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Master your Story
Master your Stage.
Executive coaching for entrepreneurs, founders, public speakers, and senior executives who have the substance - but need the room to get it.
I enable you to communicate with authority in meetings, board presentations, keynotes, TEDx talks, and career-defining conversations.
ᗢ In that non rushed session, you'll get a clear diagnosis of where the story breaks - not a pitch. Confidential by default. NDAs available.
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Master your Story
Master your Stage
Communication Coach ◆ Award-Winning Speech Writer ◆ Public Speaking TEDx Advisor.
With 20 years of corporate experience, there is a reason senior leaders at Vodafone, Microsoft, the BBC, and local Governments trust me to craft their story, sharpen delivery, and make it land when the stakes are highest.
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Master your Story
Master your Stage
Communication Coach ◆ Award-Winning Speech Writer ◆ Public Speaking TEDx Advisor.
With 20 years of corporate experience, there is a reason senior leaders at Vodafone, Microsoft, the BBC, and local Governments trust me to craft their story, sharpen delivery, and make it land when the stakes are highest.
Master your Story
Master your Stage
Communication Coach ◆ Award-Winning Speech Writer ◆
Public Speaking TEDx Advisor.
With 20 years of corporate experience, there is a reason senior leaders at Vodafone, Microsoft, the BBC, and local Governments trust me to craft their story, sharpen delivery, and make it land when the stakes are highest.
Founded by Richard Ford | Executive Coach and Consultant
Award-Winning Writer & Public Speaking TEDx Advisor
LEADERS FROM ORGANISATIONS INCLUDING
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senior executive - recognised for the value that i bring
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“I wasn’t short on expertise. I was short on how it landed in the room. Richard gave me an honest read of how I was being received, then we sharpened the board updates and the hard questions. I stopped deferring when things got difficult - and people started hearing the leader they already had.”
Andreas M · Financial Director, Microsoft
senior executive - recognised for the value I bring
“I wasn’t short on expertise. I was short on how it landed in the room. Richard gave me an honest read of how I was being received, then we sharpened the board updates and the hard questions. I stopped deferring when things got difficult - and people started hearing the leader they already had.”
Andreas M · Financial Director, Microsoft
founder Entreprenuer - built a story that sells itself
“Richard helped me turn the strategy behind my business into a clear story I can tell with confidence. Each session builds on the last, combining practical tools with expert guidance. I always leave with something concrete I can use. For any founder or entrepreneur who needs people to understand and believe in what they’re building"
Andreas M · Financial Director, Microsoft
keynote speaker - FROM COMPLEX IDEAS TO KEYNOTE READY
“The keynote was well beyond what I expected. With the speech and slides, Richard shaped the direction, tone and structure so clearly that I felt ready to move straight into rehearsal. The keynote went really well thanks to him"
Andreas M · Financial Director, Microsoft
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You have the substance.
Does the room ever get it?
my approach
Every leader I work with is about to be watched. A keynote. A board meeting.
An investor pitch. A camera.
What happens in that short space of time often shapes years of opportunity.
My job is to make sure they hold. Whether you're raising capital, shaping a story that needs selling, delivering a keynote, or briefing a board.
I help you craft and refine your words, your deck, and your delivery.
Three disciplines. Serving one goal. Win the room.
◆
how and why it works
Stage Intelligence Coaching.
Most coaching focuses on one thing. Speech writing. Presentation or presence. However clients, stakeholders and audiences don't. They see and want all three.
You need your words, delivery and deck to combine to gain trust, or not lose it.
That's Stage Intelligence Coaching treats all three disciples as a system.
Craft it. Deliver it. Land it.
01
Your words & story
Craft it.
Words that survive scrutiny
What we do. We find the narrative inside your expertise and write the argument so it holds under a hard question - not a generic script, not an AI draft that dies in sixty seconds.
Why it works. People remember structured stories far better than loose facts. If the narrative is weak, no amount of coaching saves it.
22×
Stories are up to 22× more memorable than facts alone in classic recall studies - which is why we build the arc before we polish the performance.
02
Your voice & Presence
Deliver it.
Presence that holds the room
What we do. Voice, pace, physical presence — rehearsed the way performers train. Real tools so people lean in when the room gets difficult, instead of switching off.
Why it works. Content is judged on how it’s delivered. Competence through composure, pacing, and command - not through slides.
90 seconds
In high-stakes rooms, first impressions form fast. Those ninety seconds often decide whether your expertise is credited - or diluted.
03
Your deck & the room
Land it.
Message that sticks after they leave
What we do. Slides that support the argument not carry it. Composure to read the room in real time so you win it - not a polite nod and a forgotten pitch.
Why it works. A deck that argues for you outlasts the room. If the slide can't stand alone, the message doesn't survive past the meeting.
£28.5bn
Poor communication costs businesses an estimated £28.5 billion a year. The failure is rarely “more content.”
01
Your words & story
Craft it.
Words that survive scrutiny
What we do. We find the narrative inside your expertise and write the argument so it holds under a hard question - not a generic script, not an AI draft that dies in sixty seconds.
Why it works. People remember structured stories far better than loose facts. If the narrative is weak, no amount of coaching saves it.
22×
Stories are up to 22× more memorable than facts alone in classic recall studies - which is why we build the arc before we polish the performance.
03
Your deck & the room
Land it.
Message that sticks after they leave
What we do. Slides that support the argument not carry it. Composure to read the room in real time so you win it - not a polite nod and a forgotten pitch.
Why it works. A deck that argues for you outlasts the room. If the slide can't stand alone, the message doesn't survive past the meeting.
£28.5bn
Poor communication costs businesses an estimated £28.5 billion a year. The failure is rarely “more content.”
* Illustrative research framing (narrative recall; UK communication cost studies). Every engagement is built on your material.
keynote speaker - FROM COMPLEX IDEAS TO KEYNOTE READY
“The keynote was well beyond what I expected. With the speech and slides, Richard shaped the direction, tone and structure so clearly that I felt ready to move straight into rehearsal. The keynote went really well thanks to him"
Andreas M · Financial Director, Microsoft
◆
who it works for
Which room are you?
Choose the engagement that matches your moment.
Let's craft it, deliver it and land it.
The Launch Room
For Founders & Entrepreneurs
We build the story investors, clients and your team will remember.
Your brand isn't just for the room. It's on your website, LinkedIn, decks and sales.
We build one story that earns confidence wherever it's told, seen or heard.
✓ Craft a clear founder story that stands up under scrutiny
✓ Align your pitch, website and LinkedIn around one narrative
✓ Rehearse investor questions until your answers feel effortless
✓ Leave with messaging you can use across every conversation
The Performance Room
For High-Stakes SPEECHES and TALKS
We ensure every word matters and your message and delivery become one.
Whether it's a keynote, conference talk or company presentation, we shape what you say, how you say it and how the room experiences it.
✓ Build or refine a speech with a clear narrative
✓ Coach delivery, pacing, presence and body language
✓ Create slides that strengthen your message, not distract from it
✓ Rehearse until you're ready for the room, not just the script
The Command Room
For Executives, SENIOR LEADERS and the c-Suite
Close the gap between expertise and how you’re heard.
The higher you lead, the more every meeting matters. All those moments that shape reputation all require a different level of preparation.
✓ Honest feedback on how you're currently may be perceived
✓ Strengthen communication with boards, and senior stakeholders
✓ Develop calm authority under pressure
✓ Ongoing coaching around the meetings that matter most
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how we work
Four steps. One room-ready outcome.
01
discovery
We map the moment
Everything starts with the room you're walking into.
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Who will be there?
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What's at stake?
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What happens if it goes well or badly?
Only then do we decide what needs building.
02
development
We shape the story
We build the massage until it's clear, persuasive and resilient under pressure.
Whether it's an sales story, investor pitch, keynote or board presentation.
We ensure every point earns its place.
03
dynamics
We rehearse the room
Now we pressure test it.
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Voice, pace, physical presence
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Questions and pushbacks
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Timing and composure
No surprises and 100% confidence in delivery.
04
delivery
You land the result
You walk in with a great story, greater delivery, and flowing supporting slides. Along with the composure to hold it all together.
Crafted, delivered and landed for you.
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◆
THE case study
From Fear to TEDx Stage.
Lucy was invisible in her retail organisation. She help rebuilt a failing £50M division, pivoted the strategy, held the team, and landed contracts nobody thought possible.
In front of the board, they didn't see that. They saw a nervous executive reading slides - not the leader who'd done the work.
The Discovery
Lucy didn't have a confidence problem. She had a story problem. The turnaround was real - she wasn't telling it as one.
In the boardroom they saw slides and nerves, not the leader who had already done the work.
We worked through Stage Intelligence Coaching in sequence. We found the narrative inside her results. Voice, pace, and physical presence, rehearsed the way performers rehearse.
Finally reading the room in real time, holding composure when a question comes in sideways, and staying in command when the plan changes.
The Transformation
We worked through Stage Intelligence Coaching in sequence. We found the narrative inside her results. Voice, pace, and physical presence, rehearsed the way performers rehearse.
Finally reading the room in real time, holding composure when a question comes in sideways, and staying in command when the plan changes.
The Results
Eighteen months later, she got the promotion she'd already earned. The work never changed. What changed was whether the room seeing it.
✓ Managing the sector she's drove.
✓ Invited to present and deliver
✓ Eventually telling her story as she's stood
on a TEDx stage to over 2,000 people.
"Richard didn't just give me tools. He helped me see the story underneath my own results, and gave me the confidence to own it in the room.
Listening really helped, and trying this out in a safe environment meant I went from feeling scattered to speaking with authority."
about richard
Twenty years in the room.
Both sides of it.
I've spent my career inside the rooms I now coach people to walk into. I started at Autotrader, then led operations at Cable & Wireless selling to Vodafone. I went on to drive supplier investment at Vodafone and Syngenta, and to lead communications at JD Sports. Finally founding Life is a Speech - A executive consulting and coaching practice built on everything that career taught me.
But I didn't start out able to hold a room. I started out terrified of one - over-rehearsed, anxious, and certain I'd be found out. So I went and learned the thing nobody teaches executives. I trained as a performer.
Drama. Stand-up. Scriptwriting. Improv. Rooms with no slide deck to hide behind, where if you don't hold attention you know immediately- out loud, in real time. That's where I learned what commanding a room actually means, rather than just being technically right in it.
The combination is Stage Intelligence Coaching and what every engagement is built on.
◆
The foundations
Boardroom. Stage. Coaching room.
Corporate
Built in the Boardroom
◆ Head of Supplier & Comms
JD Sports Fashion plc
◆ Senior Global Strategist
Syngenta Group
◆ Director of Communications
Positive Start Ltd
◆ Global Supplier Manager
Vodafone
◆ Green Belt Lean Six Sigma
100% Effective Ltd
Creative
Shaped on Stage
◆ BA Degree in Communication
Lancaster University
◆ BA Degree in Drama
Lancaster University
◆ Improvisation Training
Improv North & ImprovQuo
◆ Stand-up comedy
Performed clubs across the UK
◆ Award-winning writer
BCG Pro, Screen to Seen
coaching
Proven in Practice
◆ ILM Level 7 Coaching
Institute of Leadership
◆ CPD Accredited Coach
CPD
◆ Coaching consultant
Baldur Talking Therapies
◆ Founder
Life is a Speech Ltd
◆ Training & Development Coach
Unity Leadership Solutions
for organisations
Equip your leadership team to communicate at the level the moment demands.
Bespoke workshops, keynotes and facilitation for organisations investing in the communication capability of their senior leaders.
Keynote Speaking Coaching
High-impact keynotes on executive communication, presence, and leading through high-stakes moments. Delivered for boards, conferences & leadership worldwide.
BEST FOR
◆ Annual leadership conferences
◆ Board retreats
◆ Industry summit feedback
Leadership Team Workshops
Half-day or full-day intensives for senior leadership teams.
Live practice, real materials, immediate application. Bespoke to your organisation's challenges.
BEST FOR
◆ C-suite teams
◆ Board directors
◆ Senior partner groups
Facilitation &
Advisory
Strategic facilitation for senior offsites, board meetings, town halls and transformation moments. I help your leaders communicate when the stakes are highest.
BEST FOR
◆ Town halls and AGMs
◆ M&A and change comms
◆ Crisis communications
Trusted by Microsoft, NHS, BBC, JDRF, Vodafone and more.
THe evidence
Two independent studies. One consistent finding.
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Poor communication costs UK businesses £28.5 billion a year.
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Almost none of it is a content problem.
Inefficient communication costs UK businesses an average of £7,675 per employee every year - more than a third of the average UK office worker's salary.
The failure is almost never the argument. It's the ninety seconds before anyone hears it.
Sources: Mitel/Vanson Bourne UK workplace productivity study; ACAS
MY testImOnIals
Trusted by people who can't afford to be forgettable.
1700+
coached
680+
testominals
40+
countries
“I'm so glad I hired Richard for my Executive Coaching.”
Dr. Sandra Handlbauer-Zrust
CEO and Founder at Aspirant
My Berlin keynote on menopause was built on years of clinical practice, research and lived experience. Richard helped me find the sharpest, most human way to say what I already knew.
He understood, then helped me strip away everything that stood me and the audience. The keynote landed.
If you want to actually move people, work with Richard.
“Promoted & recognised in just a couple of months."
Andreas M
Financial Director at Microsoft
Richard has completely changed the way I speak and approach things now.
From the moment we started working together, he made me feel at ease, and gave the tools to command the room.
I've been promoted and feel a large chunk of this is down to Richard.
Now, I can tackle more than spreadsheets!
"His impact is always nothing short of incredible."
Sharon Underwood
Presenter and Entrepreneur
Not just great, fantastic! Richard was absolutely amazing in crafting our stories. He really got an understanding of what our vibe was.
His delivery helped the nerves and the speech was insightful a great balance of serious, fun, love and engaging.
We can not recommend Richard enough, and recommend him for speeches.
01
The boardroom feels different
Every word is scrutinised. Every pause is read. The communication skills that got you here aren't the ones that move the room now.
02
Your message gets diluted
You have the strategy. You have the data. But somehow it lands flat, your audience drifts, and the moment slips past.
03
The stakes keep rising
Investor pitches. Board updates. Town halls. Media interviews. The cost of getting it wrong has never been higher.
FAQ
Questions leaders ask first.
◆ How much does this cost? It depends on the shape of the engagement - a single keynote, a founder story, or ongoing coaching are three different scopes. We agree the exact fee in the first consultation. The 30-minute consultation itself is £95 | $125 USD.
FAQ
Questions leaders ask first
◆ How much does this cost?
It depends on the shape of the engagement - a single keynote, a founder story, or ongoing coaching are three different scopes. We agree the exact fee in the first consultation.
◆ Do you write the material, or just coach the delivery?
Both, as one job. Most people come to me because the story isn't landing, not just the delivery -
so I build the narrative and coach the performance together, not separately.
◆ How long does an engagement take?
A single keynote or founder story is usually shaped over a few weeks. Ongoing executive coaching runs to your calendar of moments, not a fixed end date. We agree the timeline on the first call.
◆ Can you work with something I've already written?
Yes. Plenty of people come with a draft, a deck, or a speech that isn't landing - rebuilding from
what you have is often faster than starting from nothing.
Every engagement starts with a conversation.
founder & ENTREPRENEUR - built A story that sells itself
“Richard helped me turn the strategy behind my business into a clear story I can tell with confidence. Each session builds on the last, combining practical tools with expert guidance. I always leave with something concrete I can use. For any founder or entrepreneur who needs people to understand and believe in what they’re building, I’d recommend him.”
Andreas M · Financial Director, Microsoft
ready to begin?
Your next high-stakes
moment deserves more than
the words you've used before.
Every engagement starts with a 30-minute consultation - £95 | $125 USD.
No pitch, no pressure. A clear conversation about how you'll get results.
Confidential by default. NDA's available.
Have any questions? Reach Richard directly.