Rebecca Judd: Self-Made In London

Apple Music radio host, Rebecca Judd, might chat to A-List stars every day – but, despite her job, the London girl is just like the rest of us. In fact, according to her, achieving dreams comes down to persistence, above all else. This is In My Stride with Rebecca Judd – her journey through finding self-confidence from within.

“I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life until I finished my A-Levels. Everyone was going to uni – and I was like, ‘I'm actually done with education. I can't learn anymore.’ And then my tutor told me about a work experience opportunity in radio… So, I applied, gave it my absolute all, got it and ended up shadowing Trevor Nelson and Charlie Sloth for three weeks. When I met them, I knew instantly that this was what I wanted to do. Music has always been my passion... So, seeing real life people working in the industry changed everything for me.”

Taking a punt at applying for work experience ended up being a pivotal starting point for Rebecca and her career. It all goes to show: if you work hard, take chances and never let an opportunity pass you by, you’ll open up more doors naturally, as you go. For Rebecca, success is all about proactive urgency.

“Starting out, I had to do six years of unpaid radio work while juggling a retail job on the side – but, because I was passionate, I had the drive to keep going… I've always just had it in the back of my head that, ‘I can't stop now, I need to keep going, whatever it takes.’ Because, when I'm passionate about something, I give it my all.”

‘You get out of life what you put into it,’ as that old time saying goes – and Rebecca’s journey is testament to that. She might make her job look easy, but getting there took years of sacrifice and resilience. Now, just twenty-six, she’s living her dream every single day at one of the biggest broadcasters in the world.

“I haven’t always been this bubbly. For me, I’ve become confident through consistency – by turning up for myself, day in, day out, to achieve my goals. I've got shows from the first station I was ever on, and they sound so bad. I'm like, ‘How on earth did that get me here?’ It all comes down to keeping at it. I found my confidence because of staying true to myself while doing everything I could to pursue my dreams. Seeing that hard work pay off has boosted my self-belief like nothing else.”

It’s normal to have self-doubts – but, face them head on, and your self-confidence will naturally grow. Life is all about baby steps, persistence and working things out as you go along – even for industry pros like Rebecca.

Want to get working on that journey right away? Set the tone with Rebecca’s feel good playlist – a handpicked selection of her favourite tunes to get you up and ready for the year ahead in style. Over on the Nike app now.