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.
RICHARD FORD
Executive Coach & Public
Speaking Consultant
Speak with Substance. Lead with Stature
Master your Story
Master your Stage.
Executive communication and public
speaking coaching.
I help founders, entrepreneurs, and leaders turn what they know into a
clear message, a confident delivery and a stronger presence in the room.
Not ready to book? Take the free 4-minute Stage Intelligence Read →
RICHARD FORD
Executive Coach & Public Speaking Consultant
RICHARD FORD
Executive Coach & Public Speaking Consultant
RICHARD FORD
Executive Coach & Public Speaking Consultant
TRUSTED BY LEADERS FROM
Master your Story
Master your Stage.
Executive coaching for entrepreneurs, founders, public speakers, and senior execs who have the substance -
but need the room to get it.
Using Stage Intelligence Coaching, I enable you
to communicate with authority in meetings. presentations, keynotes, TEDx talks, and
career-defining conversations.
RICHARD FORD
Executive Coach &
Public Speaking Consultant
ADHD certified
executive coach
Twenty years
FTSE leadership
TEDx trainer
worldwide consulting
Award winning
Speech and script writer
TRUSTED BY LEADERS FROM
Keynote preparation
Richard over delivered with the quality of the speech
and slides. Learning the power of pause was great too.
The keynote session went well. And I look forward to working with him on future projects”
Terry K.
Chief Strategy Officer, BDACS
You have the substance.
Does the room ever get it?
senior executive - greater IMPACT, GREATER RECOGNITION
“Richard over delivered with the quality of the speech and the way he worked with the slides. Learning the power of the pause was great. The keynote session went well.
And I look forward to working
with him on future projects”
Terry K ◆ Chief Strategy Officer, BDACS
real people. lasting impact
━ ◆ ━
Founder & entrepreneur - Richard turns strategy into a story.
"My experience with Richard was amazing. He heard me, he had me catching my breath as I read my own thoughts. I highly recommend Richard for your writing and presentation project. I’ll be using him again and again and again."
Altreisha F ◆ Author and Founder, Cake Therapy Foundation
real people. lasting impact
TRUSTED BY LEADERS FROM
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how and why it works
Make sure
it does.
Working with me means finding the message, shaping the material and practising how you deliver it.
I bring together business experience, performance craft and communication consultation. That combination shapes how I coach: an understanding of what’s at stake, and what practical tools and techniques to help you improve.
We start with what you need people to understand, feel or do. Then we work on what will help you get there: shaping the story, simplifying the slides or seeking strategy on next steps. The aim is to make your communication clearer and more confident, while keeping it authentically you.
Through our conversations and coaching, we’ll agree what to focus on, how we’ll work together and what it will cost. I’ll be honest about where I can help, so you know what you’re committing to and what we’re working towards.
- my approach -
Every leader I work with is about to be watched. A keynote. A board meeting. An investor pitch. A camera.
And you’re probably here because you need to:
-
Get people to buy into an idea
-
Deliver an idea clearly and confidently
-
Lead and influence people around an idea
My job is to make sure those things happen.
Whether you’re winning clients, shaping a story that needs selling, delivering a keynote or briefing a board, we work on the message, the delivery and the way you show up.
Three disciplines. One goal.
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.
how and why it works
Stage Intelligence Coaching.
Winning the room isn’t one skill. It’s knowing what to say, how to say it, and how to make it land with the people in front of you.
That’s Stage Intelligence. We build all three together.
01 Your words &
story
Craft it.
Make the message clear, concise and compelling.
Strong narrative
Presence holds
Ready for challenge
02 Your voice & PRESENCE
Deliver it.
Make the way you
say it match what
you mean.
Voice, pace, body
Physical presence
Assert your authority
03 Your deck & IMPACT
Land it.
Make the slides
strengthen what they
see, hear and feel.
Slides ack not distract
Deck serves the story
Designed for audience
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.
Founder & entrepreneur
My experience with Richard was amazing. He heard me, he had me catching my breath as I read my own thoughts.
I highly recommend Richard for your writing and presentation project. I’ll be using him again and again and again."
Altreisha F.
Author and Founder, Cake Therapy Foundation
who it works for
Which room are
you walking into?
Open the door that matches what’s at stake.
For Founders & entrepreneurs
The Launch Room
Make your business as compelling to others as it is to you.
Whether you're pitching investors, winning clients or explaining what you do, we shape your story so people understand it, believe it and act on it.
Clarify your story and proposition
Prepare for investor and client pitches
Handle difficult questions with confidence
Communicate the value without over-explaining
For keynote and public speaking
The Performance Room
Turn what you know into a speech people want to listen to.
Whether it's a keynote, conference or presentation, we work on the message, delivery and audience, so you actually land in the room.
Build or sharpen your talk
Turn expertise into a compelling story
Strengthen voice, presence and delivery
Rehearse for the audience, not just the script
for execs, leaders and the c-suite
The Command Room
Ensure authority in the room matches expertise brought to it.
From boards to stakeholders to high- pressure presentations, we work on how you communicate, influence and lead when the stakes are high.
Communicate with greater authority
Lead difficult or high-stakes conversations
Strengthen executive presence
Shape how senior stakeholders experience you
━ ◆ ━
how and why it works
Stage Intelligence Coaching.
Most coaching isolates one thing: your words, your delivery or your deck. But your audience experiences all three
at once.
Stage Intelligence Coaching
develops them as one system.
01 Your words & story
Craft it.
Make the message clear and compelling.
-
Clear narrative
-
Presence holds
-
Ready for challenge
02 Your voice & PRESENCE
Deliver it.
Make the way you say it match what you mean.
-
Voice, pace, body
-
Physical presence
-
Assert your authority
03 Your deck & IMPACT
Land it.
Make the slides strengthen what they see, hear and feel.
-
Back not distract
-
Slides serve the story
-
Designed for audience
━ ◆ ━
Which room
are you?
Winning the room isn’t one skill. It’s knowing what to say, how to say it, and how to make it land with the people in front of you.
That’s Stage Intelligence. We build all three together.
For Founders and entrepreneurs
The Launch Room
Make your business as clear and
compelling to others as it is to you.
Whether you're pitching investors, winning clients or explaining what you
do, we shape your story so people understand it, believe it and act on it.
Clarify your story and
proposition
Prepare for investor and
client pitches
Handle difficult questions with confidence
Communicate the value without over-explaining
who it works for
For keynote and public speaking
The Performance Room
Turn what you know into a speech people want to listen to.
Whether it's a keynote, conference or important presentation, we work on the message, delivery and audience, so what you do actually lands in the room.
Build or sharpen your talk
Turn expertise into a
compelling story
Strengthen voice, presence
and delivery
Rehearse for the audience,
not just the script
for execs, leaders and
the c-suite
The Command Room
Ensure authority in the room matches expertise brought to it.
From boards to stakeholders to high- pressure presentations, we work on how you communicate, influence and lead when the stakes are high.
Communicate with greater authority
Lead difficult or high-stakes conversations
Strengthen executive presence
Shape how senior stakeholders experience you
━ ◆ ━
Four steps.
One ready outcome.
We start with what the room needs to believe, then build the story, delivery and supporting material to make it land.
01
discovery
We map the moment
We start with the room you’re walking into: who will be there, what’s at stake, and what success needs to look like.
Outcome: clarity on the room, audience and objective.
how we work
02
development
We shape the story
We build the message until every point earns its place - clear, persuasive and resilient under pressure.
Outcome: story, speech & supporting material that holds.
03
dynamics
We rehearse the room
Voice, pace, presence, questions and composure.
We rehearse when the room stops following the script.
Outcome: calm, credible delivery under pressure.
04
delivery
You land the result
You walk in with a clear story, confident delivery and supporting material that works with you, not against.
Outcome: the room hears the authority you already have.
━ ◆ ━
the case study
From Tension to TEDx Stage.
Lucy had helped rebuild a failing £50m division, shaped the strategy, held the team together and landed contracts nobody thought possible.
But when she stood in front of the board, they didn't see the leader who had done the work.
01 - The discovery
What wasn't landing
Lucy didn’t have an ability problem. She had a story problem. Her presentation didn’t make it clear that she had led the turnaround.
The results were real, but she wasn’t telling them as one clear leadership narrative.
In the boardroom, people saw slides and nerves rather than the leader who had already delivered the results.
The issue wasn’t substance. It was how the room was receiving it.
We worked through Stage Intelligence Coaching in sequence.
Story, body language, delivery, slides and pressure in the room in real time.
We rebuilt the way she showed up.
02 - The transformation
Eighteen months later, Lucy received the promotion she had already earned.
The change was that the room finally saw it too. She went on to present her story on a TEDx stage.
"Richard helped me shape the story behind my results - and gave me the confidence to own it in the room."
A leader who commands
the room.
03 - The results
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. From operations and investment to communications and leadership, I’ve worked across Auto Trader, Vodafone, Syngenta and JD Sports before founding Life Is A Speech - a coaching practice built on what those rooms taught me.
I didn’t start out knowing how to hold a room. I was over-rehearsed, anxious and convinced I’d be found out. So I learned the things nobody teaches executives: how performers actually command attention.
I learnt from both worlds. Drama. Stand-up. Scriptwriting. Improv. Rooms with no slide deck to hide behind - where if you lose attention, you know immediately. That’s where I learned the difference between being technically right and genuinely commanding a room.
That's Stage Intelligence Coaching. And it’s what every engagement is built on.
founder. life is a speech
◆
why this work is different
Experience from every side of the room.
CORPORATE experience
Built in boardrooms
Two decades working inside major organisation, leadership teams and high-stake commerical environments.
◆ Head of Supplier & Comms
JD Sports Fashion plc
◆ Senior Global Strategist
Syngenta Group
◆ Director of Communications
Positive Start Ltd
◆ Global Supplier Manager
Vodafone
Creative Experience
Built in boardrooms
Two decades working inside major organisation, leadership teams and high-stake commerical environments.
◆ BA in Communication
Lancaster University
◆ BA in Drama
Lancaster University
◆ Award-winning writer
BCG Pro, Screen to Seen
◆ Stand-up comedy & Improv
Performed Edinburgh Fringe
COaching experience
Proven in coaching.
Professional coaching credentials turned these experiences into repeatable methodology that helps people perform
◆ ILM Level 7 Coaching
Institute of Leadership
◆ CPD Accredited Coach
CPD
◆ Founder
Life is a Speech Ltd
◆ Training & Development Coach
Unity Leadership Solutions
Founder, Life is a Speech
◆
MY testImOnIals
Trusted by people who can't afford
to be forgettable.
executive coaching
“The coaching was invaluable.”
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. If you want to actually move people, work with Richard.
Dr. Sandra H-Z
CEO and Founder at Aspirant
leadership impact
“Promoted and recognised”
Richard gave me an honest read of how I was being received, sharpened my board updates and prepared me for the hard questions.
I stopped deferring and defending, and people started hearing the leader they already had. It gave me confidence to go for a role I felt I wouldn't get. Richard showed me how.
Andreas M
Finanical director at Microsoft
founder and ENTREPRENEUR story
“He's helped me in my presenting and my life"
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. And honestly, we can not recommend Richard enough.
Sharon U
Presenter and Author
◆
Your next high-stakes moment deserves more than your usual words.
Every engagement starts with a consultation. No pitch, no pressure. Just a clear conversation about how you get results. Confidential. NDA's available.
Any questions? Reach out to me directly.
how we work
Four steps.
One room-ready outcome.
We shape what you want to say, then practice until it feels like you on the best day.
discovery
We map your room.
We start with the room you’re walking into: who will be there, what’s at stake, and what success needs to look like.
your outcome
Clarity on the room,
audience and objective.
development
We shape your story.
We build the message until every point earns its place - clear, persuasive and resilient under pressure.
your outcome
A story that showed what she led, not just what had happened.
dynamics
We prime your presence
We build the message until every point earns its place - clear, persuasive and resilient under pressure.
your outcome
Clear focus: make her
leadership visible.
delivery
You land the result.
You walk in with a clear story, confident delivery and supporting material that works with you, not against.
your outcome
Recognition in the business. A voice beyond the boardroom.
the case study
From Boardroom tension
to TEDx Stage.
Lucy had helped rebuild a failing £50m division.
She shaped the strategy, held the team together and landed contracts others thought impossible.
But when she presented to the board, they saw the slides and the nerves, not the leader behind the results.
discovery
We found what the room was missing.
Lucy’s presentation explained
the turnaround, but not her role
in leading it. The knowledge, strategy and results were there.
The board needed to see the person behind them.
WHAT CHANGED
Clear focus: make her
leadership visible.
development
We put her leadership into the story.
We worked on the narrative and supporting slides together, connecting her decisions and actions to the results.
Her contribution became the thread, rather than a presumption.
WHAT CHANGED
A story that showed what she led, not just what had happened.
dynamics
We worked on how she held the room.
We brought the story into rehearsal, working on body language, delivery and pressure.
The focus was not simply knowing the material, but communicating it with confidence when it mattered.
WHAT CHANGED
Clear focus: make her
leadership visible.
delivery
Her leadership became easier to see.
Eighteen months later, Lucy received the promotion she had already earned.
She went on to present her story on a TEDx stage. An example of how change is possible.
WHAT CHANGED
Recognition in the business. A voice beyond the boardroom.
THE STAGE INTELLIGENCE READ
How ready are you to
hold the room?
Have a pitch, presentation or important meeting coming up? Discover where your communication is strongest, and what could get in the way
10 questions · Around 4 minutes
Get your personalised result. No email needed to start.
STORY
Does your message hold?
presence
Do you hold their attention?
impact
Will it land with this audience?
“You don’t need to become someone else to hold a room.”
meet 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. Across Auto Trader, Vodafone, Syngenta and JD Sports, my work spanned operations, investment, communications and leadership.
I didn’t start out knowing how to hold a room.
But I was over-rehearsed, anxious and convinced I’d be found out. Knowing my subject wasn’t the same as feeling comfortable in front of people. I had the classic "imposter" syndrome
Then I injected some creativity into my corporate.
Drama. Stand-up. Scriptwriting. Improv. Rooms with no slide deck to hide behind - where if you lose attention, you know immediately.
That’s what I bring into the room with you.
The business experience to understand what’s at stake. The performance craft to help you make it land. That combination became
Stage Intelligence Coaching.
Serious about the work. Room for your personality.
Expect honest feedback, plenty of practice and space to try things out. We’ll find what feels natural to you, so you can be more expressive without feeling like you’re putting on an act.
Founder, Life is a Speech
why this work is different
Experience from every side of the room.
Business experience. Performance craft. Coaching that brings them together.
corporate experience
Built in boardrooms.
Two decades working inside major
organisation, leadership teams and high-stake commerical environments.
◆ Head of Supplier & Communications
JD Sports Fashion plc
◆ Strategic Global Sourcing Manager
Syngenta Group
◆ Global Supplier Manager
Vodafone
◆ Director of Communications
Positive Start Ltd
creative experience
Shaped on stage.
Drama, writing, stand-up and improv
taught me what actually holds attention
and moves people.
◆ BA in Drama
University of Lancaster
◆ BA in Communication Studies
University of Lancaster
◆ Award winning writer
Screen and commercial writing
◆ Stand-up & Improv performer
Including Edinburgh Fringe
coaching experience
Proven in coaching.
Professional coaching credentials turned these experiences into repeatable methodology that helps people perform
◆ ILM Level 7 Coaching
Institute of Leadership
◆ CPD accredited coach
CPD
◆ Founder
Life is a Speech Ltd
◆ Leadership & Communication Coach
Unity Leadership Communications
Understand the stakes. Find the story. Bring it to life.
Stage Intelligence Coaching.
my testimonials
Trusted by people who can't afford to be forgettable.
Different people. Different rooms. Here's how the work felt to them.
1720+
cLIENTS Coached
680+
testimonials
40+
countrieS
EXECUTIVE COACHING
Dr. Sandra H-Z.
CEO and Founder
Aspirant
“The coaching was invaluable.”
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. If you want to actually move people, work with Richard.
leadership impact
Andreas M.
Finanical Director
Microsoft
“Promoted and recognised”
Richard gave me an honest read of how I
was being received, sharpened my board updates and prepared me for the
hard questions.
I stopped deferring and defending, and people started hearing the leader they already had. It gave me confidence to
go for a role I felt I wouldn't get.
Richard showed me how.
founder and ENTREPRENEUR stories
Sharon U.
Host, Author and
Entrepreneur
"Made our message
so clear."
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 techniques and the speech were insightful.
A great balance of serious, fun, love and engaging. And honestly, we can not recommend Richard enough.
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.
ready to begin?
Your next high-stakes moment.
Deserves more than the words you've used before.
Every engagement starts with a consultation. No pitch, no pressure. A clear conversation about how you'll get results. Confidential by default. NDA's available.
Have any questions? Reach out to me directly.