How I work
A talk rarely arrives in order. We sort out the material, find the part that matters, and shape it for the people who will hear it.
Finding the idea
Recently, a professional speaker and best-selling author came to me with her TEDx talk. She thought it was finished and wanted help with delivery.
In our first session, I found a much deeper idea in her material. It changed the direction of the talk. She was amazed. This happens often in my coaching: someone brings me the talk they’ve prepared, and we discover the idea they hadn’t realized they were sitting on.
That’s why I listen beyond the words on the page. Before we work on how you say it, I want to hear what you really have to say.
“I don’t help you create your message. I help you remove everything that’s hiding it.”
Making your thinking visible
These are part of how I coach speakers and work with teams. They help us see what’s there before we decide what belongs in the talk.
A visual framework that helps you find the central idea in your talk and see how your stories and supporting material connect.
Putting your thinking where you can see it gives us something to work with. We can explore a connection, spot a gap, or find an idea that deserves more room.
Too much information? Find the strongest angles, the big why, and the story inside your data.
We look at what the information means and why someone should care. That helps us decide what supports your idea and what can stay out of the talk.
Skills Drills™
Understanding a speaking skill is a start. Using it while someone is listening takes practice.
My Skills Drills™ methodology gives people a specific skill to work on, then gets them speaking. Through short speaking rounds, different partners, and changing prompts or time limits, they get another chance to try it.
I use Skills Drills™ in interactive speaking and storytelling workshops and in Speaker Skills Academy, the live practice community I co-founded with Marc Williams.
Explore Speaker Skills Academy ↗The people listening
You know your subject. Your audience may be hearing about it for the first time. That changes where we start and what needs explaining.
In speaker coaching, we look at the talk from their side. Why would they care about this idea? What example would help them understand it? Where are we asking them to make a connection we haven’t explained?
Those questions guide what belongs in the talk. Every detail you know doesn’t need to make the trip to the stage.
My collection
I have a whole collection. When I speak for a client, I let them choose which pair I wear onstage. It’s a small way to make the day theirs, and yes, people have opinions about the shoes. 😂
Tell me about the talk, audience, or team. We’ll start there.
Contact Cathey
