Client story
Tom: from performing to speaking from connection
Tom is a language entrepreneur, teaching people a distinctive method for learning languages. He’d also done stand-up comedy, so he came to coaching already confident. What he wanted to fix was what happened when things went off-script.
Before
Before working with Alistair, I actually thought I was a good public speaker. I felt confident — I’d done stand-up comedy and had a job where I spoke often. But I had a big weakness: if things went off-script, I’d get destabilized fast.
My default was always the same: write a script, learn it by heart, rely on structure and “fail-proof” TED Talk–style gimmicks. It worked… until it didn’t. It killed my ability to improvise, made it hard to relax, and it was exhausting to prepare and rehearse all the time.
What we worked on
Early on, Alistair spotted the real issue: I was using structure to avoid risk, not to express myself. Over a few months, he helped me shift from “performing” to speaking from feeling.
What changed
Now when I speak, I’m not even conscious of how I’m speaking — I don’t feel like I’m performing. I feel like I’m talking from vulnerability, from something real. And the crazy part is: people feel it.
“It honestly changed my life.”
What surprised me most is how far beyond speaking this went. Alistair helped me see a bigger pattern in my life: over-preparing to avoid mistakes. That insight opened me up to new experiences, and honestly changed my life. The naturalness and fluidity we worked on in speaking started showing up everywhere — in how I work, how I approach projects, even in things like starting martial arts.
My rhythm is better, my stories land more, I don’t rush, and I don’t speak from a script — I speak from connection.
Who it’s for, in his words
Alistair is an excellent coach: extremely patient, a great listener, and someone who creates real psychological safety. If you’re an introvert who’s terrified of public speaking, he’s the right guy. And if you’re like me — outwardly confident, but still afraid and craving real connection — he’ll help you speak with an open heart.
Coaching client
Want to work like this?
Eight weeks of 1:1 coaching, with a year of practice in Speak Up. Or start with a free 45-minute intro call.