of L+D professionals said communication skills are more important than before the pandemic. Plus, it's ranked among the top 10 skills employers are looking for.
less likely to be promoted if you're afraid of public speaking. And you'll earn 10% less, too.
of the population experiences some degree of public speaking anxiety. But only 8% get help for it.
The good news is that public speaking is a skill, not a talent.
Which means it can be learned and refined.
Whether giving a keynote address, presenting to executives, or pitching your idea, I'll work with you to ensure you do it in a way that's clear, compelling, and confident.
My experience as a coach for clients from Fortune 100 companies like Google and Oracle and more than 50 TEDx speakers will help you hone that skill.
I have been speaking professionally for more than two decades, so I understand what it's like to stand up in front of colleagues and audiences to present (and occasionally goof!). I'll provide you with a custom solution for your needs.
Service Portfolio
Speechwriting
When you don't have the time or ability to craft the message your audience needs, have an expert develop it for you. As a former ghostwriter, I'll capture your voice and your points through:
- An interview with you—the expert!
- Research into your topic
- Two drafts
- Delivery coaching (optional)
You'll show up to your presentation or speaking engagement with the assurance your content will succeed and make you shine. Schedule a consultation to discuss your timeline and content needs.
Workshops
Designed to equip participants with the skills necessary to communicate effectively, my workshops are suitable for groups both large and small, as part of a training initiative or conference. Topics frequently covered include:
- Developing a presentation that will achieve its objective
- Conquering stage fright: roots and symptoms
- How to (and not to) use visual aids
- Body language and non-verbal communication
- Authentically connecting with an audience
- Communicating with executives
Current public workshop offerings are viewable here. To be alerted about future offerings, subscribe using the button below.
Individual Coaching
Tailored to your individual objectives and schedule (in-person or virtually), one-on-one coaching offers clients the opportunity to:
- Curate a signature message (or several!) to establish themselves as subject-matter experts or thought leaders
- Identify and overcome impediments to effective delivery (eradicating bad habits and crutches)
- Finding their voice to present with confidence and authenticity
- Learn the nuances of excellent speaking such as gesturing, pacing, talk structure, and attire
Keynotes
I welcome the opportunity to address audiences of all sizes and types. As a speaker with nearly two decades of experience, you can rest assured that I'll "practice what I preach" and give your group a great experience. Some topics I'm often asked to discuss include:
- Expanding your influence through public speaking—and how to survive it
- Developing a TED-style or signature talk
- Maximizing your time for more productivity and less stress
- Leveraging your experiences for personal and professional growth
- Setting the right goals and forming habits to achieve them
Schedule a consultation to discuss your event.
Content Review
Sometimes you're too close to your content (or delivery) to see what isn't working and need another person's perspective to identify areas in need of improvement. Get a professional evaluation of your:
- Talk content
- Slide deck
- Speaking footage
- Or any combination thereof
Flat fee and conducted asynchronously. You'll be provided with a written report with suggestions for improvement.
Online Courses
Learn public speaking skills from the comfort of your own home or office, delivered on-demand. At the conclusion of the course, students have a fully-prepared talk and an end-to-end, repeatable process to use for future message preparation. Ideal for those who need scheduling flexibility, course topics include:
- How to craft a memorable talk
- How to hook the audience's attention—and keep it
- How to talk without notes (and why you should)
- Principles of visual storytelling and slide design
- Polishing delivery and how to reduce/manage “stage fright”
Free resources
Grab these free tools to bolster your public speaking skills.
Footage Evaluation Rubric
Great public speakers improve their skills by watching footage of their presentations and speeches—much like athletes watching game film. This tool will help identify strengths as well as areas for improvement.
Pitch with Excellence
Are you a founder crafting your pitch deck for presenting to prospective investors or at a pitch competition? Download my slides from Boise Entrepreneur Week to do it well.
Audience Persona Worksheet
Before you ever begin to draft content for a future presentation, start by learning about your audience. Crafting a message that truly meets their needs will dramatically increase your impact.
Speaking Fee Calculator
Your speaking fee shouldn't be an arbitrary number. My speaker fee guide helps you arrive at a figure using real math.
From the blog
A collection of posts on the topic of public speaking.
Top 3 pitch deck mistakes founders make—and how to avoid them
You have a great idea for a business venture. The market is ripe. You’ve sacrificed countless hours and dollars to bring it this far. It’s time to secure funding. And you’ve been given an opportunity to speak with would-be investors. Would you wing it and just talk “off the cuff”?…
Read More
The four ingredients that make a good presentation great
Every presentation has a purpose. (Or at least it should. Ahem.) And that purpose is to move or change the audience’s way of thinking about your topic… to persuade them to approve your idea or incite action. To do that requires the presenter to have clarity about their intended message…
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The painful (and sometimes funny) discovery of blind spots
When the irony fell on us all at the same moment, we dissolved into gales of laughter. Fourteen of us sat around the conference room table in Chicago. It was an opportunity to gather with colleagues; most of us had never met in person. On the first morning of our…
Read More
How to share full-screen slides and use presenter view for speaker notes—from a single screen
In a recent workshop, one of my clients justified their extremely wordy slides with the fact that they don’t have a second screen to project from in order to use speaker notes in presenter view…so their slides had to be their notes. Maybe you can relate? Maybe you’re working from…
Read More
When you (really) should be on camera in virtual meetings
It was the final session of a week-long workshop. We’d crafted content. We’d prepped slides. Now we were practicing delivery. I pulsed the group: “What’s your biggest challenge presenting in the virtual setting?“ His answer: Presenting to people who aren’t on camera. Because it was such a drain on his…
Read More
Three quick and easy brain hacks for public speaking anxiety
In the moments leading up to giving a presentation or speech, many people feel a surge of anxiety—heart-racing, hand-quaking, sick-to-their-stomach anxiety. Some of the work to fortify oneself against the fear of public speaking happens well in advance of the actual presentation or speech. But when the adrenaline and cortisol…
Read MoreKind words from clients
Kirsten was an excellent coach, and proved to be a great resource in honing my speaking skills. Her guidance was crucial, and allowed me to connect with my audience and present with confidence. I would highly recommend her as a coach to anyone wanting to improve their public speaking.
—Margaret Cyphers, Google
Kirsten partnered with me to provide expertise and insight for a high stakes public-speaking program for MBA and MSx students at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She was organized, thorough in her work and extremely thoughtful with her questions and suggestions.
—Mary Olesky, Stanford University Graduate School of Business
Kirsten coached a group of managers and leaders for speeches at a major annual company conference attended by ~45,000 people. She observed and advised our speaker team on their individual presentations, as well as delivery. Kirsten is professional, positive, experienced, knowledgeable, an exceptional communicator herself, and I highly recommend her work as a speaker coach! She met each team member where they were as a presenter, allowed and enhanced individual styles, diplomatically provided feedback to improve delivery, and she watched (via video) and heard each speaker deliver their talk multiple times, She provided useful on-going tips & tricks and encouragement to set everyone up for their best delivery yet! We are impressed with Kirsten and highly recommend her for corporate coaching.
—Daria Carter, Oracle Corporation
Wow! What a difference some coaching and guidance can make. Over the course of the past year, I had the privilege of working with Kirsten preparing for a big talk. I honestly didn't know what to expect or how it would progress at the outset. However, after multiple sessions working through the ideas, editing, practicing and coaching, the final presentation was substantially better due to her encouragement and assistance. If you have an important presentation or other communication projects, I would highly recommend getting a coach, and for that, I would recommend Kirsten.
—Phil McGrane, Idaho Secretary of State
Kirsten gave me great insight into how to make my message and presentation more focused, open, clear, interesting, and accessible to a broader audience. She helped me to see my own passion for my work as an asset and to make the most of that. I highly recommend Kirsten if you are looking for a speaker coach to help you get started, work on specific concerns, or to really bring home an important presentation.
—Dr. Melanie Wright, Biomedical Researcher
Kirsten did a fantastic job of finding the areas where I needed to improve, even as a seasoned public speaker, and helped me overcome little tendencies, weaknesses, or other areas. On top of the professional help and advice, Kirsten was easy to work with, friendly and professional, and ensured that I was given the opportunity to share my thoughts and concerns. I would highly recommend Kirsten as a speaking coach, she will help you improve and see better success as a speaker.
—Jordan Morrow, Data and Analytics Executive
In the media
Interested in giving a TEDx talk somday? My interview withe Stephanie Chandler, CEO of Nonfiction Authors Assocation will help. (Be sure to read this post, too.)
Listen here.
Entrepreneurs preparing to pitch for funding will benefit from this session delivered at Boise Startup Week (now Boise Entrepreneur Week).
Watch here.
If you'd like to create a spoken message from your written work, this episode of the Christian Publishing Show will help. Plus you'll learn a fun tidbit about Mark Twain.
Listen here or on your favorite podcasting platform.
Nervous about networking and pitching? I teamed up with colleague Nancy Buffington to offer public speaking insights for both at Boise Entrepreneur Week.
Watch here.
Are you a writer? A
Christian writer? This episode of the Christian Indie Writers' Podcast will be a terrific resource for your public speaking efforts.
Watch here or listen to Episode 215 on your favorite podcasting platform.
Rhea Allen, host of the Marketing Expedition podcast, asked about working virtually with clients all over the world, slide preparation, and communicating with executives.
Listen here.
This interview with Gemma Gaudette, host of Idaho Matters, explains the speaker selection and coaching process for TEDxBoise.
Listen here.