What if bravery isn’t something you’re born with?
What if it’s something you choose?
In this episode of Girl, Take the Lead!, I’m joined by Broadway actress, bestselling author, success coach, and host of the Unstoppably Creative Podcast, Leslie Becker, for a conversation about the beliefs we carry—and the bravery it can take to question them.
Leslie spent years believing she simply wasn’t brave. Her sister, she thought, had gotten the “brave gene.” She also loved acting but was afraid to claim it as a career, convinced she wasn’t good at auditions and unsure she could actually make a living doing what she loved.
Eventually, she began to see those thoughts for what they were: beliefs, not facts.
That opened up a conversation between us about the stories we tell ourselves, where those stories come from, and how easily they can become part of our identity without our even realizing it.
Leslie uses the metaphor of a coat—a role or belief we put on because of our experiences, expectations, or what others have told us about who we are. We can wear that coat for so long that we forget to ask: Is this actually mine?
Sometimes we have to walk down a path before we can recognize that it isn’t ours.
And maybe that recognition is part of living a brave life.
In this conversation, we explore:
- Why bravery may be a choice rather than a personality trait
- How limiting beliefs can quietly become part of our identity
- Leslie’s “Gotcha Exercise” for catching the conversations we repeatedly have with ourselves
- Why replacing an old belief requires practice—not a one-and-done affirmation
- How to ask, Where did this belief come from? Is it mine or someone else’s?
- Why transitions can force us to reconsider who we are now
- The bravery required to admit when a path no longer belongs to us
- Why creativity exists in all of us—even if we don’t consider ourselves “creative”
- How our creative gifts can find expression through art, business, problem-solving, performance, or simply the way we live
- What it means to become unstoppably creative, even when we’re scared
And when I ask Leslie what she would tell her 20-something self, her answer brings us right back to where we began:
You are way more brave than you realize you are.
About Leslie Becker
Leslie Becker is a Broadway actress of 25 years, bestselling author of The Organized Actor®, host of the Unstoppably Creative Podcast, and a top success coach for creatives.
With a 30-year career in the industry, Leslie has consistently offered books, courses, coaching, and digital tools for actors and entrepreneurs while continuing her own unstoppably creative journey. Whether helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses or bringing bold, creative experiences to light, Leslie is a force to help others build a business and a life that is unapologetically their own.
Connect with Leslie
Website:
https://lesliebecker.com
The Organized Actor®:
https://organizedactor.com
Free Gotcha Exercise Guide:
https://lesliebecker.com/landing/gotcha-exercise
Instagram:
https://instagram.com/thelesliebecker
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thelesliebecker/
Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/thelesliebecker
YouTube / Unstoppably Creative:
https://www.youtube.com/@unstoppablycreative
Email: Leslie@LeslieBecker.com
Leslie’s Upcoming Fetching Water Concert
Leslie is continuing her own unstoppably creative journey with Fetching Water, a musical she wrote with collaborator Michael Hunsaker.
On September 12 in Nashville, Leslie will present a 45-minute concert presentation of songs from the musical at Analog at the Hutton Hotel.
Concert Information & Tickets:
https://www.analognashville.com/events/nmtn-presents-the-first-stage-3/
Follow Fetching Water on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/fetchingwaterthemusical
Three Takeaways
1. Bravery isn’t necessarily something we have. It’s something we practice.
2. Not every belief we carry belongs to us.
3. Creativity doesn’t disappear just because we stop calling ourselves creative.