Author: Amy Stockberger, Founder of Amy Stockberger Real Estate, Creator of Lifetime Home Support™ and Partner at ProInsight
What if I told you that getting airlifted to a hospital at 14 with a shattered leg and my face sliced open taught me the most important business lesson I’d ever learn?
It sounds crazy, but that accident—and the year of recovery that followed—revealed something about confidence, resilience, and success that most people never discover.
When I was 14, I was in a car accident that should have broken more than just my bones. Compound fracture to my femur, face planted into the windshield, severed my entire right eyelid, wildly scarred forehead—the whole nightmare. Jaws of life, helicopter ride, the works. Rod inserted into my leg, broken pelvis discovered AFTER the first surgery, crutches for months, I limped for nearly a year and had to have my eyelid sewn back together, so I looked wildly surprised for over a year while it healed.
The smile on my face in the photo above is courtesy of the morphine pump they had me on. I was told that right after this photo was taken, I insisted they tell me who drove the limo with the pigs to the hospital. Apparently, I was very insistent on getting that answer.
Here’s what the experience taught me: First, kids are super mean. They were brutal. Pirate jokes about my very obvious limp, more comments than I can even remember, thankfully, about my scarred up forehead and eyelid that didn’t come close to touching my eye for nearly a year. People will judge you, criticize you, make you feel less than. But more importantly, it taught me that I determine my self-worth. Nobody else gets that power. I had to become my biggest fan because I realized I could only control what I could control.
Does that mean I don’t lose my confidence sometimes? Hell no. Doubt creeps in from time to time, which is one of the reasons we have these words on our wall in the printer area—the place where all of my team visits regularly: Confidence has no competition.
Here’s what I want you to understand: Those voices of self-doubt whispering “Am I good enough?” or “Can I really close this deal?” or “Will this client take me seriously?”—those doubts weren’t born with you. They were planted by someone else, and they don’t belong to you.
Real confidence isn’t something we’re magically born with—it’s built through the actions we take and the promises we keep to ourselves. Whether you’re an agent building your book of business, helping a client navigate their biggest purchase, or solving complex problems for our ProInsight partners, confidence comes from preparation and showing up consistently.
This week, I challenge you to:
1. Start with preparation, not perfection. You don’t need to have every answer before you pick up the phone or walk into that listing appointment. Preparation builds confidence because it gives you something real to stand on when challenges arise.
2. Use fear as your compass, not a stop sign.*That nervousness before a big presentation, a difficult conversation with a client, or launching a new strategy? It’s often pointing you toward your next breakthrough. Lean into it. I 100% live by the motto “if it isn’t a little bit scary, it is NOT worth your energy and time.”
3. Keep the promises you make to yourself. Whether it’s following up with that lead within 24 hours, completing your prospecting calls, or delivering that analysis on time—your relationship with yourself sets the foundation for how clients see you.
4. Remember your environment matters. We’re building something special here. We’re each other’s inner circle. We either lift each other’s standards or we settle for mediocrity. Let’s choose to be the energy that elevates.
5. Own your expertise. Every time you help a family buy their first home, negotiate a complex deal, or solve a client’s problem, you’re not just doing a job—you’re changing lives. That matters. Your knowledge matters. Your experience matters.
The version of yourself ready for the next level already exists. You don’t need to become someone new—you just need to meet who you already are. You have the skills, the knowledge, and the heart to serve at the highest level.
Your clients are waiting to hear from you. Your next breakthrough is on the other side of the action you take today. Let’s go claim what’s ours.
Always rooting for you,
Amy
P.S. – If you’re interested in diving deeper into these concepts, I highly recommend checking out Ed Mylett’s recent episode on conquering self-doubt. The insights from leaders like Michael Chandler, Leila Hormozi, and Stephen A. Smith are game-changing.*
Additional Resources:
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Connect with Amy Stockberger Real Estate here.
