Whether you're addressing an intimate group or an audience of thousands, we all know that public speaking can be pretty nerve-racking. Sometimes your palms get sweaty, sometimes your voice cracks like the second coming of puberty - I've been there. But through those experiences, I conquered my fear and have been able to build a career around public speaking that includes concert and event hosting, engagements from conferences to commencement addresses and private public speaking consulting for individuals, companies and small start-up teams. 

My goal is to guide you toward owning your voice so that no matter the occasion, you can always be your most confident, authentic self when speaking publicly.

This is a hands-on class for working professionals, entrepreneurs and anyone with a genuine desire to improve as a speaker. You'll be part of a small group of individuals who may share your public speaking angst and you'll serve as each other's built-in audience and support team. 

YES, this class is right for you if you:

• consider yourself a beginner to intermediate level speaker
• have struggled/struggle with public speaking (including nervousness, connecting with an audience, speech/presentation/pitch writing and message crafting, timing/pace, and memory retention)
• need an environment where you can practice with a neutral group and get constructive feedback   
• really want to learn how to connect meaningfully while being authentic and personable 

WHAT YOU'LL NEED: (in order to get the most out of this class) 

• 1-2 min of an old speech/presentation/pitch (preferably one that you feel you delivered poorly) - OR - an idea, topic, product, service, etc. that you might need to present on in the future 
  **if you need a little guidance on this, during class I'll help provide a prompt that aligns with what you're looking to improve on
• an open mind and a willingness to work in teams 
• a sense of humor  

WHAT YOU'LL GET: 

• an encouraging, constructive learning environment with an intimate group
• the opportunity to present in front of a group + video footage and feedback on the speech you deliver in class (this will be emailed to you after)
• strategies and tips on how to effectively craft, prepare for and deliver your message (you will put these into action during class)
• a speech writing template to help you prepare going forward (we will walk through this template in class)
• public speaking tips, best practices and techniques for beating nervousness 
• discounts on private consulting and advanced Cool As a Cucumber classes
• a win-win situation -- based on everything outlined above, if you walk away from this class without it having met your expectations, email me with your constructive criticism (within 7 days) and I'll issue you a full refund (yup, seriously)  

RECENT CLASS HIGHLIGHTS
Cool As a Cucumber was a featured class in Bloomberg TV's inside look at Skillshare. Check it out here: bloom.bg/V3kcLo

RECENT TEACHER HIGHLIGHTS
Holley was a featured speaker at the December 2012 edition of CreativeMornings in NYC. Watch her talk here: vimeo.com/56510302

WHAT STUDENTS ARE SAYING
“Great class! Holley is the real deal. She is authentic and practices what she preaches. The format of the class is exactly what it should be - a little bit of background and contextual information, but mostly action. The collaborative, interactive nature of the class means not only that you will improve your skills, but also bond with the other students trying to accomplish the same thing. Definitely worth going once... or twice :)”

- Adam Berk, Director of Entrepreneurial Science at Lean Startup Machine 

“Holley is a great teacher. She creates a class environment that is very comfortable even though we're practicing one of the scariest things - public speaking! I've taken a lot of public speaking classes but this one taught me some very valuable tips that I hadn't heard before. I definitely recommend taking her class!”

- Joe Fairless, Marketer, Real Estate Investor, Author & Skillshare Master Teacher 

(see more class endorsements here)