TEDx ● Conference Speaking ● Media and Panel Appearances ● Pitches ● Presentations ● Meeting Leadership ● Campaign Speeches ● Accent Reduction

Through my 25 years as a professional actor and 12 years of training under the most lauded voice and speech experts and acting teachers in the world, I have developed a coaching technique for managing discomfort, revealing authenticity, and building a core connection to an audience.  I have helped clients from a broad range of professional fields achieve success in a variety of speaking environments.

Here are my 3 C’s for successful communication.

Courage

Hey, most of us get a little nervous speaking in front of people but the experience is different for everyone. 

A person’s level of discomfort usually lies on a spectrum somewhere between abject fear and mild butterflies.

I offer specific and practical tools for managing real discomfort and staying powerfully present in a high-stakes situation. With a mix of muscle relaxation, breath placement technique, and proper alignment we can alleviate body tension which is the root cause of most vocal and gestural problems, such as the dreaded “Uhm”, the “Criss-cross”, and the “Cha-cha”. 

Courage is about building awareness of your body’s response to fear and applying appropriate tools to manage physical and emotional obstacles.

But if I’m not a creative person how can I bring creativity to my speaking engagement?

Authenticity is the breath of creativity. Somewhere within each of us lies our authentic self.

I ask my clients, “What is your joy? Your passion? Your humor?” Together we identify and access that unique spark.

We find space for that spark to ignite a range of capabilities and possibilities when communicating with others, such as a well-placed anecdote, a humorous analogy, an evolution in thought, a disruptive idea. 

I guarantee that an audience will long remember a speaker who utilizes the power of authenticity to bring forth the unexpected.

Creativity

Connection

We are all in this together. 

Deploying the concept of communal problem-solving, I teach my clients how to use their content to build a bridge to an audience. 

This opens a pathway for landing big ideas and creating stakeholders. I encourage clients to use their remarkable experience in the world to provide an authoritative journey for the audience. 

The goal is to make unforgettable contact through shared understanding and deliver a call to action.

Through my 25 years as a professional actor and 12 years of training under the most lauded voice and speech experts and acting teachers in the world, I have developed a coaching technique for managing discomfort, revealing authenticity, and building a core connection to an audience.  I have helped clients from a broad range of professional fields achieve success in a variety of speaking environments.

Here are my 3 C’s for successful communication.

Courage

Hey, most of us get a little nervous speaking in front of people but the experience is different for everyone. 

A person’s level of discomfort usually lies on a spectrum somewhere between abject fear and mild butterflies.

I offer specific and practical tools for managing real discomfort and staying powerfully present in a high-stakes situation. With a mix of muscle relaxation, breath placement technique, and proper alignment we can alleviate body tension which is the root cause of most vocal and gestural problems, such as the dreaded “Uhm”, the “Criss-cross”, and the “Cha-cha”. 

Courage is about building awareness of your body’s response to fear and applying appropriate tools to manage physical and emotional obstacles.

Creativity

But if I’m not a creative person how can I bring creativity to my speaking engagement?

Authenticity is the breath of creativity. Somewhere within each of us lies our authentic self.

I ask my clients, “What is your joy? Your passion? Your humor?” Together we identify and access that unique spark.

We find space for that spark to ignite a range of capabilities and possibilities when communicating with others, such as a well-placed anecdote, a humorous analogy, an evolution in thought, a disruptive idea. 

I guarantee that an audience will long remember a speaker who utilizes the power of authenticity to bring forth the unexpected.

Connection

We are all in this together. 

Deploying the concept of communal problem-solving, I teach my clients how to use their content to build a bridge to an audience. 

This opens a pathway for landing big ideas and creating stakeholders. I encourage clients to use their remarkable experience in the world to provide an authoritative journey for the audience. 

The goal is to make unforgettable contact through shared understanding and deliver a call to action.

1:1 Coaching

1:1 Coaching

Whether you are preparing for an industry conference, televised interview, or TEDx event, my one-on-one coaching will sharpen your message and free your mind to think creatively in the moment.  Building upon your own content or outline, we work each “beat” of your speaking engagement from introduction to conclusion. We will find bold, new ways to connect with your audience, while addressing nerves, posture, rhythm, vocal production, and distracting physical patterns in real time.  In the end, your best work will feel like play!

Workshops

Company [WORK]shops

Learn by doing. I offer a 100% bespoke program tailored to your specific needs.  No canned PowerPoint presentations, no cheesy ice-breaker games. In my workshops we get up and WORK! Participants and/or teams bring material to practice, develop, craft, hone, or revamp.  They learn specific tools in real time while on their feet in front of an audience. We will engage in role-playing and simple physical and vocal exercises designed to alleviate discomfort and enhance effective communication. The environment is safe, nurturing, and fun.

Reviews

I reached out to Christina with the goal of becoming a more effective public speaker and reducing public speaking anxieties. I quickly saw improvement in my presentations and speaking opportunities in the corporate setting. Christina helped me identify my strengths and challenged me to incorporate new techniques to deliver more powerful presentations. I highly recommend Christina for business professionals looking to improve their public speaking skills or reduce speaking fears.

Richard Francis

Christina is an excellent teacher who is incredibly knowledgeable in her craft. I have obtained a great deal of encouraging and useful skills to help me move forward in my career. Her attention to detail, and support has exceeded my expectations tremendously. I recommend Christina to anyone looking to gain insight with public speaking.

Dana-Marie Moore

I am so appreciative of my time with Christina. She is not only a true professional, but an encouraging, knowledgeable, supportive, and ALWAYS present coach. Christina challenged me in the best ways while working on a keynote presentation, enabling me to get out of my own head and approach this whole experience with a new perspective. I loved the inclusion of breath-work! I highly recommend Christina.”

— Danielle DeZao

I had the great honor to have Christina as my TEDx speech coach. Christina made the entire process very easy for me. Christina helped me with my script and delivery. She could always pinpoint my weak areas without hurting my confidence, while giving me constructive feedback to become better. I appreciate this so much. Christina also offered powerful breathing tips to help me relax, which I have been applying beyond my TEDx talk. All in all, I highly recommend Christina as a TEDx speech coach. She will help you deliver an impactful and memorable talk. I cannot recommend her enough..”

Dr. Ai Addyson-Zhang

“Christina did an excellent job preparing me for my first speaking engagement. Would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a coach.”

— Laurie Foster

I contacted Christina as I needed help with pronunciation and accent reduction. She created a very thorough plan for each lesson and prepared in advance. I highly recommend Christina and I am sure you will enjoy her company and professionalism as much as I do. I would give her 10 stars if possible!

— Simy S.

“Thanks to Christina’s expert guidance, I was completely prepared and empowered for a recent speaking engagement. She picked up on subtle habits that could distract an audience and also offered suggestions that made the overall message stronger. Well worth the money!”

— Laurie Petersen

I had a session with Christina in preparation for a presentation. It was my first time using a public speaking coach and I am so glad I went to her. She showed me techniques to manage the physical manifestations of my anxiety and then worked through my entire speech. She is smart, fun and what she taught me was invaluable. It was amazing the difference that the session had upon my confidence and skill level. My presentation went great (thanks to her coaching!). I would highly recommend her to anyone!

— Denise Conte

When asked to speak at a large public meeting, I turned to Christina Starbuck for invaluable coaching for a different context and kind of public speaking than I normally do. Christina encouraged me in finding my voice for responding to this challenging opportunity.”

— Rev. Mary Forell

News & Upcoming Appearances