S O, W H A T ' S M Y S T O R Y?
I love helping innovators and visionaries to speak with power and ease so they can change the rooms or zooms they are in without self-doubt or losing precious sleep.
Through one-on-one coaching and customized corporate workshops, I help these game-changers experience public speaking as an adventure with exciting risks, discoveries, and massive rewards rather than as a horror movie with terror, hiding, and dread.
I have coached a wide variety of individuals who are making waves in their industries - scientists, entrepreneurs, executives, activists, doctors, chefs, lawyers, artists, a top dog trainer, and also a mountaineer who completed the Explorer’s Grand Slam (think Everest, the Poles, and more!)
A number of my clients have appeared on The Today Show, Dr. Oz, and a few can be seen regularly on Cook's Country/America's Test Kitchen.
I wrote Your Guide to Public Speaking - Build Your Confidence, Find Your Voice, Inspire Your Audience so I could share all I've learned so far as a coach and performer. You can grab a copy where books are sold - including Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
I'm also the founder of San Diego Public Speaking. I love coaching and leading workshops on both coasts.
Leap Media Training is my newest happy venture. Alexandra Sullivan (of Boston's top PR firm 44 Communications and I) created Leap to help professionals successfully speak to the press.
In my Building Confidence Podcast, I interview guests from a variety of backgrounds and dig deep into this juicy topic of empowerment. We delve into what confidence actually is, how we can develop it, and how we can regain it after a setback or traumatic events.
I H A V E A B A C K G R O U N D I N P E R F O R M A N C E
My background in acting, writing, and teaching acting informs all that I do - from facing stage fright, creating scripts, working on camera - to getting ready to fully engage an audience!
I'm a co-founder and teacher at Boston Acting Classes, got my MFA in Acting at the Actors Studio Drama School, and I’ve acted in numerous films, plays, and commercials.
My very talented husband, Art, and I run Boston Acting Classes together and have a blast. I've also taught acting at the Film/TV Department at Boston University's College of Communication, New York Film Academy, and The Huntington Theatre Company.
I'm a proud member of the Boston Chamber of Commerce. I also love to donate my time to organizations that empower women and children.
P.S. For the scoop on how I got started as a public speaking coach, what a typical day looks like in my fun (and sometimes crazy!) career, and what it took for me to finally decide to be my own boss - CLICK HERE!
B E L L R O C K
S E D O N A , A R I Z O N A
Y E S ! I was very shy as a child. Avoiding drawing attention to myself, I lost myself in my books and art projects. Gradually, I became more extroverted and began to enjoy performing. I loved the experience of making others laugh, the rush of performance and I found the craft of acting fascinating.
However, while in grad school for acting, I started struggling with performance anxiety. I kept thinking that if I received more and more acting training, my confidence would go up and my nerves would calm down. Alas...
Post grad school, I was performing in plays, commercials and films. During the run of one particular new play, things became very uncomfortable for me. At first glance, everything was great! The show opened - I had a comedic part that was a fantastic fit for me, wonderful audience response and terrific reviews.
However, every day before the show, I was overcome with stomach pain. Taking antacids didn't ease my distress. I decided that I must have ongoing food poisoning. Yet, my husband was eating the exact same things as me and was perfectly well. Hmmm..
After suffering in agony for much of the run of the play, I finally had to admit to myself, that despite the fact that I had years of training and performing under my belt, I had STAGE FRIGHT.
W H A T ?!?
This terrible feeling of butterflies punching me in the stomach was robbing me of my joy.
I also realized that the process of managing performance anxiety was its own skill set, separate from the acting training I had received.
Determined to face this STRESS head-on, I read all I could and experimented with various strategies, many of which were immensely helpful.
I am excited to share what I have learned with you, so you won't hate butterflies and will not allow fear to limit you.
H A V E I E V E R S T R U G G L E D
W I T H NERVES?