Nicole Bugeja - Public Speaking and Performance Coach

Confidence is a Creature Looking for Care

My coaching room sees many professionals who regularly work in front of a camera, on radio, on television, or in front of audiences of varying sizes and contexts.

From the outside, this can look like solid confidence, as if the person wakes up in the morning ready to present, perform, or entertain without feeling a grain of vulnerability.

It is, alas, not so.

Confidence fluctuates.

It fluctuates depending on the food we are eating, the quality of our sleep, how much movement we are getting, how smoothly (or not) our close relationships are flowing, whether we are navigating a normal phase in life or a particularly challenging one, whether we received the feedback we were hoping for from someone whose opinion matters deeply to us.

The list can be endless.

The point is that the people we admire for their confidence and flair do not necessarily feel confident all the time, and if they consistently show up and deliver a good job, they are probably doing a fair amount of work behind the scenes.

Confidence is not permanent.

It is ethereal, ever-changing, and in many ways, needs to be fed like a creature looking for sustenance.

So if your confidence feels shaky right now, whether in life generally or in relation to something specific, perhaps see it not as a flaw, but as information.

Perhaps your system is alerting you that it needs some care.

The task then becomes one of curiosity.

What is missing?

What kind of nourishment is needed?

What would help me feel more grounded?

Confidence may not be the starting point, but it may very well be the outcome.

Not Every Season Is a Season of Acceleration

As I walk into summer, I always feel a slight pang of guilt knowing that work might ease a little and life's rhythm might slow down.

Year after year, without fail, I look forward to a lighter workload after months of coaching, training and lecturing. Yet, as soon as the seasons turn, the butterflies of excitement about the beach, reading more books, and simply flowing with the season can suddenly turn into anxious creatures.

I have learnt to expect this and to catch it early, with a strategy prepared in advance. Nothing groundbreaking...just flowing with what the nature of the season suggests.

As I go through this familiar occurrence once again, I remind myself that taking time to rest, travel, or spend more moments outdoors is not a halt to personal development.

I strongly believe that growth is not always found in the intensity of a board meeting, a training programme, or a conference.

Sometimes it is found in reading that book we have postponed, or in taking long walks and allowing our thoughts to settle.

Sometimes it is found in deeper conversations with family and friends, or in finally finding the courage to have a conversation with ourselves...the one we have been avoiding.

Whilst what I am writing about might have been considered obvious years ago, when summer automatically meant a cleared schedule and months of freedom, things have indeed changed.

It is helpful to remember that not every season is a season of acceleration.

Some seasons are for consolidating, reflecting, and quietly preparing for what comes next.

Look at your loved ones like Cherry looks at ice cream 🙂🍦It makes life so much better! 🙂🐾

Speaking Too Fast?

Speaking too fast is very common.

One of the first things I often point out when coaching someone towards a public speech is to slow down.

Speaking quickly is often considered a sign of nervousness, and it certainly can be. Very often, however, it is simply the result of thinking faster than we speak (and, of course, the two can be interrelated).

Slowing down comes with several benefits. It gives us time to breathe and think, and it gives our audience time to process.

Whatever the reason behind the fast pace, there is a very straightforward way to slow down:

Focus on articulation.

Make sure you are opening your jaw enough for the voice to emerge fully. You might be surprised by how closed your mouth actually is when speaking.

Make sure you are giving the consonants their due attention. Similar to how a sculptor shapes a statue, speech becomes clearer when the details are well defined.

Write down ARTICULATION at the top of your notes or script, and perhaps a couple more times along the way. Or have a small symbol or object (a ring, perhaps?) as a reminder to keep articulating.

If you give each word its due articulation, you will automatically settle into a more balanced pace of speaking, allowing you to come across with greater clarity and authentic confidence.

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Nicole Bugeja - Public Speaking and Performance Coach Nicole Bugeja (Ph.D.) is an accredited Public Speaking and Performance Coach, a theatre performer and artistic director, and an academic researcher and lecturer.

Last month, I had the honour and pleasure of coaching the senior management team of the ERA - Environment & Resources Authority.

It was an engaging and stimulating day, made all the more enjoyable by the team's openness, energy, and willingness to participate fully in the process.

Our work focused on public speaking, media communication, and the challenges that come with communicating clearly and effectively in high-visibility contexts.

The quality of discussion and brainstorming throughout the session made for a particularly rich learning environment, with valuable exchanges from all involved.

Thank you to ERA for placing your trust in my services. It was a genuine pleasure to collaborate with you.

Have you ever left a meeting wishing you had spoken up?

During coaching sessions, I am always intrigued by that particular moment when a professional is about to contribute in a staff or board meeting and hesitates.

What creates this hesitation?

Common answers include the fear of forgetting what one needs to say, getting stuck and coming across as a 'fool', or feeling that one's reflection is not valid enough to share.

Sometimes, the situation goes beyond hesitation and into actual fear. The person feels unable to get their voice out, unable to utter the words, as if someone or something has placed a barrier in their throat.

There may be several factors contributing to a professional not sharing what is often a very valuable contribution, be they physiological, psychological, or otherwise.

That contribution, however, need not be lost.

With willing practice, and perhaps some training in vocal dynamics, confidence building, and public speaking, expressing oneself can start to feel easier and more natural — a process that may also have a positive impact on one's professional growth and career advancement.

Nicole Bugeja - Public Speaking and Performance Coach Nicole Bugeja (Ph.D.) is an accredited Public Speaking and Performance Coach, a theatre performer and artistic director, and an academic researcher and lecturer.

Nothing like an entitled CEO to help you kick off your weekend ;)

What Elections Can Teach Us About Public Speaking

Over the past few weeks, I have observed a number of public speakers addressing large crowds in the lead-up to Malta's general election.

I have seen a range of styles, different levels of confidence, and of course, varying content.

One aspect I found myself consistently observing was how grounded each speaker was in their body.

I noticed the position of the feet on the ground or stage, the steadiness in the legs and centre, the alignment of the spine, the presence or absence of tension in the neck and face, and how all of this influenced breathing, vocal strength, and the overall flow of the delivery.

The opportunity to observe so many speakers within the same context over a short period of time reinforced something that actor training has taught me repeatedly: every part of our physical presence contributes to the outcome of a performance.

The quality of a speech does not begin with the voice. It begins much earlier, with how we inhabit our body.

If you are a regular public speaker, becoming more aware of how each aspect of your physical presence contributes to your delivery can add another layer of strength to your communication.