Speakers coached by Leah K Stewart have captivated audiences 4000 strong, won spontaneous rounds of applause, standing ovations, global awards and seen their talks viewed over 200,000 times.
Leah’s previous community projects have been featured in the RSA journal, the i Weekend newspaper and on BBC Three Counties radio. Leah has performed poetry at TEDx, the Festival of Education, the RSPB headquarters and at the 40th Anniversary Bedford River Festival.
Leah is a contributing author to the 2018 book The Working Class: Poverty, Education and Alternative Voices published by Independent Thinking Press and featured in The Guardian.
behind the headlines
On my very first day of school, I came home and was asked about my day. Every day, mum would sit herself down and get me to stand in front of her and invite me to tell her about my time at school. With the effort of finding words to convey all the adventures, I’d wave my hands and struggle but, slowly, the words came.
She would listen, in raptures. Can you imagine? This sweet exchange is what I thought ‘normal engagement’ was when people spoke in front of people. As an introvert I also know, to my core, that it takes courage to stand and speak.
These early experiences sparked an unusual habit during my formative years; actively watching all kinds of scenarios where a person speaks, to see whether they got the kind of engagement I knew was possible. Beyond rapturous attention of a loving mum…
I learnt that deep engagement can be earned from any audience, but it takes care and thought to prepare a talk that consistently captivates.
Whenever any speaker moved a crowd, I asked; “How did they achieve that?” When the words where sadly lost, my question became; “What did they miss?” The speakers I work with today value my guidance which is informed by the question I’ve found to be most important; “Where is your audience at now?”
With only a video of your current talk (or even just a written draft) I’m able to say where and why the audience haven’t been moved as far as you would wish and suggest ways to tweak or transform your talk to have the impact you deserve. I draw from nuanced experience and your unique character, rather than cut-and-paste formulas, which means your talk is always truly yours and as individual as you are.
When a stage talk is crafted to bring the audience with you every step of the way, you get incredible energy back. And you discover how words can change the world.
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