Hi all,
We wanted to talk directly to you about why we set up our change management consultancy, our journey so far and about what makes us tick. We feel deeply connected to our mission and our philosophy. It’s the guiding force behind all of our work, the people we collaborate with as part of The Speakers’ Gym™ team and our amazing clients.
We set up Speakers’ Gym™ approximately 4 years ago. Back then we were called JC Communicate. We had a handful of clients and we were both still acting on the side. All our work was to do with Communication/Public speaking at that stage. But with a difference. We were always far more interested in what made people tick rather than what they looked like whilst ticking!
Get Started TodayThe value of community
Our training and our experience as actors, working within, culturally, a very hard and extremely competitive industry has been fundamental to our success so far. Why? To be an actor, to work as an actor and to be an unemployed actor means that you have to understand what dedication is. You have to come to terms with rejection and criticism every day, cutting through the noise to discover what’s constructive and what’s often deliberately destructive feedback on your life choices, personally and professionally.
What do you learn from this experience? You learn the value of community and support, pushing yourself to always improve and to be forensic about discovering your blindspots. But most importantly, you learn the value of teamwork and uniting around a common purpose. You can’t put on a successful production of anything without being in service to something bigger than yourself – your audience and castmates.
Leadership & Connection
At The Speakers’ GymTM we know in our soul that the combination of servant leadership and connection to a purpose are the two most important factors to longevity, happiness and success within a business. It improves productivity, employee retention and profitability, which is great for the business and the board, but for the people? For them it changes everything.
They become connected to each other. They become curious, inspired, willing to fight for the North star and to go that extra mile. They also become happier personally and professionally. And that’s got to be great, right?
What happens when you unlock the latent potential of everyone you work with? Magic. It’s the rocket that carries your business to new, exciting destinations.
We had been working across industries, from FTSE 100’s to start-ups and we saw time and time again people not being listened to. Some people talking too much and some people not
talking at all. Wherever and whenever we saw this, the productivity of the team suffered and the culture of the team was terrible. And, we saw this a lot.
So how could we fix this problem? It was such a waste of potential!
Our Philosophy; Speak, Listen: Act
We wrote a philosophy, a belief in a principle to improve how we do business. This philosophy may seem simple, but to action it leaves no space for ego and arrogance. It requires that a team is built with curiosity and generosity. It is as follows:
Speak, Listen : Act.
Speak: you have a voice, it should be heard, be generous
Listen: you don’t know everything, be curious, be humble
Act: be collaborative and shoot for the stars.
We’ve used it.
We’ve seen it.
It works.
NEUSHA MILANIAN
Learning Specialist, Coach, Facilitator
People = Potential
When a business embraces this philosophy it solves its own problems, in the short and long term. It encourages and celebrates everyone’s contribution and gives all people within the organisation the space and confidence to unlock their potential.
What does this do for you and the other people in your business?
It changes everything.
Everyone becomes connected to each other. They become curious, inspired, willing to fight for their corner and go that extra mile. They also become happier personally and professionally. And who doesn’t want that?
We’re excited to see where our Change Consultants take you, your business, and your leadership development next.
Executive Training CoursesOur clients
Words from our clients
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The Speakers’ Gym is like the iPhone. You don’t realise you need it until you have it, and then you can’t live without it.
Magda Gonzalez, Group CFO, Monex Europe
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It was completely practical and the open-forum feedback was so valuable. You created a safe environment for everyone to learn. Thank you!
Nicola Koronka, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Missive
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I was recommended by a friend who works in the same sector to contact The Speakers’ Gym to help me with my presentation delivery skills and I have not been disappointed with the results. Chris and Jonny work with you to provide bespoke training for your goals and needs. They are highly professional and make you feel at ease from the first minute the first session begins. I would highly recommend them to those who have a role which involves public speaking!
Julia Peake,Technical Development Manager, Sanlam
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It has challenged both my thinking and approach and I will be sure to keep The Speakers’ Gym ‘fireworks’ readily available on my desk to refer to when not only presenting but also when needed through everyday management.
Liz Paradine – Chief Operations Manager - 7iM
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Transact first engaged with The Speaker Gym late in 2018 where Chris & Jonny made a concerted effort to get under the skin of our business and understand how they could best help us hone our presentational and empathetic skills. The resulting sessions were hugely helpful giving my team plenty of opportunity to practice and also benefit from a great deal of feedback, not just from Chris & Jonny but by including the rest of the Transact team in the feedback and group learning too. I would highly recommend The Speakers Gym
Glen Sweet, Head of Sales, Transact
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Working with The Speakers’ Gym has been fantastic. We knew what we wanted to say and who we wanted to speak to, so all we needed was technique. Or so we thought. Chris and Jonny helped us to understand the key elements of communication, through a structured process. We now think about communication in a completely different way. There’s a line they gave us that now resonates in my head, every time I write or talk to someone about what we do. We feel we’ve met two great guys and they’ve become an important part of us, our story and how we tell it to others.
Thomas Skinner, Founder, Barnaby Cecil Financial Planning
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The impact of The Speakers’ Gymâ„¢ at Mako can only be described as transformational. Over a three month period, they helped transition a group of individuals into a highly collaborative and consultative leadership team. Chris and Jonny have a unique ability to connect individuals with their true purpose, driving them towards self-reflection and ultimately growth. Overall the entire experience of working with them has been a pleasure and I am deeply grateful for their impact. They more than surpassed my expectations and I look forward to working with them again in the future!
Trystan Morgan-Schauer, CEO, Mako
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We engaged The Speakers’ Gym to provide us with clarity and direction in the look, feel and messaging of the Worldmaker brand in preparation for our official launch. From start to finish, the process has been truly collaborative. They worked with the expertise and experience in our team to create branding that truly represents who we are and what we represent, whilst moving us into a more modern, expressive space – which was our desire. We know that we’re in great hands with The Speakers’ Gym. We’ll certainly be continuing to work with them
Mollie Marti, CEO, Worldmaker International
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They first took the time to understand our brief and delivered the programme incorporating our culture and brand throughout. They were thought provoking and their unique techniques very well received.
Mairi Cameron, Learning Manager, Nucleus Financial
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The Speakers’ Gym gave me the skills and confidence to be my normal self whilst speaking and facilitating. They took the anxiety out of public speaking and gave me practical tools to prepare for and manage public engagements. They also helped me to engage more meaningfully with my clients, for which I am thankful. Highly recommend them.
Matthew Marais, Director, Vertus Capital
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I found the sessions to be a revelation, and I wish I had known some of the techniques sooner. It has completely changed my mindset and focused me in on the needs of the audience. With that, the ability to achieve those aspirations has come more naturally. There is always room for improvement, and I will definitely be revisiting The Speakers’ Gym for a refresher from time to time.
Kelly Devlin, Wealth Management Consultant - St. James’s Place Wealth Management
