What's My Approach?
Public speaking is an innately vulnerable activity. You're putting yourself in a position where you're exposed, and as a result our bodies find ways to protect ourselves. Each person has their own unique combination of things we do, some subtle, some less so: talking fast, closed body language, low volume, excessive filler words etc.
But here's the challenge. Though your body means well in protecting you from what it perceives to be a threat, what it actually does is inhibit us from achieving the one thing we really need to do: sound and act like a relatable human who cares about what they're saying.
I believe that effective public speaking starts with identifying and being aware of our inhibitors. By finding creative ways to break our protective patterns and move through those inhibitions, we can teach our body that there's no threat on the other side, allowing our natural selves to shine through. I don't believe in having a list of "correct" postures or speaking patterns, rather focussing on reducing inhibitors to allow other best practices to be introduced from a foundation of being free and natural.
When we work together you will spend most of your time speaking, usually with material you have already prepared, and receiving notes while we actively workshop solutions that work for you. We will define exactly who you're speaking to and the purpose of your message, allowing that to guide the end goal.
In all of my sessions, I aim to create an environment where people can feel free to take risks and are willing to leave their comfort zone in pursuit of growth and advancement in their speaking ability.
Who Am I?
My name is David Brooke, and I am the founder and sole coach for Speak Naturally. My interest in the skill of speaking began growing up in England, working as an actor.
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I trained with several different acting teachers and institutes both in the UK and after moving to New York City in 2017. These include HB Studios, UCB, Fiasco Theater, and with the late Dee Cannon, renowned acting coach and former Head of Acting at RADA. I became a member of Actors' Equity Association, and began to expand into theater directing and acting coaching.
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During this time, I began working for an organization that introduced me to public speaking as a larger concept. I spent several years with Elevate Education, an international company focused on providing live, engaging, interactive seminars to educational stakeholders at all levels. After presenting to over 150 institutions, I became Head of Recruitment and Training for their NYC branch. During this time, I was responsible for hiring and training more than 100 public speakers of all ages, including designing and running a monthly 2 day public speaking bootcamp.
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In having both of these experiences, I began to realize how they intersected. Put simply, both acting and public speaking are about behaving naturally in circumstances that may initially feel unnatural, even scary. The process of combining these passions has been a joyful one, and I'm excited to continue helping people become more confident and effective public speakers.
