From Silent in Meetings to Leading the Conversation

A few days ago, I had a moment that reminded me how much I’ve grown.

I was out with a friend in Mexico when we accidentally left our parking ticket in the machine. The only way to get it back was to explain the situation to security.

A few years ago, I would have panicked. I would have overthought every word, worried about my grammar, and maybe even avoided the situation completely.

But this time? I stayed calm. I explained the problem clearly. And within minutes, the security lady found our ticket.

I walked back to the car and thought: Wow. That felt… easy.

It wasn’t because I suddenly knew more Spanish words. It wasn’t because I had memorised more grammar rules.

It was because I trusted myself to communicate.

And this is exactly what I see with my clients.

Before we dive in, let me quickly introduce Beyond English Fluency.

This isn’t just about learning English. It’s about mastering the skills that high-performing professionals need to communicate with confidence, clarity, and impact.

I help ambitious professionals stop overthinking, start speaking with authority, and use English as a tool to thrive in their careers. Because fluency isn’t just about words. It’s about being heard, understood, and respected in global business.

Confidence Is Built in the Moments You Least Expect

One of my high-level coaching clients told me last week that she had an important meeting with an external stakeholder.

And it went smoothly.

That might not sound like a big deal... until you realise that just a few weeks ago, the idea of that meeting would have made her panic.

She would have spent the whole time overthinking her responses, worrying about how she sounded, and feeling frustrated that she couldn’t communicate as clearly as she wanted.

She thought her biggest problem was vocabulary and grammar.

But that wasn’t it at all.

Why You’re Stuck in Silent Mode

If you’ve ever held back in a meeting because you were afraid of making mistakes, you’re not alone.

You want to sound polished. You want to be taken seriously.

But instead of speaking freely, you:

? Stay quiet, even when you have something valuable to say.

? Overthink every sentence, afraid of getting it “wrong.”

? Watch others present your ideas better than you could. (Ouch!)

That’s not a language problem.

That’s a confidence problem.

How My Client Shifted from Hesitating to Leading

In Thrive in English, we focused on:

? Key phrases for handling difficult questions.

? Structuring her ideas so she felt prepared, not panicked.

? Speaking with authority, even when nervous.

And within weeks?

She started leading conversations instead of avoiding them. She spoke up in meetings without hesitation. She finally felt proud of her voice.

Your Skills Are Already There. You Just Need to Trust Yourself.

I see it over and over again. hHigh-level professionals who are incredibly skilled at what they do, but hold themselves back because of English.

The problem isn’t that they need more lessons.

It’s that they don’t have the confidence to use what they already know.

But confidence isn’t something you wait for.

It’s something you build.

If you’ve been holding back in meetings, avoiding difficult conversations, or feeling like others communicate your ideas better than you…

It’s time to change that.

Doors are open for Thrive in English, but only until Monday, February 3rd.

After that, the price increases.

DM me “Thrive” if you’re ready to finally speak with confidence.

What’s One Moment That Made You Realise You’ve Grown?

Have you ever been in a situation where you suddenly realised you were handling it differently than before?

Maybe you spoke up when you wouldn’t have. Maybe you handled a challenge more calmly than you expected. Maybe you finally felt like your voice mattered.

I’d love to hear about it. Drop your story in the comments.

To your success,

Gemma

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If you’re ready to stop holding back and start speaking with confidence in every professional conversation, send me a message with the word “Thrive.”

Let’s make 2025 the year you finally own your voice and unlock new career opportunities.

#careerdevelopment #englishfluency #professionalenglish #englishforprofessionals #communicationskills