No Experience, No Problem: How Alyssa McMasters Launched “Confidence Redefined”

What gave Alyssa McMasters the confidence to start a podcast—even though she had never set foot in content creation before? A big boost from the STORYHIVE Video Podcast program along with heeding her own advice as a Confidence Coach based in Alberta.

The Calgary-based mom-of-two kicked off her burgeoning content creation career when her podcast, Confidence Redefined, got the greenlight. Now heading into its second season, the show explores conversations “with some of Calgary's most self-assured individuals,” from drag performer Birthday Girl (Tom Barker) to Author and Real Estate Investor Shenneile Henry to tech and finance expert Dennis Agbegha.

We talked with Alyssa about her journey in sales to confidence coaching to podcast host and everything she’s learned along the way, plus the advice she has for new and emerging content creators who want to strike out with something new.

STORYHIVE: Can you tell us a little more about your background as a “confidence coach”? When did you start that career path and tell me a little more about how you got into that and how it works?

Alyssa McMasters: Before I became a confidence coach, I spent a decade working in sales and marketing. I actually really liked the boardroom.

How I got into this work is kind of funny. Over the course of one week, three different male clients asked me the same question: "How are you so confident?" And then they'd follow it up with, "Can you teach my daughters?"

It was kind of a lightbulb moment. Because when I’d walk into a sales meeting, I’d ask really thoughtful questions, and then I’d confidently ask for exactly what I wanted. That, to me, is confidence: having the ability to ask for what you want—even when you're feeling insecure or not at your best.

I’ve come to realize that this is something many women struggle with. From the time we’re toddlers, we’re often taught to be quiet, kind, and accommodating. We internalize these messages and end up with a hard time asking for what we want or setting boundaries. That conditioning runs deep.

Building my own confidence was hard work. I dealt with anxiety and depression, which really shook my self-esteem. But over time, I gathered tools—through therapy, podcasts, YouTube videos, and more—that helped me build it back up.

To me, confidence is actually about neutrality. It’s about reaching a place where you feel steady and grounded, not swayed by every high or low. I don’t look in the mirror every day and think, “I love my body.” That’s not realistic. But I also don’t want to spiral into self-criticism either. Neutrality is that middle ground—it’s sustainable, and it gives you the space to make clear, strong decisions.

So, back to that week with the three clients—after the third person asked me if I could teach their daughter confidence, I thought, “Actually, I think I can.” I realized I could teach others how to ask for what they want, how to show up even when they're not feeling 100%, how to keep going even without every skill in place.

That was about four years ago. At the time, I had never heard the term confidence coach—so I kind of made it up. I told some friends and colleagues what I was doing, and it just snowballed from there. People started reaching out for one-on-one coaching, for speaking engagements, and even for corporate workshops.

Now, I work with teams, people in tech, and small businesses. Those are my three main areas. And honestly, I’ve just let the universe—and the market—guide me to where I’m meant to be.

So yeah, that’s how it all started.

SH: Your podcast Confidence Redefined talks with different people in different stages of life, but who are all crushing their goals and dreams… What made you want to explore this specific topic?

AM: The thing about confidence is that it looks different for everyone.

When I talk to my clients, I always remind them that the goal of confidence is unique to each person. For someone like me—an extreme extrovert—confidence might look like standing in front of a room of a thousand people and giving a talk. That lights me up. That’s my version of confidence.

But for someone who's more introverted, their version might be totally different. It could be as simple (and powerful) as saying, “I don’t agree with that,” in a meeting—and then stopping there. No explanation, no follow-up. Just calmly asserting their perspective. That’s huge.

For the teen girls I work with, confidence often looks like stepping away from social media. They’ll say things like, “I just want to feel confident enough to not use it, to not feel like I need it.” And that’s so valid.

The point is: we all define confidence differently. I think there's a common misconception that confidence always looks bold and loud—like the classic “speak-up-and-take-space” kind of confidence. And while that’s valid too, it’s not the only version.

That’s why I wanted to create space to highlight different kinds of confidence—different skills, different stories, different backgrounds. Because when people see those examples, they start to realize: “Oh, that could be me too.” Confidence doesn’t have to look one specific way. It gets to be yours.

SH: Tell me more about the guests you’ve had and what they bring to the podcast.

AM: All the guests on my podcast are people I’ve met at some point in my life. Sometimes it’s someone I’ve seen speak at a conference and thought, “Whoa, that person is really cool.”

Even in this current season—there’s an episode about relationships, and we featured our wedding officiant! I just find people really interesting, especially when they’re authentic and clearly have something meaningful to say about confidence.

Over the last five years or so, I’ve kind of been collecting these people in my mind—just thinking, “One day, I want to do something with them.” So when the opportunity came up to do the podcast, and I got the funding, I knew it was time. I reached out to all those people I’d mentally bookmarked. That’s how I chose my guests.

As for how we work together, I usually send them a few general questions ahead of time—just to get them thinking and to help spark ideas. But honestly, once we hit record, I rarely follow those questions exactly. The podcast tends to flow like a really natural conversation.

That said, some guests do prefer structure. A few have said, “I really want you to stick to the questions,” and I totally respect that and can adapt. But most of the time, we start with a loose outline, and it turns into something organic.

What I love about letting the conversation unfold naturally is that it leads us to insights I never would’ve planned for. And I think that’s where my coaching background really kicks in. As a coach, I’ve trained myself to listen for those deeper threads—those moments where someone says something and I think, “Wait, there’s more there.” And then I dig in with more questions, and that’s often where the magic happens.

So in a way, the podcast flows a lot like my coaching sessions—guided, but open, with space to follow the energy and curiosity wherever it leads.

SH: It all starts with a team, too! Tell us more about the team behind the podcast!

AM: I'm really grateful because my director and cinematographer is actually my aunt. She’s worked on STORYHIVE projects in the past for herself, so she knows the ins and outs of the process—which was incredibly helpful. A big part of getting a project off the ground is building the right team, and I knew I wanted her on mine.

I brought her on as both director and cinematographer, and then I also brought in a sound engineer to make sure the audio quality was solid. Once you add both video and sound into the mix, it becomes a whole other ballgame. You need both elements to work together fluidly and cohesively.

For all my social media content and behind-the-scenes photos, I also brought in some interns—friends’ kids who are interested in getting into film or podcasting. I invited them to be part of the process so they could learn along the way. A lot of them helped with things like making coffee for guests, prepping small gifts, and just supporting wherever needed. They became a little PA team, and it was so fun to have them involved.

So overall, the core team was my director/cinematographer, my sound engineer, and then the interns who helped support production and learned a lot in the process.

SH: What made you want to dive into content creation? 

AM: One of my core strengths is being able to take complex topics and break them down into something more digestible. That’s always been my thing. So when it came to content creation, I realized I could use that skill to ask big, meaningful questions—but in a way that felt accessible to a broader audience.

I wanted to create something where I could ask thoughtful questions, gather unique insights from different people, and share those with others—especially in a format that’s more passive and approachable, like a podcast. It really came from listening to what my clients were telling me, and thinking about how I could support them in a different way.

So in a lot of ways, the idea started with the audience first. I thought about what they needed, and only after that did I realize, “Hey, I actually think I’m the right person to create this.”

It wasn’t about putting myself front and center—it was about service. But once I got into it, I also realized how much fun I was having and how much I genuinely enjoy it.

SH: Now that you’ve been through the STORYHIVE program, what advice would you give to other emerging video podcasters and content creators who are thinking of applying?

AM: I truly believe that everyone has a powerful story to tell. It doesn’t matter what your background is, how much experience you have, or whether you feel like you’re the “right” person or have all the right connections—you still have a story that matters.

If you're even thinking that this might be something worth exploring, the answer is yes. Because everyone has something to say, and your voice deserves to be heard.

SH: What advice would you have for any content creators currently filming their STORYHIVE projects?

AM: One big piece of advice: prioritize lighting before you even start thinking about angles. Lighting makes such a huge difference.

In my first season, we filmed a few episodes in this beautiful open space with tons of natural light. I scouted it in the morning and thought, “This is perfect.” But of course, as the day went on and the sun shifted, the lighting changed completely. We had production assistants running around with pillows trying to block random beams of light or diffuse harsh shadows—it was chaos.

So now, I always say: check the lighting at the exact time you'll be filming, and get that right first. Then move on to thinking about camera angles. Trust me—it’ll save you so much stress.

And from a production standpoint, my biggest tip is: give yourself way more time than you think you’ll need. If you think you need five hours to edit, give yourself twenty. Okay, maybe not twenty—let’s say four times the amount of time you think. You never know what’s going to happen—maybe your computer crashes, maybe a file goes missing, maybe something just takes longer than expected.

There’s nothing worse than being the night before your episode is due and realizing it’s not quite what you wanted it to be. So build in a buffer. Aim to have things done a week or two before your actual deadline. That way, you’re putting out work you’re proud of—not just work you managed to finish in a panic.

SH: What do you want the audience to know about the podcast before they see and hear it? 

AM: What I really want people to know—especially with Season Two, though it applies to Season One as well—is that you’re absolutely going to find someone you connect with.

Someone will make you stop and think, “Huh… I’m kind of like that person.” And I don’t just mean in how they look, act, or what they do for work. I mean the way they think.

That’s one of the most powerful things about this season: you’ll hear someone express a thought process that mirrors your own, and they’ll be talking about what confidence means to them. That moment of recognition? It’s so important—because once you realize someone with a similar mindset has found their own confidence, you start to see that those same tools might work for you too.

So chances are, you’ll see a little bit of yourself in at least one person—though honestly, probably in all eight. And you’ll walk away having learned something meaningful from each one.

SH: What medium do you think it goes best with—listening or watching?

AM: I want to say watching—because I worked really hard to make everything look beautiful. The angles, the cinematography… I'm honestly so proud of it.

But at the same time, I'm a mom. I don't usually have the time to sit and watch something for 45 minutes to an hour, even if it’s one of the funniest episodes. So logistically, for me, listening just makes more sense most of the time.

That said, if you do have the time to watch, I think you’ll really appreciate the visuals. But either way—watching or listening—you’re getting something great.

SH: What's next for Alyssa? Anything new?

AM: Right now, I’m on maternity leave with my 10-week-old and I told myself I’d take six months off. But then someone reached out about an opportunity in May, and I thought, “Oh, yes!” Then another opportunity came up for a trip to Toronto in June, and I couldn’t resist—it felt like too good of a chance to pass up.

So for the next year, I’m doing about one or two things a month. After that, though, my focus is shifting really heavily onto content—specifically on Instagram and LinkedIn. I’ve realized that’s where a lot of my clients are coming from, and it’s where things are going.

I also have a close friend who just started a marketing company, and she’s been talking a lot about how building a community is key before you can even think about selling. So right now, that’s my main focus—building that community. This is all part of that process.

Watch Confidence ReDefined and more Canadian & Indigenous video podcasts now from the very first STORYHIVE Video Podcast program on TELUS Optik TV, Stream+ and STORYHIVE’s YouTube channel now.