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I grew up on the South West coast of England. I studied Business & Marketing (BWL), before leading international teams in London.
Some of my most brilliant team members – usually the non native speakers – weren’t getting the recognition that they deserved.
I tend to support the underdog and I’ll always fight for my team. I discovered that usually it came down to communication and intercultural awareness.
As a multilingual Brit, I became fascinated with supporting these ‘undiscovered experts’. They began speaking up in a way that made a better impression. I often started by asking if they would like help to make their English sound more formal and professional, this mentoring quickly progressed into their delivery, body language and confidence. It was so rewarding to see them gain the recognition that they deserved, plus the long overdue career promotion.
The thing about me is that I really deep dive and learn everything I can about my current topic of interest, which means that when I get a new VIP client I soak up everything I can relating to their zone of genius so that I can help them to sound like the experts in their industry faster.
After emigrating from London to Munich, in 1999, I felt that despite knowing a lot about financial services it restricted me massively. I am motivational and outgoing by nature and I felt that my skills could be used more effectively.
I wanted to use my business and leadership skills in a more impactful way.
As an advocate of building your personal brand, my marketing communication know-how helped my clients to be seen as the expert.
Being self employed means no more compromises. I can provide my clients with the best of both worlds – what to say and how to say it to make a real impact on people. That’s what makes a difference.
In 2003 I was one of the first in Germany to qualify as an online trainer. Experimenting with new techniques and technology to make learning effective and enjoyable is my zone of genius. I make experimenting with communication fun.
As one of the pioneers in the industry, I was chosen to speak at the E-learning Day in Hamburg. It was my first presentation in German in front of 300 people.
I was the youngest speaker there and the only one not speaking in their native language, but I was chuffed to get the best reviews.
Having learned German in just 6 weeks walking in the alps, I knew first hand just how powerful it is to get outdoors. Being in nature you feel more comfortable exploring and try things out . This mix of both English and exercise is incredibly effective in terms of remembering the words and skills – sustainable learning.
More details about my outdoor walk and talk coaching HERE
My clients often ask me how I ‘get them’ to relax? I seem to have a knack for making people feel comfortable enough to speak in English.
It is important for me to create an inspiring learning space where people can practice communicating with more confidence and clarity for the credibility that they deserve.
People get recommended to me initially for Business English and they soon discover, through the thought provoking activities that we tackle together, that even in their own language, communication skills are holding them back.
Once you no longer have to worry about WHAT to say it is time to focus on HOW you are saying it. Having already worked in corporate business for almost 10 years, I am determined to make every moment with me knowledgeable and constructive.
Native speakers should never be overlooked in English speaking situations.
I support companies in creating a dynamic corporate culture where diversity and inclusion genuinely count. It’s not just the right thing to do, it also boosts innovation, loyalty and quality.
Unconscious bias, linguistic racism and gender genius are three of my keynote speeches, I have a workshop and webinar for each topic.
Whether it’s day to day communication with your agile team or something more formal like a keynote speech. Every conversation is an opportunity, let’s maximise on that!
Together we’ll craft and deliver your message in a way that people listen to and take action. Let’s make a difference through clever communication.
Three years ago I discovered the agile community. Wow! Here my leadership and communication values were right on track. I have worked with 11 agile teams and 3 VIPs in agile/start-ups.
I was a virtual facilitator for the 2021 Agile Camp Berlin and am an active member of agile Meetups and Slack Channels.
#knowledgemanagement #agile #scrum #startup
Straight after graduating from university, I started in consultancy in London. I have worked in four countries, speaking five languages.
FUNCTIONS Training, B2B marketing, sales and PR
INDUSTRY SECTORS Technology and financial services.
1. Despite having a German surname, I grew up speaking English in the UK in a bilingual family.
2. I grew up with people from all over Europe because we hosted foreign students in our home in Torquay, Devon.
3. My ERASMUS year was in Finland in 2003 and I was determined to learn Finnish. It was tough, but I succeeded!
4. My Kindle, pencil case and swimming costume are always in my bag. I luuuurve fountain pens and pretty stationary.
5. Before starting my own podcast I had worked at three radio stations as a presenter.
6. I’ve lived in 12 different European cities and have learned 5 languages without any lessons.
7. Every 2nd and 3rd Wednesday you’ll find me at First Berlin Toastmasters.
8. Please don’t give me a plant, I tend to kill them off at an alarming rate. (Sorry Mum!)
BA (Hons) Business Studies
CIM Marketing Diploma
Certified Online Trainer
Certified Coach (ICF)
German
Finnish
Swedish
Norwegian
Danish
CURRENTLY
– An Area Director at Toastmasters, supporting four Berlin and Cottbus based clubs to reach their goals through speaking and leadership excellence.
PREVIOUSLY
– Berlin & Brandenburg SIETAR (Society for Education, Research and Training)
– Advisory Board member at Goldrausch eV, Berlin, Germany
– E-learning Judge at Brandon Hall, virtual
– Community Manager, TappedIn. Virtual
– Radio Presenter at Hammersmith Hospital Radio, UK
– Radio Co-Presenter at Radio Kokkola, Finland
– Academic Affairs Officer for the Student Union, Hull, UK
– Swimming Volunteer for a Special Needs School, Torquay, UK
I have always been fascinated by the impact of corporate communication because I have seen how it can literally make or break careers. I am quite nerdy about communication excellence, neurolinguistics and cultural impact.
My clients say that I am a very down to earth coach, easy to work with and they seem to like my little business and communication anecdotes and ideas from my experience at management level. Thanks to my languages, I could start my career in reputable multinational companies. I think internationally, having worked in London, Helsinki & Munich. I began my corporate career in financial services and technology at Reuters, PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Arthur Andersen.
When I start working with someone, I have the ability to connect with people quickly, I am by nature a very motivational person and create a learning atmosphere where it feels easy to talk and share what’s holding them back. On the one hand I do not suffer fools gladly but on the other hand if someone is keen and invested in their own personal development I love helping people to perform and capture the attention of the people that count. As a junior manager I converted a nervous inexperienced team into a reliable powerhouse of marketing communication know how both in-house and in the media.
I qualified as a coach – International Coaching Federation – to help my clients tackle very real communication barriers including self sabotage, imposter syndrome and anxiety,
Working on your own personal development whilst working full time can be tough. If you have a clear goal, a solid system and a motivational sounding board, though it is not only effective but intriguing.
When I really challenge my clients with a cheeky grin of mine, they rise to the challenge and realise that they are ready to conquer anything. That’s the thing about me, I am not conventional and not everybody’s cup of tea. To be honest, if I am being a valuable sparing partner, I don’t care. I came out of corporate because I am not a people pleaser, frankly, it is less stressful and more effective just to be me, complete with the odd swear word, driving you hard with some words of tough love.
If you are intrigued, why not listen to my podcast, “Experts! Speak English!”, every week I share my knowledge about corporate communication. Each episode gives you a communication challenge to try out.
Rufen sie mich gerne mal an: +49 173 1688006. Manchmal klappt ein kurzer erster Kontakt ganz spontan.
Oder buchen Sie einen kostenfreien Kennenlerngespräch Online. Dann können wir alles weitere besprechen. Ich freue mich auf Sie auf Englisch oder Deutsch natürlich.
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