Welcome to the Broad Experience, the show about women, the workplace and success.

I'm Ashley Melchite.

This time we look at that invisible issue that runs beneath so many women's lives, confidence or the lack of it, and what that means for our careers.

You know, you see a man in a job interview, and he answers off the cuff of his sleeve.

He doesn't think, oh my gosh, I might not be able to do that or could I do that.

And why it can be so hard for women to value what they bring to the table, especially when they're negotiating.

The times when I've actually asked for things, it's been really hard. It seemed so

unthinkable that I would be able to ask for something and that I deserved it.

Coming up, two women from different backgrounds on cultivating confidence and a sense of self-worth. But first,

this episode of The Broad Experience is brought to you by M.M. Lafleur. It's a fast-growing,

woman-run clothing brand committed to helping professional women live with purpose and dress with ease.

You'll hear more about them a bit later in the show.

Music with ease. You'll hear more about them a bit later in the show. I'm a bit obsessed with confidence, mainly because I've never had much.

You can see it written in my school reports right from when I was seven

up to 18, lacks confidence. I've cultivated more of it over the years, but that voice in my head

that tells me I'm not good enough, that I can't do something, it's never really gone away,

and I know it's sometimes held me back at work.

Denise Barreto is the opposite of me.

I first talked to her last year for a show I did on starting your own business, and I wanted to talk to her for this show because I remember how confident she seemed during our conversation.

She struck me as having an enviable amount of confidence.

Denise runs her own business near Chicago.

It's called Relationships Matter Now and it does strategic planning and marketing.

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