Picture it. My skirt was up to here and my hair extensions were down to there. Talk about confidence. I was feelin’ it in a MAJOR way.
Or, so I thought.
I was 25 years old, posing for a (clothed!) photoshoot in Maxim magazine. And the topic was … How to be a power girl.
This was back in the early 2000s. I was running my own PR business, skipping the line at all the coolest nightclubs, and feeling like a total boss.
So when the interviewer asked me, “What is confidence?” I thought I had that question in the bag.
Quickly, I replied, “Confidence means that everyone in the room knows that you have the power.”
When I think back to that quote now, at age 42, it breaks my heart a little.
I feel for that girl in her 20s.
That version of Gabby thought confidence had to come from the outside world.
true confidence
Decades later, I’ve come to understand that true confidence is an inside job.
Confidence means speaking your truth …. no matter what that truth is.
It means owning your past.
It means leading by example.
And for Katie Sturino, confidence means unapologetically celebrating and honoring your body.
Katie is my guest on today’s Big Talk, and we had such an epic conversation.

The fashion industry didn’t see this powerhouse coming!
Katie has revolutionized the way so many women look at their bodies … and she’s taught us that self-acceptance is the only trend that matters.
On today’s Big Talk, Katie and I dive deep into body confidence, self-love and forgiveness.
listen to this episode to learn:
- Methods for teaching body confidence to the next generation
- How to bust through blocks to love and compassion
- A powerful way to forgive your parents and release the way you were brought up
- How to use fashion as a joyful form of self-expression—even if you think it’s silly!
boost your body confidence
And of course, the queen of body confidence served up some major self-love advice.
Click here to learn 3 ways that you can boost your body confidence this instant.
So much of body image is about forgiveness: Forgiveness of the way that we were brought up, and forgiveness of ourselves.
gabby
Okay … I can’t wait.
Want a quick teaser? Here’s one simple thing you can do today, without changing a thing.
notice the negative thoughts
Simply start to notice the negative things you say to yourself. Don’t judge it—just notice!
Katie said that, on average, women say at least 19 self-defeating things to themselves every single day.
^^And honestly, I’m surprised that number isn’t higher!
If we can start to notice those negative thoughts, we can eventually start to change them.
But for today, just notice! Let’s not force anything. We’ll take self-acceptance one step at a time. Pressing play on this week’s podcast is an excellent place to start.
a live therapy session
Another thing I adore about Katie? She’s not afraid to do an impromptu therapy session—and go DEEP—with thousands of you Dear Gabby audience members listening in!
I’ve been studying Internal Family Systems therapy lately, and in this episode of Dear Gabby I teach Katie some of the core tenets of this practice.
In this week’s podcast, I led Katie to identify the parts of herself that were blocking her from love and compassion.
In just a few minutes, she was able to let those parts step aside and access her true Self Energy. (Don’t sweat the lingo—I’ll explain exactly what that all means in today’s podcast!)
Katie was even able to take it a step further ….
With her willingness to tap into all the parts of herself, Katie was able to come into close contact with her inner child.
AND she got a massive message about how to find more joy in her adult life.
Whew, this was such a powerful moment!
The lessons in this mini therapy session are universal. I have no doubt that listening in will be healing for you.
My hope is that this helps you find more joy in your life—and gives you a giant dose of confidence!
Oh, and Katie also has a killer tip for how to have fun with your style.
From fashion advice to deep inner work, this Big Talk has it alllll!
I am so psyched to share it with you.
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disclaimer
This podcast is intended to educate, inspire, and support you on your personal journey towards inner peace. I am not a psychologist or a medical doctor and do not offer any professional health or medical advice. If you are suffering from any psychological or medical conditions, please seek help from a qualified health professional.