Hugo Gonzalez Bazaldua

My story with stuttering began in childhood, with periods of fluency and others where I struggled to articulate words, until over time it became a permanent condition. This affected my self-confidence, my relationships, and my willingness to seek leadership positions, because for years my strategy was to avoid public exposure and operate cautiously in formal settings.

During my adolescence, I faced some insecurities typical of that stage of life and episodes of social pressure, which reinforced my self-criticism and the feeling that I couldn’t express myself as I wanted. Even so, I always believed I could manage it, so I tried different resources and approaches (from exercises and reading aloud to other self-control practices), without finding a consistent solution. I always maintained a vision of overcoming these challenges and continuing my professional development.

That pattern continued throughout university: I felt more comfortable working behind the scenes and avoiding presentations, although I could communicate more easily in one-on-one interactions. In fact, during that time I started my own business and performed well with customers, which showed me a clear difference between direct conversation and public speaking in formal settings, where the challenge was more psychological and structural than one of ability.

The turning point came in 2018 when I took my first McGuire Programme course. Beyond speaking techniques, I incorporated a working method based on conscious decision-making, practice, and consistency, along with the experience of a community that operates with clear standards of rigor and support. From then on, I understood that the goal isn’t to “eliminate” fear, but to manage it with structure, and that allowed me to handle difficult conversations, speak in public with greater control, teach classes with ease, and compete for high-responsibility roles with a more intentional strategy.