Warnock: Breaking Barriers: How Self-Confidence and Persistence Lead to Success

At the heart of every success story, there is a moment when someone refused to let doubt define them. For me, this truth has been more than a slogan; it’s reality I live by and a philosophy that guides me. And it’s a daily reminder how mindset, resilience, and self-belief can transform adversity into achievement.

Failed Attempts Still Move You Forward

It’s true that there will always be people doubting you, judging you, and waiting for you to mess up so they can say, “I told you so.” There will always be people waiting for you to fail so they can keep you in your box. There will always be people who don’t want to see you happy or successful or loved, but if you’re not one of them, you will prevail. As long as you don’t let these people get to you, as long as you don’t let their doubts and opinions affect your decisions and your confidence, they will never break you, because the only way to fall into their trap is to actually believe them.  

I don’t care if they have evidence that you’re not good at something or if you’ve failed a hundred times before, you should always believe that you can get it right. I don’t care if they’ve seen you mess up in more than one aspect of your life. I don’t care if they think they’re better than you or more successful or more experienced, they don’t have the right to tell you that you’re not good enough for something or make you feel like a failure.  The choice is always yours, you can either believe everything people tell you about yourself or you can choose to ignore them and focus on moving forward in your life. It’s not always easy to silence those who trigger you or remind you of your failures, but it’s easier than living your whole life in a bubble because you’re afraid of what might happen if you repeat the same mistake or if you try and fail again.

Stand Tall to Adversity

Growing up on the Omaha Indian Reservation in Rosalie, Nebraska, my family faced economic hardship. There were times when I relied on food stamps and struggled with the weight of uncertainty about everything. Rather than letting these challenges limit my aspirations, they became fuel for my ambition. I took odd jobs—hauling trash, mowing yards, helping my parents—and learned early the value of hard work and grit. 
These formative experiences shaped my self-belief, even when external support seemed limited. I didn’t reject the “cards I was dealt” but I refused to let them define my life and my future.

In 2014, I was faced with a difficult decision—to stay at the shop that I could afford at $600 a month or move to a shop in downtown Lincoln that was five times more than my current rent. I had everyone tell me not to do it and that I couldn’t make it work. But I didn’t doubt myself; instead, I used the naysayers as fuel to power through and make it work. Four years later in 2018, I bought the downtown building that no one thought I could afford. Then just recently, I built a new 12-bay $3.5-million facility in South Lincoln. And the people who told me I wouldn’t make it are no longer in my life.  

Defying Your Comfort Zone

When you doubt yourself, every challenge feels larger. Self-doubt magnifies setbacks and makes obstacles seem insurmountable. But when you cultivate self-belief—the conviction that you are capable, worthy, and equipped to try—that same challenge becomes a chance to grow.

Growth never happens when things are easy—it begins when we decide to push through discomfort. It requires failure, learning, and getting back up time and time again.  

Recognize self-doubt for what is—a thought pattern—and push through it:  

• Commit to small wins, no matter how small the step.
• Reframe failure as a teachable moment.
• Lean into purpose. 

Knowing why you’re pursuing a goal provides motivation when the path gets difficult.
You are the key to your own success.