When conversations turn to women’s career advancement, the focus often falls on education, skills, experience and networking. Yet one factor consistently influences whether talented women pursue opportunities, advocate for themselves and step into leadership roles: confidence.

For Daria Krykunova, founder of Creative Girls Club , confidence is both the biggest opportunity and the biggest barrier she sees among women throughout their careers.

“The most talented women I met, the brightest talents, the most amazing people, were limited not because they lacked resources or opportunities, but because they were not comfortable speaking out loud about what they could do,” she says.

Confidence Can Be a Career Accelerator or a Career Blocker

Krykunova’s perspective comes from years of mentoring women across Eastern Europe and working with women who were rebuilding their lives and careers after being displaced by war.

During a mentorship program for Ukrainian women transitioning into technology careers, many participants had lost not only their jobs but also their communities and support systems. Despite impressive resumes and years of experience, many struggled with self-doubt.

“The only mentorship they wanted was somebody to say, ‘Girl, I’ve got your back. You’re great and amazing,’” Krykunova says.

Her experience reflects a broader challenge facing women in the workplace. The 2024 Women’s Leadership Pulse Check says that 61% of women say that how their colleagues perceive them significantly influences how they view themselves professionally. The findings suggest that external validation continues to play an important role in confidence and career development.

For many women, the issue is not capability. It is visibility. Highly qualified professionals often hesitate to speak up, advocate for themselves or pursue opportunities because they underestimate their readiness.

The Confidence Gap Often Starts Early

For Krykunova, the roots of the confidence gap often begin long before women enter the workforce. Growing up in Eastern Europe, she observed cultural expectations that encouraged women to be quieter, take up less space and avoid drawing attention to themselves.

“Never raise your hand if you have a question. Never defend your ideas. Think twice before you speak,” she recalls.

While younger generations are becoming more vocal and visible, many women still struggle with concerns about how they will be perceived if they express strong opinions, promote their accomplishments or pursue ambitious goals.

That hesitation can have lasting career consequences. According to McKinsey & Company’s 2024 Women in the Workplace report , women remain underrepresented at every level of corporate leadership despite years of progress. While women now hold 29% of C-suite positions, up from 17% in 2015, the leadership pipeline continues to narrow as women move into more senior roles.

The result is that talent frequently goes unnoticed—not because it is absent, but because it remains unspoken.

Creativity Is More Than an Artistic Skill

One of the most interesting lessons Krykunova has learned through Creative Girls Club is that creativity can be a powerful confidence-building tool.

Although many people associate creativity with painting, music or crafts, she believes creativity is a practical business skill. “Creativity is the ability to think outside the box, to find solutions where others cannot see them,” she says.

Whether someone works in engineering, accounting, law, finance or entrepreneurship, creativity helps people approach challenges differently and develop innovative solutions.

More importantly, successfully applying a creative solution builds trust in one’s own judgment. “When you try something that comes from your imagination and experience, and you see that it works, that’s one of the biggest confidence-building tools,” Krykunova says.

That confidence can then carry over into other areas of life, from career advancement to leadership and entrepreneurship .

Building Community Creates Opportunity

That philosophy became the foundation for Creative Girls Club. Founded just four months ago by Krykunova and her co-founder, the organization began as a way for two immigrants to build meaningful connections in a new country. What started as a small gathering quickly grew to nearly 2,000 members.

The demand surprised them. Women were not simply looking for social interaction. They were looking for community, support and professional connection.

As members met one another, informal relationships turned into business opportunities. Women exchanged services, referred clients, collaborated on projects and supported each other’s growth .

Today, Creative Girls Club is expanding beyond community-building to offer workshops focused on sales, marketing, personal branding and professional visibility. The organization is also developing mentorship and career exploration programs to help women gain practical experience before committing to a specific career path.

Confidence is often the difference between having talent and being recognized for it. While skills and experience matter, women who trust their abilities are more likely to pursue opportunities, share their ideas and step into leadership roles. As Creative Girls Club continues to grow, it highlights an important truth: when women build confidence, they unlock possibilities that can change the trajectory of their careers and businesses.

Melissa Houston, CPA, CEPA , is a Business Value & Financial Strategy Advisor and a Forbes.com contributor who writes about building profitable, sellable businesses.

With more than 25 years of experience in finance and accounting, she helps entrepreneurs increase profit, improve cash flow, and build companies that create long-term wealth. Her work focuses on financial leadership, profit optimization, and increasing business valuation through strategic decision-making.

Melissa is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), specializing in helping founders understand and close the gap between their current business value and its full potential. She works with business owners to strengthen financial performance, reduce risk, and position their companies for successful exits.

A published author of Cash Confident: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Creating a Profitable Business , Melissa is a recognized voice in financial strategy and entrepreneurial wealth-building.

The opinions expressed in this article are not intended to replace professional accounting or tax advice.