Nicole Bugeja - Public Speaking and Performance Coach

13/07/2026

Are You Speaking or Are You Thinking Aloud?

A regular observation I make as a coach is when someone starts speaking (either in my coaching room whilst preparing for an event, or during an actual presentation or question-and-answer session), and suddenly it is as if they are on a bicycle that has sped off without brakes.

They know their subject extremely well, yet when speaking spontaneously, they begin to ramble. They answer an audience question, for example, and the essence of what they want to say gets lost among the detours.

This is often a matter of thinking aloud rather than speaking.

For communication to become clear, the thought first needs to be organised whilst it is still silent, before it becomes spoken.

Organising our thoughts does not need to be an intense or complicated process.

Let's say a particular subject has been raised during a board meeting and you would like to contribute.

1. Grab a paper and pen.
2. Ask yourself: What do I really want to say?
3. Jot down the essential keywords that capture your message.
4. Raise your hand and let those keywords become your roadmap to a clear and concise contribution.

When speaking in public, thinking is for ourselves, speaking is for others.

10/07/2026

Someone (definitely not Mummy... shame on her! 👀) snuck me into her coaching room and turned me into an advert.

I quite liked it.

After all, I'm the CEO.

My professional recommendation for today?

Less work, more ice cream. 🍦

Happy Friday! 🐾

08/07/2026

Public Speaking? Be mindful of your feet 👣🙂

06/07/2026

The Coaching Room Is Open to Flow

One of my clients last week had initially approached me for coaching in public speaking and communication skills, particularly while aiming for a leadership promotion within her corporate banking career.

This session turned out to be a different matter altogether.

K arrived a tad late due to unforgiving traffic. She walked into my coaching room flustered, apologetic about the delay, and by the time she sat down with a heavy sigh, there was no more corporate left in her.

At that moment, she blurted out:
"Honestly...I love my new job and I feel very happy working for this company, but in reality, I keep dreaming of something else... of opening my own business."

As a coach, "Honestly..." followed by a long pause always makes me sit bolt upright. It often signals a shift, a realisation, or even the beginning of a breakthrough.

I listened intently as K spoke with increasing clarity, and then asked whether this was what she would like the session to focus on, rather than the communication skills objective that had originally brought her to coaching.

Her response was immediate. "THIS."

What followed was a beautiful unravelling of a business idea in its very earliest stages. I'd say a seed had been planted.

I watched K transform from a tired, frustrated, slouched professional after a long day (not because of her job, for which she is genuinely grateful, but thanks to an exhausting commute) into someone with a twinkle in her eye, sitting taller, speaking with energy, her sigh replaced by a deep, purposeful rhythm of excitement.

Admittedly, this is not the first time I have witnessed such a shift.

Although my coaching practice began with public speaking, communication skills and confidence building, it has naturally evolved into supporting clients through broader questions of personal and professional development...an area that continues to inspire me deeply.

Just as other clients have done before her, K eventually asked me:

"How did you start? What made you choose self-employment and coaching?"

Every time I'm asked that question, it feels like looking into a beautiful mirror. It reconnects me with my own "why" and reminds me of the gratitude I still feel for that very first seed.

Perhaps I'll share that story soon.

For today, I simply want to celebrate coaching, and the privilege of holding a space where clarity, courage and possibility are allowed to emerge.

30/06/2026

🗣🕒 Oral examinations coming up?

Some students know their subject well but struggle to communicate it confidently under pressure.

If nerves, a shaky voice or fear of speaking are getting in the way, one-to-one coaching can help.

Together, we'll work on managing speaking nerves, breathing techniques, clear communication and building confidence so that knowledge can come across more naturally during oral examinations.

As a warranted teacher and accredited coach, I combine research, coaching and my experience in drama to help students communicate with greater confidence and perform at their best.

If you think this could benefit you or your child, I'd be happy to discuss how coaching can help. 🌿

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

26/06/2026

Before switching off for the weekend...
..think of one conversation you handled better this week than you would have a year ago.

Perhaps you spoke up in a meeting, gave constructive feedback, or simply found the words you had been struggling to say.

We often measure growth by promotions, qualifications, or big milestones, but some of the most meaningful progress happens quietly in the way we communicate.

Wishing you a restful weekend. ⛱️

24/06/2026

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.

22/06/2026

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.

19/06/2026

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

15/06/2026

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