Be grateful for what you already have, and live in an abundance mindset to attract more abundance. Every morning I do a manifestation meditation, and it makes me stay present and remember all of the ways life has rewarded me already. The more gratitude I practice, the more I become rewarded with good. This year alone, I was written about in Rolling Stone and NBC, had a segment on The View, and was emailing with Mark Cuban. This mindset shift has really rewarded me.


Starting something new is scary. Learning to believe in yourself can be a critical precursor to starting a new initiative. Why is it so important to learn to believe in yourself? How can someone work on gaining these skills? In this interview series, we are talking to business leaders, authors, writers, coaches, medical professionals, teachers, to share empowering insights about “How To Learn To Believe In Yourself.” As a part of this series we had the pleasure of interviewing Julia Mazur.

Julia Mazur has quickly become the most prominent voice on the internet for celebrating singlehood.

At 30 years old, Julia went viral for showcasing a day in her life as a single woman with no kids, soon igniting a larger conversation on the societal expectations placed on women by family, religion, work culture and more. Thousands of women soon flooded Julia’s DMs with their own stories on how they live life on their own terms and timeline and praised her for unapologetically representing their story.

Previously a longtime Tinder employee, Julia has ample experience in the dating field both personally and professionally. Countless bad dates and blocked numbers led her to decide to stop settling and enjoy the in between. Julia’s content focuses on celebrating singlehood and the freedom and power that comes with it — the joys of living alone, going on solo dates, sleeping in on the weekends and choosing yourself first.

Julia is the host of the popular Pretty Much Done podcast where she welcomes experts, authors and celebrities who have experienced love and love loss and who are pretty much done settling for anything less than what they deserve.

Julia currently resides in Los Angeles, CA and is happily single.


Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?

I am a first generation American and grew up in a Russian Jewish household in Los Angeles, where a lot of the rhetoric from family and friends was that I should settle down, find a nice husband and have kids. I watched a lot of my friends get married and have children and I tried to do the same.

What or who inspired you to pursue your career? We’d love to hear the story. a. It’s interesting because the way in which I grew up also impacted my career path and journey. As a Jewish person growing up it sometimes feels as if you have the option between two career paths; pursue a law degree or go to medical school and be a doctor. Given that I had no talents in either science or math, I chose the law track. All throughout college I studied pre law; majoring in Communication Studies with a Political Science minor. It wasn’t until I started studying for the mandatory law school entrance exam, the LSAT, that I realized I was pursuing a career to appease other people, and not for myself. After graduating college, I took a role at a magazine where I was selling advertising space, buying myself time to prove to my parents that, despite being pre-law in college, it was okay that I didn’t end up going to law school. I quickly learned that meeting sales quotas was not something that extrinsically motivated me, so after a year of working there, I found a graduate program in International Marketing in London. I graduated from Hult University with a degree in International Marketing. In my personal life, I found myself online dating a lot; with dating apps becoming a tool for meeting new people; which I loved. After moving back home to LA, a marketing coordinator role at the dating app Tinder popped up which I felt merged my firsthand experience, and marketing knowledge perfectly. When I made it to the in person interview round, the head recruiter shared that over 300 people applied for the role and being there was a feat in itself. I

thought I lost the job after my interview with our Chief Marketing Officer at the time, but it turned out I impressed the team and they offered me the job. I ended up working at Tinder for 6 years, and then took a role on the podcast partnerships team at Spotify. I still felt an internal pull to be in the dating and relationships space, though, and decided it was time to launch my podcast Pretty Much Done. Pretty Much Done is a podcast for people who are pretty much done listening to societal pressure and noise, and create the lives that they want to live, for themselves. Not because someone told them it’s how they should live. Since starting the podcast a little over a year ago, I have published 60 episodes and have had countless experts, authors, tv stars and influencers on. The podcast has been mentioned in global publications like Rolling Stone and NBC News, and I finally realized that the happily ever after I was looking for on dating apps came through the process of finding my purpose: helping people learn that they should never settle for less.

It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

When I first started my podcast, I actually had no technical knowledge about how to launch or edit one. Given my extensive marketing background, I am fairly proficient in pitching myself and pitching a product, in this case, my podcast. I managed to get my first guests to agree to record, two girls with an account called DIYBreakup, where they taught people how to effectively get out of their wedding plan commitments. We recorded our interview on Zoom; it took me hours to figure out how to plug my mic in. After the interview, I realized that I never pressed “record,” on our interview. It was at that point that I realized the importance of outsourcing, or asking people for help. I found a female founded podcast studio and editing service that I decided I would invest in to make my episodes sound legitimate, and to never lose a recording again. Sometimes, you just have to spend a little money in the beginning to ensure you have a viable product. Luckily, we re-recorded the interview, but it was never as good as the first one. People’s time is valuable, and it was a mistake I would never make again.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?

I love having a weekly podcast. It keeps me super accountable to deliver content on a weekly basis and not let my listeners down. When you skip a week, retention is known to waiver, so I’ve been super motivated by producing my content. I also love being able to meet new people through my podcast. I have met so many wonderful like minded content creators and entrepreneurs through my podcast guests. I have also recently launched a 3 month confidence coaching program, and I love being able to teach people all of the different things I learned through therapy, life coaching, and my own personal journey. It’s been really exciting to see the doors that have opened up as a result.

OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the core focus of our interview. This will be intuitive to you but it will be helpful to spell this out directly. Can you help explain a few reasons why it is so important to believe in yourself? Can you share a story or give some examples?

For most of my life, I found myself pursuing certain things that people told me would make me happy; finding a husband, settling down, becoming a lawyer, and living in Los Angeles. As I pursued these life milestones, I found myself deeply unfulfilled in so many different aspects of my life. It wasn’t until I got more in touch with who I was, that my gut and my intuition started to lead me into different avenues and paths that my soul actually wanted to pursue. I took my dating life, and personal experiences dating, and created a career path for myself, working at Tinder for 6 years and eventually launching my podcast, Pretty Much Done, and coaching others on how to love themselves to attract love into their lives. Instead of finding a husband and having children by the time I was 30, I decided I would fall in love with myself and my life instead; traveling all over the world, making friends and connections I wouldn’t have ever dreamt of. I sent a message to two strangers on Zillow, and turned it into a home swap opportunity and moved to Austin. Had I kept playing it safe and playing small, and following the “path” laid out for me, I would’ve never had any of the life experiences that I have had today. I also believe that following my gut, and feeling confident that I can achieve anything, has allowed for these doors to open for me, and feel assured walking through them.

What exactly does it mean to believe in yourself? Can I believe that I can be a great artist even though I’m not very talented? Can I believe I can be a gold medal Olympic even if I’m not athletic? Can you please explain what you mean?

I think believing in yourself means that you know the things you want to accomplish can be yours if you work hard at them. I believe that if there is something we truly want, we will do all the things in our power to achieve them. Having a realistic worldview is important, though. I am 5’5 so it would be unrealistic to think that if I believe in myself enough, I can become a basketball player. I do, however, understand my strengths, and those play into the things that I want out of life. I have always understood that I have a profound ability to connect with people, to ask people meaningful questions, and connect about dating experiences. Through confidence and belief in myself, I knew I could have a successful dating podcast. Although metrics of success are different for different people, I think that having a dating podcast that has been written about in global media outlets, and one that people tune into weekly, makes my podcast successful. Had I not believed in myself, I would’ve never put myself out there, pitched prominent guests to come on my podcast, and encouraged people to listen.

Was there a time when you did not believe in yourself? How did this impact your choices? a. Definitely. I struggled with my weight for a vast majority of my life. At my heaviest weight I weighed 208 lbs. I had people bully me about my weight growing up, and partners who told me they wished my body looked different. These experiences chipped away at my confidence and sense of self. I started to anchor my confidence on what other people thought of me as a result. Because I anchored my self worth on other people, I started to follow the paths that other people told me were best for me; but the reality was, these people weren’t living my life for me. I love my independence, I love being able to take my time to find a partner who reflects the qualities I value in myself, I value a career where I am helping people, meeting and connecting with people, and not chained to a desk working a 9 to 5 job. Through people pleasing tendencies, I followed life paths that were not fueling my greater purpose.

At what point did you realize that in order to get to the next level, it would be necessary to build up your belief in yourself? Can you share the story with us?

It wasn’t necessarily an “aha” moment, but I credit most of my belief in myself and self worth to the work I intentionally did in therapy. After finding myself in these “good on paper” relationships and still feeling deeply unfulfilled, I landed in couples therapy. While the relationship did not last, the therapy stuck. I realized that I had this pattern of allowing relationships, or men in general, be at the root of my self worth. The most important thing I had to work on was that internal self-worth, and not having to anchor it on anybody else. The most important element of self worthiness, is that it has to come from within.

What are your top 5 strategies that will help someone learn to believe in themselves?

1 . Remember 3–5 things that your younger self wouldn’t believe you have accomplished today. I don’t think that younger Julia would’ve ever thought that she would buy a condo by the age of 25; utilizing the equity she received from her tech job to purchase it, she would email with Mark Cuban, or she would move to a new city solely on her own.

2 . Write down “You Are Enough” on your mirror. The daily reminder when you look at yourself everyday helps.

3 . Face your shadow; and realize that that version of yourself makes up all the parts of you, and deserves love too. It wasn’t until I faced my shadow; a 70 lb heavier version of myself, and told her I loved her, that I was able to come to this realization and feel fully whole.

4. Look for the signs: I read the book Signs by Laura Lynn Jackson and it changed my life. She talks about how we have a team of light we can tap into, who are with us and constantly show us signs so we feel less alone, and can reassure our decisions. Recently, after making a big leap, deciding to move to a new city, and quitting my corporate job, I found myself walking home and hearing the tail end of a song that my grandmother sang to me in my last memory of her. Had I not been tuning into the signs, I would’ve never heard it or made the connection.

5. Be grateful for what you already have, and live in an abundance mindset to attract more abundance. Every morning I do a manifestation meditation, and it makes me stay present and remember all of the ways life has rewarded me already. The more gratitude I practice, the more I become rewarded with good. This year alone, I was written about in Rolling Stone and NBC, had a segment on The View, and was emailing with Mark Cuban. This mindset shift has really rewarded me.

Conversely, how can one stop the negative stream of self-criticism that often accompanies us as we try to grow?

Whenever I am feeling negative, or like I can’t do something, I can now identify that fear appearing from my inner child. For example, I recently made the decision to leave my corporate job, and my six-figure salary. My parents, who immigrated here with no money, called me crazy to leave such a stable, well-paying job. That being said, I realize that the entrepreneurial route does not come without risks, and I could no longer maintain a 9 to 5 job, and work on my personal projects and pursuits. All of a sudden, I was flooded with self criticism, financial fear, and fears that I couldn’t make it on my own. Despite having money saved up, coaching clients and brand deals coming in, I was still scared that the well could run dry at any minute. Whenever I have these fears creep up, I force myself to do an inner child meditation to quell my fears, and stay present in the feelings I am feeling in my body and in my mind. The fear will always be there, but it’s our decision on how we choose to react to it. Do we rise to the occasion, or hunker down and let it eat away at us?

Are there any misconceptions about self-confidence and believing in oneself that you would like to dispel?

I think that some people think self-confidence can come off as cocky, or “cringey.” I know that people have likely scoffed at the content I have put out on the internet, but I’ve always loved the quote, “It’s cringe until you’re successful.” Someone once told me that we all have to climb “Cringe Mountain,” on the way to success. If you’re not putting yourself out there, and sharing what you’re working on, no one will ever know what it is you’re offering, and being quiet and not sharing out of fear of being judged is just doing yourself a disservice.

What advice would you give to someone who is struggling with imposter syndrome? a. First, I’d tell them I understand, and that I suffer from it as well. You have to remember that even the most successful entrepreneurs had no idea what they were doing when they were doing it. I love this quote that my best friend shared with me the last time I was afraid, “Nothing that’s meant for you will ever miss you.” Once you understand that it’s all going to work out exactly as it should, you can stop trying to control the outcome. I’d also share that it’s never a failure, it’s just redirection and another door is opening soon, so just stay on the path.

Ok, we are nearly done. You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

Just love yourself. It takes so much more effort to dislike yourself; trust me, I did for many years and it was exhausting. The relationship you have with yourself will last your entire lifetime, and it’s so important to love the person that you are. Asking other people to do it for you, will only make you feel deeply unfulfilled.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them 🙂

Mark Cuban had the biggest impact on me this last year. Without him coming to my defense on social media when I was being cyber bullied, I don’t know that I would’ve felt as compelled to rise to the occasion and deliver my content to people. He was kind enough to reply to my emails, and I even learned that we are both Russian Jews. I adore him, think he is so smart and wise, and would love to have lunch with him, pick his brain, and relay how positively he impacted my career journey.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

Thank you! Please subscribe and rate and review my podcast Pretty Much Done. It’s available everywhere you get your podcasts: https://linktr.ee/prettymuchdone. Follow me on Tiktok or IG and feel free to DM me if you’re interested in learning more about my coaching program!

Thank you for these really excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent with this. We wish you continued success.

Author(s)

  • Savio P. Clemente

    TEDx Speaker, Media Journalist, Board Certified Wellness Coach, Best-Selling Author & Cancer Survivor

    Savio P. Clemente, TEDx speaker and Stage 3 cancer survivor, infuses transformative insights into every article. His journey battling cancer fuels a mission to empower survivors and industry leaders towards living a truly healthy, wealthy, and wise lifestyle. As a Board-Certified Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC, ACC), Savio guides readers to embrace self-discovery and rewrite narratives by loving their inner stranger, as outlined in his acclaimed TEDx talk: "7 Minutes to Wellness: How to Love Your Inner Stranger." Through his best-selling book and impactful work as a media journalist — covering inspirational stories of resilience and exploring wellness trends — Savio has collaborated with notable celebrities and TV personalities, bringing his insights to diverse audiences and touching countless lives. His philosophy, "to know thyself is to heal thyself," resonates in every piece.