life. I’m grateful to Sausha for taking the time to share her wisdom here on the show, and I sincerely hope you loved this episode as much as I did!

If you enjoyed this episode, please make sure to share it with your friends on social media! You can post a screenshot on Instagram and tag Sausha, @sausha.davis, and me, @drnikoleta, to let us know your favorite takeaways! 

Also, I would appreciate it so much if you would subscribe and leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. Your reviews truly do help the Millennial Doc podcast reach new listeners! And if you want to connect with other listeners, make sure to check out the Millennial Doc Facebook community! If you’re looking for a group of like-minded healthcare professionals and entrepreneurs, our community is for you!

And finally, if you’re interested in learning more about Sausha’s coaching programs, make sure to check out her website. There, you can learn more about Sausha’s mastermind and coaching program, as well as contact Sausha about any questions you may have. Sausha is truly a talented coach, and I’d encourage you to consider working with her.

That’s all for this episode, Tribe! Until next time, keep embracing your failures and developing your confidence. You’ll manifest your dreams in no time!

I love you all!