I trained as an actress at Mountview Theatre School on a postgraduate diploma 1997 – 98 and then went out into the scary world of theatre (only to discover it wasn’t exactly waiting for me!). After a couple of fun but not particularly lucrative years on the London fringe scene, I finally decided I had to get paid work and managed to get a job with a touring company doing small to medium sized theatres in the UK. That was an education in itself (I’ve done the lot: driven the van, built the set, and then gone on stage for 3 hours) and from there I went on to play many of my favourite feisty heroines from previous centuries: Bathsheba, Cathy, Hermione, Lady Chatterley…basically if it involved wearing a corset, crying and falling in and out of love with men, I was your woman.
Not a bad way to spend your twenties I think, and I had a ball. But it wasn’t for me long term – I knew I wanted to run my own business and I was drawn to training, having read psychology and run some training at Unilever after I left university. So in a route that has taken me through corporate roleplay, through freelance trainer, to business owner, I eventually started Delaney & Hart Limited at a swishy launch party in July 2008, and incorporated it in April 2009.
Based in Exeter, covering the UK, D&H covers a wide range of communication skills training in organisations, and, due to demand, we’ve also created our own Introduction to Leadership and Introduction to Management programmes. We even teach people how to communicate sustainability to others and are developing this into an online product in 2011 – proof that communication skills remain much the same whatever your subject. We’re really pleased with what we’ve achieved in the last 3 years for our clients.For more on the company, and for case studies and testimonials, see www.delaneyandhart.co.uk
Now that Delaney & Hart has a good reputation and a solid team, I felt it was time for me to specialise in one of the many things we teach, and focus on training speakers. Being on stage is still my biggest passion, and I want to show others how to do it, not just to entertain, but to sell. I see so many business owners speaking badly, with the result that they don’t get any leads from speaking, and so they give up on it as part of their marketing mix. But done well, it is a lead generator, market research tool, and PR agent all in one.
So I use my background as an actress, my degree in psychology and my skills as a trainer to create events & products that are going to get you on stage, selling and building an awesome reputation as a speaker.
I’m always investing in my own development as a trainer, business owner and speaker and know that is crucial to my business success. I am currently mentored by Bernadette Doyle – herself a trainer by background and now multi-millionairess due to her savvy marketing strategies. Take a look at www.clientmagnets.com.
And when I’m not doing that (which isn’t much of the time!) I’m happily married to David, jazz singing and dancing in Exeter (salsa, contemporary and jive to date), going to shows and reading my way through the Man Booker Prize list.
