Hello, I’m Geraldine Barkworth, public speaking and confidence coach of Goddess of Public Speaking. Here’s a summary about who, why and what we offer:
The Short Story Of Goddess of Public Speaking
Geraldine's Story
Geraldine's Speaking Topics
Saraswati is the Hindu Goddess of learning, knowledge and wisdom and some say, of public speaking. ‘Saraswati” means “essence of the self”. I believe authentic “public speaking” comes from within. Once connection with the self is re-established, then trust, rapport and presence with others flows naturally.
Easier said than done, I know!
With that same spirit of courage, truth and self-knowledge, Goddess Of Public Speaking specialises in working with people who are nervous about speaking in public and are seeking to free their inner speaker.
Clients range from from international CEO’s to mums running a business from home, and from librarians to bondage mistresses. What they share is a desire to make a difference. My gentle and positive approach is described as the polar opposite to most public speaking programs. I have created a unique blend of professional life coaching (inner work) and hands-on public speaking technique (outer work). This blend ensures the authentic heart and spirit remain in every speaker.
Since 2002, Goddess Of Public Speaking has provided confidential private coaching, corporate training and retreats for professionals in Australia and New Zealand wanting to speak, lead and live with natural ease and authenticity. We are based near Byron Bay, northern New South Wales, Australia and do much of our work over the telephone and skype video.
“ From childhood, I was often told: “You should be a public speaker.” My confident “gift of the gab” frequently inspired this well-meaning advice. Instead, I shrank away, feeling like a fraud putting on a performance. I created a barrier of anxiety and avoidance and often “pushed” myself to be something I was not. I had serious doubts about my value as a human being. I might have looked quite good on the surface, but if you scratched it, I feared there wasn’t very much beneath.
Scroll forward a few decades of inner work and I finally understood why traditional public speaking felt “so wrong”. I found a new way. I realised that every time I had a conversation with anyone other than myself, I was already “public speaking”. Wow. You didn’t need to be performing up on stage. You could do it at the dinner table.
I discovered that great “public speaking” is the ability to slow down and connect heart to heart anywhere and anytime. There is no separation; it’s just our beliefs and perceptions getting in the way. For me, this took an enormous amount of pressure off to perform and instead, just allowed me to be myself. With self-consciousness gone, connection flowed effortlessly and without struggle. I finally came home to myself. I can show you how to find that natural ease and authenticity for yourself. “
My clients are looking to work on their inner life so that their outer life is one truly worth living. As a professionally trained life coach, I offer my clients far more than just public speaking confidence and technical tips. I do understand the journey it sometimes takes to get to this point of working with a public speaking coach: it took me 6 career moves to find my vocation. So this means I also have experience in small business, training groups, career consultancy, recruitment management, sales and libraries (yes I know; hard to believe!)
Results Coaching Systems International Coach Federation
Body Centred Coaching Australian National Speakers Association
Strengths Based Coaching Australian Institute Of Management
Cert IV Training & Assessment
Insight (Vipassana) Meditation
The Intimacy Of Death & Dying
Geraldine Barkworth, speaking coach and director of Goddess Of Public Speaking, shows audiences how to physically and emotionally tap into their Inner Speaker by thinking on their feet and speaking from their heart. She often acts as MC for women’s business breakfasts and speaks at conferences and networking events and her topics include:
Geraldine’s style is described as “quirky, authentic, theatrical, perceptive and fun”.
Fees begin at $490 for a customised presentation. Contact Geraldine Barkworth to discuss.
" Geraldine’s energy, intelligence, experience & raw presence is an inspiration & purely enjoyable. ”
ANGELA HINZ, BREATHING SPACE YOGA
Pass the microphone thanks, I love any chance for public speaking now! I’ve had lots of positive feedback about my public speaking skills since training with Geraldine. I highly recommend you talk with Geraldine if you want to deliver your message in a way that people will hear."
The six months coaching sessions with Geraldine Barkworth was the best money I’ve spent on professional development in years. Where else can you get a tailored program to suit the most important person in the training, YOU! And then, to speak with your coach every two weeks to ensure you stay on track with all that you’d like to improve in yourself and achieve in your professional life. Plus, the expense is fully deductible on your tax!
When I tell people about coaching, they are amazed that the coaching is conducted over the phone. Geraldine has amazingly perceptive honing skills, picking up every word you say. No stone is left unturned, and she will shine a spotlight on something that you might say as a throw away sentence. She will help you analyse blockages in your life and help you move through them. Sometimes you feel like she can see right into you, without being invasive. I believe this is a great quality in not just a coach, but any human being! I kept thinking, "This is the right coach for me." She not only walks the walk, but she can talk the talk!
I recommend with coaching, that you push the boundaries, try new things, bounce them off Geraldine, analyse them, write them down and get things happening! Don’t rest on your laurels, but push your own boundaries to become a more effective information professional. Take all that coaching offers and more, as this program is for you, and you alone. You will not get an opportunity anywhere else to focus on yourself with so much dedicated time and your very own coach. With coaching, you will see your life transform in front of your eyes! And you will not be disappointed!"
“I was absolutely thrilled and relieved when I found Geraldine — I needed someone to coach me in public speaking when my novel was published. Her approach is unique, intelligent and fun. She worked miracles with me.”"
Prior to starting with Geraldine, I felt very alone with my anxiety around public speaking in all situations. I felt I was a lost case as nobody I knew experienced the same degree of terror as me.
From the first session with Geraldine, I was continually impressed by both her ability to understand my what happens for me in public speaking situations, and the effective tools and activities she has developed to address these issues and improve public speaking skills. I immediately began to feel understood and optimistic that I would gain control of my fears.
In addition, after every session I left with practical and relevant advice for improving all aspects of my life that relate to and impact on public speaking.
I truly feel that conquering public speaking requires a holistic approach, and that Geraldine, with her vast depth of experience, was able to pinpoint the right methods for me. Highly recommended!"
Geraldine has discovered a “door”, a “way” for us to enter into this competitively crazed world and allow softness, gentleness to inherit the earth."
I have experienced Geraldine in one-on-one coaching, and as a speaker. She is a woman who walks her talk. Her calmness, groundedness, humour and warmth are truly inspiring. In our coaching sessions Geraldine skillfully guided me into realising I already had most of the skills I needed. I just needed to put them into practice! Public speaking has felt much more natural ever since."
I began my journey with Geraldine at her public speaking women's retreat. The safety of this small group continued in the on-on–one coaching session with Geraldine over the year that followed. In her unique manner, Geraldine kept me focused and on track to achieve the goals I had set for myself. The sessions are gentle, caring and completely without judgement so that you feel "safe" to explore the depths of your inner self. And, lets be honest, that is where we least like to go but really need to in order to move forward.
I'll really miss my frank and fearless conversations with Geraldine and can only recommend that you embark on a personalised journey to be cool, calm and connected. "
Thank you so much for the huge part you played in helping me to face my fears of public speaking and to understand that my audience wants to hear what I have to say as long as I give them what they want - connection. I can see now that speakers who rely on putting up a mask, rob their audience of the authentic experience of being with them. Thanks for that valuable lesson."
Geraldine has helped me to break down 20 years of terror over public speaking. She has helped me to reframe all ‘the rules’ I have been taught over the last 15 years or so by other public speaking organisations, the one size fits all approach to public speaking. I’ve stopped counting my um’s and ah’s and thinking about my crossed hands and how quickly I scan the room and look everyone in the eye!
What I want is to be authentic, to talk with people as if I am having a regular one on one conversation with them, and stop worrying about how I look and what my physical body is doing. Geraldine has allowed me to explore that and to feel comfortable with that and to realise that talking to a group of people is not about having to entertain them with my wit and charm, it’s about being feeling confident enough to allow myself to be who I want to be and to engage with people in a relaxed way that suits my communication style. I couldn’t have asked for anything more than that and I wouldn’t have found that anywhere else. Thank you ;-)
"
Everything about the 4 Day Retreat was superb! The surroundings, the accommodation, the food, the workshops and the extra activities like dancing. I loved all the little touches that added to the fun factor, including the impromptu talks over dinner and playing with the Book Of Answers. The inner calm techniques are so powerful they help me manage speaking anxiety. The Retreat was so practical, that I got a great amount of time to experience really being a speaker. I think the nature of the Facilitator, Geraldine Barkworth, brings a good blend of seriousness, structure, fun and fluidity.
"
It was a really great workshop, using easy techniques to calm nerves which with a bit of practice made everyone speak more comfortably. The content covered personal development type info as well as tips and checklists for what an MC should actually say and also how to plan an event. It was behaviour changing without being too confronting. I’m looking forward to the next one. "
I really appreciated the aspect of spiritual connection & feminine power that was underlying the content of the $ Day Retreat. I won’t forget that & am certain that it is totally unique. Geraldine’s modelling, energy, intelligence, experience & raw presence is an inspiration & purely enjoyable."
Just finished filming the DVD for the day... and today I did the introduction. I poured over the notes from our session and it flowed out of me. I can’t tell you what a long way I have come since my personal coaching session at the beginning of the year. I will feel elated when I stand in front of all those people at the Timber and Working with Wood Show in May. My Woodwork For Women book is on the threshold of being printed and self published, and with a bit of luck it will be ready for the Show and the Launch and I'm ready to talk about it with confidence!"
Thankyou for the magic you helped me achieve. I overcame my "herd of dinosaurs" in my tummy and can now speak confidently and comfortably in public. It was a huge experience and learning curve to actually see myself on film talking to the group and be so at ease with it. Thankyou! Thankyou! Thankyou! I will be singing your praises far and wide for some time to come."
Confidence & Connection is a subtle yet powerful course /method to overcome and let go of old patterns and transform. It's a very supportive and healing way of learning to speak well in public and develop communication skills extending from simply becoming more comfortable with ‘the self'."
Communicate Connect is one of the best investments you can make for yourself. Geraldine teaches in such a warm and gentle way that you really do learn and grow by osmosis. She led us gently by showing us herself and her work is like magic.
I am so grateful that I chose to do this course because now I feel that I have something to say that is worth listening to. I wanted to be more comfortable in my business to be able to charge what I’m worth and to be comfortable speaking from within, to a small or large group. I think it is an amazing program.
I know now that I can be confident in talking and connecting with people by just being myself. Somehow my life experiences had knocked that out of me but Geraldine taught me to believe in myself again."
Geraldine broke down the fear of public speaking into a series of physiological reactions. This made me understand I am made of the same stuff of already successful public speakers. I am more aware of my body language and the helpful signals my body sends to my brain when speaking. I am speaking more confidently in every situation."
It's no secret, I'm a big fan of of the 6 Week Course - I do feel like I've changed a lot since starting and I AM, in fact, more cool, calm and confident than I've ever been in front of an audience or in my day to day."
I needed to find the place where I stopped performing and started connecting with who I am and my audience. Before I reached that point I was in a comfort zone and I wasn’t really taking the process seriously. When I see an actor in a great movie that moves me, it’s because they are really connected with authenticity. They are not trying to emulate an emotion or feeling, they the emotion or feeling and in turn I feel connected to them and the story. I have now learned and felt the difference between performing and being authentic."
Timidly I stepped into the arena of public speaking with the 6 Week Course. With Geraldine’s gently yet professional manner, my shyness dissolved and a new confidence emerged. It became an adventure and after every class I came away with a sense of accomplishment. My fears have turned into joy!"
