“I knew the numbers inside out. Richard helped me make sure people could see the leadership behind them.”
Jessica T.Director of Sales Operations
Stage Intelligence Coaching
Master your Story.
Lead with Impact.
I coach leaders, founders, experts and teams for the moments that decide things.
Take the free Read Request a Room Review4.9/5 from 710+ client reviews
Where my coaching clients work
The experience behind the approach
I know the room.
I know the stage.
I know what lands.
A career in business. A habit of getting on stage. Coaching that brings the two together.
A little more about RichardWho I help
Different roles. Similar challenges.
I got it wrong in all six. Find the one that sounds like you, and tap to see what turned it round.
Senior Leaders and Executives“The board wants a decision, not a tour of the detail.”Tap to see how I got it wrongWhere I’ve stood
BeforeEveryone nodded along to my presentation. But nothing actually happened afterwards.
AfterI stopped presenting information and started giving people a reason to make a decision.
The problemYou know your stuff, but in the boardroom the message gets long, the room drifts, and then the question you didn’t plan for lands.
The solutionYou get to the point first, keep the room with you, and answer hard questions calmly without bluffing.
See how I help leaders
Experts and Thought Leaders“You know it inside out. The room is still catching up.”Tap to see how I got it wrongWhere I’ve stood
BeforeI knew my subject inside out. Unfortunately, nobody else seemed to understand why it mattered.
AfterI stopped explaining everything I knew and focused on what people actually needed to understand.
The problemYou know the subject inside out, but people outside your field nod politely and then don’t act on it.
The solutionYou explain it in plain terms, and people leave understanding it and knowing what to do next.
See how I help experts
Speakers, Keynotes and TEDx“You have the slot. Now you need the talk people repeat.”Tap to see how I got it wrongWhere I’ve stood
BeforePlenty of applause, laughter and compliments. Not a single new client.
AfterI stopped trying to impress the audience and started making them see why they needed me.
The problemThe idea is good, but the talk is a list of points and nothing in it makes people remember it.
The solutionOne clear story with a strong opening and ending, delivered in a way that sounds like you.
See how I help speakers
Neurodivergent and ADHD Professionals“The answer is there. The words arrive late.”Tap to see how I got it wrongWhere I’ve stood
BeforeI knew exactly what I wanted to say. Naturally, the perfect answer arrived twenty minutes later.
AfterI found a way to organise my thoughts without having to script every conversation.
The problemAdvice like “memorise it” or “just use notes” that fights the way your mind works.
The solutionA way of preparing that suits how you think, so you sound sharp and natural on the day.
See flexible coaching
Founders and Entrepreneurs“Investors like the pitch. They still have not said yes.”Tap to see how I got it wrongWhere I’ve stood
BeforeInvestors liked my idea, but every meeting ended with “We’ll be in touch.”
AfterI stopped selling the product and started showing them why the problem mattered.
The problemInvestors nod along, then pass because they haven’t felt why this has to exist.
The solutionA pitch with a clear story, a clear ask and the confidence to handle the tough questions.
See how I help founders
Teams and Organisations“Five presenters. Five versions of the message.”Tap to see how I got it wrongWhere I’ve stood
BeforeFive people from the same company. Five completely different explanations of what we did.
AfterWe found a shared message everyone understood, without making them sound like robots.
The problemClever people who know their subject but each present it differently, and the message gets lost.
The solutionA practical workshop where your people practise on real material and get honest feedback they can use.
Plan a team workshop
Does this sound familiar?
You have the substance. Does the room get it?
You know your subject. The challenge is helping others understand it, follow your thinking and act on it.
01My ideas aren't landingI know what I mean. I need other people to get it too.
- You explain it a third way, and still get blank looks or the wrong follow-up question.
- That’s because the idea is complete in your head, but your listener is coming in cold and is missing the first step.
- I start from what the listener needs to understand or decide, then build the shortest route to it.
02My nerves take overIt matters, so it shows.
- Your voice speeds up, your mind goes quiet and the lines you prepared vanish.
- That’s not weakness. Nerves are energy with nowhere to go.
- I give it somewhere to go. We practise in conditions close to the real thing, so the day itself feels familiar.
03I'm put on the spotQuestions, meetings and difficult conversations move fast.
- The best answer arrives in the car park, not in the meeting.
- Pressure narrows your thinking, so you over-explain or go vague.
- I build you a few reliable answer shapes and we rehearse them out loud, so the structure is there when you need it.
04I know it too well to explain it simplyThe detail is all there. The point gets buried.
- You cut one section and three more feel essential.
- Experts explain in the order they learned it, not the order the listener needs it.
- I find the one sentence the whole talk hangs from, then we decide what earns a place beneath it.
05I lose people halfway throughThe opening is fine. Then the room drifts.
- The opening is fine. Then phones come out, eyes drop and someone checks the time.
- Attention drops when people can’t tell what matters or how far there is to go.
- I plan the shape, the pace and the pauses, so people always know where they are.
06People nod, then nothing changesThey liked it. Nobody acted on it.
- They liked it. Nobody acted on it, because everyone left with their own version.
- Understanding isn’t agreement. Action needs a specific ask.
- I work backwards from the change you need, then build the message to deliver it.
07The stakes are higherBoardrooms, pitches and presentations need to land.
- You get one go, and the room has already decided how much time you have.
- People read your confidence as evidence for the content.
- I lead with the decision or the ask, back it with two or three proof points, and make your opening and close automatic.
08I'm ready for what's nextMore influence, more confidence and bigger opportunities.
- The way you talk about your work hasn’t caught up with the work.
- Bigger rooms reward a clear point of view over detail.
- I shape the story of where you’re heading, and we practise it where it counts.
Whoever you are, the work follows the same three moves. See how it works
How I coach
I don't just ask questions. I work it out with you.
I've had coaches. I've had mentors. Most of them did the same thing. They asked a thoughtful question, then waited. I spent a year with a mentor and left every session with more questions than answers.
If I'd known the answer, I'd have done it sooner.
It's like being lost and asking the sat nav the way, and it says, "Where do you think you should turn?" The question isn't wrong. It just isn't help.
So I built the kind of coaching I'd wanted: someone who sits beside you, says what they see, and works it out with you.
Question-led coaching
Working with me
"What do you think you should do?"
"Here's what I'd do. Let's try it."
You find the answer alone
We find it together
Insight, then you work out the rest
A tested change you can use tomorrow
Use AI for the first draft. It can't hear you hesitate or read the room. That part is me.
Stage Intelligence Coaching
Four stages. One situation at a time.
- 01Discovery
We find what the room needs from you, and where your message loses people.
- 02Development
We build the message: one point, the proof and the order to say it in.
- 03Dynamics
We rehearse out loud: voice, pace and the hard questions.
- 04Delivery
You take it into the real room. Then we review what happened.
“Richard over delivered with the quality of the talk, and slides. Learning the power of the pause was great. The keynote went well, and I look to work with him on future projects.”
Terry KChief Strategy Officer, BDACS
Meet Richard
I’ve sat where you’re sitting.
You know the feeling: walking into a room with the numbers, the plan and the pressure to get people on board. I’ve been there.
I’ve spent 25+ years in business, including Vodafone, Syngenta and JD Sports. And years on stage in improv and comedy, including the Edinburgh Fringe, where you learn fast when something isn’t landing. Today I bring the two together.
A little more about Richard
In the room
Every room is different.The work is making yours listen.
Reviews and testimonials from clients across Google, LinkedIn, Fiverr, Upwork and direct work. Read client reviews
- 1,730+professionals coached
- 40+countries worked in
- 25+years in business and on stage
- £95to start, credited against coaching
Case study
Showing leadership, not just reporting it.
How a strong operational leader worked on communicating the thinking, decisions and leadership behind the results.
Jessica had made £50M in savings and had a strong track record. She understood her performance data inside out. The challenge was making sure the people listening could see the leadership behind the numbers.
Frequently asked questions
Before you ask.
A few things you might want to know before we get started.
You can, and I’d encourage it for drafts. What it can’t do is watch you speak, notice what you don’t, and make you braver on the day.
Many coaches ask good questions and leave you to find the answer. I work it out with you. You get someone who has presented to boards, written comedy and taken the TEDx stage, watching you do the real thing and telling you the one change that matters most.
A working session. We spend the time on your communication challenge. There is no obligation to continue, and if you do want more coaching we can talk about it at the end.
The Room Review is £95 for 40 minutes. Longer coaching programmes are tailored to your requirements and quoted after we’ve discussed what you need.
Founders, senior leaders, professionals, keynote speakers, experts and organisations. Some clients are preparing for a particular event. Others want to become more effective in the conversations and presentations they handle every day.
It’s a focused, 40-minute working session on one real communication challenge. Bring your pitch, presentation, keynote or difficult conversation. We’ll identify what’s working, what needs attention and the most useful next steps.
We’ll work around how you think, prepare and communicate best. That might mean shorter activities, different rehearsal approaches, visual structures, written takeaways or other adjustments agreed together.
Yes. We can work on the structure, wording, stories and argument behind your presentation, as well as how you deliver it. I can also help you assess whether your slides support the message rather than compete with it.
You pick a time that suits you and pay when you book. I confirm it within 24 hours, or you get a full refund. The Room Review is held online, on Zoom.
Think about one challenge: a pitch, presentation, meeting, keynote or difficult conversation. Share a short description of the situation and what you want to be different. It doesn't need to be polished.
You receive your agreed written feedback and next steps, with a clear recommendation for what to focus on next, whether on your own or through further coaching.
The £95 fee comes off any coaching you go on to book. There is no obligation, and I'll recommend what would help most.
What you share is used to prepare for and deliver your session. A recording is made only with your consent. How personal information is handled is set out in the privacy policy.
Yes. Workshops are shaped around your group, your goal and your date, and quoted after a short chat. You can request a tailored proposal.
Your next step
Three ways to begin.
Pick the option that works for you.
Free
The Stage Intelligence Read
Ten questions about your Story, Presence and Impact. In four minutes you see where your communication is strong, where it loses people and what to work on first. No email needed to see your results.
Take the free ReadThe Room Review
Forty minutes on the communication challenge you are facing right now. You bring the situation. We get to work.
£9540 minutes · one to one by video call
What happens next
- 01Bring one priority
A presentation, pitch, meeting, keynote or difficult conversation.
- 02Work on the real thing
We identify what works and where your communication loses impact.
- 03Leave with direction
Practical feedback, tailored exercises and a clear next step.
Request a time. I confirm the session within 24 hours, then we meet by video call. You get written feedback and a recording, with your consent. The fee counts towards further coaching.
Optional extras: a written action plan, a review of your recording, or a follow-up check-in. Ask me and I will quote.
Download a sample report- 01
Bespoke
Coaching programmes
Tailored coaching for the communication that matters most to you, whether that is a keynote, a pitch, board presence or finding your own way to speak. Programmes start from three sessions and are shaped around your goals, with practical exercises and support as you go.
Explore coaching
Developing a team or organisation? Workshops are shaped around your people and quoted to your brief. Request a tailored proposal →
Get in touch
Tell me about your next room.
No polished brief needed. I aim to reply within 24 hours.
Email: richard@lifeisaspeech.com
Richard Ford - Executive Communication Coaching
Master your Story.Lead with Impact.
I coach leaders, founders, experts and teams for the moments that decide things: the board paper, the pitch, the hard conversation, the question you did not see coming.
- 4.9/5 from 710+ client reviews
- 25+ years in boardrooms and on stages
- Fortune 500 & global leadership clients
Where my coaching clients work
Who I help
Different roles.Similar challenges.
I got it wrong in all six. Find the one that sounds like you, and see what turned it round.
I'm looking for coaching as…
Senior Leaders
and Executives
“The board wants a decision, not a tour of the detail.”
Board papers, hard questions, getting people behind a change.
Where I’ve stood
BeforeEveryone nodded along to my presentation. But nothing actually happened afterwards.
AfterI stopped presenting information and started giving people a reason to make a decision.
The challenge
- Updates where the numbers are sound but the message does not land, and hard questions where you cannot afford to sound vague.
How I help
- You bring a real board, investor or all-hands update. We work on it one to one on Zoom.
- We cut it to the one point or decision the room needs, with the proof behind it.
- We rehearse the hard questions out loud and work on your voice, pace and pauses, so you still sound like you.
Experts and
Thought Leaders
“You know it inside out. The room is still catching up.”
Making technical work clear to people outside your field.
Where I’ve stood
BeforeI knew my subject inside out. Unfortunately, nobody else seemed to understand why it mattered.
AfterI stopped explaining everything I knew and focused on what people actually needed to understand.
The challenge
- Technical knowledge that makes sense to you but loses people outside your field, with too much detail and no clear take-away.
How I help
- You bring a real talk, meeting or stakeholder conversation. We work on it one to one.
- We turn specialist content into a plain structure (one point, the proof, why it matters) and swap jargon for examples your audience already knows.
- We practise the short version first, so you only go deeper when you are asked.
Speakers, Keynotes
and TEDx
“You have the slot. Now you need the talk people repeat.”
One idea, a strong opening, an ending that lands.
Where I’ve stood
BeforePlenty of applause, laughter and compliments. Not a single new client.
AfterI stopped trying to impress the audience and started making them see why they needed me.
The challenge
- A keynote, pitch or TEDx date in the diary and a talk that informs but does not stick.
How I help
- You bring your keynote, pitch or TEDx talk, and we work on it one to one from the first idea to the day.
- We find the one idea worth building the talk around, then shape the story and the script.
- We rehearse in recorded sessions, so you see and hear what the room will, and plan your opening, pace and pauses for your real slot.
Neurodivergent and
ADHD Professionals
“The answer is there. The words arrive late.”
Preparing in a way that suits how you think. No diagnosis needed.
Where I’ve stood
BeforeI knew exactly what I wanted to say. Naturally, the perfect answer arrived twenty minutes later.
AfterI found a way to organise my thoughts without having to script every conversation.
The challenge
- Standard presentation advice that does not fit how your attention and memory work, and preparation that falls apart on the day.
How I help
- Sessions are shaped around how you work, with flexible lengths and recordings you can review in your own time.
- You build a simple one-page structure with cues instead of a full script.
- We practise the methods that work for you, then keep what holds up under pressure.
Founders and
Entrepreneurs
“Investors like the pitch. They still have not said yes.”
The pitch, the questions after it, the story your team repeats.
Where I’ve stood
BeforeInvestors liked my idea, but every meeting ended with “We’ll be in touch.”
AfterI stopped selling the product and started showing them why the problem mattered.
The challenge
- Pitches with too much detail and not enough story, and investor questions that knock you off course.
How I help
- You bring your pitch and the investor conversations that worry you. We work on them one to one.
- We cut the pitch back to what the room needs to hear, so the story leads and the numbers back it up.
- We rehearse the ask and the tough questions out loud, and tighten your timing with recorded run-throughs.
Teams and
Organisations
“Five presenters. Five versions of the message.”
Workshops and away days that leave a team telling one story.
The challenge
- Away days that feel like a day out of the office, with little that changes on Monday.
How I help
- Your team gets a workshop, away day or facilitated session designed around the outcome you need.
- Each session is built around that outcome, with exercises that get everyone speaking, quieter voices included.
- We finish with clear next steps and owners, so the day carries into the week.
Boardrooms and
Town Halls
Town halls, board updates and the conversations that decide things.
Where I’ve stood
BeforeFive people from the same company. Five completely different explanations of what we did.
AfterWe found a shared message everyone understood, without making them sound like robots.
The challenge
- A leadership team that agrees in private but sends different messages in public.
How I help
- I work with your leadership team to agree the one message people need to hear.
- I coach you through the real update, rehearsed out loud with honest feedback.
- I leave the team with a shared way to give each other useful notes.
Teams that Pitch
and Present
Sales, client and internal presentations that need to be clear and short.
Where I’ve stood
BeforeFive people from the same company. Five completely different explanations of what we did.
AfterWe found a shared message everyone understood, without making them sound like robots.
The challenge
- Presentations that try to say everything and land nothing.
How I help
- I coach your team on the real sales, client and internal presentations they give.
- We start from the decision or action you want from the audience.
- We cut to what they need, rehearse it, and practise the questions that always come.
Does this sound familiar?
You have the substance.Does the room get it?
You know your subject. The challenge is helping others understand it, follow your thinking and act on it.
01My ideas aren't landingI know what I mean. I need other people to get it too.
- You explain it a third way, and still get blank looks or the wrong follow-up question.
- That’s because the idea is complete in your head, but your listener is coming in cold and is missing the first step.
- I start from what the listener needs to understand or decide, then build the shortest route to it.
02My nerves take overIt matters, so it shows.
- Your voice speeds up, your mind goes quiet and the lines you prepared vanish.
- That’s not weakness. Nerves are energy with nowhere to go.
- I give it somewhere to go. We practise in conditions close to the real thing, so the day itself feels familiar.
03I'm put on the spotQuestions, meetings and difficult conversations move fast.
- The best answer arrives in the car park, not in the meeting.
- Pressure narrows your thinking, so you over-explain or go vague.
- I build you a few reliable answer shapes and we rehearse them out loud, so the structure is there when you need it.
04I know it too well to explain it simplyThe detail is all there. The point gets buried.
- You cut one section and three more feel essential.
- Experts explain in the order they learned it, not the order the listener needs it.
- I find the one sentence the whole talk hangs from, then we decide what earns a place beneath it.
05I lose people halfway throughThe opening is fine. Then the room drifts.
- The opening is fine. Then phones come out, eyes drop and someone checks the time.
- Attention drops when people can’t tell what matters or how far there is to go.
- I plan the shape, the pace and the pauses, so people always know where they are.
06People nod, then nothing changesThey liked it. Nobody acted on it.
- They liked it. Nobody acted on it, because everyone left with their own version.
- Understanding isn’t agreement. Action needs a specific ask.
- I work backwards from the change you need, then build the message to deliver it.
07The stakes are higherBoardrooms, pitches and presentations need to land.
- You get one go, and the room has already decided how much time you have.
- People read your confidence as evidence for the content.
- I lead with the decision or the ask, back it with two or three proof points, and make your opening and close automatic.
08I'm ready for what's nextMore influence, more confidence and bigger opportunities.
- The way you talk about your work hasn’t caught up with the work.
- Bigger rooms reward a clear point of view over detail.
- I shape the story of where you’re heading, and we practise it where it counts.
Whoever you are, the work follows the same three moves.See how it works
How I coach
I don't just ask questions. I work it out with you.
I've had coaches. I've had mentors. Most of them did the same thing. They asked a thoughtful question, then waited. I spent a year with a mentor and left every session with more questions than answers.
If I'd known the answer, I'd have done it sooner.
It's like being lost and asking the sat nav the way, and it says, "Where do you think you should turn?" The question isn't wrong. It just isn't help.
So I built the kind of coaching I'd wanted: someone who sits beside you, says what they see, and works it out with you.
Question-led coaching
Working with me
"What do you think you should do?"
"Here's what I'd do. Let's try it."
You find the answer alone
We find it together
Insight, then you work out the rest
A tested change you can use tomorrow
Use AI for the first draft. It can't hear you hesitate or read the room. That part is me.
Stage Intelligence Coaching
Four stages. One situation at a time.
- 01Discovery
We find what the room needs from you, and where your message loses people.
- 02Development
We build the message: one point, the proof and the order to say it in.
- 03Dynamics
We rehearse out loud: voice, pace and the hard questions.
- 04Delivery
You take it into the real room. Then we review what happened.
Richard was compelling from the start. He crafted a passionate and personalised founder pitch deck, making our complex information accessible and driving productive discussions among our investors to secure our funding.
Michael MChief Operating Officer, scale-up
I am not usually one to write testimonials but I was blown away by Richard. Also the way he coached me with some tips and techniques that nobody had told me in my 15 year career! Fantastic!
Agathe BHR Director, Carthaginian
Richard over delivered with the quality of the talk, and slides. Learning the power of the pause was great. The keynote went well, and I look to work with him on future projects.
Terry KChief Strategy Officer, BDACS
Meet Richard
Executive Communication CoachI've sat where you're sitting.
You know the feeling: walking into a room with the numbers, the plan and the pressure to get people on board. I’ve been there.
I’ve spent 25+ years in business, including Vodafone, Syngenta and JD Sports. And years on stage in improv and comedy, including the Edinburgh Fringe, where you learn fast when something isn’t landing. Today I bring the two together.
A little more about RichardNow see what that looks like in a real room.See it in the room
In the room
Every room is different.The work is making yours listen.
Reviews and testimonials from clients across Google, LinkedIn, Fiverr, Upwork and direct work. Read client reviews
1,730+professionals coached
40+countries worked in
25+years in business and on stage
£95to start, credited against coaching
Your next step
Three ways to begin.
The Stage
Intelligence Read
Ten questions that show where your Story, Presence and Impact stand, and what to work on first.
Take the free ReadThe Room
Review
40 minutes by video call on one real situation. You leave with written feedback and a recording, with your consent. The £95 counts towards coaching.
Request a Room ReviewPersonalised
coaching
Focused sessions to build your message, confidence and influence. Priced once we know what you need, with your Room Review fee taken off.
Explore coachingOptional extras after your review: a written action plan, a review of your recording, or a follow-up check-in. Ask me and I will quote.