“The Eloquent Build-Up: From Nerves to Nuance”
By Ubong Essien, CSP — Dean, School of Eloquence
Confidence is not a warm-up. It is a build-up.
That statement echoed through the room during Monica’s early speaking exercises, and it stuck—like truth always does.
We often speak of nervousness as a flaw. But the truth is, every speaker starts with it. The problem is not the nerves—it’s what we do with them.
In Monica’s case, she began her sessions with a trembling voice, hunched posture, and clasped hands. But as she leaned into her story—her journey with widows and orphans—something shifted.
The more she spoke, the more she built.
- Built clarity.
- Built connection.
- Built conviction.
Her confidence didn’t arrive at the start—it emerged with every sentence she dared to voice out loud.
That is the essence of The Eloquent Build-Up:
Don’t wait for confidence to speak.
Speak to build confidence.
It is in the movement of the hand, the projection of the voice, the expression on the face, that confidence takes form.
As a builder lays bricks, the speaker lays meaning—layer by layer, until what once looked like fear now stands tall as eloquence.
So the next time you feel anxious before a speech, remember:
Confidence is not a switch.
It is a structure under construction.
Speak on, and build.
