S2: EP1: Self-Trust: 7 Honest Lessons on Confidence, With Kaz Hassan

Season two of Decoding Confidence opens with a role reversal. Kaz Hassan, who leads Partner Marketing and Thought Leadership at Unily and has interviewed everyone from Tan France to Mo Gawdat, usually holds the microphone. This time Advita Patel turns the tables and interviews him about what confidence really means. It's a candid, practical conversation. Kaz reframes confidence as self-trust rather than volume or extroversion, and explains why some of the loudest people in the room are often the least sure of themselves. He shares how he prepares for high-pressure interviews in front of hundreds of people, why he watches himself back even when colleagues find it odd, and how "remembering we're all just people" quietly dissolves the fear of big names and big rooms. The two also get honest about the personal feedback that chips away at confidence, from comments on dress sense to being told you're "too expressive." They talk about unlearning people-pleasing, protecting your self-esteem online, and building a trusted learning circle so you take advice from the right voices and tune out the rest. If you want to speak with more confidence, build trust faster and show up as yourself at work, this one's for you. What you'll learn • Why confidence is really self-trust, and how to spot it in yourself and others • How Kaz prepares for and then improvises through interviews with high-profile guests • Why watching yourself back is one of the fastest ways to improve as a speaker • How to build trust quickly with audiences, stakeholders and clients • Why working on your own confidence has to come before any "trust tactics" • How to handle personal, unhelpful feedback without letting it dent your self-worth • How to build a learning circle, or personal board of directors, of believers, mirrors and connectors Timestamps 00:00 Pre-chat and getting set up 01:28 Welcome to season two and flipping the interviewer role 02:28 What confidence really means 04:09 Big names, big rooms, and why they still feel human 05:23 Natural curiosity versus learned confidence 06:58 Why remembering "we're all just people" changes everything 10:02 The pressure of interviewing live in front of huge audiences 11:55 How Kaz prepares, then improvises in the moment 13:49 Why watching your own work matters 15:33 Prep, practice and improving by reviewing your talks 18:42 Why LinkedIn visibility makes some people uncomfortable 22:14 Being visible at Unily without wanting the pedestal 27:14 How to build trust quickly with audiences and stakeholders 28:13 Why self-confidence comes before trust tactics 30:26 Don't overcomplicate trust 33:17 Unlearning people-pleasing and the need to be liked 34:44 Bad advice about authenticity and dress code 38:09 Personal feedback that can damage confidence 41:12 Why a trusted learning circle beats random advice 44:34 What Kaz would tell his younger self before the Tan France interview 46:52 Entering flow through presence and perception 48:38 Final recommendation: learn from many styles, not one formula 53:02 Closing reflections and thanks Notable quotes "Confidence is with trust." Kaz Hassan "Some of the loudest characters I know are the least confident in themselves." Advita Patel "We're all just people." Kaz Hassan "If you're everyone's cup of tea, you'd be a mug." Kaz Hassan "Adding polish on top of the wrong foundation." Kaz Hassan, on chasing trust tactics before building self-confidence FAQ  What is confidence, really? In this episode, confidence is defined as self-trust. It's whether you back yourself, stand by your convictions and trust your ability no matter what life throws at you. It is not about being loud, bold or extroverted. In fact, some of the loudest people in a room are the least confident, using volume as a mask. How do you build trust quickly with an audience or stakeholders? Kaz shares two core tips. First, work on your own self-confidence before reaching for any trust techniques, because polish on a shaky foundation falls flat. Second, treat every person as an individual rather than running them through a formula. Trust is built through honesty, respect, and genuinely understanding the person in front of you. How do you prepare for a high-pressure interview or presentation? Do the research first: watch their talks, read their books, understand their tone and expertise. Then let go of the script enough to stay present. Kaz listens for the unexpected thread in an answer and takes a beat before asking his next question, so he responds to what was actually said rather than rushing to the next item on a list. What is a learning circle, or personal board of directors? It's a small, intentional group of trusted people whose feedback you genuinely value. Advita describes three types: believers who champion you, ...