David Smith
Trainer & Coach
David Smith has more than 10 years of experience training people to become better public speakers and communicators. As an experienced actor and director, David uses acting, staging and storytelling techniques to transform the way his students approach public speaking. He believes that public speaking isn’t an inborn talent, but a skill anyone can learn, for their own their benefit and the benefit of the company they work for.
Motto: "Words carry enormous power. When we learn to speak with, conviction, clarity and authenticity, we can achieve amazing things."
Prior to establishing a career in training and coaching, David worked in the film industry as an actor and director. Whether lecturing at Columbia College in Chicago or teaching small groups and individuals, David has always used a student centric approach and empathy to reach and mentor his students. His skills include teaching, mentoring, stage craft and acting techniques, storytelling and making killer BBQ.
David Specializes in training and coaching:
- Public Speaking and Keynotes
- Business and Corporate Presentations
- Sales Presentations
Education
- Columbia College, Chicago, IL September 2004 Master of Fine Arts in Film and Video.
- University of Washington, Seattle, WA June 1996 B.A. in History with a concentration in 19th Century Europe
- University of Washington, Seattle, WA June 1996 B.A. in Drama with a concentration in performance.
References
"I appreciated David’s informal, but professional training. I felt like a friend and that he wanted to help me, not only in developing my presentation skills but also in achieving my goals. The training with David was more than just a presentation skills lesson, but also helped me to form my ideas and prepare the communication plan for my team. The key points that have stuck with me are: A presentation is like a story – once I realized this presenting became much easier for me. 2) Movement during the presentation must be intentional. 3) One picture is better than a thousand words"
Marek Novotny, R&D Director
"Working with David is something I can highly recommend to anyone who wants to improve their presentation skills. David is more a psychologist who helps you understand what is happening in your mind when you are speaking than a typical corporate trainer. Thanks to David I became aware of my thoughts and mindsets which prevent me from being open and natural to my audience."
Milan Mlejnek, Business Development Manager
"Thanks to Dave, I was able move beyond my jumble of facts and descriptions to a clear story that flowed and focused on one key message. The Executive team accepted my proposal and I learned that story and message are the key to success."