SUCCESS STORIES
It’s no secret that the world’s leaders have a helping hand when it comes to giving speeches, presentations and keynotes that resonate the world over. Who is helping them behind the scenes? Lynda.
While Lynda’s primary role is to make her clients exceptional speakers and communicators, she’s always delighted when they offer their feedback. Have a look at the testimonials and client stories below. We cannot always share names because of the classified and confidential nature of much of Lynda’s work.
CLIENT STORIES
MICROBIOLIGIST
A leader in her field in Sydney, Australia, yet she avoided all public speaking. She emailed me three times before coming to the opening lecture of my MBA course, absolutely terrified and begging me to force her to come.
RYAN BEEDIE
Ryan’s performance in the family business and British Columbian politics made him the poster boy of Vancouver business. Yet speaking to audiences he didn't sound like the successful leader he is. Ryan knew he was lacking in public speaking skills and decided to do something about it.
CEO
He started to speak, but he was so quiet we couldn’t hear him. I could tell he was extremely anxious. In 20 minutes I brought out his beautiful ‘radio’ voice that had been suppressed since childhood.
JOE HERNANDEZ
Joe Hernandez, VP of Sales at Intrado was a quiet speaker who was largely ignored. Following a workshop and coaching with Lynda Jackson, Joe is now a powerhouse on stage with confidence to burn.
BILL AMELIO
CEO of CHC Helicopter wouldn’t go near a script when it came to public speaking. He felt he could ‘wing it’ quite well. Within minutes of working with Lynda, Bill realized ‘winging it’ wasn’t such a good idea.
GREGG FISHER
Gregg Fisher started Gerstein Fisher in the basement of a Brownstone in Brooklyn with one client. Now they are one of the largest and oldest boutique asset management firms in the country.
Some of Lynda's Clients
CEO
Name Withheld
A gentleman shakily got to his feet in one of my Washington D.C. workshops for presidents of organizations. I encouraged him to speak. He started to speak, but he was so quiet we couldn’t hear him. I could tell he was extremely anxious. In 20 minutes I brought out the beautiful ‘radio’ voice that had been suppressed since childhood. The class was enthralled.
It was a moving experience to be able to find this man’s voice and watch him learn to command the stage. He received a standing ovation from the group of 35 presidents two days later.
One month later I received this message of thanks. “I have been holding back and waiting to thank you. I thought that my emotions would subside, but they have not. I feel compelled to make you aware of the impact that you had on me. I was overwhelmed by your knowledge, your kindness, and your intuition. You have allowed me to tap into a part of me that has been difficult to access. You have provided me the tools to become a better leader, parent, and husband. You have made a difference in my life. I am sure that our paths will cross again. In fact, I know they will. Thanks for everything!”
GREGG FISHER
Founder & CEO of Gerstein Fisher
Gregg Fisher started Gerstein Fisher in the basement of a Brownstone in Brooklyn with one client. Now they are one of the largest and oldest boutique asset management firms in the country.
"I have worked with Lynda since meeting her in 2010 at her DC program – Presentation Mastery. The first thing she did with me was slow me down – not an easy thing for an ADD type of guy! I had no idea there was so much to public speaking. It all makes sense now.
Since then I am grateful for her guidance and coaching. She made me aware of how important it is for someone like me – a numbers and finance guy – to be coached on how to be a public speaker. I’ve never been comfortable in front of people but until meeting Lynda I never realized there was someone in the world who could help me with this.
I really value the relationship. She is a true partner whenever I need to be great in public. She writes my speeches and coaches my delivery so I feel ready and comfortable. I put Lynda in front of my team periodically because she’s awesome at helping them understand how important first impressions are with clients and how important it is that we, as advisers, communicate well.
RYAN BEEDIE
President of Beedie Group
In 10 years as president of the Beedie Group, Ryan Beedie has transformed the family-owned real estate firm into a billion-dollar Canadian giant. Ryan’s performance in the family business and British Columbian politics has made him the poster boy of Vancouver business. Yet speaking to audiences Ryan did not sound like the successful Leader he is. Ryan knew he was lacking in public speaking skills and decided to do something about it.
In November 2011 he invited Lynda to conduct a two-day Public Speaking intensive for himself and some of his colleagues. Countless techniques later including slowing his speech down dramatically, Ryan was ready for critical performances. Together with Lynda’s speechwriting services and on-going coaching support, Ryan now confidently addresses high profile political audiences and large fundraisers.
In 2012 Ryan delivered an influential speech to a crowd of government supporters and those still pondering where their vote would go. The government was re-elected despite much controversy in the polls. “Working with Lynda has been a turning point for me. She completely transformed us in the workshop and we took away many skills. I have since hired Lynda as my coach and speechwriter. My performances are critical and I owe the success of building my public personal brand to the guidance and knowledge of Lynda Spillane. She is a gifted writer and coach. Her ability with the persuasive word is unmatched.”
MICROBIOLOGIST
Name Withheld
She is a leader in her field, a microbiologist in Sydney, Australia. Yet she avoided all public speaking. She emailed me three times before coming to the opening lecture of my MBA course, absolutely terrified and begging me to force her to come.
I simply said, “Do you feel you can trust me?” She answered yes. “Then please come to the class – I promise I will get you past this terror.” Late in the first morning, I singled her out to complete an exercise in front of the class. I asked the relevant questions and she answered with tears pouring down her face. You could hear a pin drop in the class.
Slowly I began moving her forward with technique. 30 minutes later she completed the first exercise and the class erupted with applause. Two weeks later she delivered her final speaking assignment to thunderous applause. She has never looked back.
“You have changed my life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
BILL AMELIO
President & CEO of CHC Helicopter
Bill Amelio, CEO of CHC Helicopter wouldn’t go near a script when it came to public speaking. He felt he could ‘wing it’ quite well. Within minutes of working with Lynda Bill realized ‘winging it’ wasn’t such a good idea.
“Effectively getting your points across and ensuring you keep your audience engaged is critical for any CEO’s success. I have been publicly speaking for years, but I still had some nagging issues requiring a “Public Speaking” tune up. Wow – did I get that from Lynda! Countless techniques made all the difference in the world.
Bill learned how to speak at the right pace so that his audiences could follow. He also mastered the script, which made a huge difference when it came to speaking at Town Hall meetings.
"I have always been confident as a speaker, but today I only get slightly anxious when it is my turn to perform. Previously, I would get a full stomach’s worth of butterflies. Thank you Lynda for helping me
maximize my potential as a speaker. My audiences are forever in your debt!”
JOE HERNANDEZ
VP of Sales, Intrado
Joe Hernandez, VP of Sales Intrado was a quiet speaker who was largely ignored. Following a workshop and coaching with Lynda, Joe is now a powerhouse on stage with confidence to burn. He is a successful speaker with Vistage and has been promoted to an international role with Intrado, partly due to his public speaking and presentation ability.
"Lynda is unmatched in her ability to transform anyone's public speaking effectiveness. Her approach is quite unique. She shows you how to persuade, influence, and get your audience to take action using her deep knowledge of rhetoric, logic, psychology and theater. There is no question as to why politicians and heads of companies are drawn to her for assistance regarding their critical communications needs. The results are compelling!
While I consider my sales team to be seasoned and articulate professionals, the time they spent with Lynda gave them a new level of skill that is a true competitive advantage in our market. We can now approach any speaking situation with poise, confidence and maximum results. In fact, after Lynda's coaching, any one of my team can elicit applause from an audience on command. The results have been amazing. If you want to move your sales organization to the next level, you must consider Lynda as part of your plan."