how it all began

After high school, I landed my first job as manager of a small department inside a major national retail store. I was ecstatic. Two months in, my management career ended with a thud.  I was told I had an excellent work ethic, but my communication skills were not. I’d been raised with the belief that my work should speak for itself. It didn’t then, and doesn’t now. Communication skills matter.

I went back to school and graduated as a teacher. Standing in front of students was excruciatingly painful because I was so self-conscious. I felt like I had been thrown into a gigantic lake. It was either sink to the bottom, or learn to paddle like crazy, and stay on top. I paddled like crazy. Teaching was my crash course in understanding human relations and my start to building my own confidence and communication skills.

After a number of years, I moved from teaching to training. I began offering public speaking and presentation skills workshops to accountants, professionals in law, engineering, and health care. I also spent several years travelling across the country facilitating workshops on leadership, team building and effective communication.

Then, one day it hit me. It was like a smack on the head.  … The biggest challenge for people wasn’t in their ability to speak, it was in their ability to communicate what they wanted to say, so the people listening to them ‘Got it’: understood the speaker’s ideas, thoughts and feelings.

Through word-of-mouth, and one-on-one, I began to coaching clients in communication and presentation skills, and I realized that I had found a passion.

WHAT I DO

I specialize in coaching public speaking and presentation skills. My clients are self-employed entrepreneurs, managers in finance, engineering, retail, technology and health care.

They want to advance their careers, have better relationships, and make more money.

They see themselves developing the skills they need to engage others and have a positive impact. They are driven and strive for excellence in their communication and presentation skills. They know being an effective public speaker is a strategic career move that will help get them noticed and recognized for their accomplishments.

As your coach, I will give you a plan with steps you can put into practice. And, I’ll give you the support and guidance you need to stay on track.

There may be times when you might not be able to see what needs to be changed in your content or delivery. My role is to provide you with feedback, offer a different perspective, give direction, and  help you focus on expanding your speaking skills

I’m invested in your learning and will hold you accountable, so you can give your best.

My promise to you, I will use all the tools, knowledge and skills to guide you and support you in crafting what you want to say, and how to say it when it matters most.

My Approach

I’ll start by asking you questions about your speaking style, your presentation goals, and what you feel you need to do to achieve these goals. We will also look into any current challenges or issues you’re facing or feel need to overcome so you can reach your goal of being a poised and powerful presenter.

Working together we’ll map out what we need to do on a progressive level from being crystal clear on your message to being clear on your outcome: from making connection to increasing engagement. With increasing engagement comes greater visibility and leadership opportunity.

We will work on three key areas.

CONTENT CREATION

What Do You Want to Say?

I’ll help you organize and prioritize your material. Together we’ll craft your message and highlight key ideas for a smooth and logical flow. It’s the level of our communication that determines how we influence decisions and motivate change. I will hold you accountable to your plan and your purpose.