Alyssa Dver, the Chief Confidence Officer, CEO, and Co-Founder of the American Confidence Institute (ACI), is on a mission to teach everyone how to have real confidence. Her journey began with the deeply personal experience of navigating her son’s neurological condition, Dystonia. Her persistent quest for solutions as “just a mom” led her through cross-disciplinary approaches and the then-emerging field of brain science that debunked traditional schools of confidence-building thought and practice. Leading scientists, doctors, top academic institutions, and business organizations have endorsed her work.
Alyssa founded ACI in 2015 to continue the research and bring the transformative power of real confidence to as many people as possible. With over 350,000 people trained so far, ACI’s workshops and coaching certification programs give growth-oriented individuals everyday tools that are easy and fun to apply. Participants are able to confidently navigate challenges at work and home for themselves and naturally attract, lead, and inspire others. The most common comment from people attending a session is that they wish they knew this sooner.
Confidence is not what you think…it’s how
At the heart of Alyssa’s work is dispelling the notion that confidence is something we either get through our genes, upbringing, or luck. In the self-help and personal development space, the idea that just breathing, counting, or doing other ‘break the cycle’ techniques can alone make you confident. While they can help for a moment, Alyssa calls these confidence carbs, which leave you hungry, wondering what to do next. You power pose before going in to ask for a raise, but you find your boss in a bad mood. Now what?
Alyssa proves that confidence isn’t what you think; it’s how. She proves anyone can identify when their brain is sounding an alarm and why. In her many books, TEDx talks, and keynotes, she humorously explains why and how most people react unproductively to cognitive fears of failure, regret, and rejection. She demonstrates how anyone, no matter their age, gender, ethnicity, experience, or other variables – can proactively CHOOSE to confidently respond to any life challenges so they achieve better outcomes. In short, if we are aware and take control of our thoughts, we can be more intentional in how we act, react, and interact with everything. Participants report after experiencing an ACI session that they sought out jobs and promotions, finally made long-desired career changes, more easily won sales deals, and found greater personal satisfaction at both home and at work.
Practical and Fun Everyday Tools
At ACI, Alyssa and her team employ brain science-based techniques to help individuals build sustainable self-assurance. The “Inside Out Pet Peeves” is a client-favorite exercise that helps people uncover their triggers.
The exercise has participants identify a specific pet peeve that often elicits strong emotional reactions, such as frustration or anger. These specific emotional responses trigger the amygdala, or warning system, in the brain, which then sends a signal to other parts of the brain that their values have been violated.
Next, the exercise asks participants to flip their pet peeve “inside out” to identify the underlying value or principle being violated. Then, they rephrase their pet peeve into a statement reflecting that value’s positive counterpart. For example, “I hate it when people are late” transforms into “I appreciate when people are on time,” highlighting the importance of punctuality and respect for other people’s time as a personal value.
By reframing pet peeves in this way, individuals quickly gain insight into the underlying values that drive their emotional responses. This awareness makes it easier to recognize and address ‘anti-confidence’ triggers more effectively, even if they cannot control others’ behavior. Ultimately, the exercise encourages participants to understand themselves and their values better, leading to more intentional and confident responses in challenging situations.
Helping Others Make a Positive, Lasting Difference
Alyssa’s work positions confidence as a cornerstone of both personal and professional success. Confidence is a guiding light that enables individuals to navigate life’s uncertainties more clearly and purposefully. With real confidence, we are more resilient, take advantage of growth opportunities, and make more efficient, certain decisions. Moreover, real confidence liberates authenticity, openness, and vulnerability, helping individuals to lead with integrity, credibility, and trust. By embodying confidence, individuals can create meaningful connections, ultimately creating a positive impact in their own lives and the lives of others.
To Get Confidence, You Have To Give It Away
Alyssa passionately believes that confident leaders are pivotal in creating a sense of belonging, teamwork, and growth-minded cultures that encourage learning and innovative contributions. When leaders are confident, they inspire trust among their colleagues and convey to employees that they need to take ownership of their work, behavior, and how they can best collaborate with others.
The impact of confident leadership has never been more critical. The #metoo and #blacklivesmatter movements, the ongoing controversy around diversity, equity, and inclusion, widespread layoffs in multiple industries, “quiet quitting,” and how the pandemic changed where and how we work together only underscore the need for real confidence in the workplace. As a way to further her mission, Alyssa founded the ERG Leadership Alliance (ELA) to bring the science of real confidence to underserved employee populations. ELA offers training for the volunteer leads of employee resource groups, the HR and DEI professionals who oversee them, and the executive sponsors who support them. Together, they learn how critical inclusion and belonging are to each of us and the organizations they serve. They also appreciate that diversity is an asset and competitive advantage, but only when confidence is threaded throughout the culture, leadership actions, and operational norms.
Confidence is a Requirement for Success, Not a Result of it.
Alyssa emphasizes the importance of real, lasting self-confidence for individuals and organizations. Managing uncertainties becomes increasingly crucial for success as the professional world becomes more complex and unpredictable. ACI is committed to helping people and teams build this kind of confidence using methods grounded in neuroscience to create a future where confidence isn’t just something individuals have but a shared value that encourages collaboration, innovation, and positive change. By teaching leaders, coaches, and individuals how to choose confidence, we spark a chain reaction that transforms organizations and communities from the inside out. Ultimately, Alyssa’s and ACI’s vision is to create a world where confidence, kindness, and connection thrive, one person at a time.
Learn more about Alyssa Dver and the American Confidence Institute at americanconfidenceinstitute.com.
Company URL: American Confidence Institute (ACI)
