Welcome to Behind the Confidence, a video series about the real, unfiltered journey to self-belief. We talked to four health and wellness pros who prove true confidence doesn’t stem from a “like,” nor does it magically happen overnight. It’s about finding what makes you feel good physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Your confidence levels can go up and down depending on what’s going on in your life. Chef and wellness expert Candice Kumai knows this all too well. Her confidence plummeted during two of the toughest years of her career. “I think inevitably… you end up struggling one way or another, and sometimes you have to look back in life and say, ‘Wow, I can’t believe I got through that, and I came out a better person because of it,’” she says.

Better is an understatement: Kumai is at the top of her game. In this video, she talks about how important it is to pursue your passion and live a life full of chances and challenges—and how to remain confident through it all.