The Video That Made Me Cry

Facebook reminded me this week of the very first time I went LIVE on my business page.

It was terrible.

I wrote an entire script beforehand because I was so nervous I thought I’d forget how to talk. I sent my husband and the kids out of the house so it would be completely silent. I locked myself in the spare room, set everything up, and tried to look like someone who knew exactly what they were doing.

Then I pressed GO.

At the time, I was part of an “apprenticeship” style program with my upline to help build confidence and encourage us to start showing up online properly instead of hiding behind product graphics and selfies.

And technically, I did it.

But when it was over, I cried.

Not because anybody was mean.
Not because something went horribly wrong.
Just because I felt so uncomfortable being seen.

Six years later, Facebook memories brought it all back. The launch graphic I worked on for hours, the awkward screenshots, the shaky confidence, the forced bravery.

And honestly? I’m glad they did.

Because current Brooke looks at that version of me very differently now.

Back then, I thought confidence was something you magically earned before you were allowed to start.

I thought confident people just naturally:

• knew what to say,

• knew how to sell,

• knew how to show up online,

• knew how to talk on camera,

• knew how to run businesses,

• knew how to be visible.

Meanwhile, I was sitting in a silent spare room reading from a script trying not to throw up.

But somewhere along the way, I learnt something important.

Confidence rarely comes first.

Action does.

One of the notes I wrote at Seminar last year from Lauren Tukuafu was:

“Action Builds Confidence.”

I remember writing it down thinking, wow that’s good.

Then proceeding to still overthink half my life afterwards.

Because the truth is, most of us are not lacking information.
We’re lacking trust in ourselves.

We tell ourselves:

• we’re not qualified enough,

• we don’t know enough,

• we aren’t polished enough,

• somebody else is already doing it better,

• people will judge us,

• people will laugh,

• people won’t care anyway.

Meanwhile, we’re the ones holding ourselves back every single day.

And the funny thing is, some of my biggest lessons didn’t come from polished success moments at all.

They came from complete disasters.

Like the time I accidentally went LIVE on my Buttons by Brooke page instead of my Brooke’s Beaute Box page while doing an entire makeup tutorial.

I still remember the moment I realised.

Absolute horror.

Internal death.

Several times over.

But by that point I couldn’t exactly stop mid application and disappear, so I just kept going and laughed about it afterwards.

At the time it felt mortifying.

Now?
It honestly feels like the most accurate representation of my business ecosystem possible.

Because the truth is, my worlds do overlap.

The accountant.
The handmade business owner.
The makeup and skincare girl.
The mum.
The overthinker.
The person still figuring things out while showing up anyway.

None of it is perfectly separated anymore.

And maybe that’s actually the point.

Am I super confident six years later?

Hell no.

Do I know everything?

Also no.

Do I still sometimes compare myself to people who seem far more polished and confident online?

Absolutely.

But these days I also know this:

You don’t have to become a completely different person to grow.

You don’t need to suddenly become loud, fearless, perfectly consistent, or wildly confident overnight.

Sometimes growth simply looks like:

• pressing go anyway,

• trying the thing,

• surviving the embarrassment,

• laughing at yourself,

• simplifying what no longer fits,

• and slowly building trust in your own voice over time.

That’s what Slay May has reminded me of again this year too.

Pushing myself into the Buttons space alongside the Beaute side wasn’t about creating more work. It was actually about creating more alignment. About testing the crossover. About working smarter instead of constantly reinventing the wheel.

It’s been another reminder that sometimes the things we resist most are actually the things helping us grow quietly in the background.

So if you’re currently sitting there thinking:

• you’re too late,

• too awkward,

• too inexperienced,

• too quiet,

• too imperfect,

• or too behind…

Maybe this is your reminder that nobody starts confidently.

Some of us start with a full script, a silent house, and a nervous breakdown afterwards.

And somehow… we still grow anyway.

Be kind.
Be brave.
Be yourself.