The emPOWERed Half Hour

Turning Comparison into Confidence with Author, Entrepreneur, and Influencer, Giovanna Silvestre

• Becca Powers • Season 1 • Episode 91

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In this heartfelt episode of The EmPOWERed Half Hour, Becca Powers sits down with author, entrepreneur, and wellness advocate Giovanna Silvestre for a powerful conversation on embracing alignment, turning vulnerability into strength, and transforming comparison into connection. Giovanna opens up about her journey from launching a chakra-inspired yoga clothing line to becoming an author, and how following her truth sometimes invited criticism. 


Key Moments You Won't Want to Miss:

  • Giovanna’s personal story of transitioning out of her yoga clothing line and finding her true path.
  • Becca’s insight on how comparison dims your light and why the world needs you shining.
  • The empowering reminder that asking for help is a confident move, not a weakness.
  • How vulnerability turned Giovanna’s challenges into meaningful connections.


About Giovanna

Giovanna Silvestre is the founder of Confused Girl in the City, an activewear brand inspired by healing crystals and featured by outlets like NBC and Forbes. A former Hollywood professional and USC alum, Giovanna’s journey took a profound turn after leaving the entertainment industry and facing a period of depression. This experience sparked her quest for purpose, leading her to build her brand and write her debut book, “Confused Girl: Find Your Peace in the Chaos,” published by Blackstone in 2025.

Written during two years of solo travel, her book blends memoir and guidance to help readers embrace life’s uncertainties as a path to healing and growth. With over 400,000 Instagram followers, Giovanna continues to inspire others through her story of transformation, creativity, and authenticity.


Connect with Giovanna Silvestre:


Enter Giovanna’s Book Launch Giveaway at confusedgirlinthecity.com/confused-girl-book-launch-giveaway and discover the stories and insights that will inspire your own journey today!

Follow Becca Powers:


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Note: We use AI transcription so there may be some inaccuracies

Becca: Welcome to another episode of the Empowered Half Hour, and I have an author here that I am so excited to introduce you to. I'm just meeting her for the first time with you guys, but her energy is fabulous, and the book title is great. I think you guys are gonna love her. Her name is Giovanna Sylvestre.

Did I say it right? You did Giovanna. 

Giovanna: Yes, 

Becca: thank you. I always get so nervous about butchering names, and you guys all know this about me, but I was trying very hard to pronounce names correctly, and so I'm glad they did. But welcome to the Empowered Half Hour. I'm happy to have you. Thank you for having me.

 Happy to be here this morning. Yes. So when we were talking in the pre-show, you're an author, you're an influencer, you're an entrepreneur, but you recently released a book called Confused Girl. Find Your Peace in the Chaos. Tell me a little, there she is. Tell me a little bit about her. I wanna know more about your book.

Well, my book was 

Giovanna: really wrote it for someone like me when I was going through a depression in my late twenties. I went through a really dark depression in my late twenties, which I'm so grateful for now. I mean, at the time I, wasn't so grateful for it, but so grateful for it now because it, it really gave me the tools that I needed to be able to deal with life in a healthier, more productive way.

And so, It was kind of like, at that time. And because this was, you know, a while back, don't wanna age myself, but Yeah. I'm like, I feel you on that. you know, there was great self-help books, like really great self-help books. Like, Gary Zov, the Seed of the Soul. Fan. Yes, 

There was a lot of great, like the Alchemist was really great, there a lot of great, that's not so much self-help as it is, like it is a bit self helpy though, but, a lot of great books. But there was just kind of like nothing that was a female that had been through it where I was like, that's me.

And I think the biggest, At that time was that I felt really alone in it. I felt really, really alone in what I was going through, and that almost made me, that made it worse. Versus this is just kind of like something that, people have to go through in life and it's totally normal and this is like a good time to reset and really think about the way what you believe, what you value, what you think about success and living a healthy life, and what does that mean for you.

And so I really wrote it. For all those girls that are going through it. And it's like, yeah, you're not alone, you And this is how I did it, this is how I got through it, and here are some tips. And I think what's really cool about it, I feel like I almost did a little bit of a new genre here because it's not just self-help It's not just memoir, it has both, but it has like a very strong storyline that I'm getting, even from girls that only read fiction. They say, oh my gosh, I love it. I do not usually read self-help books. But this had such a strong storyline that it kept me like in it the whole time. 

Becca: did you write it memoir esque like, memoir teaching?

Is it your story and then the teaching is throughout it? Yeah, exactly. Exactly like that's 

Giovanna: awesomeand then I have, you know, again, thinking about what I would've needed at the time, I have recaps at the end of each chapter. Like, it's called Confuse Girl Recap. So then you can go back so you don't have to read the whole chapter over again.

You can just go back and get like the reminders of Oh yeah. Oh yeah. And I talk about things that, we really do a lot as humans, as women. And I have a whole chapter about comparisons. 

Becca: Nice. Well, let's talk about, I mean, there's so much in just your opening that I could ask like 10 questions, so we'll just see where it goes.

But, I do wanna come back to comparisons, but I think I wanna start, with, you had mentioned something about values, and I think it's important that you understand your values and also don't compromise them. I have, a different story, but a similar story in the sense of, I ended up getting depressed, but I worked myself into, I bypassed every freaking red flag imaginable and powered through something that wasn't a fit for two years until I had a collapse, 

 by the time I had the collapse, I was in debt. I had disconnected relationships with myself. Universe. My kids, my husband, I was on the verge of divorce. Like my life, I had gotten autoimmune disease, like it was a dang hot mess. Right? And so I'm relating because whether you're in your twenties or in,my case I was in my thirties when that happened.

There's still like. This depression that happens, a lot of it has to do with the misalignment to our values. Like there's a compromise that's happening, and I don't hear a lot of people talk about that, but I was picking that up as you were like sharing the arc. So I don't know if you wanna expand upon that, if there's a certain lesson that you learned, but I wanted to come back to that because I was like, actually, you said something that I think is really important for the audience to hear and understand.

Giovanna: Well, I was raised in a Catholic family, you know, but they weren't like super Catholic. it's kind of like, it's just part of your culture. 'cause my father was from Italy and my mom's Irish. And so, I always kind of had this spiritual connection, I even remember some, kind of, some moments, during my schooling.

'cause I went to Catholic school or I was in the church and like something kind of like. Almost like a spiritual experience where I felt the Holy Spirit. So I've always been sensitive intuitive, but I really do think, and then I was also raised to be very ambitious and to go after things and make things happen for yourself to achieve.

And I think, 'cause my father was also an immigrant and came to this country, worked really hard. Everything was about working hard And almost like proving you're meant to be here, kind of thing. Like I, yes, I understand know, and then honoring your family, giving an accolade to your family.

And so I kind of felt my whole life was really about achieving. And it's like without the, a achievements, I was nothing. I didn't have any value. and then, we get it so much from the society too, you're only as good as like how much money you have in the bank, or you're only as good as like what house you have or what car you drive, or what school you went to, and then it just becomes this whole rat race where you're on this like treadmill.

And my generation too, it's kind of millennials. it's like we're on this treadmill that keeps speaking up. Ugh. Yeah. I feel that. and I just hit this wall and I'm like, I have achieved stuff and you know, I have a lot more than let's say, some other people. And some other people have a lot more than me.

And I'm tired of looking at the people that have a lot more of me and feeling awful about myself. I'm tired if life is just gonna be this. Then I don't wanna be here. This is too much. Yeah, this sucks. Yes. Yeah. It's like I'm just in my twenties still, and I'm like one out, like, this isn't fulfilling, this doesn't feel good.

I don't feel good about myself. I don't feel good about my life, and nothing's ever enough. So I got to this point where it's like, okay, well either I'm cutting outta here or. I gotta figure out another way to believe about like what I believe about life, what I believe I'm here to do, because this old way isn't working anymore for me.

So that's where the real shift had to, like, I had to really, 

Becca: I, I am picking up so much of what you're putting down because I think that is, exactly. A lot of the listeners feel that. And experienced that. And even when I had my breakdown, I was feeling very much the same way. Like I was on the outside, I was hitting all the societal marks that you're talking about.

Right? you know, I was in my mid thirties. I had my kids young, but I had kids in middle school. I had a, I was a senior leader in an organization. I was married, I had the house like every box that society told me to hit. Yeah, I hit, I was like, I did it gold star for me. And yet to your point, like on the inside, I felt confused.

That confused girl, right? Like I felt confused, I felt disconnected. I felt like the only way to prove my worth was to earn through achievement, like you're saying. And so I think that there's this. That so many people do feel this way, but we keep it inside. And it goes back to kind of how you opened up.

But what made you write the book is that we feel alone. We're like, who am I to complain? I have a roof over my head, but guess what? we're also these beautiful souls. We're beautiful humans who should get to experience abundance, joy, health, laughter. You know, I can tear when I think about. Some of the restrictions we put on ourselves by, following the societal mold.

So I appreciate just getting real, real fast on this because, it's so important for people to hear. So, before I ask you another question, you're welcome to respond to that and if you feel we're good, then I can ask another question, but. I 

Giovanna: think, going back to the value thing, right, what I realized I had been doing, I did realize this when I was, in the depression, and I realized I had put my value into everything outside of myself.

So my value was in my accomplishments, my value was in the guy I was dating. My value was in the career I had, right? The car I drove the this. And the thing is though, is those are all things that can get taken away. Yes, ma'am. and these are all external. And I said, 

I'm a good person. I'm not a bad person. I'm not out there hurting people intentionally. I deserve to feel good about myself. I deserve, I was like, I want to feel like I'm worthy of something just because I exist. I'm like, I'm a child of God. I go, okay, that's my goal.

That's going to be my goal. And then everything I do after that will. Be more meaningful. And I was like, I deserve to feel joy. I deserve to feel gratitude. And I never felt, I actually, I don't know if I had ever really felt what gratitude feels like. and it's so crazy because now I feel it all the time.

because you forget, because you level up. your state of being, even when times are awful, you are, it's still higher than it was. Yeah. And you forget what it's like down here. But when I talk about it sometimes, and I kind of remember and what, the torture I was in, like the self torture I was in.

I'm just like, oh my gosh, I'm so grateful. Yes. I call it my darky, hers, and every day, and some people might say it's a silly practice, but for me it's, not because. It's a reminder of how grateful I'm at I am. Every morning when I wake up, when my feet hit that floor, I'm like, thank you.

Becca: I get to do this again. I get to choose to look at life from a lens of appreciation versus, accomplishment just for the sakes of our conversation, when you get that paradigm shift that you're talking about when it happens in your head. You really are grateful 'cause you're like, oh my God, I remember what this torturous brain felt like.

And you feel, I don't know if you felt like this, but it kind of sounds like you did. Like I felt trapped in my own body. when I hit the bath, I hit girl. So this is, I hit the bathroom floor like I lost the. One day I was just had like four bad days in a row and the listeners have heard my story a whole bunch, but I had like four bad days in a row.

Didn't appreciate or like how I greeted my children when I got home because I told them I wanted to put my effing purse down and have five minutes to myself before I dealt with them. And like it was just one of those days. Every parent has them. But it was one of those days that I was almost like out of body, right?

Like I saw it, I saw their reactions and I could still cry. I mean, this was almost 10 years ago and I could still cry of like I was that wound up in myself. That I was no longer recognizing like the emotions of like people I love the most. And then you get, like, I'm tearing up right now, and I'm like, so that night I go and look at myself in the mirror and I'm like, I didn't recognize myself anymore.

 who I was as a person I couldn't recognize. And that sent me to like an emotional collapse on the floor. And so this paradigm shift that we're talking about is so important because when you can start to. Rebuild yourself from your worthiness as you're saying. it's an important, I'm gonna just digress for a second 'cause I want the listeners to really tune into what we're talking about.

When you can shift your perspective on yourself, that you're worthy. Just because you're alive. Just because you're human, and not because you have to accomplish something, it's a game changer. And you're damn straight, right? I'm grateful for that shift every freaking day. 

Giovanna: Had to rant because I was like, yes, no, it's so true. And I think, especially my generation is doing this a bit too. I think the younger generation, not so much, but we've been taught that more is more. And we need to do, be able to do everything. We need to be the career person, the career woman.

We need to, have the children we need to be a perfect mom. And so that also means like entering our kids into all of these things and making sure that they have like this and that, and are doing this and that. And it's like, where is the peace in all of this? where is the chance?

To even reflect on yourself. I mean, you're literally just running yourself. Ragged and not to mention with, as women, we have hormonal cycles that, make us really tired and some days I'm like, I can't really leave my couch right now, and I probably shouldn't because I'm gonna ruin somebody's day with my attitude.

 it's a lot. We're just trying to do so much. And so I think any way you can within your life where you can go less is more. Go with that. keep telling yourself less is more, less is more. Because the piece is really the goal, Like we want to, if we're here on earth, we wanna be able to enjoy it.

We wanna be at our kids' soccer game and really be present there not thinking about work or this or that, right? You or what you gotta do next, I you wanna be in the present moment as much as you possibly can. Because that's where the real living is. That's where you become alive. 

Becca: See, I knew I was gonna like you when I first met you.

Oh my. We're gonna have a good conversation. But you're saying like, all these words that I love and that I believe because I've experienced them in my own transformation too, But one thing think I wanna go back to just because, you had said, and I was like, let's talk about values first and kind of like how.

What we value can either really elevate us or really spin us out. But then you started talking about comparison and I think that is another really healthy conversation for the listeners for us to get into so that they can like kind of hear your perspective on comparison and how, I mean, there's the saying that comparison can be that you're thief of joy.

So, I'm really curious to see what your 2 cents are on comparison since you brought it up. 

Giovanna: there was this girl in college, That I was totally, would totally, I just like her presence would make me feel insecure. I mean, she was gorgeous and she had a gorgeous boyfriend and she was like a song girl, like at USC and, and, you know, it looked like she was super wealthy and she just had like everything going on.

And it was just like, what? Like I cannot compete with that. And I'm a competitive person. I was raised to be competitive and this is like, the girl doesn't have a flaw, that I could see. And years later, and this is like now I'm in my thirties and haven't thought about this girl years, and I'm starting my act of our line and I'm going through Instagram.

 finding yogis who, influencer yogis who wanna maybe, do a collaboration with my yoga wear line. So I actually find a girl and she has a picture with this girl that I was so jealous of and I read the caption and it was like, I miss you so much. I still can't believe you're gone.

I'm like, oh my gosh. It's like, Girl passed away like in her late twenties of cancer. 

Becca: Oh my God. That's, yeah. So that puts things 

Giovanna: in perspective. And I'm here alive and healthy and then I go, you know what? And then I felt so guilty for comparing myself to her. and I was kind of like, I'm so happy that she was so amazing, 

And she looks happy, you know, I'm so happy that she had that in her life. that really kind of hit me. And I've always struggled with comparisons, I think being a competitive person. Sure. And that really hit me. And I was like, you know what, you Javan can't do this. You can't do this anymore because you.

The life path of anyone? You could be at your lowest low and then someone's at their highest high and then it shifts. and then I really understood, we all have our own, we really do all have our own life path. I do believe there is kind of like a destiny and there is a purpose for all of us.

So if that's the case. Then how can we really compare ourselves? And also, nobody looks like me. Nobody talks like me. Nobody has my, nobody 

Becca: has any unique experiences. 

Giovanna: Yes. and same goes with every other person walking this planet. it's so unfair. It's like trying to compare the beauty of the Grand Canyon to the Pacific Ocean and going, what do you think is better?

I don't know. Some people like the Grand Canyon, some people like the Pacific Ocean better, but they're still like doing their thing and beautiful. Right. 

Becca: That's awesome. That that is true. You know, and everybody's gonna have a different, at the end of the as far as comparison goes, it can really take us off our journey.

And to your point, like someone might like the ocean better than they like the canyons, but someone else is gonna like the canyons better than the ocean. So you also need to, I love that you shared about your active line. Also, I don't know if you know this, but I used to make yoga t-shirts, like yoga affirmation shirts.

Giovanna: Love that. I love that. And I know 

Becca: It started off, I named it chakra full expressions. And because I'm a yoga too and I did all chakra based yoga clothes with an I am affirmation so anyway. I'm like, I didn't end up staying in the yoga clothing line, but I'm like, I'm so happy you are.

I'm like, yay, go off. But what I wanted to say as like a lesson to pull through for the listeners too, is that along your life journey, as you pursue. More and more of your truth and what's in alignment to you. Some people's gonna think it's beautiful and some people are gonna have something to say about it, 

 And I hope that you can gather from this conversation, that Comparing yourself to the comments of other people or to somebody else really just dims your own light. We can, we've had enough people with dim light like out there in the world. We need you out there shining. And so this is just such a cool conversation.

'cause I think it's so important. No, it 

Giovanna: really is. And another thing I noticed about comparisons is lot of people tend to do it their entire life and then they never can really get truly happy with themselves. And it becomes like this dark hole, like this rabbit hole that you just go in. And I just really believe that, you can look at someone who's doing something very well, ask them, right, do that.

So, well what, can you give me some tips? That is also such a confident thing to say. Or even like you feel beautiful. You love the way they do their makeup. Can you show me how you do your makeup? I have a friend who does amazing makeup. I'm like, can you show me? I'm so bad at doing makeup. Like show me. 

 you can use comparison in a really positive, good way and that also. Like, yeah, they're not all bad, right? you can use it in a positive way I think competition is good 'cause you push yourself, but you don't want your whole life to be competitive. You don't wanna go home, you don't wanna be competitive with your, you don't wanna be competitive with your husband or wife or you don't want your whole life to be this competition.

I mean, that's just too much. There's no balance in that. There has to be. Balance in the life, you know? 

Becca: Absolutely. I just love that you turned. The, comparison message into something positive too, because I have learned that also, like it invites connection. Like some of my best mentors have become some of my really good friends, and it's come from me being like, oh my God, you're amazing at that.

Like you said, like, can you help me because I'm a little deficient there, but I think it's great. And then like you get a laugh, and then you get a connection, and then you meet up with that person and you find like there's. Room where your light is different from their light. And not only you end up help, they end up helping you with that thing that you asked about.

But then they're like, oh my God, I didn't realize you did yoga, athletic clothes. Like what was it? Like? How did that idea come up? And then you inspire someone else just by sharing your story. anyway, you could tell I get passionate about that. I'm like, I love when the connection door opens because it just invites so much magic in.

Giovanna: Yeah, I think one gift God gave me was, I'm pretty comfortable with being vulnerable. And so I can admit that I used to do the comparison game a lot even now with the book, I had to catch myself and stop because again, I'm competitive. I wanna do well and I want my book to reach as many people as it possibly can.

And I do know it's like so helpful, but then I was getting competitive about it. and compare myself to other, what other people's books are doing. And then I just go, Nope, stop. I was like, stay in your lane. Stay in your lane. I know I was meant to do this and. What's gonna happen with, it's gonna happen with it and just, you do you girl and just wish people well.

And so, we just have to kind of, stop ourselves. 

Becca: So true. And I just looked at the time, I'm like, it's 26 minutes in, which means we have four minutes left. 'cause half an hour goes by so freaking fast. I'm like, I still have like five questions. all right, so let's go back to the book.

What I wanna ask you is, is I'm gonna ask two questions in one question. So, you can really take your book and then, Share why you're passionate about it, and also how can it empower or the empowered half hour. So I always like to share how your work can empower someone else. So let's talk about, real fast, like why are you passionate about the book and how can it empower someone's life?

Giovanna: I really do feel like, ooh, I was. Why I'm here is this book I really do with my entire being and I think more books to come too. Like I do believe this is the gift I'm supposed to give to the world. I said I am vulnerable and maybe I'll admit things that other people are too scared to.

Becca: So good for storytelling because the vulnerability helps people transform. So I really applaud you for that. It's awesome. Yeah, and it's interesting 'cause I did this, 

Giovanna: I had a podcast with this one amazing woman, and she does like this soul decoding thing where they, she has a chart and she, you know, takes your birthday and the time you're born and then.

Does this thing. And she said that my purpose here is to tell stories in a very poetic way that helps people, helps people feel seen like very human. And oh my gosh, that's what I'm doing, that's what I'm doing. Andthat's what, really empowers me. 

Becca: What was the other? That's awesome.

No, I mean, that was like the passion and empowerment, but let's, um, flip it to the listener. If they were to follow you, read your book, invest in your, yoga, active wear, like just if they were to be in your aura, just share how your work would empower them. Or you can share an empowering message, whichever way you wanna go.

 it's interesting now I'm getting like a lot of reviews coming in from people like that, that I've read my book. And the big thing that everyone's saying is that they feel safe. I have to go from what the readers are telling me versus what I think I had the goal, what are they actually getting?

Giovanna: And this one girl was so cute. She goes, there is nothing in this book that this book isn't missing anything. Like it touches on everything that I needed. And I thought that that was great because I do, I talk about shame, I talk about guilt, I talk about comparisons. I talk about relationships, romantic.

Relationships, friendships, I talk about intuition. I talk, you know, I, it's in there. Destiny is a moving target. how to shift and change with the time and just all of it. So I really did try to cover everything I'm just really hearing, this is the book I'll always come back to.

They love the recaps at the end of each chapter. People feel seen and it touched them emotionally. So honestly, kind of everything that I would want, there's nothing like, I can't think of anything else that I would, I just wanted to help other people with it, you know, with doing this.

Becca: Yeah. That's so cool. And I'm so glad, like to hear it's well-rounded too because, I like approaching life holistically with the whole person and it sounds like that's how you approached your book. So I'm gonna invite the listeners to get a copy of your book. Go ahead and share where they can find your book and how they can follow you.

Giovanna: So you can find my book on Amazon and it's an audio, digital and hardcover. Also barnes and noble.com. target.com and my website confu. You can get a signed copy of my book assigned hardcover on confuse girl in the city.com. then follow me on Instagram. Confused girl, Alexis. Hey, that's so 

Becca: awesome.

I'm gonna be following you too, but we're at the 30 minute mark. Thank you so much for coming on and being a guest. You could see this like, my cheeks are red, I'm smiling. It was a great interview. I just appreciate you and your energy so much. 

Giovanna: Thank you so much. I appreciate you and what you're doing.

Thank you.