Speak Deeply

Learning to Connect is:

Having a conversation with people, not performing in front of them.

Giving an audience what it wants instead of guessing.

Feeling relaxed and generous instead of worrying about survival.

True success at speaking and performing in public!

Get Started Connecting

Speak Deeply

Speaking in public means having a conversation with people, not performing in front of them.

 

From answering “what you do for a living?”, to reporting in for a team, to doing a TED Talk, it’s all conversation. 

So let’s list what makes a good conversation: connection.

Kind of a short list.

Sure, you’d like to inform and be informed, entertain and be entertained, to forget about yourself for a minute. 

But if you aren’t feeling seen, heard, and valued, the conversation isn’t going there.

Listening will just be waiting to speak, speaking won’t feel good in your body, and folks will hurry for the exits. They didn’t get what they came for: connection.

So, how do we get it?

We’ll have to care about one another, to trust one another.

And since you, the speaker, are leading things, you will have to care, and trust, first.

How? 

We start with them. With your audience of any size:

  • Who are they?
  • What do they want?
  • Which of your gifts are most valuable to them?
  • How would they like to be treated, honored?
  • Celebrated, informed, entertained? 

Do your research. Ask people about them. Talk to a few of them beforehand, if possible.

All of this shows care.

So does preparation. Know your stuff.

If there are vocal or physical issues, we work to resolve them: you want to make it easy for us to spend time with you. We see and hear that you are relaxed, so we relax.

You’ve got to have a good script. We start with a hierarchy of gifts and finish by making sure it all sounds and feels like you.

You will never be sorry you overprepared.

It lets you conduct a conversation.

Finally we demonstrate trust, that you trust this audience.

The most successful TED Talks of all time are around 70% emotional appeal and personal story, not facts and credentials. Why? Personal story demonstrates trust. You are revealing something vulnerable about yourself, trusting that we won’t hurt you. When that happens, we are wired to help, not hurt. To connect.

Also, one huge fact: audiences WANT you to succeed.

This is because they want to be in that storytelling loop with you.

MRI-scans and our own experiences bear this out. 

To sum it all up…

Show that you care about them, trust them, and know your stuff.

And you will go from stage-fright to having a beautiful conversation, from isolation to connection.

Which is what everybody wants.

And you get to give it to them.

And to yourself.

 

Get Started Connecting With Audiences

Testimonials

What My Clients Say

"I went from being uncomfortable taking space to becoming a TEDx speaker"

"There are no words to describe the impact Kevin had on my life. I went from being uncomfortable taking space to becoming a TEDx speaker. In working with Kevin to prepare my performance, I expected to find support with my script and stage presence, and I did. But I found so much more. I went through an 8-month inner journey and complete rebirth. I cried, I laughed, I worked hard, and I overcame some of my deepest fears. Kevin helped me find my voice. Once I found my voice, I was able, for the first time, to find myself and love anything I had to say. This is an experience of a lifetime which I would recommend to anyone seeking one’s truth."

~Matatea Changuy

TEDx Speaker

"He cares as deeply about the person he is working with as he does about the excellence of the work"

"Kevin is the kind of educator and mentor who cares as deeply about the person he is working with as he does about the excellence of the work. He is the kind of teaching artist who will push you when you need to be pushed, and affirm your successes with fierce encouragement. I would recommend working with Kevin to anyone who is seeking direction, clarity and commitment in their life's work, which could be professional or personal. Kevin is a humanist who makes it his personal mission to connect people to their deepest potential and share it with the world. Kevin is the reason I decided to pursue acting professionally, and to commit myself to an artist's life. That is perhaps the best way to describe his lasting influence. "

~Emily Jeanne Brown

Actor, Musician, Coach

"His sense of humor, vast experience base and straightforward communication style made him a delight to work with"

"I asked Kevin to help me create a 1 hour video that would ask high-net-worth individuals to purchase an investment program I was in the process of building.I had never spoken before a camera and my communication style is very passive.  Kevin was able to provide me with a series of highly individualized coaching sessions oriented towards teaching me how to speak effectively and appear professional and authentic.  Kevin was super enjoyable to work with. His sense of humor, vast experience base and straightforward communication style made him a delight to work with. Kevin even agreed to provide a video introduction of me on my video. I would gladly work with him again."

~Andrew Kamin

Investment Advisor

"Kevin is a 10, an incredibly compassionate human with a really unique skillset that can take your speaking skills to whatever level you are willing to work towards"

"I was a member of Toastmasters for five years and was never given the insights that Kevin made on my first time working with him.  Kevin goes way beyond helping you with your speech or basic speaking skills. He can work with you on whatever level you are comfortable with, but he can get you to dig deep into your psyche to help you understand why you communicate the way that you do and how you can improve it.  Voice work is much deeper than I thought it would be. I know that I both cried and laughed heartily at various points during our work together. On a scale of 1-10, Kevin is a 10, an incredibly compassionate human with a really unique skillset that can take your speaking skills to whatever level you are willing to work towards. I would recommend Kevin to anyone that wants to be able to be both more confident and skilled at public speaking - which is probably almost everyone on the planet."

~Don Smith

Public Speaking Coach for Kiss the Ground

"Kevin is patient and uncompromising when it comes to nurturing quality and technique, and the end result is worth it."

"Plain and simple, Kevin can help you....Kevin knows the parts and the pieces and how they all work together. In my case, we had to start from scratch: too many years of bad habits and abuse. My voice was shipwrecked and marooned. Kevin charted a course to find and resurrect it. Over the course of many weeks working together, Kevin was able to consistently find ways to push me into my own self discovery.  Kevin is patient and uncompromising when it comes to nurturing quality and technique, and the end result is worth it. Prepare yourself for a unique journey; Kevin leaves no stone unturned and he can unlock your specific potential.

~Brian Fitzpatrick

Singer, Songwriter

"Through his mentorship, he helped me build the foundation that helped me get into CalArts, my career in fine arts, and for how I look at the world today."

"Kevin is a dedicated, thoughtful, and patient instructor. He gives his all to help his pupils uncover and realize their potential. As an instructor, he is extremely skilled in giving critiques that illuminate the subtleties of what needs to shift, and teaching how these adjustments improve the quality and integrity of the work as a whole. Through his mentorship, he helped me build the foundation that helped me get into CalArts, my career in fine arts, and for how I look at the world today."

~Alexandra Shier Perry

"I have found his approach to undeniably be the most effective source of growth I have ever encountered. "

"Kevin’s coaching and mentorship has been the guiding light throughout my journey as a performing artist. I have found his approach to undeniably be the most effective source of growth I have ever encountered. In our time together I have developed and evolved as both a person and an artist. Working with Kevin is to discover yourself, dive deeper into the work, and seek truth. The connections he has helped me make to myself and my character have blown my mind. He has grounded me in my body and taught me to understand it as an effective tool. His depth of understanding of the human experience is immeasurable and his passion for the work he does is infectious. I wouldn’t be who I am without the foundation that Kevin's coaching has given me. I have sought his guidance on many occasions, from audition prep to my final senior thesis performance at Mills College, where I graduated with degrees in Theater and English. With every project I take on I carry the tools that Kevin gave me. He truly has a gift. It has been an honor and a privilege to work with him and I will continue to seek his counsel always."

~Sophia W.

Filmmaker, Actor

"Kevin found a way to never sacrifice productivity but still always connect with me on a personal level. "

"Kevin always took the journey of discovery with me during our lessons, and he was able to meet me where I was in my learning. His lessons always felt organic - he helped me find unique ways to overcome the unique challenges I was facing. Kevin found a way to never sacrifice productivity but still always connect with me on a personal level. He made sure that I understood the why as well as the how of what he taught me. This has allowed me to continue to apply his teachings to anything in my life that is relevant; thus his expertise and knowledge continue to serve me and help me learn to this day."

~Gavin Sellor

Actor and Singer

"He is amazingly, piercingly, perceptive."

"Kevin is a keenly attentive listener.  He offers insights that are both compassionate and direct.  He is amazingly, piercingly, perceptive. I would highly recommend him for any personal or work-related issues that need resolution."

~J.P.

Personal Trainer, Musician

"As I worked hard to assimilate and integrate Kevin's candid, steadfast and sensitive approach, I began to find my true voice. "

"I have been a professional musician for over 45 years, and done thousands of gigs, on violin, keyboard, guitars and vocals. I had concerns that my voice was deteriorating slowly with age, and was resigned to that. Kevin helped me through basically starting over to find my breath, the parts of my body that support breathing and singing as well as an added portal to self-realization.  As I worked hard to assimilate and integrate Kevin's candid, steadfast and sensitive approach, I began to find my true voice.   The experience also enabled me to grow in self-realization, self-appreciation and accepting myself. As I appreciate that experience, I am able to do my teaching and social work in the world in a new way.  I would not hesitate to engage him as tutor, coach, mentor, or instructor. His wide range of expertise, coupled with his depth of knowledge, love of teaching and keen sense of humor make him invaluable as a mentor."

~Rick Concoff, MA.

Teacher, Life Coach, Musician