What WEConnect Madrid Taught Me About Communication, Confidence and Visual Impact

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I’m still buzzing from the WEConnect International Europe & MENA Summit in Madrid 17-18 November 2025. Over 320 attendees and around 250 women-owned businesses. One clear focus: connection, collaboration and growth.

A huge credit goes to the WEConnect team for creating such a professional, welcoming and empowering space for women entrepreneurs. If you don’t yet know their work, I highly recommend exploring WEConnect International:
👉 https://weconnectinternational.org/

One statistic stayed with me throughout the summit:
One third of privately owned businesses worldwide are owned by women, yet less than 1% of large corporate and government spend goes to women-owned suppliers. And yet women influence over 85% of global consumer purchasing decisions. The imbalance is striking — and so is the opportunity.

XEConnect’s mission — directing more money into the hands of women business owners — aligns deeply with my own reason for being in Madrid. Like many of the women there, I was actively growing my business: meeting corporate buyers, connecting with fellow female entrepreneurs and opening new doors for collaboration. And I know from experience that access and influence are only fully realised when people can communicate their ideas with confidence and clarity.

What Corporate Buyers Really Said About Presenting

One of the standout highlights was meeting corporate buyers from organisations such as Amazon, Bayer, MSD (Merck), CBRE, Sanofi, Accenture, P&G and Marriott International.

When I asked a simple question — “Do your leaders truly engage and inspire when they present?” — the answer was revealing:
“No. It depends on the person.” Especially if they are a not an executive or a technical expert.

Time and again, buyers see brilliant minds struggle to translate complex ideas for non-technical audiences. This is exactly where professional presentation training and public speaking coaching stop being “nice to haves” and become essential business tools — protecting great ideas from being lost in poor delivery.

My key takeaway?
Corporates are far more open to supplier diversity than many people realise, and they clearly understand that diverse suppliers drive innovation, sharper pricing and stronger performance.

Women Entrepreneurs and the Power of Confidence

High above Madrid at IE University’s 24th-floor “vertical campus”, I spent the morning in round-table sessions with inspiring women founders, see the photo here! Businesses were shared. Opportunities exchanged and real support offered.

Moments like this remind me why public speaking courses and communication skills matter so deeply: they don’t just build confidence on a stage — they empower people to claim their space in rooms where decisions are made.

This is especially true for:

  • Non-native English speakers

  • Introverts

  • Highly technical professionals

  • Quiet leaders with powerful ideas

Confidence isn’t a personality trait. It’s a trainable skill.

Visual Thinking: Where Most Presentations Still Fall Down

Entrepreneurship demands resilience — and creativity fuels resilience. Arriving before the conference, I immersed myself in the work of Dalí, Miró and Picasso. A masterclass in visual thinking and visual storytelling.

It struck me again how rarely we are taught how to communicate visually. And yet poor visual communication is one of the main reasons presentations lose impact — which is even more critical online, where your slides are king.

Most professionals have never been shown:

  • Strong visual aid examples

  • How to use visual storytelling with data

  • Practical PowerPoint design ideas that grab attention rather than distract it

Yet effective visuals dramatically improve engagement, understanding and persuasion. This is why visual communication is a core pillar of my presentation training and executive presentation programmes.

The Big Communication Lesson from Madrid

Across conversations with founders and corporate leaders, one truth kept repeating itself:

Your ideas only create impact when you deliver them well — with your voice, body, sharp language and engaging slides.

That’s the bridge I help my clients cross every day through public speaking coaching, clear presentation goals and highly practical skill-building:

  • From nervous to confident

  • From complex to clear

  • From overlooked to influential

Regardless of accent, age, culture or English level.

Ready to Strengthen Your Own Public Speaking?

If you’re wondering:

  • How do I improve my public speaking quickly?

  • How can I sound more confident and persuasive?

  • How do I explain complex ideas clearly?

I’ve created a practical eguide for you:

Transform Your Public Speaking from Nervous to Confident

10 Practical Presentation Techniques to Make a Bigger Impact in Each & Every Talk
(+ 5 Bonus Tips for Non-Native English Speakers)

👉 Sign up to receive it here:
https://melaniehussell.com/transform-your-public-speaking

Because your voice deserves to be heard — and your innovative ideas truly valued.