Confidence – A Personal Reflection from a Dyslexic Business Owner and Mindset Coach
- Kirsty Heap
Book review by Kirsty Heap
When I first picked up Confidence by Roxie Nafousi, I did not expect it to become such a personal journey. The design of the physical book struck me immediately. The off white pages and the ribbon bookmark made reading feel easier, and if the font type and size had been a little bigger, this would have made it an even more enjoyable read. As a dyslexic business owner, small details like this genuinely make a difference, to if I will read a book or not. I was not expecting this book to become such a reflective or encouraging experience.
What I loved most about this book is that Roxie does not frame confidence as something loud or showy. She treats it as a feeling, an energy that grows from trust in ourselves. This really resonated with me. Confidence, for me, is not about volume. It is a calm sense of knowing I can do something because I believe in my abilities. Reading her words made me think of clients I work with and moments I have observed in my own children where a fear of being the new one or the only one has stopped them from trying something new. It highlighted how confidence is built through small acts of courage and how it can be rebuilt at any stage of life.
Roxie shares openly about altering her natural appearance when she was younger in the hope that it might make her feel more accepted or more professional. I related to this more deeply than I expected. For years I chemically straightened my hair because I believed straight hair looked more corporate and therefore more capable. It took stepping into my thirties to embrace my natural waves and to recognise that the person I had been trying to present was not the person I actually was, nor wanted to be. Reading her reflections reminded me of the years I spent hiding my dyslexia. I felt I had to reshape myself to fit what I thought the professional world wanted. It has only been through acceptance and understanding that I have found genuine confidence and a much calmer sense of self.
Her exploration of the inner critic is one of the most powerful parts of the book. Roxie describes this voice as a Heckler and contrasts it with our internal Cheerleader. I could relate instantly. My critic still appears, particularly in areas where I am growing, but it no longer runs the show. Awareness and compassion have changed that. The Cheerleader voice that she describes mirrors the qualities I try to bring to my coaching work: encouraging, steady, forgiving and hopeful. The journal prompts throughout the book helped me recognise thoughts and patterns that I had not fully noticed before. I found them grounding and gentle in their approach.
The book also helped me look again at the idea of flaws. For years, I saw dyslexia through a negative lens. I was frustrated by spelling and reading difficulties and constantly worried about what others thought. Over time, I have come to see dyslexia as one of the foundations of my creativity, empathy and problem-solving. Roxie’s writing reminded me that our differences are not problems to fix; they are parts of us to understand. They hold clues to our character and our growth.
There are many practical reminders in the book that stayed with me. Roxie talks about confirmation bias and the way our minds search for information that matches what we already believe. She also explores frequency illusion, that moment when you buy a new car and suddenly see it everywhere. Both concepts reminded me how powerful our thoughts can be, and how choosing to feed more positive, grounded beliefs can shift our mindset over time. Her reminders about the difference between being productive and simply being busy also landed strongly. When I started my business I saw clients at any time they asked. Seven thirty in the morning or seven in the evening, it did not matter. I was trying to be everything to everyone and it took a toll on my wellbeing. Setting boundaries was one of the most important steps I took for my confidence and for my clients. It is interesting how trusting myself enough to hold those boundaries felt like a form of growth in itself.
I also appreciated Roxie’s reflections on belonging and authenticity. Wanting to fit in is such a human instinct, but when it becomes people pleasing or masking, it chips away at who we are. I recognised myself in this. The moment I stopped hiding my dyslexia was the moment I stopped dimming the parts of me that make me who I am. Letting myself be seen, fully and honestly, has brought more confidence than any external achievement ever has.
Towards the end of the book, Roxie writes about compassion for our flaws and the importance of accepting the parts of ourselves that may never change. This resonated deeply. I know spelling will always be an area I find frustrating, but I no longer attach shame to it. I accept it as part of me and seek support in the moments I need it. That shift has strengthened my confidence more than any technique or system. It reminded me that confidence grows through understanding, acceptance and self-respect.
Reading Confidence felt like spending time with a gentle guiding voice that encourages honesty, growth and self-compassion. It prompted reflections about who I am, how far I have come and how valuable it is to embrace every part of our personal story. Confidence is not something we master once. It is something we reconnect with repeatedly as life evolves. It is something we rediscover, nurture and rebuild.
If you have an interest in personal development, mindset, neurodiversity or confidence work, I recommend this book. It offers stories, practical tools and heartfelt reminders that confidence already exists within us. Sometimes it simply needs space to breathe.