January issue
Unlocking CONFIDENCE WITH LEAH MCBAIN
Confidence isn't something you find. It's something you build one choice, one risk, one moment of showing up even when you don't feel ready.
It's in the quiet morning rituals that ground you. The moments you choose yourself over people-pleasing. The belief that you don't have to fit into one box to be whole.
Self-growth isn't linear. It's messy, it's contradictory, and it asks you to trust yourself before anyone else does. But when you do? That's when everything shifts.
This month, I'm sitting down with someone who embodies that journey—Leah McBain.
Fitness instructor. Makeup artist. A multi-faceted human refusing to shrink herself into a single story.
Leah's path hasn't been about "finding her passion"—it's been about honoring all the parts of herself and building confidence from the inside out. From battling imposter syndrome to finding her voice in a room full of strangers, her story is a reminder that growth happens when you stop waiting to feel ready and just start.
Here's our conversation.
What value are you providing to people with your platform?
I hope that I provide people with a sense of strength and confidence. Becoming a fitness instructor, being a makeup artist - I'm always so focused on making sure people are feeling like the best versions of themselves.
What's a challenge you recently overcame that made you feel really proud?
In my journey to becoming a fitness instructor I went through a great deal of imposter syndrome and self doubt. I had a period of time where I questioned if I was cut out for it, if people even wanted to hear what I had to say, but after throwing myself into my first class at a studio without having the time to really process it, I found my voice, and rediscovered my love for spin after going through a period of questioning myself.
What's in your bag?
About 20 lip products, no shame.
What do you do to boost your confidence?
I do my makeup, it's my time of therapy. I'll either do it in silence or put on a podcast, but it really is one of the only times in the day I feel like I'm focused on nothing else but myself, and pouring into me. Afterwards I always feel like I can take on the world and nothing can bring me down.
What's one belief that shifted everything for you?
That I don't have to have one true "passion" to be successful or have a purpose in life. Humans are dynamic, multi-faceted creatures. To try and put ourselves in a box is doing us a disservice and only leads to anxiety and feeling like you don't have anything figured out.
What's the best advice you've ever received?
My dad has always told me that people are way more concerned with what's going on in their own lives than what I'm doing, so trying to please everyone and mould myself into someone I'm not is a trap from being constantly worried about what others think of me.
What's next for you?
I am so happy with everything that I've made happen in my life, I've never felt more settled, so I think maybe adding in extra habits and small things each day to continue growing my projects. It's always great to think big picture, but it can be overwhelming, so small steps day by day feel more doable and eventually turn into massive changes.
Leah's journey is a powerful reminder that you don't need to have it all figured out to move forward. You don't need one passion, one path, one version of yourself.
You need to trust that every part of you, even the person still figuring it out, deserves to be seen.
Follow Leah:
Instagram: @leahmcbain
See you on the next edition.
— Sebastian von Chourio
