01
The boardroom
Directors have read the papers and want the conclusion. Being heard here means leading with the decision, landing the key numbers precisely and staying composed when the questions turn pointed.
Approach
Being heard is a discipline. We teach it like one.
A clinical method, applied privately to the conversations that decide outcomes — not to textbook exercises.
What being heard means
Three rooms, three kinds of attention
Senior leaders are judged in a few recurring settings. Each asks something different of the way you speak.
02
The investor room
Partners hear many pitches and decide quickly. Being heard means a story that survives a single listening — in the room, on a call, or on a recording passed to a partner who was not there.
03
The negotiation
Terms move on emphasis and pace. Being heard means holding a position without repeating it, and making sure the words that carry commitments are the ones that land.
The engagement
Private, structured, built around your material
Every engagement is tailored to how you speak today and the conversations you have ahead.
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01
Private assessment
A 60-minute diagnostic of your speech in realistic conditions, with a recorded baseline and a personalized plan and timeline.
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02
One-on-one coaching
Live sessions with a certified speech-language pathologist, using your real material — the pitch, the board deck, the negotiation — not textbook drills.
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03
Rehearsal for the moments that matter
Coaching around real calls, presentations and pitches, with recordings and practice material between sessions until the change is second nature.
What we work on
Precise, not generic
For fluent speakers, clarity comes from a small number of patterns. We diagnose which ones cost your listeners the most, and work on those.
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01
Sounds that change meaning
The specific vowels and consonants that listeners most often confuse in your speech, prioritized by their impact.
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02
Word stress
Emphasis on the right syllable, especially in the technical, financial and product vocabulary you use every day.
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03
Rhythm and focus
Using stress to signal what matters in a sentence, so the room hears the point you intended.
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04
Pace and pausing
Delivery that gives numbers and conclusions time to land, without sounding slow or rehearsed.
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05
Composure under questions
Clear, structured answers in unscripted moments, where pressure affects speech the most.
Privacy by design
Discretion is part of the method
Executive coaching only works if you can rehearse the real thing: the unreleased numbers, the difficult message, the negotiating position. That requires complete confidence in how the work is handled.
Sessions are one-to-one and remote. Recordings and notes are used for your practice and stay between you and your coach. When a company sponsors an engagement, we agree before we begin what, if anything, is reported back.
Our standardsThe research
Why being heard clearly moves outcomes
Peer-reviewed studies on how accent shapes credibility, trust and persuasion.
Every dimension
Standard American accents rated higher in sales pitches
In a controlled study of sales pitches, a standard American accent drew more favorable judgments on every measured dimension, including credibility, persuasiveness, and purchase intent.
Tsalikis, DeShields & LaTour — Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 1991Lower credibility
Accent reduces perceived truthfulness
Identical statements were judged less truthful when spoken with a non-native accent, even when listeners knew the speaker was reading someone else's words.
Lev-Ari & Keysar — Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 2010d = 0.47
Standard accents are rated more hireable
A meta-analysis of 139 studies (N = 4,576) found standard-accented speakers are rated significantly more hireable, with the bias strongest in high-communication roles like sales.
Spence, Hornsey, Stephenson & Imuta — Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 2024Further reading: Geiger & Langlinais (2023) found that non-native accents reduce hiring managers' trust perceptions regardless of demonstrated ability. Foucart et al. (2024) confirmed foreign-accented speakers face negative social trait ratings. The Sutton Trust (2022) found 29% of working-class senior managers report being mocked for their accent at work.
Is the coaching confidential?
Your coaching is private. Executive sessions are one-on-one, and recordings and notes stay between you and your coach. If your company sponsors the engagement, we agree up front what, if anything, is shared.
I already speak fluent English. Is this for me?
Yes — it's built for fluent, senior professionals. The work isn't vocabulary or grammar. It's the specific sounds, stress and rhythm that make listeners work harder, so what you say lands the first time.
How much time does it take?
Typically one 60-minute session a week, plus short practice in between. Sessions are remote and scheduled around your travel and deal calendar. Most clients notice significant improvement within 4–6 weeks; lasting change typically takes 12–16 weeks.
Can you prepare me for a specific pitch or board meeting?
Yes. Bring the material — the deck, the talk track, the negotiation — and we'll rehearse it with you, focusing on the words and moments that matter most.
How do I weigh the investment?
For leaders whose conversations decide seven- and eight-figure outcomes, being understood the first time is not a nice-to-have. We discuss scope and fees in your consultation, so you can judge the value against what's at stake.
Will I lose my accent or my identity?
No. The goal isn't to erase where you're from. It's to give you control — to be understood effortlessly in American business settings while keeping your own voice everywhere else.
Who will I work with?
A certified speech-language pathologist (CCC-SLP) — a clinician trained in how speech is produced and perceived, with experience coaching professionals for high-stakes business settings.
Do you work with leadership teams and organizations?
Yes. Leadership Team and Enterprise programs combine individual coaching, shared sessions and progress visibility for the sponsor, for teams of 5 to 500+.
Private consultation
Begin with a private conversation.
Thirty minutes, in confidence, about your goals and the rooms ahead. We take on a limited number of new clients at a time.