Living Limitless–Caralyn Mirand Koch
What do you love most about yourself––what are you most proud of?
I love that I can help transform someone's confidence, that is one of my most favorite skills.
Career wise, I am most proud of the online community I've built filled with supportive, helpful and kind people and the #ProperlyFittingBraClub! It's a movement I started to educate and empower women to get a properly fitting bra.
What does confidence feel like to you? When do you feel the most confident?
I genuinely used to think that I would wake up one day and just magically be confident. I now know confidence isn’t something that is automatic. You can’t just turn on confidence as confidence is rooted in your belief of yourself at any given time. It is something to be conscious of and work at everyday. Think of being, feeling confident like a muscle memory - the more you use it, the more familiar and stronger it will become.
How has your confidence changed with time?
If there’s one thing I think we all have in common is that everyone has struggled with feeling confident at one time or another in life. Confidence varies from experience to experience, among genders, and can be fleeting, situational, or rooted. Heck, there are still moments when I struggle with confidence about my body, my career, and life in general... I certainly do not have it all figured out and realizing that allows me to recognize the journey, and hopefully can be helpful to you by sharing.
Words are powerful, and they can have a powerful effect on our own personal narratives–what advice can you share on learning how to combat negative self-talk and tap into the power of positivity?
Confidence is rooted in self-love. It is really my job to love me first, before anyone else, and before I can well receive love. True self-love involves showing up for yourself even when you feel unlovable, or shameful. Take steps to listen to yourself, identify what caused you to not be able to clearly identify your needs or boundaries. This helps me to feel good about me.
Something I've learned is to speak to myself kindly and lovingly, like I would to a young child (my sweet niece comes to mind). Would I tell my niece that she is a fat, ugly, worthless person? Typing that gave me shivers. I would never, and I do not think any of you would either. So why should I say that to myself or you say that to yourself? On the days when we are down & feeling low, and we all have them, I am particularly aware of that self-talk and strive to always keep it positive.
Who do you turn to for support in life? Describe how they bring out the best in you and empower you to live your life without limits?
My husband, Brian! He is truly my best friend and teammate through everything. He inspires me to be the best version of myself, challenges me and provides some comedic relief through it all.
What advice can you share for women on cultivating confidence and self-love?
Life is a journey, with confidence being a major influencing factor! We all are traveling on our own path, at our own rate. It is not a sprint but a marathon, and I’m here to cheer you on. Know you are worthy! Feel good about you and be proud of who and where you are. Embrace you, as I do! I know how hard it can be at times so by me sharing my journey you'll know you are never alone!
How do you make time to prioritize self-love and self-care?
I'm a strong believer in setting healthy boundaries for myself, and in my relationships and professional life. Having healthy boundaries allows me to make myself a priority, in self-care, career aspirations, or within relationships. Setting boundaries is about giving yourself agency and empowerment. Honoring our limits helps us to take better care of ourselves which leads to feeling confident.