“It’s not that you already know the answers or already are perfect at something, but that you believe that you can get there.” - Julienne Silverman

Confidence can look rock–solid from the outside… but inside, it’s usually a mix of courage, doubt, experience, improvisation, and a whole lot of personal growth. And sometimes the biggest boosts to our confidence come from the moments we’d never expect.

In this episode, I sit down with investment banking executive Julienne (Julie) Silverman for a truly grounded and honest conversation about what confidence actually feels like and how it evolves over the course of a career. Julie shares stories from her early days managing the legendary New York restaurant Pastis all the way through her senior roles on Wall Street today, and she opens up about the shifts, pivots, and lessons that shaped her leadership.

You’ll hear us discuss:

• How Julie defines confidence in a way that feels surprisingly freeing and why it has nothing to do with perfection.
• The unforgettable Courtney Love story that taught her how to handle pressure and trust her instincts long before she worked in finance.
• What the “arc of confidence” looks like and why confidence often dips when you step into bigger, more challenging roles.
• How she navigates ambiguity in entrepreneurial environments while keeping both daily decisions and long-term goals in view.
• The subtle, gendered expectations around confidence at work and the small habits that help women show up with more presence.
• Julie’s go-to advice for younger women: introduce yourself with your full name, take a literal seat at the table, and own your spot in the room.
• Why being fully out at work has strengthened her leadership, and how authenticity creates deeper relationships and real confidence

Resources

Julienne H. Silverman on LinkedIn | On the Web

Winnie da Silva on LinkedIn | On the Web | Substack | YouTube | Email - winnie@winnifred.org