Clarity Up, LLC

The first time I was called to speak, my hands were clammy, my heart pounded like a drum, and my voice wavered so much I barely recognized it. My mind went blank, and every second felt like an eternity. I thought something was wrong with me—that I just wasn’t meant to be a confident speaker. But I wish someone had told me this: Stress isn’t just a feeling—it’s a prediction. Ioana Jongsma, ICF ACC, GPCC, explains this in a way that completely changes my perspective. Your brain doesn’t just react to situations; it anticipates them. If you’ve had a bad experience speaking before—being laughed at, stumbling over words—your brain remembers. And the next time? It prepares for battle. That’s why nerves hit before you even step on stage. Your body is already gearing up for a fight. So how do you break the cycle? You teach your body that speaking isn’t a threat. You train it, over time, to feel safe in those moments. Easier said than done, I know. But knowing that fear isn’t me, it’s just my body trying to protect me? That was a game changer. ?? Read the full insight here: https://lnkd.in/dCNhvDA8 #OvercomingFear #PublicSpeaking #MindsetShift ~ Kingsley Alfred, Community Coordinator ??

Here’s something I wish I had known years ago: The way you breathe can make or break your confidence when speaking. For a long time, we were made to believe that “Just take a deep breath” was good advice. But Ioana Jongsma, ICF ACC, GPCC points out that how you breathe is what really matters. Taking a deep inhale? That actually speeds up your heart rate. No wonder I felt more nervous every time I tried it! Instead, the trick is to focus on your exhale. A longer, controlled exhale signals safety to your nervous system, calming your body down before you speak. Now, before any talk or even a nerve-wracking meeting, I do the 4-8 breathing technique: 1?? Inhale for 4 seconds 2?? Exhale for 8 seconds 3?? Repeat until I feel grounded It’s simple, subtle, and honestly? It works. ?? Want more science-backed strategies? Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dCNhvDA8 #PublicSpeakingTips #Confidence #StageFright ~ Kingsley Alfred , Community Coordinator ??

I learned the hard way that stage fright was not something I could outthink. It didn’t matter how many times I reassured myself—I was prepared, nothing bad would happen, the audience wasn’t against me. My body refused to listen. Every time I had to speak, my heart pounded, my hands shook, and my brain went blank. No amount of “Just be confident” or “Relax” helped. Turns out you can’t control the mind with the mind. Stage fright isn’t just psychological—it’s physical. Your body perceives speaking as a threat and reacts accordingly. And once your body is in panic mode, no pep talk can bring you back. So what do you do instead? You work with your body, not against it. ??Read the full breakdown from our Presence & Performance Consultant, Ioana Jongsma, ICF ACC, GPCC in the link below. #PublicSpeaking #StageFright #ConfidenceBuilding ~ Kingsley Alfred, Community Coordinator ??

Every time I want to make a post, I wonder, how long should this post be? How long is too long? Brian Miller has a simple framework that changes everything. Instead of fixating on word count, he asks three questions: 1?? What’s the purpose? Are you trying to grab attention or create deep understanding? A tweet and a podcast serve different goals. 2?? Who’s your audience? A venture capitalist expects a 60-second pitch. A podcast listener on a long drive welcomes a deep dive. 3?? What’s the medium? Social media rewards brevity. Books thrive on depth. Podcasts fall somewhere in between. Now, instead of stressing over length, I focus on what the situation demands. Some ideas need 90 seconds. Some need 90 minutes. The key is knowing which is which. ?? Read Brian’s full breakdown here: https://lnkd.in/dvdUcxba #Messaging #ContentStrategy #AudienceEngagement ~ Kingsley Alfred, Community Coordinator ??

For the longest time, I was so certain that making a message shorter automatically made it better. After all, we’re in the era of shrinking attention spans, right? Then I read Brian Miller’s latest piece and realized how wrong I was! Condensing ≠ Clarifying. ?? Condensing means cutting words. ?? Clarifying means making the message easier to understand. They can go hand in hand—but not always. Sometimes, trimming a message just strips away the nuance that makes it powerful. Other times, a message is too long simply because it hasn’t been structured well. The real skill? Knowing when to cut and when to clarify. Before shortening anything, I’m now asking myself: Am I making this clearer or just making it shorter? Brian breaks this down brilliantly in his latest article. Highly recommend. Read it in the link below. #MessageClarity #CommunicationTips #PublicSpeaking ~ Kingsley Alfred, Community Coordinator ??

I used to think changing my mind was a sign of weakness. If I put an idea out there, I had to stick with it. Turns out I was wrong. Brian Miller’s latest article highlights two people who completely changed their perspectives—and how they handled it differently. Ludwig Wittgenstein made a complete U-turn in his philosophy, frustrating his own students who had spent years studying his first book. His shift confused people instead of inspiring them. Eddie Van Halen, on the other hand, evolved his music over time but never outright rejected his early work. Even though he personally didn’t love his first album anymore, he let it remain a legacy that shaped rock music. This got me thinking: How do thought leaders evolve without losing credibility? ? Acknowledge the shift—People trust you more when you own your growth. ? Build upon past ideas—instead of rejecting them, refine and improve them. ? Communicate the change clearly—help your audience understand why your thinking has evolved. It’s okay to change your mind. Just don’t leave your audience behind when you do. Have you ever struggled with shifting your perspective publicly? How did you navigate it? ?? Read Brian’s article here: https://lnkd.in/eB2vY5Ga #Leadership #Evolution #Messaging ~ Kingsley Alfred, Community Coordinator ??

Have you ever been obsessed with a new idea, convinced it’s the best thing you’ve ever thought of? Same. And yet, six months later, that same “genius” idea suddenly doesn’t seem so brilliant anymore. This is Immediacy Bias—the tendency to overvalue whatever we’re currently working on while dismissing past ideas, no matter how good they were. Brian Miller’s article made me think about this in a different light and the lesson I learned is this: New doesn’t always mean better. As thought leaders, we must recognize when we’re undervaluing our past work simply because it feels “old.” Instead of constantly chasing the next big thing, what if we: ? Revisited old ideas with fresh eyes? ? Built upon past insights instead of discarding them? ? Remembered that what feels outdated to us might be brand new to our audience? I’d love to hear—have you ever dismissed an idea just because it wasn’t new anymore? ?? Read Brian’s full take here in the link below: https://lnkd.in/denvYsy9 #Creativity #ThoughtLeadership #Growth ~ Kingsley Alfred, Community Coordinator ??

A while back, I revisited a poem I had written years ago—a poem I had once been so sure was beautiful. And guess what? I cringed. I wanted to delete it immediately. But then I thought about Ludwig Wittgenstein and Eddie Van Halen. Wittgenstein, one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century, completely rejected his own groundbreaking work years later. Meanwhile, Eddie Van Halen, the legendary guitarist, hated the sound of his debut album—an album that literally changed the face of rock music. It made me realize something: as we grow, it’s easy to dismiss our earlier work. But just because we’ve evolved doesn’t mean our past ideas were worthless. For our audience, those “old” ideas might be exactly what they need. Brian Miller talks about this in his latest article: As thought leaders, our job isn’t to erase our past—it’s to build upon it. So before you abandon your early work, ask yourself: ? Does this idea still serve others, even if I’ve moved on? ? Can I refine it instead of discarding it? ? Am I rejecting it just because it feels “too old”? Your past work got you here. Honor it—even as you grow. Read Brian’s full insights in the link below. #ThoughtLeadership #Growth #Legacy ~ Kingsley Alfred, Community Coordinator ??

It’s one thing to craft a strong core message. It’s another to actually use it. I had always assumed a core message was just for pitching or branding. Turns out, it’s way more versatile than that. Brian Miller highlights three unexpected places to implement your core message: 1?) Your Website Header – If visitors don’t immediately know what you do, they won’t stick around. Your core message should be the first thing they see. 2) Your Email Signature – Why waste valuable space? Adding your core message below your contact info ensures every email reinforces what you stand for. 3) The Back of Your Business Card – Instead of just a name and title, why not instantly communicate your impact? I hadn’t thought of half of these before, but it makes so much sense. The more places your message appears, the clearer and more memorable it becomes. ?? Want more creative ways to implement your core message? Read Brian’s full breakdown here: https://lnkd.in/dr5n3fvS #MessagingStrategy #BrandClarity #CoreMessage ~ Kingsley Alfred, Community Coordinator ??

A while ago, I was at a networking event when someone asked me, “So, what do you do?” I paused, then gave an explanation tailored to what I thought they’d find interesting. It sounded different from how I had explained my work earlier that day—again, different from how I described it last week. Their response? A polite nod, then a quick change of topic. I never knew what I was doing wrong until I found this article. Turns out, “if I can’t even repeat my message consistently, how can I expect anyone else to remember it?” Brian Miller makes a strong case for this: the most effective communicators don’t change their core message—they repeat it until it sticks. He explains that if you’re constantly reinventing how you describe your work, your audience will never have the chance to truly understand it, let alone remember it. Consistency is what makes your message sink in over time. This article made me realize that Repetition isn’t boring—it’s branding. If your message isn’t clear, it won’t be effective. And if it’s not consistent, it won’t be remembered. ?? Read Brian’s full breakdown below: #CommunicationStrategy #BrandMessaging #CoreMessaging ~ Kingsley Alfred, Community Coordinator ??